Bravely

by Maggie Stiefvater

What if you had one year to save everything you loved?

ONE PRINCESS.

Merida of DunBroch needs a change. She loves her family—jovial King Fergus, proper Queen Elinor, the mischievous triplets— and her peaceful kingdom. But she's frustrated by its sluggishness; each day, the same. Merida longs for adventure, purpose, challenge - maybe even, someday, love.

TWO GODS.

But the fiery Princess never expects her disquiet to manifest by way of Feradach, an uncanny supernatural being tasked with rooting out rot and stagnation, who appears in DunBroch on Christmas Eve with the intent to demolish the realm—and everyone within. Only the intervention of the Cailleach, an ancient entity of creation, gives Merida a shred of hope: convince her family to change within the year—or suffer the eternal consequences.

THREE VOYAGES.

Under the watchful eyes of the gods, Merida leads a series of epic journeys to kingdoms near and far in an attempt to inspire revolution within her family. But in her efforts to save those she loves from ruin, has Merida lost sight of the Clan member grown most stagnant of all—herself?

FOUR SEASONS TO SAVE DUNBROCH—OR SEE IT DESTROYED, FOREVER.

• ISBN10: 1368071341
• ISBN13: 9781368071345
• Publish Date: 3 May 2022
• Publish Status: Active
• Publish Country: US
• Publisher: Disney Book Publishing Inc.
• Imprint: Disney Press
• Format: Hardcover
• Pages: 384
• Language: English
• URL: https://penguinrandomhouse.com/books/isbn/9781368071345

Reviews

[Quirky Cat]

Do my eyes deceive me? Is one of my favorite Disney movies of all time getting a novel sequel? And it's written by an author I adore? My dreams have come true. Bravely is the novel sequel to Brave, written by the one and only Maggie Stiefvater.

Years after the events of Brave, Merida and her family are still going strong. Merida has taken to traveling the world, visiting home with tall tales to delight. Her brothers have grown (but not fully), and her parents are still very much in love.

Despite all of this, not much seems to have changed in DunBroch. Much to the detriment of her home, as this lack of change, is causing stagnation. This stagnation has caught the attention of two gods: one who wants to save DunBroch, and the other who is tasked with its destruction.

“Some storms make a lot of noise but move no rooftops.”

You never quite know how good unplanned sequels are going to be. That applies to both books and movies. It doubly applies to movies that get a sequel in book format. So I went into Bravely with cautious expectations.

Readers, let me tell you this: I need not have worried. Bravely holds tightly to all the elements that made Brave such a delight to watch (over and over again). All our favorite characters are there, and despite their ages, they are mostly unchanged.

Yes, I know – that's the whole point. Their lack of change is the focus of this plot. Merida has one year to change her entire family, or DunBroch will fall. This isn't the only deadline she is under, as another threat/obligation simultaneously forces Merida to travel to three neighboring kingdoms.

It's a lot, but it's also oddly perfect? We get to know more about Merida as an adult, seeing her struggle to help others change – while figuring out how she must grow in the process. We also get to see more about her parents and her brothers. I had SO many questions about them, so seeing them was a delight.

Ultimately, I enjoyed so many of the plot points that occurred in Bravely. They felt right, like an extension of my loved movie. And isn't that the goal? In truth, my biggest complaint is that Bravely seemed to end too soon. Another chapter or epilogue would have been very much appreciated! But hey, I'll take what I can get.

Read more reviews over at Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks

[Inkslinger]

'Bravely' by Maggie Stiefvater might just be the sleeper hit of the year for me. I certainly loved the original Disney film and its fiery princess, but as this was my first full Steifvater novel.. I wasn't prepared for the depths I was about to slip into.  

 

It isn't that the story starts off slowly per se, so much as.. it seems innocuous enough at the beginning. The time spent setting up focuses on the connection to the original tale as well as a sort of.. update as to where things stand now. We're given ample time to reacquaint ourselves with the family and their way of life.. to get used to the mostly content.. if somewhat lackadaisical existence they've meted out for themselves. Our princess however, is restless as ever.

 

When the threat makes itself apparent, it comes softly.. on hushed steps muffled by the gauzy cocoon of winter.. and that's really the elegance of the story. Throughout, as motives and histories are revealed, each revelation is delivered with precision.. yet it doesn't boom. It simply falls delicately into place like the snow.

 

As the story progresses, the pace definitely increases as well. Time is running out for Merida to accomplish her task and the beat of the writing is an undercurrent driving us along like the pounding of a heart struggling not to fail.  

 

Ultimately, I became deeply invested in the characters Stiefvater brought to life. Not just Merida and her family, who are at once both flawed and wonderfully wholesome.. but also in Feradach and the machinations of the Cailleach.

 

I love that the author doesn't shy away from tragedy. This story is equal parts hope and dread.. misfortune and blessing. The balance constantly trying to right itself, which is actually perfect for the tale it has to tell.

(I received this title as an ARC. All opinions are mine and freely given.)