Review Detail

Absolutely loved this continuation of Merida’s story! Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater isn’t a retelling of Disney’s Brave, but a continuation, picking up a few years after the events of the movie. Merida is stuck, not changing, and so is the rest of Castle Dunbroch. They are comfortable in their routines, living their lives in a bubble, ignoring the outside world around them. Then the god of ruin comes to bring change, but a timely knock on the kitchen door sends Merida out in time to stop him. Striking a deal to save her family and home, the story follows Merida’s journey over the course of a year.

Merida is exactly as I remembered. Feisty, stubborn, and refusing to marry. Can’t say I blame her, she is still young and wants to marry for love as her parents did, not for alliance. Merida’s journey over the year is born of desperation and that leaks out and adds urgency to the plot. Merida has to show the god of ruin that her and her family, that Dunbroch itself, can change. That they all still matter to the world. The stories and legends surrounding what the god of ruin can do haunt her dreams and urge her on her journeys.

I loved her interactions with each of the triplets. Merida has traveled before, learning different customs and things along the way, but has always left her brothers behind. This time, she encourages her family to allow her to visit three different kingdoms ad take a different brother to each. It was interesting seeing how the brothers adapted to different situations. I loved Merida’s relationship with her family in the movie, and it comes out in the story strong.

But her family and kingdom aren’t the only ones that need to change. Merida herself must as well. I loved taking this journey with her. Just as Merida must prove herself to the god of ruin, their bargain says he needs to show her his magic as well. I loved this addition to the story. Seeing him through Merida’s eyes, she believes he is a monster at first, but gradually sees what ruin brings. The dynamic between them is interesting, and I loved the snippets we get from the god of ruin’s POV.

Overall, if you can’t tell, I loved Bravely. It’s an exciting adventure. The desperation to stop the god of ruin drives Merida, but it is all she learns throughout the year about her family and her home that truly makes this story great. If you enjoy fairy tales, historical fiction, and of course Merida herself, I highly recommend it.