Review Detail

This book is a perfect continuation of the events in the Disney movie, BRAVE. There is magic afoot as a young god whose job it is to ruin places so that rebirth can occur sets his sights on the stagnant DunBroch castle. An old goddess of growth has a special place in her heart for DunBroch, and does not want it ruined so she gets Merida involved. A deal is struck for a year to bring about change. Merida works hard to see that each family member changes on the inside. The series of events that bring about the changes feel plausible and true to the time period and the established characters from the movie.
My favorite part was the changes in Merida towards the end. In the movie, Merida is presented as so independent that finding love seems like an impossible prospect. While this is not a romance and Merida is not ready to marry by the end, she at least has found someone that is her equal, and the possibility of another story where she will be ready to marry feels likely.
Final Verdict: For part of the story, I listened to the audiobook and found it well done. There are specialized names I would not have correctly figured out without the aid of the audiobook and she sounded so much like the Merida from the movie, Brave. For fans of the movie, this is a great continuation and makes an interesting philosophical point about the need for change and self-improvement.