Bravely is a thoughtful fairytale about ruin and renewal. It is also a follow-up to the Pixar movie Brave. For me, these two things did not go together. It could be because I watched the movie only hours before I started reading the book, but I could tell that the tone was very different. The main tone I thought of when returning to the book each time was quiet dread. Stiefvater had to add layers to the characters in order to have anything to work with since in the movie the characters only have as many layers as their role requires. While necessary and more nuanced, it changed the characters from how we knew them in the movie and so, again, it felt weird as a follow-up.

I would say that Stiefvater’s book interacts with the history and culture of Scotland more than Brave did, so if you’re looking to feel more of the realism of the era than I would recommend Bravely. I also like the fairytale structure of the story and the exploration of change as those themes did fit the movie, although in a drastically different tone.

Merida is visited by two gods, one of ruin and one of renewal. In order to save her family and kingdom she has to get every member of her family to change by the end of the year or the god of ruin will do what he does and destroy the place to bring renewal and balance. Throughout the story Merida has to come to terms with the change she is bringing to her family. Even though the change will save their lives Merida likes to keep things the way they are. In addition, the god of ruin shows her the change he brings by his power and Merida has to reconcile her feelings about ruin (on the large scale and on the individual level) and the positive results it ultimately has on the places and people it impacts.

The novel is didactic in the way that many fairytales are. It reminded me of Stiefvater’s novel All the Crooked Saints. Although I did not enjoy Bravely, the thing that kept me reading was the thoughtful aspect of it. A story exploring the positive impacts of ruin during COVID era is certainly interesting. I would describe it as a pagan approach to the question why does God allow bad things to happen, although without the danger that one incurs from saying all things happen for a reason during a period of tragedy. As Merida struggles to understand ruin the reader must as well. I wonder how a reader who didn’t have that viewpoint already would react. If I was reading this as a teen I’m sure I would find it to be incredibly profound, but I feel like I’ve already been on Merida’s journey and it was more confirming than eye-opening.

*Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. ( )

I love Disney and I love Merida, but I was disappointed in this read. :( ( )

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. 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. 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? ( )

I love this book most for the characters and setting. The largest character is DunBroch, the kingdom and castle home of the DunBroch family. DunBroch is a beautiful place though it has succumbed to lack of change. The family has become lazy, too content with what has been and is, unwilling to grow and develop into something just as good as the old, but more current with the changing times. Enter Feradach, the young god of ruin to enforce change through destruction. Seen slinking round the castle at midnight, he is pursued by Merida, the impetuous daughter of the house, caught and his purpose discovered. Appalled, Merida in her fury, demands a stop to Feradach. Enter the Cailleach, the Old Woman of Scotland, the goddess of creation. A bargain is made between two gods and a mortal. Merida has one year to save everything she holds dear, a year to change her mother and father, her triplet brothers, her adopted sister, her community. I raced through the adventure of the story, but it bears closer reading for its complex folklore and thoughtful insights into character. This is a book I will purchase for myself. ( )

A Tricky Bargain

Maggie Stiefvater creates an emotionally gripping and self-reflecting continuation of the story Brave. Home after a long journey, Merida finds everything just as she left it, unchanged. In the world of ancient Scotland, magic is change, and DunBroch has caught the attention of the new god of ruin Feradach. With the tricky goddess Calleach, Merida bargains for a chance to save her family. Everyone must change before Christmas comes again, but is it enough time to change herself?

Maggie Stiefvater begins her story with all the joys of a Scottish Christmas, including a lot of holiday tradition, and food descriptions. Stiefvater captures the setting of DunBroch in every detail. Making sure to lay the foundations to contrast Merida’s fondness of her home with the reality of its stagnation, and then disillusionment with how others see it.

This book is mostly about “stagnation” vs. “tradition”. Merida reflects often about change, how her family has grown complacent, and how the other towns she visits change over time. Her travels turn into a bit of a moral dystopian. Teaching her how failure to change ends in terrible ways, unless people step up and do better. Feradach often shows up to add gloomy pessimism to her doomed situation. Though, she grows fond of him over time, and begins to see his perspective. There is also the threat of the Dasachtach, and evil wolves to add to her worries.

Merida has grown a lot since the Brave movie, and I appreciate how self-aware she is. She is still frustrated, but she understands that her family has their own ways of dealing with change. Though Queen Elinor’s perfectionism, and King Fergus’ passiveness are difficult, slowing down the momentum of her exuberance. Merida is left with plenty of time to reflect, dealing with her excess energy, and thinking with a great deal of archery.

There are several new characters added to the family, including a new character Leezie, who is a bit of a damsel. This book does a good job individualizing the triplets. Each of them finding their own abilities and strengths throughout their travels. Merida does trade Angus for a faster horse called Midge, but Angus still makes the first journey with the twin Hubert. Merida has to face that her little bothers need to be different, her parents are starting a new season in their lives, and she should change first.

Maggie Stiefvater does a great job of humanizing the difficult topic of change. Though, even Merida does not have an unlimited amount of vivacity to carry this heavy of a story. Magic has dealt her, and a lot of people, a fickle fate. It doesn’t always make sense, but her family made it an opportunity to grow. In the end Merida might need another book to find herself again. ( )