It’s always a good time to visit the red-haired Merida and her memorable family. In Bravely, we get an older and wiser Merida and an epic adventure. Read on for a book review of Bravely by Maggie Stiefvater.

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Bravely Book Review

In Bravely, the story picks up with a slightly older Merida dealing with mundane castle life.  The same routines at Castle Dunbroch have her family and royal stuff bored but comfortable.  When the God Feradach comes to the castle to wreak destruction, Merida strikes a bargain and sets off on a grand adventure to inspire her family to change.

There’s a quiet beauty to Bravely which is typical of Maggie Stiefvater’s novels.  Merida is older, and wiser, and observes her surroundings with some detail that I never felt in the movie.  Her desire to buck the mundane life of a Princess is still strong and Bravely introduces some memorable characters that Merida interacts with on her journey.  In addition to these memorable characters, Merida travels with her brothers (Hamish, Hubert, and Harris) who always bring delight and frustration to Merida’s life.  

The book also peels back another layer to the complicated relationship between Merida and her mother Queen Elinor.  Again, Merida makes assumptions about her mother and her father for that matter but comes to an understanding about them that just makes sense for the characters.

This wouldn’t be a true book review unless I acknowledged the BEAUTIFUL cover by Margie Peng.  Merida’s hair and spirit just jump off the cover in some of the best cover art I’ve seen lately.  Bravely is full of magic and fairytale lore that only Ms. Steifvater could bring to Castle Dunbroch and our fearless Princess Merida.

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