In Bravely, Merida Grows Up— And So Does Her World

The character of Merida was first seen in the animated film Brave as the wild, red-haired protagonist that broke all the stereotypes of a typical Disney princess. She refused to be married off and saved her family from a witch’s spell. Her story continues in Bravely, a YA novel set some years after Merida’s first adventure. She’s older, wiser and deadly with a bow and arrow. One winter’s night she hears a knock at the door. What happens next sets her on a path between two gods. The older god, The Cailleach, is the creator. She makes flowers bloom and forests grow. The younger god, Feradach, is the destroyer. He washes away what is rotten and stale. Together they form a cycle of balance.

Merida’s home, DunBroch, is the land of the dull. The people are content to live bland lives, keeping the same routines day after day. As a result of this stagnation, Feradach must destroy DunBroch to make way for something new. To save her home from destruction, Merida strikes a bargain: she has one year to prove to the gods that her family is capable of change. Otherwise, DunBroch and its inhabitants will be no more. She journeys across the Scottish Highlands searching to transform each of her family members before it is too late.

Bravely is a story meant for real fantasy lovers. It is for readers who crave nothing more than to dive into a world that bends the rules of reality, creating a space that is full of imagination. Author Maggie Stiefvater draws on Gaelic mythology and folklore to shape Merida’s journey. Richly detailed, you can almost feel the magic tingle from the pages as Merida meets otherworldly creatures that rise from the forest.

Readers will meet some familiar characters from the original story as well. Her triplet brothers have grown from the rambunctious toddlers we see in the movie, to three young boys almost on the brink of adolescence. Part of Merida’s task is to encourage each boy to develop a sense of individuality, apart from his brothers. Throughout the story we see Merida, fiery as ever, lead her family to change. However, it becomes clear that the most difficult person to change is Merida herself.

Overall, this novel is more than just a simple spinoff story. It is a door to a world full of heroes, legends, magic and above all – bravery.