Disney Brave: Fate Be Changed

I love these unique a Disney tales and so do our readers. Very excited to read Meridas tale and look forward to sharing what I thought very soon. I often feel Merida is one of the forgotten or overlooked princesses so I’m hoping this book brings her to light a but more. Her story deserves to be told.

I find these Disney books so exciting as they give you an alternative universe to see your favourite characters in a new story.

I LOVED this one. I have read a few others in this series and enjoyed them, but I was beyond excited to see that there was a Merida-centred book, as she was always my favourite. This imagines Merida taking the spell meant for her mother and discovering disaster, in which she has to fight to help her parents meet to ensure that she exists in the future and also to get home. I loved reading about the different clans and regions, and the vocabulary throughout was refreshing. I would recommend this to any fans of Brave, the Disney Twisted Tale series, or fierce heroines fighting for their families.

I absolutely adored this book! Having read several others in the series and enjoyed them, discovering a Merida-centered story was particularly thrilling, given that she's always been my favorite. The narrative envisions Merida taking the spell intended for her mother, leading to a cascade of disasters. To ensure her existence in the future and find her way home, she embarks on a gripping journey to reunite her parents. Exploring various clans and regions added depth to the tale, and the refreshing vocabulary enhanced the overall experience. I highly recommend this to Brave enthusiasts, fans of the Disney Twisted Tale series, or anyone who appreciates fierce heroines fighting for their families.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Disney Brave: Fate Be Changed' written by Farrah Rochon for the Twisted Tales series.

'Fate Be Changed' is the latest book in the Disney Twisted Tales series, this time it is written by Farrah Rochon - who I previously read her Tiana Twisted Tale - about our favourite Scottish Princess, Merida. I adore the way Farrah wrote both Merida and her mother Elinor and the way the story flowed was just beautiful, she just has to be one of the best Twisted Tale writers out there.

I really enjoyed this retelling and this was a surprise to me! I’ve heard good things about this series without trying it, and also I’ve never watched ‘Brave’ -so in many ways I’m not the ideal audience. However it was a fun read and did its job very well: keeping me entertained on a cold rainy Saturday afternoon. Many thanks to Netgalley for an arc of this book.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for allowing me an arc of this.
I have really enjoyed all the Twisted Tales books I have read to date, and as someone who also loved the movie Brave I was so happy to get to read this. The story has such a sweet storyline and I loved it from start to finish. Will definitely be adding to my To Buy Pile when it's finally published.

“She was her father’s fierce lass, not her mother’s proper princess.”

Thank you to NetGalley and Igloo Books for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you could change your fate, would you? Merida understands that as princess of Clan DunBroch, she has certain obligations—but that doesn’t mean she has to like it. Especially when one of those obligations means losing her freedom by becoming betrothed to a man she has never met. Merida balks at this tradition, but her mother Queen Elinor insists that Merida must do this to embrace her role as future queen. Determined to chart her own path, Merida follows magical wisps to a witch’s cottage, where she is given a magic pastry and promised it will incite “a great transformation” in her mother. But instead of feeding Elinor the pastry, Merida eats it herself. Merida awakens in the past, a now-teenage Elinor holding a knife to her throat and accusing her of espionage. She’s been transported to a time when the Clans MacCameron and DunBroch are bitter enemies. And it just so happens that the timing of Merida’s arrival has kept Elinor and Fergus from meeting. Will Merida be able to bridge the rival clans, help her parents fall in love, and change her own fate?

Merida really has to grow out of her hotheaded outbursts and learn to survive with only her wit. There’s something about this version of Merida that is different to what we know but, in my opinion, it makes her better! Being thrown into such an unexpected situation - at her own fault! - she has no choice but try to rectify her mistake and get her history back on track. I think the best thing about what Merida has to deal with is her new appreciation of others. We do not know her as a snobby brat but as a princess, she is in a highly privileged position. This book allows us to see a different side to her where she learns how much hard work goes on behind her scenes - and how much rivalry there is too. But Merida also gains a new appreciation for her mother and I really liked seeing that. She realises over the course of the book that her mother is also just a human being trying to do her best and I think that really adds to Merida’s character.
I was not expecting to get Elinor’s POV in this story but I was so thrilled by the surprise! This younger version of Merida’s mother is surprisingly feisty and stubborn which was rather out of character for the Elinor we know from the film. Personally I adored seeing her so different in this story. It explains Merida’s behaviours further but also allows us to understand Elinor’s mannerisms and motives, allows us as a reader to see that there is far more to her than meets the eye. I liked the way Elinor approached things. She’s very strong-willed, wanting more for herself - namely her freedom - but not at the expense of others. She’s dedicated to her kingdom and her people and I really liked seeing the battle she had with herself, her head warring with her heart and vice versa.

Seeing that there was going to be a Twisted Tale based off Brave had me excited. Seeing that it was written by one of my favourite Twisted Tales authors made it even better. The plot for this book made me think of Back to the Future and I absolutely loved it! It’s fast paced and engaging, smattering in some enemies to lovers which may be my favourite trope at the moment! It’s such a brilliant twist on the Brave story that I just found myself hooked from start to finish. We see quite the cast of characters throughout the story and whilst some are only briefly seen, they’re all enough of a presence that they feel like they make a difference. It’s never good when a character seems to just be added for the sake of it. But this was not the case here! The multi POV felt seamless as well which can be very tricky to do. Each point of view was distinctive and engaging in its own right. I can only commend Rochon for writing such strong characters! The ending of this story was a little unexpected for me. I had anticipated something with a little bit more oomph at the climax but I think how it was all wrapped up was still pretty good. We got to see a great overall arc for our fiery Scottish lass!

Overall, Fate Be Changed is another fantastic edition to the Twisted Tales series!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you again to NetGalley and Igloo Books for an advanced copy of this book. Review will be live on my blog on release day.

I absolutely love the way this series rethinks the original Disney story and this book was no exception! Instead of her mum eating the cake, Merida eats it, which seems her back in time. This is a wonderfully written book and I highly recommend the read!

Wow! What a fantastic twist to the original story of Merida! It’s like back to the future meets Disney. I couldn’t put my kindle down! Fantastically written and excellent characters!

Thank you so much to Disney & Net Galley for my arc ebook!

I love love love the Disney twisted tales (though I do dislike the uk cover change that has happened in the recent years as I can never have a full matching set of my classic style ones 🥺)
I literally jumped for joy when I found that I had been accepted to review Fate be changed!

This book was everything I was expecting. It was back to the future but Brave. If you love Merida, she is the same fearless firecracker here as in the movies. I loved meeting her teenage parents & learning more about them.

The pages flew by as I couldn't stop reading.

What if merida ate the cake instead of her mother?

I've been slowly working my way through the disney twisted tales and this has been one of my favourites. The authors writing style flows really well and really captures meridas origional character whilst adding her own flare.
I've found that some of these retellings have lots of unnecessary filler but this stays on point.

Anyone who's ever been a fan of disney should check out these re tellings

Thank you to netgalley for providing me a copy of this arc in exchange for an honest review

3.5 ⭐️

I have loved the Disney Twisted Tales and Disney Villains series but have to say I was so excited to learn Merida was getting her own tale. I really love Brave and feel she’s often overlooked for the other princesses but I digress. It is safe to say that Rochon did not disappoint with her Twisted Tale. It’s almost like a magical Back to the Future where Merida gets to see her parents when younger and learn more about her clan history. It’s so good. As someone who loves Celtic lore, Disney and magical/sci-fi this was right up my street.
I don’t want to spoil too much but I have to say it might well be my favourite. I loved how Rochon combined the history, myth and of course twisted the story of Brave. Merida’s character was so true to the movie but so were Elinor and Fergus and the host of other characters yet their characters were expanded on as well. All in all this was perfect.

Disney Twisted Tales are always a hit with me (unsurprisingly), but I think Fate be Changed may be my absolute favourite.

In my opinion, retellings get a bad rep nowadays. Almost as if the author will just slightly tweak the plot but miraculously work towards the same happy ever after everyone expects?

I beg anyone who thinks this to read this book!

Farrah Rochon takes the bare bones of Disney's Brave and flips it on its head. What if, instead of Merida putting her mother under a spell, she eats the witches cake?
Travelling back in time to a period where the Scottish Clans were dancing along a fragile notion of peace and her parents have never met, can Merida gain some perspective in time to get back home? Or has she inadvertently altered her fate in the most permanent of ways?

I really enjoyed meeting a young Fergus and Elinor as well as Merida's grandparents and discovering the impact that they had on everyone's future. However, my favourite aspect of this book was the real depth Rochon went into the surrounding politics of the Clans and the sinister plots that she was able to hatch.
I would thoroughly recommend this humourous, tense, heartwarming twisted tale to anyone who needs a strong independent lass in their life.

Thank you to netgalley and Farrah Rochon for the chance to read this incredible retelling.

I love this series of stories and I thoroughly enjoyed this one. A story that is Merida centered has been long awaited and I read this in one sitting. If you are a Disney lover please do yourself a favour and read this immediately.

So I’ve never watched Brave.

Don’t come at me!
It’s just not one I’ve gotten round to watching (I know! I know it’s been out for years now!).

And now I don’t want to watch it. I’m not sure what the movie focuses on (the story line, I know it’s Merida and she has to be Brave in some way…) but I can’t see it comparing to this.

This is amazing! I am in LOVE with this Twisted Tales - I have the majority on my bookshelf - and they give the feel of Disney and that nostalgia of childhood in a new way.

And this one is no exception. I love the message, the friendships, the ending!!!

Farrahs writing is lovely! And I could feel each characters personality coming through with how they spoke and acted.

I do wish Sorcha made an appearance in the end. That would’ve been cute!

I'm quite into Disney Twisted Tales. Various authors have taken one element of the films we know and love and they write about it if something slightly changed which because of the butterfly effect, it creates a whole different story with all the flavour of the original. This time, it's the turn of Farrah Rochon who has put on a spin on Brave.
Here, Merida eats the magic cake instead. She travels back in time and accidentally sabotages her parents' first meeting. Now, she must fix their fates. Basically, it's Back to the Future in 10th century Scotland instead.
It was really interesting to have Merida meet her then-teenage mother, Elinor, because you get to see their lives were pretty similar.
I'm not sure what to think of the bear bit being shoehorned in as there was plenty of drama and tension going on between the clans.
Overall, though, I did enjoy this twisted tale.