The Fire Falls

Disney Princess: Merida #2

by Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen, Gurihiru (Illustrator)

Merida would rather not play host to the arrogant young son of her father's ally Lord Macintosh. But when a hasty wish comes true, things get even worse! Now Merida has to coax Young Macintosh on an adventure to reverse the magic and bring back his memories. It's not easy to get someone climb the Crone's Tooth and drink from the Fire Falls... especially when he cannot even remember who he is.

Genres: Fantasy, Middle Grade

124 pages, Hardcover

First published January 5, 2016

About the author

Sudipta Bardhan-Quallen is an award-winning children's book author whose books include Duck Duck Moose, Chicks Run Wild, Pirate Princess, Hampire!, and the forthcoming Orangutangled. She visits schools around the country to talk about the craft of writing to children of all ages. "Every book is an autobiography" is a favorite saying of hers, and a big part of her message is that everyone, grownup or child, has a story that is interesting and compelling—if you can find the right words to tell it. Sudipta lives outside Philadelphia with her children and an imaginary pony named Penny. You can learn more about her and her books on her website www.sudipta.com or at her blog www.NerdyChicksRule.com.

Reviews

[Damita Perez · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merida: Fire Falls was another fun and fast-paced adventure that captures Merida’s fiery spirit while giving her a new challenge she definitely didn’t ask for. Being forced to play host to the arrogant son of Lord Macintosh immediately sets the stage for tension, and watching Merida deal with him—while clearly having zero patience for the situation—was one of the highlights for me.

The memory-loss twist adds a fresh layer to the story. Young Macintosh suddenly becoming vulnerable and clueless makes the adventure feel more meaningful, and it pushes Merida into a reluctant leadership role. I especially enjoyed the journey to the Crone’s Tooth and the Fire Falls—it felt dangerous, magical, and very true to the wild Highlands setting.

While the plot is fairly predictable and aimed at a younger audience, the themes of responsibility, empathy, and growth are handled well. Merida’s frustration slowly turning into determination and compassion was satisfying to watch unfold.

Overall, Fire Falls is an entertaining, magical read that fits nicely into Merida’s world. It doesn’t break new ground, but it delivers heart, adventure, and just enough danger to keep things exciting.

[Nikki Wilson · Rating 5 out of 5]

If I had a daughter she'd certainly read all the Merida books. I love this little series. My only complaint is that en editor really needs to look over this series and fix some of the errors.

[Marissa Goetschel]

The story was enjoyable. I read it with my nephew and he liked it. There are a lot of errors in the book though.

[Rachel · Rating 4 out of 5]

A quick moving and clear read on friendship, being wary of what you say, and seeing more in a person than the surface. This book will be enjoyable for young readers who like the Brave movie and want to see more adventures of Merida. In this one, she causes problems for Young Macintosh (the guy with the hair from the movie). Through it, she learns more about him then she ever knew and came to appreciate him. She also learned a lesson about herself and being kind to others. What I did feel like the book missed was that she could be proud of what she could do well as a girl while he, as a boy, couldn't. *SPOILER* She was pretty much made to feel bad about having climbed the Fire Falls before, and even beat him later, and seem like she should hide it so he wouldn't feel bad even though he was being boastful and talking down to her. *END SPOILER* While Merida didn't handle it well, there was a better way she could stand up for herself and be proud of her abilities without her pride taking over and beating another down. But, the story was really good about seeing others for who they are, not just what they seem to be, and learning and fixing your mistakes, and using temperance in the face of others rudeness.

[Cristy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Merida is on another adventure in this second book in the series. She is set to host her father's ally Lord Macintosh. She does not want to play the host and decides that she will wish for something that changes everything. She must take Lord Macintosh on a journey to restore his memory and coax him to climb the Crone's Tooth and drink from the Fire Falls. I would recommend this for any collection owning the first in the series. It is a nice casual reading chapter book that fans of the movie will want to read.

[Barbara · Rating 3 out of 5]

Merida, the brave and fearless princess of DunBroch, is quite competitive. When her father's ally Lord Macintosh comes to visit, she easily beats his son, Young Macintosh, in various competitions, and annoyed with him, she makes a wish that causes him plenty of problems. Suddenly, he cannot remember who he is so. As Merida tries to figure out a way to undo the magic she has caused, she realizes that he is a very nice youth and could be a friend to her. Things might turn out all right in the end, but the path to getting there is rocky and treacherous at best. Young girls particularly will enjoy this title with its portrayal of an imperfect heroine but one who does things on her own terms.

[Christine · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a good book for your intermediate chapter book readers, 2nd-4th grade. It is well written and is of high interest due to the Disney connection. Merida is a strong female role model for girls and will appeal to them more than the boys. It confronts jealousy and friendship in an easy to understand format.

[Elissa Schaeffer · Rating 2 out of 5]

Fun Disney fare but I was bothered by the number of proofreading errors in this one.

[Christina · Rating 4 out of 5]

rated by my 5.75 yr old daughter. My favorite part was Merida climbing the tooth the final time.

[M · Rating 3 out of 5]

A nice second installment featuring the pompous some of Lord Macintosh and Merida butting heads over her superior climbing skills.