Kingdom Keepers Inheritance: The Shimmer by Ridley Pearson Review

Hello Bookish Friends :)

I pray today finds you all doing well, and I'm so thankful you decided to join me here on The Preppy Book Princess for another book review.

I'm Kirby, and I'm delighted you're here.

Today's review is going to be for a bit different of a read than I typically share on my blog.

I used to adore Ridley Pearson's Kingdom Keepers books, but I haven't loved his newer ones quite as much. Since I did just get back from Disney World and Universal Studios, it seemed fitting to share this one with you all today.

Keep on reading down below for my full review.

Kingdom Keepers Inheritance: The Shimmer by Ridley Pearson:

Source: Library

Publisher: Disney-Hyperion

Publication Date: February 21st, 2023

Genre: Middle Grade/Fantasy

Series: Kingdom Keepers Inheritance

Synopsis:

In the near future, in the Epcot of Walt Disney’s imagination, sixty thousand people live in a CommuniTree surrounding the forward-looking Walt Disney World theme park. Five unique families are among the residents―and some of the parents were once known as the Kingdom Keepers. Their identities are carefully guarded in order to raise their children without special treatment, most of the Kingdom Keepers work for the Walt Disney Company, and have settled into “ordinary” and rewarding lives. When a messenger carrying a secret communication coincides with both a solar eclipse and Eli Whitman’s thirteenth birthday―a few “ordinary” kids are thrust into a battle to save Epcot and find their friend who has mysteriously disappeared. With their friend missing and their parents acting strangely, the Kingdom Kids discover they are in possession of unusual powers as they forge a bond to rescue their friend and uncover the truth about how real magic has entered their lives.

(synopsis from goodreads)

My Review:

Back when I still read a lot of secular fiction, the Kingdom Keepers series was one of my absolute favorites. I've always loved Disney, and I loved how these books were the perfect fit for Disney fans (especially of the theme parks.) When the author first announced this spin off a few years back, I couldn't wait to give it a try. Even though I don't read a lot of these kind of books anymore, I still was eager to pick this one up and dive right in. Unfortunately, I don't feel like this one ended up doing the original books justice, and I'm not sure if I would want to continue on from here with the rest of the series or not.

Anybody who chose to love the original titles had to basically come to the understanding that they were pretty improbable, and incredibly unrealistic. However, coupled together with the wonder that was the Disney parks, most of us were willing to overlook that fact, and be fascinated by this magical world that these lucky teenagers were able to find themselves immersed in. Unfortunately, I found that with this one being set in the future, that magic was pretty much gone, and the improbable element was carried way further than ever before. Considering the setting was a "futuristic" Disney World and various other Disney parks, it didn't have the same level of nostalgia the other books were always able to bring to the surface, and it felt like a bit of a let down.

I also didn't find myself connecting to any of the kids themselves in this one, and I was a tad disappointed that more of their family history wasn't revealed. It was honestly hard to keep up with which kid belonged to which Keeper, and I wish that had been a bit better explained.

The story itself was alright, but once again, not as good as the original titles. It wasn't as immersive or as atmospheric as I was expecting, and after waiting for this title for so long, I'm definitely left feeling disappointed.

It was an okay read, and if you were a fan of the original stories you might still enjoy it, but it wasn't what I was hoping for, and I don't think I'll have the urge to reread this one in the future.

Final Rating: 3/5.

Thanks so much for reading guys! Have a great rest of your day :)

This is not a sponsored post. All thoughts and opinions are my own. The photo does not belong to me, and all rights to the respective owners.

First Line Friday: Courting Mr. Emerson

Happy Friday Everyone :) Since it is Friday, I'll once again be participating in First Line Friday which is hosted by Hoarding Books . For this week, I'm going to be sharing the first line from Melody Carlson's newest book, Courting Mr. Emerson. About The Book: When the fun-loving and spontaneous artist Willow West meets buttoned-up, retired English teacher George Emerson, it's not exactly love at first sight. Though she does find the obsessive-compulsive man intriguing. Making it her mission to get him to loosen up and embrace life, she embarks on what seems like a lost cause--and finds herself falling for him in the process. A confirmed bachelor, George vacillates between irritation and attraction whenever Willow is around--which to him seems like all too often. He's not interested in expanding his horizons or making new friends; it just hurts too much when you lose them. But as the summer progresses, George feels his defenses crumbling. The quest...

First Line Friday: The Inheritance

Happy Friday Everyone :) I hope you're all had a great week and that you're staying safe no matter where you are. I haven't been leaving my house much lately other than for work, and because of this, I've had lots of reading time on my hands. Last year my hubby and I took a road trip that included a visit to our favorite bookstore, and we decided to each pick a book that wouldn't be our first choice. The purpose was to try and read something that still interested us, but would maybe be a bit different than what we would typically go for first. My pick ended up being The Inheritance by Michael Phillips, a book I actually ended up being quite excited about, despite never having heard of it prior. Unfortunately, it ended up sitting on my bookshelf ever since, and I'm so thankful I finally got the opportunity to pick it up and start reading it this past week. The Inheritance by Michael Phillips: About the Book: The death of the clan patriarch h...

First Line Friday: Remembering the Cowboy by Mandi Blake

Happy Friday Friends :) There's so many reasons I'm excited that it's once again Friday. I'm excited to be taking part in another edition of First Line Friday hosted by Hoarding Books , but I'm also excited to be featuring one of my favorite author's new releases for this week's edition. First Line Friday simply consists of sharing the first line from the book you're currently reading, and today I'm going to be sharing from Mandi Blake's new book, which released last week. Remembering the Cowboy by Mandi Blake: About the Book: They have unfinished business. She just can’t remember what it is. Camille Vanderbilt is headed back home to Wyoming with one goal: find her old best friend and give him a piece of her mind for ghosting her six years ago. She won’t let anyone stand in her way… until a deer runs into the road and causes her to wreck and forget almost everything. Noah Harding lives a simple life as a firefighter and rancher until Camille cras...

The Preppy Book Princess

Search This Blog