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.
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