Kingdom Keepers

Arty Cordova

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
Hello all, my god daughter has just finished the Kingdom Keepers series and highly recommend it to me since she knows how much I love Disney. I was a big fan of the Harry Potter novels so I was just wondering if anyone here has read the books and recommends the read.

Thanks.
 

Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
I read them all with my children losing interest.....and imho they satisfied needing a disney fix, but felt as the books went on the sort of went downhill as in let's see how long we can take this storyline.....think the first couple were pretty decent, but then the added fantasy elements of fairlies et al kinda took over. As an adult I much more prefer the Hidden Mickey series and even that one spun off into a fantasy world....but she wrote a more recent set for younger children which are decent....less violence and adult suggestive material not there. I have reread them a few times over the years for a "fix" because they too take place in Disney parks and relate more historic nonfiction into the mix I appreciate. :)
 

Ali Mouse

Active Member
I read them all with my children losing interest.....and imho they satisfied needing a disney fix, but felt as the books went on the sort of went downhill as in let's see how long we can take this storyline.....think the first couple were pretty decent, but then the added fantasy elements of fairlies et al kinda took over. As an adult I much more prefer the Hidden Mickey series and even that one spun off into a fantasy world....but she wrote a more recent set for younger children which are decent....less violence and adult suggestive material not there. I have reread them a few times over the years for a "fix" because they too take place in Disney parks and relate more historic nonfiction into the mix I appreciate. :)
I have read kingdom keepers they were ok.
I have never heard of the hidden Mickey series. I am definitely intrigued! I would assume you would have to read them in order? Also I went to amazon looking for them and I noticed there were books based in Disneyland and Disney world?? So basically I'm asking which one should I start with?
 

Arty Cordova

Well-Known Member
Original Poster
I have read kingdom keepers they were ok.
I have never heard of the hidden Mickey series. I am definitely intrigued! I would assume you would have to read them in order? Also I went to amazon looking for them and I noticed there were books based in Disneyland and Disney world?? So basically I'm asking which one should I start with?
Exactly, I don't think I would be to interested in a Disneyland based book??? But I am intrigued as well. I guess it wouldn't hurt to buy the first of each.
 

Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
Well I am certainly interested in anything Walt created, and Disneyland was his muse. Never been there but sooo much in common with WDW....WDW based on DL and improved upon imho....but Walt walked and knew every nut and bolt of DL, which makes it special to me.....someday! Kingdom Keepers was written for tweens and happens mostly at WDW and on Disney cruise ships....last book ending up where it all began at DL. Hidden Mickey books take place at Disneyland and outside of park as well, but for lieu of spoilers I won't say why that's so special....but must start with book 1 on both accounts. HM books have some increased fantasy time travel elements that are a bit cheesy....but I like them....worth a try! I would try the Hidden MIckey books first if you are 25 and up! ;).

I am reading like my 5th biography of Walt Disney and it's the best one I have read yet! By Neal Gabler.....a good read!
 

Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
The female author cowrote first couple books of HM with a fellow, then he took over? She wrote so far4 books for children based on same characters and common main story, which I enjoy too. The cowritten books have more facts and history, and the later books more fantasy?
 
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Magenta Panther

Well-Known Member
Hello all, my god daughter has just finished the Kingdom Keepers series and highly recommend it to me since she knows how much I love Disney. I was a big fan of the Harry Potter novels so I was just wondering if anyone here has read the books and recommends the read.

Thanks.

I don't. I barely got through through the first one. Unimaginative, contrived, and that whole hologram gimmick was just plain stupid IMO. Not a speck of Disney magic. It is written in a dry, spare style, a la Potter, but Potter had much better plotting. The Keepers books remind me of the Percy Jackson series - and that's not a compliment...
 

Tinkwings

Pfizered Fairy
Premium Member
In the Parks
No
FYI the Hidden Mickey books are by Nancy Temple Rodrigue and David W Smith...think they cowrote first 2 she wrote book 3 and 4 on her own and he wrote book 5(which is my least favorite just sayin' ).....the Hidden Mickey Adventure books are 4 by Nancy and are for younger set, and there are also Hidden Mickey Adventure QUEST books which are not stories but actual quests to find things and solve clues....which happens in the story books plots.

So book one is SOMETIMES DEAD MEN DO TELL TALES....and once I took them for light reading on a trip to WDW... :D.

I agree with MP on the getting away from "realistic" Disney magic in the KK books and guess that is why I prefer the intial books of HM series because it's more plausible and fun to imagine it could happen....then starts taking on more of a fantasy theme with some residual main story....

KK is better aimed at the market it was created for tweens and teens....my teens enjoyed playing around with some of the happenings in the books while in the parks....like imagining the small world little peeps coming alive.... :p
 

Fox&Hound

Well-Known Member
I've read most of the Kingdom Keepers books and could barely get through them. How they made Disney villians seem boring I'll never understand. Poor character development, boring plot, and many loopholes and inconsistencies that demonstrate the author doesn't even care. If you are a fan of Disney and a good read, I recommend skipping them unless you are very very young. Even then, still poorly written.
 

Penelope

Member
I thought that the first 3 books were really good. You may want to consider reading at least the first 2 because they do have some interesting backstory (even if at times exaggerated) of the goings on and behind the scenes at the parks. After book 3 I noticed the plot seemed a bit redundant and too predictable. I DID enjoy some of the tidbits and fantasy elements woven into the first 2 books - there is a cool concept in the books as to what is inside of Cinderella's Castle I thought was neat - but then the books seemed out of ideas.
 

NiarrNDisney

Well-Known Member
I have read them all and honestly I found them to be geared more for the preteens though they were a cute read so I think Disney park fans will enjoy them.
 

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