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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2355 KP) rated The Shimmer in Books

Mar 16, 2023 (Updated Mar 16, 2023)  
The Shimmer
The Shimmer
Ridley Pearson | 2023 | Children
8
8.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Danger Shimmering into Disney Parks
In the near future, Eli Whitman is living in EPCOT, which has been designed to fulfill Walt Disney’s original vision for a community. His thirteenth birthday coincides with a solar eclipse, but it’s what happens at his party that is really strange. The video game he and his friends are playing comes to life, and someone jumps out from it, kidnapping him. Can his friends find him? Where is he?

When Ridley Pearson announced he was going to write about the kids of the Kingdom Keepers, I knew I had to find out what he was going to do next. I loved the advances in technology we get with the future setting. There’s plenty of action to keep us turning pages, and I’m curious to see where this saga is going to go next. I did have a little trouble keeping all the characters straight early on, but the important ones quickly emerge as the action starts. And yes, the original Kingdom Keepers we know and love are here, and they have a slightly larger roll than I was expecting, which was wonderful. I’m already anxious to see where the characters are going to find themselves next.
  
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Mark @ Carstairs Considers (2355 KP) rated Villains’ Realm in Books

Jun 6, 2024 (Updated Jun 6, 2024)  
Villains’ Realm
Villains’ Realm
Ridley Pearson | 2024 | Children
5
5.0 (1 Ratings)
Book Rating
Enchantment Creating New Lands
Disney’s CEO has completely changed his mind about opening a Villains’ Realm in each park. The man was opposing it because it was a clear threat, giving the villains a foothold. But now, he’s greenlit them, and constructions has started immediately. In order to stop them from being completed, Eli and his friend Blair are going to have to team up with Cinderella’s Fairy Godmother. Can they stop it in time?

If you haven’t been following this saga, you’ll probably be lost trying to follow what is happening. Fans will want to read this book since it sets up the next book. Unfortunately, it falls into middle book trap. We don’t get any real battles with the villains, just stand offs. The climax is abrupt and the story just kind of stops. As usual in the series, the characters are thin as well. Plus some editing left me confused a couple of times. On the positive side, it’s always fun to watch the Kingdom Keepers interacting with Disney characters, and I enjoyed seeing a lot of the action taking place at the California parks. I’m curious to see where things are going, so I’ll be back for the conclusion.