Book Review: Kingdom Keepers II

Bob reviews Ridley Pearson's Disney at Dawn

- by Bob McLain, February 28, 2011

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Disney at Dawn, the sequel to Ridley Pearson' wonderful first entry in the Kingdom Keepers series, Disney after Dark, is a dip in the same pool on a cloudier day.

Cliffhangers Without the Cliffs

It features the same characters, the same primary villain, the same gimmicks. You have to expect the same characters in a sequel, but not the same villain or the same gimmicks.

Worse, the bulk of the story is set in the Animal Kingdom, an interesting place, though unlike the Magic Kingdom, not a fascinating place. Few people feel much nostalgia for the Animal Kingdom, and it was the nostalgia evoked by the Magic Kingdom settings in the original book that made it so memorable.

To counter-balance, somewhat, these problems, the book has more action than its predecessor, and the children seem in danger much of the time.

But we know they're never in real danger. And for that reason, the cliffhanger scenes lack excitement. We know Ridley Pearson will pull a rabbit out of the hat and rescue his heroes no matter the odds stacked against them.

I lost interest before I had gotten through the first half of the book.

The Super Kids

My chief problem is that the kids are capable of prodigious feats, including the capture of two wild orangutans with nothing more than a pair of spare bathrobes and an uncanny ability to elude Disney Security everytime, everywhere.

No matter the quandary, they're quick with the solution. In the first book, they struggled much more with storyline events, and that not only made the kids more realistic, it made them more likeable. Other than their newfound powers and confidence, the kids in Disney at Dawn really haven't matured or changed despite their fantastic adventures.

Maleficent Loses Her Cool

The return of Maleficent is a major disappointment. Not because of Maleficent herself - she makes a fine villain if allowed to be fearsome and all-powerful.

But Pearson makes her little more than an angry lady who can throw fireballs. In one scene, Finn (the leader of the Kingdom Keepers) nearly throttles Maleficent, releasing her only when she does what he asks of her. If a kid is capable of killing Maleficent with his bare hands, she poses little threat to the park, much less the world.

Damn, I Mean, Dang It!

The interplay between the kids grows tiresome, especially when they react to dangerous situations as if they were cutting up in study hall. Ridley's use of words like 'dang', then his explanation that the speaker really said something else, is groan-inducing.

If you can't use mild profanity, fine, don't use it - but don't draw attention to it.

As a novel for the masses, Disney at Dawn fails. As a novel for Disney buffs, Disney at Dawn succeeds, though barely.

The third book in the series, Disney in Shadow, is set primarily in Epcot and shows Finn struggling on the cover with a giant snake. Check back next week for my review.

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