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Kingdom Keepers #4
Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play
For the five teens who modeled as Disney Hologram Imaging hosts, life is beginning to settle down when an intriguing video arrives to Philby's computer at school. It's a call for the Overtakers, a group of Disney villains, seem to be plotting to attempt a rescue of two of their leaders, both of whom the Disney Imagineers have hidden away somewhere following a violent encounter in Epcot. A staged attack by new Overtakers at Downtown Disney, startles the group. One of their own, Charlene, is acting strange of late. Has she tired of her role as a Kingdom Keeper or is there something more sinister at play? When caught sneaking into Epcot as her DHI, acting strictly against the group's rules, Finn and Philby take action. Has the "impossible" occurred? Have the Overtakers created their own holograms? Have they found a way to "jump" from the Virtual Maintenance Network onto the Internet, and if so, what does that mean for the safety of the parks, and the spread and reach of the Overtakers? Are they recruiting an army from outside the parks? A dark cloud in the Kingdom Keeper era is unfolding, and with dissention in their own ranks, it's unclear if there's any chance of escape.
250 pages, Kindle Edition
First published March 24, 2011
304 people are currently reading
6629 people want to read
About the author
Ridley Pearson
187 books2,106 followersRidley Pearson is the author of more than fifty novels, including the New York Times bestseller Killer Weekend; the Lou Boldt crime series; and many books for young readers, including the award-winning children's novels Peter and the Starcatchers, Peter and the Shadow Thieves, and Peter and the Secret of Rundoon, which he cowrote with Dave Barry. Pearson lives with his wife and two daughters, dividing their time between Missouri and Idaho.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
Also writes Chris Klick mysteries as Wendell McCall.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 444 reviews
June 7, 2011
This series has always been one of my favorites. I might be bias because I LOVE Disney World but i think the writing is quite magical also. In this book, Power Play, Pearson, in my opinion, makes the characters more demensional and real. I feel like I know them personally now that i have just finished this book. THere is so much to say about this book so i will just get on with it!!
Because these books are centered around Disney, they are very differnt then other books. The settings are throughout the wonderful, magical parks! I feel in this book, Pearson really incorparated a deeper look into the parks and how they function. This really kept my interest because as I said, I Love Disney. He also brought in more of the Disney characters we all love... and hate for that matter. It was a nice suprise to put Ariel in the story. I was literally beaming when she saved Willa from the lake in Hollywood Studios! Pearson did a great job to portray the Disney characters as they act in their movies but in more modern ways.
The action in this book was spectacular. It was really intense specially towards the last half of the book. I was not expecting kids to be brought in by the OT's and on top of that they all had menacing green eyes?!?! The kingdom Keepers really had it tough throughout the book! The thing that was most suspenseful for me was the jailbreak scene with Finn and Wayne!
Speaking of Wayne, it was nice to see him person in this book. It was a nice refresher because when we do hear from him, it is by video or special messages.
On "bump in the road" for the fourth kingdom keepers book was the technological talk by Phibly. At times, the book was a little hard to follow because of the depth of the technology knowledge that we needed to follow. I found that I just had to keep reading and try to understand what was going on as the action played out. That is my only complaint about the book and it is so minor that it does not affect my rating of the book.
Can't wait for the next book. On a Cruise ship?!?! I'm pumped!! Way to go Pearson and thanks for signing my book!! All the more special!
Because these books are centered around Disney, they are very differnt then other books. The settings are throughout the wonderful, magical parks! I feel in this book, Pearson really incorparated a deeper look into the parks and how they function. This really kept my interest because as I said, I Love Disney. He also brought in more of the Disney characters we all love... and hate for that matter. It was a nice suprise to put Ariel in the story. I was literally beaming when she saved Willa from the lake in Hollywood Studios! Pearson did a great job to portray the Disney characters as they act in their movies but in more modern ways.
The action in this book was spectacular. It was really intense specially towards the last half of the book. I was not expecting kids to be brought in by the OT's and on top of that they all had menacing green eyes?!?! The kingdom Keepers really had it tough throughout the book! The thing that was most suspenseful for me was the jailbreak scene with Finn and Wayne!
Speaking of Wayne, it was nice to see him person in this book. It was a nice refresher because when we do hear from him, it is by video or special messages.
On "bump in the road" for the fourth kingdom keepers book was the technological talk by Phibly. At times, the book was a little hard to follow because of the depth of the technology knowledge that we needed to follow. I found that I just had to keep reading and try to understand what was going on as the action played out. That is my only complaint about the book and it is so minor that it does not affect my rating of the book.
Can't wait for the next book. On a Cruise ship?!?! I'm pumped!! Way to go Pearson and thanks for signing my book!! All the more special!
June 16, 2015
*sigh*
Where do I begin now that I've finished?
The toil over, at least for now (perhaps forever?... The fifth book is supposed to be released next year). I think this book was better than the last two, for two reasons: 1) It was more than a hundred pages shorter, and 2) There were finally more Disney characters, good and bad. The idea that there might actually be good guys in this world is finally explored, but sadly still mishandled. Some of them are described so laughably different that there's no way in the world the kids in the book would recognize them as their movie or ride counterparts, let alone the kids reading. For all the in-depth and backstage research the author was apparently allowed, he still manages to get in a whole lot of inaccuracies about the parks and characters (Big Ben in Epcot's UK? And since when is Pluto a Great Dane?). The writing is as random and inconsistent as ever, the characters are still unpleasant and irritating, continue to not act their age, snark at each other, and figure out things either way too easily or not easily enough. They are still so underdeveloped and one-dimensional that I don't know or really care about any of them--some of their full still names haven't even been revealed--and that is a real problem. The writer is trying really hard to raise the stakes, but with the convoluted plot and underwhelming, rushed resolutions to threats, the whole situation just doesn't come across as really that serious.
UPDATE 30 May 2012: I can't believe I didn't mention this in my review last year, since it still bugs me to this day. Frollo! Why does he describe Frollo in a way that NO ONE would recognize him?!? It even prompted me to do an illustration of the real Frollo from the film and parks side by side with the character Pearson describes, and they are not at ALL alike. I even sent it to him with a letter describing my disappointment at his disrespect for Disney properties, to which I received a brief and terse reply from his secretary who assured me that he has editors and fact-checkers, which I must most seriously doubt. Now, back to 2011...
I'm still having a pretty hard time understanding all the glowing reviews, especially from people who claim to love Disney. True Disney fans should be annoyed and disappointed with these books. I also don't get who this was written for. The author himself said he doesn't consider a specific audience when he writes, but that he focuses on the story. If that's true, I wonder how well his other ventures fare when this focus is required. They were all pretty quick reads, but I spent way too much time going back and trying to figure out when or where something that was later referenced happened, only to find it never did, or it happened differently than described. I'm very sorry if someone put their heart and soul into the work of editing or fact-checking these books, because if they did, it certainly doesn't show. According to Mr. Pearson, this will end up being a seven-book series, but I just can't imagine three more books of this story and these characters. The real reason I secretly hope that these books aren't published is because I'm afraid part of me will feel obligated to read them, since I've come this far. (Hopefully by the time they're released the feeling will have passed.) As for his hoped-for and proposed movie adaptation, I guess I can see a Disney Channel treatment of one or more of them, but they will REALLY need some story and script work before they would work on screen in any capacity. The kids' snarky characters will probably fit in with today's skewed sensibility toward youth media, but that doesn't mean they'll be any good.
I think kids and Disney fans deserve a great series with this concept. I also think this is not it. I give this one a generous 2 stars (more like 1 1/2) because I did like seeing more of the characters included, and I still get behind the premise, but the plot is flimsy, the danger is contrived and the resolution is always quick and insultingly simplistic. In the end, these books are glorified fanfiction, riddled with inaccuracies and inconsistency of characters, both new and pre-existing.
I think it's time to read some Dickens.
Where do I begin now that I've finished?
The toil over, at least for now (perhaps forever?... The fifth book is supposed to be released next year). I think this book was better than the last two, for two reasons: 1) It was more than a hundred pages shorter, and 2) There were finally more Disney characters, good and bad. The idea that there might actually be good guys in this world is finally explored, but sadly still mishandled. Some of them are described so laughably different that there's no way in the world the kids in the book would recognize them as their movie or ride counterparts, let alone the kids reading. For all the in-depth and backstage research the author was apparently allowed, he still manages to get in a whole lot of inaccuracies about the parks and characters (Big Ben in Epcot's UK? And since when is Pluto a Great Dane?). The writing is as random and inconsistent as ever, the characters are still unpleasant and irritating, continue to not act their age, snark at each other, and figure out things either way too easily or not easily enough. They are still so underdeveloped and one-dimensional that I don't know or really care about any of them--some of their full still names haven't even been revealed--and that is a real problem. The writer is trying really hard to raise the stakes, but with the convoluted plot and underwhelming, rushed resolutions to threats, the whole situation just doesn't come across as really that serious.
UPDATE 30 May 2012: I can't believe I didn't mention this in my review last year, since it still bugs me to this day. Frollo! Why does he describe Frollo in a way that NO ONE would recognize him?!? It even prompted me to do an illustration of the real Frollo from the film and parks side by side with the character Pearson describes, and they are not at ALL alike. I even sent it to him with a letter describing my disappointment at his disrespect for Disney properties, to which I received a brief and terse reply from his secretary who assured me that he has editors and fact-checkers, which I must most seriously doubt. Now, back to 2011...
I'm still having a pretty hard time understanding all the glowing reviews, especially from people who claim to love Disney. True Disney fans should be annoyed and disappointed with these books. I also don't get who this was written for. The author himself said he doesn't consider a specific audience when he writes, but that he focuses on the story. If that's true, I wonder how well his other ventures fare when this focus is required. They were all pretty quick reads, but I spent way too much time going back and trying to figure out when or where something that was later referenced happened, only to find it never did, or it happened differently than described. I'm very sorry if someone put their heart and soul into the work of editing or fact-checking these books, because if they did, it certainly doesn't show. According to Mr. Pearson, this will end up being a seven-book series, but I just can't imagine three more books of this story and these characters. The real reason I secretly hope that these books aren't published is because I'm afraid part of me will feel obligated to read them, since I've come this far. (Hopefully by the time they're released the feeling will have passed.) As for his hoped-for and proposed movie adaptation, I guess I can see a Disney Channel treatment of one or more of them, but they will REALLY need some story and script work before they would work on screen in any capacity. The kids' snarky characters will probably fit in with today's skewed sensibility toward youth media, but that doesn't mean they'll be any good.
I think kids and Disney fans deserve a great series with this concept. I also think this is not it. I give this one a generous 2 stars (more like 1 1/2) because I did like seeing more of the characters included, and I still get behind the premise, but the plot is flimsy, the danger is contrived and the resolution is always quick and insultingly simplistic. In the end, these books are glorified fanfiction, riddled with inaccuracies and inconsistency of characters, both new and pre-existing.
I think it's time to read some Dickens.
February 24, 2017
February 2017 - Well, we finished. He loved it. I sort of hated it. The reader's awful, the plot's full of gaping holes, and the characters are almost offensively stereotypical. The only good part is the setting: Disney!
However, my eight year-old son would give it four stars for action, adventure, and Disney. So there you go.
November 2016 - Couldn't talk my son into a different audiobook, so I'm listening to this. The first time, five years ago, I didn't finish it. We'll see how it goes this time around. It'll probably take us awhile, since we don't drive together very far during the school year.
May 2011 - Doing this on audio.
I give up. Good grief, this is awful. Listened to 2 discs and threw in the towel.
I LOVE Disney, but I receive more joy from reading the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World each year than I do listening to this.
Unless you are hardcore Disney, run away from this as fast as you can.
However, my eight year-old son would give it four stars for action, adventure, and Disney. So there you go.
November 2016 - Couldn't talk my son into a different audiobook, so I'm listening to this. The first time, five years ago, I didn't finish it. We'll see how it goes this time around. It'll probably take us awhile, since we don't drive together very far during the school year.
May 2011 - Doing this on audio.
I give up. Good grief, this is awful. Listened to 2 discs and threw in the towel.
I LOVE Disney, but I receive more joy from reading the Unofficial Guide to Walt Disney World each year than I do listening to this.
Unless you are hardcore Disney, run away from this as fast as you can.
May 22, 2015
Love the action!
July 22, 2015
Awsome! see review for Disney at Dark!
December 26, 2022
Just as good, if not better, the second time around. If you are not a Disney fan, then this may not be for you. If you are a fan, you may find yourself booking your next vacation.
May 8, 2012
Fourth in the Kingdom Keepers children's fantasy series about Disney World and a team of six children who battle the evil Overtakers out to free their evil leaders.
My Take
Oops, I think the kids are getting tired of saving Disney World over and over. Certainly they are losing the magic they used to see in it even as many of the Disney characters in the amusement park are pledging their faith in the Kingdom Keepers---and it's about time!
Primarily, this story is about loyalty and honor. Being there for your friends. It may be scary, but being reliable and responsible take precedence. And slowly, the pool of parents in the know grows.
The Story
The adventures had settled down since the kids, the Kingdom Keepers, managed to get Maleficent and Chernabog imprisoned, but now, somehow, something is stealing them one at a time in their sleep. Bringing them over to the Kingdom. And it's not Philby's doing.
There has to be some reason the Overtakers are stealing them one by one and it's only together that the Kingdom Keepers will learn the reason and, hopefully, foil their plans. But the Overtakers have thrown in some twists: they're monitoring the kids' computers, recruiting students, and using spells to coerce the Keepers.
It's up to the kids. They'll have to explore the park, play the games, deduce the clues, and protect each other. Even as they're chased through the park, crawl through the garbage chutes, steal into the server room, and paddle downriver.
The Characters
Wayne Kresky is the original Imagineer who came up with the idea of the DHIs and created their ability to come over to the Park in their sleep.
The Kingdom Keepers are the kids and their DHIs. Disney Host Interactives, a.k.a., Daylight Hologram Imaging. The DHIs are light-generated holograms of the original five kids who act as guides or hosts at Disney World. In return for the use of their images, the kids receive royalties for their college funds and have a perpetual pass to the Parks, HOWEVER, they may only visit at certain times as Disney doesn't want to confuse visitors to the Kingdom with the real kids and their DHIs.
Finn Whitman has become the Kingdom Keepers' leader while Charlene Turner is the "clean cheerleader type' who has finally become comfortable in her role. Finn's mom had to be admitted to their secrets and she's been a big help with transportation and eluding Finn's dad. Isabella "Willa" Angelo is brilliant with words and has a secret passion for Philby. Philby is their computer guru with a backdoor into Disney's data banks who secretly likes Willa. Terry Maybeck is the oldest of the group. Amanda Lockhart and Jezebel "Jess" are Fairlies and still stuck in fostercare with Mrs. Nash. (As fairlies, they had been in a group home where they were constantly tested and probed to explore their powers. Unsurprisingly, they ran away…) Finn and Philby managed to turn them into DHIs so they can utilize their special skills. Wanda Alcott is Wayne's daughter and works for Disney. Aunt Bess "Jelly" Maybeck is Terry's aunt with whom he lives; she runs a paint-your-own-pottery shop where the kids can meet. Gladis Philby is Philby's paranoid mother who has an epiphany.
Greg "Lousy" Luowski, a fellow student at their school, has a thing for Amanda, but bullies everyone and is perfect as a candidate for a takeover. Hugo Montcliff is a friend of Philby's who finds refuge at his home. Spence Randolph likes Willa. Sally Ringwald is another student at Finn's school. Dillard Cole used to be Finn's best friend, before the DHI gig.
The Overtakers are "a group of fanatical Disney villain characters in the Parks" who are determined to steal the magic and expand their world into the real world. In this installment, the active evil ones are Snow White's Evil Queen and Cruella De Vil. Suddenly more characters are stepping in, some threatening, some helping. Judge Claude Frollo is also on Willa's trail, but she gets help and a lot more from Ariel. Minnie also helps out, but fears for Mickey. Jafar creates a small problem. Mulan and Pluto are much more helpful.
The Cover
The cover only uses the holographic effect in the title this time. Willa is fleeing the Queen who is preparing to throw a spell at her. The huge sorcerer's hat is in the background with arcs of glittering lights on either side.
The title is what it's all about, a Power Play to bring Maleficent and Chernabog back.
My Take
Oops, I think the kids are getting tired of saving Disney World over and over. Certainly they are losing the magic they used to see in it even as many of the Disney characters in the amusement park are pledging their faith in the Kingdom Keepers---and it's about time!
Primarily, this story is about loyalty and honor. Being there for your friends. It may be scary, but being reliable and responsible take precedence. And slowly, the pool of parents in the know grows.
The Story
The adventures had settled down since the kids, the Kingdom Keepers, managed to get Maleficent and Chernabog imprisoned, but now, somehow, something is stealing them one at a time in their sleep. Bringing them over to the Kingdom. And it's not Philby's doing.
There has to be some reason the Overtakers are stealing them one by one and it's only together that the Kingdom Keepers will learn the reason and, hopefully, foil their plans. But the Overtakers have thrown in some twists: they're monitoring the kids' computers, recruiting students, and using spells to coerce the Keepers.
It's up to the kids. They'll have to explore the park, play the games, deduce the clues, and protect each other. Even as they're chased through the park, crawl through the garbage chutes, steal into the server room, and paddle downriver.
The Characters
Wayne Kresky is the original Imagineer who came up with the idea of the DHIs and created their ability to come over to the Park in their sleep.
The Kingdom Keepers are the kids and their DHIs. Disney Host Interactives, a.k.a., Daylight Hologram Imaging. The DHIs are light-generated holograms of the original five kids who act as guides or hosts at Disney World. In return for the use of their images, the kids receive royalties for their college funds and have a perpetual pass to the Parks, HOWEVER, they may only visit at certain times as Disney doesn't want to confuse visitors to the Kingdom with the real kids and their DHIs.
Finn Whitman has become the Kingdom Keepers' leader while Charlene Turner is the "clean cheerleader type' who has finally become comfortable in her role. Finn's mom had to be admitted to their secrets and she's been a big help with transportation and eluding Finn's dad. Isabella "Willa" Angelo is brilliant with words and has a secret passion for Philby. Philby is their computer guru with a backdoor into Disney's data banks who secretly likes Willa. Terry Maybeck is the oldest of the group. Amanda Lockhart and Jezebel "Jess" are Fairlies and still stuck in fostercare with Mrs. Nash. (As fairlies, they had been in a group home where they were constantly tested and probed to explore their powers. Unsurprisingly, they ran away…) Finn and Philby managed to turn them into DHIs so they can utilize their special skills. Wanda Alcott is Wayne's daughter and works for Disney. Aunt Bess "Jelly" Maybeck is Terry's aunt with whom he lives; she runs a paint-your-own-pottery shop where the kids can meet. Gladis Philby is Philby's paranoid mother who has an epiphany.
Greg "Lousy" Luowski, a fellow student at their school, has a thing for Amanda, but bullies everyone and is perfect as a candidate for a takeover. Hugo Montcliff is a friend of Philby's who finds refuge at his home. Spence Randolph likes Willa. Sally Ringwald is another student at Finn's school. Dillard Cole used to be Finn's best friend, before the DHI gig.
The Overtakers are "a group of fanatical Disney villain characters in the Parks" who are determined to steal the magic and expand their world into the real world. In this installment, the active evil ones are Snow White's Evil Queen and Cruella De Vil. Suddenly more characters are stepping in, some threatening, some helping. Judge Claude Frollo is also on Willa's trail, but she gets help and a lot more from Ariel. Minnie also helps out, but fears for Mickey. Jafar creates a small problem. Mulan and Pluto are much more helpful.
The Cover
The cover only uses the holographic effect in the title this time. Willa is fleeing the Queen who is preparing to throw a spell at her. The huge sorcerer's hat is in the background with arcs of glittering lights on either side.
The title is what it's all about, a Power Play to bring Maleficent and Chernabog back.
March 4, 2015
The story Kingdom Keepers: Power Play is an amazing novel for readers of all ages. This story takes place in Disney World. The main characters are Finn, Willa, Maybeck, Philby, Charlene, Jess, and Amanda. Other characters include Wayne, Wanda, and the overtakers. The characters in this book seem real because along with some of the fantasy problems, they also go through many of the hardships that we go through. We can learn more about characters through their appearance, their speech, and through their actions. In my mind, Finn, the main character is an average teenage boy who has blond hair and blue eyes with something about him that makes him seem like the leader of the team. Speech can make a character seem real because it can tell you a lot about their character and personality. An example is when Wayne says, "As you know, these are dangerous times." This shows that Wayne is a man who is cautious and always aware of his surroundings. Another way characters seem real is through their actions. An action that tells us more about Finn is when he steps into a room with two of the most powerful overtakers by himself and ties them up. This tells us that he is brave. I liked this book because I love Disney and because I like books that include fantasy and magic. I highly recommend this book to readers who enjoy books about fantasy, teamwork, action, Disney, and friendship.
December 17, 2011
This book is so much fun. I love how detailed Ridley Pearson described the characters and gave each character time to be recognized. From the beginning to now the characters have grown and you get to know more about them. Though, in this book, the characters' relationships have changed so much and it's so interesting to see the changes in them.
The other thing I love about this book is that the author pulls the Disney characters from your childhood and brings it to life in this book. So many characters, Mickey, Ariel, Judge Frollo, Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, and more! It reminds me of when I was little and makes me want to read the soon-to-come books within the series!
My rating for this book is a 10/10. This book is way better than the other 3 by many reasons. One reason is because of the attachment you have to the characters as they grow and change throughout the book and because of the intense clash of my favorite Disney characters interacting with each other. I would recommend to anyone who loves Disney! :)
The other thing I love about this book is that the author pulls the Disney characters from your childhood and brings it to life in this book. So many characters, Mickey, Ariel, Judge Frollo, Maleficent, Cruella de Vil, and more! It reminds me of when I was little and makes me want to read the soon-to-come books within the series!
My rating for this book is a 10/10. This book is way better than the other 3 by many reasons. One reason is because of the attachment you have to the characters as they grow and change throughout the book and because of the intense clash of my favorite Disney characters interacting with each other. I would recommend to anyone who loves Disney! :)
April 16, 2015
As the Keepers start their freshman year of high school, Philby receives a strange video warning him that the Overtakers are once again trying to cause trouble by trying to rescue some of their captive leaders. They must try to save their leaders and themselves from any danger. This book is a really good book I recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and fantasy. All of the Kingdom Keepers books are mystery and fantasy if you like those kinds of books :)
August 16, 2016
Just when life was starting to get back to normal for the Keepers, they receive a message from Wayne, who they haven't heard from in the months following his escape. It seems that the Overtakers are planning to free their two captured leaders, who were hidden by Disney Imagineers. The Keepers struggle to separate friend from foe as spells are cast and new enemies appear.
March 30, 2020
I really like this series of books, they are about saving the magic in Disney from the overtakers. It is a fantasy book but it as realistic setting, they live in Florida, they go to school have have controlling parents, each kids home live is different. But there is a lot of fictional thinks, the Disney characters are real and the villains are actually evil, these kids can turn into DTIs so they can walk through thing. I would recommend this series to anyone who likes Disney and fantasy books with a little realisticness to it.
November 10, 2011
I have always had high hopes that this series would turn into something really good. I'm a Central Floridian and I go to the parks atleast once a week and I'm really disappointed with how many inaccuracies there are concerning the parks and the characters. Here we are at book four and while we are getting some new characters thrown into the story, it pretty much keeps its pace with the first three books. I think the problem I have with the books is the DHI program I think had the story had a more plausible way to get the kids into the parks and not of relied on Virtual Magic Kingdom in the first book to propel the story. I think handled a little better and with better research this series could of been a really action packed fantasy story. I know they are headed to the cruise ships for book 5 and since I've been reading since the first book I'll most likey read it. If your not a hardcore Disney fan I can see enjoying it or children that have not yet gotten to experience many of the world of Disney, those that are and have I think will pick up on the inaccuracies and story problems.
April 1, 2013
Just when life for the Five Kingdom Keepers is beginning to settle down, an intriguing vidio suddenly appers on Philby's computer at school. It's a call to action: it seems that the Overtakers, a group of Disney Villains, are plotting to rescue their two captured leaders, who were hidden wasyby Disney Imagineers after a recent violent encounter at Disny's Hollywood Studios.
One of their own, Charlene, has been behaving oddly. Has she tired of her role as a Keeper, or is there something more sinister at play?
The Keepers have so many puzzles to solve: Has the impossible occurred? Have the overtakers created their own holograms?
Have they found a way to 2jump" from the Virtual Maintenance Network into the internet, and if so, what does that mean for the reach of the Overtakers?
Trouble looms as the Kingdom Keepers struggle to differentiate friend from foe and battle new and increasingly dangerous enemies, all while knowing they may be nearing the point of no escape.
Praise for Risley Pearson, for his fourth instalment of Kingdom Keepers.
One of their own, Charlene, has been behaving oddly. Has she tired of her role as a Keeper, or is there something more sinister at play?
The Keepers have so many puzzles to solve: Has the impossible occurred? Have the overtakers created their own holograms?
Have they found a way to 2jump" from the Virtual Maintenance Network into the internet, and if so, what does that mean for the reach of the Overtakers?
Trouble looms as the Kingdom Keepers struggle to differentiate friend from foe and battle new and increasingly dangerous enemies, all while knowing they may be nearing the point of no escape.
Praise for Risley Pearson, for his fourth instalment of Kingdom Keepers.
May 23, 2012
I know I have said this before, but if you truely love Disney world, these books are for you. I'm not sure I would enjoy them as much if my parents did not take me to Florida enough times that I have each place mapped out and can literally travel with the Keepers through their adventures.
Power Play is a bit longer and at times slower than the first three book of the series. However it is the first one where the 'good' characters lend and helping hand. I won't say who the first is, though she is my favorite and can be found in Hollywood Studios, just a hint. More villians turn up, not all jumping on the over taker band wagon. As well as more DHI, not all KK. Pearson is really setting the plot and characters for a BIG battle, bigger than any that have come before or will be seen after.
Power Play is a bit longer and at times slower than the first three book of the series. However it is the first one where the 'good' characters lend and helping hand. I won't say who the first is, though she is my favorite and can be found in Hollywood Studios, just a hint. More villians turn up, not all jumping on the over taker band wagon. As well as more DHI, not all KK. Pearson is really setting the plot and characters for a BIG battle, bigger than any that have come before or will be seen after.
November 28, 2014
Life is just beginning in to slow down for the keepers again. Suddenly in science (I think) Philby and Wayne chat and Philby finds that life's pace is going to speed up again. The Overtakers are getting back on their feet and getting ready to strike. If I remember correctly; Wanda gets arrested, and it is up to Finn and his family to bail her out. Read the series and find out the spoilers yourself.
July 16, 2017
Oops, did I just read this book in one day? 😎
The best one in the series so far.
And it doesn't even feature Maleficent, whose my favourite villain. She did escape again, so book number 5 will be fun! 😈
But since I've put myself on a book buying ban for at least a few weeks, I'll put a pause on reading the Kingdom Keepers series.
I'm committed to reducing the tbr pile of owned books, we'll see how that goes...
The best one in the series so far.
And it doesn't even feature Maleficent, whose my favourite villain. She did escape again, so book number 5 will be fun! 😈
But since I've put myself on a book buying ban for at least a few weeks, I'll put a pause on reading the Kingdom Keepers series.
I'm committed to reducing the tbr pile of owned books, we'll see how that goes...
January 14, 2026
philby’s parents are lowkey villains themselves
May 8, 2022
My review of the original Power Play.
Let’s start with the positives: the 2022 rewrite of Power Play is a substantially different book than the original 2011 version. Barely any of the preexisting material can be found here. Pearson scooped out practically all of the old scenes and plot points and wrote over them, to the point where, save a couple of sequences, it almost reads like a new story altogether. If nothing else, it shows that there was some level of effort put into this thing, beyond a repackaging with a few noun/typo changes here and there.
This version is also far more digestible. Like Disney in Shadow’s republication, it cuts hundred of pages’ worth of material, basically opening at page 120 of the original Power Play (which proves how worthless most of the first release’s content was in the first place) and doing massive jumps from there until the end. All of the chapters are only a few pages long, at most.
However, none of this means that the new Power Play is good, or even an improvement upon the original publication. In fact, I think it’s the first of the “Kingdom Keepers 2.0” books that I’d call noticeably inferior to its 1.0 counterpart. The pace is speedier, but it also causes everything to make even less sense than it already did. If the old versions of the books wasted time twiddling their thumbs and turning in circles with a bunch of boring scavenger hunts and repeated conversations, the new versions zip through the highlights without explaining much of anything. Huge developments happen off-page completely (such as the characters finding out about the Green Eyes or realizing that Willa’s trapped in the parks), and anything giving the characters a semblance of inner life is completely stripped away (there is no kissing or romance to be found here).
I’d also argue that streamlining the narrative makes it even clearer how there’s absolutely nothing going on in Power Play. The 2011 version wasn’t any more substantial, but it could fool readers into thinking that it was with its many side quests and subplots. The rewrite is basically a couple hundred pages of the Keepers being like, “The Overtakers are planning…something. Let’s be ready for it” and then proceeding to do absolutely nothing and have no breakthroughs, and then the Overtakers end up doing what they intended anyway.
I don’t want to give Pearson (or whatever powers that worked on this) too much credit here, but I suspect that at least on some level, the rewrite was trapped by the series’ established structure. If the original story wasn’t going to be completely bulldozed, the new Power Play had to hit certain marks that the first version did, meaning that for however much individual scenes got rewritten and subplots were eliminated, it still ends up in the same place. The result is something that gets almost a complete facelift, only for the changes to be minimal at best. It’s like if you tried to make chocolate chip cookies with only half of the ingredients and swapped two of those remaining ingredients with some other product (say, flour for cornstarch and eggs for buttermilk). The net result will probably appeal to nobody.
And if that simile didn’t make much sense to you, well, nothing in the Kingdom Keepers universe is written with any more care or polish.
On that note, here are some of the miscellaneous changes in this version of Power Play:
* The opening is completely changed, with the first scene depicting the Overtaker Kids being placed under the curse by Maleficent. This is a significantly better way to start the book, but it’s harmed by the dreadful depiction of Maleficent. If you ever wanted to read about Maleficent trying to pep up a group of middle schoolers by chanting “ready for a little fun,” this is the book for you.
* Maleficent also calls someone “babe” later in the book. I just can’t.
* Some of the original’s more brutal elements are cut. Willa’s teddy bear isn’t destroyed by the army men (that change, I was okay with), and the OTKs don’t have the formidable supernatural strength that they did previously.
* Hugo Montcliff is a friend of Finn now, instead of a friend of Philby. I really don’t know why this change took place (especially because Hugo is one of those characters who shows up in one book and is never heard from again). Is it an attempt to keep the focus more on Finn?
* The characters’ moms are around a lot more. I don’t know if this is to make the books seem more family-appropriate (don’t endorse children doing dangerous things without a parent in tow!), but it’s definitely awkward and clunky.
* When one of Finn’s friends is missing and time is running out, the next scene we see is of Finn is him screwing around and playing a video game. This isn’t even written off as being in the name of research (which you easily could have done, since he’s on the Virtual Magic Kingdom). The dude should be making plans or acting worried or something.
* Finn goes on some stupid new scavenger hunt, and I don’t even remember what the point of that was—because, as I said before, all of the new changes don’t amount to anything, because the story ends up in the same place as the old one.
* Finn encounters a character from The Lion King named—wait for it—Mustafa. MUSTAFA. For heaven’s sake, Mufasa isn’t even an obscure character. How could somebody goof that hard? MUSTAFA. MUSTAFA.
* And I also refuse to believe that kids of today, let alone ones who spend a lot of time around Disney theme parks, wouldn’t know who Jim Henson is. The disrespect.
* “Cheez Whiz” is used as an exclamation in this version. I leave you with that.
Let’s start with the positives: the 2022 rewrite of Power Play is a substantially different book than the original 2011 version. Barely any of the preexisting material can be found here. Pearson scooped out practically all of the old scenes and plot points and wrote over them, to the point where, save a couple of sequences, it almost reads like a new story altogether. If nothing else, it shows that there was some level of effort put into this thing, beyond a repackaging with a few noun/typo changes here and there.
This version is also far more digestible. Like Disney in Shadow’s republication, it cuts hundred of pages’ worth of material, basically opening at page 120 of the original Power Play (which proves how worthless most of the first release’s content was in the first place) and doing massive jumps from there until the end. All of the chapters are only a few pages long, at most.
However, none of this means that the new Power Play is good, or even an improvement upon the original publication. In fact, I think it’s the first of the “Kingdom Keepers 2.0” books that I’d call noticeably inferior to its 1.0 counterpart. The pace is speedier, but it also causes everything to make even less sense than it already did. If the old versions of the books wasted time twiddling their thumbs and turning in circles with a bunch of boring scavenger hunts and repeated conversations, the new versions zip through the highlights without explaining much of anything. Huge developments happen off-page completely (such as the characters finding out about the Green Eyes or realizing that Willa’s trapped in the parks), and anything giving the characters a semblance of inner life is completely stripped away (there is no kissing or romance to be found here).
I’d also argue that streamlining the narrative makes it even clearer how there’s absolutely nothing going on in Power Play. The 2011 version wasn’t any more substantial, but it could fool readers into thinking that it was with its many side quests and subplots. The rewrite is basically a couple hundred pages of the Keepers being like, “The Overtakers are planning…something. Let’s be ready for it” and then proceeding to do absolutely nothing and have no breakthroughs, and then the Overtakers end up doing what they intended anyway.
I don’t want to give Pearson (or whatever powers that worked on this) too much credit here, but I suspect that at least on some level, the rewrite was trapped by the series’ established structure. If the original story wasn’t going to be completely bulldozed, the new Power Play had to hit certain marks that the first version did, meaning that for however much individual scenes got rewritten and subplots were eliminated, it still ends up in the same place. The result is something that gets almost a complete facelift, only for the changes to be minimal at best. It’s like if you tried to make chocolate chip cookies with only half of the ingredients and swapped two of those remaining ingredients with some other product (say, flour for cornstarch and eggs for buttermilk). The net result will probably appeal to nobody.
And if that simile didn’t make much sense to you, well, nothing in the Kingdom Keepers universe is written with any more care or polish.
On that note, here are some of the miscellaneous changes in this version of Power Play:
* The opening is completely changed, with the first scene depicting the Overtaker Kids being placed under the curse by Maleficent. This is a significantly better way to start the book, but it’s harmed by the dreadful depiction of Maleficent. If you ever wanted to read about Maleficent trying to pep up a group of middle schoolers by chanting “ready for a little fun,” this is the book for you.
* Maleficent also calls someone “babe” later in the book. I just can’t.
* Some of the original’s more brutal elements are cut. Willa’s teddy bear isn’t destroyed by the army men (that change, I was okay with), and the OTKs don’t have the formidable supernatural strength that they did previously.
* Hugo Montcliff is a friend of Finn now, instead of a friend of Philby. I really don’t know why this change took place (especially because Hugo is one of those characters who shows up in one book and is never heard from again). Is it an attempt to keep the focus more on Finn?
* The characters’ moms are around a lot more. I don’t know if this is to make the books seem more family-appropriate (don’t endorse children doing dangerous things without a parent in tow!), but it’s definitely awkward and clunky.
* When one of Finn’s friends is missing and time is running out, the next scene we see is of Finn is him screwing around and playing a video game. This isn’t even written off as being in the name of research (which you easily could have done, since he’s on the Virtual Magic Kingdom). The dude should be making plans or acting worried or something.
* Finn goes on some stupid new scavenger hunt, and I don’t even remember what the point of that was—because, as I said before, all of the new changes don’t amount to anything, because the story ends up in the same place as the old one.
* Finn encounters a character from The Lion King named—wait for it—Mustafa. MUSTAFA. For heaven’s sake, Mufasa isn’t even an obscure character. How could somebody goof that hard? MUSTAFA. MUSTAFA.
* And I also refuse to believe that kids of today, let alone ones who spend a lot of time around Disney theme parks, wouldn’t know who Jim Henson is. The disrespect.
* “Cheez Whiz” is used as an exclamation in this version. I leave you with that.
August 4, 2020
That’s right I’m still reading these way past my prime and I’m excited that there’s apparently a new book at the end of this series that I haven’t read yet. My favorite part of these books has to be the text messages, or what the author perceives teenagers to text as (I’m bak instead of I’m back, as though teenagers would honestly cut out one letter) and the illusions to swearing (he said a word Finn would never repeat, etc.) However, since the characters are no longer twelve, these books are getting a little more enjoyable and maybe a tad more relatable (not really but at my age it’s easier to read about 15/16 year olds than 12 year olds) but when I read these the first time when I was the same age as the characters you better believe I thought these books were the best things since sliced bread so i would recommend them for kids that age
March 11, 2024
the nostalgia 🥲 I used to always say this was my favorite Kingdom Keepers book when I was younger, and I think I was just picking a random one to say because I definitely liked the third one more upon rereading. Can't believe these characters are married with kids now in the third series!! I used to freak when Philby and Willa even looked at each other 😅
January 24, 2024
⭐️ Unreadable/ Unfinished
⭐️⭐️ Poor Writing/ Implausible Story
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Writing/Predictable Story
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great Writing, Story/ Would Recommend to a Friend
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Writing,Story and character development/ Would Recommend to a Friend/ Would Read Again
I’ve enjoyed these Disney focused stories. I am read for some plot resolution. Chernabog is supposedly the worst villain ever? All he seems to do is grunt. I enjoy Maleficent and new villains who are introduced ex: Ursula. I am ready to see what the Overtakers Masterplan really is. I want questions answered such as where is Mickey? What is Finn’s destiny?
⭐️⭐️ Poor Writing/ Implausible Story
⭐️⭐️⭐️ Good Writing/Predictable Story
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Great Writing, Story/ Would Recommend to a Friend
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ Excellent Writing,Story and character development/ Would Recommend to a Friend/ Would Read Again
I’ve enjoyed these Disney focused stories. I am read for some plot resolution. Chernabog is supposedly the worst villain ever? All he seems to do is grunt. I enjoy Maleficent and new villains who are introduced ex: Ursula. I am ready to see what the Overtakers Masterplan really is. I want questions answered such as where is Mickey? What is Finn’s destiny?
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 2, 2019
Another great read in a great series. Whipped through this one at Mach speed. Loved it.
February 9, 2019
Amazing!!!! Great book lots of bouncing back and forth but I loved everything about it on to book number 5!!! I’m a Kingdom Keeper
August 17, 2019
I really love the Kingdom Keepers series. The friendship between all the kids is so wonderful and wholesome. The stakes appropriately rose in the fourth book, and I can't wait to see what happens next. 🙂
May 31, 2021
If I can't GO to Disney World I can 'go' in these books. I realize they are for 10+ and I am WAY more than 10+ but it's still magical and fun.
August 7, 2022
Super fun series! Fast paced and tons of action! Ridley Pearson is a genius of YA fiction.
September 5, 2023
this one goes crazy
July 24, 2024
Very excited to see the first on-page swear word of the series, but very unexcited about what’s to come in the second half of the series
July 15, 2022
Ridley Pearson Kingdom Keepers IV: Power Play is the fourth installment of the series by Ridley Pearson. The story follows the keepers as they try to protect Disney World and its magic from the Over takers - classic Disney villains including Maleficent and the Evil Queen from Snow White.
Overall, if you are a fan of the series, this book will not disappoint you. Fans of Disney characters and parks will appreciate all of the Disney aspects. Disney characters are abundant in this book including Ariel from the Little Mermaid, Pluto and Minnie. It possesses as many thrills, twists, and action as the first three books. Unlike its predecessors, Power Play does not focus exclusively on a single park. Instead, the readers get to witness the keepers grow-up from inexperienced kids to awkward teenagers. They are experiencing what all ninth graders go through on their quest to adulthood; from love triangles between Finn, Amanda, and Charlene to bullies. Of course, they still cross over into the Disney parks as their DHIs, but readers can tell that the story is evolving and budding, waiting for the incredible series climax.
I think that Pearson does a good job, bringing the readers up to speed on what happened in the previous books without feeling like it is a one- or two-chapter summary. However, I would definitely recommend reading the previous books if you are new to the series.
I was disappointed in the depiction of the parents of the keepers. While Pearson does a decent job capturing the various attitudes of youth, he falls off the wagon when it comes to the adults. They are completely unpredictable and do not add much to the story. If you can get past the parents, the book is very enjoyable.
As the Keepers start their freshman year of high school, Philby receives a strange video warning him that the Over takers are once again trying to cause trouble by trying to rescue some of their captive leaders. They must try to save their leaders and themselves from any danger. This book is a really good book I recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and fantasy. All of the Kingdom Keepers books are mystery and fantasy if you like those kinds of books :)
Overall, if you are a fan of the series, this book will not disappoint you. Fans of Disney characters and parks will appreciate all of the Disney aspects. Disney characters are abundant in this book including Ariel from the Little Mermaid, Pluto and Minnie. It possesses as many thrills, twists, and action as the first three books. Unlike its predecessors, Power Play does not focus exclusively on a single park. Instead, the readers get to witness the keepers grow-up from inexperienced kids to awkward teenagers. They are experiencing what all ninth graders go through on their quest to adulthood; from love triangles between Finn, Amanda, and Charlene to bullies. Of course, they still cross over into the Disney parks as their DHIs, but readers can tell that the story is evolving and budding, waiting for the incredible series climax.
I think that Pearson does a good job, bringing the readers up to speed on what happened in the previous books without feeling like it is a one- or two-chapter summary. However, I would definitely recommend reading the previous books if you are new to the series.
I was disappointed in the depiction of the parents of the keepers. While Pearson does a decent job capturing the various attitudes of youth, he falls off the wagon when it comes to the adults. They are completely unpredictable and do not add much to the story. If you can get past the parents, the book is very enjoyable.
As the Keepers start their freshman year of high school, Philby receives a strange video warning him that the Over takers are once again trying to cause trouble by trying to rescue some of their captive leaders. They must try to save their leaders and themselves from any danger. This book is a really good book I recommend it to anyone who likes mystery and fantasy. All of the Kingdom Keepers books are mystery and fantasy if you like those kinds of books :)
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