The Kingdom Keepers enter dangerous waters in Ridley Pearson’s “Shell Game”

Jim Hill

13 years ago

Do you remember how — back in the Summer of 2000, just
after “Harry Potter and the Goblet of Fire” was published stateside
— some people began grumbling about the direction J.K. Rowling had taken with her
best-selling series of books? Among the complaints that you typically heard
back then was ” … I’m uncomfortable with my kids reading the ‘Potter’
books now. They’ve gotten too dark, too violent.”

Which is why — I’d imagine — as people begin reading the
fifth book in Ridley Pearson‘s “Kingdom Keepers” series, “Shell Game” (Hyperion Books, April 2012), Disney Publishing might start hearing
the same sort of complaints coming from some parents. Especially since —
within the first hundred pages of this 560-page novel-for-young-adults — one DHI (Disney Host Interactive or Daylight Hologram Imaging) is
assaulted in their bedroom and then forced to drink a mixture of alcohol and pills,
while the aunt of another member of the Kingdom Keepers teams winds up getting
tasered.

My advice to all of you somewhat nervous parents out there
is to please give Mr. Pearson the benefit of the doubt. After all, as the author of more than two
dozen novels (which includes his work with Dave Barry of the
“Starcatchers” series), Ridley knows a thing or two about when it
comes to mapping out an extremely entertaining narrative. And especially when
it comes to long form, multi-part stories like the “Kingdom Keepers”
series, you sometimes have to really ratchet up the stakes as you enter the
latter part of your tale.

And as “Shell Game” is getting underway, the
stakes have never really been higher in the “Kingdom Keepers” world.
The Overtakers (i.e. Disney Villains like Maleficent, Jafar and Cruella de Vil
– who have somehow been made real and then entered the human world – where they
now seek to take control of Walt Disney World and — eventually — the rest of
the planet as well) have been laying siege to the Engineering Base backstage at
Disney’s Hollywood Studios for weeks now. Meanwhile, Finn, Amanda, Charlene, Maybeck,
Philby and Willa are getting ready for the DHIs’ debut aboard the Disney Dream.

Normally an event like this (which will feature a
once-in-a-lifetime cruise through the Panama Canal) would be cause for celebration. But given the stress & exhaustion that this
weeks-long siege at DHS has been causing the teens (not to mention that
disquieting rumor which has been making the rounds lately that the Imagineers
are thinking of replacing the original Disney Interactive Hosts with some
newer, younger faces) … The Kingdom Keepers can get kind of cranky with one
another as they get ready to board the Dream.

But before that can happen, Finn and Amanda first have to make
their way to WDW’s Typhoon Lagoon. Where King Triton of “The Little Mermaid
” pledges to help the Kingdom Keepers before
they head out on the high seas. Which is definitely going to come in handy, given
that Ursula the Sea appears to have thrown in with the Overtakers. As have
Captain Jack Sparrow and Tia Dalma from the “Pirates of the Caribbean” movies.

That (to my way of thinking) is half the fun of the
“Kingdom Keepers” series. You never know what Disney characters (or real-life
Disney personalities, for that matter) are going to pop up as you read through
each of these books. “Shell Game” — for example — features a reference
to Imagineer / author Alex Wright not to mention a cameo appearance by WDW Radio‘s Lou Mongello.

Now I don’t want to give too much away about the actual storyline
of this fifth book in the “Kingdom Keepers” series. Other than to say
“Shell Game” is something of a cliffhanger. And that this young adult
novel’s interlude on Castaway Cay does include a nod to this Caribbean island’s
somewhat unsavory past.

So don’t worry about the somewhat dark and violent aspects of
this new Ridley Pearson book. Yeah, there are pirates with swords and would-be
murderous animated doughboys waving cleavers in “Shell Game.” But
it’s all in service of the story.

Ridley Pearson aboard the Disney Dream

More to the point, Pearson knows exactly where he’s heading
with Books VI, VII & VIII of the “Kingdom Keepers” series. Just
like J.K. Rowling did with her “Harry Potter” novels. And let’s
remember that those books got pretty dark towards the end as well before the
“Potter” series then ended
very, very well.

Of course, if you’d like to ask Ridley himself about what
he’s got planned next for the DHIs, then you might want to check out the
exclusive Facebook event that Disney Reads will be holding this Friday at 3
p.m. ET. Where Pearson will be hosting an exclusive
Facebook chat with “Kingdom Keepers” fans.

Mind you, if you’d like to win your very own copy of
“Shell Game,” you just have to answer the following questions:

1) What was the original name of Castaway Cay?

2) Why did this small Caribbean isle have a somewhat
infamous reputation back in the 1980s?

3) Which Touchstone Film shot some scenes on this island?

And then send those answers along to jim@jimhillmedia.com.
The JHM reader who does the best job of answering these questions will then win a
free copy of “Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game.”

EDITOR’S NOTE: As of April 13, 2012, this contest is now closed. The two copies of “Kingdom Keepers V: Shell Game” that JHM was giving away were awarded to Todd Burnside and Beth Strutz.

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