Book Review: Kingdom Keepers VII - The Insider by Ridley Pearson

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Action. Disney Heroes! Disneyland! Did I mention action?

Cons: A bit slow in spots, characters better but still could be stronger.

The Bottom Line:

Final battle starts

With action in Disneyland

Which side will win it?

Will The Overtakers Conquer Disneyland?

Being the DisNerd I am, I haven't been able to stop reading the Kingdom Keepers series.  When these books are done well, they are pure magic.  Unfortunately, the series has been dragging on a bit long, and I was beginning to think the premise had been exhausted.  Then along comes Kingdom Keepers VII: The Insider, and I'm glad I stuck with it.

New to the series?  Don't start here.  While you could probably jump in, you need at least the first couple of books to really get the premise.  Much is assumed knowledge, and you'll really struggle to get into this wild fantasy world.  To summarize, Finn and four other early teens are given the job of Holographic Hosts.  They model and then their images guide guests around the various parts.  However, there is a hidden part of the job - they cross over to the parks in their sleep and fight the Disney Villains, collectively called the Overtakers, who are trying to take over the parks and steal the magic.  Yeah, it sounds out there, but a certain amount of it is a DisNerd's dream.

As this book opens, it's been three years since we last saw the Kingdom Keepers - three years since the events in a Mexican jungle.  In fact, Finn and the others are about to graduate from high school.

Then the attack comes.  The five friends are quickly crossed over to battle a group of Overtakers trying to break into the achieves - a group lead by Wayne.  Wait, what?  But the real threat is coming toward Disneyland.  Will the group be able to stop the Overtakers once and for all?

This book weighs in at 600 pages, and for me that was a tad too long.  I've often felt the books could be tightened, and that was the case here.  However, I was soon caught up in the magic and the fight with the final 250 pages flying by as quickly as I could read them.

I've always complained about the lack of character development in the series.  I actually felt like I got to know the characters the best here.  (Maybe there was a reason for the pages after all.)  They're still not quite fully formed characters in my mind, but the target middle grade audience certainly won't care about that.  I found myself fighting back tears a couple of times as the pages unfolded, something that was definitely missing in the last book.

Despite my earlier complaint about the pacing, let me be clear - this book is strong.  Designed as the final book in the series, it shows.  While we've been treading water for a couple of books now, this one actually advances the story well.  It has to since we are going to have a climax, right?  That above all helped me get on board for the longer than normal book.

While we've had a steady gallery of Disney Villains (with a few leading the pack), the Disney heroes have been mostly absent.  That changes here, and I was thrilled to finally see some of them pop up to fight along side the Kingdom Keepers.

Author Ridley Pearson did something different with the writing of this book.  He opened it up to his fans to help him in the first third.  They voted on some plot points and were even given writing assignments, the best of which appear in the book.  These are all attributed but seamlessly woven into the story.  And let me tell you, some of these fans need to start writing their own books - they were that good.

One more comment about the writing - this book is written in present tense.  That threw me at first, especially since the previous books were all written in past tense.  But I soon got into the flow and had no more trouble with it.

Since I've lived my entire life in California, I was thrilled to finally see the action taking place in Disneyland, the park I know best.  I was able to easily follow along with all the action in a way my memory of my week in Disney World hasn't quite made work.  That certainly added to the magic for me here.

While this is the final book with these characters and this series, Ridley Pearson is planning a spin off series focusing on new characters.  That explains a thread or two that is left dangling and an epilogue that certain spells more trouble.  I'm curious to see where things go from here.

So if you've been following the adventures of the Kingdom Keepers, you'll be thrilled with Kingdom Keepers VII: The Insider.  And if the premise sounds interesting to you, go back to the start and find out how it all began.

And if you do need to back up, here are the Kingdom Keepers books in order.

This review is part of Marvelous Middle Grade Monday, hosted by Shannon Messenger.  Follow to link to find more marvelous entries.

June 14th's Weekly TV Thoughts

Welcome again to this week's Weekly TV Thoughts.  As you can tell from the list, some of my USA Network shows have started up again; I've got a few more shows on the list again.  Covert Affairs starts up again in two weeks, but for now, this is what I have.

As always, you can play along.  Leave me a comment with a link to your blog or just leave your thoughts on these or any shows in the comments.

Enlisted - I saw the big plot points coming, but I still got a kick out of how they got there.  But the highlight?  Obviously the life size Donkey Kong.  I'm really going to miss this show when they've run the final episodes.

24: Live Another Day - Wow, the suspense just does not stop on this show.  So many great plot lines and all of them keeping me on the edge of my seat.  The drones and the car chase was the highlight, however.  How do they think this stuff up?

American Ninja Warrior - I feel a little sorry for Michelle since she missed out on being first by just a few days.  Of course, I don't want to take anything away from Kasey, who deserves her status as first to complete the course.  And I wonder how much mental boost Michelle got from that.  There were several other great contestants including the cousins.  I feel like this is the strongest season to date all around.

Royal Pains - Is it just me, or does this young woman look way too old to be Hank's daughter.  At least that's what they are making it look like she is.  I'm really not impressed with this story line - at least not yet.  I hope they can win me over as the season goes along.  However, I am intrigued, as always, by what is happening with Boris.  What exactly are he and Hank hiding?

Melissa & Joey - I wasn't aware we were in a three parter.  Really not sure I like how they've handled Joe's unknown daughter's story line.  (I'm sensing a theme in my shows).  However, that first scene as everyone was working things out was very funny.

Baby Daddy - I love lasagna.  Or at least I used to love it.  That recipe sure sounds awful.  And the switching phone conversations was pretty funny as well.  Definitely glad I gave in and started watching this show.  (Thanks, Vicki.)

Suits - I was going to say poor Rachel even before we got to the end.  It's interesting watching Mike on the outside.  If I didn't know any better, I'd think he was the client of the half season who will come and go.  I don't know how they will work out this story line and resolve his not having an actual law degree, but I like it so far.  Oh, and psych?  That's how you do a proper Princess Bride reference.  It's not that hard.  So why couldn't you do it in 8 seasons, especially with one of the stars as a repeated guest star?

Graceland - I guess I'm in for another season.  The show is just interesting enough to pull me in when I'm watching it.  I'm curious to see where they are going with this new story line and having Mike in charge of all of them might mean I get to follow who the other characters are better.  We'll see how it progresses, I guess.

Sense of Entitlement Winner!

Congrats to Jan Long, who won the copy of A Sense of Entitlement I've been giving away the last week and a half.  We've been in touch, and the information has been passed on.

Enjoy!

Ornament Review: North Pole Tree Trimmers #1 Repaint - Light Tester - 2013 Hallmark Event Ornament

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Cute ornament with a different color scheme

Cons: Nothing really new for all but the most obsessive collector

The Bottom Line:

Testing all the lights

Now with different colors

Cute for collectors

Testing Lights in New Colors

Hallmark loves people like me.  Yes, the casual collector can go into a store and buy the ornaments they want.  However, there are repaints (also called colorways) that Hallmark will release of some ornaments.  Now really, do I need two versions of the same ornament?  Clearly, the answer was yes since I went out of my way to get the repaint of the first North Pole Tree Trimmers.

This ornament was originally released in 2013 at the Keepsake Ornament Club event held in Kansas City every two years.  It essentially looks like the first in the series.  Each entry in the series features an elf getting decorations ready for Christmas.  This time around, the elf is testing light bulbs.  He's about to hook one up to a battery pack, in fact, to make sure it lights.  We don't want any trees that won't light on one side, right?

Where this ornament differs is in the colors used to paint it.  The bulb that is being tested is green while the bulb in the elf's pack is red.  The elf himself is wearing red pants and shoes and has a red band on his otherwise green hat.  Meanwhile, his shirt is green.

It's a very subtle color change (unlike some that are pretty radical).  I was worried that the added green might make him blend in to the tree a bit more, but I found that wasn't the case.  He still was visible thanks to the added red on his clothes.

So, which do I like better?  That's a hard one.  Honestly, I find both the ornaments to be very cute.  The coloring makes no difference, and it's kind of fun to have twins like this to hang on different parts of the tree.

Since the mold is the same one used for the regular line ornament, it's no surprise that the ornament stands upright.  He's fairly stable, just like the original.  Also like the original, he tips forward ever so slightly when you hang him, but it's not enough to be noticeable when you have him in the branches of a tree.  And yes, the 1 in a Christmas tree is present as well, this time on the bottom of the battery.

No, you really don't need both, and if you just have the original, you'll be just fine.  But if you are a collector, you'll be pleased you tracked down the 2013 North Pole Tree Trimmers repaint.

Be sure to check out the rest of the North Pole Tree Trimmers series.

Original Price: $14.95

June 13th's Book Beginnings and Friday 56

Yes, I'm back from Yosemite.  I had a wonderful time with my family.  But the problem with being out of town is that you mess up the date.  As a result, I almost missed that it was time for Book Beginnings and Friday 56.

I'm going to be drawing from my current read - Kingdom Keepers VII: The Insider by Ridley Pearson.

The book kicks off with:

She has been called many things: the Black Mamba, Calypso, Tia Dalma.  And worse.  Much worse.

Jumping ahead to page 56 we find:

Tia Dalma's eyes flicker open.  She uncurls her body from its corpselike posture and turns her head to see the pythons she has summoned now streaming from the depths.  She hears what no other could, their hissing voices announcing in a unified chorus, "He comes!"

I'm hoping to finish the book in time to review it for Marvelous Middle Grade Monday this week.  Hopefully, that means the review will be posted by Sunday night, but no promises.

Book Review: Melissa Explains It All by Melissa Joan Hart with Kristina Grish

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Look at an actress who is mostly grounded.

Cons: A couple of chapters I really didn't appreciate.

The Bottom Line:

Actress and her life

Her fans will love the story

The rest need not read

Explaining About Life On and Off the Set

Even though I didn't watch much TV growing up, I still caught a few episodes of Clarissa Explains It All.  From there, I tuned in to Sabrina the Teenage Witch and now Melissa and Joey.  Is it any wonder, then, that I decided I needed to read Melissa Joan Hart's autobiography, Melissa Explains It All?

The book follows Melissa's life mostly chronologically from her early days doing commercials in New York City to her big break as Clarissa and the career she's built from there.  There is a certain amount of gossip to the book, and she does tell about some negative encounters with a couple of celebrities.  However, most of the friends she has made in the business come across looking just fine.

For my part, I would have loved more behind the scenes stories from her various shows.  In stead, she talks mostly about how doing those shows affected her life.  It's not a big surprise, but still, I was hoping for a bit more about some of the decisions that happened behind the scenes, like actors changing/leaving the shows.

I also didn't care for a couple of chapters that got into her partying in her 20's and so on.  I like to think of her as the model of virtue the characters she's played in the past were.  Toward the end, a chapter on things she's never learned to do for herself also bored me.  After all, I'm a guy, I have no interest in make up or doing my hair.

However, for the most part I enjoyed the book.  Melissa is honest about the struggles she has faced, like living away from her family to shoot a show and how her parent's divorce affected her.  While she doesn't come across quite as normal as she wants to be, she does seem to appreciate how blessed she is and grateful to have the job she does.  That really made me appreciate her more.  I also loved her story about meeting and marrying her husband.

And how can you not help but laugh at the chapter on being a football widow.  As a non-football guy who is slowly being converted by roommates over many, many years (but don't tell any of them I said that), I could definitely relate.

Overall, I think this book is mostly for Melissa's fans.  They will certainly eat it up.  Anyone else, won't really care.  And that's the way it is for most celebrity bios.

So if you like Melissa Joan Hart, consider picking up Melissa Explains It All.  You'll enjoy this look at the actress through her eyes.  The rest of the world can walk on by for the biography of someone they do like.

TV Show Review: Smallville - Season 7

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Many great moments between characters we love

Cons: Story continuity at times, Kara's treatment in second half

The Bottom Line:

Supergirl appears

Could have added more to show

Still a good season

"I Should Have Known You Were Clark's Cousin from All the Primary Colors."

I've heard that Smallville starts to decline in the second half of the show's 10 year run.  I didn't see that with season 6, but I did feel that with season 7.  Part of it might be the writer's strike, but overall, I just felt the writers got a little sloppy.

As always, the season starts off by resolving the cliffhangers from the previous season.  In this case, Lois Lane (Erica Curance) and Chloe Sullivan (Allison Mack) are trapped under the dam that is crumbling.  Meanwhile, Lana Lang (Kristin Kreuk) is presumed dead after she was scene getting into a car that exploded.  And Clark Kent (Tom Welling) is fighting is doppelganger Bizarro.

In the middle of all this getting resolved, someone new with powers rescues Lex Luther (Michael Rosenbaum).  That someone is Clark's previous unknown cousin Kara Kent (Laura Vandervoort).  Kara, aka Supergirl, has been frozen for the last 17 years and wakes up with no idea how to react to the human world she is finding herself in.

Meanwhile, as the season gets rolling, Lana and Clark finally seem to be making their relationship work as they move into the farm house.  A doctor thinks he has a cure for the meteor infected, which is great for Chloe since she is freaking out about her new found powers.  And Chloe's secret leads to problems between her and Jimmy Olsen (Aaron Ashmore).  A superhero movie is filmed on the Kent farm.  A new editor at The Daily Planet gives Lois a job at the paper.  Pete Ross (guest star Sam Jones III) returns for a final episode.  And thanks to Kara, Clark learns a bit more about his family while Lionel Luthor's (John Glover) past in Veritas comes back into play.

As you can see, there is plenty going on this season, and overall, I did enjoy it.  These characters are great, and I enjoyed spending time with them.  There is still a great mix of action, comedy and pathos.  The story can be very compelling.

Which is why it is frustrating when things just don't work as well as they could.  The worst example of that is Kara.  Here's this great new character, but they obviously don't quite know what to do with her.  Early in the season, as we are getting to know her and she is revealing information about Clark's past, she's a great addition to the show.  But in the second half, the writers seem to go out of their way to write her out for several episodes at a time and then to treat the character poorly when she comes back.

There were also some times when the story seemed to jump a bit with no real idea how the characters got to where they were.  Some of that was filled in eventually, but it was rather jarring.  Other parts of it were only filled in by the deleted scenes in the set, and there were plenty of them.

Both of these problems I am laying squarely at the feet of the writers.  It's certainly not the actors who are all in top form here.  Laura Vandervoort fits right in with the rest of the established cast, who are still masterful at bringing their characters to life.  Fun guest stars this season include Dean Cain, a former Superman himself, and the movie's Jimmy Olsen, Marc McClure.

The special effects are still great as well, which is important for a show dealing with super powers on a weekly basis.  Trust me, you'll believe everything you see as you watch.

After my complaining earlier, I have to praise my favorite episode of the season.  "Siren" brings back Green Arrow and also introduces Black Canary.  The dynamic in the episode is pure fun, especially as Lois learns something surprising about Oliver Queen.  I would have enjoyed it even if I hadn't seen Arrow introduce Black Canary this year as well.  Once again, I enjoyed comparing and contrasting the two very different takes on the heroes.

This was the season that aired during the writer's strike a few years back, and thanks to that event, there were only 20 episodes in the season.  (Might that have affected the writing story elements I was complaining about earlier?  Possibly, but I can only judge based on what we got.)  All of them are preserved in wide screen and full surround on five of the six discs in this set.  The sixth disc contains a look at Supergirl over the years and a fun featurette with four actors who have played Jimmy Olsen talking about their experiences (why weren't either of Lois and Clark's Jimmys present?)  There's also a digital comic book and a collection of Mobisodes featuring Kara.  The deleted scenes I referenced above are scattered throughout the discs with the episodes they came from.  There are also audio commentaries on two of the episodes from the middle of the season.

This season also marks the end of the road for the creators and three of the original cast members, who moved on to other things.  I'm quite interested in seeing how that changes things for the final three episodes of the show.  Meanwhile, season 7 of Smallville proves to be entertaining while still being a step down from the last couple of years.

Season 7 Episodes:

1. Bizarro

2. Kara

3. Fierce

4. Cure

5. Action

6. Lara

7. Wrath

8. Blue

9. Gemini

10. Persona

11. Siren

12. Fracture

13. Hero

14. Traveler

15. Veritas

16. Descent

17. Sleeper

18. Apocalypse

19. Quest

20. Arctic

Book Review: Mr. Monk is Open for Business by Hy Conrad (Monk #18)

Stars: 5 out of 5

Pros: Laughs with characters we love and strong mysteries

Cons: Monk might have a few, but I don't

The Bottom Line:

Two puzzling plots

Keep us entertained with laughs

Along with the twists

Mr. Monk and the New Business

It's always hard to say goodbye to characters I've loved from a TV show.  Fortunately, even though Monk has ended, the novels based on that show keep right on going.  Mr. Monk Is Open For Business is the latest in a long line of funny, entertaining novels.

It's a big day for Monk and Teeger, Consulting Detectives - it's the first day in their new office.  But before Natalie can even throw a proper grand opening party, they have their first client.  Daniela Grace, a local lawyer that Natalie has met, has been hired by a man accused of murder.  After all, he was found with a shovel in an empty field dragging a recently deceased body.  While maintaining his innocence, he refuses to say what he was doing in the lot.

They are just beginning to investigate this case when they are called to the scene of an office shooting.  Amy Devlin has been in charge, and somehow the suspect slips right by the police.  Miraculously there is one survivor, and Monk immediately takes to her.  However, there is no trace of the gun man.  Can Monk find this mysterious murderer?

I'm always hesitant to jump into a series that is this well established, although I think you could do so.  Author Hy Conrad gives enough background that you'd know who the characters are pretty easily without spoiling anything major that has gone before.  I will say that the novels that have taken place after the series ended have been more tied into each other, showing more growth and change for the characters.  That continues here as well, although I am very curious to see where the next book in the series goes considering how some things were left in the last few pages.

The characters, as always, are spot on from the show, and I can easily picture the actors saying the lines as I'm reading.  The cast of characters not from the show are equally as strong, and I love them, too.

I was proud of myself - I had one part of one of the mysteries figured out fairly early on, although I did start to doubt myself for a while.  Even so, I had fun watching Monk figure things out, and there were lots of clues I missed along the way.  Both plots reach logical and satisfactory conclusions.

And, just like the show, this book is filled with humor.  When I wasn't outright laughing at the antics of the characters, I was grinning at the pages.

The pages flew by all too quickly.  I read the entire book on a lazy day.  That just means I have to wait longer for the next one, unfortunately.

If you are looking to escape into a fun story, Mr. Monk Is Open For Business is for you.  All it wants to do is entertain you, and it succeeds in spades.

Looking for more mysteries?  Here are the Monk Novels in order.

Ornament Review: Christmas Windows #8 - Patisserie - 2010 Hallmark Ornament

Stars: 4 out of 5

Pros: Cute details and mouth watering pastries

Cons: Could really use more Christmas

The Bottom Line:

Delicious dessert

Display to make mouth water

Could use more Christmas

Delicious Christmas Pastries are Baking Down at the Patisserie

Delicious food is a staple of Christmas, so it's not surprising that Hallmark's Christmas Window series has returned to that theme several times.  It once again pops up in the 2010 entry as we visit a Patisserie.

And what is a patisserie?  I'm so glad you asked.  Essentially, it is a bakery.  What sets it apart is that it usually specializes in pastries.  In fact, in some countries you can only use the title if you have a specialty pastry chef on site.  The ornament backs that up since it says Bakery on the sides and Patisserie on the front.

This ornament in the series is very square.  At least it feels squarer than the others in the series have.  Outside, it features a girl holding a stuffed animal as she peers inside.  There's also a small tree outside that looks almost like a giant cupcake with snow forming the layers of icing.  Inside the window, there's a display of a bear adding pink icing dots to a white cake.  There's also a stand with three tiers of desserts on it - possibly tiramisu on top, Christmas shaped cookies with green icing in the middle, and pink cupcakes on the bottom.  Turn it around, and you can see another cake and come cinnamon rolls waiting on the shelf below the window.

And, once again, that's my only real critic with the ornament, it only partially looks like it's ready for Christmas.  Take the bit of snow off the roof, and you could be any time of the year, really.  That and the tree are the only things that really speak of Christmas.  The cookies are so small, they don't count.  Couldn't the cake have been a shape other than round?  Maybe putting the finishing touches on a Santa themed cake.  And no decorations in the window?

That gripe aside, I do like the many details in the ornament, including the 2010 address below the window since this ornament was released in 2010.  It's a cute looking ornament, and it goes great with the rest of the series.  Speaking of series, you can find an 8 in a Christmas tree on the bottom since this is the eighth ornament in the series.

The bottom is nice and flat, which is a blessing since I like to display the entire series together under my Christmas tree.  It really does make for a great display.

However, if you do choose to hang it, you'll find the hook on the roof of the store.  It hangs perfectly level.

The Patisserie is a cute, detailed ornament, but for something labeled Christmas Window, it should feel more like Christmas, right?  That's the only reason this isn't quite in the top tier of this particular ornament series.

Be sure to check out the rest of the Christmas Windows series.

Original Price: $20.00

Walt Disney World Review: Dinosaur

Stars: 1 out of 5

Pros: Um, um...give me a minute...um

Cons: Too jerky, jumpy, and dark with few visuals to follow what is happening around you.

The Bottom Line:

If I could go back

In time, I'd skip this ride.  Please

Learn from my mistake

The Longest Three Minutes of My Life

By the time I got around to riding on Dinosaur on my trip to Disney World a few years back, it was just one friend and myself.  This friend is a steady companion at Disneyland here in California.  The importance of all this will be explained later.  For now, just know that neither one of us enjoyed this ride in the slightest.

Dinosaur is located in the Dinoland USA section of Animal Kingdom.  The lines can obvious get pretty long, and the ride does use the Fast Pass system.  When I was there in late September, I bypassed most of the line and pretty much walked to the final wait area.  This area involves a video that sets up the ride.  There, we are informed that we are about to enter specially equipped time machines.  While the original intent is to go to the time when the dinosaurs are thriving, one scientist has changed our coordinates.  We're supposed to track down an already tagged iguanodon and bring him back to the present with us before the meteor shower kills the dinosaurs and traps us back in time.

From there we enter jeeps designed for around 16 people.  Each person gets their own seatbelt.  And we're off to the past.  We enter a world of the dinosaurs.  We get to see the plant eaters and the meat eaters.  Then the meat eaters start to chase us.  And the meteor shower starts.  All the time, the scientist is updating us on our mission via the computers linking us back to the present.  Can we find our target before time runs out?

This ride is designed to be a thrill ride, make no mistake about it.  While the cars are on a track, the hydraulics in the car bounce you around to simulate running for your lives over the rough pre-historic terrain.  Some of the dinosaurs pop out at you at the last possible second to scare you.  There are light, smoke, and wind effects.  And yet, at least half of the ride is in the dark with the lights only coming on long enough to show you the latest scare.

Now comes the part where my friend and I come back into the picture.  I love thrill rides (and non-thrill rides, too).  She enjoys most Disney thrill rides.  Neither one of us enjoyed this ride in the least.  When the three minutes were up, we walked off and vowed to never go back on it again.  Because it was in the dark, I felt like everything was closing in on me.  Speeding through the dark can be fun (we love Space Mountain).  But this wasn't fun in the slightest.

Frankly, our reaction surprised me since we both enjoy the Indiana Jones ride at Disneyland.  If you aren't familiar with that ride, it is the exact same type of vehicle and very similar type of ride.  However, that ride is lit almost the entire way through and things aren't jumping right at you most of the time.  This ride was just too jerky, rough, and dark to be any fun at all.

To ride, you need to be at least 40 inches tall.  While I don't recommend the ride at all, I especially don't recommend it for young kids.  They will be easily frightened by everything that jumps out at you.

I think if they just left the lights on, Dinosaur would have been a fun ride.  As it is, there's nothing thrilling about it.