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Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories #1-3
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories
Sora, Donald, and Goofy have defeated Ansem and restored the world. But beyond the dark door--a door that had to be closed--Riku and King Mickey remain. And so the trio sets off again on a journey to find Riku and the king. As they progress through Castle Oblivion and encounter agents from the mysterious Organization XIII along the way, Sora and his friends begin to lose their memories. What does it mean to hold something dear? And in the end, what path will Sora choose?
400 pages, Paperback
First published September 29, 2015
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318 people want to read
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 32 reviews
April 20, 2017
Improvement on the previous novel
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (the Novel) is an adaptation of the video game of the same name, written by Tomoco Kanemaki with illustrations by Shiro Amano. In Chain of Memories, Sora and the gang must make their way through Castle Oblivion, a mysterious castle under the control of Organization XIII, in order to find those he's looking for and recover the memories he's lost.
Like the previous Kingdom Hearts novel, Chain of Memories condenses much of the game into a format that works better as a novel. The video game itself was always a bit weak; its story was good, but much of it felt like a rehash of the first Kingdom Hearts game. This adaptation suffers a bit from that, especially in the first part of Sora's story. But once the second part of Sora's story starts, and all throughout Riku's story, Chain of Memories starts to find its own story and ends up being more of an engaging story than the first game's adaptation was. Especially in the department of character development.
One of the things I love about Chain of Memories is how character focused it is. I mean, it's hard not to be character focused when your entire premise revolves around the malleability of memories and how they can be manipulated and molded into whatever someone desires. There's a theme throughout the novel of the idea that memory is so unreliable that you can lie to yourself enough that you believe the lie to be a true memory. Naturally, Kingdom Hearts uses this idea in more of a fantasy style than reality, but it's still a relatable concept. Many of us have memories that we aren't 100% sure are real. There are events we think back on that cause us to question if they really happened, or if we just imagined it.
Like the previous adaptation, Kanemaki's writing style still leaves a bit to be desired, though there is some improvement this time around. There's not quite as much "avoiding using 'said'" as there was in the previous book, which is nice. Some of the descriptions are getting a bit more detailed and poetic, which is also nice. It's still written in a very easy to digest way, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, it's not like the Kingdom Hearts series is high art, after all. They're enjoyable video games with a fun story, and this adaptation does a good job at showcasing the best elements of the series.
I particularly liked when Kanemaki would shift the focus away from Sora and show a bit of the behind the scenes workings of Organization XIII. Some of that is because the members of Organization XIII have always been my favorite characters in the series, and I've always been fascinated by the group, so any extra information on them I can get is a very positive thing. But even aside from that, it opens up the narrative a bit. It gives the story room to breathe, especially as this book begins the journey that takes the series into its more complicated and convoluted installments.
All in all, Chain of Memories: The Novel is an improvement on Kanemaki's previous outing in the Kingdom Hearts universe, and is an enjoyable read for anyone who's a fan of the series and wants to experience the story of the game in a different medium.
Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories (the Novel) is an adaptation of the video game of the same name, written by Tomoco Kanemaki with illustrations by Shiro Amano. In Chain of Memories, Sora and the gang must make their way through Castle Oblivion, a mysterious castle under the control of Organization XIII, in order to find those he's looking for and recover the memories he's lost.
Like the previous Kingdom Hearts novel, Chain of Memories condenses much of the game into a format that works better as a novel. The video game itself was always a bit weak; its story was good, but much of it felt like a rehash of the first Kingdom Hearts game. This adaptation suffers a bit from that, especially in the first part of Sora's story. But once the second part of Sora's story starts, and all throughout Riku's story, Chain of Memories starts to find its own story and ends up being more of an engaging story than the first game's adaptation was. Especially in the department of character development.
One of the things I love about Chain of Memories is how character focused it is. I mean, it's hard not to be character focused when your entire premise revolves around the malleability of memories and how they can be manipulated and molded into whatever someone desires. There's a theme throughout the novel of the idea that memory is so unreliable that you can lie to yourself enough that you believe the lie to be a true memory. Naturally, Kingdom Hearts uses this idea in more of a fantasy style than reality, but it's still a relatable concept. Many of us have memories that we aren't 100% sure are real. There are events we think back on that cause us to question if they really happened, or if we just imagined it.
Like the previous adaptation, Kanemaki's writing style still leaves a bit to be desired, though there is some improvement this time around. There's not quite as much "avoiding using 'said'" as there was in the previous book, which is nice. Some of the descriptions are getting a bit more detailed and poetic, which is also nice. It's still written in a very easy to digest way, which isn't necessarily a bad thing. I mean, it's not like the Kingdom Hearts series is high art, after all. They're enjoyable video games with a fun story, and this adaptation does a good job at showcasing the best elements of the series.
I particularly liked when Kanemaki would shift the focus away from Sora and show a bit of the behind the scenes workings of Organization XIII. Some of that is because the members of Organization XIII have always been my favorite characters in the series, and I've always been fascinated by the group, so any extra information on them I can get is a very positive thing. But even aside from that, it opens up the narrative a bit. It gives the story room to breathe, especially as this book begins the journey that takes the series into its more complicated and convoluted installments.
All in all, Chain of Memories: The Novel is an improvement on Kanemaki's previous outing in the Kingdom Hearts universe, and is an enjoyable read for anyone who's a fan of the series and wants to experience the story of the game in a different medium.
February 12, 2022
I can write a proper review soon! I loved rereading this:)
March 6, 2020
Sora, Donald, and Goofy have defeated Ansem and restored the world. But beyond the dark door--a door that had to be closed--Riku and King Mickey remain. And so the trio sets off again on a journey to find Riku and the king. As they progress through Castle Oblivion and encounter agents from the mysterious Organization XIII along the way, Sora and his friends begin to lose their memories. What does it mean to hold something dear? And in the end, what path will Sora choose?
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November 5, 2019 Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories The Novel (light novel) (KH: CoM) by Tomoco Kanemaki is in my opinion a four out of five stars for a couple main reasons.
Reason number one, the book is a big improvement on the last book in the series which got it one of it stars. The novel adds on to the previous book in a few ways and one of those ways is pacing which is has been able to improve thanks to using more pages even though each game that is being adapted is similar in length. This is very obvious when the books are describing events in which the first book would describe a more unimportant part of the game and then have to rush through some important story moments. In KH: CoM the author spends more time on the important parts of the story like the characters instead of focusing on the Disney worlds which are all taken from Kingdom Hearts I, this allows for more character development. Another improvement is the writing which leads to more descriptive writing compared to the first book. Some characters also sound more poetic but I will touch on that in the last paragraph. Finally the book helps explain character motivations better, for example in the very beginning it is clear that Sora wants find his friends but we are not outright told this. In conclusion the book is a big improvement on the last book in the series which got it one of it stars.
The second reason for why I rated the book four out of five stars, is the amazing character development/how character focused it is. When you first start reading the book you may think that there will not be much character development from a book that is about loosing all of your memories but if you thought that you would be wrong. Sora is a good example of character development, since he starts by having one main goal looking for his friends but this ends up getting him in trouble which leads to him losing his memories and having them replaced with new ones. This makes him look for a girl named Namine but after having confrontations with the Organization XIII he realizes that his memories are not his own and he realizes who his friends really are. Another example of good character development is Namine she is forced to give Sora fake memories but she realizes this is wrong and tries to make it up by betraying Maluxia who is making her do this. This string of events leads to her doing everything in her power to fix his memories. The final example of character development is Riku who goes from not knowing who he really is to wanting to protecting his friends at any cost.
The third reason is the themes and main ideas which gives it one of it stars. The first theme is the pro and cons of friendship, the book shows the pros of friendship when Riku helps recover Sora’s memories but it also shows the other side of friendship. Friendship ends up causing the main conflict which is Sora looking for his friends which leads him to Castle Oblivion where he looses his memories. The main message of the book is about memories mainly and it is that you should not rely on your memories which may be false you should rely on what your heart is telling you. Early in the book Sora looses his memories leading to him searching for a girl named Namine while his heart is telling him to look for Kairi who is really is friend. The final theme of book also deals with the idea of facing your inner darkness, which is shown by Riku who struggles with his past mistakes leading to him confronting and defeating his darkness but it is not fully gone but he doesn’t care since too much light is just as bad as too much darkness.
The fourth and final star comes from the books plot lines. The first plot line is based off the main campaign from the game which starts with Sora looking for his friends and then finding Pluto who leads him to Castle Oblivion. This makes a good setup for the rest of the book since we have our heroes from the last game going to a place which weakens them making them start anew. The book then follows Organization XIII who has traitors which divides the members who are at the castle into groups which are Marluxia’s group and Zexion’s group who are trying to take done the traitors. This is a very cool concept since it allows us to see the clashing ideology of people who are both part of the same group. All the Organization XIII members at the castle end of getting destroyed with the exception of Axel who is revealed to have been sent there to deal with traitors. The book also deals with replicas in its second part Reverse/Rebirth which features Riku who is facing his darkness with the guidance of his friend Mickey Mouse. This part takes place before during and after Sora’s story but its from Riku’s perspective since he was there the whole time. In this part Riku has to find who he is which gets harder for him since he has to face his replica who can not handle not being the real Riku so he tries destroying the real Riku a few times. Finally Riku has to fight Ansem (who is the embodiment of the darkness left inside him), he finds Sora who is getting his memories restored which ends with Riku saying he will do whatever it takes to fix his chain of memories. This makes a good end to the plot since it wraps up Sora’s story and it ends Riku’s struggle with darkness from the first book.
Last of all I took off one star for a few minor reasons. The first reason is that part of Sora’s story is a less interesting retelling of the first game. This was partially necessary because of Sora having to relive his memories but it just felt a little tedious reading those parts. The second reason is because of the poetic writing which sounds like its just there to sound deep when it is not really deep which just leads to confusion. The third reason is that the novel removes satisfaction that you get from defeating Marluxia at the end of the game who has been antagonizing you since the begging of the book. You do not get satisfaction since you the reader didn’t help beat him Sora did which is a downside to all video game to book adaptations. The forth and final reason for why I took off a star is because they left out some of the meeting of Zexion’s group, which were some of my favorite parts because of the character interactions in them.
In conclusion I rate Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories The Novel (light novel) (KH: CoM) by Tomoco Kanemaki four out of five stars because of its improvements on the last book, its amazing character development, its themes and main ideas and finally its amazing plot. I took off one star for minor reasons. Overall I would recommend this book to someone who has played the first game/read the first book.
Reason number one, the book is a big improvement on the last book in the series which got it one of it stars. The novel adds on to the previous book in a few ways and one of those ways is pacing which is has been able to improve thanks to using more pages even though each game that is being adapted is similar in length. This is very obvious when the books are describing events in which the first book would describe a more unimportant part of the game and then have to rush through some important story moments. In KH: CoM the author spends more time on the important parts of the story like the characters instead of focusing on the Disney worlds which are all taken from Kingdom Hearts I, this allows for more character development. Another improvement is the writing which leads to more descriptive writing compared to the first book. Some characters also sound more poetic but I will touch on that in the last paragraph. Finally the book helps explain character motivations better, for example in the very beginning it is clear that Sora wants find his friends but we are not outright told this. In conclusion the book is a big improvement on the last book in the series which got it one of it stars.
The second reason for why I rated the book four out of five stars, is the amazing character development/how character focused it is. When you first start reading the book you may think that there will not be much character development from a book that is about loosing all of your memories but if you thought that you would be wrong. Sora is a good example of character development, since he starts by having one main goal looking for his friends but this ends up getting him in trouble which leads to him losing his memories and having them replaced with new ones. This makes him look for a girl named Namine but after having confrontations with the Organization XIII he realizes that his memories are not his own and he realizes who his friends really are. Another example of good character development is Namine she is forced to give Sora fake memories but she realizes this is wrong and tries to make it up by betraying Maluxia who is making her do this. This string of events leads to her doing everything in her power to fix his memories. The final example of character development is Riku who goes from not knowing who he really is to wanting to protecting his friends at any cost.
The third reason is the themes and main ideas which gives it one of it stars. The first theme is the pro and cons of friendship, the book shows the pros of friendship when Riku helps recover Sora’s memories but it also shows the other side of friendship. Friendship ends up causing the main conflict which is Sora looking for his friends which leads him to Castle Oblivion where he looses his memories. The main message of the book is about memories mainly and it is that you should not rely on your memories which may be false you should rely on what your heart is telling you. Early in the book Sora looses his memories leading to him searching for a girl named Namine while his heart is telling him to look for Kairi who is really is friend. The final theme of book also deals with the idea of facing your inner darkness, which is shown by Riku who struggles with his past mistakes leading to him confronting and defeating his darkness but it is not fully gone but he doesn’t care since too much light is just as bad as too much darkness.
The fourth and final star comes from the books plot lines. The first plot line is based off the main campaign from the game which starts with Sora looking for his friends and then finding Pluto who leads him to Castle Oblivion. This makes a good setup for the rest of the book since we have our heroes from the last game going to a place which weakens them making them start anew. The book then follows Organization XIII who has traitors which divides the members who are at the castle into groups which are Marluxia’s group and Zexion’s group who are trying to take done the traitors. This is a very cool concept since it allows us to see the clashing ideology of people who are both part of the same group. All the Organization XIII members at the castle end of getting destroyed with the exception of Axel who is revealed to have been sent there to deal with traitors. The book also deals with replicas in its second part Reverse/Rebirth which features Riku who is facing his darkness with the guidance of his friend Mickey Mouse. This part takes place before during and after Sora’s story but its from Riku’s perspective since he was there the whole time. In this part Riku has to find who he is which gets harder for him since he has to face his replica who can not handle not being the real Riku so he tries destroying the real Riku a few times. Finally Riku has to fight Ansem (who is the embodiment of the darkness left inside him), he finds Sora who is getting his memories restored which ends with Riku saying he will do whatever it takes to fix his chain of memories. This makes a good end to the plot since it wraps up Sora’s story and it ends Riku’s struggle with darkness from the first book.
Last of all I took off one star for a few minor reasons. The first reason is that part of Sora’s story is a less interesting retelling of the first game. This was partially necessary because of Sora having to relive his memories but it just felt a little tedious reading those parts. The second reason is because of the poetic writing which sounds like its just there to sound deep when it is not really deep which just leads to confusion. The third reason is that the novel removes satisfaction that you get from defeating Marluxia at the end of the game who has been antagonizing you since the begging of the book. You do not get satisfaction since you the reader didn’t help beat him Sora did which is a downside to all video game to book adaptations. The forth and final reason for why I took off a star is because they left out some of the meeting of Zexion’s group, which were some of my favorite parts because of the character interactions in them.
In conclusion I rate Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories The Novel (light novel) (KH: CoM) by Tomoco Kanemaki four out of five stars because of its improvements on the last book, its amazing character development, its themes and main ideas and finally its amazing plot. I took off one star for minor reasons. Overall I would recommend this book to someone who has played the first game/read the first book.
December 14, 2017
Chain of Memories...also known as GBA nightmare. I loved the game itself but the gameplay was so gimmicked and off putting that I didn't enjoy it until the PS2 remake that is now part of the PS4 HD Collection.
The novel is just lovely! The novel covers both Sora and Riku's stories and is written in a way that makes it feel more complete than the original game did in places. Characters were given some more depth and the dialogue is not verbatim to the game.
If you want an understanding of Kingdom Hearts II but do not wish to play through Chain of Memories or watch cutscenes online then this is actually a good way to get the basics of what you really need to know to better understand Namine and Axel as characters as well as learn why Sora is in a pod.
The novel is just lovely! The novel covers both Sora and Riku's stories and is written in a way that makes it feel more complete than the original game did in places. Characters were given some more depth and the dialogue is not verbatim to the game.
If you want an understanding of Kingdom Hearts II but do not wish to play through Chain of Memories or watch cutscenes online then this is actually a good way to get the basics of what you really need to know to better understand Namine and Axel as characters as well as learn why Sora is in a pod.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 1, 2024
Plot 2 / 5
One of my main issues with Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, The Novel is the pacing. The story covers a lot a ground, but is very shallow and lacking in terms of detail. Battles are fought and won in a few paragraphs, entire worlds are being swapped out with every new chapter. Obviously this issue stems from the novel being based off a video game. However, unlike the video game, there's no music, visuals, or gameplay elements to help support and slow down the narrative. The shallow, fast-paced narrative is to be expected, yet it remains a fault nevertheless. As a result it feels like there's some essential ingredients missing. Those essentials are details that help slow things down, allowing the reader to really immerse themselves in the experiences, as opposed to just witnessing the characters talking and reflecting upon what they remember versus what they've forgotten.
Characters 5 / 5
This is by far the novel's strong point. It is without a doubt a character-focused story. While the characters' physical descriptions are lacking, this is compensated with the inclusion of illustrations which are wonderfully drawn and compliment the styling of both Square Enix and Disney characters. The characters' personalities ring true to the series and are demonstrated through their dialogues and interactions. More often than not, I don't have to read the dialogue tags to understand who is speaking, which is a good sign in terms of characterization. The amusing friendly banter helps make up for the lack of narration, giving it more a feeling of reading a (video game) script or play as opposed to an actual novel. The characters are what give the story its charm, providing for a decently entertaining read for those who have come to know and love them.
Setting 2 / 5
The vast majority of this story consists of dialogue, character interactions, and the main characters (Sora and Riku) memories which are presented in italics as a reoccurring theme throughout the novel. What little narration we're given in terms of lore and background is bare minimum with a noticeable absence of detail. There's enough to tell me where we're at in the story: a tower, a garden, a white room, a castle or who one of the (many) characters are: a friend of Sora's or member of Organization XIII, but much else is left to the reader's imagination. Needless to say, due to the lack of details, anyone who isn't a fan of Disney, Kingdom Hearts, and/or Final Fantasy is most likely going to be at a disadvantage and may quickly lose interest.
Overall 3 / 5
I wanted to read this book for two reasons: 1. I love the Kingdom Hearts (main) games and 2. I didn't finish my playthrough of Chain of Memories, because I wasn't a fan of the gameplay/combat system, so I never got to see how it ended. As such I was hoping the book would at the very least help fill in the gaps of what I missed and it does just that. In that regard, the novel neither surpassed nor disappointed my expectations. To fans who also enjoy the series, but never played through the Chain of Memories video game, I can recommend this book. Though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, as there are much better reads out there. As every Kingdom Hearts fan knows, the lore of the series is complicated and convoluted due to having more spin-off games than main installments. This novel contains a small, yet essential piece of the puzzle for those seeking to better understand how Sora and his friends got from the ending of the first game to the beginning of the second.
One of my main issues with Kingdom Hearts: Chain of Memories, The Novel is the pacing. The story covers a lot a ground, but is very shallow and lacking in terms of detail. Battles are fought and won in a few paragraphs, entire worlds are being swapped out with every new chapter. Obviously this issue stems from the novel being based off a video game. However, unlike the video game, there's no music, visuals, or gameplay elements to help support and slow down the narrative. The shallow, fast-paced narrative is to be expected, yet it remains a fault nevertheless. As a result it feels like there's some essential ingredients missing. Those essentials are details that help slow things down, allowing the reader to really immerse themselves in the experiences, as opposed to just witnessing the characters talking and reflecting upon what they remember versus what they've forgotten.
Characters 5 / 5
This is by far the novel's strong point. It is without a doubt a character-focused story. While the characters' physical descriptions are lacking, this is compensated with the inclusion of illustrations which are wonderfully drawn and compliment the styling of both Square Enix and Disney characters. The characters' personalities ring true to the series and are demonstrated through their dialogues and interactions. More often than not, I don't have to read the dialogue tags to understand who is speaking, which is a good sign in terms of characterization. The amusing friendly banter helps make up for the lack of narration, giving it more a feeling of reading a (video game) script or play as opposed to an actual novel. The characters are what give the story its charm, providing for a decently entertaining read for those who have come to know and love them.
Setting 2 / 5
The vast majority of this story consists of dialogue, character interactions, and the main characters (Sora and Riku) memories which are presented in italics as a reoccurring theme throughout the novel. What little narration we're given in terms of lore and background is bare minimum with a noticeable absence of detail. There's enough to tell me where we're at in the story: a tower, a garden, a white room, a castle or who one of the (many) characters are: a friend of Sora's or member of Organization XIII, but much else is left to the reader's imagination. Needless to say, due to the lack of details, anyone who isn't a fan of Disney, Kingdom Hearts, and/or Final Fantasy is most likely going to be at a disadvantage and may quickly lose interest.
Overall 3 / 5
I wanted to read this book for two reasons: 1. I love the Kingdom Hearts (main) games and 2. I didn't finish my playthrough of Chain of Memories, because I wasn't a fan of the gameplay/combat system, so I never got to see how it ended. As such I was hoping the book would at the very least help fill in the gaps of what I missed and it does just that. In that regard, the novel neither surpassed nor disappointed my expectations. To fans who also enjoy the series, but never played through the Chain of Memories video game, I can recommend this book. Though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else, as there are much better reads out there. As every Kingdom Hearts fan knows, the lore of the series is complicated and convoluted due to having more spin-off games than main installments. This novel contains a small, yet essential piece of the puzzle for those seeking to better understand how Sora and his friends got from the ending of the first game to the beginning of the second.
July 19, 2024
I loved this story. The first light novel was really good but it just seemed to skim through some stuff and I wish it was longer. This one is very long and has a detailed story. It felt more satisfying when I was done. Chain of Memories is not my favorite game in the series I love all games but it’s one of my least. This made me appreciate it so much more.
Spoilers Ahead
The stuff added in here was makes the story even better. I love how is dove into Naminee feelings and thoughts as she was rewriting Sora’s memories. I found her story so much more compelling reading then watching cut scenes. You could feel her pain and vulnerability. Axel shines in here as well as an outlier not really on either side and since we know his story from Days and KH2 little things were added that just made sense to his character.
One thing I love about these light novels is they go into the feelings of the characters and their actions make even more sense. I think the portrayal of the author is perfect for all the characters. Riku Replica was always a character I didn’t really connect with or understand but the author makes a compelling take on his story line and feelings as his whole life is being wrote by the Organization. And how he comes to accept he is the fake but wishes to be more there is much here that just wow I can’t look at that character the same any more.
The main story with Sora is really great as well. It didn’t feel like rehashing the storyline of the game. No there was so much more we see Sora’s conflicting feelings as he looses more and more memories and how Donald, Goofy and Jiminy help stabilize and keep him grounded. Each time he meets some one we get to see his thoughts and feelings not know who they are. The connections Sora makes are essential to his growth and story and seeing how they were being stripped from him resonated so much more. I now feel like the rehash of the old stories was even better then I remember even though the world were copied from the original storyline they weren’t the same and I can appreciate that.
I’m not sure why this story has 4 stars only trust me it’s a fantastic story and it was so good to read each and every chapter. I loved this book so much. And now funnily enough I want to play Chain of Memories again with new perspective I have thanks to this book.
Spoilers Ahead
The stuff added in here was makes the story even better. I love how is dove into Naminee feelings and thoughts as she was rewriting Sora’s memories. I found her story so much more compelling reading then watching cut scenes. You could feel her pain and vulnerability. Axel shines in here as well as an outlier not really on either side and since we know his story from Days and KH2 little things were added that just made sense to his character.
One thing I love about these light novels is they go into the feelings of the characters and their actions make even more sense. I think the portrayal of the author is perfect for all the characters. Riku Replica was always a character I didn’t really connect with or understand but the author makes a compelling take on his story line and feelings as his whole life is being wrote by the Organization. And how he comes to accept he is the fake but wishes to be more there is much here that just wow I can’t look at that character the same any more.
The main story with Sora is really great as well. It didn’t feel like rehashing the storyline of the game. No there was so much more we see Sora’s conflicting feelings as he looses more and more memories and how Donald, Goofy and Jiminy help stabilize and keep him grounded. Each time he meets some one we get to see his thoughts and feelings not know who they are. The connections Sora makes are essential to his growth and story and seeing how they were being stripped from him resonated so much more. I now feel like the rehash of the old stories was even better then I remember even though the world were copied from the original storyline they weren’t the same and I can appreciate that.
I’m not sure why this story has 4 stars only trust me it’s a fantastic story and it was so good to read each and every chapter. I loved this book so much. And now funnily enough I want to play Chain of Memories again with new perspective I have thanks to this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 19, 2018
Another good story based off a video game. If only movies had such luck.
Now, I don't remember playing COM, if I ever did so I cannot say if this is completely faithful. But it was enjoyable anyways. The villains are interesting and have different motivations for each one even if the goal is similar. Axel is always a hoot and is quite cunning in this story.
I did get a little confused in Reverse/Rebirth in which the Replica was getting memories downloaded, there were a couple of points I wasn't sure if it was the Replica or Riku remembering things, but that is a little expected with two of the same character running around.
All in all, a good story
Now, I don't remember playing COM, if I ever did so I cannot say if this is completely faithful. But it was enjoyable anyways. The villains are interesting and have different motivations for each one even if the goal is similar. Axel is always a hoot and is quite cunning in this story.
I did get a little confused in Reverse/Rebirth in which the Replica was getting memories downloaded, there were a couple of points I wasn't sure if it was the Replica or Riku remembering things, but that is a little expected with two of the same character running around.
All in all, a good story
July 5, 2024
Sora, Donald and Goofy enter a strange castle, where Organization XIII begins to alter their memories with the reluctant aid of a mysterious girl; meanwhile, as Riku seeks an escape from the darkness now engulfing his heart, his newly minted Replica will do anything to become his own person...Kanemaki and Amano deliver a quick-paced and heartwarming adaptation of the titular game, a bit repetitive yet engaging in its character depth and consistent accuracy. What - and who - is waiting at the top of this unexplainable Castle Oblivion?
March 3, 2024
I've been a big fan of the Kingdom Hearts series for a while, so I was really excited to stumble across the CoM Novel while I was out and about one day.
This book adds to the series by including some internal thoughts, and at times even entirely new scenes that don't appear in the game.
I've decided to rate this book 4 stars instead of 5 because I thought it could have added more to the games if it wanted to. Also because some of the wording didn't flow as well as it did in the game.
This book adds to the series by including some internal thoughts, and at times even entirely new scenes that don't appear in the game.
I've decided to rate this book 4 stars instead of 5 because I thought it could have added more to the games if it wanted to. Also because some of the wording didn't flow as well as it did in the game.
March 9, 2025
This book was kinda repetitive.
I do like all the Organization XIII stuff though. Namine was cool.
Most of the time during Riku's story, I was just wondering if I was reading from Riku's POV, or Replica's POV.
I like all the KH storys and I am excited to read KH2.
I do like all the Organization XIII stuff though. Namine was cool.
Most of the time during Riku's story, I was just wondering if I was reading from Riku's POV, or Replica's POV.
I like all the KH storys and I am excited to read KH2.
April 19, 2025
cualquiera que lea esto y sea su primera vez adentrándose en la historia, por favor, evite leer las descripciones iniciales de cada personaje. buena parte de lo que sucede se resume allí, por desgracia.
[«to our surprise» de yoko shimomura es lo que mejor representa este libro].
[«to our surprise» de yoko shimomura es lo que mejor representa este libro].
December 5, 2018
One novel to explain the story in between two great games. My one complaint is the lack of original art. My favorite picture is in the final part of the story.
December 26, 2018
How did the book for my least favorite game become my favorite??
January 9, 2019
If you love the kingdom hearts series but just dont like the Chain of memories combat buy this. Loved it. Loved that the replica sections the most.
Read
January 15, 2022This is my favorite Kingdom Hearts book so far.
April 15, 2022
It was really beautiful. I feel like it really captivated Riku’s emotions and led me to further understands the replicas emotions in KH3.
April 18, 2022
It is a good book to read but it is long book
May 11, 2022
The writing was a bit better then in Kingdom Hearts. I'm hoping the rest of the books get better.
May 22, 2023
Chain of Memories will always be my one of my top 3 stories of Kingdom Hearts idk why but it has such a special place in my heart it was what really touched my heart and got me to love KH more
May 22, 2024
Getting emotionally destroyed by a book about Mickey Mouse was not on my 2024 bingo card but here we are I guess
November 2, 2024
3.5 stars rounded up for the gay subtext
December 18, 2024
🎶Simple and clean is the way that you’re making me🎶
🎶Feeeeeeel tonight🎶
🎶It’s haaaaard to let🎶
🎶It go🎶
🎶Feeeeeeel tonight🎶
🎶It’s haaaaard to let🎶
🎶It go🎶
March 12, 2025
Riku and Repliku own my whole heart
June 14, 2021
I know half of it it’s Riku’s perspective but couldn’t they give me other information? They made me read the same dialogues again…
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 7, 2020
Loved it!
January 31, 2016
Nunca había jugado a Chain of Memories ni tenía demasiada idea de lo que iba la historia, más allá de lo básico y la verdad es que me ha pasado una cosa muy curiosa.
NUNCA, nunca, nunca me había gustado Riku. Me parecía un personaje demasiado frío, la verdad; pero después de leer este libro se ha convertido en uno de mis favoritos. Y además en relación también con Sora, ¿soy yo, o es que Riku siempre es al que dejan de lado? Primero Kairi y luego Naminé. En serio, ¿por qué? Sora es como demasiado feliz, casi, CASI que me está empezando a caer mejor Riku. Pero claro, es imposible odiar a Sora así que da igual. Lo dejo en empate.
Justo lo contrario me ha pasado con Axel, siempre ha sido - bueno desde que jugué a KH2 por primera vez - uno de mis personajes favoritos y en esta ocasión a veces me ha parecido hasta irritante.
Aunque si tuviera que dar un premio al personaje más pesado lo ganaría Ansem. Cada dos por tres aparecía, madre mía. Estaba al final del libro casi gritándole para que se muriera ya. Una cosa bastante inútil por otro lado, porque todos sabemos que Ansem es inmortal y además está en todas partes.
Tengo que hacer una mención especial a la Réplica. POBRE, POBRE RÉPLICA. No te preocupes, yo te quiero.
NUNCA, nunca, nunca me había gustado Riku. Me parecía un personaje demasiado frío, la verdad; pero después de leer este libro se ha convertido en uno de mis favoritos. Y además en relación también con Sora, ¿soy yo, o es que Riku siempre es al que dejan de lado? Primero Kairi y luego Naminé. En serio, ¿por qué? Sora es como demasiado feliz, casi, CASI que me está empezando a caer mejor Riku. Pero claro, es imposible odiar a Sora así que da igual. Lo dejo en empate.
Justo lo contrario me ha pasado con Axel, siempre ha sido - bueno desde que jugué a KH2 por primera vez - uno de mis personajes favoritos y en esta ocasión a veces me ha parecido hasta irritante.
Aunque si tuviera que dar un premio al personaje más pesado lo ganaría Ansem. Cada dos por tres aparecía, madre mía. Estaba al final del libro casi gritándole para que se muriera ya. Una cosa bastante inútil por otro lado, porque todos sabemos que Ansem es inmortal y además está en todas partes.
Tengo que hacer una mención especial a la Réplica. POBRE, POBRE RÉPLICA. No te preocupes, yo te quiero.
September 13, 2016
(slight spoilers)
I honestly think I'm even more confused now than I was when I tried playing the game this novel is based off of.
I am a HUGE Kingdom Hearts fan but I hated the gameplay system Chain of Memories used. Rather than be a hack'n'slash the first game was, this one used a card system to fight....and it was horrible...so I never finished. But it is a bridge between Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. My mother bought me this novel and i thought "great! I can finally figure out the story!" And it confused me even more. Was this story all moot? Was there even a purpose for this, or just to introduce Organization XIII to set up KH2? The story had a set plot then they just essentially erased said plot at the very end, so what was even the point?
I love this series, I really do, but now I'm even more confused by what took place other than having the opinion that this was a setup for Organization XIII and to tell us Riku's side of the story and tell us what happened when they closed the door to Kingdom Hearts at the end of the first game.
I honestly think I'm even more confused now than I was when I tried playing the game this novel is based off of.
I am a HUGE Kingdom Hearts fan but I hated the gameplay system Chain of Memories used. Rather than be a hack'n'slash the first game was, this one used a card system to fight....and it was horrible...so I never finished. But it is a bridge between Kingdom Hearts 1 and 2. My mother bought me this novel and i thought "great! I can finally figure out the story!" And it confused me even more. Was this story all moot? Was there even a purpose for this, or just to introduce Organization XIII to set up KH2? The story had a set plot then they just essentially erased said plot at the very end, so what was even the point?
I love this series, I really do, but now I'm even more confused by what took place other than having the opinion that this was a setup for Organization XIII and to tell us Riku's side of the story and tell us what happened when they closed the door to Kingdom Hearts at the end of the first game.
October 16, 2015
As someone who love the kingdom hearts series, this was a great read. The pacing and the writing style was a little weird and hard to follow at first, but I got used to it after a few chapters. Love that Repliku got such a big role in the second part of the book, and it was probably his chapters that was the most interesting to read, as you don't really get that much background information about him in the games. Wish it was more original Riku too though. The first part of the book with Sora's story was also very fun to read. Their actions in the games actually makes more sense after I've read the books, as we get to know what the characters are thinking in different situations and why they react a certain way.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 26, 2015
The Kingdom Hearts novels are a great way for those who don't have the right gaming console to get into the series. Chain of Memories doesn't disappoint. Replica Riku needs the biggest hug. I wish the characters were this fleshed out in the games.
Yen Press don't let me down, release the Birth By Sleep novels ASAP.
Yen Press don't let me down, release the Birth By Sleep novels ASAP.
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