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Kingdom Hearts II #3-4
Kingdom Hearts II Vol. 2
Sora, Donald, and Goofy have set off to find Riku and Mickey, reuniting with old friends and making new ones along the way. But the Heartless are back, and Sora has to contend with a new enemy - the mysterious Organization XIII. Meanwhile, Riku, Naminé, and Axel are trying to solve some mysteries of their own...
What is the organization's ultimate goal? Will Sora ever see Riku and Kairi again...?
What is the organization's ultimate goal? Will Sora ever see Riku and Kairi again...?
272 pages, Paperback
First published December 19, 2017
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Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews
November 11, 2022
Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel, Vol. 2 By Tomoco Kanemaki, is the second light novella in a two part Novelization based on the video game “Kingdom Heats 2”.
The second volume, starts off during the invasion of Hallow Bastion sequence. After that, Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy travel to several of the Disney worlds (Mulan, Pirates of the Caribbean, Beauty and the Beast, Disney Castle, and Tron) before heading towards the final battle between him and the remnants of Organization 13.
This novel is a fairly good adaptation of the video game. It takes the plot of the game and condenses it into a better-paced story. Gone are the lengthy worlds which contain little relevance to the overall plot of the story. Instead, Kanemaki chooses to stick to the basic story of the game and let the characters shine through. This, alone, is a smart move on Kanemaki’s fault. While exploring countless worlds works well in a video game, it doesn’t work so well in a novel. Had Kanemaki adapted the game exactly as was, the book would’ve felt very repetitive very quickly.
I was surprised the novel actually had Sora visiting so many of these places. I guess it’s because members of the Organization are hanging around in these lands, but I’m glad I got to see Sora cheer up the Beast and argue with Captain Jack Sparrow. Some locations are still missing, but in some cases, the abridged version makes the story flow more smoothly.
In fact, the characters are the strongest part of this book. Telling this story in the form of a novel allows the characters room to breathe. Kanemaki does this admirably, particularly with Sora. Kanemaki’s style allows the reader the opportunity to really explore Sora’s thoughts and feelings throughout the story. Routinely, we are granted access to exactly what Sora is thinking about a given event, and it makes the story stronger.
The worlds from the video game that Kanemaki chose to keep are probably the most important worlds to the overall story itself. Port Royal, Disney Castle,The Land Of Dragons, Beast’s Castle,Traverse Town, and Tron are the worlds kept in this adaptation, and they’re the worlds most needed to tell this story in a way that makes sense, is paced well, and keeps from being repetitive.
In terms of Kanemaki’s writing style (as well as that of the English translator), the book is written fairly simplistically. There aren’t a whole lot of detailed descriptions, and he tries a bit too hard with the whole “not using ‘said’ thing”. A character is always retorting or some other action instead of just speaking, and it definitely comes off a bit distracting at times. Oftentimes it’s a bit unclear who exactly is speaking as Kanemaki routinely doesn’t identify the speakers of sentences; in terms of the pacing of the story, this is okay, but in terms of the clarity, it’s a bit confusing. It’s a fragile balance, and Kanemaki doesn’t always manage to hit that balance as well as he’d like to.
However, Kanemaki is able to bring the theme of friendship and love even further to the surface than it was in the game in the way he writes this book. This is a story of friendship and love defeating even the greatest darkness. It’s a story of perseverance and dedication; a story of bravery and camaraderie. It’s perfect that the story uses so many characters from the Disney canon because it really feels right at home in the Disney universe.
All in all, Kingdom Hearts 2: The Novel, Vol. 2 is an improvement on Kanemaki’s previous outing in the Kingdom Hearts game adaptations, 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 is and has always been a good, wholesome, entertaining story appropriate for all ages. It brings out my inner child and fills me with joy. The games always did that, and this Novelization of KH2 does it, too.
The second volume, starts off during the invasion of Hallow Bastion sequence. After that, Sora, Donald Duck, and Goofy travel to several of the Disney worlds (Mulan, Pirates of the Caribbean, Beauty and the Beast, Disney Castle, and Tron) before heading towards the final battle between him and the remnants of Organization 13.
This novel is a fairly good adaptation of the video game. It takes the plot of the game and condenses it into a better-paced story. Gone are the lengthy worlds which contain little relevance to the overall plot of the story. Instead, Kanemaki chooses to stick to the basic story of the game and let the characters shine through. This, alone, is a smart move on Kanemaki’s fault. While exploring countless worlds works well in a video game, it doesn’t work so well in a novel. Had Kanemaki adapted the game exactly as was, the book would’ve felt very repetitive very quickly.
I was surprised the novel actually had Sora visiting so many of these places. I guess it’s because members of the Organization are hanging around in these lands, but I’m glad I got to see Sora cheer up the Beast and argue with Captain Jack Sparrow. Some locations are still missing, but in some cases, the abridged version makes the story flow more smoothly.
In fact, the characters are the strongest part of this book. Telling this story in the form of a novel allows the characters room to breathe. Kanemaki does this admirably, particularly with Sora. Kanemaki’s style allows the reader the opportunity to really explore Sora’s thoughts and feelings throughout the story. Routinely, we are granted access to exactly what Sora is thinking about a given event, and it makes the story stronger.
The worlds from the video game that Kanemaki chose to keep are probably the most important worlds to the overall story itself. Port Royal, Disney Castle,The Land Of Dragons, Beast’s Castle,Traverse Town, and Tron are the worlds kept in this adaptation, and they’re the worlds most needed to tell this story in a way that makes sense, is paced well, and keeps from being repetitive.
In terms of Kanemaki’s writing style (as well as that of the English translator), the book is written fairly simplistically. There aren’t a whole lot of detailed descriptions, and he tries a bit too hard with the whole “not using ‘said’ thing”. A character is always retorting or some other action instead of just speaking, and it definitely comes off a bit distracting at times. Oftentimes it’s a bit unclear who exactly is speaking as Kanemaki routinely doesn’t identify the speakers of sentences; in terms of the pacing of the story, this is okay, but in terms of the clarity, it’s a bit confusing. It’s a fragile balance, and Kanemaki doesn’t always manage to hit that balance as well as he’d like to.
However, Kanemaki is able to bring the theme of friendship and love even further to the surface than it was in the game in the way he writes this book. This is a story of friendship and love defeating even the greatest darkness. It’s a story of perseverance and dedication; a story of bravery and camaraderie. It’s perfect that the story uses so many characters from the Disney canon because it really feels right at home in the Disney universe.
All in all, Kingdom Hearts 2: The Novel, Vol. 2 is an improvement on Kanemaki’s previous outing in the Kingdom Hearts game adaptations, 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 is and has always been a good, wholesome, entertaining story appropriate for all ages. It brings out my inner child and fills me with joy. The games always did that, and this Novelization of KH2 does it, too.
February 26, 2022
I loved this! I can't wait to play all of the games. Tomorrow 358/2 comes out! I can't wait to read it. I will be taking a quick break from Kingdom Hearts to read Two Dark Reigns. Also Birth by Sleep the light novel is available for pre-order in paper. Gonna wait until the pre-order is available on Nook.
April 29, 2020
I think this is a 3.6/5 read for me (and my physical copy of the book only had 262 pgs).
So, yes, I enjoyed reading this. Delving back into the video game world of Kingdom Hearts 2, it was great to revisit this half of the story. I am somewhat sad to say that there were more worlds from the video game cut from the book to make way for either a publishing date or trimming the fat from the plot (Halloween Town though might've had a copyright issue, if anything. And Ariel's world wasn't really all that story-oriented). There was at a certain point where I felt there was too much talking and not enough action to keep the book going as the game did. But, once again, the perk of having the book rendition pulled through. There were tons of behind-the-scenes that we didn't get to see in the game come to life in the book. It certainly encouraged me to keep going until the end.
Otherwise, I have no complaints. I'll be trudging along to the next in the series-Re: Coded (that one shouldn't have too much to worry about. I have a feeling it'll be better to read about it than play the game).
So, yes, I enjoyed reading this. Delving back into the video game world of Kingdom Hearts 2, it was great to revisit this half of the story. I am somewhat sad to say that there were more worlds from the video game cut from the book to make way for either a publishing date or trimming the fat from the plot (Halloween Town though might've had a copyright issue, if anything. And Ariel's world wasn't really all that story-oriented). There was at a certain point where I felt there was too much talking and not enough action to keep the book going as the game did. But, once again, the perk of having the book rendition pulled through. There were tons of behind-the-scenes that we didn't get to see in the game come to life in the book. It certainly encouraged me to keep going until the end.
Otherwise, I have no complaints. I'll be trudging along to the next in the series-Re: Coded (that one shouldn't have too much to worry about. I have a feeling it'll be better to read about it than play the game).
January 28, 2025
Another step in my review of the Kingdom Hearts novelizations. I had already read volume 1 of the KH2 novelization a while ago, but realized I hadn't yet read volume 2.
Kanemaki's writing is still pretty competent for a middle grade novel based on a video game. She really makes the characters pop. It's also clear that the novelization seems based on an earlier or more complete draft of the game's script, as it contains a number of scenes that don't appear in the game but are crucial to explaining the trajectory of the plot behind the scenes, particularly with Axel, Namine, Riku, and DiZ. All that said, the novel as a whole suffers from the fact that KH2 has the weakest plot of all the games in the series (and I stand by this), so the action consists of 1. Sora bouncing around Disney worlds, while 2. a number of characters who aren't Sora do all the actual cool stuff that drives the plot.
I would give 3 stars but I have to give a 4th because it has the scene where Saix wastes Axel, which is my favorite For Sicko Reasons.
Kanemaki's writing is still pretty competent for a middle grade novel based on a video game. She really makes the characters pop. It's also clear that the novelization seems based on an earlier or more complete draft of the game's script, as it contains a number of scenes that don't appear in the game but are crucial to explaining the trajectory of the plot behind the scenes, particularly with Axel, Namine, Riku, and DiZ. All that said, the novel as a whole suffers from the fact that KH2 has the weakest plot of all the games in the series (and I stand by this), so the action consists of 1. Sora bouncing around Disney worlds, while 2. a number of characters who aren't Sora do all the actual cool stuff that drives the plot.
I would give 3 stars but I have to give a 4th because it has the scene where Saix wastes Axel, which is my favorite For Sicko Reasons.
August 26, 2024
As Organization XIII continues to invade the realms in search of hearts, Sora and his friends defend places new and familiar from both them and the heartless - but as the secrets of Nobodies unravel, he worries their fighting may ensure victory for Xemnas and his followers. Kanemaki and Amano draw this exciting duology entry to an enjoyable close, action-packed and endearing as its ever lovable cast keeps readers hooked at every turn. Will Sora be able to find Kairi and Riku before the Organization completes Kingdom Hearts?
July 8, 2024
3.5 out of 5
Oh man, the hold that sea-salt ice cream has on the Kingdom Hearts series 😅
I really like the extra dialogue added in these book adaptations. Overall it doesn’t do the full story justice because it lacks so many details. It’s a fun book to read through before putting it on my shelf.
Oh man, the hold that sea-salt ice cream has on the Kingdom Hearts series 😅
I really like the extra dialogue added in these book adaptations. Overall it doesn’t do the full story justice because it lacks so many details. It’s a fun book to read through before putting it on my shelf.
November 9, 2018
As I stated about the first book, this was an enjoyable read for anyone who has played the games. It also does an excellent job discussing what some of the other characters, such as Riku, Axel, and Namine, are doing throughout the story
May 21, 2023
I mean. They arent QUALITY! However...
" he knew that it was rikus hand he clasped. It was bigger than the one he'd hekd a thousand times before, but in his heart, Sora felt it"
" maybe riku doesnt want to go home, sora thought. But I dont want to go home without him"
They are so gay
" he knew that it was rikus hand he clasped. It was bigger than the one he'd hekd a thousand times before, but in his heart, Sora felt it"
" maybe riku doesnt want to go home, sora thought. But I dont want to go home without him"
They are so gay
December 13, 2018
A wonderful conclusion to the second game. It gives fans a chance to see a bit more into their favorite characters and get hyped for more!
December 31, 2018
This is basically a romance novel and you can't change my mind.
April 22, 2019
These novels are amazing, and add so much to the story.
April 10, 2021
I think this is my favorite light novel in this series so far. It makes me want to play Kingdom Hearts every time I read!
May 23, 2021
Kingdom Hearts II book II is a light, fun read. Fast paced, great adventure, and fun friendships.
December 18, 2024
🎶Where feaaaars and liiies🎶
🎶Melt awaaaayyyyyyy🎶
🎶(Music will tie)🎶
🎶What’s left of meeee, what’s left of meeeee now🎶
🎶Melt awaaaayyyyyyy🎶
🎶(Music will tie)🎶
🎶What’s left of meeee, what’s left of meeeee now🎶
February 7, 2025
the dead goofy/they’ll pay for this part was so funny
it was like
goofy….who would never wake up again……
it was like
goofy….who would never wake up again……
March 15, 2025
ARE YOU KIDDING ME LMAO
December 14, 2025
This is a hard game to follow, but I feel like this helps.
January 7, 2026
4 stars. I would read this again if I’m in the right mood.
March 5, 2018
Again, bias. I love the games and they hold major nostalgic value.
This book didn't feel nearly as rushed as the first volume. And there was my favorite lines from my two favorite Organization members Saix and Xaldin. I just love how they are perfectly okay with tormenting other people if means they'll get their hearts back. They are definitely wonderful villains to love-hate. And Xemnas actually does something other than bask in his Kingdom Hearts.
The ending always does me in as the three friends are finally reunited on their home world without a care in the world, until a bottle shows up from Mickey.
This book didn't feel nearly as rushed as the first volume. And there was my favorite lines from my two favorite Organization members Saix and Xaldin. I just love how they are perfectly okay with tormenting other people if means they'll get their hearts back. They are definitely wonderful villains to love-hate. And Xemnas actually does something other than bask in his Kingdom Hearts.
The ending always does me in as the three friends are finally reunited on their home world without a care in the world, until a bottle shows up from Mickey.
November 7, 2025
Roxas comes back.....!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
I finally beat Roxas in game! It took about half a year, but after a lot of practice and level grinding, I
DID IT!
11/6/2024 OK, does anyone else notice Mickey's keyblade, basically an inverted Kingdom Key? (more later. sorry!)
I beat KH3 yay! Love this whole franchise a bunch but i still haven't finished the first game...
I finally beat Roxas in game! It took about half a year, but after a lot of practice and level grinding, I
DID IT!
11/6/2024 OK, does anyone else notice Mickey's keyblade, basically an inverted Kingdom Key? (more later. sorry!)
I beat KH3 yay! Love this whole franchise a bunch but i still haven't finished the first game...
Displaying 1 - 20 of 20 reviews