I just finished the Birth By Sleep novel, the longest and biggest novel to date and it was...interesting. I think of all the novels I've read this is the only one I've been a bit half an half on. In a sense it was like playing one of the KH games interestingly enough.
Unlike the previous novels the BBS one adapts all the Disney Worlds into the story. And I now see why the others didn't go for that option because most of the Disney Worlds in the novel are literally word for word beat by beat from the game. I felt like I was reading the games script rather then the novel story. This was something the other novels didn't do or at the very least did very little of. It was a slog to get through Aqua's boring trip to Dwarf Woodlands or Ven's lackluster Olympus trip, or all of Neverland. This made me appreciate how KH1, KH2, COM and Days novels cut back the Disney filler stuff that wasn't necessary while adding in new story elements of other characters. Or at the very least add some new dialogue.
But then I got to the end of the Disney chapters and everything changed! It felt like a KH novel again and it strongly delivered. Vanitas's backstory was shockingly good! I'm still amazed at how engaged I was with his backstory with Ven and the Unversed and how the novel really brought life to it. I feel like this novel told Vanitas's story way better and more clearly then the games did. Then there was the beautiful stuff with Eraqus, Terra, Aqua, and Ventus acting like a family together. Those were the chapters I wanted. I learned so many little things like Terra not liking sweets, Eraqus liking sweets too much, Aqua can cook sweets, and how they rehabilitated Ventus. It's the little character moments like this I love to see. I wish there was more. This novel also showed just how good of a manipulated villain old man Xehanort was. He played everyone and I love how they described him tricking Terra. Even Vanitas he manipulated.
Even though I said the Disney stuff was a slog, that's actually only half true. I really enjoyed Terra and Aqua's Olympus stories ( because of Hades and Zack) and the stories told in Deep Space and Castle of Dreams. It was nice hearing Terra and Aqua question Eraqus's teachings when met with the Fairy Godmother. And I quite got a laugh at Vanitas chilling in Disney Town listening to the music while bored.
But my biggest gripe of the novel is there were no Shiro Amano illustrations through out the book! A tear fell from my eye when I realized that. Overall this novel was certainly different but I'm glad I read it.Thanks to those last chapters I feel closer to the Wayfinder trio and Vanitas then I ever have been before. It's just this took the KH game route which is ironically funny I suppose. Next up will be the DDD novel I got such awhile ago. Can finally read this sucker.
On a side note how dare they fast forward LW vs Terranort but show so many other irrelevant fights in the Disney places? I wanna here Terranort's "Huh-heh-hah!" grunts XD