News ► Yen Press to release Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: The Novel in March 2019

[Oracle Spockanort]

Yen Press plans to release Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: The Novel by Tomoco Kanemaki next year on March 19th, 2019.

Plans to publish Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days: The Novel and Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: The Novel were announced back in 2016. Written by Tomoco Kanemaki and illustrated by manga artist Shiro Amano, the Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep novel initially released as a trilogy (Something Strange, Best Friends, and To the Future) in Japan and provided more in-depth story and characterization to the overall story of the video game.

You can read the synopsis of Kingdom Hearts Birth By Sleep: The Novel below:

Ten years before Sora fought to save the worlds, three young Keyblade wielders named Terra, Aqua, and Ventus trained in the hopes of becoming Masters one day. But on the day of Terra and Aqua's Mark of Mastery exam, everything changed forever, and the three each set off on their own journey...

Remember to pre-order the Kingdom Hearts 358/2 Days novel set to release this November! Also, don't forget to pick up a copy of Kingdom Hearts: The Novel, Chain of Memories: The Novel, Kingdom Hearts II: The Novel Volume 1 & Volume 2, and the Kingdom Hearts manga series by Shiro Amano!

Follow Kingdom Hearts Insider on Facebook, Twitter, and Tumblr for the latest updates on Kingdom Hearts Union χ [Cross], Kingdom Hearts 3 and all things Kingdom Hearts! 

 

[Rydgea]

Beautiful sweet BBS merch and Shiro Amano art, come fill my restless, nostalgic heart~

 

[Nazo]

Fantastic! I've had the Days novel ordered since last year. I will preorder this as soon as its available

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Fantastic! I've had the Days novel ordered since last year. I will preorder this as soon as its available

You need not wait long. You can pre-order it on Amazon right now

https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Hear...960&rnid=2941120011&s=Books&sr=1-7&ref=sr_1_7

 

[Nazo]

You need not wait long. You can pre-order it on Amazon right now

https://www.amazon.com/Kingdom-Hear...960&rnid=2941120011&s=Books&sr=1-7&ref=sr_1_7

Awesome!!! Thanks Ethy

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Awesome!!! Thanks Ethy

NP <3 we gotta throw our love at these books

 

[Nazo]

NP <3 we gotta throw our love at these books

Absolutely! I own all the manga, and I have all of the books that have been translated as well. I'll keep buying as long as they keep bringing them over.

 

[Sdog]

How could they make them look even more innocent?! If only they knew Dx

 

[Megavoltage]

This is the KH book I've wanted the most! Finally!

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

Absolutely! I own all the manga, and I have all of the books that have been translated as well. I'll keep buying as long as they keep bringing them over.

Same ;A;

How could they make them look even more innocent?! If only they knew Dx

It's really sweet and sad, especially considering where we are now...

This is the KH book I've wanted the most! Finally!

Same! Well, kinda same. This one and KH3D are the ones I've been anticipating for a long time now.

 

[Launchpad]

This could potentially be a more digestible version of BBS. A writer's touch could be what that story needed.

 

[JR199913]

Novels? As in that stuff that explains some more of the lore of the Kingdom Hearts Universe and is canon? That is getting a translated version?

 

[Sephiroth0812]

This could potentially be a more digestible version of BBS. A writer's touch could be what that story needed.

In terms of getting to know the characters better and making the audience care more about them the novels blow the games out of the water in almost every way.
I've read the KH 1 and CoM ones already.

Novels? As in that stuff that explains some more of the lore of the Kingdom Hearts Universe and is canon? That is getting a translated version?

They explain more of the lore, yes, but more importantly they show the inner thoughts of many characters and expand on their relationships.
In terms of canonity they're a double edged-sword though as while the author Tomoco Kanemaki is part of Nomura's staff and gets some background info from him, there are some parts that may outright contradict game canon and some that are ambigious, so they can't be 100% surely declared as canon nor is there an official confirmation that they are.

Yea, YenPress brings them into English.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I want to note to anybody who may be starting the novels, the KH1 novel is short and simplistic but keep in mind it was written well over 10 years ago and was initially aimed to a younger grade reading level until they let Kanemaki go wild with CoM and KH2. Those two are much more flowery and descriptive.

And obviously you should keep in mind that they are being translated from Japanese to English, so there is a certain level of complexity that is lost in the translation. This happens to a lot of Japanese novels translated from Japanese to English just due to the fact that our language is more direct without the same kind of descriptors...if that makes sense.

Novels? As in that stuff that explains some more of the lore of the Kingdom Hearts Universe and is canon? That is getting a translated version?

Yes, canon to a degree. Like Sephiroth said, Kanemaki works directly with Nomura on the novels but there has been content that directly contradicts the games, usually due to a new game releasing and causing that information to become obsolete. The best example of this is the KH2 Side Story novels which get completely decanonized by 358/2 Days.

In terms of getting to know the characters better and making the audience care more about them the novels blow the games out of the water in almost every way.
I've read the KH 1 and CoM ones already.

Idk if I've nagged you in the past but you gotta read the KH2 ones. They are my favorites because of just how well Kanemaki handles interpersonal relationships between the characters.

 

[Nazo]

Yes, canon to a degree. Like Sephiroth said, Kanemaki works directly with Nomura on the novels but there has been content that directly contradicts the games, usually due to a new game releasing and causing that information to become obsolete. The best example of this is the KH2 Side Story novels which get completely decanonized by 358/2 Days.

Nothing is safe from the wrath of Nomura's retcons.

 

[JR199913]

In terms of getting to know the characters better and making the audience care more about them the novels blow the games out of the water in almost every way.
I've read the KH 1 and CoM ones already.



They explain more of the lore, yes, but more importantly they show the inner thoughts of many characters and expand on their relationships.
In terms of canonity they're a double edged-sword though as while the author Tomoco Kanemaki is part of Nomura's staff and gets some background info from him, there are some parts that may outright contradict game canon and some that are ambigious, so they can't be 100% surely declared as canon nor is there an official confirmation that they are.

Yea, YenPress brings them into English.

Yes, canon to a degree. Like Sephiroth said, Kanemaki works directly with Nomura on the novels but there has been content that directly contradicts the games, usually due to a new game releasing and causing that information to become obsolete. The best example of this is the KH2 Side Story novels which get completely decanonized by 358/2 Days.

That's amazing. I think you told me about them before, I just wasn't sure if these were the same Novels. Definitely going to find the old Novels as well.

 

[Absent]

I can't wait. I loved what CoM and 2 did with Riku, hopefully this novel will make the Wayfinder Trio more bearable for me. If the DDD novel ever drops I will faint.

 

[Sephiroth0812]

Idk if I've nagged you in the past but you gotta read the KH2 ones. They are my favorites because of just how well Kanemaki handles interpersonal relationships between the characters.

I remember you mentioning as such a while back and as fate or coincidence wills it I've just started the first KH 2 novel yesterday with Roxas' seven days and the interwoven bits with Naminé and Riku who both in their own way struggle with what they perceive they have to do yet know is wrong on some level gives a heartbreaking vibe just like witnessing Roxas' inner thoughts at everythng that happens.
Naminé grilling DiZ verbally about his "true" findings (which can be interpreted to be a hint about Blank Points and/or Coded) and Riku outright denying him are wonderful bits that should have been in the game directly.

When it comes to the characters the novels truly give you even deeper feels.

Nothing is safe from the wrath of Nomura's retcons.

I dunno if that can be truly designated as retcons as all Tomoco Kanemaki did with the KH 2 side story novels was filling in a part of the timeline with her own interpretation of events where no official version existed yet.
A Retcon is changing a part of the narrative that already has an established official version of the events in question.

That's amazing. I think you told me about them before, I just wasn't sure if these were the same Novels. Definitely going to find the old Novels as well.

As far as I know there exists only one line of novels.
The only other line of written KH works that exists are the mangas and these are definitely non-canon.

As for the new BBS novel, once I can get an official ISBN I'll look to find a publisher from where I can import it to Germany.

 

[Oracle Spockanort]

I remember you mentioning as such a while back and as fate or coincidence wills it I've just started the first KH 2 novel yesterday with Roxas' seven days and the interwoven bits with Naminé and Riku who both in their own way struggle with what they perceive they have to do yet know is wrong on some level gives a heartbreaking vibe just like witnessing Roxas' inner thoughts at everythng that happens.
Naminé grilling DiZ verbally about his "true" findings (which can be interpreted to be a hint about Blank Points and/or Coded) and Riku outright denying him are wonderful bits that should have been in the game directly.

When it comes to the characters the novels truly give you even deeper feels.

Yes, I agree. The novels accomplish exactly what the games were unable to do, which is make us actually care and understand their motivations and inner conflicts. It's such a shame we could only get this kind of insight into the characters through secondary materials but I'm so happy to have them.

As for the new BBS novel, once I can get an official ISBN I'll look to find a publisher from where I can import it to Germany.

https://www.bookdepository.com/King...303785?ref=grid-view&qid=1537575506549&sr=1-2

Free shipping worldwide~

 

[Sephiroth0812]

Yes, I agree. The novels accomplish exactly what the games were unable to do, which is make us actually care and understand their motivations and inner conflicts. It's such a shame we could only get this kind of insight into the characters through secondary materials but I'm so happy to have them.



https://www.bookdepository.com/King...303785?ref=grid-view&qid=1537575506549&sr=1-2

Free shipping worldwide~

Hooked, now I just had to binge read the rest of the KH 2 novels and damn were the extra parts with Naminé, Axel and Riku enlightening. That those were not in the games are almost a crime and these damn extra Disney filler with SDG seem to be almost worthless.
Heck, Riku behind the scenes even met Maleficent again, duked it out one-on-one with Xemnas and raised his weapon against DiZ.
And then Naminé, drawing a pic with herself, Axel and Riku as a trio, constantly worrying and theorizing about the "secrets of the heart" and nearly breaking through the whole "Nobodies can never have a heart"-mantra, almost as if the reveals about the growing of hearts in Re: Coded and DDD were already planned when the novels were written.
And then her constant lingering guilt about what they did to Roxas, it reminded me why she's one of my favorite characters and how underappreciated/neglected she is by both the larger fandom and the games narratives themselves.

I also laughed how quickly the novel handled Agrabah, lol.

The only bit that annoyed me was the mishandling (and obviously non-canon instance) of Olympus. What is this nonsense about Herc & co. and Sora & co. acting as if they never met before?
That's an outright contradiction of the games.

Nice, I'll have to check that out once I'm back home.
Where I am right now the internet connection is a catastrophe, lol.