The novel adaptation of Kingdom Hearts. In Japanese, there are two volumes, both released in mid-2005, called First and Last. The English version, released in March 2015, was translated by Yen Press and is called Kingdom Hearts: The Novel; it is a single volume.
Tropes relating to this Novel:
- Adapted Out: Despite
copyright complications, the novel keeps Deep Jungle but omits Olympus Coliseum, Halloween Town, and Atlantica. Additionally, the Pooh storybook with the Hundred Acre Wood is delivered to Merlin, but Sora never actually gets to visit inside it. Olympus Coliseum is later adapted into the Kingdom Hearts II novel and treated as if it's the first time Sora and his friends visit it, while the Chain of Memories novel just pulls a Remember the New Guy? with the Hundred Acre Wood despite how it could have easily been omitted. - Ambiguous Gender: Sabor is only referred to as "it" in his/her only appearance.
- Big Bad Duumvirate: Maleficent and Ansem
- Bittersweet Ending: Those who've played the game or read the manga would know that Sora and his friends defeat Ansem and save the worlds, but Riku and King Mickey are trapped in the Realm of Darkness, and the main trio are being lured down a pathway by Marluxia.
- Bowdlerize: Inverted. In the Kingdom Hearts game, Cid's cigarette-smoking is replaced with him having a straw on his mouth, but in the novel it is stated directly that he is smoking cigarettes.
- Compressed Adaptation: The novel is basically a more simple retelling of the game's plot, with all of the optional content (excluding the battle with Xemnas) cut out, and skipping both Atlantica and Halloween Town (you only need to visit one of the two worlds to finish the game). Though some elements get more fleshed out here than in the game; one example is Sora and Donald being bigger Jerkasses to each other during the Deep Jungle chapter, compared to the game.
- Fire-Forged Friends: Sora and Donald, who are both at each other's throats throughout Deep Jungle (moreso than in the game), despite Goofy trying to settle their sudden feud down.
- Heroic Sacrifice: To save Kairi, Sora stabs himself with the Keyblade created from the other Princesses of Heart, causing him to turn into a Heartless.
- Novelization: To the original Kingdom Hearts.
- Spared by the Adaptation: Sabor only appears once, when he/she attacks Sora in the treehouse. He/She's not seen again after Tarzan chases him/her off.
