Fantasy

Christmas Krampus

Posted by jam on January 2, 2019
Posted in: adventure, Authors, books, cards, Crowdfunding, Fantasy, game, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, gaming, hobbies, horror, illustrators, Kickstarter, Readers, Reading, RPG, Steampunk, survival. Tagged: , .

Today see’s the launch of a brand new Kickstarter by renowned gamebook author Jonathan Green.

“TWAS – The Krampus Night Before Christmas is a brand new adventure gamebook (a multi-path book, very much in the style of Choose Your Own Adventure or Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks), inspired by the poem A Visit From Saint Nicholas, by Clement Clarke Moore, as well as other winter- or festive-themed classics, such as Hans Christian Andersen’s The Snow Queen, and John Masefield’s The Box of Delights. It will be the fifth title in the ongoing ACE Gamebooks series.”

Krampus

There are many reasons to back this exciting new project. From having your name credited in the book, to being an official play tester. To check out all the other rewards, CLICK HERE

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#FightingFantasy Audio

Posted by jam on December 17, 2018
Posted in: audio drama, Authors, books, Fantasy, game, Gamebook, Gamers, Games, gaming, hobbies, Readers, Reading, RPG. Tagged: , , , , , , , .

The #FightingFantasy audio dramas increase this week with four new thrilling adventures by Fox Yason Music Productions. FF classics Citadel Of Chaos, Forest Of Doom, Deathtrap Dungeon and Creature Of Havoc have all been given the audible upgrade due to a successful Kickstarter project earlier this year and come together in a lovely box set or via MP3 download.

Jam with his new FF CDs

Each adventure follows the adventures of heroes from the first CD The Warlock Of Firestop Mountain and appears to slightly predate the efforts of the hero that actually completes the adventure (the successful readers of the actual Fighting Fantasy gamebook series). Vocal talents such as Rachel Atkins, Richard Rycroft and Lisa Bowerman are also joined by Charlie Higson of The Fast Show fame and author of The Enemy book series and the latest Fighting Fantasy gamebook Gates Of Death.

All in all these are great little adventure skits which fans of the series will love, with the only real downside being they seem a little short i.e. when you consider the likes of Baron Sukumvit’s labyrinth being navigated rather quickly, with only a couple of traps and three or four monsters. That’s my only personal gripe but then consider the stories are well thought out and the scripts well written. I especially love the bitchy dialogue between Vale Moonwing and Lady Lucretia. I also enjoy the way all spell incantations pay homage to the old Di Maggio spell of the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook, with basically a word associated with the spells effect said backwards then the casters’ name after it. You can tell the likes of David Smith and Violet Addison knew the lore of Fighting Fantasy before starting this project and they’ve handled it beautifully to give us a wonderful expansion on the Fighting Fantasy range. May their STAMINA never fail! To grab yourself a copy visit HERE

Beowulf Beastslayer

Posted by jam on October 3, 2018
Posted in: adventure, Authors, books, Crowdfunding, Fantasy, Gamebook, Gamers, gaming, hobbies, illustrators, Kickstarter, Readers, Reading, RPG. Tagged: , , , , , , .

Revered author Jonathan Green invites you to take part in the funding of the fourth book in his ACE Gamebook series, Beowulf Beastslayer. Illustrated by the hugely popular artist Russ Nicholson, this adventure will see the reader take on the role of the legendary warrior Beowulf. The reader will make the choices in the book of how the story progresses: which goes to fight, which treasures to take etc.

Beowulf Beastslayer illustration by Russ Nicholson.

To take part in the funding of this exciting project, backers who donate from £5 onwards will be rewarded with items such as prints of the illustrations, their name credited in the book, special edition hardbacks and much much more.

If you are a lover of books then this is just for you! CLICK HERE to learn more about this unmissable project!

#FightingFantasy GoD

Posted by jam on April 14, 2018
Posted in: adventure, Authors, books, comedy, comics, Fantasy, Gamebook, Gamers, gaming, god, illustrators, Readers, Reading, RPG, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , .

@FightingFantasy – Gates Of Death. The second brand new Fighting Fantasy adventure game book released after Port Of Peril in 2017s Scholastic relaunch of the series. So how was it for me?

Me after finishing Gates Of Death by Charlie Higson

After an excruciating wait from Fighting Fantasy Fest 2 up until today I finally managed to tread through the latest adventure set in Allansia. Charlie Higson of The Fast Show fame had been a fan of Fighting Fantasy for years, and has graced us with Gates Of Death, his debut epic for the series. He was invited by FF co-series creator Ian Livingstone to guest write, and has made history as the first guest writer to have his own name on the front cover of an FF book. The celebrity essence may lend the series some pulling power.

Now, you may already know that I cannot stand the internal art scholastic has chosen for these books.

Little better than cheap grayscale slap dash comic styles, and this book is no exception. It’s a shame because the beautiful realistic illustrations in the classic series is what attracted me to FF in the first place. Thankfully, Higson’s writing hits the nail on the head and saves the book with fast paced scenarios and cleverly interwoven snares for readers to get netted up in. Multi FF author Jonathan Green is said to have coached Higson and this is apparent as Gates Of Death contains a couple of similar elements to Greens work Night Of The Necromancer, although this may be coincidence.

One thing I noticed is the fighting aspect is really kept to a minimum. You could always use an alternative to get yourself out of a rut with opponents. I think I completed the adventure with only four actual melee combats. There is plenty of magic to be found and used in this adventure, three pairs of magic shoes for example. I guess he likes giving you plenty of chances to win as you only need one pair!

FF is now meant to be aimed at a younger demographic than before, although this book introduces the words ‘bum’ and ‘farting’ into the FF vocab. Not to mention a mutant with two faces on it’s bottom actually illustrated! While it’s clearly meant to bring humour it seems to cheapen the feel of the serious quest.

Overall this is a grand adventure, much better than the ho hum badly named Port Of Peril (which barely has anything to do with the Port in question, you’re there longer in this book) …and a wonderful debut for Higson to the series. He could easily do some more. 7.5/10

Me and Charlie Higson at FFF2 – 2017

#FightingFantasy Cover Up

Posted by jam on February 28, 2018
Posted in: adventure, art, Authors, books, comics, Fantasy, Gamebook, Gamers, gaming, hobbies, horror, illustrators, Readers, RPG, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , .

So Scholastic have set the next six #FightingFantasy books into motion. Another five revivals and a brand new title, The Gates Of Death, should be joining us around April. Whilst not many of the die hard fans appreciated the cover art of the first six releases last year, at least they was all done by the same artist and looked generic. Unfortunately we are now met with a change in design. It’s not good.

Though one may argue the artwork is slightly more in line with the classic series (I said slightly) , it has been confined to a tiny circle in the middle of the page with about 80% the rest just a single colour broken by white lines. I’m pretty certain this is a money saving device. When you consider the full cover of art we had in the 80s – 00s this isn’t progress nor very eye catching. With the last six covers Scholastic gave the excuse they was using this type of art to appeal to an era of video gaming children. So why the change? I guess they’re admitting they was wrong and the fans we’re right and now going down the cheapest route tasting sour grapes.

The Gates Of Death will be the first ‘presented’ written FF adventure since Jonathan Green’s wonderful Howl Of The Werewolf, and from the look of it Charlie Higson (of The Fast Show fame) will be the first non series creator to have his name boldly displayed on the front cover. Prestigious that may be, but is this a marketing twist to attract his own fans to buy this new quest? Either way, I am grateful for another new story and hope it goes down well with fans expectations and spurs Scholastic to employ other guest writers too such as the aforementioned Jonathan Green, Dave Morris, Jamie Thomson etc etc

Jam meets Charlie Higson at FFF2

#NEVERLAND – here be monsters

Posted by jam on November 2, 2017
Posted in: adventure, art, Authors, books, Crowdfunding, Fantasy, films, Gamebook, Gamers, gaming, hobbies, horror, illustrators, Kickstarter, Readers, Reading, RPG, Steampunk, Uncategorized. Tagged: , , , , , , , , , , , , .

Author Jonathan Green shoots for a hatrick in his third exciting ACE gamebook adventure, Neverland – Here Be Monsters. After the success of funding Alice’s Nightmare In Wonderland and The Wicked Wizard Of Oz, this newly launched Kickstarter project is already 40% funded in just 10 hours. 

The book, part story part game, will see you play a survivor of the doomed Titanic ocean liner. When you come to, you find yourself washed up on the shores of a strange island packed with rampaging monsters a swashbuckling pirates. But what’s this…? Peter Pan?

Once again Jonathan weaves a popular child classic into a steampunk-style yarn, beautifully illustrated once again by the inks of popular artist Kev Crossley.

Why not check out this fantastic third book at https://www.kickstarter.com/projects/1412864360/neverland-here-be-monsters and see those amazing rewards on offer, including being an official playtester!

Jam out!