We’re taking a break from the mainline Fighting Fantasy books to work through the Sorcery series by Steve Jackson which are Fighting Fantasy books in all but name honestly. We’re starting at the beginning with The Shamutanti Hills. With a fancy new magic system and art by legendary UK illustrator and artist John Blanche this has all the ingredients to be a classic but will it land? Listen along to find out.
Episode 59 - Curse of the Mummy
We’ve made it to the end of the original run of Fighting Fantasy books but are we ending on a high note? With Jonathan Green and Martin McKenna involved the talent is certainly there for a classic but you’ll have to listen along to find out whether they manage to land this final outing.
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Inferno!
In a change from the advertised episode we’re playing the penultimate Way of the Tiger gamebook (actually the last one to be released during the original run in the 80s). Our tireless hero has tried their hand at diplomacy, statecraft, and commanding armies in the field. What’s left? Why only a descent into the fabled Rift, also known as The Bowels of Orb. How will our fearless hero do? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - The House on Sentinel Hill
It’s bonus episode time again and we’re entering the terrifying world of the Cthulhu Mythos with Graham Plowman’s The House on Sentinel Hill. Released in 2022 this hefty 585 section adventure gamebook features all manner of monstrous creatures and sanity draining revelations. Art is by Matthew Dewhurst.
Episode 54 - The Legend of Zagor
Book 54 sees us tackle Zagor, the warlock of Firetop Mountain himself for the third and so far final time. Written by Keith Martin but attributed to Ian Livingstone for some reason it sees us plunge into a new world, Amarillia and search through a magical castle in search of the items that will help us to slay the evil warlock once and for all.
Don’t forget that the Lindenbaum Prize will also be opening for submissions soon. This is your chance to win actual money for writing a 100 section gamebook. The winner will be decided by a popular vote and the considerations of a panel of judges (including me). Find all the information here: https://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/2024/11/20242025-lindenbaum-prize-announcement.html
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger 3: Usurper!
It’s bonus episode time again and this instalment sees us continue to explore the Way of the Tiger series by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson (with kind thanks to Stuart Lloyd for the loan of the book). Usurper, book 3 in the series, sees our ninja hero embark on a new adventure as they seek to take back a crown that is rightfully theirs under the dubious law of primogeniture. Will I manage it on my first try? If you’ve been listening for a while you already know the answer to that question but you might as well listen to the episode anyway.
Episode 48 - Moonrunner
It’s the third and final Fighting Fantasy gamebook written by Stephen Hand (with art by Martin McKenna). Will this be an exciting cap to his trilogy of books or did he use up all his good ideas on Dead of Night and Legend of the Shadow Warriors? Listen along to find out.
Don’t forget you can get a parcel of gaming materials and access to the regular reviews of stuff (mostly old stuff) over on www.patreon.com/hjdoom
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Assassin!
Bonus episode time again as we continue to throw shuriken, cobra strike, and garotte our way through the Way of the Tiger series by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson. The second book in a series is often a difficult one, how to build on the successes of the first book and still break new ground. Listen along to find out how they manage it.
Episode 47 - The Crimson Tide
The Crimson Tide is this month’s Fighting Fantasy book. This curious and convoluted book is a solo outing from Paul Mason who previously gave us Slaves to the Abyss and Black Vein Prophecy with his writing partner Steve Williams. With Terry Oakes providing art and a chance to show us his own vision for what a Fighting Fantasy book looks like can Paul Mason deliver the goods? Listen along to find out.
Episode 46 - Tower of Destruction
Tower of Destruction is another book by Keith Martin who wrote one of my absolute favourite books in the series Vault of the Vampire. It was illustrated by Peter Knifton and the cover was by Terry Oakes.
If you like what I do consider joining my patreon. Everyone who pledges gets a whole bunch of gaming stuff including my gamebooks and experimental roleplaying games. www.patreon.com/hjdoom.
Episode 43 - Keep of the Lich Lord
We’re waving goodbye to 2023 in style as we take on Keep of the Lich Lord by the legends of adventure gamebook design Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson. We’ve got all the classic Fighting Fantasy tropes on hand as we explore an island being oppressed by an army of the undead.
Don’t forget that the Lindebaum Prize is a thing. Write a 100 section gamebook and win fabulous prizes. Find all the details here: http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/2023/12/entries-are-now-being-accepted-for.html
Bonus Episode - Nightshift
Link to the Lindenbaum Prize competition
http://www.lloydofgamebooks.com/2023/11/20232024-lindenbaum-prize-announcement.html
It’s horror time on Fantastic Fights once more as we play and review Nighshift by Victoria Hancox with art by Svenja Wolter and Ventislav Velikov. A deadly race against time in a twisted hospital released in 2019 this is Victoria Hancox’s first published gamebook.
Episode 41 - Master of Chaos
We continue exploring the later stages of the Fighting Fantasy series with Master of Chaos by Keith Martin with art by David Gallagher. Sent on a dangerous mission without our usual gear and beloved packed lunches can HJDoom possibly survive? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - Interstellar Terra
It’s a particularly exciting episode as, for the first time, we’re looking at a book written by a listener. Interstellar Terra by John E Kirk is a science fiction book weighing in at a hefty 777 sections. Is it worth your time? Listen along to find out. You can buy the book from amazon here: https://www.amazon.co.uk/interstellar-Terra-John-Kirk/dp/B08VCKGDYD/ref=sr_1_1?crid=2RG3XJ2V8TCNQ&keywords=interstellar+terra&qid=1689255221&s=books&sprefix=interstellar+terra%2Cstripbooks%2C72&sr=1-1
Episode 35 - Daggers of Darkness
It’s a bumper sized episode of Fantastic Fights as HJDoom tackles Daggers of Darkness, the third book from Star Strider and Chasms of Malice scribe Luke Sharp. Neither of those books exactly tickled the fancy but perhaps third time is the charm. Listen along to find out. Daggers of Darkness features illustrations by a very young Martin McKenna and a cover art by Les Edwards. It was released by Puffin books in 1988.
If you’re enjoying the podcast and feel like chipping in a few quid you can do so by going to www.patreon.com/hjdoom and receive both gratitude and a bunch of gaming material in return.
Bonus Episode - Planets in Peril
It’s another bonus episode for Fantastic Fights and this time we’re exploring outer space once again as part of my ongoing quest to find a really good spaceships and lasers gamebook. Will we become a brave space ace or suffer the ignominy of death at the hands of a book aimed at the under 12s? Listen along to find out. Star Challenge: Planets in Peril was written by Christopher Black and illustrated by Maelo Cintron. The cover art is by Colin Sullivan. It was published in 1984 by Knight Books.
Episode 33 - Sky Lord
It’s a bittersweet episode of Fantastic Fights as we bid farewell to the science fiction strand of the series with book 33 Sky Lord by Martin Allen with illustrations by Tim Sell and cover art by Les Edwards. Will this be the book to break the curse that seemingly hangs over science fiction in the Fighting Fantasy canon or will it go out the same way that it came in? Listen along with HJDoom to find out.
Bonus Episode - Peril From the Stars
It’s another bonus episode brought to you by the generosity of my backers over on www.patreon.com/hjdoom. This episode we’re taking a look at one of the most resilient toy lines of the 1980s, the ever popular Transformers. These robotic sneaks were a big part of my childhood but how well will they adapt into the format of the adventure gamebook? Peril From the Stars was written by gaming legend Dave Morris with illustrations by the dependable Bob Harvey and published by Corgi books in 1985.
Episode 32 - Slaves of the Abyss
It’s our first proper episode of 2023 and HJDoom is tackling book 32 in the Fighting Fantasy series which is Slaves of the Abyss by Paul Mason and Steve Williams with illustrations by Bob Harvey and cover art by Terry Oakes. Things start off with some fairly hackneyed kingdom in peril stuff but things rapidly get quite a bit stranger as the book progresses. Featuring a time mechanic and an extremely aggravating cameo from the Riddling Reaver that we happily avoid in the playthrough portion this book certainly has an uneven tone but is it any good? Listen along to find out.
If you’d like to support my nonsense financially you can do so by going to www.patreon.com/hjdoom and, along with my undying gratitude, you can score yourself some sweet gamebooks and RPGs what I done wrote.
Bonus Episode - Tunnels of Fear
We’re kicking off 2023 with a bonus episode featuring Tunnels of Fear by Stephen Thraves with art by Terry Oakes. This was one of two fantasy gamebooks published by Hodder and Stoughton in the early 90s (along with a whole host of licensed gamebooks featuring characters like Asterix, The Famous Five, and Biggles). It originally came with a whole bunch of cardboard and plastic peripherals and a special pair of dice. My copy lacks one peripheral and both dice. Will this affect the success of this mission into a haunted mine? Yes. Yes it will.
Also this month saw the release of a brand new zine called Sites Unzine featuring an experimental RPG by HJDoom. My lovely patrons at www.patreon.com/hjdoom have already had a copy of this game but if you’d like to support independent creators then you can take a look at issue one here: https://www.drivethrurpg.com/product/420480/SITES-UNZINE-ISSUE-1