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.
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Redeemer!
It’s a bittersweet bonus episode as we bid a fond farewell to the Way of the Tiger series of ninja themed gamebooks. The final volume Redeemer is by David Walters, Mark Smith, and Jamie Thomson with art by a variety of different talents. Can this series bow out strong with a book more than twenty five years in the making? Listen along to find out. Also I’ve relaunched my other podcast Popular Antiquarian. That’s exciting. You can also find it over on https://www.hauntedphonograph.com/popular-antiquarian/
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Warbringer!
We’re back playing Way of the Tiger again. Having dabbled in ruling a city in the previous book we now get to take on military command as our old foe Honoric is back and he’s brought 15,000 close friends with him. Can our hero manage to put together a force to oppose his angry nemesis? Listen along to find out.
Also my new book Mutiny Most Merited is out! You can get a copy by supporting me on patreon over at patreon.com/hjdoom. There’s a bunch of other stuff for all patrons as well, a positive treasure trove of gaming stuff and gamebooks.
Episode 56 - Knights of Doom
Book 56 of the Fighting Fantasy series is the sophomore effort from Jonathan Green, Knights of Doom, with art by Tony Hough. Green’s first book was the very enjoyable Spellbreaker but can he manage to escape the curse of the difficult second album? 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 4: Overlord!
It’s another bonus episode as we tackle Overlord!, book 4 in the ninja themed Way of the Tiger series by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson. Now the ruler of a major city our hero must balance the different competing interests and avoid precipitating another revolution that will surely end badly.
Bonus episodes of this podcast are made possible by my patrons over at patreon.com/hjdoom. My thanks to them and to Stuart Llloyd for the loan of the hardcover special edition text.
Bonus Episode: Robin of Sherwood - The King's Demon
It’s another bonus episode as we take a look at The King’s Demon based on the 1980s TV show Robin of Sherwood, an extremely influential retelling of the myth of Robin Hood. The book by Graham Staplehurst and Richard Carpenter (with some help from Paul Mason). Art is by the legendary Russ Nicholson. If you’re enjoying this podcast please consider supporting me on patreon at www.patreon.com/hjdoom.
Episode 52 - Night Dragon
Book 52 of the Fighting Fantasy series is Night Dragon, the sixth book by regular contributor Keith Martin. Another desperate threat has emerged to menace Allansia in the form of the titular dragon who also looms large over the cover art. Internal art and cover art is by Tony Hough but how will our intrepid adventurer get on? Listen along to find out.
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Episode 51: Island of the Undead
It’s book 51. It’s Island of the Undead. It’s Keith Martin and Russ Nicholson. How will our intrepid hero get on and just how many sections will be hidden behind mystery numbers? Listen to find out
Also I have a new album of melancholy Dungeon Synth out. Baroque Funereal Dirges by Sorrow Tree presents 6 tracks of lo-fi dark ambient music suitable for goblins, witches, and lonely ghosts. It’s available for free at the link below.
https://malesperi.bandcamp.com/album/baroque-funereal-dirges
Episode 50 - Return to Firetop Mountain
We hit a big milestone in the history of Fighting Fantasy as this episode covers Return to Firetop Mountain, book fifty in the wildly successful series. Ian Livingstone returns to the start of the series and the provides us with another chance to delve into the secrets of Firetop Mountain where the titular warlock has returned once more to bedevil the local area. There’s nostalgia a-plenty but does Return to Firetop Mountain hold up when considered on its own merits? Listen along to find out.
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 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.
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Ninja!
It’s time for a very exciting bonus episode as we begin looking at the classic Way of the Tiger series of adventure gamebooks, starting with the prequel. Way of the Tiger: Ninja! was released in 2014 by Megara Entertainment. It was written by David Walters with art by Mylene Villeneuve, Eric Chaussin, Aude Pfister, Matthias Sallstrom, Lisa Rafalli, Faiz Nabheebucus, and Antoine Di Lorenzo. The original game system was designed by Jamie Thomson and Mark Smith who also wrote Sword of the Samurai and Talisman of Death for the Fighting Fantasy series. Does this modern addition to the canon work? Listen along to find out.
Episode 45 - Spectral Stalkers
It’s book 45 of the long running Fighting Fantasy series! Spectral Stalkers was written by Peter Darvill-Evans with internal art by Tony Hough and cover art by Tony Hough. It’s the third and final book Darvill-Evans contributed to the series but will he go out with a bang? Listen along to find out as HJDoom plays through the book and offers some thoughts.
Episode 44 - Legend of the Shadow Warriors
Book 44 and Fighting Fantasy is somehow still firing on all cylinders. Stephen Hand had already contributed to the excellent Dead of Night with Jim Bambara but will his sophomore outing be a chance to show what he can do solo? With art by Martin McKenna and cover art by the reliable David Gallagher, Legend of the Shadow Warriors is a curious beast but is it any good? Listen along to find out.
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
Episode 42 - Black Vein Prophecy
Fighting Fantasy book 42 presents us with some new approaches and throws us right into the action which is always exciting. But can the book sustain the initial excitement? Listen along to find out.
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.