We’re on the old school track this episode as we tackle two classic Choose Your Own Adventure books from the mid 1980s, Prisoner of the Ant People by R. A. Montgomery, and Outlaws of Sherwood Forest by Ellen Kushner. But which will be better, the one that sounds like a 50s B-movie or the one that sounds like a 30s swashbuckler? 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/
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.
Episode 58 - Revenge of the Vampire
We’re on the penultimate book from the first run of Fighting Fantasy novels and it’s also writer Keith Martin’s swan song after eight books. Revenge of the Vampire is a direct sequel to the excellent Vault of the Vampire and sees Martin re-united with artist Martin McKenna. It’s a great creative pairing but is Revenge of the Vampire on the same level as Vault of the Vampire? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - Blood Sword: The Battlepits of Krarth
The Bloodsword series is a set of gamebooks which take place in the world of Dragon Warriors, the classic roleplaying game written by Dave Morris and Oliver Johnson. It’s great that they are available again but do they bring anything fresh to the table? The first book, Battlepits of Krarth, tips its hat to Deathtrap Dungeon and has art by the great Russ Nicholson (who seems to have been a regular feature on the podcast lately). There’s no less than four different characters to play and a whole host of additional combat rules. Listen along to find out if more is more in this instance.
Bonus Episode - Castle of Lost Souls
It’s bonus time again and this episode I’m playing The Castle of Lost Souls by Dave Morris with art by Leo Hartas. This is part of the Golden Dragon series of gamebooks released by Grafton Books in the 1980s and is based on a Dungeons and Dragons adventure Dave Morris and Yve Newnham serialised in early White Dwarf. This is re-release as a print on demand book in 2013.
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 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.
Episode 49 - Siege of Sardath
Siege of Sardath is the only book written for the Fighting Fantasy series by Keith P Phillips which means that we’ll either be sad or relieved that there’s no sequel. We’re in classic Fighting Fantasy plot territory with a mysterious evil oppressing the city of Sardath and a journey to be taken through a spider haunted forest in order to find out what has happened and set it right. Art is by Pete Knifton and the cover is by Les Edwards.
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.
Bonus Episode - Way of the Tiger: Avenger!
It’s another bonus episode and another foray into the world of Orb with Way of the Tiger: Avenger by Mark Smith and Jamie Thomson. Having survived the trials of Ninja our hero is now sent on a mission to save the world and take revenge on the man who killed their father figure. How will HJDoom do on this quest, badly or very badly? 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.
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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.
Bonus Episode - Heroquest: The Fellowship of Four
It’s a bonus episode that’s near and dear to my heart as we tackle the first Heroquest gamebook by Dave Morris based on the insanely popular boardgame from MB Games and Games Workshop. This one is a little bit different from most gamebooks being both a short novella and a short gamebook in one. Morris did something similar with the Knightmare gamebooks. Does this approach to a gamebook work? Listen along to find out.
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 40 - Dead of Night
We're into the 40s! Will they start with a bang? Listen along to find out as HJDoom plays through Dead of Night by Jim Bambra and Stephen Hand with art by Martin McKenna.
Episode 38 - Vault of the Vampire
Joy unbounded at Doom HQ as we come to book 38 in the Fighting Fantasy series, Vault of the Vampire. I’m a big horror fan in general and a gothic horror fan in particular so the prospect of venturing into a spooky castle in search of a vampire is a real treat to me. It’s got a great hook but can the book, written by returning scribe Keith Martin and illustrated by legendary British illustrator Martin McKenna, live up to the sinister premise? Listen along to find out.
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.
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