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.
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
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 - Legendary Kingdoms: The Valley of Bones
It’s time for a very recent gamebook, at least by the standards of this podcast. For your delight and edification HJDoom plays through Legendary Kingdoms book one, The Valley of Bones by Oliver Hulme with illustrations by Robin Smith. It was published by Spidermind Games in 2019. This is a vast tome and the playthrough only really scratches the surface but is it a case of more of a good thing or a surfeit of paragraphs. 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 39 - Fangs of Fury
We’re saying goodbye to the 30s with Fangs of Fury by Luke Sharp with cover art and internal illustrations by David Gallagher. I’ve had a torrid relationship with Luke Sharp’s work but was cautiously in favour of his previous book Daggers of Darkness. Will his Fighting Fantasy swansong be his crowning glory? Listen along to find out.
Bonus Episode - Diceman
Prepare yourself for zarjaz episode of Fantastic Fights as your humble host tackles a series of adventure game comics spun off from the pages of the galaxy’s greatest comic 2000AD. Diceman, featuring such characters as Judge Dredd, Rogue Trooper, Slaine, and former Republican president Ronald Reagan is a curious beast, an attempt to meld the popular adventure gamebooks of the 1980s with action oriented comics. Largely written by Pat Mills and featuring some of the UK’s finest comic book artists Diceman was a short lived experiment that’s been given a new lease of life thanks to a handsome hardcover edition collecting the entire run into a single tome. Is it any good? Listen along to find out.
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 37 - Portal of Evil
Episode 37 brings us back into the welcoming arms of the Fighting Fantasy series and Portal of Evil by Peter Darvill-Evans with illustrations by Alan “the lizard guy” Langford. Sinister things are afoot in the forest and in the mountains as gold rush fever grips Khul. Can our sensibly named hero defeat the monsters and save the world for what feels like the thousandth time? Tune in to find out that he can’t.
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 - Destiny Quest: The Legion of Shadow
We’re back for a positively brobdingnagian bonus episode as HJDoom tackles Destiny Quest: The Legion of Shadow by Michael J Ward. This 800 page epic takes the player on a grand quest filled with deadly monsters, a host of special skills and loot, loot, loot!
This episode also celebrates the release of my new RPG Crown of Crimson, a game of deranged cultists seeking martyrdom in a fantasy empire. You can secure your own copy by going to www.patreon.com/hjdoom and pledging as little a single English pound or local equivalent.
Episode 34 - Stealer of Souls
After the last short but sweet bonus episode this one is a bit of a monster. HJDoom bravely takes on the latest challenge in the Fighting Fantasy series, Stealer of Souls by Keith Martin with illustrations by Russ Nicholson. There’s plenty of excitement to be had and could this be the first book in the series which will see the adventure actually be completed? Listen along to find out.
If you fancy tipping a few quid to support this kind of thing you can do so at www.patreon.com/hjdoom. Any and all support is greatly appreciated.
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.
Episode 31 - Battleblade Warrior
Well, here we are at the end of 2023 and there’s just time for one more episode of Fantastic Fights featuring Battleblade Warrior by Marc Gascoigne with art by Alan Langford. A city under siege from the evil lizardmen empire and a desperate race against time to find a magic weapon that can end the war. Battleblade Warrior features battlefields, jungles, mountains, and of course lots and lots of lizards. Sadly the quest falls to one HJDoom to complete and as regular listeners will know that’s rarely likely to end in triumph. Please note that I was recovering from a seasonal cold when I recorded this and that my voice is not normally quite that husky.
This episode also features some new patrons and a small, but hopefully exciting update to the schedule in 2023. If you’d like to get some sweet bonus material and support the making of this podcast you can do so by going to www.patreon.com/hjdoom.