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 An
Enjoyable and Creepy Adventure.
Monstrous Manor is an enjoyable gamebook, filled with
exploration and peril. My first impression was that the
paperback looked quite slender, amounting to just over 100
pages, so I thought I was in for a short and simple
adventure. However, I was quickly immersed in the story and
found myself getting lost in the labyrinthine manor, its
gardens and various out-houses for several hours.
It's a creepy tale, well told in clear and concise
paragraphs, with plenty of scope to roam, discover and lose
yourself.
There's not much need for note-taking or stats-recording as
the author opted to dive head-first into the action with
straight-forward gameplay. I did, however, sketch a map on
my second reading, which not only added to my enjoyment of
the book but also helped me avoid going around in circles
and getting hopelessly lost during my explorations.
There's an element of chance too, roll a dice or randomly
pick a number to find if you fall foul of danger or escape
unscathed.
I also love how the game's mechanism does away with the need
to add items to your inventory as you find them; the
narrative knows if you've collected an useful object or not
when the time comes to use it! This is quite a remarkable
feat to achieve when it comes to writing gamebooks.
Some aspects of the book's ethos and narrative-style
reminded me of the ZX Spectrum Computer's pioneering
text adventures of the 1980s - and I mean that in the best
possible way.
I have a large collection of Adventure Gamebooks,
accumulated during my 40-plus-year habit, and am happy to
have this title on my bookshelf alongside the classics. All
in all, Martyn Cruise has created a thoroughly entertaining
example of the genre, which has enough substance to satisfy
long-time gamebook readers like myself while, at the same
time, being jargon-free and accessible to new-comers.
Links:
Amazon US |
Amazon UK |
Martyn Cruise's Site
This review was originally posted at the
Monstrous Manor: A Chapters of Fate Adventure Gamebook
product page at Amazon.co.uk
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 The
Definitive and Must-Have Guide.Mark Lain's most
up-to-date Gamebook Collector's Check List is
a telephone directory-sized slab of knowledge.
A meticulously researched, clearly laid-out, and
thoroughly comprehensive work by a widely respected and
recognised expert in the field.
As an Interactive Fiction enthusiast of over forty years,
I was thrilled to find titles and information in this
magnificent book that were previously unknown to me.
It's not only a vital tool for the dedicated collector to
pore over, but a fascinating catalogue for the curious
newcomer to dip in to.
Outstanding value for money, and very highly recommended!
Mark is the author of an ever-growing catalogue of
exemplary gamebooks himself, and I'll be delving into one of
his works for a forthcoming review here.
Links:
Amazon US |
Amazon
UK This review was originally posted at the
The Gamebook Collector's Check
List & Price Guide 2025 product page at Amazon.co.uk
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The Wild West Just Got Wilder!
Set during the dying days of the Wild West, Last
Outlaw is a fast-paced and inventive Western Horror
that wastes no time plunging its reader straight
into the action.
This unconventional story, which blends popular
genres seamlessly together, tells of a bank heist
that turns to terror as supernatural forces come
into play. It's an inventive plot that gallops along
at a brisk pace, and is full of unexpected turns and
shocks.
Told in the first person and the past tense, the
story is populated with credible characters brought
to life through authentic dialogue. Lee Hall has
written his book using tight and succinct prose;
there's no waffle, padding, or irrelevance, and not
a single word is wasted. He's also woven an
atmosphere of foreboding and gathering dread into
the tale, as things start to 'go south' for our
heroes, which makes it a compelling read.
Last Outlaw delivers excitement, suspense, and plot
twists galore. I highly recommend it.
Links:
Amazon US
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Amazon UK
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Lee Hall's Site
This review was originally posted at the
Last Outlaw product page at Amazon.co.uk
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