Second Wave Fighting Fantasy Pre-orders are now open!

The latest wave of Fighting Fantasy miniatures is now available to pre-order from Blue Giant Studios/Atlantis Miniatures.

This wave of releases includes heroic characters like Chadda Darkmane, Yaztromo and Nicodemus, and villains such as Klash the Chaos Warrior, Lord Azzur, Baron Sukumvit and his brother Lord Carnuss, and the barbarian assassin Urzle Ironface.

Return to Return to Firetop Mountain

The news is out! The first of the next tranche of Fighting Fantasy gamebooks to be published by Scholastic Books is to be Ian Livingstone's Return to Firetop Mountain!

And here's the new cover, featuring artwork by series artist Robert Ball.

Click on the image to enlarge it.

In the early 1990s, when Puffin Books were still publishing the Fighting Fantasy series, it was decided between the editorial team, Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone that the release of the fiftieth gamebook would to coincide with the tenth anniversary of the publication of The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

And so Ian Livingstone set about writing Return to Firetop Mountain, an adventure in which the hero would return to the eponymous mountain and encounter such legendary FF characters as Zagor the Warlock and The Forest of Doom’s guardian Gereth Yaztromo one last time. The landmark adventure was illustrated by FF fan favourite artist Martin McKenna... and the new edition of the book will feature Martin's original illustrations.

Return to Firetop Mountain will be published by Scholastic Books on 1st October, along with two other titles. Let us know what you think of the new cover in the comments below.

Blast from the Past! Crypt of the Sorcerer

Originally pitched as Crypt of the Necromancer - until someone at Puffin decided that you couldn’t have the word ‘Necromancer’ in the title of a book aimed at children - Ian Livingstone’s tenth Fighting Fantasy adventure (published in 1987) saw the return of some familiar FF faces and places, whilst also introducing readers to a whole new region of Allansia and some new allies in the hero’s quest to defeat Razaak, the undead sorcerer of the title.

So in Crypt of the Sorcerer we have a return to Darkwood Forest and an appearance by the Wizard Yaztromo (both originally from The Forest of Doom) whilst the hero is transported aboard a hot air balloon to not only the Moonstone Hills but also the baking Plain of Bronze. The adventure is incredibly hard, but full of wonderfully evocative encounters, backed up by the talented fossil-reconstructor John Sibbick’s captivating artwork.

“I found it quite easy to create a style for the interior drawings – more than I expected really," says Sibbick, "although it could be pretty relentless churning out the drawings – and I had no time for any ‘rough’ sketches. Now and again I look at the originals and am amazed at the work and detail involved.”

Demonspawn, by John Sibbick.

“My favourite artist is John Sibbick,” says FF enthusiast Thomas Nielsen. “I think his illustrations hit a nice balance between being realistic, stylised and dirty, and he knows how to make a monstrous creature really monstrous.”

The adventure had a second alternative working title, The Howling Tunnels, which is the place you have to visit to find the fabled Gargantis horn.

Gargantis, by John Sibbick.

Crypt of the Sorcerer was the third FF adventure to feature an original Les Edwards cover, showing the deformed Razaak preparing to cast a spell upon the hero. The painting now resides within Ian Livingstone's personal collection of Fighting Fantasy art.

When the gamebook was reissued by Wizard Books in 2002, Les Edwards produced a new composition for the cover.

As well as being the first gamebook to feature internal black and white art by John Sibbick, Crypt of the Sorcerer is also notable for being the first book to feature a colour map by Leo Hartas, centred upon the Moonstone Hills of central Allansia.

Crypt of the Sorcerer remains one of the hardest Fighting Fantasy adventures to complete, but maybe it's time it was released again to challenge a new generation of brave adventurers.

City of Thieves Live Readthrough

It has come to my attention, through my scrying ball, that your Earthly Plane is currently being ravaged by a terrible disease and, as a result, many of you are unable to leave your homes.

Here in Allansia we are no strangers to pandemics and mass contagions. Most recently Salamonis suffered the effects of a terrible Demon Plague.

To help alleviate the stress of being trapped indoors*, why not join Yaztromo** today, at 3:00pm BST, for a live readthrough of Ian Livingstone's classic Fighting Fantasy gamebook, City of Thieves?

And remember, stay home, stay safe, and keep well.

* Although imagine how stressful it would be if you were living in Port Blacksand?

** Or it may be one of his simulacra minions.