Fighting Fantasy Fest 5 and a return to Forbidden Planet

Last Saturday, Fighting Fantasy Fest 5 took over the University of West London in Ealing for a day dedicated to your favourite gamebook series.

A huge thank you to everyone who attended, including the traders who came along, and to all our guests, but especially Guests of Honour artist Iain McCaig and Fighting Fantasy co-creator Sir Ian Livingstone.

There is no other event quite like Fighting Fantasy Fest. After all, where else could you see a Hollywood blockbuster character designer dance a jig while a knight of the realm plays blues harmonica?!?

Sir Ian Livingstone with original Penguin Books commissioning editor Geraldine Cooke, who championed The Warlock of Firetop Mountain.

Sir Ian's signing queue went out of the door!

The new 75mm Shape Changer produced by Blue Giant Studios and painted by Paul Cooke of Pandaemonium Miniatures during FFF5.

The authors' talk with Marc Gascoigne, Steve Williams, Paul Mason, and Peter Darvill-Evans.

Deathtrap Dungeon Live! Featuring Sir Ian Livingstone, The Dark Room's John Robertson, and Zagor the Warlock!

The legendary Fighting Fantasy Auction with Guest of Honour Sir Ian Livingstone.

The winners of the charity pub quiz that took place the night before FFF5 - I Love Wheelies!

Sir Ian was inundated with people wanting him to sign his new books, The Dungeon on Blood Island (number 72 in the series if you're counting from the beginning) and the #1 Bestseller Magic Realms: The Art of Fighting Fantasy.

If you were not able to attend FFF5, you have another chance to grab yourself a signed copy of the books at Forbidden Planet, on Saturday 14th September, from 2:00-3:00pm, where Jonathan Green, co-author of Magic Realms, will also be in attendance.

The Dungeon on Blood Island

Fighting Fantasy fans, rejoice! Sir Ian Livingstone is writing a brand new Fighting Fantasy gamebook to mark the 40th anniversary of the publication of Deathtrap Dungeon.

Deathtrap Dungeon was the No.1 bestselling children’s book in the UK in 1984, and the 8th bestselling book overall in the UK, even including adult titles.

The Dungeon on Blood Island is a long-awaited sequel.

Jealous of the fame and fortune that Baron Sukumvit’s Deathtrap Dungeon had brought him, his brother Lord Carnuss and an army of slaves spend five years building the ultimate dungeon on Blood Island. Offering a prize of the Golden Orb of Fang, he challenges all-comers to risk their lives to find this priceless treasure and escape with it alive. Filled with deadly creatures, lethal traps, fierce competitors, and danger lurking at every turn, are YOU brave enough to enter The Dungeon on Blood Island?

The cover for The Dungeon on Blood Island will feature an original painting by Iain McCaig who painted the original Deathtrap Dungeon cover. It will also feature internal illustrations by Hungarian artist Krisztián Balla and a new map of Allansia by Leo Hartas.

Sir Ian said, “40 years is a very long time to wait for a sequel, but I hope fans of Deathtrap Dungeon both old and new will enjoy my new Fighting Fantasy gamebook The Dungeon on Blood Island. I have tried my best to lure readers to their doom with every choice they make! May their STAMINA never fail!”

For further developments, watch this space...

Dice Men signing at Forbidden Planet

On Friday evening, Sir Ian Livingstone visited the Forbidden Planet Megastore in London to sign many, many copies of his new book Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop, which is currently a No.1 Bestseller on Amazon.

Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop

The queue of eager gaming fans waiting to meet their idol.

Sir Ian signing.

So many, many books...

Some other books snuck into the signing as well.

Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop

Piles and piles of pre-orders...

Sir Ian with his new book.

If you came along and picked up a copy of Dice Men: The Origin Story of Games Workshop, thank you. And don't forget Sir Ian will be signing at Forbidden Planet Newcastle on Wednesday 16th November from 17:00 - 18:30.

Fighting Fantasy gamebooks top the bestseller charts once again!

Congratulations are in order for Rhianna Pratchett and Ian Livingstone today.

Rhianna's new Fighting Fantasy gamebook, Crystal of Storms, and Ian Livingstone's reissued Return to Firetop Mountain, are currently the #1 and #2 bestsellers on Amazon's list of Children's Interactive Adventures!

Of course, the Fighting Fantasy series is available to order from all manner of high street retailers and independent bookshops as well.

If you pre-order Crystal of Storms or Return to Firetop Mountain from The Alligator's Mouth, you will receive an exclusive Fighting Fantasy die*.

And don't forget, you can also sign up for an online event, via Chromecast, taking place a week today, on Wednesday 30th September, when Scholastic's Hannah Love, will be in conversation with Rhianna and Ian, discussing the history of the globally popular Fighting Fantasy series, and how a guest author goes about constructing a gamebook.

* You will receive one die with each qualifying purchase.