Crystal of Storms (Fighting Fantasy)

The writing is top-notch, especially for a gamebook. Great flavour and little notes of humour well in keeping with what we expect from a Pratchett author.There's also a fairly neat twist ending so I applaud the writer; for a gamebook , this really is quite good.Fair warning: There's also some horror, thankfully not illustrated.I should also note this is more an SF adventure than a high fantasy adventure. You'll be traveling on fliers and hover vehicles and bathyspheres so it has a very steampunkish feel, despite the fact everything runs on magic.Another thing of interest is that goblins appear frequently in the story both as ordinary citizens and as allies. While the author does have encounters with monsters, and there are a few Always Evil creatures, for the most part she is extremely careful to point out that just because this particular monster is evil doesn't mean ALL the monsters of that type are evil.Where this falls a bit flat is as a game.The path is quite linear. While there are branches, and a few missable required items, for the most part you can always circle around and backtrack if you missed a branch before. Unlike the earlier fighting fantasy gamebooks, which forced you to read through many times due to missing the One True Path and being instakilled at the end, there really is only one path through the story, so it is quite possible to solve the game in a single sitting. This may impact replayability.You get neither provisions nor a potion of strength/stamina/fortune to start with.. On the other hand, the game is extremely generous with both stamina boosting items and attack strength boosting items. While the rules still do not allow going over the initial skill, there are a number of times when attack strength will be boosted, separate from skill, so its' not the handicap it could be in other entries in the series.A high SKILL is suggested. There are a few mandatory combats against high-SKILL enemies which cannot be made easier with items. So a skill 7 ( the minimum ) player is going to have a lot of trouble.All in all , it was truly a delightful experience, although more so as a read than as a game. I'd definitely buy it if she wrote another.

I've read this brilliant book twice already today. Unfortunately my adventure ended early both times in wonderfully imaginative ways, I swear the dice are against me! So far I'm loving the adventure and the really imaginative worldbuilding. Every time you turn a page there's another fantastical creature or place to interact with, as well as some great moments of humour – I wasn't particularly happy, but had to laugh at the cockroach the size of a small dog that skittered off with my coin bag in its mouth.Despite not having read a fighting fantasy novel since Deathtrap Dungeon, I've fallen straight back into my old technique of marking safe looking pages as savepoints in case my adventure ends abruptly and I need to backtrack, though it's more fun to just go back to the beginning and visit a different island first.It's wonderful to read a book by Rhianna after following her work from journalism through to games, comics and screenwriting, and a Fighting Fantasy novel seems a perfect choice for her. Crystal of Storms should please traditional fighting fantasy fans as well as appealing to a new, young audience. Have fun, make good choices, and may the dice be ever in your favour!

Fighting Fantasy is currently enjoying its 3rd wave after the original green spines and the wizard books reincarnations led by FF stalwart Johnathan Green.After a couple of mediocre efforts by the venerable Ian Livingstone and a dire attempt at the genre by a certain Charlie Higson, Scholastic turned to the daughter of renowned fantasy author Terry Pratchett to pen the latest offering.The result is a mixed bag.The setting has little or nothing to do with the established FF canon and it’s clear that Rihanna Pratchett struggled to get to grips with the method of writing these games books.The first half of the books is the strongest but is simply a ‘cartwheel’ affair where you keep returing to a central hub until all areas have been explored.The second half see you depart for an underwater adventure attempting to gain access to a citadel to face off with the big bad. The problem here is you need 3 items to progress and end up revisiting areas you’ve previously explored with the same paragraphs. Was this an error? If not it’s amateurish at best.All in all this is the book in the 3rd wave of fighting fantasy but compared to the original green spines and especially the first 10 of those this is a poor design and an ultimately forgettable experience.Do yourself and favour and ditch the cloudkin for a bloodbeast.

Rhianna Pratchett is a very welcome addition to the world of Fighting Fantasy, as she has delivered a cracking story in an imaginative setting, and told it beautifully. There are some wonderfully bizarre enemies to fight, brought vividly to life by her simple but engaging and atmospheric prose style. I would actually prefer it if the story hadn't been shoehorned into the established world of Allansia, as Rhianna's creations are occasionally at odds with that world, but really that's a minor niggle - on its own terms, it succeeds beautifully (and to be honest, it's lovely to see some of the links to other FF titles, of which she is clearly a fan). I would say I look forward to reading more of her work......but she needs an editor or a playtester. You will find yourself repeating encounters you have already had if you do not have the required items to proceed to the fourth island, or if you visit a certain island third. This is a dealbreaker for me in a gamebook, as it makes the game unplayable for unluckier adventurers, and yet it could have been so easily fixed. If you don't mind cheating to progress through the book, I would recommend it highly. Unfortunately, I do, so I can't.I'd pass comment on the illustrations, but this is a children's book, and they shouldn't be exposed to the sort of language I'd use.Two stars for the writing, but the gameplay and artwork prevent me awarding more. A real shame.

In the intro, it says "If you are new to Fighting Fantasy..." and to read pages 255-262. These pages do not exist in my printing. After the story, it jumps straight to page 269, "If you have played Fighting Fantasy before..."That being said, it is 10 year-old boy approved. He even took it to school with him to read during lunch, which is possibly the highest praise that can be given.

I had excellent fun playing Crystal of Storms. Travelling through the islands of Pangaria and battling monsters with my dice, pen and notepad to hand was awesome!As you make so many choices you can read/ play it again and experience a completely different adventure.As well as being written by renowned games writer Rhianna Pratchett, the book features beautiful art from Eva Eskelinen.My friend's daughter really loved it too! It's suitable for all ages and can be enjoyed by children and adults alike.