Charles Dickens' 'A Christmas Carol' is 175 years old today!

175 years ago today Charles Dickens, then aged 31, published his seasonal ghost story A Christmas Carol, and in the process more or less crystallised the Christmas festivities that we still know, and celebrate, today.

Last year, I published by own sequel to the story, entitled Scrooge and Marley (Deceased): The Haunted Man.

“I come this night to ask for your help, Ebenezer,” the ghost said.

A year on from the events of Charles Dickens’ A Christmas Carol, Ebenezer Scrooge finds himself visited once again by the ghost of his late business partner, Jacob Marley, who brings with him a new proposition. Just as Marley helped Scrooge to avoid the cruel fate that the last of the Three Spirits foretold, Marley wants Scrooge to help him reduce his time in Purgatory.

And so begins an epic adventure that will see the former friends face off against all manner of phantasms, freaks and fiends, with only one thing at stake… Everything!

"An entertaining, well-written sequel to 'A Christmas Carol' with plenty of fun twists."
Fantasy Book Review

      

So why not mark the anniversary by reading Charles Dickens' original, followed by my own take on the characters and setting?

Warhammer Wednesday: Shadows Over Sylvania - the first review!

I'd not read a review of Shadows Over Sylvania before reading this one. It's by Joe Warren and appeared over on the Fantasy Book Review website.

Joe has lots of lovely things to say about the bloodiest gamebook I've ever written, but here's a particularly choice morsel to feast yourselves on:

"Quite often with game books the adventure itself either feels too short or agonisingly long with endless foes to face. The danger is that the adventure then feels like a trudge through the book. With Shadows Over Sylvania this was not the case. The adventure kept my interest throughout the story and the narrative was engaging and interesting to the end."

Joe also makes mention of Karl Richardson's fantastic illustrations:

"The illustrations by Karl Richardson were also awesome representations of the horrors that await the adventurer."

Like this one, you mean?

So, in summary?

"9/10 - A great game book with enough options and interesting story line to mean it is revisited many times."

Thanks, Joe. :-)

You can order your copy of Shadows Over Sylvania direct from the Black Library here.

Gamebook Friday: Stormslayer review

Review by Gareth Webb

Fighting Fantasy was a series that found huge success in the 1980s and has now returned with new editions of the original titles as well as some brand new tales, of which Stormslayer is one.

Like the rest of the series, Stormslayer is both a novel and a role-playing game. The reader is given the freedom to make decisions on behalf of the protagonist. Through decision making and chance, as dictated by a roll of the dice, the reader drives the narrative onwards, battling a host of weird creatures along the way.

Stormslayer is based in a fantasy world where the hero must defeat elemental foes to find out who is using the fierce powers of nature for their own evil ends...

Stormslayer is a lot of fun and could be enjoyed by children and adults alike. There are mild horrific elements although these are no more severe than an average episode of Doctor Who and I suspect these books might appeal to the same audience.

I wouldn’t ordinarily review a book without having reached the end, something I’m determined to do. I’ve lost a fight with a Manticore and fallen from a great height into a lava pit already, so let’s hope it’s third time lucky for me and Erien Stormchild.

9 out of 10!

Stormslayer - 9 out of 10!

Jon Oliver kindly directed me towards this review of my Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebook Stormslayer over at Fantasy Book Review.

It's almost wholly positive, except for the bit where the reviewer

says, "The story feels a little lacking in originality at times." What's that supposed to mean? I mean, has he played many meteorology-based gamebooks before?

I am aware that this last comment may come across as a little petty, but it annoys me when reviewers make such sweeping statements without backing them up. What was it about the adventure that lacked originality? Going down a Dwarf mine in a drilling machine and battling a giant golem made of rusted pit props? Exploring the inside of a volcano? Battling the villain aboard a flying brass fish? And if it's so unoriginal, why give it 9 out of 10?

Reading reviews can be a harrowing experience, but if somebody makes a criticism I always try to take it on board, as I am always striving to improve as a writer and if nobody ever comments on your work you're never going to know where you need to up your game.

So, 9 out of 10 - great! Sweeping generalisations without any examples to back them up - a tad annoying.

Until next time...