Item - Under the Magician's Spell

When I first read this as a kid, I thought the section with the magician was underwhelming and the section with the bullies was superior. Now after having read it as an adult, I think the opposite. The section with the bullies was clearly written as an afterthought. I put down the book and rolled my eyes as I noticed that a lot of the situations in this plot thread were not thought out enough and it's almost laughable at times. The magician himself is not terribly interesting but is described in more detail than the bland stereotypical bullies. The book's randomization somewhat works in the magician plot but is still farfetched at times.

What I really like about the book is the chance to "wander" around a town. I really appreciate the illusion of freedom. After all the fantasy lands and dungeons and outer space settings in gamebooks, there is something really appealing about just going to locations in a normal modern town, although I do like those other settings as well.

The book's really great idea is with the safe path and the path of doom. I personally think the book is the most effective in that part. The concept of drawing the card out of the deck adds to the interactivity but somehow the author messes it up completely. SPOILERS AHEAD:

There is only a four out of fifty four chance of winning the card game. I had to play seventeen times before I finally won, and the book expects you to win the first time! Even after you finally win, it still leads to a bad ending. How disappointing....

What I think the book really lacks is an appropriate showdown with either the magician or the bullies. I believe the protagonist should have the chance to become a magician and confront the magician in a magical duel. Done properly, this would be highly entertaining and effective. I really like how the "you" in the book tackles Larry and kicks him in the shin. I appreciate the protagonist not being a total pushover because it adds to interactivity as I am not a pushover.

Overall, I don't think poorly of the book but I doubt I'll ever read it again.

More reviews by deleted-user-12219

This isn't too bad for the series, but it's a fairly tedious read. Just about the most innovative thing in the book involves drawing a card out of a deck, but it serves little purpose and is merely another variation on the pointless randomization that's in many of these books.

More reviews by Demian

If you're willing to suspend your disbelief to the breaking point and don't mind a few typos, you'll probably think that this book is pretty ordinary, at least when compared to other books in the series. (When compared to other gamebooks in general, it's an entirely different story.)

More reviews by Waluigi Freak 99