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Item - Return to Firetop Mountain

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(Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only))
(Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing))
(Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing))
(Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing))
(Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W))
(Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W))
(Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W))
(Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays))
(Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays))
(Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays))
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Combined Summary

Series: Fighting Fantasy (1982-1995, Puffin) — no. 50
Fighting Fantasy (2002-2007, Wizard Books Series 1) — no. 16
Fighting Fantasy (2017-, Scholastic) — no. 16
Contained In: The Anniversary Collection (Collection)
Translated Into: Regresso à montanha de fogo (Portuguese)
Retorno à Montanha de Fogo (Portuguese)
Retour à la montagne de feu (French)
Tilbage til Ildbjerget (Danish)
Adapted Into: The Warlock of Firetop Mountain (Role-Playing Material)
Author: Livingstone, Ian
Illustrators: Edwards, Les (Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only) - cover; Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing) - cover)
McKenna, Martin (Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only); Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W); Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing); Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (C&W); Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays))
Dates: July, 1992 (Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only))
2003 (Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays))
December 4, 2003 (Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W))
October 1, 2020 (Scholastic (Porthole))
ISBNs: 0140360085 / 9780140360080 (Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only), Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing))
0702305715 / 9780702305719 (Scholastic (Porthole))
184046481X / 9781840464818 (Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W), Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays))
Length: 400 sections (Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only), Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing), Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W), Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (C&W), Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays))
272 pages (Scholastic (Porthole))
Special Thanks: Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only):
Thanks to Nicholas Campbell for the cover scan.
Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W):
Thanks to Ryan Lynch for the back cover/spine/title page verso images.
Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays):
Thanks to Ryan Lynch for the images.
Braxus's Thoughts:

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain was one of my favourite gamebooks - so much to explore, fairly easy but a plot twist to make it fully replayable. So why should this be any different?

Return to Firetop Mountain starts very strongly with a fast-paced march to the mountain, meeting a wizard along the way (and a horribly strong doppelganger!) The writing is better than the original; however, in typical Livingstone style, the book is very piecemeal... "do you want to enter the door or continue up the passageway" appearing over and over again, rather than Jackson's more exciting "Maze of Zagor" approach - in fact, the Maze of Zagor has disappeared from here altogether!

The first time I read Return, I thought it was pretty amazing. The dark atmosphere is prominent and the book was exciting as I met new enemies. Great illustrations too, by Martin McKenna. However, the book doesn't really have much replay value, and it's a little linear. I kept replaying the book and scouring the dungeon to find an iron key, just to find that it was somewhere very near start of the adventure... annoying to come so far and miss that!

However, eventually I did find it and all the dragon's teeth, and I finally reached Zagor. But since he is SKILL 11 and you will be very weak by the time you meet him, you don't really have much chance... I confess I cheated.

Overall, it's above standard Fighting Fantasy, but don't try it if you give in easily to frustration!

More reviews by Braxus

Errata:You can acquire the same tooth in two places. When you find it, it is said to be bronze, but in section 280, it says that it is made of silver. Sections 133-134 have been printed in a different font from the rest of the book by accident.
Special Thanks:Thanks to Ben Nelson for the character sheet, and Gartax for the errata.
Users Who Own This Item: aehalpin, Alatar001, Aniline, Avenger, B0N0V0X, badboybaggins, BarefootJimmy, Barker1952, bigcobra, Braxus, breity, cayh_dilg, Count Heydrich, crispybacon, CSquared, c_wickham, damieng, darkj, dArtagnan, dave2002a, dblizzard72, dbriel, DeKoovenWolf (Metallic logo text), Demian, demon of the deep lt, devilsboy, domj29, Dronak (1st reissue Special Limited Edition), Eamonn McCusker, EarlOfDrumer (signed by author), Ed, edwebb, egokun, Erikwinslow (Metallic text), Fido815, firefoxpdm, Florik, Gamebook, Gamebook Collector, Gartax, Gibraltar, gnomeza, Graham, greyarea13, gryff, Haoie, Harvey (reissue), Hobgoblin48, Ian2405, Icedlake, jdreller, jeff3333, Joe_TC, juski (UK first edition), katzcollection (gold and black logo versions), khaxzan, kinderstef, knginatl (metallic logo, reissue) (metallic logo, reissue), le maudit, lek, liam0404, Malthus Dire, MarcusP, marnaudo, MasterChief, mattender, MaxSpender, mir1812, mlvoss, mymgoth, Narananas (Dragon numbered spine) (Signed book plate), nefast, nelsondesign, nerelax, Nich, noelob, Oberonbombadil (non-metallic text) (2020 ed. w/ signed Livingstone book plate), odo_ital, Office Linebacker_, ooklathemokk, Osirian08, outspaced, Penntapus (Paperback), Pessimeister, peterm2, Pirrakas, plowboy, Pseudo_Intellectual, qazplm (gold logo), Radjabov, Rozo, ryderark, Sabreman, Seizure, Sheridan77, Sir Olli, sireeyore, skeleton, Smidgeccfc76, snakefire77 (some writing inside and creases in cover but otherwise good condition), StagQuests (metallic), Tamerlane1396, terrysalt, Treguard, Tremendez, twar, Twoflower, umbra682000, Vampireman, Wardog, wreade, Yalius, Zolika
Users Who Want This Item: bbanzai, bookwormjeff, Braldt, Cyan, EthanPhoenix (With Metallic Title), Ffghtermedic, frosty88 (original), Grifter, horrorbusiness, Househeart, jr, killagarilla, kjk.tk, Lambchop, Mr ?, mrwalker, NEMO (original) (reissue), Nomad, Samus, ThisIslandEarth, tonk82, truce57, twar, Uraniborg, Von Scotty, Waluigi Freak 99
Users with Extra Copies: Barker1952
devilsboy
Gartax
kinderstef
skeleton

Known Editions

Original (Dragon, Bronze text, Number spine only)
Original (Dragon, Black text, 4th printing)
Wizard S1 (Special), UK printing (C&W)
Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (C&W)
Wizard S1 (Standard), UK printing (Clays)
Scholastic (Porthole)

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Fighting Fantasy #50 Character Sheet