Item - Search for the Pegasus

This book is considerably better than the previous entry in the series, but it would really be no different if it were a regular Endless Quest book; the Crimson Crystal gimmick isn't really used for anything terribly significant.

More reviews by Demian

Another book where you use the "magic" viewer to reveal unseen things in the pictures (writing that sentence makes it sound much cooler than reality). The same notes from book #1 apply.

The only thing to really recommend this book is it's the only one I know of in the D&D canon where you play a halfling. You are Tom Blackfoot, who is joined by a gnome and a leprechaun to save your friend the pegasus from an old witch hag. This mini-posse takes multiple routes to all arrive at the same puzzle ending (something that demotivates the reader from taking different paths). Of course, you never really do anything with the pegasus, making it essentially a quest McGuffin.

There are better books. So unless you really, really want to play a hobbit, errr halfling....

More reviews by Kveto

The second entry in the Crimson Crystal Adventures series -- which is itself a branch off of the Endless Quest series -- is a book I quickly became a fan of. This was a unique book in the sense that it's a rarity amongst gamebooks (at least as far as I know) for the reader to play the part of a Halfling or other diminutive sized character (not of course counting the role of a child as often seen in other books, including but not limited to the Choose Your Own Adventure and Endless Quest series). The plot itself, while not fully new or refreshing in the world of game books, is still interesting as it's told from a rather refreshing perspective. The idea of a gnome, leprechaun and of course the aforementioned Halfling setting out on a quest to liberate an ensorcelled Pegasus from the clutches of a vile witch is unique and adds a satisfying flavor to what could have otherwise been a mundane book.

The only complaint I have for the writing is that, at times, the message of "size doesn't matter" can be a bit forced, but considering the nature of the adventure as well as the target audience this book was looking to reach, it's to be expected and is an easily overlooked flaw. The art, much like in the previous entry, Riddle of the Griffon, has a cartoonish feel that somehow fits the book, providing it with a certain endearing warmth and quality. I could easily see this book as another classic alongside the more standard Endless Quest series. The silly and unnecessary Crimson Crystal gimmick still manages to provide a degree of fun and helped make Search for the Pegasus a worthwhile read for me.

More reviews by Nomad