1. La Forteresse d'Alamuth
Literal Translation of French Title: The Fortress of Alamuth
Authors: Doug Headline and Dominique Monrocq
Illustrator: Jacques Terpant
First Published: 1986
ISBN: 2.01.011697.6
Length: 376 pages (671 sections)
Number of Endings: 46
Plot Summary: In this first adventure, you have to meet Hassan Sabba,
also called "The old man in the mountain," leader of the Hachachins sect
(the name of which is actually the origin of the word "assassin"
in many languages, including French and English).
Translations: German, Italian, Spanish
My Thoughts: This series is one of many French publications that I wish
I were able to read. I'm quite intrigued by the thickness of each book, and
I gained further interest when I flipped through the pages and noticed the
name of H. P. Lovecraft's famous mad wizard, Abdul Alhazred. It's also worth
noting that this is the non-English series that I seem to get the most
e-mails about. Due to these factors, I was very pleased when Frederic
Martinoty offered to review some of these books for me....
Frederic Martinoty's Thoughts:
From what I know, Hassan Sabba and his sect did exist in reality,
and that historic reference is very pleasant. Of course, I'm pretty sure
that there weren't lizardmen and trolls in the real sect; still, the
historical background is nice (I must admit that I'm fond of this
period of History). Anyway, this gamebook can be divided into 3 parts: one
involving the quest to reach Hassan Sabba's mountain and two taking place
within this mountain. It took me 6 attempts only to reach the mountain, and
12 more to meet Hassan Sabba. When I wrote this review, I barely remembered
the book, so it was if I was playing it for the first time.
During my 18 attempts to finish this book, I was killed 5 times by the
annoying "instant death on a roll of two or twelve" rule (three
times against the first opponent, and twice against trolls), and I killed
three enemies with the rule. It saved my life once because I was about
to lose a fight, but it only served to speed up the other two fights.
Perhaps I'm unlucky, but dying because of a dice roll has always been
annoying, whatever the gamebook you're playing. In this series, that risk
exists in every single fight. Aside from this problem, I died 5 times
because I lost a fight with normal rules and the remaining 8 because I made a
bad choice and met a sudden death.
You can easily imagine that this book is difficult. The main drawback to me
is the fighting rule. Unlike many gamebooks, I never lost because I lacked
an item. Sometimes you need some magical item to help you, and if you don't
have it, you're in for a fight but you don't automatically lose if, for
example, you didn't find 9 golden rings. That's a good point for this book.
Another good point is that several different paths lead to the end; along the
way you can meet several people who give you items which will help you to
win, but if you don't meet them, hope is not lost, though the journey will be
harder. You don't have to map the whole book to find the only way to reach
Hassan Sabba.
Overall, La Forteresse d'Alamuth is a good gamebook. Ok, it's
difficult, and you can die from a bad dice roll, but the book is
well-written, and it's interesting to try different paths to see which one is
the easiest or allows you to meet the most interesting people.
2. L'Oeil du Sphinx
Literal Translation of French Title: The Eye of the Sphinx
Authors: Dominique Monrocq and Doug Headline
Illustrators: Jacques Terpant (cover), D'Erik Juszezak (interior)
First Published: 1986
ISBN: 2.01.011698.4
Length: 376 pages (583 sections)
Number of Endings: 27
Plot Summary: In the first book of the series, your character had to
find Hassan Sabba to discover the secret of the famed city of Shangri-La.
Unfortunately, even the old man doesn't know the location of Shangri-La,
since all the texts telling the stories of the location of this city have
been destroyed or lost. Hassan Sabba only knows that a priest of Ancient
Egypt named Antarsis traveled to a country far from Egypt. It took him a year
to come back by foot, and from its description, Hassan is sure that Antarsis
found Shangri-La. Thus, you've been magically transported to Ancient Egypt
and given the ability to understand every human language.
Translations: German, Italian, Spanish
My Thoughts: Here's yet another lovely thick volume that makes me wish
I could read French; thankfully, Frederic Martinoty has once again given me a
small taste of what the book holds....
Frederic Martinoty's Thoughts:
Although this book continues the storyline from the first volume, it also
stands alone very well. Since this book takes place in a totally different
time from the previous one, there isn't any reference to what you did before.
You can't meet the same people, and no item of importance has been carried to
Ancient Egypt. The only benefit you get from playing book 1 is a magical
sword given by Hassan Sabba which gives you +1 SP and LP (but only if you
find the answer to a very very sneaky riddle).
If you read the review of the previous book, you may remember that I needed
18 attempts to win. This time, only 4 were required. I failed once because I
rolled awfully low stats (a 3 and a 4) and twice because I rolled a double 1
in a fight for my opponents; my fourth attempt was successful. You can easily
imagine that "L'Oeil du Sphinx" is easier than its predecessor, and
you'll be right. However, my final attempt which led me to victory was
special; I rolled a 10 on both SP and LP, which actually gives 11 if you take
into account the bonuses from book 1. I didn't find the right path; in fact,
I missed many things. For example, you can find scrolls with different spells
which can be of great help in the adventure. There are at least half a dozen
of them. I didn't find even a single scroll, and I lacked many other items as
well.
The structure of the book is very similar to that of book 1. In the first
part of the book, you choose from several paths leading to Antarsis' place
where you meet different people who give different items. In a second part,
you're in this "final place" (I won't say much to avoid spoilers).
A third and final part also takes place in this location. The design is very
interesting since many paths lead to the end, and you're not obliged to map
the whole book to win. It adds to the replayability, and it's an interesting
characteristic of this series.
However, even though I won, I was disappointed. I won because of my high
stats; you could say that I found Antarsis because I had "big
muscles" but not wits or brain. I don't like it. Without items or
scrolls, you must fight opponents you could have avoided with a more clever
path. But with the high stats I had, I defeated them easily and wasn't
bothered by them. The fighting system is quick and deadly. Let's do some math
to demonstrate this:
My stats were : Strength Points 17, Life Points 29.
Common opponents have SP 11 and LP 14.
Let's say there are two of them.
When I roll a 3, my attack total is : 17 + 3 = 20
They roll a 9 and a 8, attack total : 11 + 9 = 20 & 11 + 8 = 19
I'm not damaged, I even wound an opponent dealing (20 - 19 = 1) damage point.
And I rolled a 3. if I roll a 9 and they roll a 3, I can deal 12 damage
points to each opponent. Quite easy isn't it?
Thus, with the exception of the final battle, I never worried too much when
fighting (except for the "double 1" rule, but I was luckier this
time).
Ultimately, "L'Oeil du Sphinx" is a good book, the story is still
as interesting as before, and the many paths in the first part add a great
deal of replayability. There are more fights and fewer sudden death issues,
which makes it easier. It's still a good book with a nice storyline,
easy-to-use rules, and a strong historical background which makes it very
interesting.
3. Les Mines du Roi Salomon
Literal Translation of French Title: King Solomon's Mines
Authors: Michel Pagel, Dominique Monrocq and Doug Headline
Illustrators: Jacques Terpant (cover), D'Erik Juszezak (interior)
First Published: 1986
ISBN: 2.01.011725.5
Length: 580 sections
Number of Endings: 24
Plot Summary: Prester John is still on his way to Shangri-La.
Antarsis, the priest of Ancient Egypt, told you that he didn't know the exact
path to Shangri-La but someone close to King Solomon did. That man, called
Nikanor, is an advisor of the famed wise king. Antarsis assured you that
Nikanor had been to Shangri-La and magically transported you to the tenth
century B.C. to help you meet Nikanor. Before you went, the priest gave
the "Magic Eye" (l'Oeil Magique in French), a powerful magic item
that enables you to instantly kill an enemy with its strong magic power (but
only if the text allows you to use it). So now, we're on our road to meet
King Solomon....
Translations: German, Italian, Spanish
My Thoughts: I once again will yield the floor to Frederic....
Frederic Martinoty's Thoughts:
Once again, this book sends you to a new era, with a well-known figure, King
Solomon the wise. The Magic Eye is a very useful item, much like the
Sommerswerd in the Lone Wolf series. However, this book is no match
to the first two books, and to put it bluntly, it's a pretty bad one. This
series is interesting because of the many paths it allows you to take
(especially in the beginning) and because clever use of items can help you
avoid difficult fights. That's not the case this time. I can't divide this
book in 3 parts. There's a short "story" part where you meet King
Solomon, but there are only 2 or 3 short paths, and the good one is fairly
easy to guess. Then you learn that Nikanor has been jailed in King Solomon's
mines of diamond, devastated by an unknown monster called "White
Death." Your mission is to defeat it and hope Nikanor is still
alive.
You don't meet many people and spend your time dealing with this
"dungeon." There are very few items and many fights. They can't be
avoided through the finding of items, and most are rather tough (the majority
of opponents have SP scores of 14, which is equal to rolling an 8 when
creating your character). The difficulty is shown by the stats of my
attempts to win: 4 deaths because of a double 1, 4 deaths in a fight and 2
for a bad choice. My guess is that there's a good path that has few fights
and enables you to win even with low stats, but if there is, I never found
it. As in the other books, you can find scrolls with spells, but as in my
previous reviews I didn't find them.
Overall, I'm disappointed with this one. Fewer interaction with characters,
many tough fights and the adventure can be summarized as a big
"underground dungeon," like in the first Fighting Fantasy book. I'm personally not very fond
of this sort of gamebook, but if you are, you might enjoy Les Mines du
Roi Salomon more than I did. Now, let's race to book 4 to see the next
part of Prester John's quest....
4. Les Mysteres de Babylone
Literal Translation of French Title: The Mysteries of Babylon
Authors: Doug Headline and Jacques Collin
Illustrator: Jacques Terpant
First Published: 1986
ISBN: 2.01.011724.7
Length: 500 sections
Number of Endings: 31
Plot Summary: After Hassan Sabba and Antarsis, you found Nikanor at
the heart of King Solomon's mines. Unfortunately, Nikanor hasn't been to
Shangri-La but his magic powers enable him to tell you who will help you
(it's the third time that Prester John hears that, he should be accustomed to
disappointment by now...). A man called Souhsan will be your guide to
Shangri-La. Of course, Souhsan doesn't live in this time era; that would be
too easy. He will be born in 400 years, in the city of Babylon (another
famous name). Nikanor creates an ice cocoon that will put you in a magical
sleep, preventing you from aging. And thus at the start of book 4, your ice
cocoon begins to melt....
Translations: German, Italian, Spanish
My Thoughts: Here is the last of Frederic's reviews. I have
thoroughly enjoyed hearing about this series!
Frederic Martinoty's Thoughts:
After the disappointment of book 3, I was looking forward to seeing what
improvements had been done in this book. And I must admit that I'm pleased
to see those changes. The whole story takes place in the city of Babylon,
without any "dungeon," you talk to many characters, have several
paths leading you to the end. It's a real pleasure to read this book, with
all the details about the Babylonian way of life.
The rules are always the same, and if you played book 2, you still have the
Magic Eye (usable once per adventure). After playing book 3, I've been
surprised by the number of fights (far less than book 3) and the poor
strength of the opponents. This book has perhaps the most interesting
storyline but is by far the easiest. I died only once in a fight before
winning. In this book, you have to find 3 differents people who give you
clues about how to find a tablet in the famous Tower of Babel (floor,
room, shelf). You learn soon that Souhsan died some weeks ago and that
the tablet gives you the path to Shangri-La.
There's nothing really new to say about this book, especially if you read
my reviews of the first three. This one is closer in form to book 1, where
you try and find a way to Hassan Sabba's fortress. There's the usual tough
fight at the end, three parts (going to Babylon, finding the three wise men
with the information, then the Tower of Babel). A funny reference lets you
find an important magic item: one of the 32 Gygax's teeth (Gary Gygax is the
original creator of Dungeons & Dragons). There are more items than
before, no scrolls this time, and many attractive damsels in distress needing
your help. A pleasant reading despite its easiness.
Unfortunately, I don't own book 5, and after so many years, I don't think
I'll find it. If I do, you'll get the last review of Prester John's saga
before its abrupt end.
5. Les Adorateurs du Mal
Literal Translation of French Title: The Worshippers of Evil
Authors: Doug Headline, Dominique Monrocq and Jacques Collin
Illustrators: Jacques Terpant (cover), Olivier Vatine (interior)
First Published: 1987
ISBN: 2.01.011992.4
Length: 465 sections
Number of Endings: 28
Plot Summary: Prester John found a tablet hidden in Babylon's Tower
giving the next clue to Shangri-La. This time, the "final advice"
given to him is more complete than what Hassan Sabah, Nikanor and Antarsis
were able to reveal. There's a mention of Shangri-La itself; Prester John
will have to cross "the land of the holy cows," reach "the
land of the dragons" and seek "the roof of the world" where
Shangri-La lies. This clearly refers to India, China and Tibet, respectively.
This time, there isn't any time travel; Prester John will walk his way to
India by himself, lacking any specific person to look for.
Translation: Italian
My Thoughts: This, the shortest of the series (though 465 sections is
hardly short), is also the last book published. Unfortunately, Prester John
never made it to Shangri-La.
Frederic Martinoty's Thoughts:
This book is very different from the first four. Prester John comes to India
without any specific goal besides trying to figure what the "Land of
Dragons" means. During almost all his quest in India, he won't
understand anything of what's happening, will find out that everybody wants
to kill him without knowing him and will get into a decent amount of
fights.
It is more difficult to divide the book in three parts like the first four
titles; I saw only 2 parts: trying to understand what the hell is going on,
and saving the world. The first part required 8 attempts to finish it. I lost
twice because of a bad choice, and 5 times in a fight (including the 3 sudden
deaths I met due to the damned special fighting rule).
I have mixed feelings about this book. For a long while, I didn't understand
what was happening, I had to fight every 2 or 3 references (which wasn't a
problem when I had medium to high stats, but was far more frightful with low
stats). However, there are several roads leading to the end, and it became
very interesting trying to find the least dangerous one. During
Les Mysteres de Babylone, I was usually very confident that I would
easily find the right choices, but this time, I often found myself thinking,
"this country is so weird, what should I do?!!" and it matches
perfectly what Prester John feels. The greatest choice I had to make was this
one: "You're on a cow, and you can't control where you go. You land in a
fruit and vegetable stand. Roll two dice. Are you pleased with the result? If
so, go to reference X, else go to reference Y." Disturbing at first, but
funny afterwards.
As for the second part of the book, I was getting used to the style of this
book, and I was able to end it on my first attempt, though I admit I had luck
just at the crucial moment in the end. However, there are several paths I
would like to test to be able to understand every aspect of the story.
Overall, I liked this gamebook. It represents a pleasant change from the
ease of book four and provides a real challenge to the reader. However, the
ending and the clue to the next location are a bit surprising. You almost
never hear of the usual "guy who's been to Shangri-La and knows where to
go," and on the final reference, a couple of sentences tell you where to
go from now on. But Les Adorateurs du Mal is a good gamebook and this
fact adds to the disappointment of the fact that is is the end of the series.
6. Au pays des Dragons
Literal Translation of French Title: In the Country of the Dragons
This book was announced but never actually released.
7. Le desert de la Mort
Literal Translation of French Title: The Desert of Death
This book was announced but never actually released.
8. Shangri-La!
Literal Translation of French Title: Shangri-La!
This book was announced but never actually released.
