Excerpts from reviews
"An immense work of unprecedented complexity — its thousand interwoven plots feel like an interactive miracle." — Mundo Ilúdico
"The Vulcanverse writing really shines out and is deeply immersive." — a reader
"A sandbox for adventuring with surprising depth — more than it first appears." — a reader
"A gentle and dream‑like introduction that becomes a sense of playing a massive open‑world gamebook." — Gamebook News
"The exquisite prose of Morris and Thomson places Vulcanverse among the true masterpieces." — Mundo Ilúdico
"In this vast open world you will find hundreds of amazing quests, make choices with lasting consequences..." — Goodreads
“Everything in Vulcanverse is huge. Much to explore, much to unravel, much to discover… a masterpiece now within reach of a broader spectrum of players.” - Comunidad Umbría
"I heartily recommend this book, and the Vulcanverse series as a whole, to anyone who's a fan of open world exploration and gamebooks in general." — Amazon reviewer
"The Vulcanverse is a lot of fun." — Reddit reader
"You reconstruct the world—broken like a Greek vase shattered into a thousand pieces—at your own pace." — Mundo Ilúdico
“The Vulcanverse is a living universe, woven together with surprising plots that unfold in unexpected ways. The conclusion to this story is incredibly satisfying… an apotheotic ending that awaits you if you are able to finish this immeasurable epic.” -- Comunidad Umbría
"Vulcanverse has one of the strongest themes I've seen, especially for such a large setting." — Rand Roll
“These types of details, along with an ironic and sly humor, the most dramatic scenes, and an impressive and unforgettable final battle, are all strong points that make this saga one of the best I have read in its genre in a long time... If anyone doubts that we are living in a true Silver Age of gamebooks, all they have to do is buy these volumes and start the adventure. I’m sure they won’t be disappointed.” - Angel Javier on Goodreads
“The final segment is very dramatic… bringing disparate adventures together into a single cohesive path. I can’t stop thinking about this world after finishing it.” -- Reddit review
“Each volume is a mosaic of quests and sub-quests… completing them unlocks the last book of the saga. Unlike Fabled Lands, Vulcanverse has an ending planned from the start, leading to an apocalyptic finale.” - Gauthier Wendling
“Above all it is the coherence of its universe and the quality of its writing… a mixture that works like thunder. Vulcanverse is my favorite solo role-playing game and I recommend it to you without reservation.” - review of Divine Forge
“There is something to do or explore in almost every location. I haven’t played any better open world gamebooks… the Vulcanverse books may be the current pinnacle of open world gamebook design.” - Jeffrey Rissman
“Altogether, this is a gripping immersive gamebook that really rewards the reader. The wide range of encounters is truly mind-boggling, my favourite moment being when I turned detective in a small village to uncover a locked-room mystery. It really helps to make the world feel ever-evolving, and that you must always revisit areas time and time again. This series feels increasingly my own story, formed by my own actions, rather than being predefined.” - James Spearing review
What Makes the VulcanVerse / Forge Divine Series Unique
1. A Vast and Cohesive Mythic Sandbox
The series unfolds in an expansive open-world setting inspired by Greco-Roman mythology. Designed by fantasy legends Dave Morris and Jamie Thomson, it features distinct quadrants—Arcadia, Hades, Boreas, Notus—centered around Vulcan City, rich in lore and visual depth.2. Innovation: Open-World Gamebooks with Persistent Continuity
Unlike linear choose-your-own-adventure books, this series allows movement between volumes—choices echo across books, quests span multiple entries, and NPCs remember past interactions. This layered continuity mimics a true sandbox experience.3. Accessibility Paired with Depth
Combat and challenges are handled as simple skill checks rather than dice-heavy fights, making the books more reflective of point-and-click adventure puzzles. There’s limited penalty for failure—deaths revive you in place—so the story keeps flowing.4. Immersive, Layered Narrative Design
Rich mythological background is paired with modern mechanics—like keyword and tick-box tracking—so the world evolves based on your actions. Immersive tasks, subtle puzzles, and an artful blend of humor and drama make for entrancing reading.5. Craftsmanship by Legendary Authors
With decades of experience in gamebooks as authors of books like Fabled Lands and Heart of Ice, the creators bring narrative maturity, innovation, and genre credibility. Their reputation alone draws attention to the series.6. Robust Physical Design for Multiple Playthroughs
Each book is significantly larger than the typical gamebook; durable paperback or hardcover editions invite frequent revisits. Clever layout techniques—like tick-box design and codewords—maximize adventure scope within physical constraints.7. Community and Exploration Enthusiasm
Readers report logging exhaustive maps, quest notes, and hundreds of hours of play—rediscovering locales, experimenting with backtracking, and treating the books as living worlds. One player filled nearly eighty pages of notes and still felt there was more to explore.Summary
The Vulcanverse books redefine the gamebook genre through a masterfully crafted open-world structure, epic mythic immersion, and an interlinked narrative system. They offer both flexibility for new readers and deep exploration for experienced adventurers—built by distinguished authors and physically designed to endure multiple journeys. The result is a living, evolving saga that doesn’t just invite readers, it absorbs them.
Award-winning authors Dave Morris (co-creator of Virtual Reality, Blood Sword and Dragon Warriors) and Jamie Thomson (co-creator of the Falcon and Way of the Tiger gamebooks and winner of the Roald Dahl Funny Prize) present the world's first complete open-world gamebook series, drawing on the tradition they began with Fabled Lands and that has been continued in modern sandbox series like Steam Highwayman and Legendary Kingdoms. The five titles in the Vulcanverse series are:
- The Houses of the Dead (102,655 words in 832 sections)
- The Hammer of the Sun (151,382 words in 1706 sections)
- The Wild Woods (131,952 words in 834 sections)
- The Pillars of the Sky (94,593 words in 1076 sections)
- Workshop of the Gods (220,000 words in 1667 sections)
Accolades
- “The only complete open-world solo RPG gamebook series in existence.”
- “Fabled Lands pioneered the format, but VulcanVerse perfects it.”
- “Vulcanverse is to gamebooks what Skyrim is to computer RPGs.”
- "Blending interactive storytelling with the timeless resonance of classical myth.”
- “Highly rated on Goodreads.”
- “Praised by Reddit’s r/gamebooks community.”
- “5 volumes, more than 150 hours of play.”
- “Hundreds of quests, thousands of branching paths.”
- “The Vulcanverse is the apotheosis of gamebook design: epic in scope, exquisitely written, and uniquely complete.”
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