Queen Nyx isn't vanquished overnight

There haven't been a lot of reviews of Vulcanverse -- probably because it's 6115 sections long, and to get to the climactic battle at the end most reviewers are going to cheat. Let's face it, reviewers have to keep the reviews coming. It's not like they can take a two-month break to play through the entire Vulcanverse saga. That's a shame, as there are huge victories to be won and those victories can't be truly appreciated unless they're earned. But if you're a gamebook or solo RPG aficionado, don't let that deter you. If you want the real epic experience, get all five books and be prepared to let them take over your life for a while. (You can create your character right here.) I don't think you'll regret it.

In the Ashes

In The Ashes is a solo roleplaying gamebook written by Pablo Aguilera and published by Devir. Pablo was kind enough to send me a couple of copies. It's a handsome hardback with rich colour illustrations adorning almost every page and I’ve spent some immersive hours diving into its beautifully intricate world. 

First off, as you can see in the video, this is by no means your typical gamebook. The story itself is classic high fantasy, taking place on the magical island of Obor and beginning with a scene of great dramatic force and horror: a public execution. You assume control of several different characters over the first three (of four) acts, with the game introducing you to each in turn. While the plot remains mostly linear, your actions still matter, influencing how events unfold in later acts.

One of the standout features of the gamebook is its deck-building mechanic. Yes, deck-building -- In The Ashes integrates cards into its core gameplay. You’ll begin with a small set of cards and gain more as you progress, and those cards are all laid out on the page. While you never physically shuffle them, you’ll strategically choose cards during encounters, making for a uniquely tactical experience.

In fact that's a unifying feature of the game: everything, including your tactical moves, is written directly into the book, right there on the page. Another example: the symbols that you mark on later pages. These are like keywords in a book like Vulcanverse, but with a more subtle affect. You'll reach that page, see that you've marked a symbol, and immediately you know that what's about to happen is a consequence of an earlier choice you made. You can see why you might want two copies.

Though the gameplay is dense, the prose is clean and to the point, keeping the pace brisk without sacrificing the richness of the world. This is crucial for a gamebook that wants you to focus on its mechanics and tactical decisions as much as its story. You’re not just reading—you’re strategizing, managing your resources, and executing complex plans, all while the narrative unfolds.

The variety in character mechanics, the tactical depth, and the smooth integration of board game elements make In The Ashes an experience worth savoring. If you're a fan of solo roleplaying games, especially those with a classic fantasy quest structure and a focus on strategy, this book is definitely worth seeking out.

And while I'm doing the recommendation thing, a couple of other juicy items are, firstly, The Casket of Fays #15 -- the usual superb Dragon Warriors/Legend gaming material. It's pay-what-you-want but don't be stingy. I especially liked Tom Clare's article on doppelgangers, which begins:

"Sometimes, at particular hours on particular nights, one looks into a candlelit mirror and gets the distinct feeling that the person reflected there is somebody else. This is a sign the veil between our world and the murky, warped otherworld of the mirror people has grown thin. And if in that moment the mirror is touched, there is a chance that the gossamer barrier will yield and one’s double will step out into the real world. (Highly reflective ponds count as mirrors for this purpose and, if touched in bright moonlight, have an even greater chance of releasing a double.)"

That's very Legend, that. But I said two juicy items. The other is Travelling at Night, a luscious-looking character-driven CRPG from Weather Factory. It's set in a skewed alternate Cold War period. I've recently been drawn to The Thaumaturge and have been incubating a mid-20th century game of my own involving politics, espionage and ideological tensions, so maybe it's an idea whose time has come. (Relatively speaking, that is; I'm sure orcs and fireballs will continue to hold the top spot for most gamers.)

The Way of the Tiger - video review

Marco Arnaudo did a great review of the Critical IF books a while back, so it was a nice surprise to come across this review of The Way of the Tiger series. If you've only recently thawed out of a glacier since the early '80s, the series is based on Mark Smith's Dungeons and Dragons campaign and its unique blend of high fantasy, ninjutsu and Cthulhu mythos makes for a memorable setting coupled with a clever tactical combat system and richly immersive descriptive text.

Ooh, while you're here, in other news I've been working on a fully responsive rebuild of the Mirabilis website. This is a precursor to me and Leo Hartas launching a Patreon page, and quite probably a Kickstarter for an all-new gamebook.

Yes, I know my comments about the viability of using Kickstarter to create a book are on record. It would work a lot better if it was a gamebook app rather than a printed book, as that way all the funds raised could go towards the actual content rather than being eaten up by print and shipping costs. But I have a feeling that most gamebook fans prefer to own a physical copy, so that's something Leo and I will have to think hard about. More about that project and the Patreon page in due course.

All four Critical IF books reviewed

I came across this video by Marco Arnaudo in which he reviews the Critical IF books and, not being entirely indifferent to praise, I figured I'd post it here. My only quibble is that in the books you create your character by choosing four out of a list of twelve skills, not ten as stated in the video. You know me; there had to be one quibble.

Normally Mr Arnaudo reviews boardgames on his YouTube channel, but judging from the shelves there I'd say he appreciates a good book, so maybe he'll look at more gamebooks in future. And I see he's got Douglas Wolk's Reading Comics there. Good choice, sir.

And in case you haven't yet read Heart of Ice and you're swayed by the review (from 19m 45s in), don't let me stop you:



Meanwhile the rest of the Critical IF series can be found here.

A gamebook giveaway

As a follow-up to the launch of the large-format Fabled Lands books, Jamie and I have two copies of The War-Torn Kingdom to give away.

All you have to do to win one of these large format books is go here and watch Marco Arnaudo's review of the Critical IF books - which is no hardship because his reviews are brilliantly entertaining and it's worth watching them all.

Every entrant has a chance of winning one of the new books; a 3 on 3d6 should about do it. So a critical, to you GURPS players out there.

But wait - that's not all. The Kindle edition of War-Torn Kingdom is coming out next Friday (Feb 5) and you can pre-order that right here.

And you thought Christmas was over...