FF9: Sorcery! 1: The Shamutanti Hills

Here we enter classic Fighting Fantasy; Shamutanti Hills. This is the ninth book in the successful Fighting Fantasy gamebook series, this time written entirely by Steve Jackson. It is set in the most popular medieval-style gamebook setting of the Old World, originally created to be used by Steve and Allansia for Ian.

Book Description: Based on the best-selling Fighting Fantasy gamebook system, The Shamutanti Hills is Book One in Steve Jackson's Sorcery! series.

Your epic quest will take you across the mysterious hills to the cityport of Khare, but only if you outwit the creatures, traps and wizardry you encounter along the way. Play as either a warrior or a wizard. If you choose wizardry, your survival will depend on your knowledge of the Sorcery! Spell Book's darkest secrets. With many other unique features to discover, Sorcery! is a true challenge for the novice and veteran adventurers alike.

Part-story, part-game, this is a book with a difference - one in which you become the hero! A pencil and an eraser are all you need to make your journey. YOU decide which route to take, which creatures to fight and which dangers to risk.

The Sorcery Epic is actually a four book adventure that originally was a completely individual series when first published by Penguin in the 80s. Combined into the current Wizard at the request of Steve Jackson, the series has several differences with two main exceptions.

The first is in the fact that it uses a special event scenario during the course of the book. You can call upon Libra (goddess of Justice) once during all four books to save you during the quest and second you are allowed to play as either a warrior or as a wizard/sorceror. A popular Gamebook rule that was introduced in the Fighting Fantasy Gamebooks later in the series.

For players choosing the option of a wizard there is a spell book that contains 48 spells that you need to learn in order to use them in the book. What is clever about this is that you have to study the spellbook and the chosen spells that are represented by a 3-letter code, like HOT or RAZ, for example. These you have to memorize before you begin play.

Throughout the book, in certain encounters, you are given a chance to cast a spell. You are then given five of these three-letter codes to choose from. It is up to you to remember which code represents which spell. To make things more tricky, some of the codes you are offered don't relate to any spells at all ("duds"), and over half of all spells require specific items to work. If you don't have the item, you take damage. All cost points to be cast also, so you always need to limit the use of as well.

The magic system is an excellent addition to the Fighting Fantasy genre and may be expanded upon in future...Sorcery! 2 perhaps?

About the Author: Steve Jackson

Cover:
Mel Grant

Illustrations:
John Blanche