Stormslayer - 9 out of 10!

Jon Oliver kindly directed me towards this review of my Fighting Fantasy adventure gamebook Stormslayer over at Fantasy Book Review.

It's almost wholly positive, except for the bit where the reviewer

says, "The story feels a little lacking in originality at times." What's that supposed to mean? I mean, has he played many meteorology-based gamebooks before?

I am aware that this last comment may come across as a little petty, but it annoys me when reviewers make such sweeping statements without backing them up. What was it about the adventure that lacked originality? Going down a Dwarf mine in a drilling machine and battling a giant golem made of rusted pit props? Exploring the inside of a volcano? Battling the villain aboard a flying brass fish? And if it's so unoriginal, why give it 9 out of 10?

Reading reviews can be a harrowing experience, but if somebody makes a criticism I always try to take it on board, as I am always striving to improve as a writer and if nobody ever comments on your work you're never going to know where you need to up your game.

So, 9 out of 10 - great! Sweeping generalisations without any examples to back them up - a tad annoying.

Until next time...

M is for Monster but H is for House of Fear

When I was a young, aspiring writer, I never seriously considered becoming a horror writer. And yet, last week I sent my story for the House of Fear anthology to Jon Oliver at Solaris and am this week writing another horror story for a new short story collection about phobias. And then, of course, last year my explicit tale of horror Incubus appeared in M is for Monster.

Well, M is for Monster is available for sale again here and I'll sign every copy purchased. And if you need persuading, here's a review of my short story that appears in the collection:

Erotic with a seductively blasphemous undertone from the very outset, Green's sexually charged short throbs with a thick and somewhat unsettling tone of darkness... What gradually transpires is a powerfully unnerving tale of horror, with many unspoken questions left unanswered, creating an altogether more powerful tale. Certainly one of the most atmospheric and unsettling tales in the anthology - and for that, possibly one of the best additions.

But back to the subject of my short story for House of Fear (released in the UK and US this October by Solaris Books). It's called The Doll's House and is my take on the traditional haunted house tale. In it I set out to make a story set in a nondescript Edwardian terrace on a bright sunny day as unsettling as anything set at the witching hour on Halloween. My editor made very few changes and the only alteration I had to make was to add one word. This is almost unheard of, and I like to think it bodes well for how the story's going to be received elsewhere.

That said, it's not a nice story. Not at all. Here's what my editor wrote in his email after reading the story for himself for the first time. "Ooh, that's a right nasty little shocker." And from an editor inured to the ways of horror, that's got to be recommendation enough.

The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1) - a new review

Tim Cundle of Mass Movement Magazine has let me know that a new review of The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1) is now up on his site.

There are a few inaccuracies in the review (e.g. Queen Victoria is not 160 years old and the Curious Case of the Whitby Mermaid is resolved) but on the whole it's very positive - although implying plagiarism in a review is always going to be contentious.

Anyway, you can read the review here, and you can buy The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1) here, and pre-order the seventh Ulysses Quicksilver adventure Pax Britannia: Anno Frankenstein here.

Request for reviewers

Both The Ulysses Quicksilver Omnibus (Vol.1) and Pax Britannia: Dark Side are selling well at the moment (very well, in fact) so how those of you who've already read these awesome tomes post some reviews on Amazon (or whatever your book site of choice happens to be)?

If you do, you will earn my eternal gratitude. (Which is no small thing if the long-anticipated Zombiepocalypse* finally gets here.) And please let me know - either via this blog or by emailing me at info@jonathangreenauthor.com.

Cheers!

* That's a copyrighted term, by the way, copyright Jonathan Green 2010 - just now.

Blood Royal - reviewers needed

Now I know that although Blood Royal isn't on official release yet some of you lucky people have got a copy already, and have possibly even read it as well. Well, if that's the case, I would be eternally grateful if you would pop a review up on Amazon (or your preferred web store). As they say, every little helps...

Legends of the Space Marines - The Relic

Legends of the Space Marines (the latest 40K anthology from Black Library) is barely out and yet the reviews are already starting to come in. Selfishly, I'm most interested in what people have to say about my newest Solemnus Crusade story The Relic.

Long-time Black Library fan Xhalax has not always been my keenest supporter, to the point where when I met her at Games Day once I didn't dare introduce myself. (Sad, I know.) But since then I've got to know her a little and the other day she sent me this missive via Facebook:

Well Mr. Green, I've just finished The Relic in Legends of the Space Marines and I really enjoyed it. I've always had a soft spot for Dreadnoughts, so the outcome of the story definitely made me smile....as did the general Dreadnoughty goodness of the whole thing.

That meant a lot to me. And then I came across this on Amazon:

THE RELIC (Black Templars) by Jonathan Green

Brother Jarold of the Black Templars well remembers the moment he witnessed a mech-enhanced greenskin warboss, Morkrull Grimskar, teleport away with the unconscious form of Emperor's Champion Ansgar as his prisoner. Within his Dreadnought body-shell, Brother Jarold has vowed to locate Brother Ansgar and either bring him back in triumph or that they may lay his body to rest. Then while battling the orks in the desolate ice fields on Armageddon, a long lost brother is found underneath the ice.

**** Four Stars! Author Jonathan Green writes his story from the grand view point of a Dreadnought. I found it to be enlightening to say the least. ****

In passing, yesterday Legends of the Space Marines was ranked #413 in Books and #9 in Science Fiction. Result.

Night of the Necromancer - another glowing review

Another glowing review of Night of the Necromancer, this time one submitted to the Official Fighting Fantasy website itself.

Wow, what a ride it was! This is one of the most clever, well-crafted gamebook I've ever read. I think really few other books can match this quality in the FF series except for the Sorcery! ones, at least in regard of the intricacies of the game system.

Extremely recommended!

The Warlock of Firetop Mountain - the gamer's review

Thanks to Fighting Fantasy Collector Jamie Fry for this...

Night of the Necromancer - another great review

There's another glowing 5-star review of Night of the Necromancer up on Amazon today, by one W J Turton, although strangely, from the date, it looks like it was posted before the coveted first review of the book.

Confusion over dates aside, it's the kind of review that writers dream of, so I'm going to post it in its entirety here:

Jon Green is now an established name in the Gamebook community. An author of no mean competence, he has (amongst other achievements) produced some celebrated titles in the long-running Fighting Fantasy series.

Night of the Necromancer is a tale that centres around the bloodthirsty murder of a proud knight in the kingdom of Ruddlestone. Slain upon returning from a crusade, the adventure concerns his spirit's quest for vengeance, determined to learn who ordered his death and to exact a fitting revenge upon them. It soon becomes obvious, however, that his own death is the least of his concerns...

Green's device of placing the adventurer as a Ghost is decidedly novel, and adds rather than detracts from the quest's theme. It is an excellent premise, combining acquired skills (the ability to control objects in much the same way as a Poltergeist, for instance) with solid storytelling - making for a creative tale with a great deal of reader/player involvement.

Green is also keen to strike a balance between appealing to older and younger audiences. This doesn't suggest that he is unsure of who to aim the book at, but indicates his capability as a writer to craft a work so as to be of interest to a broad spectrum. As a result, Night of the Necromancer is a book that can easily be enjoyed by teenagers and adults alike - the common element required for all generations is an imagination!

As a result, at this bargain price, Night of the Necromancer is certainly worth consideration, both to Fighting Fantasy fans and also anyone curious of the gamebook concept. Whether it is your first or just one of many, this volume doesn't disappoint.

Night of the Necromancer - the first review!

Thanks to D. Bartram who has posted the first glowing review of Night of the Necromancer on Amazon.

You can read it for yourself here but, suffice to say, D. Bartram gives the book 5 stars! If you've not got hold of a copy yourself yet, what are you waiting for?

Bloodbones re-release

With all the fuss being made about Night of the Necromancer (the 63rd original Fighting Fantasy solo gamebook) don't forget that Bloodbones (the 61st) was also re-released this week in the new FF format.


Now you can savour Tony Hough's fantastically detailed illustrations all the better. The book also includes three brand new pre-generated characters.

Still not sure whether Bloodbones is for you? Then here's what other people have had to say about the book, followed by a short teaser trailer for the adventure.

Is it worth the wait? Definitely. The story is good, the plot moves along at a fast pace and the atmosphere created... is excellent.

Tony Hough's illustrations are a treat, as always.

This book is really cool. There's lot's to explore and do and I found it a fantastic read.

Overall, it represents a highly likeable effort by Jonathan Green (whose maps are once again superb), and... for ex- and prospective acolytes of Fighting Fantasy, it is certainly worth purchasing.

Crisis on Coruscant and Night of the Necromancer climbing the charts

As of this morning, Crisis on Coruscant is at #93 in the Star Wars chart on Amazon, while Night of the Necromancer (which has only been out a matter of days) is at #71 in Amazon's Children's Science Fiction and Fantasy list. Not bad if I do say so myself.






I've you've bought one of the above for yourself, thanks very much. Why not post a review on Amazon and sent me the link.


If you haven't bought them yet - especially Night of the Necromancer - then what are you waiting for? You're missing out! (By the way, first link to a good review of NOTN on Amazon wins a special mention on this blog!)

Fighting Fantasy featured in Mass Movement Magazine

Mass Movement Magazine (which featured a piece by me, back in issue 23 - a year ago today, as it happens) has an extensive feature on the Fighting Fantasy phenomenon in the current issue.

Stormslayer gets a mention, which is nice, and you can download issue 26 for yourself (and for free) here.

Crisis on Coruscant - another good review

Here's what Jennifer has to say about my Clone Wars gamebook over on the Puffin website:

My 9 year old son loved this book. It contains lots of interactive stories. You can decide your own destiny by choosing from options at the end of each chapter. The story can be augmented by going to the website... I think this would be a good book for a reluctant reader as it combines "computer gaming" with traditional book reading...

She gives Crisis on Coruscant five stars too! To read the rest of her review, click here.

Match Wits with the Kids

It's not that long until fifteen and sixteen year-olds up and down the country we be embarking upon their GCSE examinations. And if you're a parent of such a prospective examinee, what can you do to help?

Well you could do a lot worse than pick up a copy of Match Wits with the Kids to refresh your own knowledge of subjects such as English, Maths, Science, History, Geography, Modern Languages and even the Classics. But don't just take my word for it, check out David Marx's review over at his blog.

Here's a highlight:

If, as parents, you sometimes find yourselves climbing the collective walls of turmoil in search of something to entertain and calm the kids – especially during those elongated weekends that are filled with rain, tedium and nothing particularly groovy on telly – then this could well be the perfect book for you.

Match Wit with the Kids is, as it says on the front cover: ‘’a little learning for all the family.’’ Indeed, it’s one of those books that immediately grabs the attention of even the most innocent and innocuous by bystanders. It’s akin to a pub quiz, only more geared towards that which we all learnt at school...

Jonathan Green has compiled a more than compelling and magnetic wealth of interesting facts, figures and knowledge.

As such, Match Wits with the Kids is a book that’s as engaging as it is fun as it is imperative throughout those aforementioned weekends and really long, giddy car journeys.

Solomon Kane

Looks like my kind of film.



Another film I've seen recently is Percy Jackson and the Olympians: The Lightning Thief. I actually got to go to a preview screening and was going to post a review here. Life and work got in the way but suffice to say, Chris Columbus (who directed the first Harry Potter film) was keen not to simply make a Greek Gods version of Harry Potter apparently. Well he failed. Percy Jackson should really be called Harry Potter and the Lightning Thief. And don't get me started on Camp Half-Blood...

Crisis on Coruscant - a new adventure with every read!

Crisis on Coruscant has been out for a couple of weeks now and the reviews are starting to come in. There's a very pleasing one (that covers Sue Behrent's Dooku's Secret Army as well) by Scott Weller of STAR WARS AFICIONADO.

You can read it for yourself here - just scroll down to the bottom of the page. The part which made me smile was this: 'Newcomer to the range Jonathan Green proves equally adept in this new universe of interactive storytelling; his tale just as strong and enjoyable to partake in.'

I may be new to this particular series but at the time of writing Crisis on Coruscant it was my tenth gamebook. (My eleventh, Night of the Necromancer, is out this April.)

Crisis on Coruscant - a new adventure with every read!

Crisis on Coruscant has been out for a couple of weeks now and the reviews are starting to come in. There's a very pleasing one (that covers Sue Behrent's Dooku's Secret Army as well) by Scott Weller of STAR WARS AFICIONADO.

You can read it for yourself here - just scroll down to the bottom of the page. The part which made me smile was this: 'Newcomer to the range Jonathan Green proves equally adept in this new universe of interactive storytelling; his tale just as strong and enjoyable to partake in.'

I may be new to this particular series but at the time of writing Crisis on Coruscant it was my tenth gamebook. (My eleventh, Night of the Necromancer, is out this April.)

Fighting Dantasy?

Came across this rather unusual review today of Spellbreaker - my first ever published book - and didn't know quite what to make of it.

See what you think of it here.

Howl of the Werewolf

You can buy Howl of the Werewolf here.

"Howl of the Werewolf is an excellent book... Some of the Fighting Fantasy books have been so difficult as to be impossible to win. This one is not one of them. Complex, large and full of adventures, with excellent art, Howl of the Werewolf is a good way to have a good time away from a computer."