Demons of the Deep (Fighting Fantasy #19) by Steve Jackson

Demons of the Deep (Fighting Fantasy #19) Reviews

• 
  Graham

  Another of the Fighting Fantasy series, this one written by Steve Jackson the American contributor rather than Steve Jackson the originator of the series. The hook of DEMONS OF THE DEEP is that the entire adventure is set beneath the ocean depths, with the hero finding himself with a pair of gills thanks to a magic spell.
  
  The novelty value of the undersea kingdom makes for some fun encounters with various denizens of the deep, including octopii, barracuda, sharks, dolphins, and the usual run of wizards, skeletons and spirits. The varied settings include coral reefs, ruined cities and extensive cave systems. There's plenty of action and items and treasures waiting to be discovered.
  
  We played this through three times, dying twice (once when unwisely trying to outswim a Kraken) before finally "winning" of sorts the third time around. And while the novelty value of the different setting makes this a fun adventure to play, it's not in the same league as the true classics of the series.
• 
  Renee

  This was my first "Choose-your-fantasy" novels and I loved it. I found it at a library book sale, I think I was in middle school. When faced with a battle in the book, I kept choosing to win, or successfully swim away from combat situations, hahah! I should play with some dice or flip a coin to decide outcomes of confrontations- it might make the game that much more interesting :)
• 
  Edwin McRae

  Beautifully designed with multiple endings, something you rarely find in FF books, other than lots of death endings. ;-) And sharply written too. The US Steve Jackson would be my pick of the FF writers.
• 
  David Sarkies

  An adventure under the sea
  15 July 2012
  
  Well, Steve Jackson (2) or, as he is otherwise called, Steve Jackson (US), has returned to the Fighting Fantasy genre with another adventure, this time set under the sea. You are, or where, the captain of a ship, that is until it is attacked by pirates, all of your crew put to the sword, and you are thrown into the ocean, I suspect, as a way of 'walking the plank'. However, as it turns out, you don't drown because you find yourself in a magical pentagram in the middle of a large undersea city called 'Atlantis' (maybe this name was used because we are all familiar with the tale of the sunken city of Atlantis, but I thought he could have been a little more imaginative).
  There is little in the way of a plot beyond exploring the city and finally exacting your revenge upon the pirates, if you chose to that is. There are a number of ways to complete this book, and I actually noticed that this is the first Fighting Fantasy gamebook where the successful completion of the adventure is not at the final paragraph, but rather nestled deep in the book. For those who do not know, the successful completion involves killing the pirates and stealing their ship and their treasure (and by the way you do this with a skeleton crew, being a crew of skeletons as opposed to a handful of loyal men).
  I noticed that as I explored this book the most successful route will take you through most of the locations. It is imperative at the beginning that you explore the building in the courtyard, but do not leave through the back entrance but by the way you came. You are then given three places to explore, and you are able to explore each of these places, however to do so you should start at the first one (the coloseum, and when you do, make sure you leave through the ground floor). Once you have done that, you will need to go through the coral garden and meet the wizard who lives there, and then you will be given another three choices which should be explored in the same way as the others. To successfully complete the adventure you need at least eight black pearls, the ice crystal from the water elemental, and the code word that you pick up from the wizard. You also need to know the location of the ship, which can be found in two places: the sunken galley and the underwater cathedral. You don't need the dragon, and in some cases it may be best to avoid him.
  Once again we seem to be returning to some dubious endings. While it is clear that you are not a pirate and have no intention of becoming a pirate, the element of seeking revenge against those who have wronged you is probably not the most noble aspects of this quest, and the fact that you get that revenge through either allying with the sea dragon (who can't be trusted by the way) or by summoning an army of undead, does raise a bit of a question mark. In the successful ending, you even sail away with your crew of undead which makes me wonder how noble and pure your character really is.
• 
  Ben

  Fighting Fantasy #19, written by ‘the other’ Steve Jackson, stands out due to its fearsome cover, its underwater setting, its multiple endings and the delightfully atmospheric writing describing your underwater adventure. It reminds me of the Megadrive game, Ecco the Dolphin, which had puzzle-solving elements and lush graphics, which I used to play around the same time as this book, in the early 1990s. Reading it again as an adult, I really liked the sense of losing myself in its beautiful descriptions and strangely melancholic tone.
• 
  Adam Cleaver

  I loved these books as a kid. Must go back and re-read them to make a proper review. But just look at that art work too... amazing!
• 
  Colin

  Loved this as a kid.
• 
  Arthur B

  Alright but not spectacular gamebook. Full review:
  https://refereeingandreflection.wordp...