tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post6619844982887001406..comments2024-03-04T09:12:37.072+00:00Comments on MALthus Dire's Fighting Fantasy Page: #16: Seas Of BloodMALthus Direhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comBlogger8125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-54703064094315717832023-01-03T08:25:02.327+00:002023-01-03T08:25:02.327+00:00The one complaint I have about this book was alrea...The one complaint I have about this book was already touched on -- the ghostly presence of your adversary, Abdul the Butcher. After leaving port at the same time and his ship is sailing alongside you, he completely disappears from the rest of the story! No mentions (except one) about him at all, and that mention -- if I am remembering correctly -- happens right at the start when there is NO WAY Abdul could have gotten there before you if you sailed there immediately! (really, did he get some nitro or steam engines to jet hi there first?)<br /><br />Also, at the end Abdul says he sacked Kish, and when you try to do the same thing it turns up impossible. Yeah, right.Bosk of Port Karhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05382836168231297724noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-44913660545109897252021-07-26T21:10:47.178+01:002021-07-26T21:10:47.178+01:00Loads of fun until you get to the end and realise ...Loads of fun until you get to the end and realise how small your pile of treasure really is.Jameshttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05903993127360160864noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-68742885523057363102017-12-24T08:05:56.098+00:002017-12-24T08:05:56.098+00:00This was one of my original favourites in the seri...This was one of my original favourites in the series, and still is one I really enjoy. The pirate captain competition is a great hook and it has a bunch of fun encounters. <br /><br />Also, I believe the inspiration for the boardgame expansion Descent: The Sea of Blood, which was also a lot of fun. Vomkrieghttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09104475552979903737noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-77122500364310950502017-09-26T09:19:27.898+01:002017-09-26T09:19:27.898+01:00My only strong memory of reading this book as a la...My only strong memory of reading this book as a lad was the fantastic unarmed fight with the Cyclops. Definitely the highlight if you ask me and killed me several times. I'm really happy to have discovered this blog; have had some very entertaining reads in the light of reading Port of Peril over the last week or so. Pessimeisterhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/01497519389678365734noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-82251346652178087282016-02-29T04:59:06.066+00:002016-02-29T04:59:06.066+00:00Well it's no surprise 'Space Assassin'...Well it's no surprise 'Space Assassin' and 'Rings Of Kether' are weaker than this-they're both sci-fi crap so clearly this book's the winner. FF stands for Fighting Fantasy, not Fighting effing Sc-Fi, so it's depressing that after a strong first bunch (9 out of the first 10 FF books are desirable-many brilliant-No.4 being the only entirely pointless one) the next 10 (No's 11-20) were a massively disappointing and treacherous treatment of us. Only 'Talisman', 'Temple', 'Demons Of The Deep', 'Sword Of The Smaurai' and this one (the weakest of all the proper ones) actually suffice as FF books-that's just half-and worse, 'Seas Of Blood' is enjoyably, despite its unique differing approach, only above average stock to equal 'Warlock'-ironically the least wow book of the first wave, though it's good for what it is, and as a beginning of the best series of gamebooks ever (discounting all non-fantasy titles).<br /><br />With the pictures, they're pretty bad-not last the naffish Hydra, basic as hell and not even looking ANYTHING like the cover star. There's Jormangaundrs, Behemoths (it finally turned up in 'Bloodbones' decades later) and other sea beings to use, but they never did. The Cyclops battle is as clever as you say, but the Roc, the largest bird EVER should be given killer stats. It's written in the D&D manual as having wings 200 feet long and it CARRIES OFF SHIPS LITERALLY FOR NESTING MATERIAL-and presumably what crew that doesn't jump or fall out on the long flap back to its nest as a morning pick-me-up for itself and its babies. A ROC would be about SKILL 12 STAMINA 17, as regarding its size. It's also said they'd even view GIANTS as potential prey.<br /><br />Can't agree with you on the drawings in the book being better than 'Talisman Of Death' which, despite a few ropey turns, delivers us far more fantasy beings than this book, which is all drawings of flipping frigates, galleons, flags and land outcroppings-the few creatures there are look pretty bad. The Roc isa bit of a joke compared to the one in 'Talisman', and the Lizard Men laughably cartoonic. To make matters worse, this book was followed by two more naff ones, until finally, the seas were treated properly in 'Demons' and then the 'Deathtrap' sequel kicked off the next 10 books with almost all winners, apart from silly 'Robot Commando', which should have been a proper fantasy one with Dinosaurs, pointles 'Star Strider' and the risible, pretentious, so mathematically absurd it can't be worked out 'Creature Of Havoc'. This was Steve's last book and what a dire way to leave. Still as annoying as it ever was, just working only as notes for his novels and a raft of cool pictures. HOORAY though for the 30s, which, disregarding 'Sky Lord' (more Why Lord?) and the boring as bordeom's most bored FF book 'Slaves Of The Abyss'-which the 10 books later 'Black Vein Prophecy' will match (at least 'Creature Of Havoc' HAD battles, creatures, just never went anywhere, achieved anything), we got SIX-SIX pretty perfects ones in a row from No.36 from Livingstone himself through to 'Master Of Chaos'. Sadly this is where my collection starts to slide, with many titles as yet still to get, yet financially out of reach at the moment when available, though dreadful errors seem rumoured to pop up from there. Editors all get Harpoon Flied or something. Or picnic on Sleeping Grass?DetonatorPlushttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14919729420688131335noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-79700059764867245502015-05-06T11:13:21.324+01:002015-05-06T11:13:21.324+01:00Bob Harvey is one of my favourite FF illustrators,...Bob Harvey is one of my favourite FF illustrators, although I often got him mixed up with Alan Langford, whom I also enjoy - those two should team up for a reptilian sea-faring adventure! Also, the seas are red(ish) on the cover I'd say.<br /><br />"Incidentally, this and Robot Commando both have the number and Fighting Fantasy lettering in black on the cover instead of the usual white – I have no idea why!"<br /><br />My SoB has gold writing on it, but yes it is black on RC. I recall buying a second copy of SoB somewhere because my first was from a charity shop and the front was 'artfully' all covered in tippex >:CAMhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/06953530709242023061noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-46176012728340332212013-03-05T19:35:04.970+00:002013-03-05T19:35:04.970+00:00Still, three is hardly an indication of being a mu...Still, three is hardly an indication of being a much-feared pirate of reputeMALthus Direhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/15847555508305181801noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-3640929554503965005.post-47277264629137738822013-03-03T17:13:31.513+00:002013-03-03T17:13:31.513+00:00b) no-one seems to know who you are (or has everyo...<i>b) no-one seems to know who you are (or has everyone who ever met you ended up dead)?</i><br /><br />You can encounter at least three old acquaintances, depending on where you go. You owe one of them a lot of money, another wants to kill you because of how you wronged him in the past, and the third knocked out several of your teeth in a prizefight.Ed Jolleyhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07293815550517824166noreply@blogger.com