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The King's Quest Companion, 4th Edition (Covers Games I-VII) by Peter Spear
King's Quest Companion is an official authorized walkthrough/hint book that covered each of the games in a novella style format written by Peter Spear, Jeremy Spear, and some material by eluki bes shahar. There were four editions, with the 4th edition covering up to King's Quest 7. The short story adaptations often added new history to the story of Daventry in the process, as well as adding more detailed background to items found, while remaining true to the games. See From the Chronicles of Daventry. The editions were endorsed by Roberta Williams herself (she had some involvement in their development), and became an important part of the original King's Quest's canon offering 'greater depth and detail' (according to Roberta), it was referenced in other King's Quest games, manuals, and hintbooks (for example Derek Karlavaegen became an important part of the backstory to King's Quest 6, and many of the facts from the books became questions in King's Questions trivia video game). With it one could learn the deepest, most hidden secrets about the real world of Daventry.
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First published January 1, 1990
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Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews
May 18, 2019
I love the King’s Quest games and I love this book! It was so entertaining and fun to read!! It didn’t feel like a walkthrough; it read like a fantasy novel and it was just so clever and witty!!! I played a lot of KQ6 so I probably enjoyed that section the most, but they were all a lot of fun. I had the game’s music stuck in my head virtually the entire time, but that just made it more fun. I didn’t read it very quickly, mostly because I wanted to savor and enjoy it. And I did. It was a lot of fun. I love the King’s Quest series!!! Now if they would just make a fun walkthrough like this for the recent reboot...that would be so much fun to read too!!!
May 16, 2019
Who would have expected a series of walkthroughs to be so entertaining?
Over half the book consists of novelized walkthroughs for games 1-6 (I know there's one for KQ7 too, but that's in the the 4th edition, which costs 20 times more than this 3rd edition version that I was able to get my hands on, so, no Valanice game for me). These "guides" are broken up with incidental chapters that either expand the Daventry universe or give further hints to the players about how to proceed. Like detailing the spells in KQ3, with the necessary step-by-step instructions for how to make them without exploding into a Game Over plus observations on their values, pros, and cons. The second, slimmer half plays the walkthrough aspect a little more straight, being more clear directions on what to do and when. It's got lots of really nifty maps (some of which I'd drawn myself when I played the games), point rundowns, and, in the case of KQ6, the branching paths and some of the plot variations depending on player action.
And I loved nearly every single page.
Game manuals shouldn't be allowed to be this fun, and yet! So much effort went into this. It didn't need it, but they went with it. The author used a fun framing concept wherein the author claims that the fictitious universe actually exists and that it's just over your shoulder in a pocket universe that you could see if only you could turn your head fast enough. He claims to be getting mysterious emails from Daventry explaining the Actual Real Life History of the royal family and their peoples.
Like. We're probably buying this guide in '96 or whenever because the Sierra Phone Hintline is always busy and we can't figure out what the gnome's name is in KQ1 no matter how hard we try, or we just can't get full points in KQ2, and Gamefaqs doesn't exist yet. We don't need adorable novelized walkthroughs, and we sure don't need a bizarre little framing device. But we got one and it gives everything such a nice flavor and earnestness.
The author is at his best when he's not constrained by "go here go there" parts of the guide (like, when Graham stumbles from screen to screen, going north then west then west again). Little side anecdotes about the characters and the chapters between the guides are often the best parts, because Spear gets to play with characters and setting more.
(Except the one that just lists all the gravestones. It started cute as a Tamir Travel Guide, but the gravestone font is hard to read and it lacks life [hehe])
He uses a number of methods to tell the guides, from interviews to accounts told to the court scribe. Some are stronger than others--the one from Valanice is okay, but somehow missing the spark that was so strong in KQ3's interview-first-person-style. The phrasing itself gets really Fantasy Melodramatic sometimes, in sort of a silly-fanfic way, but despite "The flames that blazed from its jaws had scorched deep the virgin rock" type sentences filling the text, it's still fun. It gives it the sort of completely nonsensical tone a fantasy like this--wherein you defeat Dracula and steal porridge from the three bears of Goldilocks fame--should probably have.
Even the straight walkthrough part has little side notes from the author to the player, like suggesting they save before playing the bone xylophone just because it's REALLY COOL and you might want to watch the animation again, guys! Or "waiting" for people with different versions of the game to catch up to where everyone else is (e.g., waiting for the SCI people to pick up slingshot stones at this location rather than the classic location where everyone else picked up their item).
All in all, terrifically entertaining, if you know the games or not. If you can get your hands on it, of course, it being from the mid 90s and well out of print.
Edit: I did eventually get my hands on the Princeless Bride guidebook: thoughts on it are here.
Over half the book consists of novelized walkthroughs for games 1-6 (I know there's one for KQ7 too, but that's in the the 4th edition, which costs 20 times more than this 3rd edition version that I was able to get my hands on, so, no Valanice game for me). These "guides" are broken up with incidental chapters that either expand the Daventry universe or give further hints to the players about how to proceed. Like detailing the spells in KQ3, with the necessary step-by-step instructions for how to make them without exploding into a Game Over plus observations on their values, pros, and cons. The second, slimmer half plays the walkthrough aspect a little more straight, being more clear directions on what to do and when. It's got lots of really nifty maps (some of which I'd drawn myself when I played the games), point rundowns, and, in the case of KQ6, the branching paths and some of the plot variations depending on player action.
And I loved nearly every single page.
Game manuals shouldn't be allowed to be this fun, and yet! So much effort went into this. It didn't need it, but they went with it. The author used a fun framing concept wherein the author claims that the fictitious universe actually exists and that it's just over your shoulder in a pocket universe that you could see if only you could turn your head fast enough. He claims to be getting mysterious emails from Daventry explaining the Actual Real Life History of the royal family and their peoples.
Like. We're probably buying this guide in '96 or whenever because the Sierra Phone Hintline is always busy and we can't figure out what the gnome's name is in KQ1 no matter how hard we try, or we just can't get full points in KQ2, and Gamefaqs doesn't exist yet. We don't need adorable novelized walkthroughs, and we sure don't need a bizarre little framing device. But we got one and it gives everything such a nice flavor and earnestness.
The author is at his best when he's not constrained by "go here go there" parts of the guide (like, when Graham stumbles from screen to screen, going north then west then west again). Little side anecdotes about the characters and the chapters between the guides are often the best parts, because Spear gets to play with characters and setting more.
(Except the one that just lists all the gravestones. It started cute as a Tamir Travel Guide, but the gravestone font is hard to read and it lacks life [hehe])
He uses a number of methods to tell the guides, from interviews to accounts told to the court scribe. Some are stronger than others--the one from Valanice is okay, but somehow missing the spark that was so strong in KQ3's interview-first-person-style. The phrasing itself gets really Fantasy Melodramatic sometimes, in sort of a silly-fanfic way, but despite "The flames that blazed from its jaws had scorched deep the virgin rock" type sentences filling the text, it's still fun. It gives it the sort of completely nonsensical tone a fantasy like this--wherein you defeat Dracula and steal porridge from the three bears of Goldilocks fame--should probably have.
Even the straight walkthrough part has little side notes from the author to the player, like suggesting they save before playing the bone xylophone just because it's REALLY COOL and you might want to watch the animation again, guys! Or "waiting" for people with different versions of the game to catch up to where everyone else is (e.g., waiting for the SCI people to pick up slingshot stones at this location rather than the classic location where everyone else picked up their item).
All in all, terrifically entertaining, if you know the games or not. If you can get your hands on it, of course, it being from the mid 90s and well out of print.
Edit: I did eventually get my hands on the Princeless Bride guidebook: thoughts on it are here.
September 8, 2020
Like the Official Book of King's Quest that I reviewed recently, this book would probably only appeal to fans of the King's Quest computer game series. With that said, I've been playing King's Quest games for decades, and I remember being jealous when a friend got an earlier edition of this book in 1990. It wasn't easy to track down the fourth edition of this book, but the information about King's Quest VII was worth the effort (and the price, but I should mention that I waited for quite a while until I found one that was affordable).
The main feature of these books is the novelized versions of the games. I appreciate that there are multiple approaches to presenting the stories, each with a preface from the fictional Derek Karlavaegen, who also tells many of the stories. If I was to look for a complaint about the book, it would be that the Karlavaegen idea can be a little overdone, and the short sections between chapters can get a little intrusive at times. Still, it's a part of the narrative that draws the whole book together, so I didn't let it bother me too much.
In addition to the novelized versions, the book also has maps for all seven games as well as thorough walkthroughs. The biggest feature that I missed from the Official Book of King's Quest was the "Points Not of Interest" section, which suggests actions that may not occur to players (and often result in death). I think that was a good addition in the other book, as it gives alternative ideas to people who have played the games many times but might have missed some possibilities. With that said, if I had to recommend one book, this would be the one I'd choose (although I will say that the third edition of the Official Book of King's Quest is a major step forward from the earlier versions, and I would recommend it as well).
The main feature of these books is the novelized versions of the games. I appreciate that there are multiple approaches to presenting the stories, each with a preface from the fictional Derek Karlavaegen, who also tells many of the stories. If I was to look for a complaint about the book, it would be that the Karlavaegen idea can be a little overdone, and the short sections between chapters can get a little intrusive at times. Still, it's a part of the narrative that draws the whole book together, so I didn't let it bother me too much.
In addition to the novelized versions, the book also has maps for all seven games as well as thorough walkthroughs. The biggest feature that I missed from the Official Book of King's Quest was the "Points Not of Interest" section, which suggests actions that may not occur to players (and often result in death). I think that was a good addition in the other book, as it gives alternative ideas to people who have played the games many times but might have missed some possibilities. With that said, if I had to recommend one book, this would be the one I'd choose (although I will say that the third edition of the Official Book of King's Quest is a major step forward from the earlier versions, and I would recommend it as well).
January 23, 2026
This guidebook is a combination novelization and walkthrough for the Sierra adventure game series, which I found online. Part of the conceit is that the author has direct communication with Derek Karalvaegen, a historian in the world where the games take place. He moved into the wizard Manannan's old house in Llewdor after the events of KQ3, and can speak to Spear through a machine there. He sends documents relevant to the history of his world, some written by him based on interviews, although the account of KQ2 is attributed to King Graham's Prime Minister Gerwain. The narratives are pretty accurate to the games, which makes sense as they're supposed to provide hints. They add in the thoughts of the protagonists and some additional background information, and even account for the fact that some of the maps wrap around, attributing it to magical containment. There are also maps of the settings, drawn as if they're in-universe artifacts rather than the grids you actually see while playing, something I always enjoy. After covering all seven games in this fashion, it gives more detailed walkthroughs for each one. It's explained that the game world is in a different universe, but is linked with our world, and many of its inhabitants arrived from here. There's a suggestion that the wizard Crispinophur from KQ5 was responsible for the transportation, and that the newcomers first arrived in Serenia before migrating to other places. This includes not just people, but other beings who are only remembered in myths and fairy tales, including Count Dracula. I appreciate the format of this book.
April 18, 2018
Probably this book will never be in the running for Greatest American Novel or even Greatest American Short Story. But hey, it’s a game guide. As a game guide, it’s a pretty good one.
Our family has been playing the King’s Quest series of games ever since we got our first computer that came with King’s Quest IV installed on it. This book includes both the plots (in narrative form) and walkthroughs for the King’s Quest games I – VII. It does not cover the last game we had, King’s Quest VIII, probably because it was published before that one came out, but also possibly because Sierra Online, the original creator of the games, underwent one or more mergers at about that time.
What I liked about it was that it had the stories of all the games as stories in addition to the how-to guides for playing the games. Since we worked our way through all the games in painful detail (my husband did most of the work on them; it got where it was kind of pointless for me to try and play any of them, since he would tell me every move to make) I can vouch for the overall accuracy of both the stories and the guide portion.
As I understand it, the games either have recently been reissued or soon will be in updated form for the newest computers and operating systems by whoever owns the franchise now. It is possible that there may be a few changes from previous versions. The author notes some differences between early versions of some of the games, and there may be more of the same in the reissued versions.
Our family has been playing the King’s Quest series of games ever since we got our first computer that came with King’s Quest IV installed on it. This book includes both the plots (in narrative form) and walkthroughs for the King’s Quest games I – VII. It does not cover the last game we had, King’s Quest VIII, probably because it was published before that one came out, but also possibly because Sierra Online, the original creator of the games, underwent one or more mergers at about that time.
What I liked about it was that it had the stories of all the games as stories in addition to the how-to guides for playing the games. Since we worked our way through all the games in painful detail (my husband did most of the work on them; it got where it was kind of pointless for me to try and play any of them, since he would tell me every move to make) I can vouch for the overall accuracy of both the stories and the guide portion.
As I understand it, the games either have recently been reissued or soon will be in updated form for the newest computers and operating systems by whoever owns the franchise now. It is possible that there may be a few changes from previous versions. The author notes some differences between early versions of some of the games, and there may be more of the same in the reissued versions.
February 24, 2018
I read this entire book cover to cover, again and again and again, before I had ever even played King's Quest, or even any game *like* King's Quest. When I finally did play some of the games it was like returning to old friends, since I'd already known the stories more than many players already did. This is more than just some video game guide, this is a complete work of fiction, multiple short stories taking place in the same kingdom over years and years of adventures. It's really amazing stuff.
"My daddy used to tell me, 'Boy, if I have learned anything in my life, I have learned this: when in doubt, or in trouble, pick up anything that is not nailed down, and, if it is, check for loose nails or boards. Check carefully into, under, above, below, and behind things. Read everything; you might learn something. Wear clean undergarments, brush after meals, and always remember, nothing is as it appears.'"
"My daddy used to tell me, 'Boy, if I have learned anything in my life, I have learned this: when in doubt, or in trouble, pick up anything that is not nailed down, and, if it is, check for loose nails or boards. Check carefully into, under, above, below, and behind things. Read everything; you might learn something. Wear clean undergarments, brush after meals, and always remember, nothing is as it appears.'"
October 11, 2025
A unique take on the series. I read this as a kid and reread as an adult. Truly brought me back to those fond memories of dying over and over and over and over, but never getting tired of it. Good times, had by all.
April 22, 2020
I remember using this both as a strategy guide and also enjoying reading the stories as narratives.
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October 1, 2015A must have if you enjoyed the Kings Quest series.
Displaying 1 - 9 of 9 reviews