Can You Beat the Challenge?

Knightmare #1

by Dave Morris, Tim Child

Based on the thrilling ITV series!

Can Treguard survive the challenge of Knightmare?

Genres: Gamebooks, Choose Your Own Adventure, Fiction

101 pages, Paperback

First published January 1, 1988

Reviews

[Alex (The Bookubus) · Rating 3 out of 5]

3.5 stars

[Sophie Crane · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book is brilliant for Knightmare fans old and new. Really enjoy the story and the quest. Would defiantly recommend if you are a fan, or want to try something different.

[Jake Collins · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a very good book for fans of Knightmare. The tale of Treguard's journey to reclaim Knightmare Castle from the evil Gruagach transplants plenty of characters and situations from the TV series into a medieval England where established history mixes perfectly with folklore and magic.

The "choose-your-own-adventure" section may lack the variety and re-playability of those in some of the later books in this series, but it should be more than Knightmare-ish enough to satisfy, test and entertain any true Knightmarer.

[Ben · Rating 3 out of 5]

I used to love the Knightmare ITV show (1987-1994) when I was a child. I recently watched the first episode with my ten-year-old son, on YouTube. It holds up well. There are moments that are quite nail-biting, and he was engrossed. It was certainly well ahead of its time in its visual effects. I wonder how they did it so well, that long ago.

What I didn’t know until recently is that there was also a series of seven accompanying books (1988-1994). This is the first. The first three quarters are a historical-fantasy novella that serves as a prequel to the TV show, and tells how Treguard of Dunshelm, the show’s host and dungeon master, got there; and the last quarter is a short gamebook.

The novella section is, to my surprise, a superbly-written story. Then again, it is co-authored by Tim Child, creator of the TV show, and Dave Morris, the prolific gamebook author. The only real link to the show, though (until the final chapter, anyway, in which Treguard becomes the dungeon master), is the protagonist’s name. He could be anyone and bears no particular resemblance to the Treguard in the show. He’s a dispossessed Saxon knight who we meet on a crusade in Constantinople. He goes to Ely and fights a dragon in the Fens and then meets Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest. Merlin also makes an appearance, and the King Arthur and Beowulf are mentioned. I hadn’t even realised the TV show was set on Earth.

The gamebook section, which is only around 100 paragraphs, features scenes and characters from the TV show, and manages to cram in three short adventures. This section is marked by a sardonic humour in the same vein as Treguard’s in the TV show. Wrong choices quickly lead to death and there aren’t multiple routes to victory. It’s simple - it has to be due to its size - but fun.

Overall, a really great little piece of merchandise which I’m glad I discovered.

[Blake · Rating 3 out of 5]

(FYI I tend to only review one book per series, unless I want to change my scoring by 0.50 or more of a star. -- I tend not to read reviews until after I read a book, so I go in with an open mind.)


I'm finally going through my physical tv, film etc. tie in library owned book list, to add more older basic reviews. If I liked a book enough to keep then they are at the least a 3 star.

I'm only adding one book per author and I'm not going to re-read every book to be more accurate, not when I have 1000s of new to me authors to try (I can't say no to free books....)


First time read the author's work?: Yes

Will you be reading more?: Yes

Would you recommend?: Yes


------------
How I rate Stars: 5* = I loved (must read all I can find by the author)
4* = I really enjoyed (got to read all the series and try other books by the author).
3* = I enjoyed (I will continue to read the series)
or
3* = Good book just not my thing (I realised I don't like the genre or picked up a kids book to review in error.)

All of the above scores means I would recommend them!
-
2* = it was okay (I might give the next book in the series a try, to see if that was better IMHO.)
1* = Disliked

Note: adding these basic 'reviews' after finding out that some people see the stars differently than I do - hoping this clarifies how I feel about the book. :-)

[koza · Rating 3 out of 5]

TREGUARD BACKSTORY!!

[Graham · Rating 4 out of 5]

A book and TV tie-in which manages to pack a fair bit of content into its pages. The first two-thirds is a novella about the origins of Knightmare Castle, casting dungeon keeper Treguard as a Saxon hero who returns from the Crusades to battle an evil sorcerer who's taken up residence in his ancestral home. His episodic adventures include dragon-slaying in Ely and tangling with Robin Hood in Sherwood Forest, before a familiar sword-and-sorcery showdown in the castle. The story is generic and shallow, but also fast-paced with plenty of action.

The last part of the book is a brief gamebook based on the TV show. The reader picks one of three difficulties and then goes on some surprisingly tough missions. There are appearances from various characters and creatures from the TV series, which many will love, and a good amount of decision making and obstacles. The shortness of it means it's not going to be the most complex gamebook out there, but it does the job well for what it is.