Indiana Jones and the Lost Treasure of Sheba

Indiana Jones: Find Your Fate #2

by Rose Estes

Can I really help Indiana Jones find The Lost Treasure of Sheba?

I have to! Last night two men kidnapped my father, Dr. George Ballentyne, a military engineer, from our apartment. My dad has a map to the long-lost treasure of Sheba and he knows a lot about a mysterious new diamond laser. The Fascist forces in Ethiopia want control of both!

So I'm going with Indiana Jones to Ethiopia - a land of dangerous villains, volcanoes, underground mazes, and ruthless spies - to find the treasure and save my father. Indy says it's all up to me: I have to decide what to do; I have to choose which moves to make...I'm in charge every terrifying step of the way!

Genres: Gamebooks, Young Adult, Fiction, Choose Your Own Adventure, Childrens, Adventure, Media Tie In

115 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published May 12, 1984

About the author

Rose Estes is the author of many fantasy and science fiction books, including full length novels and multiple choice gamebooks. After contributing extensively to TSR, Inc.'s Dungeons and Dragons Endless Quest series (of which she wrote the first six, as well as others later down the line), she wrote her first full length novel, Children of the Dragon (1985). She continued to write for TSR by writing six volumes in a series of Greyhawk novels. She contributed to other series, but continued to write books and start series of her own that, like Children of the Dragon, take place in a fantasy or science fiction world created by her own imagination. She also wrote the Golden Book Music Video Sing, Giggle and Grin.

Reviews

[DaViD´82 · Rating 3 out of 5]

Prosto slepých uliček, výběrů bez možnosti volby, dobře napsáno z prvního pohledu, nepostrádá to atmosféru výpravy za exotickým dobrodružstvím...

Prostě v každém ohledu lepší první knihy. Přesto to, bohužel, nevyužívá potenciálu, který se v gamebook formátu Indyho eskapád naskýtá. Stále to s cca sto stranami je kratší než krátké, postrádá to údernost, finále je utnuté a bez katarze, ale oproti minulé části to (alespoň) drží pohromadě jako příběh; nejedná se pouze o slet tří nahodilých situací.

Autorka sází na delší popisy spíše než strohé výjevy čili voleb je málo, ale zase to působí o poznání "knižněji". K tomu nádherné ilustrace sednoucí šestákovému naturelu látky. Výsledkem je příjemná jednohubka, ale z dnešního pohledu to stěží doporučit někomu jinému než výhradně hardcore fandům Indiana Jonese, kteří musí mít veškerý merchandising; včetně použitého toaletního papíru s logem filmu z čtyřiaosmdesátého.

[Michelle Miles · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loved this book as a kid. I read it until the cover was worn and tattered and the pages were yellowed. Since I gave away all my books when I was much younger (and stupidier), I've decided to hunt down these books again (they're out of print) and have since purchased this one to being my collection all over again. I hope my son enjoys reading it as much as I did.

[Bev · Rating 3 out of 5]

Dr. Roger Ballentyne, a military engineer and colleague of the famous Indiana Jones, has developed a plan for anew diamond laser that will cut through anything in moments and he also has discovered a map that leads to the long-lost treasure of the Queen of Sheba. A treasure that is said to consist of a lot of diamonds [what a coincidence!]. The Nazis are very interested in both things and arrange for Dr. Ballantyne to be kidnapped. His son George is in the apartment at the time, but manages to grab the plans for the laser and escape--right into the arms of Indiana Jones who is on his way to see Ballantyne. They aren't able to prevent the doctor's abduction, so Indy and George set off for Ethiopia to rescue the boy's father and--maybe--find the treasure along the way.

But there's a catch...in this story, YOU are George and you will make all the decisions about how the story goes. Choose wisely and you'll solve the mysteries and rescue your dad. Choose even more wisely and you'll bag the treasure as well. But...choose unwisely and at best you'll be waiting a long time in a Nazi jail while the war rages and at worst you'll be trapped in an underground cavern surrounded by jewels but with no hope of escape.

I couldn't resist this one when I found it at our annual community book fair about four years ago. I loved the Choose Your Own Adventure books when I was growing up and I loved Harrison Ford and the Indiana Jones movies. I don't remember the Find Your Fate books being in the bookstores like the CYOA books were. But maybe it's because by the mid-1980s I'd moved on to mystery novels like Agatha Christie and science fiction from Asimov, Silverberg, Clarke, etc.

Anyway...back on subject...this was a fun adventure that, at times, caught the flavor of of the Indiana Jones franchise. Estes made a good attempt at capturing the action/adventure on the page, but the dialog wasn't quite as true. I tried very hard to hear Ford when Indy was talking, but the rhythm just didn't seem quite right. Some of the scenarios seemed more plausible (as Indy scenarios) than others, but I'm sure that it would be difficult to come up with enough variety to provide 12-15 endings that would ring true in the Indy universe. Overall, a good read.

First posted on my blog My Reader's Block.

[Manuel Bv · Rating 2 out of 5]

Muy aburrido, no tiene o no he sabido encontrar la esencia de Indiana Jones. Un libro juvenil, quizás ese ha sido mi problema.

[Katelyn · Rating 2 out of 5]

One star for the story and one star for the fun! This might not be well written but choose your own adventure books are my guilty pleasure. 😁

[Donavon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Read through an adventure and got a "good" ending. Not sure if it was the "true good ending", might give it another go...

Loved these "Find your Fate" books as a kid, but now perfer more linear take in story.

Indy does not speak Italian?!?

As kid, loved seeing Indy teaming up with fellow kid like myself and Shortround. Now, it just seems odd to endanger these children. ;)

[Chris · Rating 3 out of 5]

Found this unread book while cleaning stuff out and it had a stamp from my elementary school book fair (1985?). So obviously I had to read this. It's a decent "choose your own adventure" type story, but definitely more for kids. Shows its age a bit.

[Dan Francis · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lived up to expectations. Fun.

[Brian · Rating 3 out of 5]

Done in the "Choose your own adventure" fashion. From what I remember it was entertaining for several hours and multiple readings. I continued to read it even after I dropped in the river and had to let it dry out for several days.

[Izzie Flynn · Rating 3 out of 5]

I LOVE these little books. So much fun and easy!