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Grail Quest #1

Castle of Darkness

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In the fabled realm of Avalon, the great King Arthur keeps court at Camelot. The far reaches of his kingdom are being terrorized by monstrous dragons and powerful warlocks, and the famous Knights of the Round Table set forth on quests of valor to combat these forces of evil. But YOU have been chosen for the most perilous mission of all: to penetrate the enchanted fortress of the dreaded Wizard Ansalom, and rescue Queen Guinevere from his sorcery.

To play your way through this adventure gamebook, you need two dice, a pencil and an eraser -- plus skill and luck to defeat the hideous creatures and horrible deathtraps that await you behind the fearsome walls of the Castle of Darkness. . . .

190 pages, Mass Market Paperback

First published April 26, 1984

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About the author

J.H. Brennan

99 books46 followers
James Herbert "Herbie" Brennan is a lecturer and the author of over one hundred fiction and non-fiction books for adults, teens, and children.

His works have been translated into approximately fifty languages, he has also written books on the Occult and New Age. He initially trained in esoteric teachings and Qabalah with the Fraternity of the Inner Light, and later became associated with Dolores Ashcroft-Nowicki and the Servants of the Light.

In 1995 he contributed two novels to the Horrorscopes series under the house pen name Maria Palmer.

In 2003, Brennan published the children's book The Book of Wizardry: The Apprentice's Guide to the Secrets of the Wizards' Guild under the pseudonym Cornelius Rumstuckle.

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Displaying 1 - 16 of 16 reviews
Profile Image for The Antiquary.
8 reviews5 followers
December 4, 2008
I was lucky, being nine years old at exactly the right time to catch this one print run of choose-your-own-adventures. These were great fun, intelligent and witty. The art was great, realistic dark fantasy stuff, with heads on spikes, skulls - real menace, all in a good old English setting (even if it was actually a confusion of old Britons, Saxons, Celts and Normans).

Where else were you recruited by Merlin? Where else were you given a talking, reluctant, cut-sized Excalibur rip-off? Where else did you have to write bad poetry rather than roll dice to deter the vampiric Poetic Fiend?

If more people had read these over the Ian Livingstone and Steve Jackson Fighting Fantasy then I might have found someone else willing to start a role-playing group later as a teenager and even now I'd probably be headbanging to Rammstein, wearing a lot of black t-shirts, embarrassingly tatooed with perhaps a couple of rusty piercings - I've had a narrow escape.
Profile Image for David Sarkies.
1,924 reviews378 followers
November 1, 2021
A Pythonesque Choose Your Own Adventure
30 October 2021

Even though I haven’t technically finished reading all of the Fighting Fantasy books that had been published (half the reason being is that they keep on releasing more, despite the days that the Fighting Fantasy books were popular are now long gone, thanks to the development of computer games) I decided that it might be an idea to jump over to another series, probably because I had borrowed half of them off of my friend, and since they are now way, way out of print, I should get around to reading them, writing a review of them, and getting them back to him.

This series is actually a lot more light-hearted than the Fighting Fantasy series, probably because the writer wanted to target a somewhat younger audience. Probably more children as opposed to teenagers and adults that the original series was focused on. As such, they are somewhat funnier, and as one person described them, a but Pythonesque as well.

The series is set in Arthurian Britain, during the decline of the Roman Empire. Okay, depending on who you talk to, there is a debate as to when this actually was (Monmouth suggested that it was sometime between 700 to 800 AD, which is long after the fall of the Western Empire, but then again nobody really pays all that much attention to Monmouth). However, what is interesting is that there is mention of Tintegal in this book, though the suggestion is that it is actually a summer resort.

This is the first of the series, so it is really just testing the water to see how well the concept goes. However, since he did end up writing another seven books suggests that it did end up selling well, but then again my theory goes that it is actually somewhat easier, and cheaper, to produce books than it is to say produce movies – all that is required is the writer’s time and imagination (though that is not including production and marketing costs – but that is another story). The plot itself is pretty simple in that the queen has been kidnapped by an evil wizard, and you have to go and rescue her.

The first part of the book pretty much sets the scene, as well as giving a rundown on how the combat system works. Honestly, I did prefer the combat system for this series than I did for the original Fighting Fantasy books, which required you to roll higher than your opponent on a set of dice. In this series you have to roll higher than a set number, which is adjusted based on your opponent, and the higher you roll, the more damage you do. The catch is that your opponent can attack, hit, and damage you in the same round.

Yeah, this one was quite fun, though another catch that isn’t strictly mentioned is that you can go back to previous entries, which can be a little confusing in that if you head down an area where there is no obvious way out, you may get stuck. However, while it isn’t specifically spelled out, yes, you can go back to a previous paragraph and explore another branch, which is why it is suggested that you make a map. Unfortunately, this is something that isn’t available in the Fighting Fantasy books, though those books are designed in a way that it doesn’t matter what passage you take, you are still moving towards the completion, whereas in these books you are more likely exploring a dungeon, or some ruins.

Still, it’s pretty good, and I’m glad I made the effort to return to these books.
Profile Image for Michael Kelly.
Author 16 books27 followers
April 23, 2015
Herbie Brennan wrote gamebooks like no one else could, with humour and atmosphere. There's so much narrative detail put into his tales that they really are like interactive novels. That man can write.

The Grail Quest series was always my favourite when I was a youngster and rereading this one, the first in the series, reminded me why. Set in Arthurian Britain, the reader is tasked by Merlin with rescuing the kidnapped Queen Guinevere from the dark castle of the wicked wizard Ansalom.

I died several times in rapid succession, all very close to the beginning of the adventure. There are some pitiless traps.

But after that, once I started gathering some of the powerful items which are to be discovered (especially the Luckstone, which is essentially a 'cheat your way to victory' device!), I sailed through the main body of the story without any worries. Pip (the reader's character) is almost overpowered before long if you are lucky enough when exploring.

Unlike some of his rivals, Brennan's gamebooks are always cohesive and interesting, with weird and amusing characters in abundance. The game rules allow for proper progression too: if you're killed and have to begin again, any enemies and traps you encountered first time round can now be discounted. You score experience points as you explore, which are traded in to permanently boost your vitality. And useful items (such as the aforementioned Luckstone, I'm delighted to say) can be carried forward to the next adventure in the series of books.

Absolutely first class, I had a blast!
Profile Image for Leon.
68 reviews4 followers
December 24, 2009
The Castle of Darkness is the first in J.H. Brennan's Grailquest gamebook series. The reader takes on the role of Pip, a young person living in a farm during the time of King Arthur's Avalon. In this book, Queen Guinevere has been kidnapped by the wicked Wizard Ansalom, and Pip must travel to Ansalom's Castle of Darkness in order to rescue her. The book's combat system is simple but enjoyable, using two six-sided dice to resolve battles, much in the way of the Fighting Fantasy as well as Lone Wolf gamebook series. Add to this the humorous tone of writing and you've got one of the best gamebook series of all time.
Profile Image for Isabelle.
97 reviews16 followers
August 12, 2011
A cross between "Choose Your Own Adventure" and "Dungeons & Dragons"! I had hours of fun with this book! =D
Profile Image for Lars Thomasen.
7 reviews1 follower
July 31, 2015
Perfect book for every 9-13year old.. This choose-your-adventure series is so well written it's almost amazing.
Profile Image for Jake.
12 reviews
December 9, 2007
only good Choose Your Own Adventure-type book. Even other Grailquest books were terrible.
Profile Image for Guillermo.
Author 1 book7 followers
May 12, 2023
La Búsqueda del Grial fue siempre mi colección favorita de librojuegos. De hecho el primer librojuego que leí en mi vida fue ‘La caverna del dragón’. Para mí fue como entrar por la puerta grande. Cuando todos los demás reverenciaban ‘Lobo Solitario’ yo defendía el humor y las mecánicas de los juegos de Brennan a muerte.

Así que enfrentarme a la relectura de este viejo clásico más 30 años después me daba un poco de tembleque. ¿Y si todo lo que recordaba era fruto de la nostalgia? ¿Y si, después de todo, no era tan bueno?

Pues resulta que sí que lo era. De hecho visto desde la distancia del tiempo me parece todavía mejor. Porque no solo la narrativa sigue siendo su punto fuerte (ese humor, esa forma de romper la cuarta pared con el hechizo escrito) sino que creo que también sus mecánicas estaban adelantadas a su tiempo. Ahora ya nos parece normal explorar un librojuego por localizaciones a las que puedes volver o buscar puertas secretas, o que haya mecánicas que varíen o surjan a mitad de la historia. Pero en la época en la que se escribió ‘El castillo de las sombras’ esto no era tan común. Y Brennan siguió puliendo y mejorando esos detalles en los siguientes títulos. Así que sigo siendo incondicional del equipo Pip y la sección 14.

Pero vamos con este título concreto. La historia básica de ‘El castillo de las sombras’ es que un mago malvado ha secuestrado a la reina Ginebra y a ti te toca rescatarla. Así que allá vamos, al castillo del paisano, a hacerlo entrar en razón a base de acero y conjuros.

Lo que viene después es un ‘dungeon’ clásico en el que exploraremos las distintas estancias del castillo buscando el cubil de ese malandrín. Y os aseguro que tiene su miga. De hecho recordaba que de chaval me había costado bastante encontrarlo y ¡volvió a costarme! Será por veces que el autor repite que hay que hacer un mapa del castillo y estar atento a todo lo que hemos visitado… Creedme: hay que hacer un mapa y prestar atención. En serio. Haced caso a los mayores, y Merlín es el más mayor de todos.

Los combates son desafiantes aunque el uso de conjuros puede sacarte de más de un problema. Luego en medio de la aventura puedes descubrir algún objeto mágico que quizás facilite las cosas de más según mi opinión.

Si te gustan las historias de fantasía, el humor y sobre todo el ‘mazmorreo’ clásico creo es un título imprescindible. A nivel narrativo no tiene desperdicio y aunque ahora mismo los personajes son sólo una promesa, ya empezamos a percibir que se está generando un ‘lore’ que luego eclosionará en los siguientes títulos.

Pero eso es una historia que ya tocará contar cuando relea el resto de la colección…
Profile Image for Frank Davis.
1,053 reviews49 followers
May 12, 2024
Well this turned into a heap of fun, a mini DnD solo adventure sorta. Am I qualified to review it if I still haven't rescued Queen Guinevere? Don't worry I'll keep coming back to Camelot and continue trying.

The first time I died it was funny, I found some old wine in a barrel and although I knew it was probably a dumb idea, I decided to roll to see if I should drink it. It was nasty. The second time I died in battle which was at least a proper warrior's death.

Even though this is definitely a children's adventure, it was fun and the writing was enjoyable and entertaining. When I thought I was all prepped and ready to set off there was still a little more pre-story and prepping to go.

Once the adventure starts in earnest it goes hella fast. The sections that you get sent to are generally quite short and the adventure gets its bulk from the battles and side quests.

It's designed so as not to be easy. It even looks geared towards making sure you die at least once, there's one unavoidable trap which gives you barely a chance to survive - funnily enough I did get the good roll and not die in that trap.

I think we'd call this litrpg now, but it must be one of the early examples of its kind. I'm fascinated by the genre, having always wanted to solo campaign in DnD but having not spared the time to get it going, this is an easy alternative for lazy adventurers like me.

If I could pick a few bones. It's not always clear exactly what to do. I'm casual enough to just make a best judgement ruling on the spot and keep moving but it's a tiny pain - I like clarity. I also found an inconsistency on the roll to hit instructions, between what was explained in the text and what was summarised in the cheat sheet at the back of the book.

Overall I thought it was pretty clever and very enjoyable. I'll certainly make sure to find the Queen and get her home before moving on to Grail Quest 2.
Profile Image for CharlyyGentlePhoenix.
780 reviews4 followers
April 27, 2022
Le livre démarre après une longue introduction très accrocheuse, un monologue de Merlin l’enchanteur. On peut même aller jusqu’à dire, que la narration est talentueuse. Le livre reste très accessible, personnellement, je l’avais déjà lu à 11ans (c’est une vieillerie!). Bien que datant des années 80, il n’est pas dénué d’une touche de féminisme – rare, pour l’époque.

Il se dégage de cet ouvrage un ton très bienveillant, de Merlin à son apprenti (vous!).

Achevé en 1984, mon oncle en avait des pleins cartons de la sorte, et jeune, j’ai eu plaisir à tous les faire, dressant carte et lançant les dés, explorant chaque couloir de l’aventure. = ).

Si les illustrations sont plutôt réussies et fort pertinentes, le livre est assez mal traduit je trouve. Non pas que je blâme le traducteur, mais le texte « rôliste » venait tout juste de voir le jour ou du moins de se populariser en 80, donc le manuscrit présentait un défi nouveau. ; -)…

Vous vous appelez donc « Pipe », non, « Pip » , et vous allez vivre une aventure digne de l’Œil Noir ! :- ).

Toutefois cette relecture ne m’a pas enchanté! Pourquoi? La difficulté inégale, le média « daté » (on fait bcp mieux ce genre de « rôlisme » via un PC ou une console.) Et enfin le ton très « adapté aux enfants » …

Consultez mon blog : https://charlyyphoenix.wordpress.com/...
Profile Image for Ángel Javier.
411 reviews12 followers
November 3, 2024
Pues la verdad es que es un librojuego bastante entretenido, pero lo recordaba más divertido. Lo jugué por primera vez cuando era un crío, y en ese momento no me di cuenta de lo rematadamente malo que era el bueno de Herbie (que en paz descanse) escribiendo reglas que fueran claras y no se contradijeran cada dos por tres. Leído ahora, el sentimiento es ambivalente, porque básicamente da la impresión de que al buen señor le importa un cuerno que la gente haga o no trampas, o que interprete una regla determinada de una manera u otra, así que, qué demonios, he jugado como me he dado la gana y santas pascuas. En otro orden de cosas, hay que decir que Herbie escribe bien, de hecho demasiado bien para un librojuego. Cada sección contiene bromas más o menos acertadas, pero sobre todo suele ser laaaarga, lo que, para un libro de este tipo, no es algo necesariamente positivo. Al final, da la sensación de que el bueno de Herbie necesitaba perras y escribió esto, que, vale, está bien, pero podría haber sido bastante mejor.

Eso sí, en este volumen asistimos a la primera aparición del Diablo Poético, una gran creación que nos acompañará con sus pésimos poemas durante toda esta saga, que, sinceramente, espero que se parezca más a mis brillantes recuerdos de niñez de lo que se ha asemejado a ellos este primer libro.
Profile Image for Daniela.
Author 8 books10 followers
March 24, 2024
Librogame che non avevo mai provato all'epoca, ma che ho recuperato in live con la mia community, leggendo e lasciando a loro le scelte. Si tratta di un mix tra un librogame classico e un escape book, infatti bisogna tenere traccia delle stanze visitate, fino a trovare la strada giusta per trovare il malvagio mago Ansalom e salvare Ginevra.
Il libro ha i classici scontri con i nemici, ma ha anche un sistema di "respawn" (per usare un termine in prestito dai videogames), che permette di riprovare più volte, scegliendo ogni volta una strada diversa.
Se il primo percorso porta quasi inevitabilmente alla morte prematura, i successivi faranno accumulare esperienza e oggetti, fino a quando si troverà l'unica strada giusta per completare l'avventura e a quel punto, probabilmente, ci si ritroverà sufficientemente equipaggiati per risolverla facilmente.
Molto molto divertente lo stile di scrittura, ci ha fatto ridere e sorridere più di una volta.
991 reviews9 followers
December 25, 2022
Un livre dont vous êtes le héros vraiment sympa, basé sur l’exploration de donjon, le dessin d’une carte par le lecteur est nécessaire mais participe amplement au jeu. Un peu trop de combats cependant et peu d’énigmes. Par ailleurs, quelques fautes littéraires (mélange des temps, du « il »/« vous ») viennent un peu gâcher la joie. Reste un plaisir régressif de gamin!
Profile Image for José Sánchez .
27 reviews
May 5, 2025
Buen librojuego clásico. Simple, bien cabrón y con bastante humor. Como ha de ser.
Profile Image for W.C..
Author 1 book4 followers
Read
August 18, 2007
This is my entry for every little gamebook I played with when I was a kid. every time I see it on my shelf, it reminds me that writing a gamebook would probably be fun.
Profile Image for Mr. Twinkie.
354 reviews32 followers
Want to read
October 23, 2013
Crazy crazy stuff! The whole Grail Quest series was so fun and witty. It was the only real challenge to my love for the Fighting Fantasy series mostly because it was a parody of the genre.
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