Grey Star the Wizard (World of Lone Wolf) [Paperback]

Set in the world of Southern Magnamund, a world away from the adventures of the hero Lone Wolf, whose series has won numerous awards and encompasses three mini-series as well as off-shoots, Grey Star the Wizard begins with Grey Star sailing from the Isle of Lorn, where his mentors, the Shianti wizards, have self-exiled themselves. Many years ago the Shianti created a magical artefact called the Moonstone, but this relic disrupted the balance of the world of Magnamund, and the Shianti were forced to seal it into a Trianon in the plane of Daziarn as well as remain forever on the Isle of Lorn.

Some time later, a great wizard called Shasarak rose to power. Aided by the Shadakine, great warriors from the Sadai Desert, Shasarak brutally destroyed all major nations of Southern Magnamund, creating a vast empire. The Shianti watched with fear as Shasarak grew in power, and someday the fates have promised that the evil tyrant will cross the Sea of Dreams to the Isle of Lorn and fight with the Shianti for total domination once and for all...

Aided by seven sisters, the Shadakine Wytches, who possess mastery of animal language, evil magic, and the Kazim Stones, magical hearts of creatures of stone, Shasarak also mastered vast legions of daemons and spirits, and has ruthlessly persecuted the pilgrims of the Shianti and other religions. Once, long ago, Shasarak had control of a wondrous but terrible artefact called the Sunstone, a gem that had the power of the sun, but its abuse led to the destruction of an entire civilization...with power like that the Wytch-King has all of the human nations in his iron grip.

The Shianti, unable to help, prayed for assistance. And on the stormy night when Shasarak was crowned King of the Shadakine Empire, a ship ran aground. Nobody remained alive, save a small child, which the Shianti named Grey Star, for the streak of grey in the child's hair. The Shianti cannot help mankind, but Grey Star, being human, can..

The combat/survival system is similar to that employed by the Lone Wolf series, but with the added concept of "willpower" points, (which represent, essentially, Grey Star's magic resources). The player selects five of seven magical powers to use before starting the adventure.

The series is lavishly illustrated by Paul Bonner's artwork, and each volume contains a colour map of South Magnamund.

I was quite young when I played these adventures, and I would wait breathlessly and impatiently for each new volume to come out. The world which Ian Page and Joe Dever create is romantic and captivating. All the magic creatures in the story are unique to the world of Magnamund - no elves or dragons - which adds the special feeling of the books.

Grey Star always has companions in his adventures - giants, theives, ape-men (sorry, Kundi), but the most notable is the wytch girl, Tanith, who continues throughout the whole series.