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Fabled Lands 4: The Plains of Howling Darkness: Volume 4 Paperback – 15 Mar. 2017
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Jamie Thomson
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Dave Morris
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Print length250 pages
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LanguageEnglish
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Publication date15 Mar. 2017
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Dimensions12.7 x 1.45 x 20.32 cm
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ISBN-100956737234
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ISBN-13978-0956737236
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Product description
From the Publisher
From the Author
About the Author
Jamie Thomson is the best-selling author of DARK LORD: THE EARLY YEARS and winner of the 2012 Roald Dahl Prize. With Dave Morris, he is co-founder of Fabled Lands LLP, a creative studio dedicated to originating worlds, characters and properties that span media from print to games to television.
Dave Morris is an award-winning game designer and UK #1 top-selling author. He has written more than two dozen choose-you-own style gamebooks with worldwide sales in the millions. His interactive version of Mary Shelley's FRANKENSTEIN for iPad won critical acclaim on both sides of the Atlantic, with Salon.com describing it as "maybe the best interactive fiction yet". He is also the creator of the acclaimed multiplayer gamebook series BLOOD SWORD and the classic British fantasy roleplaying game DRAGON WARRIORS.
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Product details
- Publisher : Fabled Lands Publishing; 2nd edition (15 Mar. 2017)
- Language : English
- Paperback : 250 pages
- ISBN-10 : 0956737234
- ISBN-13 : 978-0956737236
- Dimensions : 12.7 x 1.45 x 20.32 cm
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Best Sellers Rank:
173,453 in Books (See Top 100 in Books)
- 1,965 in TV, Movie, Game Adaptations
- 2,028 in Puzzles & Quizzes
- 5,500 in Sword & Sorcery
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There is certainly a historical Mongolian influence loosely based around the wandering nomad tribes of the Gobi before the unification under Genghis Khan. It is certainly a marked difference to the environment of the other three Fabled Lands books that take place on the northern continent, which were all set in very much a fantasy/mediaeval European mix. The writers have successfully created an authentic feel to the environment that anyone who has travelled in the Gobi should recognise.
The journeys across the plains and steppes (and you will travel across them a lot) are not the most involved or interesting areas of the book, however.
The city of Yarimura, really the only major settlement in the book, is a multicultural conglomeration. There is clearly influence from across the various other civilisations, especially from the eastern Akatsurai. It gives it an east-meets-west feel. The islands off the eastern coast of Yarimura also have a lot to entertain concealed within them and offer a change of landscapes from the plains.
This book, with its territory spread across the length of the northern continent, perhaps more than its fellows, relies on interaction with the other books in the series. The scenario at Velis Corin is much more worthwhile if you possess knowledge of the political events within ‘The War Torn Kingdom’ of Sokara and there are multiple places like the Ruby Citadel or Kaschuf’s Keep that require knowledge gained in previous books. Nerech isn’t accessible without ‘The War Torn Kingdom’. Most of all though, ‘The Plains of Howling Darkness’ needs to be read in conjunction with ‘The Kingdom of Hidden Faces’ to unlock its best aspects (it is also impossible to set sail from the west coast of the continent without it). Of course this means the purchase of another book but it is definitely worthwhile playing these two books almost simultaneously.
The mountains that form the northern border of the map give a fascinating visual impression. The concept of a mountain range at the edge of the world that looks out to space is quite an awe inspiring image. Unfortunately, although they are worth visiting for the effect they are of little benefit to the adventurer. They suffer from the same problem that litters the Fabled Lands series; that of spending ages trying gain the rights skills, items and information to access a previously locked area only to succeed and find no reward but some form of teleportation that sends you back to a place in another book that you then have to spend ages to get back from. Annoying as that can be though it is part of the gameplay. Enjoy the mountains but don’t venture to far into them.
The quests on offer within ‘The Plains of Howling Darkness’ are sometimes a little more complicated and difficult to those in the previous Fabled Lands books but they are generally more rewarding and beneficial to the reader. Essentially this is due to their interaction with the other books in the series. Without this interaction the adventuring on offer may feel a little shallow at times.
I would highlight the fact that these books are so open ended. They are in a league of their own. The book never tells you what to do. Just explore, trade, acquire and quest your way around a world that is six books in size and allows for movement in all directions on land and by sea. This is genius and I believe unique to game books!
There are in fact 12 books in the series but only six have ever been printed. If enough books in this new edition are sold the publisher will commission the remaining 6. For the love of all that is fun in the world please buy these books and do all us fans a favour. We need books 7 to 12 as soon as possible!!!
Something has finally torn me away from my iPad of an evening. High praise indeed...
Fabled Lands 3: Over the Blood-Dark Sea
Fabled Lands 2: Cities of Gold & Glory
Fabled Lands 1: The War Torn Kingdom
The Fabled Lands series is highly recommended for anyone who likes single player role playing games and is tired of PC games.





