The end of the 23rd century. Earth lies in the grip of a new Ice Age. Famine, cold and fanatic cults threaten what is left of civilization. Humanity is on the brink of extinction.

Nine of the strongest heroes of the age come seeking the ultimate prize: the Heart of Volent, an object with the power to reshape reality. All are ruthless, powerful, determined. To succeed they must work together. But only one can have the Heart.

Choose your alliances with care. Weigh up who to trust. Be ready for betrayal. When the moment comes, the future of mankind will rest on your judgement.

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Critical IF books are interactive adventures with a difference. You can be a mutant with the power to warp reality. A soldier whose combat skills are a match for any foe. A stealthy assassin leaping between rooftops. An explorer who can survive in the harshest conditions. Be anyone you can imagine. Choose from almost five hundred different character types, each with their own unique skills.

Strong stories, vivid settings and compelling characters make Critical IF the game-changers of the interactive fiction genre. Put yourself in the heart of the story.

A choose-your-own-adventure style gamebook that gives the reader a choice of different quests and adventures. The book is open-ended and provides an almost unlimited number of plot lines. You can be a warrior, explorer, priest, wizard, thief or bard. The books in the series are inter-connected, allowing you to travel all across the Fabled Lands. This volume takes you across freezing tundra and northern wastelands dotted with ancient tombs, lost cities and haunted ruins.

Fighting Fantasy gamebooks have sold over 17 million books worldwide, in over 30 languages. YOU were the hero in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, fighting monsters and foes with a pencil, two dice and an eraser. And now - YOU ARE THE COLOURIST! Bring your favourite trolls, dragons and even the Warlock himself to life, colouring the original emotive illustrations by artist Russ Nicholson.

Fighting Fantasy gamebooks have sold over 17 million books worldwide, in over 30 languages. YOU were the hero in The Warlock of Firetop Mountain, fighting monsters and foes with a pencil, two dice and an eraser. And now - YOU ARE THE COLOURIST! Bring your favourite trolls, dragons and even the Warlock himself to life, colouring the original emotive illustrations by artist Russ Nicholson.

Put yourself at the heart of the story...

The sole survivor of an expedition brings news of disaster. Your twin brother is lost in the trackless western sierra where none can survive. Resolving to find out his fate, you leave the safety of your home far behind. Your quest will take you to lost jungle cities, across mountains and seas, and even into the uncanny depths of the underworld.

You will plunge into the eerie world of Mayan myth. You must confront vengeful ghosts and bloodthirsty gods, bargain for your life against terrifying demons, find allies and enemies among both the living and the dead.

Then, if you are brave enough to face the dangers of the spirit-haunted western desert, you must still confront the wizard called Necklace of Skulls in a deadly contest whose stakes are nothing less than your own soul.

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Critical IF books are interactive adventures with a difference. You can be a mutant with the power to warp reality. A buccaneer whose sword and pistol are a match for any foe. A daring rogue leaping between rooftops. A wizard who can command the elements. Be anyone you can imagine. Choose from almost five hundred different character types, each with their own unique skills.

Strong stories, vivid settings and compelling characters make Critical IF the game-changers of the interactive fiction genre.

Put yourself at the heart of the story...

Your life is in danger from a powerful enemy. Jafar, advisor to the Caliph, is plotting a coup that will put him on the throne of Baghdad. You are the only one who knows his secret. Only you can warn the Caliph. But who will listen to a penniless adventurer? Even to venture out of hiding would be to risk death from the assassins who are scouring the city night and day to find you.

There is one hope. Fame and fortune would give you the means to expose Jafar's treachery. Striking out from the city, your travels take you to the furthest corners of the world. You will encounter ghoul-haunted oases, magical palaces, lost cities of gold, and uncharted isles full of mystery and danger. Threatened by bandits, fire wizards, thieves and fearsome creatures, you must risk all in your determined quest to save the kingdom.

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NB: Once Upon A Time In Arabia was originally published as TWIST OF FATE in the Virtual Reality series. This edition is revised and expanded with a completely new prologue.

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Critical IF books are interactive adventures with a difference. You can be a mutant with the power to warp reality. A buccaneer whose sword and pistol are a match for any foe. A daring rogue leaping between rooftops. A wizard who can command the elements. Be anyone you can imagine. Choose from almost five hundred different character types, each with their own unique skills.

Strong stories, vivid settings and compelling characters make Critical IF books the game-changers of the interactive fiction genre.

FABLED LANDS is an epic series of interactive books with the scope of a massively multiplayer game world. You can choose to be an explorer, merchant, priest, scholar or soldier of fortune. You can buy a ship or a townhouse, join a temple, undertake desperate adventures in the wilderness or embroil yourself in court intrigues and the sudden violence of city backstreets. You can undertake missions that will earn you allies and enemies, or you can remain a free agent. With thousands of quests and locations to explore, the choices are all yours.

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SET OUT ON A JOURNEY OF FABULOUS ADVENTURE

The Lords of the Rising Sun hold absolute power over the exotic kingdom of Akatsurai. But proud warrior clans constantly seek to overthrow them. In the turmoil of war there are countless opportunities for a quick-witted adventurer. Will you spy for the Shogun? Will you pledge your life to the Sovereign as one of his chivalrous knights? Or just play one side against the other in your pursuit of riches and power?

Track down the elusive, raven-winged Tengu to learn the secret arts of sorcery and swordplay. Defeat the vampires, skilled in martial arts, who guard the Lost Tomb of the Necromancer. Enter the dreadful cloisters of the Noboro Monastery, where you will fight the most dangerous opponent of all ? yourself ...

A thousand quests await you and every decision is in your hands. Be whoever you choose, go anywhere you please, do anything you want ? the only limit is your imagination.

The choices are unlimited, the adventures endless, in the fantastic role-playing world of the FABLED LANDS.

A choose-your-own-adventure style gamebook that gives the reader a choice of different quests and adventures. The book is open-ended and provides an almost unlimited number of plot lines. You can be a warrior, explorer, priest, wizard, thief or bard. The books in the series are inter-connected, allowing you to travel all across the Fabled Lands. In this volume you get to sail over the oceans, experiencing fantastic adventures to rival those of Odysseus, Jason and Sinbad.