Gamebook Review: 'The Demon Sorcerer' by D.L. Lewis

This weekend I finally decided to have a go at D.L. Lewis's gamebook 'The Demon Sorcerer,' published earlier this spring. Both the text and the art are done by Mr. Lewis himself, and per the opening pages it has been a labor of love written and illustrated over the last 20 years! So, how does twenty years worth of work stack up against its gamebook peers? Pretty damn well as it turns out!

Before we get to the story itself, just take a look at that cover art. Absolutely gorgeous and evocative! I  might be biased on this count, but it looks like a modern death metal cover, and I loves me some death metal! The typography on both the front, back, and spine are also well-done--a step ahead of most of Mr. Lewis's indie gamebook peers. The inside layout and formatting are absolutely flawless as far as I can tell, and I didn't encounter a single misspelling or mis-linked paragraph on my playthroughs! 

So how does it play? The combat is fairly simple: the player rolls one die for themselves and one die for their opponent and adds their 'striking speed.' The higher total hits and rolls one damage die, using the result to select a 'Move' from their chart to deal damage. It's not all that dissimilar to my own system in Westward Dystopia, and I like the simplicity and streamlined nature of it for the same reasons I chose it to use on my own work. 

There is also a 'Special Abilities system that reminds me a bit of classic gamebooks like Dave Morris's 'Heart of Ice' and the 'Way of the Tiger' series where the player can choose 2 skills at the beginning of the game from a list of 6. These skills unlock special options during the game, allowing access to special areas, saving you from taking damage, and learning secrets. You are also able to acquire items along your journey and spend 'Crimson Coins' to purchase services.

Structurally, playing 'The Demon Sorcerer' is a lot like playing a Fighting Fantasy book. You can take a few different paths through the world in your quest to reach the demon lord's black fortress, and if you gain entry, it's a twisting labyrinth of doors, ladders, mazes, fighting, and--yes--instant death paragraphs. It's got a distinctly old-school feel to it, and if you're a Fighting Fantasy fan you'll feel right at home here. It's hard-as-nails but oh-so-satisfying when you finally win.

The writing itself is in a similar vein to early Fighting Fantasy as well. I'd say it's geared toward a teenage reader bracket with a simple story following standard fantasy tropes. Nothing groundbreaking, but it was enough to suck me in. If you're looking for complex world building or characters, you'll be disappointed (check out the Scythe-Bearer trilogy or Quahnarren if you want insanely in-depth world building.) But as an excuse to adventure and slay some demons, it's solid enough window-dressing.

One interesting thing that noticed was that, despite the simple plot, the exploration really pulled me in. Rarely has a modern gamebook really grabbed my attention like this and not let me put it down and I'll be damned if I can figure out exactly why. I'm a slow reader in general, but I tore through this thing in 2 days which is almost unheard of for me. Hell, it took me over a month to read the fourth Destiny Quest book (which was awesome, but for completely different reasons.) So kudos to Mr. Lewis for creating something that grabs me and didn't let go despite it taking me 2 playthroughs to even get to the blasted dark fortress proper (the first time I was killed by a shape-shifter who betrayed me. Curse me for being so trusting!) Oh, and when I finally beat the boss, I did so with only three life points left. Throwing dice has never been so hair-raising!

In the end, 'The Demon Sorcerer' is an impressive first effort by D.L. Lewis. It's well-designed, gorgeously laid out, and most importantly: it's balanced and fun to play. Grab a copy on Lulu HERE!