Fighting Fantasy 9 - Caverns of the Snow Witch (Paperback, 1984)

This is a copy of Caverns of the Snow Witch, the ninth book in the Fighting Fantasy series, written by Ian Livingstone and published in 1984. Illustrations are by Gary Ward and Edward Crosby.

The book is in acceptable condition although a previous owner has pencilled in the adventure sheet.

In this adventure, you play a caravan guard in the snowy north of Allansia, sent to kill a yeti that has attacked a trading post. It escalates somewhat and you end up infiltrating the ice caves that are home to a megalomaniacal sorceress with dreams of global domination.

This book started out in a shortened form in Warlock magazine, before being expanded with a third act where you face the consequences of events in the ice caverns. This sequence, like most Ian Livingstone entries to the series, expands the Allansia setting and features visits to several locations from previous books.

There are no special mechanics beyond the usual Skill, Stamina and Luck combat system, but the book is notable for the break from the usual narrative structure of the ‘kill a wizard’ entries in the series, and is also the only Fighting Fantasy book to include Ward and Crosby’s woodcut-style artwork.