The Raiders of Dune Sea: DestinyQuest Book 4

For a while it didn’t look like there would be a fourth Destiny Quest book. This would have been a great shame as they have been consistently well written and somewhat innovative; thus, creating some engrossing adventures. With some internet backing the series has, thankfully, survived cancellation, resulting in another high standard adventure gamebook with ‘The Raiders of Dune Sea’.The format is the same as the previous Destiny Quest books where, to a certain degree, the reader can choose in which order they perform various portions of the adventure by selecting numerical references from a map. Rather than a variety of possible routes more typical of adventure gamesbooks, the emphasis is upon ‘powering up’ your character in an effort to overcome the latest foe and then advance through the story. Therefore, items and equipment that can be found are orientated around increasing your prowess and abilities.This adventure is structured in two halves such as the third Destiny Quest book, ‘The Eye of Winter’s Fury’, rather than the first two which were divided into three chapters/sections.The first half has very much a Western feel to it. It isn’t a genre/setting that is often used in adventure gamebooks and it isn’t particularly one I personally enjoy that much. This first half initially appears to be a bit lacking in plot/story, especially once you pass the introductory stages. The elements of the overall storyline contained within it, however, are quite subtle and it isn’t until you reach the second part that these really pay off.The second half of the adventure is far more engrossing. The story develops and moves on considerably and a lot more well developed and interesting characters accompany the reader through the various scenarios. The setting also changes to one influenced by both Arabic and ancient Egyptian elements. There’s also a liberal dose of steampunk tossed in. It all has a little touch of ‘Indiana Jones’ or Rider Haggard as you explore archaeological sites laden with traps and foes.Furthermore, several references appear that begin to link this adventure to various events in the previous books. It all becomes very entertaining.There are a few new elements to the gameplay such as a vault (an extra area to keep discarded equipment) and the opportunity to have minions (little ‘creatures’ that aid you). There decent ideas but I don’t think either were that useful in this particular adventure. Hopefully that will be something better developed in later books.***possible spoilers***Intriguingly this adventure doesn’t end as such. Unlike the previous three books in the series this turns out not to be a standalone adventure. Instead it seems you will be able to carry over your character to the next book. This suggests a fifth Destiny Quest book is likely to be published. There certainly seems to be a lot left unresolved and to be explored in this storyline.

Amazing volume.It lives up to the hype and, from my point of view, cements the DestinyQuest series as one of the de facto references for contemporary gamebooks.It is a long and relatively complex book, but never inaccessible in its intricacy and ever more fun. The style of the book is sort of a mix between classical fighting fantasy feel with trademark rpg tropes/mechanics, a perfect marriage in my eyes and a long time coming in the genre to the degree that is executed in this. I especially enjoy the extensive list of modifiers/special abilities available, which, by now, has become a staple system for the series.The story itself is also gripping and the events are well writen and engaging, with just the right amount of detail/descriptive text.Looking forward to the next one!#pleasepublishvolume5

If you've got the other books in the series, you know what to expect: great storyline and good fun to read and play. Just buy it!

Michael J Ward still isn't a household name in the Gamebook universe but after a decade of releases, his forth Gamebook following a five year wait, really should put him on the map. Given to me as a gift this year, this is a Gamebook that feels like a videogame in structure, and one that is as epic as any I've read in thirty years. My only wish would be for internal art because it has none and would help convey the unique creatures you face better but other than that, it's a masterpiece and the less I say the less I spoil. Go in blind and prepare to spend a long long time in its world. It's worth it.

Finally! Destiny Quest 4! It was worth the wait. Another big old adventure that will take a long time to complete.Love the new character sheet I didn’t know I needed and now we have pets and minions. Could this possibly get any better?Thanks Michael for all the adventuring fun. We wait for volume 5!...

This is the fourth book in Michael Ward’s Destiny Quest series of game books, which have advanced the genre significantly from the classic Fighting Fantasys. Like it’s predecessors it combines a strong fantasy novel with a gamebook approach that features a very involved combat system influenced by computer games.One of the unique aspects of the series is that players choose one of three paths (warrior, mage and rogue) which have different strengths and abilities. Michael has managed to differentiate these paths more in this book, which is great. This adds a lot of replayability. I’ve played through once and have immediately started again on a second path. And then there are different career choices within paths (e.g. tomb robber and buccaneer for rogues) adding even more reason to try again.If I have one gripe it’s that in the latter stages the combat can take a long time, but this is principally because I want to get on to the next bit of the exciting narrative. It is very strategic and deep, and I would say this is more for 14+ age wise.Michael is an author who cares about his readership and runs the good destiny-quest.com website with some useful downloadable content and information.Really looking forward to number 5 in the series.