THE DUNGEON ON BLOOD ISLAND

Ok here is my review - A most enjoyable, well written and ingeniously plotted adventure.

Not sure if I'd agree that Ian was consciously writing for a younger readership and if he was, I didn't notice.

The artwork is first rate and a huge plus. Nice to get a good look at Lord Carnuss !

Is this the first tine that play testers have received a credit inside a FF book ?

The Background set the scene nicely and the Arena combats were painful to read about as one by one,

the contestants were whittled down. A question - I'm assuming that those who were injured but survived

were allowed to leave the Island ? Or did Lord Carnuss have them secretly disposed of later ?

Once we enter the Dungeon ( might Dungeon Of Despair have been a better title for the book ? ) , all of the

usual Livingstonian tropes are present and correct. The collection of trinkets and various bits and bobs.

Statues that come to life and attack you when you take an item. ( Ray Harryhausen has a lot to answer for ! )

And why is there always a book in a dusty library that imparts vital information about the dungeon itself ?

I would definitely agree that it's a lot less harsh than Deathtrap Dungeon or Trial of Champions.
 
In those previous books, you were up the creek if you didn't have the

right amount of gems or rings or whatever. Here, the Dragonmaster

merely tut tuts and forces you to fight another monster as punishment.

And the Compass keys were a doddle as its easy to guess the other numbers.

Almost the Diet Coke version of DD which this adventure seems to be a prequel to.