Join Rediscovered Realms on a visual journey through the Fighting Fantasy coloring books—forgotten treasures from Steve Jackson and Ian Livingstone. Step into a world where classic monsters, daring heroes, and epic quests leap from the page in bold black-and-white illustrations, just waiting for a splash of color. Relive the magic of old-school gamebooks and rediscover the art of adventure!
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I picked up the first two sometime last year. I wanted to check them out first before I purchased any others. (Plus - these 2 are some of my favorite FF titles!)
It’s really fun to see these illustrations from the original books. Any Fighting Fantasy fans will surely recognize several of these iconic images.
It’s been 42 years since The Forest of Doom was published! Rediscovered Realms celebrated its 40th in this newsletter from the archives:
Each colouring book has 34 main illustrations. Let’s look at some.
I dig that they put the original passages from the books along the left-hand side of each coloring spread.
It makes sense to put these on the left because you’re not really going to color the words, and the colors therefore won’t bleed through to the other side where the previous illustration resides.
(Many coloring books with non-thick paper leave the left side blank, put ornamental images, or black it out for this very reason - to avoid color bleed)
It appears these books are POD (Print On Demand) which I’m a huge fan of, but for colouring books sometimes doesn’t give you those thicker pages to keep colors from bleeding through (depending, of course, on what you’re coloring with - pencils, pens, markers, etc.)
Did you know that Marvel teamed up with TSR to create a series of Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Coloring Books? Check out this newsletter from the Rediscovered Realms archive!
Also, with POD, there can be quality differences (print quality/vibrance, paper/cover deficiencies) depending on which regional print shop fulfills the order. Fortunately, both of mine, even though from different print shops, look really good.
Your next piece of fantasy fun is calling.
Remember to check out the new Rediscovered Realms Amazon Storefront for the most epic gift-giving ideas for those important adventurers in your life (including yourself 🗡)
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There are also several illustrations, though fun to look at (and true to the books), may not be ideal for coloring in their original form. In other words, there isn’t much opportunity to color!
The Sword and the Sorcerer was a Rated R fantasy movie from 1982. What if I were to tell you they had their own series of coloring books?
I do love the borders around all the left pages though. These give you some opportunity to add some splashes of vibrance, however, remember there are illustrations on the opposite sides of these text-laden pages!
Bathroom break
“Wait. Did you say ‘bathroom’? Where is it? I’ve really got to go!”
And here are a couple more cool monsters!
If Prince were a Minotaur …
And finally, this looks like a really fun one to color (one of my favorites from these 2 books)!:
If you want to give a go at throwing some color on these classic Fighting Fantasy scenes, you can find the 4 colouring books on Amazon and eBay. If you do Amazon, be careful not to select the hardcover versions (unless that is what you’re looking for). The “Paperback” options (new & used) are WAY more affordable.
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And if you love fantasy coloring & activity books, make sure to check out our curated “Fantasy Activity Books” list on the Amazon storefront where you can unleash your creativity on: Coloring books, Puzzles, Maps, Micro-RPGs, Wargame terrain, RPG creation, and more!
You are not only brave, but a Generous Adventurer whose love of Discovery, Imagination & Fun transcends our mere mortal coils . . .
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Dragonlance is back on top of the New York Times Bestseller list!!!
40 years after it was first published, the new release of Dragonlance Chronicles has made # 11 on the New York Times Bestseller list for hardback fiction. Margaret Weis said on Facebook: “Tracy and I just had the most fantastic news from our publisher! The Dragonlance Chronicles Omnibus has made the NY Times list! Number 11. You did this, people! You have kept Dragonlance alive for forty years! I am so pleased for all of us!”
The new hardcover has a SIGNIFICANT sale going on right now on Amazon.
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Fantasy TV & Movie News
“The Odyssey” - sequel to Christopher Nolan’s “Troy” is still moving forward, with a release date sometime in 2026.
Matt Damon, Anne Hathaway, Tom Holland, Charlize Theron, Robert Pattinson, Zendaya, John Leguizamo, Will Yun Lee, and more!
Don’t know if you already saw “A Knight’s War” trailer, but it looks equal parts cool, but really dark - almost like a live action Diablo! Looks like you can now buy/rent it (as of February 11th). Let me know if you wind up watching it and what you think.
The Wheel of Time season 3 trailer has also released. Coming this March 13th. Regardless of what you may think of the previous seasons of this show, you’ll have to agree the trailer looks pretty darn epic!
Colorful Adventurer, though this week’s edition is over, the journey doesn’t end here! Whether you wield real paints or just your imagination, the Fighting Fantasy colouring books remind us that every adventure is ours to shape. Keep your pencils sharp, your hues bold, and your spirit daring—because the next quest awaits in the pages of Rediscovered Realms!"
“Art is an adventure that never seems to end.” - Jason Calacanis
Which Fighting Fantasy creature or scene would you love to color the most? Do you go for fearsome dragons, shadowy dungeons, or something else? Make sure to comment below!
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Hero’s Path [Verse] Flipping pages with fate in your hand Dice rolls echo across the land Read the story you shape your own way Skill, Stamina and Luck, which part will you play [Verse 2] Goblin's breath and a Dragon's roar Through dark forests and eldritch moors Maps and riddles another quest lies Magic potions and treasure disguised [Chorus] You are the hero color your quest Fight through the battles prove you're the best Every choice defines who you are Epic adventure shines like a guiding star [Verse 3] Cursed by witches blessed by the wise Sphinx’s question, a young knight's demise Unveil secrets in riddles you find Heart of courage no chains shall bind [Chorus] You are the hero color your quest Fight through the battles prove you're the best Every choice defines who you are Epic adventure shines like a guiding star [Bridge] Tower of shadows the labyrinth calls Ravaged kingdoms and crumbled halls Destiny’s canvas painted with light Victory’s hymn blasting the blight
Another interesting find. I'm surprised how many colouring books were out there. These were probably easy to produce as they just repurposed the art from the books. I mean, if you wanted to, you could just colour the pages in the original gamebooks.
That said, FF had decent art (miles above the Lone Wolf art, IMO), I think that minotaur is particularly cool.
We are long overdue for a live adaptation of Diablo. Maybe best served as a series rather than a movie. Especially when the Prime Evils keep coming back...
Another interesting find. I'm surprised how many colouring books were out there. These were probably easy to produce as they just repurposed the art from the books. I mean, if you wanted to, you could just colour the pages in the original gamebooks.
That said, FF had decent art (miles above the Lone Wolf art, IMO), I think that minotaur is particularly cool.
We are long overdue for a live adaptation of Diablo. Maybe best served as a series rather than a movie. Especially when the Prime Evils keep coming back...