All right. Here we go. The Eye of the Dragon, my favorite adventure gamebook of all time. Seriously, forget the kid in the toga and Keds, this is the high water mark of the series.

You’re exploring Thalios, a city that had until recently been submerged under the ocean. The city is the star of the book, a weird combination of Classical, Egyptian and Aztec influences brought to life by the oppressive atmosphere of ruin.

It is also very difficult. The optimal path is…well, I am not entirely sure there is one. And the combat is often hard. Unlike the previous books, though, there is a magic system that mitigates the challenge a bit.

What truly sets the book apart is that it is illustrated by Russ Nicholson at the top of his game. Like, tippy-top – this is probably my favorite collection of his drawings. Look at that gore covered alligator man! How creepy is that coral-like Kappa? And there is a freakin’ Nuckelavee in here. Nicholson’s art has always conveyed a palpable sense of mystery and danger to me, and that is firing on all cylinders here.

I could go on, but I won’t. I’ll just encourage you to find a copy and warn you: I have maps I have drawn to thread through this story. How many gamebooks have inspired that?