The Investigators of Arkham Horror

Only recently have I had my curiosity piqued by the "Arkham Horror" connection. I'm NOT a gaming person myself, so seldom take note of what is out there in Lovecraftian games. Therre are, however, exceptions... and in each case, it is because the "game" led to writing of original Lovecraftian fiction, or the compiling (as with the lengthy "Call of Cthulhu" series of anthologies) of the original source material which inspired Lovecraft, his colleagues, and therefore the designers of the games. Save for picking up the few early "Elder Beings" figures from the 1980s, I hadn't gone beyond that. Until now. Recently, I began to find more and more references to the "Arkham Horror" game figures and characters, and their exploits, showing up in my "recommendations" from others. Mostly I ignjored such, though sometimes finding them niggling at my curoisity a bit. Then I ran across a few descriptions which indicated something a bit different from the usual RPG penumbra. These people not only seemed to know their HPL rather well, but were -- as with the best, or at least most interesting, of the writers who have used the worlds created by the dreamer from Providence -- using even tiny but very suggestive hints the Old Gent had woven into the work, as a set of "grafting points" to grow their own "nightmare fungi". So I began to look up more about them, and found a surprising array of people very articulately discussing their merits (and demerits). And I followed an odd sort of "hunch" which has seldom let me down during the decades, and began to pick up the books of fiction; but I still kept it very much in that realm. Until I found that this "guide" to the investigators of several of these tales (and games) was, itself, apparently worth reading for even a *non-games* person. I also found that the book had some reviews saying it had arrived broken in one way or another, so I was wary on that count. But I went ahead and took that "leap" of, if not faith, at least trust, in my instinct. And the book arrived today, and I began browsing through it... and even with such a short span, I've seen little details in the artwork and the few passages I've read, to indicate that my instinct has once again proven trustworthy. Granted, the verbal magic may not be as much in evidence as the best of the writers in the field, but these dreamers are nevertheless impressing me with the care they show for various aspects of HPL's work and, particularly, his vision. I am sure there are things I will find disappinting here, as well. But this book is already impressing me on several levels; and flaws are not necessarily fatal. After all, even HPL (or Machen, or Poe, or CAmpbell) have their share. But the dreams, the visions, the wonderful blending of awe, fear, and the "lure of the unknown" (Burkean sublime, anyone?) shines out from these pages, in their own odd and wondrous ways. So, yes, I would advise anyone who is *not* a strictly "orthodox" (so to speak) Lovecraftian or fan of the Mythos, to take the plunge, if they are at all so inclined. There may be some who disagree... but I've a feeling that, as with myself, if you're open to new ways to explore Lovecraft's universe of madness and beauty, you will find more -- much more -- to enrich your appreciation of Grandpa Theobold's work than otherwise.

Excellent book; looks beautiful; spectacular writing and great artwork, most gleaned from the Arkham Horror game boxes and cards. Some very engaging writing, and some great stories. A definite must-have for any fan of Lovecraft and the Arkham Horror games. However, I'm not sure if the book is poorly made or if it's just how it's shipped, but I ordered it three times and all three copies were very damaged: broken corners (not just bent, but cracked), and the spine literally peeling away. At any rate, this is a heavy, glossy cover book (kind of like a high school yearbook), which means it's very easily damaged. If your copy comes in an envelope instead of a box, or it it comes in a box three times the necessary size (and with one airbladder), keep your fingers crossed...

Fantastic book!!! The art of every page is simply so beautiful and every details so well thought and designed. A real pleasure for the eye. Of course the stories of each single character are a bit short, but this is expected for so many characters covered. Overall, this is a piece of art that every fun of Arkham Horror files franchise should own ;)

I've always been a huge fan of Fantasy Flight Games and the world of Arkham Horror. This book is a nice showpiece to supplement the Arkham Horror Universe. I enjoyed the short backstories of the various investigators that inhabit Arkham and I really liked the artwork. The quality of the stories is a bit uneven, but mostly enjoyable. Great for any fan of the board games tied to these characters!

Before I comment on anything else, I want to make clear that this is a very enjoyable read. The stories are consistently first rate, and the outstanding artwork is what I have come to expect from from Aconyte books (5 Stars). That said, the book binding is marvelously lacking in quality (0 Stars). The first time I ordered this book I returned it for binding flaws. I asked for a replacement from Amazon, and the second copy was worse than the first. Undaunted, I thought I would give Acolyte one more chance, and requested yet another replacement. This, the THIRD copy, arrived in worse shape than either of the previous copies--the leaves simply fell out of the cover when I opened it. The only positive from these purchases was that I learned which book binding glue to buy from Amazon, and how to use it to make this book whole again. Bottom line, if you are a Lovecraft aficionado, you will definitely enjoy this book . . . but only if you have the patience to glue it back together yourself.

This is so cool. I love Fantasy Flight's Arkham games (Mansions of Madness, Arkham Horror, Eldritch Horror, Elder Signs) and this book really adds to the fun and mythos. Beautiful artwork and great back stories. Must have for H.P. fans.

Fantastic quality book full of lovely art and great background histories of all the investigators (and there are a lot of them) from Fantasy Flight Games HP Lovecraft series of board and card games. A must buy for any player of these games, with more than a passing interest into the background.

SHIPPING: The package came unwrapped in a box with other purchased items causing little dents and dings in the book and the corners were a bit crunched from shipping shuffle. PRODUCT DESCRIPTION: Buyers should be made aware that the product does NOT come with the coveted Marie Lambeau promo cards. Bothe seller and FFG should call out that the product no longer comes with promo cards at all. Other than that, the book is thick, seems heavy duty and adds to value to the collectors of Arkham Horror table top and/or TCG. Bitter sweet purchase.

If you are a Lovecraft fiend with a taste for board games, you probably already have a copy of this book, but if you don’t, and you crave more information on your favourite (or despised) investigators from the Arkham Files, you can’t go far wrong than to grab yourself a copy of this book!! Like the Arkham Horror Deluxe rule book before it, this beautifully illustrated hardcover gives you the in depth information on all the investigators from the Arkham Horror board game!! A must have for fans of Eldritch Horror and board games

If you are a fan of The Arkham Horror games by FFG then this is a great book to add to your collection. It's a solid heavy book, string binded so no glue that would wear in time, thick glossy pages with beautiful artwork from a collection of artists, and divided into stories about the investigators of Arkham Horror. I managed to get the book for £34 which for the quality of the product is a great price and if you can grab it around that price you won't be disappointed. The seller was even smart about how it was shipped to me, they covered the book in bubble wrap to make sure it arrived in perfect condition.

The stories are short and well-written and add so much colour to your Arkham LCG game. Why does Roland love his .38? Why does Jacqueline do what she does?

Veio todo rasgado, e descolando. A Capa dura esta amassada. Nao recomendo a compra deste produto.

Il voulme, rilegato con copertina rigida e cucito, corredato da splendide illustrazioni, è il compendio ideale per tutti gli appassionati dei boardgame e dei giochi di carte di Fantasy Flight con ambientazione i miti di Cthulhu. Racconta, infatti, le storie dei vari investigatori protagonisti dei vari giochi (Arkham Horror, Arkham Horror LCG, Eldritch Horror, Mansions of Madness, Elder Sign), e sono una lettura piacevole e coinvolgente. Il libro è in lingua inglese.