Ah, well I can't say much for this new book, but I'm so happy to see they are still knocking about. My childhood was kinda stolen by these books from when I was about 10 onwards. The Fighting Fantasy series had a whole new way of making books fun, and got me reading when I was reluctant to sit down and read regular books. I still have 20 or so of the books at home, I couldn't part with, and that includes this 'The Warlock of Firetop Mountain'. I even own the boardgame of book (probably not around now), which was very good I might add. Especially if you like the series.
They are a simple kind of roleplaying game, with the use of dice to determine the outcome of events, as you read sections of the book and make certain choices at various points. You are the hero and it fed my imagination and gave me a love of myth and fantasy. They became a social event too, as you can play as 'game master' and read them to friends, who make the choices. I hope these books live on for a long long time and spark life into the mind of bored kids. I'm sure many people who have 'played' the books get their love of fantasy and sci-fi partly due to the time spent in the FF worlds.