History Literature / TheWolfhound

* TellHimImNotSpeakingToHim: A rather sinister example. Venns forbid themselves to kill somebody they've talked to (there are exceptions, but the rule is usually upheld). So when Wolfhound starts deliberately talking via a proxy (even something mundane, like "wish him a good morning from me"), it is a good sign to the addresse to either drastically revise their attitude or start running really fast (although the latter is unlikely to help).

* PrecociousCrush: Little Doe obviously had an enormous crush on Wolfhound ever since they first met -- when she was eleven -- and bore the torch to the very end.

* CelibateHero: Wolfhound comes across many beautiful girls, whom he often has to rescue from certain death, but it never leads to a romance.

* ChurchMilitant: Twins Church most emphatically ''doesn't'' condemn violence, which is only kinda logical, given that the Senior was a warrior. They simply believe that it should be measured and just.
* CombatMedic: Mother Kendarat in ''Peace on the Road''.
* CombatPragmatist: In ''The Ultimate Stone'', Wolfhound has a short inner monologue about how, when fighting a vile and sneaky opponent, it isn't smart to behave like you are an epic hero in a heroic saga fighting another epic hero.

''Wolfhound''[[note]]"Волкодав", Volkodav in Russian[[/note]] is a series of a LowFantasy novels by Russian fantasy and HistoricalFiction author Maria Semyonova.

He was condemned to death, but survived to wreak revenge for the murder of his clan. The last member of the clan of the Grey Hounds became a fearless warrior by the name of Wolfhound. After cheating death in the mines, Wolfhound sets out on a journey with his constant companion, the Earthbound Bat. Wolfhound has but one desire – to destroy the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Maneater]], a merciless warrior who slaughtered the village of the Grey Hounds.

After making the long journey to the Maneater's castle, Wolfhound finally conquers his archenemy. [[DeathSeeker He doesn't hope or want to survive]], but fate, it seems, has other plans for him. He frees two prisoners, the sage Tilorn and slave-girl Niilith and travels with them to the city of Galirad, where the king is giving his daughter away in political marriage to a young warlord Vinitar.

The king's daughter Princess Elen must travel to the land of her new husband, and asks Wolfhound to be her guard in this long and dangerous journey. Wolfhound agrees to serve the princess and is caught up in a whirlwind of unexpected events...

The second book explores new adventures of Wolfhound and his long-time companion, the [[{{Bookworm}} young scholar]] Eurych. The third and the fourth books see Wolfhound eventually finding his way back to the [[EldritchLocation Jewel Mountains]], the [[{{Room101}} hellish slave mine]] he had once escaped from, to destroy this place once and for all.

In 2006, a [[Film/TheWolfhound film of the book]] was produced in Russia under the title ''Wolfhound of the Clan of Grey Hounds''[[note]]"Волкодав из рода Серых Псов", Volkodav iz roda Serykh Psov[[/note]]. In 2007, there was produced a TV series ''Young Wolfhound'', serving as a prequel to the film. The film and the TV series, while having many common plot points with the books, basically form a separate continuity.

Now has its own [[Characters/TheWolfhound character sheet]]

!!Tropes in the books:
%%* ActionGirl[=/=] LadyOfWar: Ertan.
* ActionPet: Earthbound Bat, especially when he gets back his ability to fly.

* AmbitionIsEvil: Honomer. Oh dear, ''Honomer''.
** He [[BreakTheHaughty gets better]] later.
* AnimalMotifs: Every Venn clan has an ancestor animal (or, at least in one case, an ancestor plant), from a union of which with a human woman the clan started long ago. This animal is venerated by the clan, and usually the clan has some abilities related to it. (Wolfhound has more than a usual share of abilities, because he's the LastOfHisKind and a ChosenOne.) For example, Venns of the Wolves clan have a special howl capable of warding evil, although this ability is almost forgotten now.
* AppropriatedAppelation: Having never received a proper name, Wolfhound went by as Pup and later Dog in the slave mines. After he challenged and killed an overseer called Wolf, he was given his current moniker by the cheering slaves.
* ArrowCatch: Wolfhound can pretty reliably deflect arrows with his sword--sometimes even several arrows at once. Not because he can move faster than an arrow--he can't, of course. No, his combination of fighting experience and supernatural reading of his enemies' intentions allows him to correctly predict where arrows will strike.
* AvengingTheVillain: The first book starts with Wolfhound avenging his massacred clan by killing the villainous Maneater, a.k.a. Vinitarius. Later, Vinitarius's son Vinitar--a just and noble leader--learns about that and decides to avenge his father. Interestingly, the reason is partially the fact that Wolfhound simply killed the Maneater, without properly challenging him to a one-on-one combat.
* BadassBookworm:
** Eurych, after he finally [[TookALevelInBadass gains a level in badassitude]] in a second novel, and especially the spin-off books, where he travels alone and can no longer rely on Wolfhound to save his neck.
** Tilorn may be a pacifist, but he more or less can look after himself.
** Honomer, for all his unpleasantness, still fits this to a T.
* BadassPacifist: Tilorn.
* BarbarianTribe: the Venns to more sophisticated peoples, even if the Venns are [[NobleSavage a quite cultured folk]] in their own right.
** The Haryuks are a straight example, even from Wolfhound's, quite liberal, point of view. The are secluded, backwater and most likely inbred.
* TheBeastmaster: Wolfhound with dogs, young Wolf with, naturally, wolves, and all other Venns with their clan animals. The "master" part is subverted though, as the Venns regard their clan animals as relatives, not as servants. At one point villains sic a pack of hounds at Wolfhound. He subdues the hounds and muses that he could turn them against their owners, but doesn't do it, as it would devastate the dogs.

** Sharshava the Goldfinch. Also Mezhamir the Bullfinch, Wolfhound's father. Venns in general are known to be great smiths.

* BodyguardCrush: Princess Elen for Wolfhound. Not reciprocated, though.
* {{Bookworm}}: Eurych, Tilorn.
* BornInTheSaddle: the Sho-Seetain people.
* BraidsOfAction: Wolfhound (and all Venn men), a rare male example.
* CainAndAbel: Vinitarius [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast the Maneater]] and his older brother Vingorrich. Subverted in that Vingorrich survives. Doubly subverted in that he turns out only marginally better than his brother.
* TheCavalry: Vinitar and his warriors in the big battle in the first book, both figuratively and literally.
* CelibateHero: Wolfhound.

* BerserkButton: do not harm Wolfhound's friends, do not hurt or even insult women in his vicinity, period, and, on the other hand, do not accuse ''him'' of hurting or abusing women or even imply anything like that - for a Venn that warrants a challenge to a duel. He also has grave issues with whipping people, which stems from his time as a slave.

* BerserkButton: do not harm Wolfhound's friends, do not hurt or even insult women in his vicinity, period, and, on the other hand, do not accuse ''him'' of hurting or abusing women or even imply anything like that - for a Venn that warrants a challenge to a duel. He also has grave issues with whipping people, which stems from his time as a slave.

* BloodBrothers: Wolfhound and Eurych, young Wolf and Vinoir.

* NoSocialSkills: Wolfhound seems like a {{Jerkass}} not so much on purpose but rather due to considerable lack of communication skills. It gets better, though.

* HeroicBystander: Very emphatically defied by Wolfhound. As a ConsummateProfessional, it frustrates him is to no end when his wards [[StopHelpingMe start trying to help him]] protect them, especially when they can barely tell the working end of a spear from the shaft. Contrasted by Sighina who, despite being [[ObfuscatingInsanity ostensibly loony]], when things get tense, instantly drops to the floor and sneaks under a table, i.e. exactly what he expects a civilian to do.

He was condemned to death, but survived to wreak revenge for the murder of his clan. The last member of the clan of the Grey Hounds became a fearless warrior by the name of Wolfhound. After cheating death in the mines, Wolfhound sets out on a journey with his constant companion, the [[CoolPet Earthbound Bat]]. Wolfhound has but one desire – to destroy the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Maneater]], a merciless warrior who slaughtered the village of the Grey Hounds.

* DarkSkinnedBlond: Actually somewhat common among their world's [[FantasyCounterpartCulture Bantu equivalents]], which was noted by Wolfhound in the ''Peace On The Road'', when he commented to himself that one of his companions, Irigoyen, [[ButNotTooForeign who was a half-Monomatanian]], wouldn't even need to have his blond hair dyed to look like a noble young chieftain, only a skin color change.

''Wolfhound''[[note]]"Волкодав", Volkodav in Russian[[/note]] is a series of a LowFantasy novels by a Russian fantasy and HistoricalFiction author Maria Semyonova.

* TellHimImNotSpeakingToHim: A rather sinister example. Venns forbid themselves to kill somebody they've talked to (there are exceptions, but the rule is usually upheld). So when Wolfhound starts deliberately talking via a proxy (even something mundane, like "wish him a good morning from me"), it is a good sign to the adresse to either drastically revise their attitude or start running really fast (although the latter is unlikely to help).

* HeroicBystander: Very emphatically defied by Wolfhound. As a ConsummateProfessional, it frustrates him is to no end when his wards [[StopHelpingMe start trying to help him]] protect them, especially when they can barely tell the working end of a spear from the shaft. Contrasted by Sighina who, despite being [[ObfuscatingInsanity ostensibly loony]], when things get tense, instantly drops to the floor and snucks under a table, i.e. exactly what he expects a civilian to do.

* InnocentBlueEyes: Niilith and Innori.
* InvoluntaryShapeshifter: Wolfhound.
** [[spoiler: VoluntaryShapeshifting in the later books]]

* LastOfHisKind: Wolfhound, of his clan.
* LastSecondChance: Wolfhound offers one to [[spoiler: Luchezar]].
* LastStand: Sharshava, Little Doe and others in the end of the final book. [[SubvertedTrope Fortunately]], [[spoiler:Wolfhound]] [[BigDamnHeroes comes to their aid]] in the nick of time.

* HandicappedBadass: Aptahar after the climactic battle of Book 1; Dikerona, the blind [[KnifeNut knife thrower]].

* LoadsAndLoadsOfCharacters - granted, as it's four (six, counting the prequels) rather thick books.

* BadassBeard: Most male characters, save for clean-shaven Eurych, an [[AncientGrome Ancient Gromanian]], and Tilorn.

* LickedByTheDog: Despite Wolfhound looking like a dyed-in-the-wool cutthroat, a little girl approaches him without fear and takes pity on him, when he's sitting all forlorn and lost in thoughts about his uncertain and unwanted future. She even presents him with a bead - a symbol of betrothal among Venns[[note]]It's not a full-fledged betrothal for the woman, since she can hand out several beads for different men she likes, but the man ought to remain faithful to her after receiving the bead[[/note]]. This experience, which he compares to "a grumpy old dog being suddenly besieged by silly kittens", is what begins to thaw him out.

* DelegationRelay: A rather sinister example. Venns forbid themselves to kill somebody they've talked to (there are exceptions, but the rule is usually upheld). So when Wolfhound starts deliberately talking via a proxy (even something mundane, like "wish him a good morning from me"), it is a good sign to the adresse to either drastically revise their attitude or start running really fast (although the latter is unlikely to help).

* JerkassFacade: Wolfhound, not so much on purpose but rather due to considerable lack of communication skills. It gets better, though.

!Tropes in the books:
* ActionGirl - LadyOfWar: Ertan.

** Wolfhound's clan's fate in the backstory is also an example. A Segvan clan is forced out of their island by the encrouching ice and settles near a Venn village of the Grey Hounds clan. But the Segvan leader thinks that the Venns' land is kinda nicer than their plot. His solution? Take them by surprise and massacre the entire village. Wolfhound is the only one left.

* {{Jerkass}}:
** Luchezar, Honomer, many others.

* KindHeartedCatLover: Wolfhound has a moment of this in the first book.
* KnightInShiningArmor: Sometimes in [[KnightInSourArmor Sour Armor]].
* KnightTemplar: Honomer.

* [[NightmarishFactory Nightmarish Mine]]: The slave mines in the Jewel Mountains.
* NobleSavage: Wolfhound's popular image.
* NonActionGuy: The goldsmith Uloiho

* OldMaster: Mother Kendarat, a rare female example.

* ProperlyParanoid: Wolfhound, especially when serving as a bodyguard.

* {{Room101}}: The Jewel Mountains.
* RavenHairIvorySkin: Niilith

* ScarsAreForever: and they don't make Wolfhound prettier.

** ImposterForgotOneDetail: an assassin dresses up as a member of a certain nation, but the patterns on his clothers and boots belong to different tribes which alarms Wolfhound.

* NeighborhoodFriendlyGangsters: Sonmor clan, which is a cross between TheMafia and The {{Yakuza}}. Their leader befriends the heroes on their journey, and this friendship turns out to be useful a couple of times.