History YMMV / LoneWolf

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Alyss, the CanonImmigrant demigoddess with the attitude and appearance of a rebellious punk teenage girl. She originally appeared in the novel series, wherein many [[BreakingTheFourthWall fourth walls were broken]], but was then seen near the end of the Grand Master series, saving Lone Wolf at least once and then setting up the plot for the final book by snatching the Moonstone from under Naar's nose.
** Firestone. Despite being given maybe three mentions throughout the Grand Master books, he is implied to be TheLancer to Lone Wolf himself, in charge of leading the Monastery and keeping things running while Lone Wolf is on his adventures. Many fans like to think that he is the Grandmaster having his own missions in the New Order series.

** Roark, Lordling of Amory, who first appears in Book 6 [[spoiler:and [[MoralEventHorizon tries to kill a defenseless old man just to take his seat.]] Oh and he worships Demonlord Tagazin.]]

* PlayerPreferredPattern: Better take "Weaponskill: Sword" to get the most out of the Sommerswerd.

* {{Badass}}: Lone Wolf.

* CanonDiscontinuity: One of the novelizations (all largely written by John Grant with input from Dever) had an epilogue which was placed at a DistantFinale where a character drove a car and had a digital watch. Any and all suggestions of a technological future for Magnamund were not written by Joe Dever, and have been purged as heresy. (Not to say that advanced technology and {{Magitek}} don't exist, they just will never get widespread on Magnamund.)

* NightmareFuel: Many, many, ''many'' creatures of Magnamund (or the Daziarn, or the Plane of Darkness...) are absolutely nightmarish in appearance, like the [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Helghast.jpg Helghast]]. Their descriptions are short but vivid, with nice details added (like how much they inspire ''revulsion'' to Lone Wolf) and with plenty quality illustrations, mostly from the protagonist's viewpoint (that is, more often than not, when the monster is about to gut ''you''). And you get plenty of {{Red Shirt}}s or {{Mauve Shirt}}s' disturbing deaths, just to demonstrate how nasty those critters are. The Helghasts and Crypt Spawns, although already quite horrific, are hardly the worst of the lot.

--->[[spoiler:A searing pain explodes behind your eyes as the hand clamps itself to your head. As the decaying fingers pierce your scalp, forcing their way through your skull, your vision turns red and your body shakes uncontrollably. The hideous claw burrows deeper, feeding on the only source of nourishment that can sustain its existence: living human brain.]]\\

* {{Badass}}: Lone Wolf. ''So very much so.''

** Roark, Lordling of Amory, who first appears in Book 6 [[spoiler:and [[MoralEventHorizon tries to kill a defenseless old man just to take his seat.]] Oh, did I mention that he worships Demonlord Tagazin?]]

*** Note that [[spoiler:all three are Cener Druids. Given everything else the Cenerese have done in the backstory and the series proper, all of them could be considered Complete Monsters too.]]
** The [[EvilEmpire Shadakine]] from the ''World of Lone Wolf'' series, from the rank and file to Wytch-King Shasarak himself, are all pretty big bastards too. You know it is bad when one of the most sympathetic enemies you meet turns out to be [[spoiler: the soul-eating EldritchAbomination that was enslaved by Shasarak.]]

* AndTheFandomRejoiced: Following the less than stellar reception of the TabletopRPG, many fans were ready to write off Mongoose Publishing as a bad rights-holder. Then it was announced that they were to reissue the series, complete with the final four volumes as Joe Dever had originally intended.

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Many, many, ''many'' creatures of Magnamund (or the Daziarn, or the Plane of Darkness...) are absolutely nightmarish in appearance, like the [[http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Helghast.jpg Helghast]]. Their descriptions are short but vivid, with nice details added (like how much they inspire ''revulsion'' to Lone Wolf) and with plenty quality illustrations, mostly from the protagonist's viewpoint (that is, more often than not, when the monster is about to gut ''you''). And you get plenty of {{Red Shirt}}s or {{Mauve Shirt}}s' disturbing deaths, just to demonstrate how nasty those critters are. The Helghasts and Crypt Spawns, although already quite horrific, are hardly the worst of the lot.
** The [[MadScientist Cener Druids]] in particular are dedicated to producing HighOctaneNightmareFuel. The Forest of Ruel is full of nasty things, and they're ''nothing'' compared to what's in the fortress of Mogaruith.
** The Rahkos from Book 7, [[spoiler:a brain-eating, undead severed hand,]] is largely believed to cause the most {{Squick}}-inducing death...
--->[[spoiler:A searing pain explodes behind your eyes as the hand clamps itself to your head. As the decaying fingers pierce your scalp, forcing their way through your skull, your vision turns red and your body shakes uncontrollably. The hideous claw burrows deeper, feeding on the only source of nourishment that can sustain its existence: living human brain.]]\\
Your life and your quest end here.
** BigBad Naar, the [[GodOfEvil King of Darkness]], manages to top his grotesque minions when you finally see an illustration of his favoured form in Book 19. It's not so much the BodyHorror, nor the [[EldritchAbomination eldritch]] puddles of black oil [[MadeOfEvil oozing from every pore]]... no, the worst part about Naar is that [[spoiler:''he has [[UncannyValley the eyes]] [[MindScrew of a man]]''.]]

* UnfortunateImplications: "The sight [of Lone Wolf] is so frightening that all resistance melts away, and creatures hurl themselves into the lake rather than face the fearsome straight-backed, white-skinned killer of their kin."
** Book 7 was definitely one of the worst, probably due to it taking place in the fantasy counterpart of Africa. It doesn't help that all the slaves in the castle are dark-skinned. (Although, to be fair, the ones ''enslaving'' them were explicitly the bad guys.)
*** Except that those slaves are not human (they are consistently described as "creatures", much like the Beastmen guards of that place). And to be even more fair, the people who were enslaving them were also black-skinned as well, like basically everyone in that part of the world.

* VillainDecay: Book 15's BigBad, Drakkar Warlord Magnaarn, almost ''literally'' goes through VillainDecay. From a cunning {{Badass}} warrior general who [[spoiler:buries Lone Wolf alive in a trap]] to [[spoiler:a shriveled and mummy-like puppet of his own {{Artifact of Doom}} on the brink of undeath.]]

[[quoteright:185:http://static.tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pub/images/Helghast.jpg]]
* HighOctaneNightmareFuel: Many, many, ''many'' creatures of Magnamund (or the Daziarn, or the Plane of Darkness...) are absolutely nightmarish in appearance. Their descriptions are short but vivid, with nice details added (like how much they inspire ''revulsion'' to Lone Wolf) and with plenty quality illustrations, mostly from the protagonist's viewpoint (that is, more often than not, when the monster is about to gut ''you''). And you get plenty of {{Red Shirt}}s or {{Mauve Shirt}}s' disturbing deaths, just to demonstrate how nasty those critters are. The Helghasts and Crypt Spawns, although already quite horrific, are hardly the worst of the lot.

** BillingualBonus: "Noodnic" is Hebrew for "Bothersome Person". Many words in the various dark tongues in the books are also Hebrew words, although they're usually rather random ("Naar" is "Young Man"). And the "-im" suffix being used to describe a plurality of entities is also from Hebrew. UnfortunateImplications?

* {{And the Fandom Rejoiced}}: Following the less than stellar reception of the TabletopRPG, many fans were ready to write off Mongoose Publishing as a bad rights-holder. Then it was announced that they were to reissue the series, complete with the final four volumes as Joe Dever had originally intended.

* CompleteMonster: Roark, Lordling of Amory, who first appears in Book 6 [[spoiler:and [[MoralEventHorizon tries to kill a defenseless old man just to take his seat.]] Oh, did I mention that he worships Demonlord Tagazin?]]

*** {{Crowning Moment of Funny}}: As part of the act, Lone Wolf ''[[ThanksForTheMammary plants the old man's hands on the woman's chest]]''.

** The Kleasa from the ''World of Lone Wolf'' series. It is by far the most powerful enemy Grey Star ever actually fights in the series and boasts High Combat Skill, Endurance, and the ability to drain Grey Star's Endurance and Willpower even if Grey Star magically shielded himself right before the fight. It's also one of the few enemies Grey Star can't avoid fighting no matter what. And it appears in the ''first book''.
*** Because of this, if you roll low on your starting scores ''it is extremely diffacult to finish the book'' wihout rules abuse -- that you can use the magic seed to do X9001 damage. Humorously, using the seed causes an instance of ScriptBreaking. Project Aon suggests "fixing" this bug, leaving you a bit screwed.
* ThatOnePuzzle: Although WordOfGod has claimed otherwise, one puzzle in ''The Legacy of Vashna'' is literally [[GuideDangIt unsolvable]] without extreme [[MoonLogicPuzzle out of the box thinking]] or [[TrialAndErrorGameplay flipping to random sections]] in hopes it will be right. Fortunately, you don't have to know the answer to progress, but knowing the answer does evade a combat.

*** Except that those slaves are not human (they are consistently described as "creatures", much like the Beastmen guards of that place).
*** And to be even more fair, the people who were enslaving them were also black skinned as well, like basically everyone in that part of the world.

* CanonDiscontinuity: Any and all suggestions of a technological future for Magnamund were not written by Joe Dever, and have been purged as heresy. (Not to say that advanced technology and {{Magitek}} don't exist, they just will never get widespread on Magnamund.)

* {{And the Fandom Rejoiced}}: Following the less than stellar reception of the TabletopRPG (see AdaptationDecay on the main article), many fans were ready to write off Mongoose Publishing as a bad rights-holder. Then it was announced that they were to reissue the series, complete with the final four volumes as Joe Dever had originally intended.

*** Because of this, if you roll low on your starting scores ''it is impossible to finish the book'' wihout rules abuse -- that you can use the magic seed to do X9001 damage. Humorously, using the seed causes an instance of ScriptBreaking. Project Aon suggests "fixing" this bug, leaving you a bit screwed.

* AdaptationDecay: There was definitely some complaining about play balance in the TabletopRPG.

* HoYay: Lone Wolf and Banedon.

* VillainDecay: Book 15's BigBad, Drakkar Warlord Magnaarn, almost ''literally'' goes through VillainDecay. From a cunning BadAss warrior general who [[spoiler:buries Lone Wolf alive in a trap]] to [[spoiler:a shriveled and mummy-like puppet of his own ArtifactOfDoom on the brink of undeath.]]

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The part in ''Fire on the Water'' with the Noodnics, a {{Funetik Aksent}}ed race of [[TalkingAnimal talking rodents]] who appear briefly to help you out and steal your gold, never to be referenced again.

* BigLippedAlligatorMoment: The part in ''Fire on the Water'' with the Noodnics, a {{Funetik Aksent}}ed race of [[TalkingAnimal talking rodents]] who appear briefly to help you out and steal your gold, never to be referenced again.

** Another one from Book 18. [[spoiler:After defeating the Ghost of Roark haunting the ruined and deserted town of Amory]], Lone Wolf wakes up in the morning to sunshine and birdsong, and his spirits are lifted when he realizes that life is already returning to the place.

* VillainDecay: The Drakkarim, fierce evil warriors wearing death masks, suffer decay throughout the series. In the "Kai" books, a single Drakkar can put up a good fight. In the "Magnakai" series, Drakkarim are only a real challenge if they attack in a group. In the "Grand Master series", the decay reaches its peak: the only Drakkar that can still put up a fight against Lone Wolf is [[spoiler: their ''god of war'' in Book 20, and Lone Wolf can ''still'' kick his ass and throw him into a lava pit.]]
** Book 15's BigBad, Drakkar Warlord Magnaarn, almost ''literally'' goes through VillainDecay. From a cunning BadAss warrior general who [[spoiler:buries Lone Wolf alive in a trap]] to [[spoiler:a shriveled and mummy-like puppet of his own ArtifactOfDoom on the brink of undeath.]]
** Somewhat justified when you realize it's less Villain Decay and more a case of Power Creep -- the Drakkarim generally stay exactly the same throughout the books, while Lone Wolf goes from being a sixteen-year-old reject student of the Kai to nearly becoming a demigod by the end.

* {{And the Fandom Rejoiced}}: Following the less than stellar reception of the TabletopRPG (see AdaptationDecay above), many fans were ready to write off Mongoose Publishing as a bad rights-holder. Then it was announced that they were to reissue the series, complete with the final four volumes as Joe Dever had originally intended.

** Far from the only example; as mentioned above, this is the tradeoff if Lone Wolf brings the Sommerswerd with him on his quests. There is at least one enemy that's nigh impossible to beat ''without'' the Sommerswerd that can't be avoided though: the [[NamesToRunAwayFromReallyFast Deathlord Ixiataaga]].

*** Because of this, if you roll low on your starting scores ''it is impossible to finish the book'' wihout RulesAbuse -- that you can use the magic seed to do X9001 damage. Humorously, using the seed causes an instance of ScriptBreaking. ProjectAon suggests "fixing" this bug, leaving you a bit screwed.