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Lone Wolf #4
The Chasm of Doom
You are Lone Wolf - last of the Kai Lords. To the south of your homeland of Sommerlund lies the rich but remote mining provice of Ruanon. When a regular shipment of gold suddenly vanishes, the King despatches a patrol of his best cavalry to investigate hte suspected theft. They do not return.
In the Chasm of Doom, you are sent to recover the missing gold and locate the lost patrol. But you soon discover that it is a mission of direful consequence - for the fate of your country is at stake!
In the Chasm of Doom, you are sent to recover the missing gold and locate the lost patrol. But you soon discover that it is a mission of direful consequence - for the fate of your country is at stake!
355 pages, Paperback
First published February 28, 1985
13 people are currently reading
273 people want to read
About the author
Joe Dever
214 books168 followersJoe Dever was an award-winning British fantasist and game designer. Originally a musician, Dever became the first British winner of the Advanced Dungeons & Dragons Championship of America in 1982.
He created the fictional world of Magnamund as a setting for his Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. In 1984 he released the first book of the Lone Wolf series of young-adult gamebooks, and the series has since sold over 10.2 million copies worldwide. He experienced difficulty with his publishers as the game books market began to contract in 1995, until publication ceased in 1998 before the final four books (numbers 29-32) were released. Since 2003, however, the series has enjoyed a strong revival of interest in France, Italy, and Spain following the re-release of the gamebook series in these countries.
From 1996 onwards, Dever was involved in the production of several successful computer and console games. He also contributed to a Dungeons & Dragons-style role playing game for Lone Wolf published by Mongoose Publishing (UK) in 2004. Currently he is Lead Designer of a Lone Wolf computer game, and he is writing the final books in the Lone Wolf series. No official publication schedule exists for these works.
He created the fictional world of Magnamund as a setting for his Dungeons & Dragons campaigns. In 1984 he released the first book of the Lone Wolf series of young-adult gamebooks, and the series has since sold over 10.2 million copies worldwide. He experienced difficulty with his publishers as the game books market began to contract in 1995, until publication ceased in 1998 before the final four books (numbers 29-32) were released. Since 2003, however, the series has enjoyed a strong revival of interest in France, Italy, and Spain following the re-release of the gamebook series in these countries.
From 1996 onwards, Dever was involved in the production of several successful computer and console games. He also contributed to a Dungeons & Dragons-style role playing game for Lone Wolf published by Mongoose Publishing (UK) in 2004. Currently he is Lead Designer of a Lone Wolf computer game, and he is writing the final books in the Lone Wolf series. No official publication schedule exists for these works.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews
November 18, 2025
Durante la battaglia campale puntate dritti verso la torre di guardia: il Medaglione d'Onice che strapperete all'ufficiale nemico vi sarà utile nella prossima avventura.
Quando arrivate nel tempio alla fine, andate sul ballatoio senza entrare direttamente nella caverna... Eviterete l'incazzatura di schiattare ad un passo dalla meta!
Per il resto, avventura facile facile: sono lontane le decine e decine di morti dei primi tre libri, soprattutto "Traversata Infernale"! XD
August 22, 2024
Vieni mandato in missione nelle terre a sud di Sommerlund per scoprire in destino della carovana d'oro scomparsa da più di un mese, attraverserai un territorio ostile e pericoloso per far luce sul mistero.
November 7, 2017
When I first started reading the Lone Wolf books (decades ago) when they originally came out this was the first book in the series that I owned and I recall the adventure being a hard one to complete with several attempts to finally finish it successfully. Fast forward to the year 2017 when I decided to revisit the Lone Wolf series and bought a bunch of books from Amazon that I originally didn't own before (I did not find out till later the author gave permission to release them for download for free). Starting with the first book in the series and now just finishing the 4th book I can say that the extra equipment gained in the first three books (particularly the Sommersword and the other Combat Skill boosting items like the Silver Helm and Shield) and the extra Kai abilities definitely make this an easier adventure to complete (only took me two attempts). The adventure is still a good one with the big siege battle feeling pretty epic.
May 5, 2023
Le premesse di questo quarto volume sono molto intriganti ed ho apprezzato che la trama si disveli pian piano, creando nel giocatore una genuina curiosità di proseguire per capire come stanno davvero le cose. Peccato solo per i troppi combattimenti (che penalizzano chi non ha giocato ai volumi precedenti) e per il finale sbrigativo.
Nel complesso resta comunque un librogame avvincente, che lascia la voglia di proseguire la saga.
Nel complesso resta comunque un librogame avvincente, che lascia la voglia di proseguire la saga.
April 13, 2012
I give this one five stars for the writing and gameplay in the epic battle portrayed on the cover. All books in the series free and online in a game-book player here: http://www.projectaon.org/staff/eric/.
Death Count:
Book 1: 10 attempts
Book 2: 12 attempts
Book 3: 2 attempts
Book 4: 2 attempts
Death Count:
Book 1: 10 attempts
Book 2: 12 attempts
Book 3: 2 attempts
Book 4: 2 attempts
May 10, 2013
The best book so far. It had something that every other book missed, an epic battle very well written and handled with the choices the storywriter gave you. I like very much the fact that as the character grows stronger, the story grows stronger with him. Five stars.
March 14, 2022
Case of the Missing Caravan
12 March 2022
It seems that this book is somewhat disconnected from the previous three, namely that it doesn’t strictly follow on. Sure, there is the issue of the Dark Lord’s armies in the background, but after the third book – The Caverns of Kalte – there doesn’t seem to be any loose ends. As such, it seems that we now move onto another quest which is sort of connected, but also somewhat stand-alone.
Anyway, there is a region to the south where the kingdom gets a lot of minerals, namely because there are quite a few mines. Anyway, one of the caravans hasn’t arrived, so some scouts were sent to the south to find out what happened it, and they have also disappeared. As such it turns out that you are the one that will be sent, with some more scouts, to see if you can solve the problem, reopen the routes, and maybe even rescue some of the people that have disappeared.
So, you could say that the book is divided into two parts – the first part involves you travelling to the mines, and the second part involves you battling an enemy and saving the mayor’s daughter from being sacrificed and thus preventing an army of the dead from being created. Okay, there is also the part in the middle where you are crawling through the mines, but you could say that that is part of the second section (and I also wonder whether you can complete the adventure without actually going into the mines – I’m not willing to try though).
It is interesting that you start off with a battalion of scouts, but as the adventure progresses they are progressively killed off, until you get to the point where you are the only one left alive. That sort of seems to be what happened to the original scouting party as well, namely because you end up encountering the guy that was in charge of it. In fact, you sort of find his sword along the way, and I decided to head to the town where the guy that had the sword indicated that he got it from – that turned out to be a bit of a mistake.
Still, this book was pretty good, like a lot of the other ones out there as well. It may not be the greatest of the works of literature, but it is still quite fun, especially the way he does the big battles at the end. Another thing that I discovered was that Denver actually built these books off of the Dungeons and Dragons campaigns that he had run, though it is interesting that he doesn’t use the same, or similar rules, but then again the rules for Dungeons and Dragons are pretty complex, probably a little too complex for a gamebook.
12 March 2022
It seems that this book is somewhat disconnected from the previous three, namely that it doesn’t strictly follow on. Sure, there is the issue of the Dark Lord’s armies in the background, but after the third book – The Caverns of Kalte – there doesn’t seem to be any loose ends. As such, it seems that we now move onto another quest which is sort of connected, but also somewhat stand-alone.
Anyway, there is a region to the south where the kingdom gets a lot of minerals, namely because there are quite a few mines. Anyway, one of the caravans hasn’t arrived, so some scouts were sent to the south to find out what happened it, and they have also disappeared. As such it turns out that you are the one that will be sent, with some more scouts, to see if you can solve the problem, reopen the routes, and maybe even rescue some of the people that have disappeared.
So, you could say that the book is divided into two parts – the first part involves you travelling to the mines, and the second part involves you battling an enemy and saving the mayor’s daughter from being sacrificed and thus preventing an army of the dead from being created. Okay, there is also the part in the middle where you are crawling through the mines, but you could say that that is part of the second section (and I also wonder whether you can complete the adventure without actually going into the mines – I’m not willing to try though).
It is interesting that you start off with a battalion of scouts, but as the adventure progresses they are progressively killed off, until you get to the point where you are the only one left alive. That sort of seems to be what happened to the original scouting party as well, namely because you end up encountering the guy that was in charge of it. In fact, you sort of find his sword along the way, and I decided to head to the town where the guy that had the sword indicated that he got it from – that turned out to be a bit of a mistake.
Still, this book was pretty good, like a lot of the other ones out there as well. It may not be the greatest of the works of literature, but it is still quite fun, especially the way he does the big battles at the end. Another thing that I discovered was that Denver actually built these books off of the Dungeons and Dragons campaigns that he had run, though it is interesting that he doesn’t use the same, or similar rules, but then again the rules for Dungeons and Dragons are pretty complex, probably a little too complex for a gamebook.
March 18, 2019
Сякаш най-добрата от четирите книги за Самотния вълк, излезли у нас през '90-тe. Липсвата на странните и зловещи създания е компенсирана с много екшън и битки - дълго и измъчено бягство, масовка и класически за фентъзито финал. Ако сте прочели първите три книги от поредицата и са ви харесали, няма добра причина да спрете преди тази.
October 31, 2024
Molto più facile delle altre, ma allo stesso tempo godibile. Per una volta la fortuna è stata dalla mia e non sono morta inutilmente.
June 28, 2021
Joe Dever's Lone Wolf gamebooks were a consistent presence during my formative years and have had a big influence on my reading and gaming interests. I first started reading them in 1989 and continued to do so until 1999. With the resurgence of new Lone Wolf material in recent years, I've decided to revisit these nostalgic gems of my youth.
Book 4: The Chasm of Doom
(published 1985, first read 1989)
Story: 5/5
Game: 4/5
Replayability: 3/5
Book 4: The Chasm of Doom
(published 1985, first read 1989)
Story: 5/5
Game: 4/5
Replayability: 3/5
May 28, 2022
I feel like I started rushing a bit too much because I couldn't connect to this entry in the series at all. It somehow didn't feel as epic at the start as I would have liked and it was difficult to connect to the entire thing later on. Probably need to revisit it in some years.
January 28, 2022
per niente banale, mi erano mancate le nostre avventure! con nuovi nemici e nuove terre, ci siamo fiondati alla ricerca di un esercito perduto e quello che abbiamo trovato non era solo qualche soldato ma un intero complotto che avrebbe portato all'apocalisse! è stata una bellissima avventura e non vedo l'ora di continuare a giocare con rapepino e il nostro absalom bel prossimo capitolo di questa saga praticamente appena iniziata! :)
September 4, 2017
To the south of your homeland of Sommerland lies the rich but remote mining province of Ruanon. When a regular shipment of gold suddenly vanishes, the King dispatches a patrol of his best cavalry to investigate the suspected theft. They do not return.
My favorite of the series due to the scope of the story and the tension during the climax. It was the first of the series to give me chills when I read it, as a young boy. The adventure begins with a mystery, prompting an investigation, leading Lone Wolf on a country-wide search, leading to a large-scale and pitched battle, and finishing with a daring rescue. It was everything that my ten-year old self could have wanted to project myself into.
As I stated in my entry for book three, I noted that if you begin any of the Lone Wolf adventures with assistance, of any kind, then you shouldn't get too comfortable having them around. This has never been truer than here as you begin with a fifty ranger escort. Their days were numbered the minute they were instructed to accompany you. I have to believe that word travels quickly in Sommerland. That Lone Wolf, despite being provided with the King’s finest, whether naval fleets, or dozens of rangers, always seems to return to Holmgard alone. The only thing rising faster than the death toll in these books are the eyebrows of those whom the King volunteers to accompany you.
The Chasm of Doom, while being the location of the Dark Lord Vashna's defeat from ages ago, could also be suggestive of Lone Wolf's suddenly ravenous stomach, since in this adventure he's required to eat more meals than he's eaten in the three previous books combined. I started the adventure with five meals and had worked my way through all of them before I even made it to Ruanon, which is the first third of the quest.
Despite these quirks, Chasm of Doom feels like the most epic of the stories up to this point, and is the one I've read through more times than any of the others. Even on this most recent read through there were many items and events that I did not experience, allowing for replayability. Without doubt, my personal favorite of the Kai books.
...you are sent to recover the missing gold and locate the lost patrol, but you soon discover that it is a mission of direful consequence - for the fate of your country is at stake!
Statistics:
2017: 1 Death (instantaneous)
My favorite of the series due to the scope of the story and the tension during the climax. It was the first of the series to give me chills when I read it, as a young boy. The adventure begins with a mystery, prompting an investigation, leading Lone Wolf on a country-wide search, leading to a large-scale and pitched battle, and finishing with a daring rescue. It was everything that my ten-year old self could have wanted to project myself into.
As I stated in my entry for book three, I noted that if you begin any of the Lone Wolf adventures with assistance, of any kind, then you shouldn't get too comfortable having them around. This has never been truer than here as you begin with a fifty ranger escort. Their days were numbered the minute they were instructed to accompany you. I have to believe that word travels quickly in Sommerland. That Lone Wolf, despite being provided with the King’s finest, whether naval fleets, or dozens of rangers, always seems to return to Holmgard alone. The only thing rising faster than the death toll in these books are the eyebrows of those whom the King volunteers to accompany you.
The Chasm of Doom, while being the location of the Dark Lord Vashna's defeat from ages ago, could also be suggestive of Lone Wolf's suddenly ravenous stomach, since in this adventure he's required to eat more meals than he's eaten in the three previous books combined. I started the adventure with five meals and had worked my way through all of them before I even made it to Ruanon, which is the first third of the quest.
Despite these quirks, Chasm of Doom feels like the most epic of the stories up to this point, and is the one I've read through more times than any of the others. Even on this most recent read through there were many items and events that I did not experience, allowing for replayability. Without doubt, my personal favorite of the Kai books.
...you are sent to recover the missing gold and locate the lost patrol, but you soon discover that it is a mission of direful consequence - for the fate of your country is at stake!
Statistics:
2017: 1 Death (instantaneous)
December 18, 2020
I like this one. It's partly nostalgia, partly a couple of really neat set pieces (the fight at the inn and the battle at Ruanon) and partly how easy it is to get all of your men killed in dumb ways. The actual plot's pretty weak, but it's a fun time.
--
The collectors' edition story, Ruanon, is a neat look at the same story from a different perspective. It's got some fairly long chunks with no decisions to make and those you do make don't tend to have major consequences, but it's pretty good as a companion piece to the main adventure. It is really dumb that, after you even though you definitely should. I also would have liked to see the special abilities come into play a bit more. It seems like taking the two combat bonus ones and Expert Bowman is pretty clearly the right choice as (I think) Master Tactician only came up once and (in the path I took) I don't think Combat Sense had any use at all.
--
The collectors' edition story, Ruanon, is a neat look at the same story from a different perspective. It's got some fairly long chunks with no decisions to make and those you do make don't tend to have major consequences, but it's pretty good as a companion piece to the main adventure. It is really dumb that, after you even though you definitely should. I also would have liked to see the special abilities come into play a bit more. It seems like taking the two combat bonus ones and Expert Bowman is pretty clearly the right choice as (I think) Master Tactician only came up once and (in the path I took) I don't think Combat Sense had any use at all.
October 3, 2009
Another sidequest in the Lone Wolf series. This one deals with bandits and a siege. There are a couple of interesting story options and paths in the story despite the not-so-unique plot/story points.
December 29, 2014
Bien fait, beaucoup d'action.
August 26, 2016
awesome
April 2, 2025
My first-ever journey through Joe Dever’s Lone Wolf saga continues with book #4, The Chasm of Doom (1985).
The first three books make a kind of trilogy, with a continuing story that comes to a satisfying resolution. Book #4 is a departure, a new stand-alone adventure - though I wouldn’t be surprised if it sows the seeds of some adventures later in the series.
Although the story (about saving a girl who is being sacrificed to raise an unconquerable army of the dead) is standard gamebook fare and somewhat hackneyed, it’s done well here. This kind of story comes up frequently in Fighting Fantasy, but in Lone Wolf the adventure is framed in a more consistent, restrained and (dare I say it) realistic world. Magnanund is more believable than Titan, which was pieced together retrospectively from a collection of gamebooks featuring a disparate and very varied range of adventures (Titan, in the richness of its variety, has its own appeal, of course - the two series are quite distinct from one another). The world building and lore of Lone Wolf’s world are incredibly rich, and are a huge part of what makes this series special.
The encounters with enemies here are not as random or as frequent as in most Fighting Fantasy entries. Though I didn’t think it was quite as strong as the preceding three books, which were superlative, The Chasm of Doom is nevertheless a solid adventure, moving along at a nice, easy pace. There are some memorable encounters (the troupe of players) and locations (Maakengorge). In particular, there’s an impressive extended battle sequence, the book’s equivalent of the awesome sea battle in Fire in the Water, which is perhaps the high point.
I thought it ended rather suddenly -
The first three books make a kind of trilogy, with a continuing story that comes to a satisfying resolution. Book #4 is a departure, a new stand-alone adventure - though I wouldn’t be surprised if it sows the seeds of some adventures later in the series.
Although the story (about saving a girl who is being sacrificed to raise an unconquerable army of the dead) is standard gamebook fare and somewhat hackneyed, it’s done well here. This kind of story comes up frequently in Fighting Fantasy, but in Lone Wolf the adventure is framed in a more consistent, restrained and (dare I say it) realistic world. Magnanund is more believable than Titan, which was pieced together retrospectively from a collection of gamebooks featuring a disparate and very varied range of adventures (Titan, in the richness of its variety, has its own appeal, of course - the two series are quite distinct from one another). The world building and lore of Lone Wolf’s world are incredibly rich, and are a huge part of what makes this series special.
The encounters with enemies here are not as random or as frequent as in most Fighting Fantasy entries. Though I didn’t think it was quite as strong as the preceding three books, which were superlative, The Chasm of Doom is nevertheless a solid adventure, moving along at a nice, easy pace. There are some memorable encounters (the troupe of players) and locations (Maakengorge). In particular, there’s an impressive extended battle sequence, the book’s equivalent of the awesome sea battle in Fire in the Water, which is perhaps the high point.
I thought it ended rather suddenly -
July 5, 2021
Probabilmente il più coinvolgente tra i primi quattro libri game sulle avventure di Lupo Solitario. All'interno di questo L'altare del sacrificio c'è letteralmente di tutto, tra trappole mortali, bivi pericolosi e tetri, narrazione e tanta azione.
Un azione che renderà alcune parti della narrazione davvero veloci e difficili anche per chi ha iniziato con il primo romanzo (e quindi ha a disposizione i vari "potenziamenti" dovuti all'esperienza come guerriero Kai), che si troverà a rischiare la vita diverse volte ed in diverse situazioni, pur avendo con se svariati strumenti di sopravvivenza.
Un volume davvero interessante che si avvicina, meglio dei suoi tre predecessori, a quello che è il vero gioco di ruolo, con tante scelte non solo di percorso ma anche morali, e che spesso nasconde la soluzione nell'azione più semplice, come il parlare con uno sconosciuto.
Un ottimo acquisto per gli amanti del gioco su carta stampata, che forse non sarebbe adatto ad iniziare per via del suo tasso di sfida talvolta molto alto, ma che mi sento di consigliare a tutti per approcciarsi a questo mondo.
Un azione che renderà alcune parti della narrazione davvero veloci e difficili anche per chi ha iniziato con il primo romanzo (e quindi ha a disposizione i vari "potenziamenti" dovuti all'esperienza come guerriero Kai), che si troverà a rischiare la vita diverse volte ed in diverse situazioni, pur avendo con se svariati strumenti di sopravvivenza.
Un volume davvero interessante che si avvicina, meglio dei suoi tre predecessori, a quello che è il vero gioco di ruolo, con tante scelte non solo di percorso ma anche morali, e che spesso nasconde la soluzione nell'azione più semplice, come il parlare con uno sconosciuto.
Un ottimo acquisto per gli amanti del gioco su carta stampata, che forse non sarebbe adatto ad iniziare per via del suo tasso di sfida talvolta molto alto, ma che mi sento di consigliare a tutti per approcciarsi a questo mondo.
December 12, 2021
Another great book in the Lone Wolf series. You are the last Kai Lord sent on a mission by the King to find the shipment of lost Gold. You choose your skills and equipment and off you go on a fantasy adventure where death lurks around every page turn. Still great story and art. This book, like the others doesn’t disappoint.
April 7, 2021
I was actually successful in the first read-through for this one, but that definitely would not have been the case without having completed the previous adventures. Acquiring the Sommerswerd and the additional Kai disciplines was crucial.
July 24, 2022
I’ve got to say, I was not disappointed. I tried the new, harder gameplay modification, and I think they worked well. I think the first book is still the best, but this is a close second. Definitely a worthy addition to the series.
July 29, 2018
Megacombat on the brink of doom! Strange huts! Mysterious slavers!
September 23, 2019
Intrigante, epico y mejor narrado que el resto. Cada libro es mejor que el anterior. No me decido si ponerle 3 o 4 estrellas
September 26, 2019
This one was a lot of fun. A nice classic RPG plot
January 2, 2020
A seemingly trivial start to the story opens up nicely into a rich and rewarding adventure with rising stakes and a satisfying conclusion to a dark chapter in our hero's life
March 10, 2020
Just as good as I remembered it!
February 5, 2022
Laden down with potions and the Sommersword I tore through this adventure with speed. Still fells like a complete and sometimes epic story.
January 25, 2024
Ho la versione del 2009 delle edizioni EL.
Molto bello, come il resto della saga.
Molto bello, come il resto della saga.
March 13, 2024
A really solid entry. Cannot wait to play the next one.
Displaying 1 - 30 of 41 reviews