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Item - Castle Death

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(Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st])
(Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st])
(Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st])
(Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd])
(Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd])
(Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd])
(Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th])
(American edition)
(American edition, later printing)
(American, US 8th printing [8th])
(Lone Wolf (2007-) edition)
(Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition, hardcover first printing)
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Combined Summary

Online Full Text: Internet Archive (American, US 8th printing [8th])
Project Aon (Project Aon edition)
Series: Lone Wolf (1984-1998) — no. 7
Lone Wolf, Collector's Edition (2007-) no. 7
Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition — no. 7
Platform: Web Browser (Project Aon edition)
Translated Into: Il castello della morte (Italian)
Dödens slott (Swedish)
La Forteresse maudite (French)
Hrad smrti (Czech)
Mahligai maut (Malay)
Muerte en el castillo (Spanish)
Das Schloß des Todes (German)
Shi no jousai [死の城塞] (Japanese)
Adapted Into: The Secret of Kazan-oud (Novel)
Author: Dever, Joe
Illustrators: Chalk, Gary (Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st] - interior; American edition, later printing - interior; American, US 8th printing [8th] - interior; Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd] - interior; Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd] - interior; Project Aon edition - interior; Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd] - interior; Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th] - interior; American edition - interior; Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition, hardcover first printing - interior)
dal Lago, Alberto (Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition, hardcover first printing - cover)
Elson, Peter (Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd] - cover)
Jones, Peter Andrew (Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd] - cover; Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd] - cover; Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th] - cover)
Lyon, Peter (Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st] - cover)
Mattioli, Francesco (Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition, hardcover first printing - cartography)
Dates: June 19, 1986 (Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st])
September, 1987 (American edition)
1988 (Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd])
1990 (Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd])
1991 (Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd])
1993 (Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th])
March 24, 2001 (Project Aon edition)
2008 (Lone Wolf (2007-) edition)
2023 (Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition, hardcover first printing)
ISBNs: 0099476207 / 9780099476207 (Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st], Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd], Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd], Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd], Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th])
0425100146 / 9780425100141 (American edition, later printing, American, US 8th printing [8th], American edition)
1915586070 / 9781915586070 (Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition, hardcover first printing)
Length: 350 sections (Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st], Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd], Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd], Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd], Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th], American edition, American edition, later printing, American, US 8th printing [8th], Project Aon edition)
Number of Endings: 19 (not including failure by loss of points) (Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st], Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd], Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd], Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd], Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th], American edition, American edition, later printing, American, US 8th printing [8th], Project Aon edition)
Cover Price: US$2.95 (American edition, later printing)
US$3.99 (American, US 8th printing [8th])
US$2.50 (American edition)
Special Thanks: Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st]:
Thanks to Ryan Lynch for the front cover, back cover, spine and title page verso images and Luke Sheridan for the spread scan.
American, US 8th printing [8th], Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd], Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd], Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th]:
Thanks to Ryan Lynch for the front cover, back cover, spine and title page verso images.
Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd]:
Thanks to Luke Sheridan for the spread cover and title page version images.
User Summary: The search for the next Lorestone leads you to the dreaded castle of Kazan-Oud, inhabited by an evil sorcerer and isolated from the rest of the world by a magical shield.
Demian's Thoughts:

If ever a Lone Wolf book felt more like a Fighting Fantasy adventure, this is the one. It's not as brutally unfair as most of the entries in that other series, but it's a dungeon crawl full of tricks and traps, so it feels a little different from the usual more story-oriented adventures in this series. I suppose it isn't a bad adventure, but I didn't find it very enjoyable. Lone Wolf is at its best when you have a clear sense of mission, and there's just too much aimless wandering here for my taste. I also found that the increased difficulty level of the combat served to slow things down rather than increase my enjoyment, and the fact that it's possible to win the book but lose the Sommerswerd is absolutely devastating. I can also see why there were discussions of Joe Dever's possible racism on various mailing lists; while I suspect no harm was intended, a little too much is made of how Lone Wolf's white skin dazzles his dark-skinned enemies. For a variety of reasons, I finished this adventure not with a sense of accomplishment but rather with a bad taste in my mouth.

More reviews by Demian

Errata:Some printings of this book are missing monster stats in section 233; according to Project Aon, it should be "Oudagorg - Combat Skill 17, Endurance 17."
Special Thanks:Thanks to Ryan Lynch for all of the current images of British editions. Thanks to Tan Hong Kiat for the previously-used original Beaver cover scan, Brett Easterbrook for the previously-used Beaver reissue scan, Johan Rehn for identifying the Beaver reissue cover illustrator through the artist's website, and Marcus Pearse for the previously-used Red Fox cover scan. Thanks to the Museum of Computer Adventure Game History for the images of the $2.50 American edition.
Users Who Own This Item: aden, aehalpin, Alarion, Alatar001, AlHazred (Berkley/Pacer), andyr, angriestmonster, Aniline, Ardennes, auximenes, Avenger (Red Fox), B0N0V0X, Barker1952, Belgarath, bookwormjeff (Beaver, Red Fox, Berkley), Braldt, brujeria!, casperthegoth, Citanul, crazydave, Crazyscotsman, CSquared, CSX, Cyan, c_wickham (physical edition + for Kindle), damieng, dArtagnan, dave2002a, dblizzard72, DeKoovenWolf (Red Fox edition), Demian (American eighth printing), demon of the deep lt, desdichado66, devilsboy, Dirk Omnivore, domj29 (Beaver), Dronak (US), Eamonn McCusker, Ed, edwebb, EegahInc, egokun, Erikwinslow (US, UK (Red Fox)(Beaver 2nd)), Ffghtermedic, firaya, firefoxpdm, Flurris (Red Fox Ed.), Gamebook, Gamebook Collector, Gamehorder, Gartax, gnomeza (Red Fox), Greeneuva, greyarea13, Haoie, Himynameistony, hoops4ever, Hugues, Ian2405, Icedlake (beaver), jdreller, jeff3333, jeffreylee, Joe_TC, JoshW, Jubal, juski, katzcollection (American edition), kesipyc, killagarilla, kinderstef, knginatl, Kojiro, le maudit, lek, LordJR, Luke, Malthus Dire, MarcusP, marginal_space, marksmith, marnaudo, mattender, mir1812, mlvoss, Mr ? (Beaver Edition), mvstang, nelsondesign, NEMO (American edition), nerelax, nicolau (Spanish ed. Alfaguara), nilhilius (Amercian), Nomad, Oberonbombadil (Beaver revised & Red Fox (signed by Joe Dever)), outspaced, Pessimeister (first beaver edition), peterm2, Pirrakas, plutonick (Red Fox edition), Pseudo_Intellectual, redeyeball, rpatel1976 (beaver), ryderark (Beaver), Ryuran333 (red fox), Sabreman (Beaver original and reissue), Salpynx (US), Seizure, Sheridan77, Sir Olli, sireeyore (Beaver), spragmatic (US), StagQuests (Beaver-1st-Signed by Joe Dever), Superfro, Surcal (Redfox), Tamerlane1396, ThaRid, ThePaperCrow (Berkley), Threepwud, Treguard, Tremendez, truce57, twar, TWolf, wonderfly, Yalius, zat
Users Who Want This Item: eriq90 (red fox only), Grifter, Lambchop, MasterChief, Morthynmir, mrwalker, NEMO (beaver,redfox,), nizetuks, odo_ital, plutonick, Salpynx (Beaver), Samus, snakefire77, Surcal (Beaver), yermither
Users with Extra Copies: andyr - Red Fox
DeKoovenWolf - Beaver edition
mvstang
Pirrakas - Berkley/Pacer
Sir Olli - Red Fox
sireeyore - American
StagQuests - Beaver-1st
Threepwud

Known Editions

Beaver, UK 1986 1st printing [1st]
Beaver, UK 1988 1st printing [2nd]
Red Fox, UK 1990 1st printing [2nd]
Red Fox, UK 1991 1st printing [3rd]
Red Fox, UK 1993 1st printing [4th]
American edition
American edition, later printing
American, US 8th printing [8th]
Project Aon edition
Lone Wolf (2007-) edition (in Castle Death (collector's edition))
Lone Wolf, Definitive Edition, hardcover first printing

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Play Aid

Lone Wolf # 7 Character Sheet (back)

Lone Wolf # 7 Character Sheet (front)