History YMMV / Sorcery

* EnsembleDarkhorse: Inkle adaptation-wise, Flanker. He even gets a social media event dedicated to him for the purpose of marketing Sorcery! 4.

** The maze in the end of the first book. Let's hope you didn't call for your goddess yet... and heaven help you if you brought along that damn Minimite.

* MindScrew: Just who or what the Archmage really is, for crying out loud?

** The possibility of developing a romance between the Analander and Flanker in the Inkle Adaptation of Sorcery! 4: The Crown of Kings. While Flanker had arguably the most encounters with the Analander among other non-playable characters(Albeit a maximum of 4 times before the final game rolls out), most were brief with little development in their relationship and the Analander always end up alone by himself/herself for the vast majority of his/her journey. Other than the typical shipping fandom logic of quick relationship development, it doesn't make much sense that the pair would suddenly get romantically involved based on the interactions they had.

* FanficFuel: A ''lot'' of Kakhabad on the map is unexplored. This includes Lake Lumlé, the Croaking Caves and the Avanti Woods. Just imagine what could be there to explore...

** The possibility of developing a romance between the Analander and Flanker in the Inkle Adaptation of Sorcery! 4: The Crown of Kings. While Flanker had arguably the most encounters with the Analander among other NPCs (Albeit a maximum of 4 times before the final game rolls out), most were brief with little development in their relationship and the Analander always end up alone by himself/herself for the vast majority of his/her journey. Other than the typical shipping fandom logic of quick relationship development, it doesn't make much sense that the pair would suddenly get romantically involved based on the interactions they had.

* AssPull: In order to make the game winnable when playing as a warrior (and if you don't have a silver whistle), it was necessary for special holy water to have the ability to revive the dead with minimal explanation (usually it only works when used in conjunction with a spell). It is supposed to be special rejuvenating holy water given by healer Javinne, but having the power of ressurection? A bit far-fetched.

** This trope was further reinforced on the Inkle Adaptation of the Archmage - [[spoiler:He was discovered to be [[TheManBehindTheCurtain reduced to a weak man largely relying on the Crown of Kings to protect himself]], but eventually sells half of his soul for a HopelessBossFight if the player fails to stop him on the initial attempt]].

*** In the Inkle Adaptation, the Archmage remained as an AnticlimaxBoss where he [[spoiler:was discovered to be reduced to a weak man largely relying on the Crown of Kings to protect himself]], or eventually sells half of his soul for a HopelessBossFight.

*** In the Inkle Adaptation, the Archmage remained as an AnticlimaxBoss where he [[spoiler:was discovered to be largely reduced to a weak man relying on the Crown of Kings to protect himself]], or eventually sells half of his soul for a HopelessBossFight.

** John Blanche's illustrations. Are they appropriately creepy and discomforting, suiting the dark atmosphere of the dangerous universe? Or are they just grotesque and messy? Blanche tends to be a LoveItOrHateIt artist in the community.

* AssPull: In order to make the game winnable when playing as a warrior, it was necessary for special holy water to have the ability to revive the dead with minimal explanation (usually it only works when used in conjunction with a spell).

** That damn Manticore!

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: This series gets very dark (particularly in the Goya-inspired artwork), with the final volume in particular having some nasty deaths far beyond anything seen in ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' (noted under NightmareFuel). When originally released in the early eighties, the series was aimed at an older audience (with promotional material explicitly saying it was "for adults") and the covers had nothing beyond Steve Jackson's name to connect them to ''Fighting Fantasy'' (and was actually released under a different imprint). As seen [[http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=105 here]], over time the books were reprinted to include the ''FF'' logo and similar markings of the main series, although elements of the new covers and the fact that they were still published by Penguin and not Puffin (their children's imprint) made the distinction. When Wizard Books relaunched ''Fighting Fantasy'' in the early noughties, they made no distinction at all and just republished the original books as part of the main range.

* AnticlimaxBoss - In ''The Crown of Kings'', the concluding book, you reach the Archmage of Mampang, the character hyped as the Big Bad since the introduction to book 1... who decides to turn into a netherworld demon (and the book is so unclear some readers thought the Archmage had died for no apparent reason). Said Demon can be killed instantly if you're playing as a wizard, and even if you're a warrior it only has a SKILL of 7 and a STAMINA of 7 -- being only partly-formed. Still, if you fail to beat it within five attack rounds you're dead. Given you only do two points damage a round most times that leaves little margin for error. It is still quite an anticlimax.
** It crosses into FridgeBrilliance if you realize that the Archmage has fallen victim to his own BondVillainStupidity. He intends to trick you into entering his prison tower, but if you confront him as Farren Whyde he doesn't have his badass wizard body to fight you with so he has to assume his demonic form. Basically, you've caught him at a distinct disadvantage and assuming his true demonic form is the only way he can fight back. Too bad that form is extremely vulnerable before it can fully transform...
** Also the [[spoiler: Sun Serpent, who has been turned into a SealedEvilInACan offscreen.]]
* AssPull: In order to make the game winnable when playing as a warrior, it was necessary for special holy water to have the ability to revive the dead minimal explanation (usually it only works when used in conjunction with a spell).
* NightmareFuel: The pitch-black chamber with swords poking out of the floor, the monster with heat vision that burnt your arm off if you did the wrong thing, the super-fast ram made out of solid marble that charged at you endlessly whilst you were in a locked room with it, the god-headed hydra...
** If you killed all Seven Serpents there was a reference modifier you could use whenever you were identified in ''The Crown of Kings'' (as no word of your mission had been relayed back by the Serpents and nobody knew you were coming). Eventually you suddenly find out - whilst in the very heart of the fortress - that your identity has been discovered without your knowledge.
* ThatOneBoss: That damn Manticore! Not to mention the Serpents...
** The Time Serpent was invincible unless you had the [[spoiler: spell on the Goblin scroll]].
* ThatOneLevel: The maze in the end of the first book. Let's hope you didn't call for your goddess yet... and heaven help you if you brought along that damn Minimite.
** Also, the sewers in the second book. Another maze with difficult monsters, except that it's completely pointless. Luckily, it's also missable.

* AssPull: In order to make the game winnable when playing as a warrior, it was necessary for holy water to have the ability to revive the dead without explanation (usually it only works when used in conjunction with a spell).

** If you killed all Seven Serpents there was a reference modifier you could use whenever you were identified in ''The Crown of Kings'' (as no word of your mission had been relayed back by the Serpents and nobody knew you were coming). Eventually you abruptly discover that your identity has been discovered without your knowledge.

* WhatDoYouMeanItsNotForKids: This series gets very dark (particularly in the Goya-inspired artwork), with the final volume in particular having some nasty deaths far beyond anything seen in ''Literature/FightingFantasy'' (noted under NightmareFuel). When originally released in the early eighties, the series was aimed at an older audience and the covers had nothing beyond Steve Jackson's name to connect them to ''Fighting Fantasy'' (and was actually released under a different imprint). As seen [[http://www.gamebooks.org/show_item.php?id=105 here]], over time the books were reprinted to include the ''FF'' logo and similar markings of the main series, although elements of the new covers and the fact that they were still published by Penguin and not Puffin (their children's imprint) made the distinction. When Wizard Books relaunched ''Fighting Fantasy'' in the early noughties, they made no distinction at all and just republished the original books as part of the main range.

* ThatOneLevel - The maze in the end of the first book. Let's hope you didn't call for your goddess yet... and heaven help you if you brought along that damn Minimite.

* NightmareFuel - The pitch-black chamber with swords poking out of the floor, the monster with heat vision that burnt your arm off if you did the wrong thing, the super-fast ram made out of solid marble that charged at you endlessly whilst you were in a locked room with it, the god-headed hydra...
* ThatOneBoss - That damn Manticore! Not to mention the Serpents...

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel - The pitch-black chamber with swords poking out of the floor, the monster with heat vision that burnt your arm off if you did the wrong thing, the super-fast ram made out of solid marble that charged at you endlessly whilst you were in a locked room with it, the god-headed hydra...

** If I remember correctly, the Time Serpent was invincible unless you had the [[spoiler: spell on the Goblin scroll]].

* HighOctaneNightmareFuel - The pitch-black chamber with swords poking out of the floor, the monster with heat vision that burnt your arm off if you did the wrong thing, the super-fast ram made out of solid marble that charged at you endlessly whilst you were in a locked room with it...