Light of the Kai is the upcoming story in the Lone Wolf series, and is set to be the series finale. It will be written by Vincent Lazzari and Ben Dever, using material dictated by Joe Dever in the months leading up to his passing. It will be the third such book published after Joe's death.
It will be released in two parts, with the first part set to be released on February 24th, 2026.
Planned release[]
Light of the Kai is set to be the series finale, and the third book to be posthumously-released after Joe Dever's death.
The prior two such books, Dead in the Deep and The Dusk of Eternal Night were, by Lone Wolf standards, very long in terms of number of pages (although still having the usual 350 sections). Dead in the Deep had a bonus adventure, Kaum Before The Storm, which increased the page count, but The Dusk of Eternal Night only had a short epilogue, making the core story the most verbose yet. For Light of the Kai, Holmgard Press wished to be more disciplined with the word count, but not without diminishing the story. As a result, to tell the story properly, Holmgard Press announced that Light of the Kai would be published in two parts, originally scheduled to be October 2024 and October 2025 respectively.[3]
The books are set to be illustrated by Gary Chalk and NERDGORE.[2]
Delays[]
In June 2024, it was announced that due to delays, the first book would instead be released at the "start of [2025]" instead.[4] A further delay was announced in Newsletter 55, delaying Part 1 until the latter half of 2025.
This was further delayed in October 2025, with a target date of February 24th, 2026, due to logistical issues in the United States. A digital companion to the book, The New Age of War, was also announced, to be released on November 7th, 2025, charting the conflicts that had taken place leading up to Light of the Kai.[1]
Possible content[]
This section contains spoilers for Light of the Kai.
- This section is speculative, and may not reflect final content.
[]
In the announcement regarding the delays, Holmgard Press also announced they had finished the final draft of the first book, and as a teaser, the story flowchart and some textual content, although largely blurred and obscured, were released. The Facebook post (not the Instagram post), however, can be zoomed in, revealing some details.[4]
A block of text, largely obscured by a map, reads, suggests that Lady Oriah will return after appearing in The Dusk of Eternal Night, and will have a role to play in the book. It also suggests that the Danarg and the Durncrag Mountains will play a part. The readable text is as follows:
World-power. Lady Oriah will
the Korlinium Seeds to Grand
they have three at disposal to
the Durncrags and at the Kai
(If one of the Kai Supreme
he can do it now and recover
your Supreme Masters except
for the Rings of Judgement in the Danarg, turn to 2 (in "Part One" of this [indistinct] of Light of the Kai).
Several illustrations from prior books were also present in the announcement, including:
- A statue in The Caverns of Kalte: §31
- Riding on a dragon towards Yanis in The Prisoners of Time: §50
- A Plaak, used as an attempted assassination on the Liganim whose disguise Lone Wolf adopted, in The Masters of Darkness: §23
The illustration of Yanis may be linked to the appearance of Serocca and the Beholder in Dead in the Deep. In this section, the two encounter Grand Master in a mysterious realm where the Nadziranim have broken the boundaries of the Planes of Existence, allowing them to communicate across them for a moment. Here, Serocca tells Grand Master about her history with Lone Wolf and what occurred in the Daziarn after he left in The Prisoners of Time. She then offers the help of The Beholder and his Yoacor, saying he can call on their help by opening the Shadow Gate of Sandai.[5]
[]
On the 11th of March, 2025, the following teaser was posted on the Lone Wolf social media accounts:[6]
"Agarash never attacks without first sowing chaos." Your voice stills the room. "The enemy has had time. Their infiltrators are already among us." Nervous glances flick across the table — warriors who have fought beside you for years. "When the attack begins, they will strike from within."
A silence follows. The war room darkens, the torchlight guttering. A distant rumble rolls through the sky, low and trembling, not of thunder, but of something vast cutting through the heavens. The council rushes to the cliffside battlements. Something is coming.
[]
In July 2025, in Newsletter #56, it was revealed that the final draft had been complete and that part 1 would have 400 sections. Some teaser illustrations were also revealed.[2]
October 2025 cover art reveal[]
In October 2025, cover art by Alberto Dal Lago[1] was slowly revealed on Instagram and Facebook posts. With these reveals, the corresponding text appears to contain material from Light of the Kai:
| Date | Quote |
|---|---|
| October 17th, 2025 |
|
| October 18th, 2025 |
|
| October 19th, 2025 |
|
| October 20th, 2025 |
|
| October 21th, 2025 |
|
October 2025 announcement[]
In October 2025, further delays were announced. However, a side-piece of content, The New Age of War, detailing the conflicts leading up to Light of the Kai, revealed an Agarashi invasion of Talestria from the Danarg, with Palmyrion aiding Talestria.[1]
Notes[]
- ↑ The section on The New Age of War in the newsletter states that it describes the "charts the battles, betrayals, and dark sorcery that have reshaped Magnamund in the two years leading up to Book 32", suggesting that this book will start around MS 5105, two years after The Dusk of Eternal Night (MS 5103).
References[]
- ↑ 1.0 1.1 1.2 1.3 Holmgard Press (2025-10-21). THE FINAL ADVENTURE BEGINS. Archived from the original on 2025-10-21. Retrieved on 2025-10-21.
- ↑ Ben Devere. Lone Wolf Club: Newsletter No. 40. Holmgard Ltd.
- ↑ 4.0 4.1 Holmgard Press (2024-06-18). Hopes of publishing in this 40th anniversary year are largely dashed as a result. We’ve set our sights on finishing by autumn and having the book published at the start of next year.
- ↑ Dead in the Deep: §15
- ↑ Teaser passage in #announcements of The World of LONE WOLF – Holmgard Press on Discord, 2025-03-11.
- ↑ Holmgard Press (2025-10-17). "Fast as blinking, the evil energy surges along your arm and weapon, engulfing your adversary in a twisted, mutating embrace. The air is rent with cries of pain and fear as their body swells and distorts with abhorrent growths of new muscles. Their skin sprouts pulsating tentacles, glistening scales, and oversized claws like black knives.".
- ↑ Holmgard Press (2025-10-18). "You begin as usual, by reviewing movement across the warfronts since your return. Most of the news is grim – lines buckling, cities under siege, supply chains fraying. But among the gloom, there is one flicker of hope.".
- ↑ Holmgard Press (2025-10-19). "Massive rocky platforms jut from the cavern walls, forming a breathtaking landscape. Clear streams cascade from one stony balcony to the next. Delicate rainbows, ever shifting and dancing, weave intricate patterns. Lush vegetation blankets all, thriving under the nourishing light of the crystals. Bustling swarms of pollinating insects flit through beams of refracted color.".
- ↑ Holmgard Press (2025-10-20). "‘Kai!’".
- ↑ Holmgard Press (2025-10-21). "As your Mindfort takes shape, a reviled yet familiar sensation washes over you – cold, nausea, a creeping Darkness. But this time, its effects are overwhelming. Your entire body radiates a shadowy aura, pulsing like a beacon. The Agarashi form a whirling tunnel, a corridor of wings and claws leading to the very heart of the swarm.".