Otherland/YMMV


 * Alas, Poor Villain: It is arguable that the audience is intended to feel some small degree of sympathy for Jongleur, as he's given a very fleshed out Freudian Excuse, Bad Dreams, and a very nasty death. Of course, he's unquestionably the author of all of the evil that occurs in the story, so at some point the justifications ring hollow.
 * Growing the Beard: The first book, before the characters really get into Otherland, reads like something of a Justified Tutorial. It's very clear that the series is written as a coherent whole, rather than four separate novels, and the plot doesn't get into full gear until the second book.
 * Iron Woobie: Paul Jonas. The man spent eternity in the trenches of world war one and things got worse when he escaped. And he just kept going, and going, and going.
 * Nightmare Fuel: So very much. If it involves John Dread, it's going to be fairly horrible, particularly when he gets godlike power. Also, the Other inspires nightmares in its power and inhumanity.
 * Trapped by Mountain Lions: Okay, yes, technically every one of the massive number of plot threads matters in the end, but there are so, so many...
 * The Woobie:
 * Orlando, naturally. Also at the end, the Other.
 * And possibly Paul Jonas.