Gene Wolfe

Shadow & Claw are the first two novels in Gene Wolfe’s epic four-part masterpiece, The Book of the New Sun, now together in one volume as a Tor Essentials title...

The First Half of The Book of the New Sun

Shadow & Claw

The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly. Shadow & Claw brings together the first two books of the tetralogy in one volume: The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim. Ursula K. Le Guin said, "Magic stuff . . . a masterpiece . . . the best science fiction I've read in years!" The Claw of the Conciliator continues the saga of Severian, banished from his home, as he undertakes a mythic quest to discover the awesome power of an ancient relic, and learn the truth about his hidden destiny. "One of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century." -- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction

It's kind of odd to read a book that will only make sense when you read it again, that'sif you ever do. But after I read the first two books a couple of years ago, they've been living in my head rent free and really wanted to return to the world.


 I must say I like the early chapters of the first book the best, and I still didn't pick up on anything - here's my original thoughts on Shadow Of The Torturer: 


"Thought this was great. Well written, dreamlike, a bit weird, things hinted at that I'm excited to find out about - the old sun being a bit rubbish so they're getting an upgrade, trees on the moon, travel between worlds done with like, mirrors or something, I don't know. A real Gormenghast feel to the early chapters of the book and anyone who knows me knows I LOVE that. 

Took it all at face value - I believe what happened is what the words in the book said what happened. To this day I don't have an English GCSE because I never actually fully understood what subtext was, and I thought it was a bit strange to assume what the author meant, outside of the words on the page. Well, I mean, that's not the only reason, I didn't do any coursework either but you see what I'm getting at here. Maybe later books will reveal something more obvious. If so, I can't wait to find out! I'm very excited to read the next entry in the series. "

And I have to say, I STILL didn't really pick up on anything not-obvious really so far, although I literally went down every line with a bookmark, as my ADHD/other learning difficulties make me skip over things and scan-read a lot. My mind really doesn't make connections in that way - I'm no good at puzzles or logic, for instant. Guy wearing armour in a brown desert holding a strange banner? To me, that's a guy in armour. The citadel has metal walls? That's weird! Cool though. Metal IS a thing you can build things from. Some guy's lost his wife? How sad, hope she gets found. Googling things, it's interesting seeing what these things apparently mean and watching others make links I can't make. I'm enjoying the book just for itself. 


The play was an absolute fuckin' snoozefest though. Hope that's not important cause I had to skip that, I'm sorry. The story in the brown book I kind of struggled through.

Daryl Houston

I liked book 1 a lot and book 2 a lot less. I've got 3 and 4 on my nightstand and hope they tend more toward the qualities I liked in book 1, which had so much neat world building. Although this is billed as science fiction by many who I suppose ought to know science fiction from fantasy, it read a lot more like fantasy to me, if fantasy with some sci-fi elements.

Stephan Happe

Dan H

Max L

Coleman McCormick

The Rabid Geek

Martin Weitzel

Scott Robertson

James Miller

Ashley Janssen

Colin

"The Book of the New Sun is unanimously acclaimed as Gene Wolfe's most remarkable work, hailed as "a masterpiece of science fantasy comparable in importance to the major works of Tolkien and Lewis" by Publishers Weekly. Shadow & Claw brings together the first two books of the tetralogy in one volume: The Shadow of the Torturer is the tale of young Severian, an apprentice in the Guild of Torturers on the world called Urth, exiled for committing the ultimate sin of his profession -- showing mercy toward his victim. Ursula K. Le Guin said, "Magic stuff ... a masterpiece ... the best science fiction I've read in years!" The Claw of the Conciliator continues the saga of Severian, banished from his home, as he undertakes a mythic quest to discover the awesome power of an ancient relic, and learn the truth about his hidden destiny. "One of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century." -- The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction"--

Shadow & Claw The First Half of The Book of the New Sun

Reviews