Pages : 603
Overall Mark : 8/10
Severian, a torturer’s apprentice, is exiled from his guild after falling in love with one of his prisoners. Armed with his ancient executioner’s sword, Terminus Est, Severian must make his way across the perilous, ruined landscape of this far-future Urth. But is his finding of the mystical gem, the Claw of the Conciliator, merely an accident, or does Fate have grander plans for Severian the torturer…? This edition contains The Shadow of the Torturer and The Claw of the Conciliator.
GENE WOLFE (1931-)
Gene Wolfe is one of modern fantasy’s most important writers. His best-known work, the four volume far-future Book of the New Sun, won the World Fantasy, BSFA, Nebula, British Fantasy and John W. Campbell Memorial Awards. He has won the World Fantasy Award four times for his novels and collections and the World Fantasy Life Achievement Award for his extraordinary body of work.
VERDICT
SHADOW OF THE TORTURER - The characterizations in this novel are probably the best I’ve read in a long time in regards to SF and fantasy. The interactions work well and we aren’t faced with ridiculously hard to pronounce people and place names which I found refreshing. Severian, the lead character, is a little hard to get a grip on, but that makes him all the more intriguing.
THE CLAW OF THE CONCILIATOR - This second volume didn’t feel as strong, although the interplay between characters was still well observed. Also it felt a little more fantasy oriented than the first volume, especially as it grew closer to its conclusion.
