Completing the journey of Severian, our erstwhile member of the Torturers' Guild.
Cast out for the crime of mercy on a criminal.
He wanders the strange, bizarre world of The Urth.
On the path to his destiny that he started when he killed a woman rather than see her continued torture.
This giant in the field of fantasy remains one of the greatest ever.

Gene Wolfe’s Sword & Citadel is a nice new omnibus of the third and fourth volumes in the series known as The Book of the New Sun. This new edition contains two classics of science fantasy The Sword of the Lictor and The Citidel of the Autarch in one package, with the bonus of a new introduction by celebrated author Ada Palmer.

This introduction is both thoughtful and entertaining, digressing into discussions of various other artistic pieces while also being able to reunite them into something connecting back to the text. While the books serve perfectly well without this piece, it is a very nice addition.

Severian is a professional torturer who took great pride in his work, yet by the time of The Sword of the Lictor he sincerely doubts the morality of what he is doing. His travels and work help lend further to this realization, but at the same time it seems strange to him to consider other ways of life. Many of the pages of this volume contain stories told by the characters, parables, fables, fairy tales or simply unusual stories to those passing them along. Each of these tends to be entertaining enough in it’s own right, yet also serve to foreshadow, illustrate character, or drive home theme.

Themes include the effect a different point of view can have upon how one sees the world. Through this themes of necessity of violence and questions of changing oneself are pushed forward, yet there are repeated looks at social class as it relates to corruption as well. Indeed, the repeated looks at the very flawed protaganist, and his own looks at the oddities of his world, indicate that the society is deeply and unquestionably flawed.

Still, it is hard to deny that there is a certain level of interpretation required for this book. Severian is confused and has a severely limited point of view and may in fact be a classic unreliable narrator.

At the end of each novel comes a nice appendix written as though examining the setting from a backward looking point of view while treating the material within as questionable in strange ways. Given the cyclical nature of some pieces of the tale, this retrospective nature feels appropriate.

This edition re-uses early cover art by Don Maitz. Given how often new art supplant old in such editions, this book proves especially nice for bringing back the old, which serves well enough in depicting an approximation of imagery that appears within. The image has been flipped horizontally in comparison to some past paperbacks, yet is quite effective.

For someone looking for editions of books 3 and 4 of The Book of the New Sun, this represents a wonderful and economical option. A new reader would do well to pick up the first omnibus, Shadow & Claw, first. That said, the new material is entertaining, and the packaging is an excellent way to get the work.

(Tor, 2021)

In her forward for the reprint of the first volume, Shadow & Claw, Ada Palmer mentions the idea of a cluttered future. In her forward for Sword & Citadel, she discusses what happens offstage during the hero’s journey. She references a scene from the Jacobian play Pericles, Prince of Tyre, in which King Antiochus dies offstage after being the driving force for the hero. This technique, intended for the audience’s reception, demonstrates the effects of what’s not being shown or said.

What we see doesn’t always complete our perceptions, but the audience still expresses relief at the antagonist’s death or weep at the loss of the hero’s loved one. Even if it’s a mention or a monologue, the offstage event manages to move the audience. Sword & Citadel mentions significant events and incidents, like character deaths and battle outcomes, through a few sentences (if not omitted) from our narrator, Severian.

Severian’s journey in Sword & Citadel doesn’t cover the beginnings and endings of important events. Unlike classics such as The Odyssey, Severian starts scenes and sequences in media res. Instead of recounting all of the hero’s encounters and triumphs, Severian focuses more on his philosophical reflections. His internal monologue seems to hold more importance than what’s happening around him.

We, the readers, learn more about the world, including unexpected twists, but the majority of the second volume focuses on Severian’s thoughts. And because he’s an unreliable narrator, the fragmented events might as well not share the entire tale.

Like in the first volume, Sword & Citadel features characters that come and go. These minor characters and short-term companions play a part in Severian’s journey, but they don’t significantly impact his narrative arc. Unlike key figures that serve the hero’s journey (i.e., the villain, the mentor), the characters Severian meets contribute to his philosophical reflections. Like him, the people he meets and interacts quietly pass by with modest impressions.

For instance, he temporarily stays at the home of a humble mother and her son. Among his reflection of them, he noted the comfortable state of their home, a stark contrast to the romanticized architecture (i.e., towers) of his home.

A classic that continues the story of a generation (and my childhood). A deep story, confusing like real life.

If you can enjoy putting some work to your reading time, this book is a masterpiece. One of the purest form of originality and uniqueness there is! A genre in itself. Solid book! Its a bit of work but its totally worth it!

Simply one of the best dark fantasy series ever and this installment is especially strong. I love Wolfe's use of suspense as he carries the story of Severian and company through their danger-filled adventure. I recommend this to anyone looking for some tense and compelling fantasy that is so well written it should be considered a classic of literature.