Reviews

These books are just so strange at this point but gratifyingly entertaining. The mix of the ancient and that which exists in a world millions of years in the future is just fascinating. Picking out things that exist in current times is puzzling and sometimes confusing. Seeing the reveals of technology which is vastly advanced from the present is moreover puzzling and confusing. But on a whole it creates a uniquely plotted story and an extremely entertaining read. If I would’ve seen these books in store without a recommendation I would’ve chalked them up to pulp fantasy trash. Beyond that it’s hard to express how intricate these books are. I am super chuffed to have found another great author with a diverse and interesting bibliography.

spanks_mackenzie's review against another edition

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challenging dark medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

Content Warnings

brandoneckroth's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective medium-paced

4.25

Alright, Gene. I see what you're doing here.

You truly cannot read the first book alone. If you don't immediately move from Shadow of the Torturer into Claw of the Conciliator, you'll be lost. Book one was basically an extra long introduction into the characters and hints at the world Gene Wolfe is building. It isn't until book two that everything starts to fall into place.

Don't get me wrong, there are still parts that even after rereading three times I'm still confused by. But the intrigue, the intellectual challenge, the metaphors within metaphors are what kept me turning page after page. And once again, Gene Wolfe's prose is beautiful and gruesome and perfect. Already can't wait to continue along with Severian on his journey.

merci97's review against another edition

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dark mysterious reflective slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? No

4.0

pdestrienne's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark slow-paced

4.5

I admit I was distracted through most of the beginning of this book because I was waiting for Dorcas to appear and couldn't concentrate until I googled if she would show up. I think it really kicks into gear when they get to House Absolute and I love the Jonas development. I find this series enchanting, I love Gene Wolfe's imagination,and it makes my brain excited.

bobpony's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging mysterious slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? N/A
Strong character development? No
Loveable characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

2.0

A slog! A disappointing slog. I really enjoyed the first book in this series (Shadow of the Torturer), as it focused on a young man and his struggles to reconcile the life he'd been dealt with the life he wanted to live. It was an adventure, but focused on character development. This second book of the series is not that, not at all. It's still an adventure, but kind of a random-bits-thrown-in-a-blender sort of story. It reads more like a poorly constructed D&D campaign, something the DM improvised on the spot. There are plenty of weird things that happen, but there's a distinct lack of character development. The plot advances begrudgingly, and nothing is resolved. It's just stuff. And the author sticks to his use of archaic vocabulary, to the point that the reading in this volume became a chore. I made it through, but I'm not sure I'll continue on. While I like the characters, and I want to know what happens, the books just demand a bit too much. The author acknowledges as much at the end of this one saying that he understands if you choose not to follow along further, because 'the road is difficult'. If you're aware of that...maybe spend another month or two editing and streamlining your book. Lol.

Oh! This book also has a small jump in time from the end of the last book. Maybe it's just a few days, or weeks...it's never explained. And what happened at the end of the last book isn't explained or examined. The characters are in one place, something exciting starts happening...and then in this book they're off in a different place and continuing their journey. What? I felt like I'd missed something, that I'd fallen asleep for fifty pages. But nope, that's just how it is.

And! There's a very long chapter near the end of this book that is a play. Literally, the script for a play, something one of the characters wrote. Does it matter? Does it reveal anything meaningful? Who knows, it's all very obtuse. Do we need to hear every word of this play? Sigh. I want to like all of this. But I fear it's just not for me. I really enjoyed the first book though! 🙂

thebestmark's review against another edition

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adventurous dark mysterious medium-paced

Wolfe's ambiguous narratorial style is often excruciating, particularly in this second book that deeply expands the world of the series, but it is always productive. I am fascinated by what Wolfe does with the protagonist, Severian, and our sometimes fraught relationship with him as readers. If you consider Severian purely through the lens of plot, as in 'what literal actions does this sword-wielding, cape-wearing main character take,' then he's perfectly commensurate with genre expectations, a fantasy hero only very slowly coming to grips with the fact that he has been transposed into a science fiction novel. It's the fact that we cannot escape Severian's perspective, though, that really expands the potential of the narrative. So much of what Severian doesn't tell us, or of what he reveals later, or of the way he angles his own behavior, frequently unmakes the heroic mythology he becomes absorbed by, revealing a cautious, sometimes fearful, and often confused human being. As in the first book, this is made all the better thanks to the fact that Wolfe's imaginary as a writer appears to be boundless, each new horrible imbroglio Severian has to flail his way out of equally imagistic, dense in material detail and almost psychedelic in presentation.

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