REVIEW: Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe

Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe
Publishing information: Paperback; 419pgs
Publisher: Orb Books; 15 Oct 1994
ISBN: 9780312890179
Series: The Book of the New Sun 1 & 2
Copy: Out of Pocket
Reviewer: Tyson

Amazon

Synopsis: "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, and "one of the most ambitious works of speculative fiction in the twentieth century" by The Magazine of Fantasy and Science Fiction. 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.

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."

The Book of the New Sun is a series that has been on my bucket list for quite some time and when I received some gift cards I decided to pick them up and see if they would live up to the hype. Unfortunately, the story that unfolded just never grabbed my attention.

The first two books are found in the first installment of the series and they tell of a young apprentice learning from the Executioners Guild when he is exiled and must find his way and himself. For me the book took a really long time to get anywhere and by the time it did, I was already uninterested and leering at my bookcase for my next read. Try as I might, I just couldn't find the books flow and Severian never really caught on.

The world building was interesting but it too just seem to have something missing that would allow me to enjoy my experience. Perhaps it was my mood, as I was busy doing my job and two others, or the fact that I was attempting to read this in summer when I would rather be out enjoying the sun, but I couldn't find any interest in the book and I just wanted out.

I have the second installment of the series sitting on a shelf but I have to be honest with myself, there is a very strong chance it will never see the light of day as the first book just didn't do anything for me. I keep thinking that I will give this series another shot when life isn't so busy but with as many books vying for my attention it may never come to pass.

Overall: 6/10