The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch by Gene Wolfe

Sword & Citadel: the second half of The Book of the New Sun
The Sword of the Lictor and The Citadel of the Autarch
by Gene Wolfe

Collection published: 2021
Contents originally published: 1981-82
Acquired: May 2022
Read: September 2023

I knew these books would be weird and disjointed going in, but I had no idea how weird and disjointed. I'm writing this up about two months after finishing this volume, which was honestly too long to leave it because at this point I have no idea what I actually read, just vague memories of fragments: Severian at a party, Severian meeting a boy named Severian, Severian at war, Severian climbing a tower where different levels are in different times. What was this whole series about? I've no idea.

Was it my fault or what it the books'? Well, it's definitely at least partly the books' fault, I know that, but how much? I think it's at least partly mine; I read these in a pretty fragmented, jumpy way, and I don't think I got as much out of it as I could have with more sustained focus. As I said last time, they say you don't read Book of the New Sun, only reread it, so at some point in the future, I will give these books a second go and see if they click for me. But I think that will be awhile yet.