# The Citadel of the Autarch ![Book cover of The Citadel of the Autarch](/books/covers/the_citadel_of_the_autarch.jpg) by [Gene Wolfe](/books/authors/gene_wolfe/) Book 4 of [The Book of the New Sun](/books/series/the_book_of_the_new_sun/) ★★★★☆ ## Review _The Citadel of the Autarch_ is the fourth book in Gene Wolfe's _The Book of the New Sun_ tetralogy. It follows Severian as he reaches the front in the war against the Ascians and assumes the role of Autarch. _The Citadel of the Autarch_ is the final book in the original series, and halfway through I was worried Wolfe wouldn't be able to wrap it up successfully. By the end, I thought he had done a marvelous job tying up almost all the loose ends while leaving just enough of the mysteries to give the world depth. One mystery left unsolved is the nature of the megatherians---the gigantic beings that are trying to enslave humanity and who have enslaved the Ascians. Are they Lovecraftian horrors from beyond the void, or humans who became something more? Even here there are enough hints to let me ponder the question without feeling hopeless. I think the megatherians are post-humans, and that Balanders's ever increasing size and exit from the narrative into the water hints he is on the way to becoming one. Overall I enjoyed The Book of the New Sun, although I don't rate it as highly as [Ursula K. Le Guin](/books/authors/ursula_k_le_guin/)[^melville] or Neil Gaiman[^best] do. The interplay of writing and setting worked really well, and the stories have lingered in my mind even after finishing. I hear the sequel, [_The Urth of the New Sun_](/books/the_urth_of_the_new_sun/), answers more questions in a different style. I look forward to reading it. [^melville]: "Wolfe is our Herman Melville." --- [Ursula K. Le Guin](/books/authors/ursula_k_le_guin/), on the Tor 1987 Hardback of [_The Urth of the New Sun_](/books/the_urth_of_the_new_sun/) [^best]: "Years later, [Michael Dirda][dirda] of the Washington Post would call it [referring to [_The Shadow of the Torturer_](/books/the_shadow_of_the_torturer/)] 'The greatest fantasy novel written by an American,' and he would be right." --- Neil Gaiman, [_Gene Wolfe by Neil Gaiman_][guardian], The Guardian, [dirda]: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Michael_Dirda [guardian]: https://www.theguardian.com/books/2011/may/13/gene-wolfe-hero-neil-gaiman-sf ## Reviews that mention _The Citadel of the Autarch_ - [_A Canticle for Leibowitz_](/books/a_canticle_for_leibowitz/)† - [_The Claw of the Conciliator_](/books/the_claw_of_the_conciliator/)† - [_Disco Elysium_](/books/disco_elysium/)† - [_Endymion_](/books/endymion/)† - [_Excession_](/books/excession/)† - [_The Fall of Hyperion_](/books/the_fall_of_hyperion/)† - [_A Fire Upon The Deep_](/books/a_fire_upon_the_deep/)† - [_House of Suns_](/books/house_of_suns/)† - [_Inversions_](/books/inversions/)† - [_A Memory Called Empire_](/books/a_memory_called_empire/)† - [_Metropolitan_](/books/metropolitan/)† - [_A Mote in Shadow_](/books/a_mote_in_shadow/)† - [_The Nameless City_](/books/the_nameless_city/)† - [_Red Rising_](/books/red_rising/)† - [_The Rise of Endymion_](/books/the_rise_of_endymion/)† - [_Stand on Zanzibar_](/books/stand_on_zanzibar/)† - [_The Sword of the Lictor_](/books/the_sword_of_the_lictor/) - [_The Tainted Cup_](/books/the_tainted_cup/)† - [_This Is How You Lose the Time War_](/books/this_is_how_you_lose_the_time_war/)† - [_The Urth of the New Sun_](/books/the_urth_of_the_new_sun/) † _Mentioned via a link to the series._ ## Related Books - [_The Claw of the Conciliator_](/books/the_claw_of_the_conciliator/) by [Gene Wolfe](/books/authors/gene_wolfe/) --- ★★★☆☆: The Claw of the Conciliator is the second book in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It picks up right where The Shadow of the Torturer leaves off, following Severian as he makes his way towards Thrax. - [_The Sword of the Lictor_](/books/the_sword_of_the_lictor/) by [Gene Wolfe](/books/authors/gene_wolfe/) --- ★★★★☆: The Sword of the Lictor is the third book in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It follows Severian after he reaches Thrax and is exiled for a second time. - [_The Urth of the New Sun_](/books/the_urth_of_the_new_sun/) by [Gene Wolfe](/books/authors/gene_wolfe/) --- ★☆☆☆☆: The Urth of the New Sun is the fifth and final book in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It follows Severian as he leaves Urth to save mankind and returns to witness its destruction and rebirth.