# The Sword of the Lictor

![Book cover of The Sword of the Lictor](/books/covers/the_sword_of_the_lictor.jpg)

by [Gene Wolfe](/books/authors/gene_wolfe/)
Book 3 of [The Book of the New Sun](/books/series/the_book_of_the_new_sun/)
Awards: [Locus](/books/by-award/#locus-award)
★★★★☆

## Review

_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 Shadow of the Torturer_](/books/the_shadow_of_the_torturer/) was overwhelming as I immersed myself in the rich
setting and complex writing style. [_The Claw of the Conciliator_](/books/the_claw_of_the_conciliator/) felt slower paced as
Severian traveled from place to place. In contrast, _The Sword of the Lictor_ moved
briskly and introduced fascinating new characters and situations.

Some of my favorite scenes were:

- The haunting confrontation with the Alzabo and Agia at the mountain cottage.

- The mountain carved into a giant statue of Typhon.

- The village of the sorcerers and the "magic" duel.

- Lake Diurna and its lake-dwellers who live on floating islands.

- The castle of Baldanders, his disturbing human experiments, and his fight
  with Severian.

Although the structure of the story resembles [_The Claw of the Conciliator_](/books/the_claw_of_the_conciliator/), with
Severian traveling from adventure to adventure, I felt each part was more
engaging.

With this book wrapped up, I am eager to dive into the fourth book, [_The Citadel of the Autarch_](/books/the_citadel_of_the_autarch/).

## Reviews that mention _The Sword of the Lictor_
- [_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 Tainted Cup_](/books/the_tainted_cup/)†
- [_This Is How You Lose the Time War_](/books/this_is_how_you_lose_the_time_war/)†
- [_A Trade of Blood_](/books/a_trade_of_blood/)†
- [_Ubik_](/books/ubik/)†

† _Mentioned via a link to the series._

## Related Books
- [_The Shadow of the Torturer_](/books/the_shadow_of_the_torturer/) by [Gene Wolfe](/books/authors/gene_wolfe/) --- ★★★★☆: The Shadow of the Torturer is the first installment in Gene Wolfe’s The Book of the New Sun tetralogy. It follows the life of Severian, a torturer and executioner on a dying Earth. The pacing is slow, but Wolfe’s worldbuilding is fantastic, crafting a setting that pulls the reader in.
- [_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 Citadel of the Autarch_](/books/the_citadel_of_the_autarch/) by [Gene Wolfe](/books/authors/gene_wolfe/) --- ★★★★☆: 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.