The Sword of the Lictor Audiobook By Gene Wolfe cover art

The Sword of the Lictor

The Book of the New Sun, Book 3

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The Sword of the Lictor

By: Gene Wolfe
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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The Sword of the Lictor is the third volume in Wolfe's remarkable epic, chronicling the odyssey of the wandering pilgrim called Severian, driven by a powerful and unfathomable destiny, as he carries out a dark mission far from his home.

Listen to more in the Book of the New Sun series.©1982 Gene Wolfe (P)2009 Audible, Inc. Epic Epic Fantasy Fantasy Fiction Science Fiction
Imaginative Worldbuilding • Philosophical Depth • Superb Performance • Distinctive Character Voices • Beautiful Prose
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This book is much better than the previous two. So many amazing revelations, world building, and terrifying encounters. The characters are all super interesting as well.

Absolutely insane ride!

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Fills in all the hole's from the first 2 in the series . starts out slow but ends up great.

Great creepy sci fantasy book

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if you listen to the first one you'll listen to this one.
it's nuts though

Severian's bizarre adventure

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I'm re-reading this for maybe the eighth time, but first time by audiobook. Every few years I cycle back through the Book of the New Sun and the Book of the Long Sun--just brilliant, nothing like them. The writing is phenomenal. The narration here is pretty tone deaf; often it's clear that Mr. Davis didn't understand the meaning of a sentence he's reading and put the emphasis in the wrong place. Or he didn't know a word, like "theodicy," and mispronounces it, so you might think it's a Wolfeism or archaic term you didn't know, if you didn't have the text to refer to. Even so, the narration here is about one thousand times better than the audiobook for The Knight and The Wizard. Glad I'm able to listen to this during my commute, since I don't have as much time to read now.

Glad it exists

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Gene Wolfe???s The Sword of the Lictor essentially contains no plot, but it???s the best plotless book I???ve ever read. It???s one of the best books I???ve ever read, period. I loved every moment of it! This third installment of The Book of the New Sun continues Severian???s journey from apprentice in the torturers??? guild to Autarch. He doesn???t seem to be getting any closer to his exalted position (if anything, I???d say farther) and we???re no closer to understanding how he???s going to get there. But that???s totally fine. Unburdened by a need to be anywhere or to achieve any goals or deadlines, Severian wanders the earth almost aimlessly, and it???s this wandering that???s so fascinating. For a reader who???s only anxious for action and story progression, The Sword of the Lictor is not likely to work and, indeed, I usually get annoyed with authors who take too long to tell their stories. However, when I???m reading Gene Wolfe, it not only works ??? it is pure delight. For Wolfe???s old earth, set in a far future when the sun is dying (similar to Jack Vance???s Dying Earth), is full of wonder and amazement and he tells us all about it in his simple but elegant style... I wish I could be there with Severian as he climbs down the steep cliff overhung with a waterfall and embedded with the fossils of earth???s lost architecture, and explores the round metal building that we recognize (but he doesn???t) as a spaceship??? I???d love to tell you more and to discuss what it all means (there???s so much symbolism here), but then you???d miss the jaw-dropping, eye-widening, brain-expanding experience for yourself. I???ll just say that what Severian experiences on his journey perfectly captures the essence of excellent speculative fiction ??? it???s the reason I love SFF.
Nobody creates such a sense of wonder and amazement, such truly unique and bizarre ideas, and relates them in such a beautiful way as Gene Wolfe does. I want to spend a lot more time exploring his world.

Best plotless book ever.

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loved it. All-time favorite series since I read them in Junior Highschool in the 1980s

Great Series

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Minus the candy people. Another amazingly absurd chapter in the book of the new sun.

Adventure time for adults

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Superior, in the same merits and more, as the first two. Carry forward reader, retreating as necessary to gather its threads.

So much real wisdom wrapped so obscurely.

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Would you consider the audio edition of The Sword of the Lictor to be better than the print version?

absolutely better than print...gene wolffe is a master of imagery and depth...listening ensure nothing is missed and everything makes sense.

What was one of the most memorable moments of The Sword of the Lictor?

the sheer convoluted poetry and descriptive abundance

What about Jonathan Davis’s performance did you like?

a beautiful and long range voice

Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?

if only i had the time

Any additional comments?

get it now

thick and powerful

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Where does The Sword of the Lictor rank among all the audiobooks you’ve listened to so far?

This book maintains the pace and feeling of awe established in the first two of the series

Have you listened to any of Jonathan Davis’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

As with the other New Sun books, Davis continues his superb performance bringing personality to all of the characters and highlighting the subtle nuances that Wolfe weaves into his story

Continuing the tale of the New Sun

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