• The Claw of the Conciliator

  • The Book of the New Sun, Book 2
  • By: Gene Wolfe
  • Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
  • Length: 11 hrs and 27 mins
  • 4.3 out of 5 stars (1,369 ratings)

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The Claw of the Conciliator  By  cover art

The Claw of the Conciliator

By: Gene Wolfe
Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
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Publisher's summary

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.
Listen to more in the Book of the New Sun series.
©1982 Gene Wolfe (P)2009 Audible, Inc.

Critic reviews

  • Nebula Award, Best Novel, 1982

What listeners say about The Claw of the Conciliator

Average customer ratings
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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    3 out of 5 stars

further down the rabbit hole

great follow up, sometimes in a fantasy or science fiction series the magic dies after book one because all of the world building has been revealed, Wolfe keeps you guessing and I'm sure I'll still be guessing when I finish the fourth book (but in a good way).

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  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Brilliant Enought to Engage a NON Fantasy Reader.

While the plot continues with the story Wolfe started in The Shadow of the Torturer, structurally Wolfe gets a little funkier with his second book. I liked it a lot, even though understanding it is sorta like seeking clarity in a broken mirror floating down in swift-flowing river.

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18 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars
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    4 out of 5 stars

More engaging than the first book

Big uptick in pacing from the first book. slows down sometimes, but Claw redeemed Shadow of the Torturer for me

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1 person found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Absolute masterpiece paired with exceptional narration.

One of my favorite books of all time, the narrator does an exceptional job. Bring more Wolfe to audible please!!

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Such an amazing book, series and voice!

This is the greatest sci-fy series written!
Jonathan-Davis Is the perfect orator for this collection!

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  • Overall
    3 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    2 out of 5 stars

Lacking drive

I loved the first book in this series. it was fantastical, and the narration if the story was from a solid PoV. Two plot devices from the first novel, a play, and a dreamlike quality in certain scenes, which were charming and worked to move the story forward, were grossly over used here, hampering the story for their own use' sake. Wolfe shot himself in the foot with this one.

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Wolfe is unlike anything else in sci fi....

after devouring and absolutely loving book 1 I was a bit worried that book 2 might pale in comparison or not live up to my now very high expectations for the continuation of Severians story. any such worries were quickly abated... the journey continues to compel and captivate, unfolding with dark mystery and haunting beauty in Wolfe's incomparable style and genius storytelling. his imagination is unlike anything else I have ever read in sci fi or fantasy...

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  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars

fascinating world

I read this series when it first came out and seeing it here as an audiobook gave me the perfect opportunity to listen to it again and was glad to have my original opinion fully supported. Wolfe creates such fascinating characters and such a vibrant, fully realized world that you get totally sucked in. Jonathan Davis also does an excellent job in making Wolfe's prose--very ornate--pop and come alive.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Strange and fascinating

If you read The Shadow of the Torturer and felt like you were lost (or drunk), and weren???t sure whether things would get clearer in the second book, I have to tell you that no, they don???t. But if you, like me, enjoy that dreamy I???m-not-sure-where-I-am-or-how-I-got-here-or-where-I???m-going-but-everything-sure-feels-fine literary experience, then read on, because Severian???s head is a strange and fascinating place to be.

The Book of the New Sun is one of those works that some people think is ingenious and others suspect is just drivel. This is not the series for a reader who wants a quick-paced action-filled story with a concrete beginning, middle and end. This is for someone who???s in the mood to be open-minded and has the time and patience for some experimentation with character, setting, and theme. (And, perhaps, some mind-altering drugs might help.)

Gene Wolfe doesn???t much care for a traditional fantasy setting and he also doesn???t respect the traditional mechanics of storytelling. Tight plot? Why bother? This story wanders ??? seemingly aimlessly ??? all across the country (or maybe not, because we may have ended up where we started, but who knows?). Characters, conversations, and events that appear to be significant may mean nothing. There are hints of lost races, species, technologies, knowledge, and allegorical meaning that may never be explained and connected for us at the end. There is plenty of bizarreness (even an Ames Room!), which is what I enjoy most.

Wolfe???s world is rich, most of what happens is unexpected, and the reader feels completely helpless to predict anything or even to be assured that things that will work out as they???re ???supposed to??? in a fantasy novel... But we???re in Gene Wolfe???s creative hands, so it???s not the destination; it???s the journey.

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8 people found this helpful

  • Overall
    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars
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    5 out of 5 stars

Science fiction at its best

If you're looking for a modern fast-paced predictable bit of science fiction cotton candy then do not buy this book. However, if you're looking for a unique, thought provoking, literary stroll through a future past dream scape, then then you absolutely must read Gene Wolfe's masterpiece.
Often claimed as science fictions "Ulysses" - The Book of the Sun will blow your mind. I will caution you that these books are not for the easily entertained, but rather require a vivid imagination and a sharp mind. A rare, rare treat in the modern world of science fiction.

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1 person found this helpful