The Citadel of the Autarch
First edition
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| Author | Gene Wolfe |
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| Cover artist | Don Maitz |
| Country | United States |
| Language | English |
| Series | The Book of the New Sun |
| Genre | Science fiction, High fantasy |
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Publication date
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1983 |
| Media type | Print (Hardcover & Paperback) |
| Pages | 317 |
| ISBN | |
| Preceded by | The Sword of the Lictor |
The Citadel of the Autarch is a science fantasy novel by Gene Wolfe, first released in 1983. It is the fourth and final volume in the four-volume series, The Book of the New Sun.
Unlike the previous books, Citadel picks up right after The Sword of the Lictor. It tells of the travels of Severian who is weak and defenseless after his encounter with Baldanders and Dr. Talos. Severian continues his travels which lead him into war.
Severian finds himself wandering around when he first happens upon a dead soldier whom he revives with the Claw. The soldier remains unable to speak as they make their way to the Pelerines camp. In the camp, Severian suffers a fever and is treated along with others injured in the war. While recovering, Severian judges a story telling contest. Before leaving he returns the Claw by putting it in an altar. Outside the church Severian is tasked to visit a friend of the Pelerines in the mountain, to bring him back from the danger of the war to the safety of the camp. Severian arrives to the man's house but, due to time-travel related phenomena, the man disappears as he is led away. Upon returning to the camp, Severian discovers it has been attacked and abandoned. Severian soon finds the new camp where most of those he met during his stay are dead or dying.
Eventually, Severian is drawn into war against armies of the North composed of people known as Ascians. Severian nearly perishes but is rescued by the androgynous spy he met in the House Absolute, the Autarch of the Commonwealth. Severian is nursed backed to health and converses with the Autarch about his role in the Commonwealth. They board a flier and while heading out over the war zone, they are shot down. The Autarch is dying and tells Severian to consume the alzabo vial around the his neck and consume his flesh, as Severian is to be the next Autarch. Severian does so and thus he acquires hundreds of consciousnesses that the Autarch once had.
Before the Autarch died, he messaged Vodalus that the Autarch was aboard the flier. Thea and a group of Vodalus' men ascend on the crash site and rescue Severian from the Ascians. Severian is held prisoner and is visited by Agia who attempts to kill him once again. He survives and is rescued by the green time traveler whom he rescued earlier in The Claw of the Conciliator. The green man opens a passage through time in which Severian is then visited by an alien who takes the form of Master Malrubius and Triskele. Malrubius tells him that he must one day face a challenge that will either allow man to return to the stars (if he succeeds) or strip him of his manhood, leaving him infertile, and unable to produce an heir (if he fails). Severian realizes that the last Autarch must have failed which feminized him and gave him his androgynous looks.
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