Reading order
The Book of the New Sun reading order
- The Shadow of the Torturer1980
- The Claw of the Conciliator1981
- The Sword of the Lictor1982
- The Citadel of the Autarch1983
- The Urth of the New Sun1987
1
2
3
4
5- 5 volumes
- Volumes
- 1980–1987
- Published
- about 30 h
- Reading time
- Completed
- Status
- Science fiction#64
- Genre
Quick answer
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Publication order
5 volumes1980–1987Completed
- Four volumes in order, from The Shadow of the Torturer; The Urth of the New Sun came four years later and is a coda, not a fifth part.
- Severian tells the story and claims a perfect memory — the book is built so that a second reading is a different book.
A plan for the whole series
5 volumes, 1,597 pages, about 30 hours. At 45 min a day that is about 6 weeks.
Share of volume 1’s readers who reach the last volume. Chance of reaching the last volume: low
- From volume 2 on, the number of ratings falls most before volume 3, “The Sword of the Lictor” (by 33%). Plan your break after volume 2, before the series plans it for you.
Stages
2 stages, with 1 short book from outside the series between them. You finish around December 16, 2026, 9 days later than in one go.
- Stage 111 h15 daysby November 13, 2026
- BreakMaus · Art Spiegelman · 295 pp. · score 9.0
- Stage 218 habout 3 weeksby December 16, 2026
- The end of the series
We count 1.1 min per page, the pace of an average novel reader. Faster? Move the slider.
Does the series hold up
Shape of the series: peak in the middle. The middle volumes (8.1) are the best; the ending (7.8) does not match them.
Best volume: The Sword of the Lictor (8.1, 118 ratings). Weakest: The Shadow of the Torturer (7.7). From volume 2 on, the biggest drop in the number of ratings is between volume 2 and 3: 33%. The series is complete; you can read it start to finish with no waiting. The last volume (7.8) scores close to the series average or above it.
How this plan is calculated
The plan comes from the pages and ratings of each volume: we split the series into stages of about three weeks’ reading, size each break to the stage before it, and read the chance of finishing from how many readers rate the last volume compared with the first. How we work out the plan →
Every volume in order
Order checked by hand · Order and years: Wikidata (CC0). Spotted an error? Tell us. · Data updated October 29, 2026
The Book of the New Sun books ranked, best to worst
- 1.The Sword of the LictorBook 3 · 19828.1
- 1.The Claw of the ConciliatorBook 2 · 19818.1
- 3.The Citadel of the AutarchBook 4 · 19838.0
- 4.The Urth of the New SunBook 5 · 19877.8
- 5.The Shadow of the TorturerBook 1 · 19807.7
Extras, short stories and spin-offs
Not needed to follow the main story — read them after the series or skip them.
- Shadow & Claw1983
Frequently asked questions
Which Book of the New Sun book is the best?
By reader score, The Sword of the Lictor (8.1/10). The lowest-rated is The Shadow of the Torturer (7.7/10).
Which The Book of the New Sun book is the longest?
“The Urth of the New Sun” is the longest at 372 pages; the shortest is “The Sword of the Lictor” with 302 pages.
What should I read after The Book of the New Sun?
After the main series: Shadow & Claw.