The Book of the New Sun

The Book of the New Sun, Volume 1: Shadow and Claw by Gene Wolfe (Fantasy Masterworks #1) contains "The Shadow of the Torturer" and "The Claw of the Conciliator", the first two books of the highly regarded four book series. They are set on the Urth in the far future, and relate the reminiscences of Severian, a journeyman of the guild of torturers. As with all Wolfe's books, they are very well-written, and are full of ambiguities and layers of meaning. They contain many interesting characters, strange events and vivid images.

As much as I admire Wolfe's books I do find them quite frustrating to read, mainly because of their strangeness and the way that the plot darts off in unexpected directions; they almost make me long for simple linear plots. However, the Book of the New Sun is perhaps his most accessible series and is definitely worth reading.