Nille Lindgren Volgorde van de boeken (chronologisch)

The Shadow of the Torturer is the first volume in the four-volume series, The Book of the New Sun. It relates the story of Severian, an apprentice in the Seekers for Truth and Penitence (the guild of torturers), from his youth through his expulsion from the guild, and subsequent journey out of his home city of Nessus.

Severian is in possession of a gem considered to be "The Claw of the Conciliator", a powerful relic of the Master of Power, a legendary figure of mythic proportions. Armed with his sword, Terminus Est, and the Claw, Severian continues his journey to Thrax, the city of his exile. Bizarre apes, strange cannibalistic rituals, and the foreigner named Jonas all lie in his future.