The Shadow of the Torturer
Gene Wolfe
literary fiction
magical realism
past tense
first POV
~400 pp
high worldbuilding
A dark literary fiction. Expect rich worldbuilding, dense, literary prose. Deeply introspective. Contains notable violence, romance.
Matched by vibe, pacing, tone, and feel — not just genre.
| Word count | 99,958 |
| Page count | ~400 pp |
| Prologue | — |
| Epilogue | — |
| Tense | past |
| POV | first |