The Citadel of the Autarch

Gene Wolfe's Book of the New Sun ends with The Citadel of the Autarch. Or least does so for me because The Urth of the New Sun is not available in libraries here -- for some reason it hasn't gotten a Finnish translation unlike the previous four books. But the story does end in some manner in Citadel with our protagonist Severian becoming the Autarch like he has mentioned to happen as he's been telling the story.

I thought the Claw got destroyed at the end of the previous book but I guess it was just the gem covering it or something. Severian still seeks to return the artifact to the church it used to belong and ends up getting recruited into the ongoing war while on his task. There are again characters interrupting narrative by telling stories. Severian even addresses the reader about their inclusion, saying he himself at least enjoys them.

This novel didn't change my opinion about the story: the regressed, once (and still kind of) futuristic civilization setting is weird and hard to truly like but the narrative is compelling. I lost the plot at the end where Severian, after claiming his position, still goes on a quest for something for some purpose.