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Incarceron #2
住讗驻讬拽
转讗专讜 诇注爪诪讻诐 讻诇讗 注爪讜诐 讻诇 讻讱, 砖诪诇讘讚 讗讬谞住讜祝 转讗讬诐 讜诪住讚专讜谞讜转, 讬砖 讘讜 讙诐 讬注专讜转, 注专讬诐 讜讗讜拽讬讬谞讜住讬诐. 讻诇讗 砖讛讜讗 讬砖讜转 讗讜专讙谞讬转 讜诪驻诇爪转讬转, 砖注讜拽讘 讗讞专 讛讗住讬专讬诐 讘讻诇 诪拽讜诐 讜讘讻诇 专讙注 讘讬诪诪讛. 驻讬谉 讛讬讛 讗住讬专 讘讻诇讗 讛讝讛 讗讱 讛爪诇讬讞 诇讛讬诪诇讟 讜注讻砖讬讜 讛讜讗 诪转注谞讛 讘讬讬住讜专讬 诪爪驻讜谉 讻讬 拽讬讬专讜, 讛讞讘专 讛讻讬 讟讜讘 砖诇讜, 注讚讬讬谉 砖诐. 讘讬谞转讬讬诐, 拽讬讬专讜, 讜诇爪讚讜 讗讟讬讗讛, 讛讻诇讜讗讬诐 讘转讜讱 讛诪驻诇爪转, 诪谞住讬诐 诇诪爪讜讗 讗转 讚专讻诐 讛讞讜爪讛 讜诇讙诇讜转 讗诐 住讗驻讬拽, 讛讗讚诐 讛讬讞讬讚 砖讛讻诇讗 讗讛讘 讗讬 驻注诐, 讛讜讗 讗诪转 讗讜 讗讙讚讛.
转讗专讜 诇注爪诪讻诐 诪诪诇讻讛 诪讛诪讗讛 讛-17, 砖诪注专讻转 诪讞砖讘讬诐 讞讻诪讛 砖讜诇讟转 讘讛. 讗谞砖讬讛 讞讬讬讘讬诐 诇讞讬讜转 诇驻讬 讻诇诇讬 讛转拽讜驻讛, 讛拽执讚诪讛 讗住讜专讛, 讛讬讚注 讛讜讗 讻讜讞. 拽诇讜讚讬讛 讘讟讜讞讛 砖驻讬谉 讛讜讗 讬讜专砖 讛注爪专 砖诇 讛诪诪诇讻讛, 讗讘诇 讛讜讗 诇讗 讬讜讚注 诪讬讛讜 讘讻诇诇. 讘讬谞转讬讬诐 讛诪诇讻讛 诇讗 诪专驻讛 诪诪讝讬诪讜转讬讛, 讝讗讘讬 讛讻住祝 诇讗 诪驻住讬拽讬诐 诇专拽讜诐 拽谞讜谞讬讜转 讜讛砖拽专 砖讞爪专 讛诪诇讻讜转 讻讜诇讛 谞砖注谞转 注诇讬讜 诪转讞讬诇 讗讟 讗讟 诇讛讬驻专诐.
讗诇讛 讘驻谞讬诐. 讗诇讛 讘讞讜抓.
讗讘诇 讻讜诇诐 讻诇讜讗讬诐 讜讞讜诇诪讬诐 诇爪讗转 诇讞讜驻砖讬.
讻诪讜 住讗驻执讬拽.
转讗专讜 诇注爪诪讻诐 诪诪诇讻讛 诪讛诪讗讛 讛-17, 砖诪注专讻转 诪讞砖讘讬诐 讞讻诪讛 砖讜诇讟转 讘讛. 讗谞砖讬讛 讞讬讬讘讬诐 诇讞讬讜转 诇驻讬 讻诇诇讬 讛转拽讜驻讛, 讛拽执讚诪讛 讗住讜专讛, 讛讬讚注 讛讜讗 讻讜讞. 拽诇讜讚讬讛 讘讟讜讞讛 砖驻讬谉 讛讜讗 讬讜专砖 讛注爪专 砖诇 讛诪诪诇讻讛, 讗讘诇 讛讜讗 诇讗 讬讜讚注 诪讬讛讜 讘讻诇诇. 讘讬谞转讬讬诐 讛诪诇讻讛 诇讗 诪专驻讛 诪诪讝讬诪讜转讬讛, 讝讗讘讬 讛讻住祝 诇讗 诪驻住讬拽讬诐 诇专拽讜诐 拽谞讜谞讬讜转 讜讛砖拽专 砖讞爪专 讛诪诇讻讜转 讻讜诇讛 谞砖注谞转 注诇讬讜 诪转讞讬诇 讗讟 讗讟 诇讛讬驻专诐.
讗诇讛 讘驻谞讬诐. 讗诇讛 讘讞讜抓.
讗讘诇 讻讜诇诐 讻诇讜讗讬诐 讜讞讜诇诪讬诐 诇爪讗转 诇讞讜驻砖讬.
讻诪讜 住讗驻执讬拽.
421 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2008
427 people are currently reading
13694 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Fisher
76听books1,601听followersCatherine Fisher was born in Newport, Wales. She graduated from the University of Wales with a degree in English and a fascination for myth and history. She has worked in education and archaeology and as a lecturer in creative writing at the University of Glamorgan. She is a Fellow of the Welsh Academy.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
Catherine is an acclaimed poet and novelist, regularly lecturing and giving readings to groups of all ages. She leads sessions for teachers and librarians and is an experienced broadcaster and adjudicator. She lives in Newport, Gwent.
Catherine has won many awards and much critical acclaim for her work. Her poetry has appeared in leading periodicals and anthologies and her volume Immrama won the WAC Young Writers' Prize. She won the Cardiff International Poetry Competition in 1990.
Her first novel, The Conjuror's Game, was shortlisted for the Smarties Books prize and The Snow-Walker's Son for the W.H.Smith Award. Equally acclaimed is her quartet The Book of the Crow, a classic of fantasy fiction.
The Oracle, the first volume in the Oracle trilogy, blends Egyptian and Greek elements of magic and adventure and was shortlisted for the Whitbread Children's Books prize. The trilogy was an international bestseller and has appeared in over twenty languages. The Candleman won the Welsh Books Council's Tir Na n'Og Prize and Catherine was also shortlisted for the remarkable Corbenic, a modern re-inventing of the Grail legend.
Her futuristic novel Incarceron was published to widespread praise in 2007, winning the Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award and selected by The Times as its Children's Book of the Year. The sequel, Sapphique, was published in September 2008.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,945 reviews
March 21, 2019
When rereading an old fave doesn't go to plan and you actually end up disappointed! :(
"He'd never wept in a cell with his mind torn away, never laid awake at night hearing the screams of children. He's not me. He's never been taunted by the prison."
I loved , I thought it was clever, and I found the plot engaging and addicting. I couldn't wait to jump into book 2.
***SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T READ INCARCERON!!!!!***
Claudia and Finn are outside, attempting to reinstate Finn as Prince Giles; when a pretender turns up claiming to be the real Prince Giles - and that Finn is a fake. Meanwhile Jared's illness is getting worse, and Queen Sia is simply out for herself and her son Caspar, whatever it takes.
Alternately, inside Incarceron Attia and Keiro have been left behind. They've heard stories of Sapphique's Glove, that it has the power to help them escape, which is their only hope right now. They meet up with a mysterious magician Rix who supposedly has this glove in his possession.
I loved following the two storylines both inside and outside of the prison. I think I found Kerio and Attia's plot more enjoyable as I frankly could not stand Claudia whatsoever.
My disappointment came with the ending. There are so many questions, what actually is Incarceron and where is it? How can people get in and out? Who is Sapphique? But when we get to the end, at least for me, none of these questions are answered. Everything seemed to be left deliberately vague, and it seemed rushed.
Jared somehow enters the prison in the body of Sapphique, but we never know for sure if Sapphique was actually a person; a prisoner who really did escape, or if it was actually just a myth that grew out of the emergency exit named Sapphique. For some reason right at the end all the realm's era is destroyed and goes back to how it should be, again we don't know why, apparently the prison did it because it was angry. But how?
There was just loads that did not add up for me, and spoiled my enjoyment right at the end :(
"He'd never wept in a cell with his mind torn away, never laid awake at night hearing the screams of children. He's not me. He's never been taunted by the prison."
I loved , I thought it was clever, and I found the plot engaging and addicting. I couldn't wait to jump into book 2.
***SPOILERS AHEAD IF YOU HAVEN'T READ INCARCERON!!!!!***
Claudia and Finn are outside, attempting to reinstate Finn as Prince Giles; when a pretender turns up claiming to be the real Prince Giles - and that Finn is a fake. Meanwhile Jared's illness is getting worse, and Queen Sia is simply out for herself and her son Caspar, whatever it takes.
Alternately, inside Incarceron Attia and Keiro have been left behind. They've heard stories of Sapphique's Glove, that it has the power to help them escape, which is their only hope right now. They meet up with a mysterious magician Rix who supposedly has this glove in his possession.
I loved following the two storylines both inside and outside of the prison. I think I found Kerio and Attia's plot more enjoyable as I frankly could not stand Claudia whatsoever.
My disappointment came with the ending. There are so many questions, what actually is Incarceron and where is it? How can people get in and out? Who is Sapphique? But when we get to the end, at least for me, none of these questions are answered. Everything seemed to be left deliberately vague, and it seemed rushed.
Jared somehow enters the prison in the body of Sapphique, but we never know for sure if Sapphique was actually a person; a prisoner who really did escape, or if it was actually just a myth that grew out of the emergency exit named Sapphique. For some reason right at the end all the realm's era is destroyed and goes back to how it should be, again we don't know why, apparently the prison did it because it was angry. But how?
There was just loads that did not add up for me, and spoiled my enjoyment right at the end :(
April 8, 2025
I give this about a B/B- - somewhere in between "Pretty good" and "Very nice".
This book was pretty good. I think I enjoyed it more than Incarceron, pretty much because I was familiar enough with the basic storyline and didn鈥檛 have to spend so much time figuring everything out. The pacing was pretty good, but the last 100 pages really, REALLY dragged鈥nd it got to the point where I came dangerously close to not caring anymore鈥hat鈥檚 not usually a good sign.
And yet鈥�
I don鈥檛 want to make it sound like I didn鈥檛 like the book, because I did鈥ut Catherine Fisher is not the greatest author on the planet, and her writing style actually aggravated me. You know the phrase 鈥渟how, don鈥檛 tell鈥�? Well, she pretty much tells how characters feel/act, she doesn鈥檛 show. Characterization is definitely not her strong suit in this series 鈥� everybody was pretty wooden and it was hard for me to relate to them because they didn鈥檛 seem very real. There was just this hollow, shell-like feel to her characters and that was a major distraction. Claudia, in particular, was just incredibly frustrating. She was easier to relate to in Incarceron because you understood *why* she acted like such a conceited brat. In Sapphique, pretty much all of her conflicts have been resolved, so why is she still so MEAN?! It was stuff like this that made reading Sapphique a bit cumbersome. I didn鈥檛 really like Keiro, either, because to me he seems like the embodiment of Evil: he鈥檚 an individual with pretty much no conscience 鈥� he doesn鈥檛 know compassion or humility, and according some of my teachers (and the Harry Potter series), true evil is that which is excessively vain and devoid of compassion or consideration for others. I鈥檒l admit it: I like it when characters 鈥済et their comeuppance鈥� and he didn鈥檛 get any comeuppance!
Also, the ending鈥ery mediocre and a bit bizarre. I don鈥檛 want to spoil anything, but the ending just really didn鈥檛 make sense if you take into account the overall story. It seems like Catherine Fisher spent so much time creating this really intense situation, and then the ending comes and it鈥檚 鈥渢a da! We鈥檙e finished now! The end!鈥� I think the first thing I said when I finished Sapphique was, 鈥渙hhhkay鈥鈥檓 hungry.鈥�
Let鈥檚 compare that to another book鈥h, say鈥�The Last Olympian. I finished that book and was like, 鈥淥MG!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO READ NOW?!?!?!鈥� *hyperventilates*
It was a pretty engrossing read, most of the way through. Catherine鈥檚 exceptionally imaginative, and the Incarceron series is one of the most thoroughly original books I鈥檝e ever read in my life. However, her books aren鈥檛 the best books I鈥檝e ever read. Strengths: creativity and action. Weaknesses: very wooden and shallow characters and a spiraling last 100 pages鈥nd a lackluster ending.
This book was pretty good. I think I enjoyed it more than Incarceron, pretty much because I was familiar enough with the basic storyline and didn鈥檛 have to spend so much time figuring everything out. The pacing was pretty good, but the last 100 pages really, REALLY dragged鈥nd it got to the point where I came dangerously close to not caring anymore鈥hat鈥檚 not usually a good sign.
And yet鈥�
I don鈥檛 want to make it sound like I didn鈥檛 like the book, because I did鈥ut Catherine Fisher is not the greatest author on the planet, and her writing style actually aggravated me. You know the phrase 鈥渟how, don鈥檛 tell鈥�? Well, she pretty much tells how characters feel/act, she doesn鈥檛 show. Characterization is definitely not her strong suit in this series 鈥� everybody was pretty wooden and it was hard for me to relate to them because they didn鈥檛 seem very real. There was just this hollow, shell-like feel to her characters and that was a major distraction. Claudia, in particular, was just incredibly frustrating. She was easier to relate to in Incarceron because you understood *why* she acted like such a conceited brat. In Sapphique, pretty much all of her conflicts have been resolved, so why is she still so MEAN?! It was stuff like this that made reading Sapphique a bit cumbersome. I didn鈥檛 really like Keiro, either, because to me he seems like the embodiment of Evil: he鈥檚 an individual with pretty much no conscience 鈥� he doesn鈥檛 know compassion or humility, and according some of my teachers (and the Harry Potter series), true evil is that which is excessively vain and devoid of compassion or consideration for others. I鈥檒l admit it: I like it when characters 鈥済et their comeuppance鈥� and he didn鈥檛 get any comeuppance!
Also, the ending鈥ery mediocre and a bit bizarre. I don鈥檛 want to spoil anything, but the ending just really didn鈥檛 make sense if you take into account the overall story. It seems like Catherine Fisher spent so much time creating this really intense situation, and then the ending comes and it鈥檚 鈥渢a da! We鈥檙e finished now! The end!鈥� I think the first thing I said when I finished Sapphique was, 鈥渙hhhkay鈥鈥檓 hungry.鈥�
Let鈥檚 compare that to another book鈥h, say鈥�The Last Olympian. I finished that book and was like, 鈥淥MG!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO READ NOW?!?!?!鈥� *hyperventilates*
It was a pretty engrossing read, most of the way through. Catherine鈥檚 exceptionally imaginative, and the Incarceron series is one of the most thoroughly original books I鈥檝e ever read in my life. However, her books aren鈥檛 the best books I鈥檝e ever read. Strengths: creativity and action. Weaknesses: very wooden and shallow characters and a spiraling last 100 pages鈥nd a lackluster ending.
February 2, 2011
I swear that people simply must not get this series (I say 鈥渟eries鈥� hopefully, because for right now it looks like there will only be the two books). I don鈥檛 mean that in some kind of pretentious, exclusive way, it鈥檚 just my only rationalization for why both books are only thisclose to being 4 stars. Are the wrong people reading them? Are people going in with certain, um, expectations and not feeling that they鈥檙e met? Do people just not want to do any real thinking?
I really need to stop sounding like a douche.
鈥淚t鈥檚 YA, Jessica, get off your high horse!鈥� you might say. 鈥淏ut a good story is a good story! Beautiful, creative prose is beautiful, creative prose!鈥� I鈥檇 shout back from said horse (a blood bay, if you were wondering).
Let me try and put in a few words what I love about these books.
1)They鈥檙e poetry. There are about 10 outrageous metaphors on each page, and I literally have to stop and give a sage nod to individual sentences. I mean, isn鈥檛 that what you do with great poetry? Her word choices and turns of phrase are so on point, man. Catherine Fisher had a hand in inventing the English language, methinks.
random example from random page: 鈥�The world is a chessboard, madam, on which we play out our ploys and follies. You are the Queen, of course. Your moves are the strongest. For myself, I claim only to be a knight, advancing in a crooked progress. Do we move ourselves, do you think, or does a great gloved hand place us on our squares?鈥�
Oh, another: 鈥�This was death. It was warm and sticky and there were waves of it, washing over her like pain. It had no air to breathe, no words to speak. It was a choking in her throat.鈥�
2)I鈥檝e never seen modern lore done so well. Chapters open with historical anecdotes of the prison universe (a poem, fable, etc.). It鈥檚 masterful to see it all play out and everything work and come together in the end (ok, not everything鈥攄ang loose ends鈥攂ut enough). I鈥檝e studied folklore and fairytales, and to see how the truth can change in the mouths of storytellers throughout time and become its own entity entirely is so fascinating to me. The actuality of what happens becomes so warped, but the seed of truth remains and from it still comes wisdom and power.
3)Honestly, I think the third best part is everything I can鈥檛 explain. I love it, I just do.
ALSO, I was inconsolable after learning that Taylor Lautner would be playing Finn in the movie adaptation. Cruel, cruel world. Must you fight good literature with such fervor?
A) They鈥檙e supposed to be British.
B) Just, no.
C) You know they鈥檙e going to try and add in some BS romance.
Random: When I was reading this book last year, I鈥檇 have to check in with it whenever I came in to work (at a bookstore) and my managers would read the title and give me weird looks. Then my own mind would go wonky and I鈥檇 think of Sappho, the ancient Greek lesbian poet. Did they think I was reading some kind of trashy erotica or something?
Hey! Is that where Fisher got the name Sapphique any way? He is a poet of sorts鈥�
March 12, 2011
Sometimes when I'm sitting on the couch at night reading, loopy with exhaustion, I look over at my cats and start thinking about how weird it is that they're sentient beings who have feelings and communicate in ways that I will never understand. Then I pass out with my book on my face. But if you are like me and have a hard enough time grasping animal consciousness, then you will probably also have a hard time taking seriously the idea that a prison is not only a sentient being but wants to build a human body to escape -- from itself.
That is one of the story lines in Sapphique, which I hadn't planned to read upon finishing Incarceron until my YA book club's fabulous discussion of that book. We were all curious: Would Keiro and Attia ever escape the prison too? Is Finn Giles? Is the Sapphique mythology just a myth or a true story? Would anything ever come of Jared and Claudia's father/brother/lover relationship (as we had all taken to calling it)? Emphasis on lover, because that's what about half of us wanted to happen and half of us thought was icky. I'll let you guess which camp I fall into. If you know my thoughts regarding smart older men, it shouldn't be too tough.
I want to be nice because the last chapter of this book is really fabulous and moving and tricky; after reading it, I wanted immediately to rate the book higher than it deserves. Some of the images are executed very well -- I loved the dark carnival feel of the opening scenes featuring Rix and Attia, previewed at the end of Incarceron -- and Fisher's prose continues to be rich and poetic, compared to the blander norms of YA writing.
But, in the interest of honesty, the book is a mess. Fisher has got so much mad genius subterfuge going on here that I had to keep flipping back through the pages, wondering if I had missed something or if a twist really had come out of nowhere. There's bouncing back and forth many times per chapter, from Keiro and Attia in the prison trying to find the portal to escape, to Finn and Claudia trying to prove to both the Realm and themselves that Finn is the rightful Heir to the throne, to Jared researching the portal himself, to Incarceron (hilariously) wanting to escape itself. I tired quickly of how much action was happening, but how little these subsequent plots were being furthered as the pages piled up, how little the characters I'd grown to like by the end of the first book were developed. To reference a metaphor from the book: yeah, I guess they were all just pawns after all.
Pawns to what purpose? I couldn't even tell you. I can't imagine how others have digested this book amidst the convoluted layers. Is it a noble cause to want to stop Incarceron from abandoning itself, leaving its prisoners to die without food and warmth, as Attia wants? Sure. And once you get past the silliness of a prison wanting to escape itself, it's cool to think about the idea of artificial intelligence becoming so intelligent that it wants its own freedom. I would read another book about that -- one that gives the idea more space and me more breathing time to think it through before sending me into some inconsequential sword fight with a (regrettably, not ass-to-mouth) human centipede or a climb up or down yet another chain-link ladder for what seems like 50 pages or whatever.
That is one of the story lines in Sapphique, which I hadn't planned to read upon finishing Incarceron until my YA book club's fabulous discussion of that book. We were all curious: Would Keiro and Attia ever escape the prison too? Is Finn Giles? Is the Sapphique mythology just a myth or a true story? Would anything ever come of Jared and Claudia's father/brother/lover relationship (as we had all taken to calling it)? Emphasis on lover, because that's what about half of us wanted to happen and half of us thought was icky. I'll let you guess which camp I fall into. If you know my thoughts regarding smart older men, it shouldn't be too tough.
I want to be nice because the last chapter of this book is really fabulous and moving and tricky; after reading it, I wanted immediately to rate the book higher than it deserves. Some of the images are executed very well -- I loved the dark carnival feel of the opening scenes featuring Rix and Attia, previewed at the end of Incarceron -- and Fisher's prose continues to be rich and poetic, compared to the blander norms of YA writing.
But, in the interest of honesty, the book is a mess. Fisher has got so much mad genius subterfuge going on here that I had to keep flipping back through the pages, wondering if I had missed something or if a twist really had come out of nowhere. There's bouncing back and forth many times per chapter, from Keiro and Attia in the prison trying to find the portal to escape, to Finn and Claudia trying to prove to both the Realm and themselves that Finn is the rightful Heir to the throne, to Jared researching the portal himself, to Incarceron (hilariously) wanting to escape itself. I tired quickly of how much action was happening, but how little these subsequent plots were being furthered as the pages piled up, how little the characters I'd grown to like by the end of the first book were developed. To reference a metaphor from the book: yeah, I guess they were all just pawns after all.
Pawns to what purpose? I couldn't even tell you. I can't imagine how others have digested this book amidst the convoluted layers. Is it a noble cause to want to stop Incarceron from abandoning itself, leaving its prisoners to die without food and warmth, as Attia wants? Sure. And once you get past the silliness of a prison wanting to escape itself, it's cool to think about the idea of artificial intelligence becoming so intelligent that it wants its own freedom. I would read another book about that -- one that gives the idea more space and me more breathing time to think it through before sending me into some inconsequential sword fight with a (regrettably, not ass-to-mouth) human centipede or a climb up or down yet another chain-link ladder for what seems like 50 pages or whatever.
November 14, 2008
This book was SO AWESOME (like its predecessor) in so many ways, and yet emotionally so agonizing! Please, please, please, Catherine Fisher, write a third book, I don't care what you have to do to the plot, just resolve all these emotional threads you left hanging! Don't make me write epic Jared/Claudia fanfic just to ease the pain!
So much cool stuff in this book, though. So much that I know I'll have to read it at least twice (as I did INCARCERON) just to keep it all straight in my head.
So much cool stuff in this book, though. So much that I know I'll have to read it at least twice (as I did INCARCERON) just to keep it all straight in my head.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
February 9, 2019
De臒i艧ik ve yarat谋c谋 bir seriydi yaln谋z sonu beni 莽ok tatmin etmedi ondan 4 verdim...bilimkurgu a臒谋rl谋kl谋 distopik bir kitap ,azcik fantastik 枚臒eler de var biraz saray entrikalar谋 da...e臒er bilimkurgu ve distopya sevmiyorsan谋z okumay谋n derim ama seviyorsan谋z okuyun(sonu konusunda beklentiyi d眉艧眉r眉n ama) ayr谋ca a艧k谋n a's谋 bile yok (bence bu kitap icin a艧ka gerek yok zaten) okuyacaksan谋z a艧k beklemeyin yani馃槈seri bitti ama hala cevaps谋z sorular var,sanki yazar daha uzun tasarlam谋艧 fakat sonra burda bitireyim uzatmaya gerek yok demi艧 gibi...son sayfada k谋z谋m谋z谋n "ama ger莽ekten o mu?" Diye sorunca M眉d眉r'眉n "Ne 枚nemi var?"b枚yle kabul et i艧te demesi ,yazar谋n okuyucuya b枚yle kabul edin i艧te bo艧verin sorular谋 demesi bence馃槈
September 9, 2010
There was just too much going on in this book. The first book, Incarceron, created an intriguing world, but it also set the stage - for an escape from prison, for Finn's rise to King, for a romantic relationship between Finn and Claudia. And while these things do happen in Sapphique, they come about in the most unsatisfying way possible. We go from one dizzying plot turn to another, with little explanation of the character's motivations. And while every page seems to bring some new action, the real action that the pages promise never comes to fruition. A duel ends with the Pretender being shot in the hand and Finn fleeing, Jared easily escapes assassination when his would-be-killer is electrocuted, the great Battle between Finn and the Queen ends before a real shot is even fired. The real opportunities for confrontation and understanding fall limp and lifeless under Fisher's hand.
None of the questions that Incarceron posed are ever answered in Sapphique. In the end, the reader has no idea who Sapphique is and if he really existed or escaped, we don't know what illness Jared suffers from, we don't know if Rix is a madman or a true magician, we don't know if Finn is really Giles, we don't know if the cube on the watch was really the prison or not, the fate of both the Kingdom and the Prison are tenuous and there's no hint that either Finn or Claudia care about each other though they briefly talk about a wedding at the end.
It would almost be excusable to fail on some of the major plot points, as Fisher has woven herself such a complicated scenario, if only the relationships shone. But in Sapphique, the interpersonal relationships fizzle - Claudia doesn't even seem to like Finn (a far cry from the girl who went to lengths to release him from prison), Keiro is at one moment untrustworthy and the next Finn's steadfast brother, Jared's strange relationship with Claudia is never explained, the Warden is cold and remote. Attia, the dog-slave who has scraped her way through Incarceron, is the only remotely likable character, but we never get to understand much about her.
None of the characters' actions were ever explained, scenes that were built up deflated in the end and the whole book sank like a overcooked turd souffl茅. Do not want.
None of the questions that Incarceron posed are ever answered in Sapphique. In the end, the reader has no idea who Sapphique is and if he really existed or escaped, we don't know what illness Jared suffers from, we don't know if Rix is a madman or a true magician, we don't know if Finn is really Giles, we don't know if the cube on the watch was really the prison or not, the fate of both the Kingdom and the Prison are tenuous and there's no hint that either Finn or Claudia care about each other though they briefly talk about a wedding at the end.
It would almost be excusable to fail on some of the major plot points, as Fisher has woven herself such a complicated scenario, if only the relationships shone. But in Sapphique, the interpersonal relationships fizzle - Claudia doesn't even seem to like Finn (a far cry from the girl who went to lengths to release him from prison), Keiro is at one moment untrustworthy and the next Finn's steadfast brother, Jared's strange relationship with Claudia is never explained, the Warden is cold and remote. Attia, the dog-slave who has scraped her way through Incarceron, is the only remotely likable character, but we never get to understand much about her.
None of the characters' actions were ever explained, scenes that were built up deflated in the end and the whole book sank like a overcooked turd souffl茅. Do not want.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 2, 2010
I was so interested to read the follow-up to Incarceron that I ordered the UK version of Sapphique so I wouldn't have to wait until December to find out what happened to Finn and Claudia (and c'mon, having a UK edition is pretty cool, too).
MILD SPOILERS:
In Fisher's sequel, Finn's been sprung out of one prison and into another -- as future king of the Realm, he's trapped in all the usual politicking. He still can't remember his past life as Prince Giles, and he's plagued by memories (Keiro, trapped in Incarceron; the Maestra's death) and the lack thereof; he's got nothing but strange seizures and blackouts to back his claims of tampered memory, and a second Prince Giles has showed up to challenge Finn's claims. While Claudia handles the court intrigue, Jared tries to figure out a way to open the Portal, and what to do about the illness that is out to kill him sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, back at theranchhell that is Incarceron, Keiro and Attia are chasing after the eluse Sapphique's glove as their emergency exit out of the prison, and mixing it up with run-ins with the Warden and a strange magician named Rix. Throw in some strange Sapphique apparitions, a disintegrating Realm, and a war, and you've got another action-packed story.
But there were some cons: 1. Many narrative changes, and it's not always smooth or pretty. Everything's in second person, but even within a page the author switches between perspectives so much that it's a little distracting. I kept asking myself, wait, who thinks this? Finn or Claudia? Jared? 2. Not enough Incarceron. After that whole dark, horrible, awesome world was established in book one, there just wasn't enough of it in book two. We see it in Keiro and Attia's adventures, but they always seem to be on the fringe or on the borders, in these strange exceptions-to-the-rule kind of places. 3. Not enough Finn, Claudia, and Attia. Poor Finn -- this guy takes a beating and has to keep going, over and over again. Book one built up so much anticipation for his reunion with Claudia, but in the end, it was a let-down. She's cold and frustrated, and doubts his identity. He's desperate for affirmation and gets none. Meanwhile, Attia is desperate to see Finn again, but he barely gives her a thought -- he's too worried about Keiro. The author points this out to us repeatedly, which set me up for some kind of story there, but then left all those threads hanging when the book finished (and to my knowledge, this is only a set of two -- no trilogy planned). I would have loved to see Claudia and Finn's relationship deepen to the point that she's forced to make choices about who she believes Finn really is, independent of facts and proof, and that never really happened.
Nevertheless, there are some major pluses here that kept the sequel from completely falling flat: 1. lots of action, as stated above. I never sighed with boredom or had to plod through long, dry conversations. Fisher really moves the pace. 2. More Jared and Keiro. I loved those guys in the first book, and there's so much more to them in the second. I guarantee, you'll like Keiro better once you're done reading. 3. no simple answers. Incarceron is small and big, Inside and Out. The mystery of who Sapphique is gets more convoluted, and although the questions of what makes reality, imprisonment and freedom are sort of Matrix-y, there's a fair degree of originality here, too. Sapphique somehow manages to span all cultures in the book, Out and In, and multiple histories and narratives. Everything about his story that Fisher eludes to (I love those little quotes at the beginning of the chapter) just ups the mystery factor.
MILD SPOILERS:
In Fisher's sequel, Finn's been sprung out of one prison and into another -- as future king of the Realm, he's trapped in all the usual politicking. He still can't remember his past life as Prince Giles, and he's plagued by memories (Keiro, trapped in Incarceron; the Maestra's death) and the lack thereof; he's got nothing but strange seizures and blackouts to back his claims of tampered memory, and a second Prince Giles has showed up to challenge Finn's claims. While Claudia handles the court intrigue, Jared tries to figure out a way to open the Portal, and what to do about the illness that is out to kill him sooner rather than later.
Meanwhile, back at the
But there were some cons: 1. Many narrative changes, and it's not always smooth or pretty. Everything's in second person, but even within a page the author switches between perspectives so much that it's a little distracting. I kept asking myself, wait, who thinks this? Finn or Claudia? Jared? 2. Not enough Incarceron. After that whole dark, horrible, awesome world was established in book one, there just wasn't enough of it in book two. We see it in Keiro and Attia's adventures, but they always seem to be on the fringe or on the borders, in these strange exceptions-to-the-rule kind of places. 3. Not enough Finn, Claudia, and Attia. Poor Finn -- this guy takes a beating and has to keep going, over and over again. Book one built up so much anticipation for his reunion with Claudia, but in the end, it was a let-down. She's cold and frustrated, and doubts his identity. He's desperate for affirmation and gets none. Meanwhile, Attia is desperate to see Finn again, but he barely gives her a thought -- he's too worried about Keiro. The author points this out to us repeatedly, which set me up for some kind of story there, but then left all those threads hanging when the book finished (and to my knowledge, this is only a set of two -- no trilogy planned). I would have loved to see Claudia and Finn's relationship deepen to the point that she's forced to make choices about who she believes Finn really is, independent of facts and proof, and that never really happened.
Nevertheless, there are some major pluses here that kept the sequel from completely falling flat: 1. lots of action, as stated above. I never sighed with boredom or had to plod through long, dry conversations. Fisher really moves the pace. 2. More Jared and Keiro. I loved those guys in the first book, and there's so much more to them in the second. I guarantee, you'll like Keiro better once you're done reading. 3. no simple answers. Incarceron is small and big, Inside and Out. The mystery of who Sapphique is gets more convoluted, and although the questions of what makes reality, imprisonment and freedom are sort of Matrix-y, there's a fair degree of originality here, too. Sapphique somehow manages to span all cultures in the book, Out and In, and multiple histories and narratives. Everything about his story that Fisher eludes to (I love those little quotes at the beginning of the chapter) just ups the mystery factor.
May 19, 2014
I gave the first book in this series a bit of a light ride, because I was intrigued by the ideas, and thank goodness, it was something different in a mass of fantasy books that were decidedly running together. So although there were things left unexplained, relationships that seemed strained, I hoped those would be delved into in greater depth in later volumes, and let it pass. Unfortunately, the second book doesn't resolve any of the problems, and seems to be the end of the series, so, where am I left?
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in 欧宝娱乐 policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in 欧宝娱乐 policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at
August 16, 2020
I try to express only my most honest opinion in a spoiler-free way. Unfortunately, there is still always a risk of slight spoilers despite my best efforts. If you feel something in my review is a spoiler please let me know. Thank you.
So I don't feel this book was really any better than the first. It sums everything up, which is always nice, but in the end, I feel this whole series was decent but not exactly good. I'm glad I finished it though. I went with the audio for this book and I'm glad I did as it had some very slow parts that would have been hard for me to get through if I had chosen to read it instead. I think I would be willing to try more books by Catherine Fisher even though I wasn't super excited about this series.
So I don't feel this book was really any better than the first. It sums everything up, which is always nice, but in the end, I feel this whole series was decent but not exactly good. I'm glad I finished it though. I went with the audio for this book and I'm glad I did as it had some very slow parts that would have been hard for me to get through if I had chosen to read it instead. I think I would be willing to try more books by Catherine Fisher even though I wasn't super excited about this series.
September 9, 2016
I'm a little unsure how I feel about this book. I did enjoy some parts, especially the steam punk element. But a lot of it had me feeling very meh. I still did enjoy the concept and the twists and turns that kept me guessing just like with the first book. But the ending left me feeling very unsatisfied. In a way I feel like instead of wrapping up the series, this book left me with more questions than it answered.
June 8, 2016
This was one of the most amazing books I have read in a long time. Let me start by saying that Fisher is a true wordsmith. Her prose is always lyrical and just so so lovely. It's been a long time since I've read such quotable and enjoyable writing.
The plot moved much more quickly in this book than it did in the first, and I was grateful for that. At the same time, there were parts with no real plot, but not one of these scenes felt unnecessary or boring or out of place. Each of them contributed to my understanding of the characters, plot, and world of the novel, and I really appreciated that.
Besides the writing, I think the other strongest point of this book are the characters. Each has his or her own distinct personality, backstory, and narration. I've come to really love so many of them. What I also appreciate is how nuanced they are. Not one character is entirely good or completely horrible. Even the best characters made some mistakes and bad decisions, and even the worst characters were sympathetic at some points. Let's take Keiro, for instance. Yeah, he's an asshole and he's by no means a noble hero, but I love him anyway and I think he's such a well-developed and complex character. Attia grows so much in this book too, and she makes a bunch of difficult decisions that she wouldn't have in the first book. The relationships between all the characters in this novel also were awesome. (Btw there's little to no romance at all in here, unless you squint. Normally I like at least some romance, but in this case I think it worked out really well.) Not one relationship is perfect. Connections between characters grow and shift and change, for better and worse.
The worldbuilding in this one truly knocked my socks off too. We get to know the Realm and Incarceron very well, and yet the more information Fisher gives us, the more mysterious and incomprehensible the world of the novel seems. What struck me the most while reading is how basically impossible it is to discern reality from illusion in the novel. Very few things are set in stone, and the novel seems to ask us to accept varying and even contradictory versions of reality. Truth and facts are relative, and this may be frustrating for some readers. I was a little annoyed by this at first, but by the end I think this toying with the real and unreal is what really wowed me. The ending ties up all major loose ends and is pretty satisfying, while ironically still leaving basically every question unanswered and positing that maybe the truth isn't really as important as we think it is in the grand scheme of things and that a lot of times it's better not to know some things. Still, I wish there was a third book. Overall i definitely recommend you pick up this series. The first novel wasn't that special, but I promise this one more than makes up for it.
The plot moved much more quickly in this book than it did in the first, and I was grateful for that. At the same time, there were parts with no real plot, but not one of these scenes felt unnecessary or boring or out of place. Each of them contributed to my understanding of the characters, plot, and world of the novel, and I really appreciated that.
Besides the writing, I think the other strongest point of this book are the characters. Each has his or her own distinct personality, backstory, and narration. I've come to really love so many of them. What I also appreciate is how nuanced they are. Not one character is entirely good or completely horrible. Even the best characters made some mistakes and bad decisions, and even the worst characters were sympathetic at some points. Let's take Keiro, for instance. Yeah, he's an asshole and he's by no means a noble hero, but I love him anyway and I think he's such a well-developed and complex character. Attia grows so much in this book too, and she makes a bunch of difficult decisions that she wouldn't have in the first book. The relationships between all the characters in this novel also were awesome. (Btw there's little to no romance at all in here, unless you squint. Normally I like at least some romance, but in this case I think it worked out really well.) Not one relationship is perfect. Connections between characters grow and shift and change, for better and worse.
The worldbuilding in this one truly knocked my socks off too. We get to know the Realm and Incarceron very well, and yet the more information Fisher gives us, the more mysterious and incomprehensible the world of the novel seems. What struck me the most while reading is how basically impossible it is to discern reality from illusion in the novel. Very few things are set in stone, and the novel seems to ask us to accept varying and even contradictory versions of reality. Truth and facts are relative, and this may be frustrating for some readers. I was a little annoyed by this at first, but by the end I think this toying with the real and unreal is what really wowed me. The ending ties up all major loose ends and is pretty satisfying, while ironically still leaving basically every question unanswered and positing that maybe the truth isn't really as important as we think it is in the grand scheme of things and that a lot of times it's better not to know some things. Still, I wish there was a third book. Overall i definitely recommend you pick up this series. The first novel wasn't that special, but I promise this one more than makes up for it.
June 11, 2019
Anlat谋ma, hayal g眉c眉ne, verdi臒i duygulara laf edemem. Finalde beni 艧a艧谋rt谋p epey y眉kseltti. Sonundan da memnunum, art谋k bizim hayal g眉c眉m眉ze b谋rakt谋 sonras谋nda olacaklar谋 ama yeterli bir final.
SPOILER
Kafama tak谋lan ve kurguyla ilgili epey 枚nemi oldu臒unu d眉艧眉nd眉臒眉m 艧ey 艧u: E臒er her 艧ey sadece g枚rsel olarak d眉zenlenmi艧se, b眉t眉n d眉nya sadece g枚rsel bir yalandan ibaretse bu insanlar nas谋l ya艧ad谋?
Yani d眉艧眉n眉n, 莽ok berbat, y谋k谋nt谋 bir ev teknoloji kullan谋larak saray gibi g枚steriliyor ama sonu莽ta i莽ten i莽e o ev y谋k谋l谋yor. G枚rsel olarak nas谋l g枚r眉n眉rse g枚r眉ns眉n, de臒il mi?
SPOILER
Kafama tak谋lan ve kurguyla ilgili epey 枚nemi oldu臒unu d眉艧眉nd眉臒眉m 艧ey 艧u: E臒er her 艧ey sadece g枚rsel olarak d眉zenlenmi艧se, b眉t眉n d眉nya sadece g枚rsel bir yalandan ibaretse bu insanlar nas谋l ya艧ad谋?
Yani d眉艧眉n眉n, 莽ok berbat, y谋k谋nt谋 bir ev teknoloji kullan谋larak saray gibi g枚steriliyor ama sonu莽ta i莽ten i莽e o ev y谋k谋l谋yor. G枚rsel olarak nas谋l g枚r眉n眉rse g枚r眉ns眉n, de臒il mi?
March 24, 2016
韦慰 未蔚蠉蟿蔚蟻慰 渭苇蟻慰蟼 渭慰蠀 维蟻蔚蟽蔚 魏 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟺维蟻伪 蟺慰位蠉. 螖蔚谓 渭慰蠀 胃蠀渭委味蔚喂 魏伪谓苇谓伪 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰蠀 苇蠂蠅 未喂伪尾维蟽蔚喂 苇蠅蟼 蟿蠋蟻伪. 螖蔚谓 苇蠂蔚喂 love story, 慰喂 萎蟻蠅蔚蟼 渭蔚 蔚尉伪委蟻蔚蟽畏 未蠉慰, 未蔚谓 苇蠂慰蠀谓 伪纬谓苇蟼 蟺蟻慰胃苇蟽蔚喂蟼, 魏维谓慰蠀谓 蠀蟺慰位慰纬喂蟽蟿喂魏苇蟼 魏喂谓萎蟽蔚喂蟼, 纬委谓慰谓蟿伪喂 伪谓蟿喂蟺伪胃蔚委蟼 魏伪喂 尉苇蟻慰蠀谓 谓伪 蔚蟺喂尾喂蠋谓慰蠀谓, 魏伪喂 谓伪喂 伪蠀蟿蠈 蔚委谓伪喂 苇谓伪 伪蟺蠈 蟿伪 蟽蟿慰喂蠂蔚委伪 蟺慰蠀 渭慰蠀 伪蟻苇蟽慰蠀谓 蟽蔚 伪蠀蟿蠈 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰, 纬喂伪蟿委 蟿慰 魏维谓蔚喂 谓伪 尉蔚蠂蠅蟻委味蔚喂. 螘蟺委蟽畏蟼 畏 喂蟽蟿慰蟻委伪 蔚委谓伪喂 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿伪 蟺蟻蠅蟿蠈蟿蠀蟺畏, 渭喂伪 蠁蠀位伪魏喂蟽渭苇谓畏 蠁蠀位伪魏萎 蟺慰蠀 胃苇位蔚喂 谓伪 蔚位蔚蠀胃蔚蟻蠅胃蔚委 魏伪喂 苇谓伪蟼 魏蠈蟽渭慰蟼 苇尉蠅 伪蟺蠈 伪蠀蟿萎谓 蟺慰蠀 蠄维蠂谓蔚喂 魏伪喂 慰 委未喂慰蟼 未喂苇尉慰未慰. 危蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 纬委谓慰谓蟿伪喂 蟺慰位位维, 渭喂伪 伪蟺委蟽蟿蔚蠀蟿伪 蟺蔚蟻委蟺位慰魏畏 蟺位慰魏萎, 渭蔚 蟺慰位位维 渭蠀蟽蟿萎蟻喂伪, 蟺慰蠀 渭蔚 苇魏伪谓蔚 谓伪 伪谓伪蟻蠅蟿喂苇渭伪喂 芦蟺蠅蟼 胃伪 蟿伪 魏伪位蠉蠄蔚喂 畏 蟽蠀纬纬蟻伪蠁苇伪蟼 蠈位伪 伪蠀蟿维 蟺慰蠀 纬蟻维蠁蔚喂; 螤蠅蟼 胃伪 蟿伪 蔚尉畏纬萎蟽蔚喂;禄 螚 伪位萎胃蔚喂伪 蔚委谓伪喂 蠈蟿喂 蟽蟿慰 蟿苇位慰蟼 蟺慰位位维 未蔚谓 蟿伪 蔚尉萎纬畏蟽蔚, 魏 蟽蔚 蟺慰位位维 渭蔚 渭蟺苇蟻未蔚蠄蔚. 螌渭蠅蟼 伪蠀蟿蠈 渭蔚 蠂维位伪蟽蔚 伪蟺位蠋蟼 位委纬慰,纬喂伪蟿委 渭蔚 纬苇渭喂蟽蔚 蟿蠈蟽慰 蟺慰位蠉 畏 伪蟿渭蠈蟽蠁伪喂蟻伪, 渭蔚 魏苇蟻未喂蟽蔚 蟿蠈蟽慰 蟺慰位蠉 畏 纬蟻萎纬慰蟻畏 蟺位慰魏萎 魏伪喂 蟿慰 渭蠀蟽蟿萎蟻喂慰, 蟺慰蠀 苇魏位蔚喂蟽伪 蟿慰 尾喂尾位委慰 蟺慰位蠉 蔚蠀蠂伪蟻喂蟽蟿畏渭苇谓畏 伪蟺蠈 蟿畏谓 伪谓维纬谓蠅蟽畏 蟿慰蠀.
December 8, 2011
I found this series, starting with Incarceron to have so many great themes. There are English and psych papers abound to be written on this series.
It's mysterious, dark, sweet and bittersweet all at the same time.
If you came away not liking this series then I'd say you likely missed out on the point:
A prison can be made up of so many things. It doesn't necessarily have to have walls nor an exit.
It's mysterious, dark, sweet and bittersweet all at the same time.
If you came away not liking this series then I'd say you likely missed out on the point:
A prison can be made up of so many things. It doesn't necessarily have to have walls nor an exit.
September 16, 2015
WHAT?! It's over! And the ending was maddening!!! Absolutely maddening! But, let me backtrack a bit.
Plot: Slow in parts. But overall, I liked the way it moved along. This book was full of action and suspense, like Incarceron. I liked how there were many plot lines running at once, with many different characters. I actually liked how the point of view changed around a lot, because it gave me a look in everyone's motives. It was fairy unpredictable, which was cool in parts and aggravating in others.
Characters: I actually like these characters. The characters are the reason that I ordered this book from the U.K. so I wouldn't have to wait for it to be released in the U.S. The characters in this one were still the characters I loved (well, I loved most of them). I'm still rooting for Jared/Claudia, even though I've finished the book. Jared is still my favorite character, and the relationship between him and Claudia was great. There were more Jared/Claudia moments in this book, which I loved. But, they're totally separated in the end, and that's maddening. They love each other, so why do they have to be separated? I wasn't a huge Attia fan in the last book, but I really liked her in this one. Maybe that's the result of seeing more from her point of view. Although, I really wish she'd been able to teach Keiro a lesson. In fact, he's the one character I didn't like. There were times where I did, and then didn't again. I guess the reason I didn't like him more was because he didn't learn anything or change at all. I kept waiting for karma to come and beat him over the head, and it never happened. I still loved to hate Sia and her son, and the Warden. Finn however, bothered me a bit in this book. He got mopey and annoying. And I really don't think Finn and Claudia should get married. For one, I want her to be with Jared, and two, I just plain don't see that.
Ending: Maddening. Just. Plain. Maddening. Jared's fate wasn't unpredictable, but the fate of the Outside Realm was. I also really don't want Claudia to marry Finn. Anyways, it was maddening because there's not another sequel. It's maddening because it's the end of the road.
Writing: I don't mean to say anything bad about the writing (because Catherine Fisher is brilliant), although I do have a few complaints here. Catherine Fisher is brilliant for her ideas and characters, but sometimes she's not as good at going into her character's emotions. There were so many points where she could have had the relationships between characters grow or become more complicated, and make the story even more interesting, and she didn't. Which kind of bothered me. But, I have to give her credit for the brilliant idea of Incarceron, Sapphique, and for creating good characters (even if I don't like Keiro, I do think Attia could bring out a better side of him). I am keeping my fingers crossed for another sequel, if only to delve deeper into the emotions and motives of the characters and tie up the loose ends.
Overall: It was good, but not as good as Incarceron. I had high hopes for a sequel with more emotion, and just as much action, and I got some of that. Incarceron was better, but I did really like Sapphique. If you liked Incarceron, you should read this one. It goes deeper into the backgrounds of some characters, it brings minor characters into the limelight, and it explains more in Incarceron, the Outer Realm, Jared's illness, and Sapphique. Despite my complaints, I really, really liked this book.
Plot: Slow in parts. But overall, I liked the way it moved along. This book was full of action and suspense, like Incarceron. I liked how there were many plot lines running at once, with many different characters. I actually liked how the point of view changed around a lot, because it gave me a look in everyone's motives. It was fairy unpredictable, which was cool in parts and aggravating in others.
Characters: I actually like these characters. The characters are the reason that I ordered this book from the U.K. so I wouldn't have to wait for it to be released in the U.S. The characters in this one were still the characters I loved (well, I loved most of them). I'm still rooting for Jared/Claudia, even though I've finished the book. Jared is still my favorite character, and the relationship between him and Claudia was great. There were more Jared/Claudia moments in this book, which I loved. But, they're totally separated in the end, and that's maddening. They love each other, so why do they have to be separated? I wasn't a huge Attia fan in the last book, but I really liked her in this one. Maybe that's the result of seeing more from her point of view. Although, I really wish she'd been able to teach Keiro a lesson. In fact, he's the one character I didn't like. There were times where I did, and then didn't again. I guess the reason I didn't like him more was because he didn't learn anything or change at all. I kept waiting for karma to come and beat him over the head, and it never happened. I still loved to hate Sia and her son, and the Warden. Finn however, bothered me a bit in this book. He got mopey and annoying. And I really don't think Finn and Claudia should get married. For one, I want her to be with Jared, and two, I just plain don't see that.
Ending: Maddening. Just. Plain. Maddening. Jared's fate wasn't unpredictable, but the fate of the Outside Realm was. I also really don't want Claudia to marry Finn. Anyways, it was maddening because there's not another sequel. It's maddening because it's the end of the road.
Writing: I don't mean to say anything bad about the writing (because Catherine Fisher is brilliant), although I do have a few complaints here. Catherine Fisher is brilliant for her ideas and characters, but sometimes she's not as good at going into her character's emotions. There were so many points where she could have had the relationships between characters grow or become more complicated, and make the story even more interesting, and she didn't. Which kind of bothered me. But, I have to give her credit for the brilliant idea of Incarceron, Sapphique, and for creating good characters (even if I don't like Keiro, I do think Attia could bring out a better side of him). I am keeping my fingers crossed for another sequel, if only to delve deeper into the emotions and motives of the characters and tie up the loose ends.
Overall: It was good, but not as good as Incarceron. I had high hopes for a sequel with more emotion, and just as much action, and I got some of that. Incarceron was better, but I did really like Sapphique. If you liked Incarceron, you should read this one. It goes deeper into the backgrounds of some characters, it brings minor characters into the limelight, and it explains more in Incarceron, the Outer Realm, Jared's illness, and Sapphique. Despite my complaints, I really, really liked this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 27, 2011
So yeah - I gave up. This book was a complete let down after how amazing the first book Incarceron was. But sadly my copy was due back at the library and considering I hadn't picked it back up in over a week and a half I figured I would rather spend my time reading books I am still interested in.
This book's worst problem (just as in the first book) was characterization. All of the characters were like cardboard cutouts. They told you a story but I didn't get any feeling from it. Not to mention Finn and Claudia have less chemistry than any other set of characters I can even think of. I did not think they would make good romantic partners or even friends for that matter.
The action came in highs and lows, yet the highs were only 'ok, this is kind of interesting' and the lows were 'oh my god somebody just do something already!'
In the end I have no regrets about not finishing this book as half the reviews touch on the odd and unsatisfying ending, so I figure I stopped where everyone else should have. Besides I have over 100 other *hopefully better* books waiting to be read. I'll just go get one of those.
This book's worst problem (just as in the first book) was characterization. All of the characters were like cardboard cutouts. They told you a story but I didn't get any feeling from it. Not to mention Finn and Claudia have less chemistry than any other set of characters I can even think of. I did not think they would make good romantic partners or even friends for that matter.
The action came in highs and lows, yet the highs were only 'ok, this is kind of interesting' and the lows were 'oh my god somebody just do something already!'
In the end I have no regrets about not finishing this book as half the reviews touch on the odd and unsatisfying ending, so I figure I stopped where everyone else should have. Besides I have over 100 other *hopefully better* books waiting to be read. I'll just go get one of those.
October 22, 2013
I reviewed Incarceron a few weeks back and, although I didn't like it, I already had a copy of the ARC. Sapphique was not better than the first book in the series, but it was easier for me to get through, perhaps because I had much lower expectations. All of my problems with the first book still remain here.
The characters, all of them, are pretty much entirely unlikeable. Jared, Claudia's tutor, is the character I most liked, but the reader has known since the beginning of book one that he has an incurable disease, distancing one's affection for him. Claudia is obnoxious, power-hungry and mistrusting. Finn alternates between being emo and arrogant. Keiro is as he has ever been. Attia never really seems to coalesce into a definite personality. And those are just the characters you are supposed to be rooting for.
Romance is not to be found in Sapphique, even though the book ends with an engagement in place for two of them. Those two characters have absolutely no chemistry; in fact, the girl is clearly in love with someone else.
If you liked Incarceron, I doubt you will be disappointed by Sapphique. Otherwise, don't bother.
The characters, all of them, are pretty much entirely unlikeable. Jared, Claudia's tutor, is the character I most liked, but the reader has known since the beginning of book one that he has an incurable disease, distancing one's affection for him. Claudia is obnoxious, power-hungry and mistrusting. Finn alternates between being emo and arrogant. Keiro is as he has ever been. Attia never really seems to coalesce into a definite personality. And those are just the characters you are supposed to be rooting for.
Romance is not to be found in Sapphique, even though the book ends with an engagement in place for two of them. Those two characters have absolutely no chemistry; in fact, the girl is clearly in love with someone else.
If you liked Incarceron, I doubt you will be disappointed by Sapphique. Otherwise, don't bother.
June 7, 2011
This month I am going to recommend another young adult fantasy contained in a two book set - INCARCERON and SAPPHIQUE by Catherine Fisher. In these stories, we follow the efforts of three prisoners held captive in a prison as large as an entire world to find a way out. Only one man has ever escaped, and he has become a legend to the prison populace. On the outside of the prison, the daughter of the Warden - who tends to the prison and its population - attempts to discover the secret of Incarceron, which she begins to discover it isn't at all what anyone outside thought it to be. Exciting, rapid-paced and filled with intriguing ideas, this pair of books will keep readers turning the pages and wondering what is going to happen next.
Want to read
November 9, 2015
June 26, 2020
After the revelation of what Incarceron was at the end of Book 1, I was eager and curious to read this book. Unfortunately, like so many 'end of the series' books, this one leaves quite a few questions unanswered. I accepted that at the end of Incarceron, there would be questions, but I hoped that this volume would answer them.
Alas. There's still plenty of plot holes/unexplained things that left this world somewhat murky.
Don't get me wrong - I applaud the creativity of the premise of this story, and think that Incarceron would make a fun Netflix series with some adaptations, but I really wish that Incarceron (the prison/entity) had been explained more. The power of the glove is never really explained, and I would not be opposed to a continuation of this series with a third book exploring Incarceron and Jared/Sapphique more and their relationship and the consequences of the ending of Sapphique.
All in all, this book gets 3.25/5 stars.
Alas. There's still plenty of plot holes/unexplained things that left this world somewhat murky.
Don't get me wrong - I applaud the creativity of the premise of this story, and think that Incarceron would make a fun Netflix series with some adaptations, but I really wish that Incarceron (the prison/entity) had been explained more. The power of the glove is never really explained, and I would not be opposed to a continuation of this series with a third book exploring Incarceron and Jared/Sapphique more and their relationship and the consequences of the ending of Sapphique.
All in all, this book gets 3.25/5 stars.
August 19, 2017
袧械 蟹邪胁懈卸写邪屑 薪邪 褏芯褉邪褌邪, 泻芯懈褌芯 褋邪 锌褉芯褔械谢懈 鈥炐樞叫盒把€褋械褉芯薪鈥� 薪邪 袣邪褌褉懈薪 肖懈褖褗褉 (懈蟹写. 鈥炐バ笛€屑械褋鈥�) 懈 褋谢械写 褌芯胁邪 褋邪 褔邪泻邪谢懈 褋 屑械褋械褑懈 锌褉芯写褗谢卸械薪懈械褌芯 泄 鈥炐⌒靶垦勑感衡€�. 袧邪锌褉械卸械薪懈械褌芯 褋懈谐褍褉薪芯 谐懈 械 谐褉懈蟹邪谢芯 写芯褋褌邪. 袗蟹, 蟹邪 屑芯褟 谐芯谢褟屑邪 褉邪写芯褋褌, 懈屑邪屑 褕邪薪褋邪 写邪 褉邪蟹褌胁芯褉褟 胁褌芯褉邪褌邪 泻薪懈谐邪 胁械写薪邪谐邪 褋谢械写 泻邪褌芯 褋褗屑 锌褉懈泻谢褞褔懈谢 锌褗褉胁邪褌邪. 鈥炐樞叫盒把€褋械褉芯薪鈥� 褍褋锌褟 写邪 屑懈 褋锌褉械 写褗褏邪, 懈 褋械谐邪 锌芯械屑邪屑 谐谢褗褌泻邪 胁褗蟹写褍褏 懈 褋械 锌芯褌邪锌褟屑 胁 鈥炐⌒靶垦勑感衡€�. 袩褉芯褔械褌械褌械 褉械胁褞褌芯 薪邪 "袣薪懈卸薪懈 袣褉懈谢械":
March 8, 2021
1.5 le sigh
September 23, 2023
Unfortunately I guess this duology was not for me. I love fantasy, but I really couldn't get into the world or connect with the characters.
March 20, 2010
This just wasn't as good as the first.
I liked how Keiro and Attia were still trapped in the prison, so we weren't cut off from its awesomeness entirely, but somehow it didn't feel as interesting in this one. The character of Rix was pretty annoying and he thorougly grossed me out. I did like how Keiro and Attia stayed together, even though he claimed not to like her, you can tell he does.
What annoyed me was the lack of character development. Keiro, Attia, Claudia, and Finn all stay exactly the same and we really don't learn anything new about them. Also, there wasn't enough of Finn. It was mostly a book switching between Attia and Claudia's POV, which I didn't like. Especially since I don't like Claudia, and she gets considerably more selfish and annoying and cold in this book; you'd think she'd grow as a person, but...not really. We get Finn's POV only a handfull of times, and for maybe one or two pages at a time, and I just felt kind of cheated, because the first book was so clearly HIS, and then he sort of drops off the radar and just becomes this pathetic character feeling sorry for himself. Though, he still wasn't as annoying as Claudia ;)
Also, the revelation about Outside and what it is really like...was extremely depressing--and in a bad way. And the ending...is basically where the book just...ends...and the characters are all like, "Well, we'll probably all die soon." It just felt like nothing was resolved, except for a couple of small things. It also made me really angry that we never find out any of the mysterious about whether Finn really is Giles, or why he has those seizures, or why he continues to have them after he supposedly gets all his memories back, or if Sapphique is real, or if he's alive etc... Sure, there are little hints, but most of them are just misleading.
There was really only one scene in the entire book that I actually enjoyed...which is weird since I gave this four stars...The book kept me interested and was hard to put down because there was so much action, but I tend to prefer character depth over simple action, and there wasn't much of that.
What happens with Jared is also kind of depressing and entirely creepy.
Also, I wanted to strangle Claudia for being all, "Oh, we have to get my poor daddy out of the prison. He matters more than Keiro and Attia." She didn't say those exact words, but close enough. I mean, it was HIS choice to lock himself in there!
And I don't like the idea of Finn and Claudia getting married. I really do NOT see that. There were one or two hints about Keiro and Attia maybe liking each other, despite all of their denials, but, like I said, the end leaves you hanging. And I also thought the "end" was too easy. What happened with the queen was ridiculous; I just couldn't see it. I mean, it makes sense, but it's kind of dissappointing. It feels like Fisher only wanted to write one book, but then realized the one wasn't enough to even come close to finishing the story, so she was forced to write a second one. It's like I could tell she wasn't enjoying herself writing it as much as the first.
So, it was an entertaining yet annoying read, and while I'd like to read the first book over again, I don't think I ever want to split the covers of this one apart ever again. Not because it was bad, but because it just isn't something I ever want to return to...
I liked how Keiro and Attia were still trapped in the prison, so we weren't cut off from its awesomeness entirely, but somehow it didn't feel as interesting in this one. The character of Rix was pretty annoying and he thorougly grossed me out. I did like how Keiro and Attia stayed together, even though he claimed not to like her, you can tell he does.
What annoyed me was the lack of character development. Keiro, Attia, Claudia, and Finn all stay exactly the same and we really don't learn anything new about them. Also, there wasn't enough of Finn. It was mostly a book switching between Attia and Claudia's POV, which I didn't like. Especially since I don't like Claudia, and she gets considerably more selfish and annoying and cold in this book; you'd think she'd grow as a person, but...not really. We get Finn's POV only a handfull of times, and for maybe one or two pages at a time, and I just felt kind of cheated, because the first book was so clearly HIS, and then he sort of drops off the radar and just becomes this pathetic character feeling sorry for himself. Though, he still wasn't as annoying as Claudia ;)
Also, the revelation about Outside and what it is really like...was extremely depressing--and in a bad way. And the ending...is basically where the book just...ends...and the characters are all like, "Well, we'll probably all die soon." It just felt like nothing was resolved, except for a couple of small things. It also made me really angry that we never find out any of the mysterious about whether Finn really is Giles, or why he has those seizures, or why he continues to have them after he supposedly gets all his memories back, or if Sapphique is real, or if he's alive etc... Sure, there are little hints, but most of them are just misleading.
There was really only one scene in the entire book that I actually enjoyed...which is weird since I gave this four stars...The book kept me interested and was hard to put down because there was so much action, but I tend to prefer character depth over simple action, and there wasn't much of that.
What happens with Jared is also kind of depressing and entirely creepy.
Also, I wanted to strangle Claudia for being all, "Oh, we have to get my poor daddy out of the prison. He matters more than Keiro and Attia." She didn't say those exact words, but close enough. I mean, it was HIS choice to lock himself in there!
And I don't like the idea of Finn and Claudia getting married. I really do NOT see that. There were one or two hints about Keiro and Attia maybe liking each other, despite all of their denials, but, like I said, the end leaves you hanging. And I also thought the "end" was too easy. What happened with the queen was ridiculous; I just couldn't see it. I mean, it makes sense, but it's kind of dissappointing. It feels like Fisher only wanted to write one book, but then realized the one wasn't enough to even come close to finishing the story, so she was forced to write a second one. It's like I could tell she wasn't enjoying herself writing it as much as the first.
So, it was an entertaining yet annoying read, and while I'd like to read the first book over again, I don't think I ever want to split the covers of this one apart ever again. Not because it was bad, but because it just isn't something I ever want to return to...
February 17, 2011
I just finished the book and I have to say it left me a bit cold. The last 100 pages or so felt so rushed--I couldn't believe how quickly the action was tied up.
And while I understand a creator who doesn't want to answer every single question (hello, Damon Lindelof and Carleton Cuse!), there are so many loose threads left hanging that it just feels sloppy. The Warden's actions at the end make no sense. Who or what is Rix, really? Claudia and Finn don't have any feelings for each other, protocol is dead, yet they still plan on marrying? She loves Jared and he, well, it's unclear whether he prefers Keiro or Attia. While I understand Jared sacrificing himself, both books show (and tell) us that Claudia would burn down the world rather than live without Jared...and that he, himself, probably doesn't know the extent of her love for him. And Attia obviously has more secrets and knows more than she's letting on.
Fisher is an incredibly gifted writer and the action is both exciting and inventive. She set up SO much with Incarceron...there were so many layered emotional attachments between the characters--to leave us hanging like this, without talk of another book in the series, makes no sense.
Perhaps the publishers rushed the book to print?
It's really, really unfortunate.
And while I understand a creator who doesn't want to answer every single question (hello, Damon Lindelof and Carleton Cuse!), there are so many loose threads left hanging that it just feels sloppy. The Warden's actions at the end make no sense. Who or what is Rix, really? Claudia and Finn don't have any feelings for each other, protocol is dead, yet they still plan on marrying? She loves Jared and he, well, it's unclear whether he prefers Keiro or Attia. While I understand Jared sacrificing himself, both books show (and tell) us that Claudia would burn down the world rather than live without Jared...and that he, himself, probably doesn't know the extent of her love for him. And Attia obviously has more secrets and knows more than she's letting on.
Fisher is an incredibly gifted writer and the action is both exciting and inventive. She set up SO much with Incarceron...there were so many layered emotional attachments between the characters--to leave us hanging like this, without talk of another book in the series, makes no sense.
Perhaps the publishers rushed the book to print?
It's really, really unfortunate.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
January 3, 2011
I still don't love these books. I think the story line is very interesting but the characters just aren't "something" enough - there is no one to really hate or love or pull for, so i don't have the connection. I also don't think there is enough back story. Why are they in this artificial time and what was the war about? It is mentioned but no real details.
November 12, 2024
This is the book of my dreams. Someone please make it into an amazing anime. All my favorites genres, plus a whole lot of grunge
February 6, 2013
A five star rating? It deserves far more.
Sapphique has seen the stars. Outside, they shine perfect and bright on the Realm. Far away, Incarceron hungers for them, and its Prisoners know stars only as red pinpricks in the dark that watch with malevolent knowing.
Five stars, 欧宝娱乐 says?
I think not.
The story of Sapphique, of Claudia and Finn, Jared Saipiens and the Steel Wolves -- The riveting account of Keiro and Attia, and Rix the Dark Enchanter and his Art Magicke -- The unfolding of John Arlex the Warden, Queen Sia, and the mystery that is Prince Giles -- All of this, and a paltry offering of only five?
Whole galaxies, 欧宝娱乐. THAT'S my rating for SAPPHIQUE, by Catherine Fisher.
(And if you've read INCARCERON or SAPPHIQUE, you'll understand why I'm going a bit wild with the star-theme here.)
So the first reason I absolutely ADORE this book, is because of Catherine Fisher's writing style. She is incredibly unique, and I doubt you will find ANYONE else on the face of this earth who is capable of writing the way she does. She is a brilliant, brilliant poet. Completely unafraid to buck Protocol (heehee) and write the way she feels her story needs to be written. And her mastery and correctness of the English language is elegantly refreshing.
Instead of explaining, let me give some examples:
鈥淭his was death. It was warm and sticky and there were waves of it, washing over her like pain. It had no air to breathe, no words to speak. It was a choking in her throat. And then it was pure and blue and as empty as the sky she had seen Outside鈥︹€�
Okay, so I tried to find little snatches of brilliance sprinkled throughout, but ended up just sitting here reading, totally engrossed. So I鈥檓 skipping ahead a bit and giving you this excerpt, because it鈥檚 masterful and incredible and it doesn鈥檛 really give anything away. (But skip it if you鈥檙e the paranoid type who doesn鈥檛 read the back cover blurbs for fear of knowing something too soon.)
鈥淎ttia fell.
She fell like Sapphique had fallen. A terrible, flapping, tumbling fall, arms splayed out, with no breath, no sight, no hearing. She fell through a roaring vortex, into a mouth, down a throat that swallowed her. Her clothes and hair, her very skin, rippled and seemed to be torn away so that she was nothing but a screaming soul plunging headlong into the abyss.
But then Attia knew that the world was impossible, that it was a creature that mocked her. Because the air thickened and nets of cloud formed under her鈥攄ense springy clouds that tumbled her from one to another鈥攁nd somewhere there was laughter that might have been Keiro鈥檚 and might have been the Prison鈥檚, as if she couldn鈥檛 tell them apart now.
In a flicker between gasps she saw the world re-form; the hall floor convulsed, split, rolled away. A river erupted under the viaduct, a black torrent that rose up to meet her so fast that she had hardly snatched a breath before she had plunged into it, deep, deep into a darkness of frothing bubbles.
A membrane of water webbed her wide mouth.
And then her head burst out, gasping, and the torrent was slowing, drifting her under dark girders, into caves, into a dim underworld. Dead Beetles were washed along beside her; the stream was a conduit of rust, red as blood, channeled between steep metal sides, its surface greasy and bobbing with debris, stinking, the outfall of a world. As if it was the aorta of some great being, sick with bacteria, never to be healed.鈥�
And no spoilers in this鈥ust splendidness:
鈥淭he shell grotto was well named.
A vast cavern, its walls and pendulous roof gleamed with mother-of-pearl and crystal; each shell arranged in patterns that whorled and spiraled. False stalactites, hand-adorned with a million minute crystals, hung from the ceiling.
It was a glassy, dazzling spectacle鈥hen the chimes of the clock formed of a million tiny periwinkles struck eleven, she sipped iced tea from rosy glasses and nibbled on the cakes and cool sorbets handed out by serving girls dressed as nymphs.
And then she saw them.鈥�
Okay, on to the CHARACTERS.
I鈥檓 not going to pretend that I don鈥檛 have favorites.
Keiro and Jared, most of all. Oddly enough, probably the two polar opposites of this book duet. I鈥檝e seen reviews praising Jared and condemning Kerio, and wishing that Jared had ended up 鈥渨ith鈥� Claudia and Keiro had 鈥済rown more as a character.鈥� And I just want to say to those reviewers鈥id you even read the same book I did?
I鈥檓 assuming if you鈥檙e reading this, then you鈥檝e read INCARCERON, in which it was made undoubtedly clear that Claudia and Jared care deeply for each other. In a totally platonic sense. Anything otherwise is weird, and wrong, and THAT is why Caspar started the rumor in Book One 鈥� not because it was a possibility that either Claudia or Jared would ever think to explore, but because it would bring shame on them and he was out to cause damage. Also, as it pertains to the plot, this is a MINOR detail. Just mentioning that because this is not a story with romantic sub-plots, and I feel I need to address this Claudia/Jared issue before people get the wrong idea or continue making something of it that it鈥檚 not.
Now to Keiro and his 鈥渓ack鈥� of growth as a character. This is a bit more tricky, because, well鈥eiro is Keiro. Again, if you鈥檝e read INCARCERON, you know that he is cocksure and sarcastic, even in the face of death. This is a young man who guards his feelings well. It鈥檚 stated that he grew up in a ragtag group of ruffians where every day was a fight to survive 鈥� that gives ample reason why he would view emotional connection as a sign of weakness. If Fisher had softened him in the scenes told from his point of view, it would have been unrealistic. Granted, it would have given romance-junkies reason to swoon over him 鈥� the hardened thief with a soft side 鈥� but that, plain and simple, isn鈥檛 Keiro. And he would have hated it.
And that鈥檚 why I love him.
Keiro is atypical, as far from the normal 鈥渓ikable鈥� character as you can get. He does not soften out. He does not have a breakdown. He is unpredictable and threatens betrayal and is perhaps disloyal, perhaps not, until the very end. But, if you pay attention and read closely and really notice鈥eiro changes. It鈥檚 written in the small things. An action here, a word there, and if you catch them it鈥檚 clear what his feelings are, in some respects. And in others, well鈥 like to think Keiro would prefer to keep them mysteries.
Finn is a different matter. He鈥檚 not one of my favorite characters, and I don鈥檛 even particularly like him. But I鈥檇 be mad if he were any different. Anyone with his circumstances would have full rights to act the way he did 鈥� sullen, withdrawn, moody 鈥� and they most likely would. The story wouldn鈥檛 have been believable if he鈥檇鈥hat? Tried to sweep Claudia off her feet? Ran grinning into the splendor of the Realm, forgetting his Oathbrother鈥檚 still trapped in a hell? That鈥檚 patently ridiculous. He acted realistically, and what rule is there that says main characters, in order to be well-written, must also be loved?
Let鈥檚 not forget Attia. Loyal, hardworking, caring, and in love with Finn. She鈥檚 not glamorized, yet she carries this book remarkably far with her decisions and actions, and I have deep respect for her because of her morals. The way this story ends for her is all too realistic, and I don鈥檛 say that in a bad way. I think she鈥檒l find her place. I think she鈥檒l be happy鈥nd I think I know who she鈥檒l be happy with, but you鈥檙e free to draw your own conclusions there.
As for Rix, The Warden, Sapphique鈥鈥檓 still unsure about them. I鈥檒l let my mind mull it over, and maybe post an update once I鈥檝e read this a second time. They confuse me a bit, but in a way that makes me want to dive into the world again for a second look.
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM TIME: THE PLOT:
Lots of opinions on this subject:
Confusing.
Hard to follow.
Convenient plot twists when it looked like it was going to get stuck.
Sudden, unexpected ending that left me spinning.
LOTS of loose ends.
Multiple plotlines woven together from multiple points of view, really well done.
Exciting.
Riveting.
Fast, tight, thrilling pacing.
Cliffhangers at every turn.
BEAUTIFULLY VIBRANT SETTINGS THAT JUMP OFF THE PAGE.
Okay, so I鈥檓 especially partial to Catherine Fisher鈥檚 world-building skills, but all of the above is true.
Not denying that I鈥檓 totally still reeling, and spinning, and hopelessly uncertain about lots and lots of things. But it鈥檚 not making me mad, it鈥檚 just making me think. And I LOVE books that make me think.
I鈥檓 not an instant gratification reader鈥 don鈥檛 read fluff, I don鈥檛 want simplicity in stories. And there鈥檚 certainly none of that here.
SAPPHIQUE鈥檚 plot is a train going a thousand miles per hour, and you can either hop on and cling tight, and let the story take you where it may, accepting the scenery as you pass. This route pushes confusion aside, demands only faith from you 鈥� faith and the dedication to savor every nuance of every word in every scene on every page. Skip a sentence, let your grasp slip, and you are lost, tumbling breathless and dizzy as the train speeds by.
Decide to walk along the rails in the train鈥檚 wake, taking your time as you do so in order to pick and prod at the rivets and hinges linking plots and threads together, and you will be rewarded with all you hoped to find. The nuts and bolts and makings of a story, its majesty stripped away.
This is true of any story, any book, any THING no matter how great.
Tear it to shreds, and the Art Magicke is lost.
Believe in the stars, and Sapphique will lead you to them.
In the meantime, I wonder this:
Maybe Incarceron is inside us all.
Maybe we ARE our own Incarcerons.
Maybe we are ourselves Prisoners.
Maybe each of us dreams of our own Escape.
Of ourselves.
Of our minds.
To the stars.
To Outside.
And maybe, just maybe鈥utside isn鈥檛.
Sapphique has seen the stars. Outside, they shine perfect and bright on the Realm. Far away, Incarceron hungers for them, and its Prisoners know stars only as red pinpricks in the dark that watch with malevolent knowing.
Five stars, 欧宝娱乐 says?
I think not.
The story of Sapphique, of Claudia and Finn, Jared Saipiens and the Steel Wolves -- The riveting account of Keiro and Attia, and Rix the Dark Enchanter and his Art Magicke -- The unfolding of John Arlex the Warden, Queen Sia, and the mystery that is Prince Giles -- All of this, and a paltry offering of only five?
Whole galaxies, 欧宝娱乐. THAT'S my rating for SAPPHIQUE, by Catherine Fisher.
(And if you've read INCARCERON or SAPPHIQUE, you'll understand why I'm going a bit wild with the star-theme here.)
So the first reason I absolutely ADORE this book, is because of Catherine Fisher's writing style. She is incredibly unique, and I doubt you will find ANYONE else on the face of this earth who is capable of writing the way she does. She is a brilliant, brilliant poet. Completely unafraid to buck Protocol (heehee) and write the way she feels her story needs to be written. And her mastery and correctness of the English language is elegantly refreshing.
Instead of explaining, let me give some examples:
鈥淭his was death. It was warm and sticky and there were waves of it, washing over her like pain. It had no air to breathe, no words to speak. It was a choking in her throat. And then it was pure and blue and as empty as the sky she had seen Outside鈥︹€�
Okay, so I tried to find little snatches of brilliance sprinkled throughout, but ended up just sitting here reading, totally engrossed. So I鈥檓 skipping ahead a bit and giving you this excerpt, because it鈥檚 masterful and incredible and it doesn鈥檛 really give anything away. (But skip it if you鈥檙e the paranoid type who doesn鈥檛 read the back cover blurbs for fear of knowing something too soon.)
鈥淎ttia fell.
She fell like Sapphique had fallen. A terrible, flapping, tumbling fall, arms splayed out, with no breath, no sight, no hearing. She fell through a roaring vortex, into a mouth, down a throat that swallowed her. Her clothes and hair, her very skin, rippled and seemed to be torn away so that she was nothing but a screaming soul plunging headlong into the abyss.
But then Attia knew that the world was impossible, that it was a creature that mocked her. Because the air thickened and nets of cloud formed under her鈥攄ense springy clouds that tumbled her from one to another鈥攁nd somewhere there was laughter that might have been Keiro鈥檚 and might have been the Prison鈥檚, as if she couldn鈥檛 tell them apart now.
In a flicker between gasps she saw the world re-form; the hall floor convulsed, split, rolled away. A river erupted under the viaduct, a black torrent that rose up to meet her so fast that she had hardly snatched a breath before she had plunged into it, deep, deep into a darkness of frothing bubbles.
A membrane of water webbed her wide mouth.
And then her head burst out, gasping, and the torrent was slowing, drifting her under dark girders, into caves, into a dim underworld. Dead Beetles were washed along beside her; the stream was a conduit of rust, red as blood, channeled between steep metal sides, its surface greasy and bobbing with debris, stinking, the outfall of a world. As if it was the aorta of some great being, sick with bacteria, never to be healed.鈥�
And no spoilers in this鈥ust splendidness:
鈥淭he shell grotto was well named.
A vast cavern, its walls and pendulous roof gleamed with mother-of-pearl and crystal; each shell arranged in patterns that whorled and spiraled. False stalactites, hand-adorned with a million minute crystals, hung from the ceiling.
It was a glassy, dazzling spectacle鈥hen the chimes of the clock formed of a million tiny periwinkles struck eleven, she sipped iced tea from rosy glasses and nibbled on the cakes and cool sorbets handed out by serving girls dressed as nymphs.
And then she saw them.鈥�
Okay, on to the CHARACTERS.
I鈥檓 not going to pretend that I don鈥檛 have favorites.
Keiro and Jared, most of all. Oddly enough, probably the two polar opposites of this book duet. I鈥檝e seen reviews praising Jared and condemning Kerio, and wishing that Jared had ended up 鈥渨ith鈥� Claudia and Keiro had 鈥済rown more as a character.鈥� And I just want to say to those reviewers鈥id you even read the same book I did?
I鈥檓 assuming if you鈥檙e reading this, then you鈥檝e read INCARCERON, in which it was made undoubtedly clear that Claudia and Jared care deeply for each other. In a totally platonic sense. Anything otherwise is weird, and wrong, and THAT is why Caspar started the rumor in Book One 鈥� not because it was a possibility that either Claudia or Jared would ever think to explore, but because it would bring shame on them and he was out to cause damage. Also, as it pertains to the plot, this is a MINOR detail. Just mentioning that because this is not a story with romantic sub-plots, and I feel I need to address this Claudia/Jared issue before people get the wrong idea or continue making something of it that it鈥檚 not.
Now to Keiro and his 鈥渓ack鈥� of growth as a character. This is a bit more tricky, because, well鈥eiro is Keiro. Again, if you鈥檝e read INCARCERON, you know that he is cocksure and sarcastic, even in the face of death. This is a young man who guards his feelings well. It鈥檚 stated that he grew up in a ragtag group of ruffians where every day was a fight to survive 鈥� that gives ample reason why he would view emotional connection as a sign of weakness. If Fisher had softened him in the scenes told from his point of view, it would have been unrealistic. Granted, it would have given romance-junkies reason to swoon over him 鈥� the hardened thief with a soft side 鈥� but that, plain and simple, isn鈥檛 Keiro. And he would have hated it.
And that鈥檚 why I love him.
Keiro is atypical, as far from the normal 鈥渓ikable鈥� character as you can get. He does not soften out. He does not have a breakdown. He is unpredictable and threatens betrayal and is perhaps disloyal, perhaps not, until the very end. But, if you pay attention and read closely and really notice鈥eiro changes. It鈥檚 written in the small things. An action here, a word there, and if you catch them it鈥檚 clear what his feelings are, in some respects. And in others, well鈥 like to think Keiro would prefer to keep them mysteries.
Finn is a different matter. He鈥檚 not one of my favorite characters, and I don鈥檛 even particularly like him. But I鈥檇 be mad if he were any different. Anyone with his circumstances would have full rights to act the way he did 鈥� sullen, withdrawn, moody 鈥� and they most likely would. The story wouldn鈥檛 have been believable if he鈥檇鈥hat? Tried to sweep Claudia off her feet? Ran grinning into the splendor of the Realm, forgetting his Oathbrother鈥檚 still trapped in a hell? That鈥檚 patently ridiculous. He acted realistically, and what rule is there that says main characters, in order to be well-written, must also be loved?
Let鈥檚 not forget Attia. Loyal, hardworking, caring, and in love with Finn. She鈥檚 not glamorized, yet she carries this book remarkably far with her decisions and actions, and I have deep respect for her because of her morals. The way this story ends for her is all too realistic, and I don鈥檛 say that in a bad way. I think she鈥檒l find her place. I think she鈥檒l be happy鈥nd I think I know who she鈥檒l be happy with, but you鈥檙e free to draw your own conclusions there.
As for Rix, The Warden, Sapphique鈥鈥檓 still unsure about them. I鈥檒l let my mind mull it over, and maybe post an update once I鈥檝e read this a second time. They confuse me a bit, but in a way that makes me want to dive into the world again for a second look.
ELEPHANT IN THE ROOM TIME: THE PLOT:
Lots of opinions on this subject:
Confusing.
Hard to follow.
Convenient plot twists when it looked like it was going to get stuck.
Sudden, unexpected ending that left me spinning.
LOTS of loose ends.
Multiple plotlines woven together from multiple points of view, really well done.
Exciting.
Riveting.
Fast, tight, thrilling pacing.
Cliffhangers at every turn.
BEAUTIFULLY VIBRANT SETTINGS THAT JUMP OFF THE PAGE.
Okay, so I鈥檓 especially partial to Catherine Fisher鈥檚 world-building skills, but all of the above is true.
Not denying that I鈥檓 totally still reeling, and spinning, and hopelessly uncertain about lots and lots of things. But it鈥檚 not making me mad, it鈥檚 just making me think. And I LOVE books that make me think.
I鈥檓 not an instant gratification reader鈥 don鈥檛 read fluff, I don鈥檛 want simplicity in stories. And there鈥檚 certainly none of that here.
SAPPHIQUE鈥檚 plot is a train going a thousand miles per hour, and you can either hop on and cling tight, and let the story take you where it may, accepting the scenery as you pass. This route pushes confusion aside, demands only faith from you 鈥� faith and the dedication to savor every nuance of every word in every scene on every page. Skip a sentence, let your grasp slip, and you are lost, tumbling breathless and dizzy as the train speeds by.
Decide to walk along the rails in the train鈥檚 wake, taking your time as you do so in order to pick and prod at the rivets and hinges linking plots and threads together, and you will be rewarded with all you hoped to find. The nuts and bolts and makings of a story, its majesty stripped away.
This is true of any story, any book, any THING no matter how great.
Tear it to shreds, and the Art Magicke is lost.
Believe in the stars, and Sapphique will lead you to them.
In the meantime, I wonder this:
Maybe Incarceron is inside us all.
Maybe we ARE our own Incarcerons.
Maybe we are ourselves Prisoners.
Maybe each of us dreams of our own Escape.
Of ourselves.
Of our minds.
To the stars.
To Outside.
And maybe, just maybe鈥utside isn鈥檛.
May 28, 2017
Hm...Khi 膽峄峜 xong cu峄憂 n脿y ch峄� mu峄憂 膽岷璸 b峄檖 m峄檛 ph谩t cho h岷� gi岷璶.Ti岷縞 ti峄乶 qu谩 m脿, v峄沬 140k cho Incarceron v脿 145k cho Sapphique th矛 nh峄痭g g矛 m矛nh nh岷璶 膽瓢峄 kh么ng h峄� x峄﹏g 膽谩ng t岷筼 n脿o.Th岷� n锚n sau khi v峄玜 膽峄峜 xong, t峄ヽ l脿 c谩ch 膽芒y v脿i ti岷縩g 岷, m矛nh 膽茫 d岷穘 l貌ng l脿 th么i, 膽峄 cho b矛nh t末nh l岷 膽茫 r峄搃 vi岷縯 sau=))N贸i cho 膽岷縩 s谩ng mai c农ng ch瓢a ch岷痗 膽茫 h岷縯 nh峄痭g 膽i峄乽 m矛nh kh么ng 瓢ng 峄� cu峄憂 n脿y.Th峄� nh岷, m矛nh r岷 gh茅t c谩ch 膽an xen 3 th峄� c霉ng m峄檛 l煤c.3 th峄� 峄� 膽芒y l脿 g矛?膼岷 ti锚n l脿 b锚n trong, Ng峄 T霉 岷, th峄� hai l脿 b锚n ngo脿i, th峄� 3 l脿 m岷 m岷h gh茅p to nh峄� l岷玭 l峄檔 kh么ng li锚n-quan-m岷 膽岷縩 nhau b峄� c岷痶 gh茅p pha tr峄檔 膽峄� ki峄僽 t峄� nh峄痭g th峄� 膽芒u 膽芒u m脿 m矛nh ch岷硁g bi岷縯 l脿 c谩i kh峄� g矛.C贸 ngh末a l脿 khi m矛nh v峄玜 m峄沬 h矛nh dung ra h矛nh 岷h c峄 m峄檛 chi ti岷縯 t铆 x铆u, khi m脿 m矛nh 膽ang d岷 th铆ch nghi v峄沬 kh么ng kh铆 峄� th峄� n脿y th矛 t谩c gi岷� l岷 l么i tu峄檛 m矛nh sang th峄� kh谩c ngay-l岷璸-t峄ヽ, m峄檛 s峄� tr瓢峄漬g h峄 c貌n ch瓢a k峄媝 th铆ch nghi m脿 膽茫 b峄� g峄峣 h峄搉 r峄搃=.=.L脿m m矛nh c岷 th岷 nh峄媝 truy峄噉 n贸i nhanh c农ng ch岷硁g ph岷 m脿 n贸i l脿 ch岷璵 c脿ng kh么ng r岷 kh贸 ch峄媢.Th峄� hai, c谩ch mi锚u t岷� r岷 "h峄漣 h峄"(?!)(do tr铆 t瓢峄焠g t瓢峄g m矛nh k茅m) n锚n t岷 c岷� nh峄痭g g矛 m矛nh bi岷縯 v峄� b锚n trong ch峄� l脿 c谩i b谩nh xe(wft?!) c贸 r膬ng c瓢a=))B锚n ngo脿i th矛 l脿 th岷� gi峄沬 qu媒 t峄檆 hoa ch膬m-c峄� x茅n-l峄慽 ph岷硁g-c芒y tr峄搉g r岷 chi l脿 sang tr峄峮g, c贸 v脿i kh煤c 膽i qua n啤i ng瓢峄漣 ngh猫o 峄� m矛nh v岷玭 th岷 r岷 chi l脿 sang tr峄峮g=))Xin th峄� l峄梚 cho c谩i suy ngh末 h芒m h岷 v峄玜 r峄搃 c峄 m矛nh=)))Ok.T铆nh c谩ch nh芒n v岷璽 th矛 kh么ng nh岷 qu谩n(v芒ng, c岷璾 Finn 膽岷筽 trai h啤i l霉n t峄� ti 膽芒y 岷�), c贸 th峄� 膽峄� cho vi峄嘽 ch岷� 岷 b峄� x贸a tr铆 nh峄�, nh瓢ng t岷 sao l岷 h矛nh th脿nh m峄檛 nh芒n v岷璽 v峄玜 n贸i kh么ng bi岷縯 l峄漣 n脿o l脿 th岷璽 l峄漣 n脿o l脿 gi岷�,t峄� ti,mu mu峄檌 l岷 v峄玜 膽i峄乵 t末nh, bi岷縯 hi sinh b岷 th芒n v矛 ng瓢峄漣 kh谩c, c贸 kh铆 ch岷 nh脿 vua ch峄�?Kh么ng ph岷 hai v岷� gi峄痑 ch峄� "l岷" t峄搉 t岷 c霉ng l煤c 膽芒u, m脿 l脿 c谩ch nhau t岷 v脿i ch峄 trang gi岷 膽岷 岷�!脭ng n脿y ch岷痗 ch岷痭 kh么ng b峄� 膽a nh芒n c谩ch 膽芒u tin m矛nh 膽i=))Claudia th矛 膽煤ng ki峄僽 m矛nh th铆ch(trong t岷璸 n脿y), Ja th矛 v峄玜 m峄沬 bi岷縯 m峄檛 amazing fact v峄� 峄昻g(v峄玜 m峄沬 th峄昳 n岷縩 sinh nh岷璽 l岷 th峄� 30 c谩ch 膽芒y kh么ng l芒u),v岷瓂 m脿 mi锚u t岷� trong truy峄噉 v峄� 峄昻g nh瓢 ki峄僽 80-90 tu峄昳 g矛 膽贸=))Wow=))Th么i ch锚 n岷 nh芒n v岷璽 th么i kh么ng l岷 膬n g岷h b岷 sao nh芒n v岷璽 n脿o c农ng gh茅t.Th峄� ba, t谩c gi岷� tham lam nh峄搃 qu谩 nhi峄乽 n煤t th岷痶 xong h矛nh nh瓢 v矛 nh谩c n锚n kh么ng ch峄媢 th谩o ra?N锚u s啤 s啤 th矛 ch岷痗 t谩c gi岷� vi岷縯 th锚m cu峄憂 th峄� ba ch岷痗 c农ng kh么ng g峄� xong 膽芒u=))[-Sapphique l脿 ai?t岷 sao 么ng ta l岷 mu峄憂 ch岷 tr峄憂, t岷 sao l岷 l脿 峄昻g m脿 kh么ng ph岷 ng瓢峄漣 kh谩c, 峄昻g c贸 g矛 膽岷穋 bi峄噒?-Rix v脿 qu谩 kh峄� c峄 么ng ta?gi岷 th铆ch cho nh峄痭g h脿nh 膽峄檔g 峄� hi峄噉 t岷?-T岷 sao ph岷 l岷璸 ra nghi th峄ヽ?b脿 n峄� ho脿ng 膽岷 v脿 qu谩 kh峄� c峄 b脿 ta?th峄漣 k矛 th峄媙h n峄� c谩i g矛 g矛 膽岷 l脿 c谩i g矛?-T岷 sao ph岷 t岷 ra incarceron?m峄 膽铆ch g矛?-T岷 sao ng峄 t霉 l岷 c贸 th峄� nh瓢 th岷�?n贸 l脿 g矛?(nh瓢 vi峄嘽 n贸 b峄� 膽i锚n ch岷硁g h岷?)-m岷 c谩i 么ng ch煤a c么ng 峄� m岷 m岷h c岷痶 gh茅p gi峄痑 c谩c ch瓢啤ng l脿 ai?c芒u h峄廼 t瓢啤ng t峄� v峄沬 vua Endor v脿 m峄檛 s峄� c谩c nh芒n v岷璽 kh谩c?-Ngu峄搉 g峄慶 h矛nh th脿nh nh贸m S贸i th茅p?-么i t么i ng岷 g玫 qu谩 t岷 d峄玭g 峄� 膽芒y v岷瓂=.=]K峄� m脿 膽瓢a c谩i c峄憈 truy峄噉 n脿y cho m峄檛 t谩c gi岷� kh谩c kh茅o l岷 c贸 rating c峄 m矛nh 5*=))Hai tr膬m trang cu峄慽 c霉ng 峄� cu峄憂 n脿y ch岷硁g gi岷 quy岷縯 th锚m 膽瓢峄 c谩i g矛...Haiz, ti岷縞 cho m峄檛 c峄憈 truy峄噉 th煤 v峄�...
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