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Incarceron #2
Sapphique
The only one who escaped... and the one who could destroy them all.
Incarceron, the living prison, has lost one of its inmates to the outside world: Finn's escaped, only to find that Outside is not at all what he expected. Used to the technologically advanced, if violently harsh, conditions of the prison, Finn is now forced to obey the rules of Protocol, which require all people to live without technology. To Finn, Outside is just a prison of another kind, especially when Claudia, the daughter of the prison's warden, declares Finn the lost heir to the throne. When another claimant emerges, both Finn's and Claudia's very lives hang on Finn convincing the Court of something that even he doesn't fully believe.
Meanwhile, Finn's oathbrother Keiro and his friend Attia are still trapped inside Incarceron. They are searching for a magical glove, which legend says Sapphique used to escape. To find it, they must battle the prison itself, because Incarceron wants the glove too.
Incarceron, the living prison, has lost one of its inmates to the outside world: Finn's escaped, only to find that Outside is not at all what he expected. Used to the technologically advanced, if violently harsh, conditions of the prison, Finn is now forced to obey the rules of Protocol, which require all people to live without technology. To Finn, Outside is just a prison of another kind, especially when Claudia, the daughter of the prison's warden, declares Finn the lost heir to the throne. When another claimant emerges, both Finn's and Claudia's very lives hang on Finn convincing the Court of something that even he doesn't fully believe.
Meanwhile, Finn's oathbrother Keiro and his friend Attia are still trapped inside Incarceron. They are searching for a magical glove, which legend says Sapphique used to escape. To find it, they must battle the prison itself, because Incarceron wants the glove too.
470 pages, Paperback
First published September 18, 2008
423 people are currently reading
13747 people want to read
About the author
Catherine Fisher
65 books1,606 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 1,953 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 Incarceron, 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 Incarceron, 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’t have to spend so much time figuring everything out. The pacing was pretty good, but the last 100 pages really, REALLY dragged…and it got to the point where I came dangerously close to not caring anymore…that’s not usually a good sign.
And yet…
I don’t want to make it sound like I didn’t like the book, because I did…but Catherine Fisher is not the greatest author on the planet, and her writing style actually aggravated me. You know the phrase “show, don’t tell”? Well, she pretty much tells how characters feel/act, she doesn’t show. Characterization is definitely not her strong suit in this series – everybody was pretty wooden and it was hard for me to relate to them because they didn’t 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’t really like Keiro, either, because to me he seems like the embodiment of Evil: he’s an individual with pretty much no conscience – he doesn’t 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’ll admit it: I like it when characters “get their comeuppance” and he didn’t get any comeuppance!
Also, the ending…very mediocre and a bit bizarre. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending just really didn’t 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’s “ta da! We’re finished now! The end!” I think the first thing I said when I finished Sapphique was, “ohhhkay…I’m hungry.”
Let’s compare that to another book…oh, say…The Last Olympian. I finished that book and was like, “OMG!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO READ NOW?!?!?!” *hyperventilates*
It was a pretty engrossing read, most of the way through. Catherine’s exceptionally imaginative, and the Incarceron series is one of the most thoroughly original books I’ve ever read in my life. However, her books aren’t the best books I’ve ever read. Strengths: creativity and action. Weaknesses: very wooden and shallow characters and a spiraling last 100 pages…and 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’t have to spend so much time figuring everything out. The pacing was pretty good, but the last 100 pages really, REALLY dragged…and it got to the point where I came dangerously close to not caring anymore…that’s not usually a good sign.
And yet…
I don’t want to make it sound like I didn’t like the book, because I did…but Catherine Fisher is not the greatest author on the planet, and her writing style actually aggravated me. You know the phrase “show, don’t tell”? Well, she pretty much tells how characters feel/act, she doesn’t show. Characterization is definitely not her strong suit in this series – everybody was pretty wooden and it was hard for me to relate to them because they didn’t 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’t really like Keiro, either, because to me he seems like the embodiment of Evil: he’s an individual with pretty much no conscience – he doesn’t 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’ll admit it: I like it when characters “get their comeuppance” and he didn’t get any comeuppance!
Also, the ending…very mediocre and a bit bizarre. I don’t want to spoil anything, but the ending just really didn’t 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’s “ta da! We’re finished now! The end!” I think the first thing I said when I finished Sapphique was, “ohhhkay…I’m hungry.”
Let’s compare that to another book…oh, say…The Last Olympian. I finished that book and was like, “OMG!!! WHAT AM I GOING TO READ NOW?!?!?!” *hyperventilates*
It was a pretty engrossing read, most of the way through. Catherine’s exceptionally imaginative, and the Incarceron series is one of the most thoroughly original books I’ve ever read in my life. However, her books aren’t the best books I’ve ever read. Strengths: creativity and action. Weaknesses: very wooden and shallow characters and a spiraling last 100 pages…and a lackluster ending.
February 2, 2011
I swear that people simply must not get this series (I say “series” hopefully, because for right now it looks like there will only be the two books). I don’t mean that in some kind of pretentious, exclusive way, it’s 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’re met? Do people just not want to do any real thinking?
I really need to stop sounding like a douche.
“It’s YA, Jessica, get off your high horse!” you might say. “But a good story is a good story! Beautiful, creative prose is beautiful, creative prose!” I’d 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’re 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’t 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: “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?”
Oh, another: “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.”
2)I’ve never seen modern lore done so well. Chapters open with historical anecdotes of the prison universe (a poem, fable, etc.). It’s masterful to see it all play out and everything work and come together in the end (ok, not everything—dang loose ends—but enough). I’ve 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’t 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’re supposed to be British.
B) Just, no.
C) You know they’re going to try and add in some BS romance.
Random: When I was reading this book last year, I’d 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’d 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…
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
Değişik ve yaratıcı bir seriydi yalnız sonu beni çok tatmin etmedi ondan 4 verdim...bilimkurgu ağırlıklı distopik bir kitap ,azcik fantastik öğeler de var biraz saray entrikaları da...eğer bilimkurgu ve distopya sevmiyorsanız okumayın derim ama seviyorsanız okuyun(sonu konusunda beklentiyi düşürün ama) ayrıca aşkın a'sı bile yok (bence bu kitap icin aşka gerek yok zaten) okuyacaksanız aşk beklemeyin yani😉seri bitti ama hala cevapsız sorular var,sanki yazar daha uzun tasarlamış fakat sonra burda bitireyim uzatmaya gerek yok demiş gibi...son sayfada kızımızın "ama gerçekten o mu?" Diye sorunca Müdür'ün "Ne önemi var?"böyle kabul et işte demesi ,yazarın okuyucuya böyle kabul edin işte boşverin soruları demesi bence😉
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 soufflé. 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 soufflé. 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 Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
Note: The rest of this review has been withdrawn due to the changes in Goodreads policy and enforcement. You can read why I came to this decision here.
In the meantime, you can read the entire review at Smorgasbook
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
Anlatıma, hayal gücüne, verdiği duygulara laf edemem. Finalde beni şaşırtıp epey yükseltti. Sonundan da memnunum, artık bizim hayal gücümüze bıraktı sonrasında olacakları ama yeterli bir final.
SPOILER
Kafama takılan ve kurguyla ilgili epey önemi olduğunu düşündüğüm şey şu: Eğer her şey sadece görsel olarak düzenlenmişse, bütün dünya sadece görsel bir yalandan ibaretse bu insanlar nasıl yaşadı?
Yani düşünün, çok berbat, yıkıntı bir ev teknoloji kullanılarak saray gibi gösteriliyor ama sonuçta içten içe o ev yıkılıyor. Görsel olarak nasıl görünürse görünsün, değil mi?
SPOILER
Kafama takılan ve kurguyla ilgili epey önemi olduğunu düşündüğüm şey şu: Eğer her şey sadece görsel olarak düzenlenmişse, bütün dünya sadece görsel bir yalandan ibaretse bu insanlar nasıl yaşadı?
Yani düşünün, çok berbat, yıkıntı bir ev teknoloji kullanılarak saray gibi gösteriliyor ama sonuçta içten içe o ev yıkılıyor. Görsel olarak nasıl görünürse görünsün, değil mi?
March 24, 2016
Το δεύτερο μέρος μου άρεσε κ αυτό πάρα πολύ. Δεν μου θυμίζει κανένα βιβλίο που έχω διαβάσει έως τώρα. Δεν έχει love story, οι ήρωες με εξαίρεση δύο, δεν έχουν αγνές προθέσεις, κάνουν υπολογιστικές κινήσεις, γίνονται αντιπαθείς και ξέρουν να επιβιώνουν, και ναι αυτό είναι ένα από τα στοιχεία που μου αρέσουν σε αυτό το βιβλίο, γιατί το κάνει να ξεχωρίζει. Επίσης η ιστορία είναι απίστευτα πρωτότυπη, μια φυλακισμένη φυλακή που θέλει να ελευθερωθεί και ένας κόσμος έξω από αυτήν που ψάχνει και ο ίδιος διέξοδο. Στο βιβλίο γίνονται πολλά, μια απίστευτα περίπλοκη πλοκή, με πολλά μυστήρια, που με έκανε να αναρωτιέμαι «πως θα τα καλύψει η συγγραφέας όλα αυτά που γράφει; Πως θα τα εξηγήσει;» Η αλήθεια είναι ότι στο τέλος πολλά δεν τα εξήγησε, κ σε πολλά με μπέρδεψε. Όμως αυτό με χάλασε απλώς λίγο,γιατί με γέμισε τόσο πολύ η ατμόσφαιρα, με κέρδισε τόσο πολύ η γρήγορη πλοκή και το μυστήριο, που έκλεισα το βιβλίο πολύ ευχαριστημένη από την ανάγνωση του.
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
August 19, 2017
Не завиждам на хората, които са прочели „Инкарсерон” на Катрин Фищър (изд. „Хермес”) и след това са чакали с месеци продължението й „Сапфик”. Напрежението сигурно ги е гризало доста. Аз, за моя голяма радост, имам шанса да разтворя втората книга веднага след като съм приключил първата. „Инкарсерон” успя да ми спре дъха, и сега поемам глътка въздух и се потапям в „Сапфик”. Прочетете ревюто на "Книжни Криле":
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
https://knijnikrile.wordpress.com/201...
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.
June 13, 2025
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, Goodreads 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, Goodreads. 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:
“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. And then it was pure and blue and as empty as the sky she had seen Outside…”
Okay, so I tried to find little snatches of brilliance sprinkled throughout, but ended up just sitting here reading, totally engrossed. So I’m skipping ahead a bit and giving you this excerpt, because it’s masterful and incredible and it doesn’t really give anything away. (But skip it if you’re the paranoid type who doesn’t read the back cover blurbs for fear of knowing something too soon.)
“Attia 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—dense springy clouds that tumbled her from one to another—and somewhere there was laughter that might have been Keiro’s and might have been the Prison’s, as if she couldn’t 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.”
And no spoilers in this…just splendidness:
“The 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…When 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.”
Okay, on to the CHARACTERS.
I’m not going to pretend that I don’t have favorites.
Keiro and Jared, most of all. Oddly enough, probably the two polar opposites of this book duet. I’ve seen reviews praising Jared and condemning Kerio, and wishing that Jared had ended up “with” Claudia and Keiro had “grown more as a character.” And I just want to say to those reviewers…Did you even read the same book I did?
I’m assuming if you’re reading this, then you’ve 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 — 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’s not.
Now to Keiro and his “lack” of growth as a character. This is a bit more tricky, because, well…Keiro is Keiro. Again, if you’ve 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’s stated that he grew up in a ragtag group of ruffians where every day was a fight to survive — 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 — the hardened thief with a soft side — but that, plain and simple, isn’t Keiro. And he would have hated it.
And that’s why I love him.
Keiro is atypical, as far from the normal “likable” 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…Keiro changes. It’s written in the small things. An action here, a word there, and if you catch them it’s clear what his feelings are, in some respects. And in others, well…I like to think Keiro would prefer to keep them mysteries.
Finn is a different matter. He’s not one of my favorite characters, and I don’t even particularly like him. But I’d be mad if he were any different. Anyone with his circumstances would have full rights to act the way he did — sullen, withdrawn, moody — and they most likely would. The story wouldn’t have been believable if he’d…what? Tried to sweep Claudia off her feet? Ran grinning into the splendor of the Realm, forgetting his Oathbrother’s still trapped in a hell? That’s 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’s not forget Attia. Loyal, hardworking, caring, and in love with Finn. She’s 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’t say that in a bad way. I think she’ll find her place. I think she’ll be happy…and I think I know who she’ll be happy with, but you’re free to draw your own conclusions there.
As for Rix, The Warden, Sapphique…I’m still unsure about them. I’ll let my mind mull it over, and maybe post an update once I’ve 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’m especially partial to Catherine Fisher’s world-building skills, but all of the above is true.
Not denying that I’m totally still reeling, and spinning, and hopelessly uncertain about lots and lots of things. But it’s not making me mad, it’s just making me think. And I LOVE books that make me think.
I’m not an instant gratification reader…I don’t read fluff, I don’t want simplicity in stories. And there’s certainly none of that here.
SAPPHIQUE’s 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 — 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’s 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…Outside isn’t.
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, Goodreads 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, Goodreads. 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:
“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. And then it was pure and blue and as empty as the sky she had seen Outside…”
Okay, so I tried to find little snatches of brilliance sprinkled throughout, but ended up just sitting here reading, totally engrossed. So I’m skipping ahead a bit and giving you this excerpt, because it’s masterful and incredible and it doesn’t really give anything away. (But skip it if you’re the paranoid type who doesn’t read the back cover blurbs for fear of knowing something too soon.)
“Attia 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—dense springy clouds that tumbled her from one to another—and somewhere there was laughter that might have been Keiro’s and might have been the Prison’s, as if she couldn’t 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.”
And no spoilers in this…just splendidness:
“The 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…When 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.”
Okay, on to the CHARACTERS.
I’m not going to pretend that I don’t have favorites.
Keiro and Jared, most of all. Oddly enough, probably the two polar opposites of this book duet. I’ve seen reviews praising Jared and condemning Kerio, and wishing that Jared had ended up “with” Claudia and Keiro had “grown more as a character.” And I just want to say to those reviewers…Did you even read the same book I did?
I’m assuming if you’re reading this, then you’ve 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 — 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’s not.
Now to Keiro and his “lack” of growth as a character. This is a bit more tricky, because, well…Keiro is Keiro. Again, if you’ve 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’s stated that he grew up in a ragtag group of ruffians where every day was a fight to survive — 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 — the hardened thief with a soft side — but that, plain and simple, isn’t Keiro. And he would have hated it.
And that’s why I love him.
Keiro is atypical, as far from the normal “likable” 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…Keiro changes. It’s written in the small things. An action here, a word there, and if you catch them it’s clear what his feelings are, in some respects. And in others, well…I like to think Keiro would prefer to keep them mysteries.
Finn is a different matter. He’s not one of my favorite characters, and I don’t even particularly like him. But I’d be mad if he were any different. Anyone with his circumstances would have full rights to act the way he did — sullen, withdrawn, moody — and they most likely would. The story wouldn’t have been believable if he’d…what? Tried to sweep Claudia off her feet? Ran grinning into the splendor of the Realm, forgetting his Oathbrother’s still trapped in a hell? That’s 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’s not forget Attia. Loyal, hardworking, caring, and in love with Finn. She’s 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’t say that in a bad way. I think she’ll find her place. I think she’ll be happy…and I think I know who she’ll be happy with, but you’re free to draw your own conclusions there.
As for Rix, The Warden, Sapphique…I’m still unsure about them. I’ll let my mind mull it over, and maybe post an update once I’ve 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’m especially partial to Catherine Fisher’s world-building skills, but all of the above is true.
Not denying that I’m totally still reeling, and spinning, and hopelessly uncertain about lots and lots of things. But it’s not making me mad, it’s just making me think. And I LOVE books that make me think.
I’m not an instant gratification reader…I don’t read fluff, I don’t want simplicity in stories. And there’s certainly none of that here.
SAPPHIQUE’s 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 — 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’s 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…Outside isn’t.
May 28, 2017
Hm...Khi đọc xong cuốn này chỉ muốn đập bộp một phát cho hả giận.Tiếc tiền quá mà, với 140k cho Incarceron và 145k cho Sapphique thì những gì mình nhận được không hề xứng đáng tẹo nào.Thế nên sau khi vừa đọc xong, tức là cách đây vài tiếng ấy, mình đã dặn lòng là thôi, đợi cho bình tĩnh lại đã rồi viết sau=))Nói cho đến sáng mai cũng chưa chắc đã hết những điều mình không ưng ở cuốn này.Thứ nhất, mình rất ghét cách đan xen 3 thứ cùng một lúc.3 thứ ở đây là gì?Đầu tiên là bên trong, Ngục Tù ấy, thứ hai là bên ngoài, thứ 3 là mấy mảnh ghép to nhỏ lẫn lộn không liên-quan-mấy đến nhau bị cắt ghép pha trộn đủ kiểu từ những thứ đâu đâu mà mình chẳng biết là cái khỉ gì.Có nghĩa là khi mình vừa mới hình dung ra hình ảnh của một chi tiết tí xíu, khi mà mình đang dần thích nghi với không khí ở thứ này thì tác giả lại lôi tuột mình sang thứ khác ngay-lập-tức, một số trường hợp còn chưa kịp thích nghi mà đã bị gọi hồn rồi=.=.Làm mình cảm thấy nhịp truyện nói nhanh cũng chẳng phải mà nói là chậm càng không rất khó chịu.Thứ hai, cách miêu tả rất "hời hợt"(?!)(do trí tưởng tượng mình kém) nên tất cả những gì mình biết về bên trong chỉ là cái bánh xe(wft?!) có răng cưa=))Bên ngoài thì là thế giới quý tộc hoa chăm-cỏ xén-lối phẳng-cây trồng rất chi là sang trọng, có vài khúc đi qua nơi người nghèo ở mình vẫn thấy rất chi là sang trọng=))Xin thứ lỗi cho cái suy nghĩ hâm hấp vừa rồi của mình=)))Ok.Tính cách nhân vật thì không nhất quán(vâng, cậu Finn đẹp trai hơi lùn tự ti đây ạ), có thể đổ cho việc chế ấy bị xóa trí nhớ, nhưng tại sao lại hình thành một nhân vật vừa nói không biết lời nào là thật lời nào là giả,tự ti,mu muội lại vừa điềm tĩnh, biết hi sinh bản thân vì người khác, có khí chất nhà vua chớ?Không phải hai vế giữa chữ "lại" tồn tại cùng lúc đâu, mà là cách nhau tầm vài chục trang giấy đấy ạ!Ông này chắc chắn không bị đa nhân cách đâu tin mình đi=))Claudia thì đúng kiểu mình thích(trong tập này), Ja thì vừa mới biết một amazing fact về ổng(vừa mới thổi nến sinh nhật lần thứ 30 cách đây không lâu),vậy mà miêu tả trong truyện về ổng như kiểu 80-90 tuổi gì đó=))Wow=))Thôi chê nấy nhân vật thôi không lại ăn gạch bảo sao nhân vật nào cũng ghét.Thứ ba, tác giả tham lam nhồi quá nhiều nút thắt xong hình như vì nhác nên không chịu tháo ra?Nêu sơ sơ thì chắc tác giả viết thêm cuốn thứ ba chắc cũng không gỡ xong đâu=))[-Sapphique là ai?tại sao ông ta lại muốn chạy trốn, tại sao lại là ổng mà không phải người khác, ổng có gì đặc biệt?-Rix và quá khứ của ông ta?giải thích cho những hành động ở hiện tại?-Tại sao phải lập ra nghi thức?bà nữ hoàng đấy và quá khứ của bà ta?thời kì thịnh nộ cái gì gì đấy là cái gì?-Tại sao phải tạo ra incarceron?mục đích gì?-Tại sao ngục tù lại có thể như thế?nó là gì?(như việc nó bị điên chẳng hạn?)-mấy cái ông chúa công ở mấy mảnh cắt ghép giữa các chương là ai?câu hỏi tương tự với vua Endor và một số các nhân vật khác?-Nguồn gốc hình thành nhóm Sói thép?-ôi tôi ngại gõ quá tạm dừng ở đây vậy=.=]Kể mà đưa cái cốt truyện này cho một tác giả khác khéo lại có rating của mình 5*=))Hai trăm trang cuối cùng ở cuốn này chẳng giải quyết thêm được cái gì...Haiz, tiếc cho một cốt truyện thú vị...
August 28, 2017
"Dışarı'ya çıkmanın bir yolu var. Sapphique buldu. Anahtar deliği küçüçük, bir atomdan bile küçük. Ve kartal ile kuğu onu korumak için kanatlarını kaldırmışlar."
3,5/5🌟🌟🌟
Serinin ikinci kitabına Finn'in kan kardeşi Keiro'dan ayrılmasıyla ve hak ettiği unvana adım adım yaklaşmasıyla başlıyoruz. Diğer yandan da Claudia'nın Üstat Jared ile İncarceron hakkında araştırmalarını okuyoruz. Bu kitap ilkine göre daha dolu doluydu. Zaten seriden en çok beklediğim şeylerden biri buydu. Ayrıca Attia ve Keiro'nun koşuşturmasında etraflarındaki mekanlar, insanlar ve yaşananlar daha detaylı tasvir edilmişti. Kitabın ortalarına kalmadan sahte bir Giles'ın kendi göstermesiyle Finn'in de tahta o kadar kolay yürüyemeyeceği kanıtlanmış oldu. Bu kitabı aslında ilkine göre bir tık daha beğendim ama yine de ikinci kitap da sonuna doğru beni tatmin edemedi. Olay örgüsündeki gidişat gayet güzeldi, daha heyecanlı ve okumak için daha hevesliydim. Sapphique'nin ortaya çıkması, İncerceron'un aslında ne kadar büyüklükte olduğunu okumamız da artı yanlarından biriydi. Fakat seride genel anlamda amaç edinilen gaye bana yetersiz geliyor. Amaç bence sadece Finn ve Keiro'nun yeniden bir araya gelmesi ve Finn'in tahta geçmesini sağlamaya ilave olarak hapishanedeki herkesin refaha kavuşması olmalıydı. Diğer tüm fantastik serilerde okuduğumuz gibi son kitapta daha kesin olaylar yaşanmalıydı. Fantastik konusu benim için çok güçlü değilken bir de romantizmden de muzdarip olması en büyük eksi yönüydü. Yine de severek okuduğum bir seri oldu. Ortalamanın bir tık üstü bulsam bile keyif alarak okudum. İlk kitabın yorumunda da belirttiğim gibi bu türde çok fazla okumadıysanız önerebileceğim bir seri kendisi. Benim gibi çok okuduysanız büyük bir beğeniyle sarılamayacağınızı söyleyebilirim. Keyifli okumalar dilerim..
3,5/5🌟🌟🌟
Serinin ikinci kitabına Finn'in kan kardeşi Keiro'dan ayrılmasıyla ve hak ettiği unvana adım adım yaklaşmasıyla başlıyoruz. Diğer yandan da Claudia'nın Üstat Jared ile İncarceron hakkında araştırmalarını okuyoruz. Bu kitap ilkine göre daha dolu doluydu. Zaten seriden en çok beklediğim şeylerden biri buydu. Ayrıca Attia ve Keiro'nun koşuşturmasında etraflarındaki mekanlar, insanlar ve yaşananlar daha detaylı tasvir edilmişti. Kitabın ortalarına kalmadan sahte bir Giles'ın kendi göstermesiyle Finn'in de tahta o kadar kolay yürüyemeyeceği kanıtlanmış oldu. Bu kitabı aslında ilkine göre bir tık daha beğendim ama yine de ikinci kitap da sonuna doğru beni tatmin edemedi. Olay örgüsündeki gidişat gayet güzeldi, daha heyecanlı ve okumak için daha hevesliydim. Sapphique'nin ortaya çıkması, İncerceron'un aslında ne kadar büyüklükte olduğunu okumamız da artı yanlarından biriydi. Fakat seride genel anlamda amaç edinilen gaye bana yetersiz geliyor. Amaç bence sadece Finn ve Keiro'nun yeniden bir araya gelmesi ve Finn'in tahta geçmesini sağlamaya ilave olarak hapishanedeki herkesin refaha kavuşması olmalıydı. Diğer tüm fantastik serilerde okuduğumuz gibi son kitapta daha kesin olaylar yaşanmalıydı. Fantastik konusu benim için çok güçlü değilken bir de romantizmden de muzdarip olması en büyük eksi yönüydü. Yine de severek okuduğum bir seri oldu. Ortalamanın bir tık üstü bulsam bile keyif alarak okudum. İlk kitabın yorumunda da belirttiğim gibi bu türde çok fazla okumadıysanız önerebileceğim bir seri kendisi. Benim gibi çok okuduysanız büyük bir beğeniyle sarılamayacağınızı söyleyebilirim. Keyifli okumalar dilerim..
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