ABANDONED. Fantasy About a boy who is imprisoned and needs to complete challaneg course to win freedom. to accomplish this he gets prisoners to work together insdead of against each other.

[Nathan]

Find fiction / fantasy book that I read in the 2005 thru 2006 time frame

Plot: Similar plot to Count of Monte Cristo or Airman


Basically the book is about a boy who is imprisoned (I believe he was falsely accused of something or was a princes and needed to be sent someone where he wouldn't be seen again). The inmates of this prison go through a course /challenge where the prize for completion is freedom. the first part of the course / challenge is contaminated water and the last is a burning tower where you zip line to the finish. All or at least all able bodied prisoners start the course / challenge at the same the time. Many die as a result of the obstacles or from other prisoners trying to beat you to freedom. The main character determines that the only way to win is to get everyone to work together and rotate who they work to have win (only one winner per game). The main character has a mentor who has been in the prison a while and if I remeber correctly the rich spectators are allowed to help / sponsor prisoners in some fashion.


Spoilers:







The first time the main character does the course / challenge another prisoner forces his head underwater until he swallows the contaminated water. He is very ill for days after that.

The first time he gets a group of people to work together a prisoner with a bad leg descides he should win first and dies climbing the burning tower at the end of the cousre / challenge.

The mentor is sleeping with some rich woman who I plays a roll in sponsoring or helping the main character.

[Kris]

A long shot - Lockdown by Alexander Gordon Smith?

[Kris]

No response, moving to Abandoned folder.

Nathan (OP) was last active on the site in September 2019.