Finn has escaped from the terrible living Prison of Incarceron, but its memory torments him, because his brother Keiro is still inside. Outside, Claudia insists he must be king, but Finn doubts even his own identity. Is he the lost prince Giles? Or are his memories no more than another construct of his imprisonment? And can you be free if your friends are still captive? Can you be free if your world is frozen in time? Can you be free if you don't even know who you are Inside Incarceron, has the crazy sorcerer Rix really found the Glove of Sapphique, the only man the Prison ever loved. Sapphique, whose image fires Incarceron with the desire to escape its own nature. If Keiro steals the glove, will he bring destruction to the world? Inside. Outside. All seeking freedom. Like Sapphique.
Sapphique (Incarceron)
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
Amazon.com Review
Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Catherine Fisher
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
In the dark Prison of Incarceron, the prisoners tell tales of a legendary man – Sapphique, the only inmate ever to escape. There are hundreds of tales of his exploits, but are any of them true? Did he even exist?
Attia and Keiro certainly think so, and when they hear that a crazy magician called Rix is using Sapphique’s lost Glove in his magical act, they’re determined to steal it. Meanwhile, out in the Realm, Finn is not finding being a Prince easy, and he’s tormented by doubts about his own identity.
I wanted to explore all our uncertainties about ourselves in this sequel to Incarceron. Who are we? Can we do the things others expect of us? And can we ever escape ourselves?
Expect the terrors of the Ice wing, a chain-gang, a duel, a masked ball, and the fearful anger of the Prison as it prepares to abandon its inmates to darkness and death forever.
--Catherine Fisher
Amazon Q&A with Catherine Fisher
Q: Why did you choose to write a second novel about Finn, Claudia and the world of Incarceron? Did you originally plan to write the story as a duet, or did the idea from Sapphique grow out of the experience of writing Incarceron?
A: Originally I thought Incarceron would be a stand-alone novel, but as I wrote it and it became more complex I came to realize it would not all fit in one book. So it became two. Sapphique carries on almost from the point the first book ends.
Q: Which of the characters from Sapphique was the most pleasure to write?
A: All the characters were fun to write. There was a new one, Rix, who I enjoyed, and Attia has more prominence in the second book. Finn is struggling with his life in the Court, so that was a new aspect, and his relationship with Claudia changes, as her doubts about him grow. The character who perhaps develops most, is Jared, who really gets to be maybe the most important person by the end. And of course there's Keiro, irrepressible as ever!
Q: What do you think makes Sapphique different than other dystopian novels? Do you even consider Incarceron and Sapphique dystopian books?
A: I suppose the books do take place in a world which is dystopian, but it's not a world where all hope is gone. The very end of Sapphique suggests that. Maybe that makes them a little different, and gives the readers a hint of cheerfulness.
Q: You have written many wonderful fantasy novels. What draws you to fantasy as a genre?
A: I like books that have the unusual in them. I like to be pleasantly puzzled when I read, and to have to work things out. Also I feel that the elements fantasy uses--magic, the supernatural, folk tales etc--serve to widen out the story and give it a universal sense. They make the book a sort of myth, where a recurring pattern is re-enacted.
Q: What do you like best about writing for teens?
A: What I like about writing for teens is that teens are so enthusiastic and positive about what they like. You get a lot of feedback, and people use the novels to make their own artwork and stories from, which is great. Also people of this age group are very open-minded and willing to suspend disbelief, which adults sometimes aren't. So I hope to go on writing for teens!
From School Library Journal
Gr 7 Up–Picking up after the surprising revelations of Incarceron (Dial, 2010), Fisher abruptly returns readers to the dystopian world and its living prison. Still trapped inside, Attia and Keiro are doing whatever they can to survive on their quest to find the Outside. Finn, meanwhile, has escaped and is now preparing to take his place on the Realm's throne. Not completely convinced, Claudia and Jared are attempting to groom Finn to take his place as Prince Giles. Things are almost on track when a Pretender makes a bid for the throne, threatening both Finn's and Claudia's lives. Amid the discordance in the Realm, Incarceron itself hunts for Sapphique's famed glove, an object that may help the prison gain a human body. Now, Attia, Keiro, and the Warden are attempting to keep the glove from Incarceron, while Finn, Jared, and Claudia are trying to hold the Realm together from the Outside. Fisher again crafts a dark, interesting foray into vivid imagery, danger, surprising twists, and intriguing revelations. This story is not quite as strong as Incarceron, but return readers will nonetheless enjoy it; new readers should, however, be steered back to the first volume. Readers will be left breathless hoping for another installment to explore the repercussions brought on by everything that happens in Sapphique's final chapters.–Jessica Miller, New Britain Public Library, CT. (c) Copyright 2010. Library Journals LLC, a wholly owned subsidiary of Media Source, Inc. No redistribution permitted.
--This text refers to the
Hardcover
edition.
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More About the Author
Catherine Fisher is the New York Times best-selling author of Sapphique and Incarceron. She is "one of today's best fantasy writers," according to the London Independent. An acclaimed novelist and poet, she has written many fantasy books for young people, including The Oracle Prophecy series.
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Most Helpful Customer Reviews
51 of 54 people found the following review helpful:
4.0 out of 5 stars
Sapphique satisfies,
By
This review is from: Sapphique (Paperback)
Sapphique is the second volume of a (presumably) 2-book series that began with "Incarcereron". Both are the first books I've read by British author Catherine Fisher, apparently well known as an author of YA fiction. Whatever. I'm not too proud to admit that I liked both very much (despite my 56 years) so make of that what you will.
I don't want any unnecessary spoilers here, but be warned: - if you have not read Incarceron (which is almost obligatory before starting Sapphique) do so or you will be lost, and possibly suffer some (not fatal) mini-spoilers (of Incarceron) in this review. This is a fairy tale, fit for young and old, that blends good old fashioned SF with fantasy and coming of age motifs. As the story begins (right after Incarceron ends), our hero Finn, has escaped the all-encompassing, break-proof and sapient, prison world, Incarceron, with the help of Claudia, who is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. Claudia believes Finn is her long lost betrothed Prince, captured and imprisoned in Incarceron 10 years ago, who is destined to rule the "realm" (the outside world) as King by her side as Queen. Where and what Incarceron actually is, is more or less explained in the first book, but no matter. In "Sapphique" we have a wicked Queen stepmother (more or less) who is scheming to deny Claudia and Finn any chance of happiness, let alone control of the realm. The realm is odd. Everyone is stuck, by virtue of a centuries old "Protocol" in some ersatz 18th century English-type world. Violations of protocol are strictly prohibited (e.g., if you have gangrene there is no chance of antibiotics even though they were invented many centuries ago so you die), and the upper class lives a life of croquet and magnificent costume balls while everyone else lives in squalor. To say more would to be to give too much away. Suffice it to say that Finn does not remember much of his pre-Incarceron days, while the Queen has conveniently had a "pretender" to the throne appear who seems to be, by all reasonable standards, everything that Finn is not, i.e., the real deal. ---' There is excitement, adventure and some surprises (but not too many, this is YA after all), and the writing is crisp and fast paced. Everything resolves by the end satisfactorily and this could be the end of the story (and likely is), but.... there is plenty left unexplained and more than sufficient room for a third in the series. I have no idea why these books, published in the UK 2-5 years ago, have taken so long to cross the Atlantic. They are wonderfully enjoyable for children (9 and up) of all ages. J.M. Tepper---
20 of 22 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Good - but not completely satisfying,
Amazon Verified Purchase(What's this?)
This review is from: Sapphique (Kindle Edition)
After really enjoying Incarceron, I jumped immediately into Sapphique. I hate to say this, but it didn't quite work for me.
First of all, let me say what I really enjoyed about the book. I loved the plot twists and how Incarceron's power affects the Realm. The switch in narration between the characters in the Realm and the characters in Incarceron kept things interesting. Fisher teases her readers with hints of the answers to the mysteries of who Sapphique really was and whether Finn is actually Giles. My main complaint is that she never fully answers those questions. Maybe I missed something, but I finished the book feeling frustrated that the hints never coalesced into a full story. While I liked the way the main plot line wrapped up, the lack of explanation of other pieces made this book only worth 3 stars to me. If it hadn't been for these unresolved issues, I would've given it at least 4 stars. If you liked Incarceron, you'll want to read Sapphique to see what happens with Claudia, Finn, and the others, but be prepared that not all questions are going to be answered. Fisher's writing style is still entertaining, and the characters are still intriguing. However, it just wasn't completely satisfying.
15 of 17 people found the following review helpful:
3.0 out of 5 stars
Confusing can be fun...or frustrating,
By
This review is from: Sapphique (Incarceron) (Hardcover)
For me, reading Catherine Fisher's Sapphique (sequel to Incarceron, which was a London Times as the Best Children's Book of the Year) had moments that left me dizzy--in a good way-- and others that made me confused and frustrated, looking for answers that weren't there. Considering this is a book with parallel settings in a sentient, evil Prison that wants to build a body and escape itself (!) and a technologically advanced future society that exists in an artificially created and unchanging courtly world of the past, it stands to reason the book is more complicated than the average YA novel.
To sum up what's going on: Finn is on the Outside, but isn't fitting into the fine-leather boots of his pre-Incaceron life as Prince Giles. Claudia's trying to outmaneuver Finn's evil stepmother, Queen Sia, who is determined to prevent him from becoming King. Claudia's job is made more difficult because her father, the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in his own Prison. Finn is primarily worried about rescuing Keiro (his oathbrother) and Attia (a former slave whom Finn freed in the previous book) from Incarceron and doesn't really care if he is following Protocol or acting out his princely duties. First, the high points: Plots twists galore. I never knew where the author was going with the action, and I loved that. In addition to unexpected events (Example: a second "Giles" showing up to challenge Finn for the throne), there are interesting moments of narrative misdirection in Sapphique, like when the book begins with Attia being chosen at random to participate in a magician's show. The description is from Attia's perspective, and there's no hint from what we're shown of her thoughts and reactions that she's in on the game as the magician's "plant" in the audience until after the show is over. (This was, for me, a nice call back to the opening scene of Incarceron, where we see Finn chained to a track as the narration describes his fear and panic. Only in the next scene do we find out he was willingly acting as bait to lure a passing wagon into stopping so his gang could rob them.) Fisher has as many tricks to keep readers off balance as her wonderfully crazy-like-a-fox/just plain crazy illusionist, Rix. I enjoyed the way I wondered whose side many of the characters were truly on, and questioned the motives of almost everyone at least once. For me, that's a good confusion. Also, Fisher's descriptive language is wonderful. Setting and scenery aren't filler in her books. If she tells you what a place looks like, particularly inside the Prison, there's a reason. While Attia and Keiro were traveling, the different landscapes they struggled through helped add to the sense of fear, cold, loneliness, despair, or horror. And did I mention Fisher does creepy really well, too? Two words: living puppet. *shudder* That said, I wish the characters had been more likeable sometimes. I understand why they behave and think as they do, I get their motivations, but I wanted people I could warm up to and root for a bit more. I liked that Finn didn't let the prison take his humanity, and he shows mercy and kindness even when it looks as though it won't benefit him. I also enjoyed the character of Jared, because he was loyal and self-sacrificing, and Attia was smart and strong. But I was hoping for a lot more growth from Claudia, more signs of caring and compassion maybe. However, Keiro still bothers me. Wasn't he the one who caused the Maestra to die in the last book? I can't get over that. And the Warden troubles me, because even though he says he will work to improve the Prison at the end of the book, he never tells Claudia what he knows about Finn/Giles' history. That was very unsatisfying to me, particularly because there were hints here and there in both books that he might have had something to do with the boy's imprisonment. I was also frustrated that we never learn who Sapphique was originally, and what happened to him. Was he even real? I think the point was that people need something to believe in, and whether that something is real or not matters less than what they do with the faith they have in it. But I didn't want philosophy...I wanted clear answers! And I don't understand the Magick (or as Rix would say, "the Art Magicke") that allowed Jared to become the new Sapphique by putting on the glove. I like to understand the basic premise of how magic functions in a story. I found myself wondering how and why things happened a lot in this book, and at times there wasn't a satisfying explanation. Like how and why did a wooden music box serve as a communication portal to the Outside? Did I miss some hint beforehand that objects besides the Keys and the Portal could link the two worlds? Sapphique isn't a book that leaves readers with a warm, fuzzy feeling. There won't be an "all was well" moment when you finish it. Some people will enjoy that bittersweet feeling and the few remaining unresolved, ambiguous points. Personally, I prefer my packages to be tied up with neater bows. ' Overall, I found both Incaceron and Sapphique enjoyable, partly because they're so different than most YA books out there. The settings and plot were wildly creative, and the two converging storylines of the Outside and the Prison kept my interest. But if there were another book to follow (at this time, Sapphique is the end of the story and no further books in the series are planned), I don't think I'd read it. As a whole, I just wasn't that emotionally invested in the characters. For me, that means Sapphique was a good book, but not a great one.
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