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Product Description
Review
'One of this year's most striking fantasy novels' -- Amanda Craig, The Times 'A far-future thriller combines riveting adventure and masterful world-building with profound undertones. ... Like the finest chocolate, a rich confection of darkness, subtlety and depth, bittersweet and absolutely satisfying.' -- Kirkus 'a tour de force' -- School Library Journal '... imaginatively drawn and vividly described. ... an exciting adventure story.' -- School Librarian '... stands out above all others ... It's imaginative scale and gobsmacking finale make it one of the best fantasy novels written for a long time.' -- Times, Amanda Craig 'a deliciously dark and scary ride.' -- Nicholas Tucker, The Independent 'one of today's best fantasy writers ... a deliciously dark and scary ride.' -- Independent '... imaginative, rich in texture and vividly realised. Catherine Fisher writes with consummate skill and depth of feeling.' -- The Bookseller 'a smart, complex, engrossing and emotionally involving read.' -- Bookshelves of Doom 'a deep and sophisticated adventure story' -- Write Away '... a riveting book that keeps you turning pages. There are plenty of plot twists, mysteries, excitement, and secrets to hold your attention from the beginning to the very end. Even things that seem obvious may not be as they seem; there's enough ambiguity to keep you guessing.' -- Wands and Worlds 'This gripping futuristic fantasy has breathless pacing, an intelligent storyline, and superb detail in rendering both of the stagnating environments. ... With some well-timed shocking twists and a killer ending, this is a musthave.' -- Booklist '... brilliantly realized ... reader attention never flags through this elegant, gritty, often surprising novel.' -- The Horn Book magazine 'Complex and inventive, with numerous and rewarding mysteries, this tale is certain to please.' -- Publishers Weekly PRAISE FOR THE ORACLE SEQUENCE:'... a rich, resonant conclusion to the series.' -- Booklist - May 06 'Vivid, complicated, and thoroughly engrossing, this fast paced adventure keeps readers avidly turning pages until the majestic conclusion.' -- Horn Book Review May/June 06 '... an intoxicating world reminiscent of the Arabian Nights. Highly recommended.' -- The Bookseller 'suspense is constantly built ... rattles along at a dizzying pace ... next volume please.' -- School Librarian 'A crisp, quick-moving narrative and fully fleshed out characters will keep readers hooked' -- Publisher's Weekly 'A powerful and very exciting adventure story.' -- School Library Journal '... one of the most skilled and original writers currently working in young adult fantasy' -- New Welsh Review 'Beautifully imagined and realised, this novel of future regression is rich with strong characters, big issues and a compelling plot. It is a barnstorming piece of serious fantasy that doesn't put a foot wrong.' -- The Bookbag 'Catherine Fisher is an artist with words ... An engrossing, intricate story of an extraordinary journey undertaken by richly imaginative characters' -- Carousel '... wholly engaging and rushes along as a breathless and nail-biting pace ... a gripping read that should enthral both young and old fans' -- Buzz Oozed a del Toro flick vibe. -- SFX Magazine 20120501
Book Description
Incarceron - a futuristic prison, sealed from view, where the descendants of the original prisoners live in a dark world torn by rivalry and savagery. It is a terrifying mix of high technology - a living building which pervades the novel as an ever-watchful, ever-vengeful character, and a typical medieval torture chamber - chains, great halls, dungeons. A young prisoner, Finn, has haunting visions of an earlier life, and cannot believe he was born here and has always been here. In the outer world, Claudia, daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, is trapped in her own form of prison - a futuristic world constructed beautifully to look like a past era, an imminent marriage she dreads. She knows nothing of Incarceron, except that it exists. But there comes a moment when Finn, inside Incarceron, and Claudia, outside, simultaneously find a device - a crystal key, through which they can talk to each other. And so the plan for Finn's escape is born ..."I loved the book. It's a crazy, cool, dark world ...it's a great story." -- Taylor Lautner, star of the Twilight movies
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Most helpful customer reviews
1 of 1 people found the following review helpful
4.0 out of 5 stars
A twisting and turning good time.,
This review is from: Incarceron (Paperback)
Last week as I was browsing the book store I came upon Incarceron. I'd seen it a few times before, and had always been attracted to it's gorgeous cover, but upon reading the description decided it just wasn't quite right for me. Boy was I wrong.The book is set in the future, after a period that they call 'The Years of Rage', a war that, according to King Endor's Decree (more on that later), Hollowed the moon and stilled the tides. The King decided that to recover and prevent this from ever hapening again the world should essentially go back in time, to an era where women wear poofy dresses, marriages are arranged, everyone and everything has its place, there is order, and new technology is forbidden. Around the same time as this decree a giant institution called Incarceron is made, where society put all criminals, poor people, and general scum of society. It was meant to be a haven, a paradise, but turned in to just the opposite. We follow Finn a prisoner in Incarceron trying to escape, and Claudia, a prisoner of the real world, trapped in the expectations of society as the betrothed to the prince and the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. The two characters each find a crystal key, and their fates begin to intertwine. I had trouble starting the book, but followed my rule of reading at least four chapters before putting it down, and I'm glad I did. The book really pulls the reader in, creating complex worlds that you can imagine with startling clarity. Before each chapter there is an excerpt of a book or letter, which is where we got the quote from King Endor above. Because of these small touches the two worlds seem almost real, a possible future. There are some pretty complex sub plots within the main plot, which is also alive and writhing in and out of itself. My advice to a reader would be keep your eyes open, because very few details are unimportant. All this being said, there are some areas in which the book left me slightly disappointed. To avoid spoiling the end, which is itself rather bland and predictable, I'll be vague. -There are some twists that you can see from a mile away, but are presented as earth shattering news. -It is unlikely that the means of escape used by these characters would not have been been found previously -Claudias character seems slightly underdeveloped, and seems to devolve through the book. -Questionable use of magic in an otherwise 'Sci-Fi' story These cons are few and far between, but they are there. They should not however be deal breakers. All in all this is an engaging, unique and layered story that comes highly recommended, just be certain to have some time on your hands, because you won't want to put it down! If you enjoyed this book be certain to get Saphique, its sequel.
3 of 4 people found the following review helpful
5.0 out of 5 stars
A few things you should know about 'Incarceron',
This review is from: Incarceron (Hardcover)
While 'Incarceron' has some faint echoes of Mervyn Peake's 'Gormenghast' and William Hope Hodgson's 'The Night Land', for the most part it's highly original.The 'Incarceron' of the title is a living prison with a billion people inside - a prison so vast it encompasses forests, wastelands and labyrinthine cities made of partly organic and partly artificial materials. The prison was created by the 'Sapienti' ('wise ones') using advanced technology, but the world outside has now abandoned this technology due to a devastating war, instead adhering to 'Protocol', which insists that everything stays at the technological level of the 17th century. Only the upper classes can surreptitiously avoid Protocol by possessing electronic devices, but they have to be secretive when doing so. There is a kind of religious cult both in and outside the prison revolving around a legendary character called Sapphique, said to the only person to ever have escaped from the prison's clutches. Nothing is quite what it seems in this book, and the surprises just keep flowing and flowing. Virtually every chapter contains a new revelation that changes your perspective. The book's characters are well-crafted, and linger in your mind afterwards as if you knew them personally. The suspense is masterfully paced, and questions which at first seem unimportant become all-encompassing: Where is the prison actually located? Who was Sapphique, and did he really escape from Incarceron? The final chapters are so intense that it's impossible not to track down the sequel 'Sappique' and find out what happens next.
3.0 out of 5 stars
C- for Incarceron,
By
This review is from: Incarceron (Paperback)
C- for IncarceronThe characters in the novel are basically fine. Sure, they are both living with very real problems and they are easy to relate to. But are they especially interesting? Do they feel especially well fleshed out? Not really. They fulfill the demands of the plot, and that's about it. I often didn't understand why a particular character would be thinking something or saying something (issues with character motivations) so that was a problem. Is the plot exciting and interesting and new? No. I figured out the gist of the plot after the first 50 pages. Not really any big surprises. Is the idea for the setting cool? Sure. Absolutely. Is the writing good? Sure, it's fine for YA. Is this the best YA novel on the market today? Absolutely not. Shipbreaker by Paolo Bacigaulpi is much MUCH better. Heck, even the Hunger Games is better. Leviathan by Scott Westerfeld and House of the Scorpion are also better choices. The pacing is good, the characters do their job adequately, the setting is interesting, and the writing is fine, but there are many other better books to read first. If you absolutely are in love with the premise, sure, go for it, but definitely read a few sample chapters and see if it hooks. Just thought it needed to be said based on what reviews are currently found on here (not many).
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