Sapphique [Hardcover]

I'd have to say this book was a much better improvement than Incarceron. There was more action, the pace was quicker, and the intrigue was turned up a little higher to get the plot rolling. The action did make the novel go quicker although I preferred reading more about Keiro and Attia than Claudia and Finn. Although I used to like Claudia before, she seemed to morph into some sort of selfish spoiled brat who didn't care much except her own needs. Finn also turned into a mopey brat that cared only for Keiro (which makes sense, but it was borderline obsessive.)

Despite the negative comments I see about Keiro (thoughout different websites reviewing Sapphique), I'd have to say he was my favorite character in this book. (Besides Jared). He had this undeniable charm and despite being a selfish, egotistical jerk, he wasn't whiny and did not mope around like a twit. Although the majority of his actions were all to meet his own ends and he's just as selfish as Claudia might be, there's just something charming about Keiro that's likable. I thought he was an excellent character despite his 'supporting' status. Finn may seem central to the plot, but he doesn't shine as much as Keiro does.

There are different points of view in the story, unlike Incarceron where it switched from Claudia to Finn. Now, there a different points of view but this time it switches settings. (From being inside Incarceron, to being outside of it). It's not so bad, although some readers may find it a bit confusing, and the flow of the plot does get bumpy once in a while. The ending of the book was interesting and does leave a lot of room for another installment. I wouldn't mind a trilogy, as the story has taken a turn for the more exciting. I'd actually like to know what happens to Keiro next as he looks like he could be a catalyst for something big.

It was a great ending to the duology (although it looks like there might be a third?) and worth the read. The action helps the plot carry forward and makes the reading go faster. Some might be daunted by the task of reading another 'chunky' book. However with the fast pace, the action, and the bits of intrigue, reading this shouldn't take long at all.

Catherine Fisher left plenty of plot threads dangling at the end of sci-fantasy thriller "Incarceron." "Sapphique" picks up where the first book left off, answering countless questions and revealing more about the mysterious cyber-prison and the legendary hero Sapphique. Fisher writes beautifully, and she wraps up the story in a satisfying way.

In the Prison, Attia and her friend Keiro manage to con a crazy magician into giving them the Glove of Sapphique, a magical item that can connect a person's mind to Incarceron. However, Incarceron can only realize its ambitions if it has the glove, so it sends monsters, mayhem and death after the two teenagers -- even as it becomes to fall apart.

In the Realm, Finn is starting to doubt whether he's truly the lost Prince Giles, just in time for the queen to trot out a Pretender who looks exactly like him. Now both he and Claudia are in mortal danger, especially since Jared has become ensnared in one of the queen's malevolent plans -- which might include a civil war.

Somehow I get the feeling that Catherine Fisher was more comfortable writing "Sapphique" than "Incarceron" -- mainly because she gets to reveal pretty much all the secrets of Incarceron and its world. The biggest problem is that this book feels like it should have been split in half and published as two halves; the first and second halves are REALLY different from one another.

Once again, there's one plot set in the mechanical prison and the other in the stagnant Realm, connected but separate for most of the book. Her writing is absolutely exquisite ("They say he is making a man, out of rags and dreams and flowers and metal") and filled with starlight, silver and crumbling ruins where castles should stand. At the same time, plenty of ghastly monsters fill Incarceron, such as the ghastly multi-bodied Chain Gang.

And Fisher drives her characters all the way to the finish line in this book. Finn has to unravel his own past and discover if he truly is Prince Giles, even as he transforms from a confused moody boy into a charismatic young royal. And Jared -- who was mainly the Obi-Wan Kenobi of "Incarceron" -- gets to shine, a wise sage who is facing not only his own death but the death of his world.

In fact, Fisher brings out depths in many of the characters -- the arrogant ruined Queen, the former Warden, the spirited Attia and the completely loopy Rix. Some are limp like Caspar and the nasty little Pretender, but most are excellent.

"Sapphique" would have benefited from being turned into two books, but it's a truly enthralling second part to the story of Incarceron and the people trapped inside it. Lovely.

The end of SAPPHIQUE's prequel saw Finn released from sentient prison INCARCERON, but life Outside has not brought him the peace of mind he desired. Four months after his escape finds Finn still struggling with the inherent treachery and protocol required by court life. Couple that with the overwhelming guilt he feels for leaving his oath brother, Keiko, and friend, Attia, behind Inside, Finn has sunk into despair.

So deep is his depression, he's become useless in helping the Warden's daughter, Claudia, and her beloved tutor, Jared, search for a way back into Incarceron. The situation worsens when a young man who bears a striking resemblance to him challenges Finn's claim as the long-lost throne heir, Prince Giles.

Back inside the prison, Keiko and Attia search for their own means of escape: Sapphique's legendary magical glove. But Finn's prolonged absence and the increasing desperation of their situation - plagues, scarcity of supplies, entire sections of the prison shutting down - stretches their loyalties to the breaking point. As their enemies close in, each pair is in a race against time to save their very lives.

After reading both books in Catherine Fisher's duology, SAPPHIQUE emerges most decidedly as my favorite. While INCARCERON beautifully established this rich and complex world, the sequel brings more heart to the narrative. In SAPPHIQUE, we get a deeper exploration of the characters, a maturing of their perspectives, and a resolution of plot with the possibility of more stories to be mined in the future.

Reviewed by: Cat