Sapphique
Author: Catherine Fisher
Series: Incarceron (#2)
Publisher: Dial
How Received: BEA '10
Read my review of Incarceron.
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.
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I just reread my review of the first one and, for the first book, I still agree with everything I said - but I have to say, for the first time in a while, a sequel has outshined it's original counterpart.
Where I hated the characters in Incarceron (well, not really; I just didn't really like them all that much), I grew to really like them here. Finn was uber depressing but understandably so and Claudia was kind of awesome and everybody was just much more interesting to me.
The plot seemed MUCH better here for some reason, even though it's the same plot carried over from Incarceron. I think part of that is because I absolutely adore anything having to do with a royal court, so when they have Finn fighting for his throne, I was completely content.
I loved the development of the world as well and how it works and everything that happens to it; I thought it was absolutely fantastic. This is one of those worlds that is going to stick with me long after I forget the plot and the characters - I'll remember the details of this world. It's that good.
Overall Rating & Final Comments: 8/10. I liked it much better than the first book, and the series is definitely worth a read.