Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher

[Majyk]

As I was scanning the shelves of the bookstore one day trying to kill some time (and where better to do that than in a place with lots of books, eh?), I came across Incarceron, by Catherine Fisher. The cover as well as the title interested me, so I read the summary:


Imagine a living prison so vast that it contains corridors and forests, cities and seas. Imagine a prisoner with no memory, who is sure he came from Outside, even though the prison has been sealed for centuries and only one man, half real, half legend, has ever escaped.
Imagine a girl in a manor house in a society where time has been forbidden, where everyone is held in a seventeenth century world run by computers, doomed to an arranged marriage that appalls her, tangled in an assassination plot she both dreads and desires.

One inside, one outside.

But both imprisoned.

Imagine a war that has hollowed the moon, seven skullrings that contain souls, a flying ship and a wall at the world's end.

Imagine the unimaginable.

Imagine Incarceron.


Incarceron is not just about a prison and its prisoners, but about a prison that is alive. Its captives doubt that there even is anything outside, and that maybe Incarceron is all there is. But when Finn discovers a key—something that the others don’t even have a word for—he knows that Outside exists. He can remember things from a time when he was Outside.

While I really enjoyed this book, about a quarter of the way through it I became skeptical as the plot took a turn towards the obvious. The writing left me wondering who said what on more than one occasion, and I think there should have been more description (it’s a living prison, what’s it look like!), but it was very entertaining and had some plot twists thrown in towards the end that I wasn’t expecting, which somewhat made up for the obviousness at the beginning. But overall, it was a good book.

If you're a YA fantasy fan, I'd certainly recommend this to you. It's one of those books that I wish I'd read slower, but that at the time, I couldn't put down.

US cover:
http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/Nitier/incarceron.jpg

[jcsk88]

Sounds good. I might try looking it up at the library. The idea of the story sounds very intriguing. I can't imagine what a living prison might be like, but the review's made me want to find out.

[Turnfeather]

Similarly, I downed the book as quickly as possible. I wouldn't suggest it to non-fantasy-lovers, though. (Doubtful they'd pick up the book, however. The cover is spot-on) I wanted to skip the parts about the girl, Claudia. Never liked "princess with problems" characters.

[Majyk]

Similarly, I downed the book as quickly as possible. I wouldn't suggest it to non-fantasy-lovers, though. (Doubtful they'd pick up the book, however. The cover is spot-on) I wanted to skip the parts about the girl, Claudia. Never liked "princess with problems" characters.

Have you read Sapphique, the sequel to Incarceron?

EDIT: About non-fantasy lovers... My mom and I had a seven hour drive one weekend, so I got Incarceron on CD from the library. She loved it, so much so that she read Sapphique. And she's doesn't usually read stuff like this. I don't know the last time she read a book just for pleasure, and I certainly don't think she read any YA fantasy.

[Lykaios]

I still need to read this book . . . it sounds really good.

Someone told me the other day that it has a different cover here, which is probably the reason I can't find it anywhere. >.> It's not as cool, but now I know what it looks like, that'll probably help. Though, I might see how much it'd cost to get an American copy shipped . . . I adore the other cover. :3

http://static.letsbuyit.com/filer/images/uk/products/original/208/96/incarceron-20896385.jpeg

[Majyk]

Yes, you need to read these books! Also, the cliche bits were fixed up in book two.

And yeah, no offense, but I like the US covers so much better. The cover is what first caught my interest, despite the old "don't judge a book by its cover."

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/Nitier/710a5d3a.png





In other Incarceron-related news, they're making the book into a movie scheduled for 2013. Unfortunately, Taylor Lautner is listed as playing Finn. :glare:

[Turnfeather]

Yes, you need to read these books! Also, the cliche bits were fixed up in book two.

And yeah, no offense, but I like the US covers so much better. The cover is what first caught my interest, despite the old "don't judge a book by its cover."

http://i393.photobucket.com/albums/pp12/Nitier/710a5d3a.png





In other Incarceron-related news, they're making the book into a movie scheduled for 2013. Unfortunately, Taylor Lautner is listed as playing Finn. :glare:

Heh. Taylor Lautner as Finn. Heh.
Not man enough.

Those covers for the English Incarceron are criminally underdressed.

[Majyk]

Heh. Taylor Lautner as Finn. Heh.
Not man enough.

He just better not take his shirt off, that's all I can say.

Those covers for the English Incarceron are criminally underdressed.

Odd that they came first.

[Amateur_Voice]

I've recently read this series and loved it. The story was engaging and I loved Claudia's strong, manipulative character. Great review.

[Amateur_Voice]

http://2.bp.blogspot.com/_jtsXPPn0CdM/S5WjL2dDZdI/AAAAAAAABXQ/UYnsKT-vmzM/s320/blogger.jpg

This book was brilliantly written and captured my imagination from the very beginning. The story follows Fin who is a prisoner of Incarceron. He has no memory of his past and no idea where he came from except for the past three years of living in Incarceron. Fin is prone to violent fits and blackouts which cause him to see visions of Outside. The Sapient believe Fin is a Cellborn and that his visions are a means of Escape from the bowels of Incarceron. This earns him the title of "Starseer" among the Scum, a band of ruthless murders and thieves. When he comes into procession of a crystal key, which bears the same marking as the one tattooed on his wrist, a black bird with a crown, more questions arise about his past. Fin's character is careful, thoughtful, and even conniving at times, but his character is often overwhelmed because of constant uncertainty about his visions, what they mean, and who he is.

Claudia's character is a whole different story. Her character is malicious, strong, and commanding. These traits are not typical of the usual characters found to be heroines, making the story feel fresh when you read it. Claudia's skill at lying and manipulation developed from growing up in the house of her father, the Warden of Incarceron, who is even more manipulative and sly then his daughter. Claudia fears her father and completely mistrusts him. They are always competing. Always playing the game. The game of lying. She was "bred" only for the Warden's purposes of ruling the thrown through marriage, as her father so loving puts it. His character is one you love to hate, but there is always a card hidden up the Warden's unwrinkled sleeve.

Constantly I was thrown loop after loop of the complexities of the novel. Incarceron was deceptive and wistful and alive! This idea intrigued me and made the book incredibly engaging. Magic and science played a huge role in this story as well. Protocol was heavily enforced on all the people living in the Realm, Outside of the world of Incarceron, where everyone lived in an era of manners, politics, and formality. This book, which was bought on a whim, most definitely deserves a top spot on every readers overflowing bookshelf.

This Book Review Can Also Be Found At My Blog (http://amateurvoicekp.blogspot.com/2011/03/incarceron-by-catherine-fisher.html)

[Majyk]

As suggested by Lykaios, I have merged our two reviews instead of closed yours. That way people can read both.

[Amateur_Voice]

Awesome. Thanks! :D