September 6, 2011; Firebird
Check out my review of Incarceron for an introduction to this series!
Finn has escaped Incarceron, but Keiro and Attia are still Inside. Outside, things are not at all what Finn expected - and both Finn's and Claudia's very lives hang on Finn convincing the Court that he is the lost prince. Back Inside, Keiro and Attia are on the hunt for Sapphique's glove, which legend says he used to escape. In order to find it, they must battle the prison itself. Incarceron has built itself a body and it wants to go Outside - just like Sapphique, the only prisoner Incarceron ever loved. (courtesy of Amazon)
Review
With Incarceron and Sapphique, Catherine Fisher created a marvelously rich, complex story that bridges dystopia, high fantasy, and science fiction. It's quite an accomplishment.
Like Incarceron, Sapphique switches back and forth between the Court and the Prison. We get to know the characters much better, especially Jared, Keiro, and Attia. The Prison and the Court are also bigger characters. We understand better how the Prison has a personality of its own and how the Court is really one big illusion. We also learn more about Sapphique, the god-like prophet who is worshiped by the people of Incarceron. Each chapter starts with a little epigraph of Sapphique's legend and Keiro and Attia essentially follow the journey that Sapphique supposedly took.
The characters in Sapphique are really not all that likeable. I admire the author for not bowing to the pressure for nice, sweet characters. A lot of people were turned off by the characters, but I had no trouble related to them, even Keiro. Fisher does a good job of showing their motivations, fears, and hopes. Keiro in particular seems evil, but you can see his underlying desperation to get out of Incarceron, his anger at being betrayed by Finn (he believes), and his fear of being a half-man. Claudia continues to act like a spoiled brat, but I thought her personality was believable given the pressures being placed upon her and always having to watch her back. Finn too seems frustrating, because he doesn't shape up to his princely image as quick as one would hope, but in reality who would? He acts realistically for a boy as damaged as he is.
There's so much going on in this book. You have the battle to decide whether Finn is Prince Giles or whether the title belongs to a new interloper. You have Jared trying to repair the portal and also hoping to treat his illness. You have the Warden stuck in Incarceron. You have Keiro and Attia making a long journey to try to get out of Incarceron. The book switches back and forth between different stories quickly - the sections are often only a few pages. Fisher does a good job at having enough action that the book doesn't drag.
My main complaint about this book is one that I also had in Incarceron, only it was magnified in Sapphique. The book is so complicated that I felt like I didn't entirely get it. You could take that as a compliment - the book is so rich that to be properly appreciated it really needs at least two readings. And that would be fine if I loved the book enough or had enough time to devote to re-reading Sapphique, but I don't. While I love really strong stories that require me to think, I also like being able to relax and let the book do the work for me. Sapphique was sometimes too much work.
Overall, Sapphique was a great conclusion to Incarceron. I liked that it tied up loose ends, but still left a few things open. Perhaps there will eventually be a third book. There are a lot of places Fisher could still go with this world, but I also feel like things were concluded well enough that it doesn't need a third book to finish off the plot.
Another book that I must read. I loved Incarceron, but never got around to reading this one.
ReplyDeleteI'm about halfway through the audiobook for Incarceron...and had heard from a few other people that Sapphique was not that great. I will probably still read it at some point just to see for myself. Thanks for the review!
ReplyDeleteI've read the first book. I have the sequel but haven't had a chance to read it properly. Anyway great review.
ReplyDeleteI had the same issue with Incarceron. It's not a book that you can easily just breeze through. I had to take time to read it carefully in order to enjoy it. Not because it was hard to understand but her world is so intricate. I do plan on reading this one, just wondering when is a good time to do so.
ReplyDeleteI'd not heard of this series of books until I read your review. Sounds like my kind of story though. Thanks!
ReplyDeleteI agree completely Alison, as amazing as the world was, it was so massive and complex that I kind of felt dwarfed by it when reading and never really felt like I understood it. I, like you, enjoyed the fact that the characters weren't all sweetness and light, and that they often behaved in a less-than desirable way. It made everything feel more real which is necessary when the world is so fantastical I think:)
ReplyDeleteYou're so right about the characters. They were not nice. They had huge flaws and were, at times, really hard to root for. But I think that made me enjoy them all the more. And that world--wheew! Amazingly complex and overwhelming at times.
ReplyDeleteI read this book a loooong time ago, but I remember feeling the same way. It's way too complicated and the characters aren't really likable. I kept thinking, Who is the audience supposed to be? I think most kids would get bored with the story. I know I did.
ReplyDeleteI'm with you on the complicated plot. I, too, felt like I needed to read the series again to follow it completely, and I still don't think we got enough answers. Overall, the story is really interesting and I'm glad I read it.
ReplyDeleteI loved the concept behind these books, but I had a somewhat middling reaction as well. Appreciate the fair and balanced review.
ReplyDeleteI didn't like this book as much as the first one! I adored the first one but the second lack for me.
ReplyDeleteNice Review!! I agree... the first book opened the most intricate world and the second got complicated. I don't know that additional read-thru's will make more sense, tho. It's a jumble for Jared & Claudia, especially. My rather emotional review is here: http://burgandyice.blogspot.com/2011/11/incarceron-sapphique.html :-)
ReplyDelete