Sapphique (Incarceron)

An excellent sequel to be sure, this storyline can also stand on its own. With vivid imagery and delicious emotional battles "Sapphique" is one of those books that you just don't want to put down. Young readers and teens will find the fantasy of this book puzzling and spellbinding at the same time. The author carefully gives just enough information to the reader to keep them wanting more and leads them to a climax which is both fulfilling and open to a continuation. The characters are unique and come with their individual problems, each one that the readers can relate to: being an outcast, lack of self-esteem, strong in thought, questioning their place and purpose. All of this at a level that would entice a well-read middle school through high school. While the storyline solves few of the emotional problems the characters have, it does resolve the main issues of good vs. evil and the existence of the imaginable. A good book for readers to continue the series or just pick up for a fun read.
I have noticed some readers have labled this as a romance, but there is little romance in it. Most of the relationships are friendship at best.

Incarceron was a pretty good book, but Sapphique blew me away. I remember really enjoying the previous book, but this was wonderful, though it had it's problems.
Incarceron was told from the POVs of Claudia and Finn. Catherine Fisher artfully switches between characters throughout the story, without the clear-cut switches of the first one. It transfers smoothly and I loved seeing the points of view of the different characters. Very few of them had hidden thoughts. Because of this, I'll talk about more than one or two characters, like I usually do.
~Claudia Arlexa started off obnoxious and self-centered. She softened up a lot, and you can really see this when she thanks a servant in the Wardenry and surprises them. In the middle of the book, Claudia gets a real reality-check when she sees the commonfolk of the Realm. She's a fearless, tough, MC, though I can't really see her ever surviving the Prison, the way she was brought up.
~Finn Starseer/Prince Giles(?) is incredible. He was a bit of a bother in the beginning, exploding at the littlest things, but he has such a true self-doubt that you can't help but like him. He's brave and even after living in the Prison, he's kind.
~Attia, the dog-slave. She's brilliant. Remember all the plot twists in the end of Incarceron? I hope when a book ends that way, but there were a handful of twists like that in the beginning, which was hysterical. She maintains faith in Finn, that he'll come back for her, and she puts up with Keiro, which is a miracle.
Speaking of Keiro, aaa[...] He's infuriating, but you can't help but feel bad for him. He's a half-man and he hates himself for it, but he still loves himself. (That's a spoiler from Incarceron, not Sapphique, for those getting mad right now.) He's so annoying and full of himself in the beginning, but he becomes a bit more tolerable as you go along. Definitely pitiable.
~Jared Sapient. One thing that bothered me thoughout Incarceron was his age. Just like Cinna from Hunger Games, I had no idea how old he was throughout the first book. Fortunately, shortly into the second, Queen Sia confronts him about his illness and mentions that he's barely thirty. I love Jared. He's awesome. So selfless and brilliant. He really loves Claudia, as obnoxious as she is, and he always does what's best for everyone, even when that puts is own life at risk.
~Rix was hysterical. I couldn't figure out if he was insane or telling the truth throughout the entire book, but his tricks were incredible. You'd have to read the scene in the Dice with the attackers to fully understand...
~Incarceron. The Prison is its own character, is it not? Incarceron is just evil, though a tiny bit pitiable. He wants one little thing, and everyone is against him. He was forced to act a certain way, so he fought back.
Wow. That was a long character analysis.
It was a thrilling, action-packed book and I have only a few complaints. I felt like there were a handful of quick problems that came before some of the characters, and they weren't described well enough. I had no idea what happened, and in the end they were all fine. Especially the ending. It was like "What's happening?"
My other problem was the questions left unanswered. You never learn how much metal is in Keiro, and the real truth about Giles/Finn/whatever.
The ending was odd. It made sense in a way, but some stuff was just weird.

That was pretty long review.
5 stars

Finn has Escaped from Incarceron, but is now living in another prison. The gaudy clothes, the lights, the fake people who don't really believe he's Giles... Even Claudia seems to be doubting him. While he wants her to believe in his identity, he doesn't even believe it himself. The fits still come, and he rants and rages about the smallest things. Jared is dying; the medication only helps for a while, and then the pain comes back - worse. The Queen is just as vicioius as before; even more so now. She has tricks and schemes up her sleeves - Finn knows it, even if no one else does.

On the other side of reality, Attia and Keiro are still in the prison, fighting for their lives. But now there's Rix involved, an insane man who believes he's the Dark Enchanter. He is said to have possession of the Glove, Sapphique's Glove, the Prison's Glove. The Glove that can get them out of here. But how long can they follow Rix without being killed? And the Prison itself... It's acting strangely. It seems to be pulling away, focusing hard...

How can these two worlds connect? Will there be a new way to travel between the worlds, now that the keys have disappeared with the Warden? Can Finn remember his supposed past, and prove to everyone he is Giles? And will Attia and Keiro find the Door that freed Sapphique from the Prison?

_____________________________

Oh. My goodness. Where to begin...

I loved everything about this book. Literally, everything. I can't think of one thing that I would even say was remotely uninteresting or slow or bad or confusing. Everything was perfect, set into place. That's my one word description: perfect. Ridiculously so.

Let me start with Jared. Oh, how I love him. I loved him in Incarceron, and my love grew in Sapphique. He is my favorite in every way: who he is, his part in the story, everything he says and does and the way he thinks about things. The way he feels for everyone around him, especially Claudia. Gosh.

Claudia and Finn are another matter - both are feisty in their own manner, and yet both have the same vision against protocol for the kingdom. The way they interacted together was just wonderful. Their characters are absolutely complimentary for the purpose of the story. Even if you can't picture them getting along well, Fisher makes it work in a way that is undeniably genius. You know that if they live through this war with the Queen, they will be great rulers together.

One thing that I noticed in Sapphique that wasn't very prominent in Incarceron was Caspar's character: Idiot. Dunce. Total follower and complainer. Weak. Vulnerable. Pitiful. (All of these in a slightly...humorous manner.) While I knew he was some of these, his character was much more developed and delved into in Sapphique. And I liked what I saw. I laughed out loud at some of the things he said and did, and his character added so much more to the story. He was a useful tool, one that added depth and life to the story.

And the writing... I mean - who writes like Catherine Fisher? She has the right phrases, the right dialogue, the right word choices. It's all perfect, and it fits in a glorious, powerful pattern that creates an story that would, to anyone else, be hard to write. A lot of other reviewers talk about how hard it was to write a review for Incarceron...can you imagine how hard it would be to write the actual book? But Fisher has it down.

Combine the writing with the story line, and you get something that you don't see every day. These books are full of raw, penetrating power. Every sentence reflects this; and the story is real. When I read it, it came alive. I felt as though I lived there, that the Realm was real - that Incarceron really was alive. That it existed somewhere, and I was a part of it. The characters became my friends, and my enemies. Their struggles became mine. I fought alongside them. And on top of that.... (Yes, there's even more!) Catherine Fisher is the QUEEN of twists and cliff-hangers. Wanna know how many I counted? Ok, nevermind, I lost count... But, if I'm being hoenst, there was at least one cliffhanger every chapter, and usually there was a twist, too. Fisher manages to build up a whole world in only a few pages, where what you believe about it is so certain and firm and you think it can never be changed - and then with one sentence, one word, you discover that you were completely and utterly wrong.

Sound fascinating? I think yes.

After this rollercoaster of a story, what did I think? What did I feel? What did I do? When it was over, I felt whole. It was incredibly perfect, how she finished off these powerful books. The climax surpassed even my highest expectations (which, because of my love for Incarceron, were really high). I had NO idea what she had planned for the end. I actually cried during the last 20 pages. I couldn't believe what had happened, and it was so emotional (for me, as I was totally attached to the characters) and just wonderful. (And let's just say.......Jared.) The last few pages just make your heart melt. I was very pleased. And I know I'll read it again - I'll probably read it many times. It's one of those that you'll never get enough of. At least, I know I won't.

Highly recommended, ages 15 to 100.

("B**ch" is repeated twice. Other than that, it's only intense action and some violence that is something to look out for for younger readers.)

Sapphique is the continuation of Incarceron. Throughout the book they are interrelated and often bring back scenes from the first book which would leave the reader confused if they didn’t read it. Though it kept true to the same fantasy experience that Incareron gave I feel that Sapphique fell off in the internal consistency department. Starting off I give this book a four in escape from realism. Throughout the book we see bizarre creatures made of many men, a prison trying to escape itself, and most importantly the mysterious glove of Sapphique. Throughout the novel I was able to vividly imagine a different world in which the prison dictates how the people live. The book had me on my toes the whole time and always had me guessing what crazy plot twist would come in next to throw off our heroes. It was extremely fast paced and was hard to put down due to its constant switching from being inside the prison and dealing with internal royal affairs on the outside. Though it kept my interest I felt frustrated at times throughout the novel because some of my questions just went unanswered. This is why I’m giving it at three for internal consistency. I came into this book with the hope of continuing the journey of Finn and finding out what happens next since he has now escaped. I was content throughout the book enjoying the adventures in and out of prison like the first book, until the ending came into play where it seemed to run out of explanations for it madness. Many of my questions were left unanswered on how the outside world and the prison were connected. I was wondering the whole time how everything was an appearance maintained by the prison, even the queen suddenly giving up on her siege and turning old seemed a bit to convenient. Even though the ending was everything I hoped for with everything working out in the end it just seemed a little rushed and could have had more explanation into the events that led up to everyone being reunited with each other. Overall the book left me satisfied, though it could use another book to finally tie everything together.

Escape: the one thing Finn, Keiro, and Attia have yearned for since the beginning. Finn -- the lucky one, the one of royal blood -- now has it in his clutches and yet yearns for the soothing feeling of content. Outside is not the pretty paradise it's supposed to be. Still plagued by doubts about himself and those around him, Finn, the long-lost prince, must rescue his oath brother Keiro and manage to ascend the throne that is rightfully his by birthright. As he struggles with messy court politics, Incarceron is making its own plans. It will do anything for freedom, for a glimpse of the Outside that its escaped son Sapphique has described. Sapphique: the implanter of dreams, the owner of the Glove, the answer to all this strife?

This book begins right after the conclusion of "Incarceron." And although I found the first book to be a little slow pace-wise, "Sapphique" is action-packed from beginning to end and is definitely a step-up from "Incarceron." I originally thought that the story couldn't be extended that much further, as "Incarceron" already had a solid ending, albeit with some strings left untied. Well, I was completely mistaken. "Sapphique" is the book that ends the story and brings all the characters to some kind of peace, one way or another.

Unlike some other reviewers, I adored these characters as well. They love each other; they hate each other. They build their relationships upon jealousy and selfish desires, trust and self-sacrificing love. Their ultimate ambitions are obvious. Or are they...?

There will be no third installment, and I applaud Ms. Fisher for not dragging out the series like countless other authors. "Sapphique" is a satisfying ending to a unique series. It has a certain... finality to it.

I must say, I enjoyed Sapphique much more than its predecessor. The character development was much richer, and while I'm still not sure what/where Incarceron is, I have a much better idea. Also, the new character, Rix, was delightful to read, and there was much more Keiro and Attia action in this one, along with a much larger role for Jared. Claudia was nowhere near annoying as she was to much in the first book, and Finn's journey in this book was one that I enjoyed. His doubts were mine and like Sapphique, his dreams were my own. Great sequel/ending to the series.

REASON FOR READING THIS BOOK:
I read the first book INCARCERON and wanted to see what happened to Finn, Claudia, Keiro, and Attia. I even wanted to know what happened to The Warden.

SUMMARY:
"Sapphique" is the sequel to the first book, "Incarceron" and shouldn't be read out of order. Like the first book, this story takes place in two different places. One is a futuristic prison called Incarceron. In another world, lives a privileged society of Kings and Queens.

Finn and Claudia are now together, but he's left behind his oathbrother, Keiro and the person who saved his life, Attia. Both are depending on them to get out of the prison. Only problem is The Warden sent himself through the portal. He took both keys and destroyed the portal in the process.

Also, the first book left off with Finn being announced as the long lost prince and that should have been a good thing, but someone shows up claiming to be Giles, the rightful prince. Unlike Finn, he acts like one with memories of the past. One will be crowned prince and the other will be sentenced to death.

While Finn and Claudia are trying not to be executed, Keiro and Attia are also trying to stay alive while hunting for the Sapphique's glove which is hopefully their way out of the prison.

MY THOUGHTS:
Although the sequel had way more action than the first book, I felt things got off to a slow start. Also, the beginning was a bit confusing. It didn't begin where book one left off, but a few months later. Once I found where everyone was, the story took off and I stayed interested until the end.

The best part, besides listening to the excellent voice of Kim Mai Guest was the ending. Everything worked out in the end for both worlds.

BOTTOM LINE:
Book one was slow--very slow, but I felt book two, this one, made up for it.

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.

Well my questions aren't answered but ugly or not things came to an end, with new Kings and Queens. I really enjoyed all the characters journeys and had no idea how the whole story would end.. A little disappointed because everything was so twisted and it all just BAM ended. Not perfectly but enough..and leaving more things for me to wonder about.

Sapphique is a dystopian/science fantasy book by author Catherine Fischer, and is the sequel to the first book in the Incarceron series, Incarceron. The book is about a hero Finn, whom has escaped the prison of Incarceron, leaving behind his friends Kiero, and Attia. Upon his return, Finn finds that his stepmother is trying to prevent him from becoming king, and the warden of Incarceron has become trapped in the prison himself. The daughter of the Warden has become infatuated with proving Finn to be the lost heir to the throne and rightful king. Finn, and Claudia's life are put into Finn's hands based upon his ability to convince the courts that he is indeed the lost heir to the throne.
There were quite a few aspects of this book that I enjoyed about this book. The story was filled with an amazingly large amount of content for the reader, but moved at such a fast pace, while giving excellent descriptions of what was going on. The use of imagery was actually quite excellent. For example when there was a description given of the glove of Incarceron, it was as if you could actually see the glove levitating right before you. Although the book had a wealth of quality content that I found to my liking, there were a few things that I didn't enjoy so much. For example, one thing that I didn't enjoy in the book was the dialogue, interaction, and actions of some characters. The dialogue for one, was quite confusing at time. Also, I found Kiero, and Attia's relationship quite dull, as there seemed to be a sense stagnancy to the romantic side of their relationship. It seemed as though their relationship was more mutualistic for their survival while Incarceron, rather than as a couple whom loved each other. Also I found that the actions of the warden's daughter, Claudia were quite unorthodox. Although this was a science fantasy book, I still can't grasp why she would cling to Finn so much, even when he showed disdain for her following, and affection. However, she was still an important character as far as the development of the overall story.
Despite the unorthodox actions of the characters, with their odd interactions, dialogue, and all I found this book to be unsurprisingly excellent. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys science fantasy, and dystopias, of course. If Catherine Fischer did choose to write another book for the Incarceron series, I would read it without hesitation, because Sapphique is a quality read, that was enjoyed greatly by myself.

[This review covers both titles in the Incarceron series.]

Age Group: YA (utterly gratuitous mature language; mild graphic violence)
Pages: 448; 480
Rating: Idea 5 stars; Execution 2 stars
Genre: dystopia, sci-fi, & (some) fantasy with overtones of steampunk

Total: 2 and 1/2 stars

Claudia lives in The Realm--a place where an Era of Victorianesque habit and aesthetic is enforced by a malevolent monarchy. She dreams only of escape from the life that has been planned for her. Her only solace is her tutor, Jared, who has been more of a father to her than her own morose parent, John Arlexa, who is the Warden of Incarceron. At least she is Outside.

Inside, Finn lives, and has lived for the three long years of his life that he is able to remember. He, too, longs to Escape from the miserable existence within of the great sentient, malevolent Prison to which he--and all others deemed undesirable or superfluous by the aristocracy--have been sentenced.

All too quickly, as age-old plots and schemes come to fruition, Finn and Claudia's fates are thrust together. The future of both worlds, it seems, depends on their ability to unlock the secrets that lie deep within.

________________________________________________________________________________

As I tweeted the other night, I have rarely been as frustrated or disillusioned by a book or series as I was when I closed the cover on this one.

The idea is magnificent--something like The Matrix, something like The Scarlet Pimpernel, and still something like Mad Max and Blade Runner.

However, the idea's execution in writing was deplorable, cheap, and utterly unsatisfying. You know how it was with Lost? Where the opening was fairly explosive and mysterious, but as the seasons dragged on it slowly became apparent that the writers had no long-term plan for the plot? No real ingenious answer to the mystery?

And everyone remained hopeful, despite being dragged on for eons by endlessly convenient twists, turns, and dramatic fluff, because they thought there surely would be some masterfully big reveal to tie it all together in the end?

Well, that was exactly my experience with these books, except without the hunky actors and special effects to tide a girl over. Full of fluff; unartful writing; and bad, see-through dialogue; impromptu/incongruous twists when the plot looked sure to dead-end; flat characters who neither were fully explained nor grew a millimeter over the course of 928 pages, and were often self-contradictory...
And, then, like the Lost finale, no questions answered. If anything, more were introduced, as if to cover the tracks of an MIA direction--yet again.

I am almost angry at myself for reading it. I knew at the end of Incarceron (bk. 1) that the execution was shoddy (I even tweeted my feelings), but was so curious about how the idea would come together that I convinced myself to keep going. I remained hopeful to the very end--past elements that didn't really work in the world (the "Incarceron" beast; the "chain gang," children born--as opposed to healed or reconstructed--with metal parts), or with the characters (Keiro's fickleness; the Queen's pseudo-evilness; the Warden's loss of the key vs. the trio's ability to keep the glove; the Prison's simultaneous omnipotence and impotence, whichever suited the moment; etc), but were instead just convenient to the goose-chase of a plot.

I even clung on through the last few pages when things got really weird, and it seemed impossible that it could ever be satisfactorily pulled together, all the while thinking, Surely; surely no one would have published an idea this ambitious without a real, clever, mind-blowing ending.

This book has gotten lots of buzz. Taylor Lautner is starring in the movie, for goodness sake. Surely they wouldn't...

But they did.

I think--if someone figures out how to salvage the plot/ending--it will be a truly wicked movie. But, as a book?
There are so many good, strong, dystopian/steampunk novels out there--The Hunger Games (bk 1), Birthmarked, Fever Crumb, etc. I would normally never do this--I am a book champion--but I suggest spending your reading time on the above and waiting to see Incarceron on screen.

[This review originally published at Booknotized.com.]

I recently read both Incarceron and Sapphique and I really enjoyed them! I really like the characters (I'm also glad that Catherine Fisher didn't kill off my favorite ones like a lot of authors tend to do) and enjoyed their vastly different personalities and how they interacted with one another, I like that the author was able to give clear imagery without it being unnecessary and boring, and I love the plot and the whole concept of it.

One downside I would say is that the ending (though I thought it was good) didn't really 'end'. It leaves you in a place that wraps up the plot, but doesn't continue forward from there. I've seen that some people don't like that, but personally I thought it was good and that any continuation from there wasn't needed. I mean, for those who have read it, you would know there isn't much to go on from there other than maybe what the characters decide to do now that its all finished and whether or not everything actually gets resolved.

Another downside was that some of the questions aren't really answered. We're given subtle hints as well as seeds of doubt that leave us guessing even after the book finishes. I suppose that maybe it's just for us to decide.

If there ever is a third in the series I think it would be awesome if it was a book focused entirely on the life of Sapphique. What happened on his adventures, his relationship with Incarceron, his personality, and who he really is. That way we aren't just left with bits a pieces about him like in Incarceron and Sapphique. It would be a nice finishing touch. :)

I enjoyed many elements (and there are MANY) of Incarceron, but it felt extremely incomplete, so I was excited to read Sapphique. Often both books feel like 3 or 4 interesting storylines irresponsibly smashed together into one. Unfortunatly, Sapphique had all the problems of Incarceron and only limited resolution. One main annoyance in both books is the repetative vocabulary. Are there no alternatives to acrid? Or gaudy? It just feels lazy to me. The plotlines are chopped up so much that none of them flow properly. Every section ending seems to end with some giant revelation to be discovered when that part finally comes back around. Every event takes so long I found myself skipping ahead to see what finally happens. Some characters seem to be thrown in for no real reason. Those characters who the reader are supposed to care about are shallow. It is unclear in the end who is good, who is bad, who the reader should be rooting for, who the reader should despise. And then never to really even know who's who and why and what the origins of ANYthing are at all is quite frustrating. It is one thing to be mysterious, even to leave some things for the reader to decide, but the entire ending of the book was a big question mark. If there is a third book, I would probably look for a review somewhere that would tell me what happened instead of wading through another storyline that doesn't know where it is going or how to get there.

I read Incarceron & sapphique in a very fast manor.. I was a bit confused in this book at times & as others have said it jumped around too much try listening to an audio book version i didn't know who was talking when.. but i really liked the book i would hope for a 3rd book to talk about the colaplse of protocol & what will happen in incarceron?? either way i will read this many times it is my first sci fi / fantasy book i have ever read & was very surprised i liked it at all.. the cover caught my attention hope you enjoy reading

Sapphique was not better than the first book in the series, but it was easier for me to get through, perhaps because I had much lower expectations. All of my problems with the first book still remain here.

The characters, all of them, are pretty much entirely unlikeable. Jared, Claudia's tutor, is the character I most liked, but the reader has known since the beginning of book one that he has an incurable disease, distancing one's affection for him. Claudia is obnoxious, power-hungry and mistrusting. Finn alternates between being emo and arrogant. Keiro is as he has ever been. Attia never really seems to coalesce into a definite personality. And those are just the characters you are supposed to be rooting for.

Romance is not to be found in Sapphique, even though the book ends with an engagement in place for two of them. Those two characters have absolutely no chemistry; in fact, the girl is clearly in love with someone else.

If you liked Incarceron, I doubt you will be disappointed by Sapphique. Otherwise, don't bother.

Incarceron had some very cool semi-realistic sci-fi elements, and so did the majority of Sapphique. I wondered how they would all play out. However, towards the end of Sapphique the author sort of threw that whole idea away, and it became a sort of jumbled mess of either magic or poorly explained sci-fi (I can't tell). I thought that the ending would be solved by some kind of clever master plan (and it certainly could have been) but what happened instead is that one of the characters conveniently knows how everything works and solves all of the problem with very little effort while the reader is completely left in the dark as to how this happens. It's very disappointing and makes the ending unsatisfying. There was no real climax towards the end, just a minor spike in action and then all of a sudden one of the characters fixes everything, the book is over. (and remember, we really have no idea HOW he fixed everything)
But beyond that, the rest of the book was good and I enjoyed Incarceron very much.

After reading Incarceron, I really wanted to read the next in the series. I waited through about a month of holds at the library, then resorted to buying this book myself. Personally, I was rather unsatisfied about the turn of events in this book. Unlike Incarceron, this book switches too many times from Attia, Finn, Claudia (and now Jared too!). Also, I thought that the Finn vs. Giles issue was already solved in the previous book (by the Warden), and why everyone is suddenly doubting whether Finn is Giles? I was really confused about this. Lastly, the last 10 pages of the book were a shock- I'm not going to spoil the ending, but I do not really like the way Fisher "resolved" the problems in this book.

Fans of Incarceron- you may or may not like this slower paced sequel. I personally lost interest many times, and still have many unanswered questions. However, I still have to applaud the realistic and intriguing world Fisher has created.

I read Incarceron and could barely stomach it. i only kept reading because i had paid twenty dollars for each of these books at Borders back when bookstores existed. Incarceron was confusing. the characters were mean or sneaky and just not loveable, or even likable! sapphique was no better. in fact, i didnt even finish it like i struggled to do for the first book. i understand characters should not be perfect and have flaws and issues, but they should have at least one thing that you actually like. its what makes them the protagonist. overall, the characters had no depth or good characteristics and i suppose the idea of this book was cool, but the coolness ends there. if you want an actually intriguing and exciting read with all the parts good books need( humor, action, romance, adventure, and on-the-edge-of-your-seat thrills) try any of these books: Percy Jackson and the Olympians, the Leviathan trilogy, the Starclimber Trilogy, the Scorpio Races, the Chaos Walking Trilogy, the Kane Chronicles, the Heroes of Olympus, and even the Maze Runner Trilogy, despite what a let down the final book was. i dont like to leave such a negative review, but i like good books and i wont classfiy incarceron or sapphique as being good. sorry catherin fisher

Sapphique is the sequel to Catherine Fisher's Incarceron, however it's nearly impossible to understand this complex action-packed fantasy without first reading its predecessor. Fisher is nothing shy of a great fantasy writer, but if you're not patient enough to sit through a 462 page book and reread every other passage to understand the multiple twists, turns, and made-up fantasy words, Sapphique isn't going to be a breeze. Although I do like fantasy, it's quit difficult for me to understand at times, because the author has created a whole new world with unfamiliar terms and imaginative scenarios that are sometimes impossible to picture. This was the case with both Incarceron and Sapphique. I do, however, commend Fisher for her clever relations to science and mythology. I loved the incorporated physics and fairytales, even if they were only a loose rendition. Although this book isn't classified as Dystopian, I found that I was attracted to its dark and futuristic feel. Finn and Claudia's worlds are controlled by a series of rules known as "Protocol" which do not allow common folk access to technology, and they must live their lives according to the determined "Era," which in this case, is a cross between Medieval and Victorian times.This morning while finishing the book up, I wanted desperately to put it down in hopes of finishing some overdue chores. To my excitement, however, every chapter ended with an unexpected twist that manifested itself so cleverly, and I was compelled to move forward, chapter by chapter. Incarceron and Sapphique turned out to be much more brilliant on a scientific scale than I expected, and Fisher's descriptive writing style created a magical atmosphere. However, the ending felt somewhat lacking in a sense that I couldn't decide whether I was happy or sad for the characters. There was surprisingly no romance in the story, but the author portrayed fear, lust, and terror quite perfectly.

No spoilers.

The Good:

-the characters are more fully developed and become much more real
-the number of twists and turns in the plot will make you dizzy
-the mystery, suspense and intrigue makes for a real page-turner
-varying points of view - so much to keep you interested and reading more

The Bad:

-I loathed the ending. It points to bleakness and sadness.
-The ending created more questions instead of providing answers.
-There is very little, if any, happiness in any of the characters at the end.

Let me start by saying that I was extremely disappointed to find out that Sapphique is the final book, not the second in a trilogy. Incarceron blew me away with it's creativity, mystery and utter uniqueness and read Sapphique as soon as I could get a hold of it. However, had I known how this was going to end, I doubt I would have read it at all.

I'm the type of person who likes a complete, conclusive ending. I don't need to know what the characters name all of their children, but I would like (and appreciate) answers to long standing questions. Is Finn Giles? What happened to Sapphique? How was the prison connected to the Realm? What the hell was going on with Jared at the end?? The first two questions had a huge part in driving me through this book. When I didn't get any answers, especially after all of that build up, I felt cheated, disappointed and extremely annoyed.

Also, the whole conflict seemed to be resolved with something that came out of nowhere and didn't make any sense. Save for one, all of the characters are even bewildered.

I can understand and respect "unhappy" endings (though I hate them) but Sapphique's ending was a huge let down. This is so important to me because I think the ending is almost always what stays with a reader the most.

It's wonderful when a book keeps you thinking long after you've finished. It's completely different when you're still thinking about it because it didn't make any sense. Or left you feeling unhappy. This is all especially unsatisfactory because the rest of the book is so excellent.

The book Sapphique by Catherine Fisher was an epic story that keeps you on the edge of your seat though out the middle/end of the book. I thought it was a really good sequel to Incarceron and made a great twist at the end where every one and everything comes together. It is an adventure book that leads you into Incarceron where Kiero and Attia are racing from evil to protect the Glove while at the same time trying to figure out where Finn and Claudia are. But on the Outside, everyone is confused because there is another man that claims to be Giles, along with Finn. What I liked most about the book is that it was so detailed and thorough that I felt like I could be in the Prison and escape my surroundings. I got sucked into the book, and its fantastical atmosphere. I enjoyed its fast moving plot in the end as well. What was hard for me was switching from chapter to chapter from the Inside to the Outside, I would always have to go back and remember what was going on in each situation to make it clearer in my mind. But in the end, it all came together and had a great ending. Fisher did a wonderful job of having all the characters affect one another, whether they are Inside the Prison or Outside. I truly enjoyed the book and encourage everyone to read it!

Yeah, author has quite a fantasy, but unfortunatelly little knowledge. Author, go to school! Where have you learn that kind of physics? HOT crystal became foggy and even icy of breath (in Incarceron)? Magnet which draws copper? The tide is stopped because the surface of the moon is ruined? And so on... A lot of such stuff.

The very concept of Era is plain stupid. Why to be in XVI and not in, shall we say, XXI? Maybe just because of costume-film romantism? I cannot think of another reason. How can it be -- the technology that can support the vision of order and beauty has to use a lot of resources but where those resources come from? The total lack og logic -- that is the biggest problem of theese books, both of them.

And of course -- the ending is worst of all. Why do we have to hear a lot of whatever thing about that Glove if in the end it doesn't play any role? How Jared became Sapphique and why? What about Claudia - Finn relations? Or Claudia - Jared relations? A lot of loose ends, like author maybe wanted to write a third book (heaven forbid!) but get tired and just thought about finishing this one as soon as possible.

No, never ever Cathrine Fisher!

I read both Incarceron and Sapphique. I am an avid reader, but I must say that both of these books were a very hard read for me. I never felt like I could really connect with the characters and the story itself felt drawn out and confusing. I finished the books to try & see what happened, but I personally didn't feel satisfied after reading these books. I bought the books because the cover art was so interesting looking - I wish the books had lived up to that.

The first book laid the framework, so the second was good for telling the meat of the story. The author did a good job telling the story without boring you with too much detail, but kept it detailed enough to be believable. The two books were wrapped up nicely.

I just finished Sapphique. This will hopefully only be a two book series because the climatic ending to Sapphique is just, right, I feel. A world inside another world, how do they relate? Finn, Claudia, Keiro, Attia, Jared, the Warden, Rix, Incarceron itself, these are all fully realized characters who are struggling to understand their reality and make the right choices in it. Catherine Fisher has written a classic that should be analyzed and discussed in every book group around! I felt this was so much better than the Hunger Games trilogy. Bravo Ms. Fisher!

The mythology isn't completely satisfying, but at least there was no sappy forcing of the plot. This novel concludes Finn's narrative; there is no neverending story here. It also doesn't get boring, but Incaceron soared above as few books do.

I just finished reading this book a few hours ago and I have to say It was really good! I would read this book over and over again. Definitely one to put on your bookshelf! The story Is amazing, the characters great and the landscapes are one of a kind. As the plot thickened I was completely sucked In.

Very depressing and hard to get into this book
This and the previous book are hard to get into but you keep hoping it will get better it does not till the end (it has a good ending) but till you get to the end it's gory, grotesque and depressing I would not recommend this book unless you like thinking about a really big prison.
I though maybe it's just me but my friend who is a book worm would not even try to get through the first few chapters.

I just finished reading this book a few hours ago and I have to say It was really good! I would read this book over and over again. Definitely one to put on your bookshelf! The story Is amazing, the characters great and the landscapes are one of a kind. As the plot thickened I was completely sucked In.

Very depressing and hard to get into this book
This and the previous book are hard to get into but you keep hoping it will get better it does not till the end (it has a good ending) but till you get to the end it's gory, grotesque and depressing I would not recommend this book unless you like thinking about a really big prison.
I though maybe it's just me but my friend who is a book worm would not even try to get through the first few chapters.