Book Review: Incarceron

Book Review: Incarceron

Author: Catherine Fisher
Genre: Fantasy

Imagine a prison so vast in contains seas, forests annd cities. Welcome to Incarceron - prison of the future. Believed by the Outside to be a paradise and the ultimate in rehabilitation theory. In the beginning all criminals and dissenters were sent there along with 70 Sapienti - a caste of mystics, scientists and healers, in order to create a paradise from a hell. The result: a failed experiment. Furthermore, Incarceron has been sealed for centuries and dreams of escape are only crumbs of comfort. Only one prisoner has ever escaped, and he has NEVER returned. In the middle lies Finn, a young prisoner who has no memory, but sure beyond everything that he came from outside. He is a Star Seer and he receives visions that he believes will help them esacpe.

Outside is also a prison of sorts. Technology has been rejected in favour of an authoritarian and feudal regime which insists on everything in Era - a peculiar regression to the age of lords and ladies, courtly manners and transport by carriage. The court is a place of intrigue and plot and politics and the only one who knows the truth about Incarceron's failed experiment is its Warden. Claudia, the Warden's daughter, is caught up in an arranged marriage and an assassination plot.

When Finn and Claudia both find an identical crystal key, they are able to communicate with one another. Their worlds clash together as Finn tries to escape and Claudia helplessly does all she can to help them achieve their goal. Unfortunately, no one except the Warden knows the entrace to Incarceron. However, the Warden will not allow Claudia to find out, much less enter Incarceron.

When Claudia realises there is no way out, she sinks into despair until her mentor tells her that there is indeed a way in, but the way out is very much limited. Claudia decides to enter and bring Finn and if possible his companions back. Meanwhile, Finn struggles from a failed attempt to escape, until Claudia emerges and tell him the way to escape. However, only Finn can escape and their companions are stuck in there. he swears to get them out and the story ends as Finn exclaimed in delight as he sees outside for the first time. The ending is found in the equally exciting sequel, Sapphique.

The narrative is tense and fast-moving with a real atmosphere of menace and the twin worlds juxtapose wonderfully to create equally failing environments. The Prison is a Mad Max world of feral and failed industrialism while the Outside is stifling, corrupt and unequal. Escaping from one to the other is really little more than leaping from the frying pan into the fire. Yet there is hope, and it lies in Claudia and Finn. Their journeys of personal discovery may well be filled with pain, but they are the path to a better future.

This story blends elements of excitement, hope and despair in an almost flawless and superb combination. The novel is both touching and exhilarating. Reading this book is like a rollercoaster ride which twist and turns and you are forced to read until the end, only to find that it is only the beginning.

At over 400 pages, this book is a average size for a novel but may be deterring to those who prefer fast hack-and-slash action. Furthermore, it may be boring if you are unable to understand the plot as it moves swiftly and without pause. Overall, this is an excellent book. After reading it, I was forced to read the sequel to find the ending. So gripping is the storyline that it makes it a uncomparable book.

Rating: 8.5/10

Superb!