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3.53 AVERAGE
3.53 AVERAGE
This is the book of my dreams. Someone please make it into an amazing anime. All my favorites genres, plus a whole lot of grunge
I did not know how to feel about this book. I am hopeful to think that he is the prince but I don't know. The author was going for a darker and not young adult. This is a very grey and dark story and I don't know if I love it or not. I gave it four stars but it was jarring from the other books I have read and how open-ended it makes my cutesy book reading I usually have made this book a stark contrast.
Sapphique picks up where Incarceron left off. Finn and Claudia must prove that Finn is the presumed dead Prince Giles, heir to the throne, before the Queen kills them both. Keiro and Attia are still trapped in Incarceron with little hope that Finn will rescue them. The prison grows stronger and more desperate in its desires. The legend of Sapphique, the only man to escape Incarceron, weaves in and out of the story-- blurring the lines between myth and reality. Is anything what it seems? A fantastic follow-up to Fisher's first book.
I’ll admit it, I wasn’t in love with Incarceron when I read it, though I could see the draw many people had towards it. I loved the idea of the book and the worlds created in it. I thought I would give Sapphique a try to change my mind and make me more of a believer. Unfortunately Sapphique fell very short for me. There was still no emotional connection with any of the characters. No one is lovable or anyone that I want to come out on top. They are pretty much all out for themselves and have nothing to offer in the way of being a strong character. All of these personalities seem to be written as if they are strong; all fighting for our attention, but it just falls flat. There is no obvious good guy in the story and then with the two “worlds” colliding it makes even more of a mess.
The ending didn’t go where I thought it would, which left me even more disappointed because it just all sort of fell apart. If there is to be another book in the series, I can’t see the point. It’s not getting better; there is nothing to look forward to. Even as I write this I get more and more disappointed that I wasted my time with this book.
The ending didn’t go where I thought it would, which left me even more disappointed because it just all sort of fell apart. If there is to be another book in the series, I can’t see the point. It’s not getting better; there is nothing to look forward to. Even as I write this I get more and more disappointed that I wasted my time with this book.
Just ok
Though the ending of this book was good, I never gained an attachment to the characters, the book suggests that Finn and Claudia will get married, but there is never any spark, romance or relationship between them at all. If anything they just seem like friends, and not even good friends.
Though the ending of this book was good, I never gained an attachment to the characters, the book suggests that Finn and Claudia will get married, but there is never any spark, romance or relationship between them at all. If anything they just seem like friends, and not even good friends.
While I enjoyed this book, I don't think it was as good as Incarceron.
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. [Book Description from Amazon.com]
I have to admit, I had preconceived expectations for this book. After being completely blown away by Incarceron, I was expecting Sapphique to be just as amazing. No, actually, I was expecting it to be more amazing. Because that’s what sequels are supposed to be, right? The grand finale, the big finish, the one that takes your breath away.
Sapphique didn’t leave me breathless. It wasn’t amazing. Well, parts of it were amazing. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the actually story was great and well written, just like Incarceron, but the ending left me unsatisfied. It was kind of strange, to be honest. Mrs. Fisher’s writing style has the ability to dazzle you because it’s like poetry- it’s enchanting. On the other hand, it leaves you thinking, “That was beautiful. But I have no idea what just happened.”
The Good:
The beginning was great! I loved the whole magic show act with Rix and Attia, and I loved how Mrs. Fisher deceived us (that’s all I’m saying- no spoilers!). I think the beginning gripped me more than Incarceron did; it had me hooked faster and surer. It’s too bad the whole book wasn’t as good as the beginning.
The Bad:
Some parts were kind of tacky, I thought. Too cliché for Catherine Fisher’s style. I can’t recall which specific parts were tasteless, but I do remember that I didn’t like Rix’s reference to the story of Adam and Eve. The glove was supposed to represent the apple. I remember thinking, “Mrs. Fisher has woven this amazing tale that is unlike any other; why did she have to steal a Bible story?!” I just thought that maybe she could have been more original, or left the reference out altogether. Some people might find it enchanting, but I thought it was corny.
The Ugly:
The. Ending. Was. Awful. I felt really discontent with how everything was resolved. But I can’t say that I have a better idea of how it could have ended. Just not like that. Other people might be fine with it; but I didn’t like it. That’s just me, though. Yep, just me complaining. Changing the subject now…
Like I said in my review for Incarceron, this book is very dark. It’s very well written, which means it has the ability to drag you into the story, into the Realm, into Incarceron itself. Which pretty much means that you feel like you have a dark cloud hanging over your head the whole time. I’ll be blunt: parts are just downright depressing. I seriously felt so depressed and heavy when I was reading this book that I had to put it away for a week and read something lighter. Some people might not have a problem with it, but I did. So just as a warning: you might want to have some anti-depressants on hand when you dive into Sapphique.
To conclude, Sapphique was an incredible read aside from some cheesy parts and its overall dark mood. I think a mature reader would really enjoy it without having too many issue with it. It has a good message of how we try and ignore our problems and flaws, and the disaster that can cause.
Quick Content Review-
Language: Mild (three b-words and three h-words).
Sexual: None
Violence: Moderate- Heavy (It was pretty much the same as it was in Incarceron; not too bad for a mature reader, but I wouldn’t recommend it to the squeamish.)
I have to admit, I had preconceived expectations for this book. After being completely blown away by Incarceron, I was expecting Sapphique to be just as amazing. No, actually, I was expecting it to be more amazing. Because that’s what sequels are supposed to be, right? The grand finale, the big finish, the one that takes your breath away.
Sapphique didn’t leave me breathless. It wasn’t amazing. Well, parts of it were amazing. I guess what I’m trying to say is that the actually story was great and well written, just like Incarceron, but the ending left me unsatisfied. It was kind of strange, to be honest. Mrs. Fisher’s writing style has the ability to dazzle you because it’s like poetry- it’s enchanting. On the other hand, it leaves you thinking, “That was beautiful. But I have no idea what just happened.”
The Good:
The beginning was great! I loved the whole magic show act with Rix and Attia, and I loved how Mrs. Fisher deceived us (that’s all I’m saying- no spoilers!). I think the beginning gripped me more than Incarceron did; it had me hooked faster and surer. It’s too bad the whole book wasn’t as good as the beginning.
The Bad:
Some parts were kind of tacky, I thought. Too cliché for Catherine Fisher’s style. I can’t recall which specific parts were tasteless, but I do remember that I didn’t like Rix’s reference to the story of Adam and Eve. The glove was supposed to represent the apple. I remember thinking, “Mrs. Fisher has woven this amazing tale that is unlike any other; why did she have to steal a Bible story?!” I just thought that maybe she could have been more original, or left the reference out altogether. Some people might find it enchanting, but I thought it was corny.
The Ugly:
The. Ending. Was. Awful. I felt really discontent with how everything was resolved. But I can’t say that I have a better idea of how it could have ended. Just not like that. Other people might be fine with it; but I didn’t like it. That’s just me, though. Yep, just me complaining. Changing the subject now…
Like I said in my review for Incarceron, this book is very dark. It’s very well written, which means it has the ability to drag you into the story, into the Realm, into Incarceron itself. Which pretty much means that you feel like you have a dark cloud hanging over your head the whole time. I’ll be blunt: parts are just downright depressing. I seriously felt so depressed and heavy when I was reading this book that I had to put it away for a week and read something lighter. Some people might not have a problem with it, but I did. So just as a warning: you might want to have some anti-depressants on hand when you dive into Sapphique.
To conclude, Sapphique was an incredible read aside from some cheesy parts and its overall dark mood. I think a mature reader would really enjoy it without having too many issue with it. It has a good message of how we try and ignore our problems and flaws, and the disaster that can cause.
Quick Content Review-
Language: Mild (three b-words and three h-words).
Sexual: None
Violence: Moderate- Heavy (It was pretty much the same as it was in Incarceron; not too bad for a mature reader, but I wouldn’t recommend it to the squeamish.)
Unfortunately, a big disappointing ending to a brilliant series with a lot of potential. I loved Incarceron and vowed to buy it- hardcover! I am now really glad I decided to borrow Sapphique from the library and not purchase it. :| Many, many questions were left unanswered or simply answered with a, "Does it really matter?" YES. YES IT DOES. Alas. On to the next book.
Sapphique is the sequel to Incarceron. I must say that I did like this one better than the first. I enjoyed reading and learning more about the characters and how they've evolved since the first book. Once again, another cliffhanger ending, Ugh!! So frustrating, but definitely has me wanting to read the next book.
http://dragonflowersandbooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/sapphique-by-catherine-fisher-464-pgs.html
http://dragonflowersandbooks.blogspot.com/2010/12/sapphique-by-catherine-fisher-464-pgs.html