Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

Publisher: Firebird (September 6,

2011)

Pages: 480

Stars: 4/5

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. J

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.)

And just for fun, here's my all-time favorite quote from page 380:

Casper: "Who are you?"

Keiro: "Your worst nightmare."