I listened to this book as an audiobook and I greatly enjoyed it. The idea of a prisoner who has no memory of who he has endless possibilities and I feel Catherine Fisher had a unique take on the prospect. She has a bunch of diverse characters within her story and I had a hard time finding one I didn’t like. I found myself even rooting for the character that drove under my skin. In the end, the character I was rooting for the most broke my heart so much that I immediately downloaded the sequel, Sapphique.
The fantasy world of Incarceron is exciting and full of little details that make your rib shudder when you really think about it. At first, I was bit confused because I felt a touch of sci-fi within the story, but it’s fantasy elements aren’t overwhelmed by it. As the story progressed, it became clear how the sci-fi supported the tone of the story.
As I was listening to my audiobook, I remember fearing that the story was becoming predictable. You have a main character searching for his memories and you have a secondary main character searching for someone specific. It becomes clear early on that they need each other, and you start to see the path of the story. However, Catherine Fisher does a great job throwing doubt into the mix. Is the main character really who we think he is? Or is he a monstrosity of old parts sewn together?
I was drawn into Incarceron without knowing it was a series. When I had only an hour left on my audiobook, I realized there would be more to the story. There was too much that needed to happen for the story wrap up in an hour. I was debating at that point if I wanted to listen to the sequel and any book after it. Yet, the last chapter made up my mind for me. As I said, I immediately downloaded the sequel. I’m a lover of redemption stories and I hold out hope that the character that broke my heart will return. I’ll type up a short review of the sequel when I finish it as well.
For now, I recommend reading Incarceron by Catherine Fisher. There’s adventure, mystery, scandals, and masks of the court. Even recounting it now, I have questions I hope get answered in the sequel.
Thank you, Catherine Fisher, for your story.
nikki diekemper 