Sapphique

Catherine Fisher

ISBN 10: 1613831447 ISBN 13: 9781613831441

Publisher: Perfection Learning, 2011

Synopsis

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.
"High-intensity, mind-bending . . . Fisher further explores themes of reality, illusion, and freedom without losing her intensely original world-building and authentic characters." - "Booklist," starred review
"Even as the steadily ratcheting certainty of impending catastrophe keeps the pages turning, the sheer richness of the evocative descriptions demands that every sentence be savored. . . . For those who can appreciate the interplaying reflections of lies, myths and memory, a modern masterpiece." - "Kirkus Reviews," starred review

About this title

Review

Amazon Exclusive: A Letter from Catherine Fisher

In the dark Prison of Incarceron, the prisoners tell tales of a legendary man – Sapphique, the only inmate ever to escape. There are hundreds of tales of his exploits, but are any of them true? Did he even exist?

Attia and Keiro certainly think so, and when they hear that a crazy magician called Rix is using Sapphique’s lost Glove in his magical act, they’re determined to steal it. Meanwhile, out in the Realm, Finn is not finding being a Prince easy, and he’s tormented by doubts about his own identity.

I wanted to explore all our uncertainties about ourselves in this sequel to Incarceron. Who are we? Can we do the things others expect of us? And can we ever escape ourselves?

Expect the terrors of the Ice wing, a chain-gang, a duel, a masked ball, and the fearful anger of the Prison as it prepares to abandon its inmates to darkness and death forever.

--Catherine Fisher

Amazon Q&A with Catherine Fisher

Q: Why did you choose to write a second novel about Finn, Claudia and the world of Incarceron? Did you originally plan to write the story as a duet, or did the idea from Sapphique grow out of the experience of writing Incarceron?

A: Originally I thought Incarceron would be a stand-alone novel, but as I wrote it and it became more complex I came to realize it would not all fit in one book. So it became two. Sapphique carries on almost from the point the first book ends.

Q: Which of the characters from Sapphique was the most pleasure to write?

A: All the characters were fun to write. There was a new one, Rix, who I enjoyed, and Attia has more prominence in the second book. Finn is struggling with his life in the Court, so that was a new aspect, and his relationship with Claudia changes, as her doubts about him grow. The character who perhaps develops most, is Jared, who really gets to be maybe the most important person by the end. And of course there's Keiro, irrepressible as ever!

Q: What do you think makes Sapphique different than other dystopian novels? Do you even consider Incarceron and Sapphique dystopian books?

A: I suppose the books do take place in a world which is dystopian, but it's not a world where all hope is gone. The very end of Sapphique suggests that. Maybe that makes them a little different, and gives the readers a hint of cheerfulness.

Q: You have written many wonderful fantasy novels. What draws you to fantasy as a genre?

A: I like books that have the unusual in them. I like to be pleasantly puzzled when I read, and to have to work things out. Also I feel that the elements fantasy uses--magic, the supernatural, folk tales etc--serve to widen out the story and give it a universal sense. They make the book a sort of myth, where a recurring pattern is re-enacted.

Q: What do you like best about writing for teens?

A: What I like about writing for teens is that teens are so enthusiastic and positive about what they like. You get a lot of feedback, and people use the novels to make their own artwork and stories from, which is great. Also people of this age group are very open-minded and willing to suspend disbelief, which adults sometimes aren't. So I hope to go on writing for teens!

About the Author

Catherine Fisher is the New York Times best-selling author of Incarceron. She is “one of today’s best fantasy writers,” according to the London Independent. An acclaimed novelist and poet, she has written many fantasy books for young people, including The Oracle Prophecy series. Look for Incarceron, available on audio from Listening Library.

About this edition

• Publisher: Perfection Learning
• Publication date: 2011
• ISBN 10: 1613831447
• ISBN 13: 9781613831441
• Binding: Library Binding
• Number of pages: 464