Incarceron by Catherine Fisher

Released February, 2010.

I first heard of Incarceron during the 2007 Cybils where the two panelists who had read it made such a strong case for the book that it became one of the finalists.  (It is a British import and the two panelists had read the British version.)  It had a lot to live up to after that strong an endorsement and then after I waited two years to read it!   I am very happy to say that it lived up to it and then some.

Incarceron is a prison for the worst criminals, but it is more than that.  It is a second chance, a sealed community that was planned as the perfect society.  A prison that is alive, that looks after its charges, that nourishes them.  But after being sealed for 150 years, the prison is far from idyllic.  Finn was born in the prison, from the prison.  He awoke in a cell as a teen ager and he has visions of the outside, of the stars.  That makes him one man’s way out.  Claudia is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron.  She lives on on the outside as a member of the highest society.  Her wedding day is nearing to a prince she does not love, giving her a monarchy she does not desire in a court bound by entrenched protocols that keep them from using any technology.  Everything changes when both Finn and Claudia manage to gain access to a Key that lets them communicate together.  Now Finn must escape Incarceron and all of its traps while Claudia navigates the complicated and treacherous world of the court.

This fantasy is deep, dark and complex, just like Incarceron itself.  The two protagonists are very different from one another and yet drawn to each other.  Due to the prison, Finn has had to become someone he would never be while Claudia has to play her own role and not give away anything to her father or those around her.  As readers learn about the characters and the roles they play and who they really are, they are also learning the complexities of the world, of a prison that thinks and acts and of a society so bound by tradition it is spinning out of control. 

Fisher has built a world and characters of contrasts and similarities.  We have the wealthy juxtaposed with the most penniless, but their societies are so similar.  We have two types of prisons, side by side.  We have heroes in both, villains in both, and in both is Incarceron as a pivotal, physical being. 

This book is a puzzle, an enigma that is a delight to figure out, to wander through and to wonder about.  It is unflinchingly brutal, beautiful, hopeless and hopeful.  The pacing too is varied and adds to the tension and excitement as it rushes then lingers as time likes to do.

Highly recommended, this book is filled with great world building, fascinating characters and the wonder that is Incarceron.  Appropriate for ages 13-16.

Reviewed from ARC received from publisher.

Dragonfly by Julia Golding

Princess Taoshira comes from a court of rules, order and gentility, though she used to be a goatherd.  Prince Ramil comes from a life filled with horses and action.  The two of them could not be more different or have more different beliefs about life and religion.  Yet the two of them are betrothed to unite their two countries which are both on the brink of war with Fergox who believes in a god of war and blood.  Their first meeting is fraught with misunderstanding and miscommunication.  When they try to go out for a ride in the forest together, they are both kidnapped and taken to Fergox.  Now the question is whether they trust one another enough to escape together, because their odds of survival are better if they act as one.

Excellent fantasy, this book creates a world that is complex, fascinating and tangible.  Both protagonists are complicated people who learn much about themselves as they interact with one another.  There is growth in both of them throughout the book.  Part of that growth is their slow-building romance that also reads as so real that it almost aches.  Golding’s writing is strong and easily carries a book of this length without bogging.  In fact, the action is swift and often great fun as are many of the supporting characters the two come across in their journey. 

The most vital part of this book is the message of acceptance across cultural boundaries.  Though the two main characters are so different, they still have much in common as rulers of lands.  Yet it is the differences that are immediately apparent, it takes time and effort to find the common ground. 

A beautifully rendered, complex novel, this book will be enjoyed by fans of Kristin Cashore and Suzanne Collins.  Appropriate for ages 12-15.

Reviewed from copy received from publisher.

Also reviewed by Library Lounge Lizard.