Catherine Fisher

To free herself from an upcoming arranged marriage, Claudia, the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, a futuristic prison with a mind of its own, decides to help a young prisoner escape.

Incarceron

Incarceron is a prison so vast that it contains not only cells, but also metal forests, dilapidated cities, and vast wilderness. Finn, a seventeen-year-old prisoner, has no memory of his childhood and is sure that he came from Outside Incarceron. Very few prisoners believe that there is an Outside, however, which makes escape seems impossible. And then Finn finds a crystal key that allows him to communicate with a girl named Claudia. She claims to live Outside. She is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron, and doomed to an arranged marriage. Finn is determined to escape the prison, and Claudia believes she can help him. But they don't realize that there is more to Incarceron than meets the eye. Escape will take their greatest courage and cost more than they know. - Publisher.

Sarah Sammis

Incarceron by Catherine Fisher is about a missing prince and his betrothed, Claudia, trying to find him. She happens to be the Warden's daughter. The Warden runs the legendary prison — a well-hidden world within a world.

As there are two worlds: that of the prison (Incarceron) and that of the outside (Realm), there are parallel stories. In Realm, there is Claudia trying to do anything to avoid marrying a man she doesn't love while trying to rescue the man she does. Inside there is Finn who has gotten tired of just surviving and wants to follow the legend of Sapphique and escape the prison.

The mystery though of what Incareron is and where it is, gets in the way of Claudia and Finn's stories. The most frustrating aspect of this mystery is that it becomes obvious to the reader long before either of the two put the pieces together. By keeping the mystery a mystery to them, Fisher is prevented from expanding her world building.

That said, it's still a page turner. Although it's over 400 pages, those pages go quickly. It can easily be read in a weekend.

Dark, powerful and compelling, from the award-winning author of the Oracle.

Rachel Kanyid

I went in having NO expectations because it was a cover download from my library audiobooks, and I ended up loving it! Very intriguing!

iia w

I'm going to count this as "read" because I read enough pages for it to be a children's chapter book. 

It was stupid and did not make any sense. 

Giving this away for book credit at the store!

Barbara Rosas

3.5 en realidad. El libro es bueno pero en muchas ocasiones un tanto lento, algunas cosas son esperadas pero otras situaciones son realmente sorpresivas y me tentaban más a seguir leyendo.

Chloe Parpworth-Reynolds

One I've read twice now and I'm just not sure on. It seems so chaotic in places, it can flit very quickly and confusingly between two perspectives, and feels like the second or third book in a series - things are already established that over whelms the reader. However theres so much also to like, the world is so creative and I almost feel all that creativity is let down in the way the book has been put together. I think it would make a great film though.

Hope Brockway

"Incarceron" is a book unlike any other book I've read before. It captivated me and sucked me into its pages. The concept and twists and turns were so new and mind blowing. 

"Incarceron" is set in a futuristic world, but, after a revolution, the government has decided to revert back to the 1800s. So it's kind of like reading a sci-fi novel and historical fiction novel smashed into one. The prison itself was fascinating. Its huge rooms and large, metal forests were fascinating. The world building in this book was amazing. 

The characters were so real. Finn was my favorite. I guess there's something about a boy who has no memory that is just so fascinating. Now, I have a hard time connecting with female characters. I don't know what it is, but I just can't relate to them as well as male characters. Claudia wasn't like that. She was tough and cunning and caring. I really liked her. 

"Incarceron" was a bit confusing at some parts. And mind blowing. *nods vigorously with wide eyes* 

This book is quite dark. I'm just going to warn you. It starts with Finn chained to the railroad tracks. *cringes a little* And there were a few curse words. 

All in all, this book was fascinating. I loved it so much. It made my brain hurt with all the twists and turns.

Laura Springall

Interesting concept and I loved the world Fisher created, but I found it to be a little boring and slow. I more or less enjoyed it while reading it, but I highly doubt I'll ever read it again.

Mahasin S Ameen

Literally, it was okay. I think it was extremely well written and an extremely interesting premise, but I just couldn't get into it.

Jessica Nottingham

Incarceron is one of the most beautifully written and descriptive books I have had the opportunity to read this year. The story is woven in a way that pulls you in so deeply, that even if you don't always grasp exactly what's going on at the moment, you still feel like you NEED to know what happens. In a world filled with so many predictable plots, Incarceron really glowed for me!

First off, I was enamored with the thought of a sentient prison. A prison that has a personality, one that can modify itself at a whim to keep its prisoners in check, what could be more horrifying? One of the things I love most about the genre of Speculative Fiction is the innate fear of technology that pervades it. Authors share with us worlds where technology is given so much leeway, that it ends up ruling us all. This prison is encompasses everything I love about the world of Speculative Fiction.

We follow Finn, a prisoner in this high tech prison, through his daily life and his plans for escape. I loved Finn. I felt so much more him throughout the entire story. A character capable of deep thought, constantly at war within himself to remember a life he may have had. A character who knows who he wants to be as a person, but is forced to mold himself differently in order to survive. Finn was the type of character that made me want to finish this story. I was invested in his fight, and I wanted him to succeed!

Completely different, but also so interesting, was the world of Claudia and Jared. "Protocol" brought an interesting spin to their world, trapping it forever in the Victorian Era. It was fascinating watching them play through this time period over and over each day, while around them technology was ever present in odd and hidden places. That, and I adore Claudia deeply! Her stubborn, stoic and intelligent demeanor really helped drive me through confusing parts of the book. I was always anxious to see what she would do next, since Claudia gets what Claudia wants.

Overall I think Incarceron is a fabulously written story! I admit at times it does get a bit heavy on description, and perhaps a little confusing, but in the long run the read is completely worth it. I found myself so immersed in vastly different worlds of Claudia and Finn that I was sad when the book ended. Long story short? I cannot wait for Sappique!

Patricia Santos

http://girlinchaiselongue.blogspot.pt...

Primeiro livro futurístico da aclamada autora Catherine Fisher, Incarceron foi considerado um dos melhores livros de fantasia dos últimos tempos e foi vencedor de seis prémios literários, entre eles o Mythopoeic Society of America's Children's Fiction Award, para além de ter sido selecionado como Children's Book of the Year pelo The Times. Traduzido para vinte e cinco línguas, está a ser adaptado ao cinema pela 20th Century Fox. Em Portugal, aguarda-se o lançamento do segundo e último volume acerca deste mundo.
Gaulesa, Fisher é licenciada em Literatura Inglesa e para além de escrever romances é também poetisa, tendo sido várias vezes galardoada pelo seu trabalho. Antes de se dedicar totalmente à escrita, foi professora e arqueóloga mas não deixou de transmitir o seu fascínio por história e mitos nos seus livros. Autora de mais de 40 trabalhos é considerada uma das melhores autoras contemporâneas de fantasia.
Uma sociedade futurística com demasiado medo do desenvolvimento tecnológico cria uma prisão, um pequeno mundo aparte onde coloca todo o tipo de gente, um local onde esperam poder transformar os humanos em seres exemplares, onde esperam poder modificar a essência do ser humano. Uma prisão com vida, que pensa e fala e toma decisões por si própria, uma prisão que muda todo o que nela vive. A tecnologia é escondida e cá fora, as pessoas vivem sobre um Protocolo que as obriga a viver como uma sociedade do século XVII mas os pensadores desta ideia parecem ter esquecido a ânsia por conhecimento, a fome por poder que torna o Homem naquilo que realmente é.
Dentro das paredes perdidas de Incarceron, uma infinidade de lugares por explorar escondem segredos mesmo dos que nela habitam e permitem guardar o que nunca se espera ser encontrado pois poucos sabem como entrar e ninguém sabe como sair. Todos preferem esquecer que a prisão existe e tudo o que a ela seja associada é motivo de temor e respeito mas lá dentro, alguém sabe que já sentiu o sol na face e memórias perdidas fortalecem a vontade de fugir para o Exterior mesmo que a saída seja uma lenda em que ninguém acredite. Imaginativo e original, este livro tinha tudo para ser uma obra-prima da Fantasia mas, apesar de não ser tão mau quanto parecia, Incarceron está longe de ter sido completamente satisfatório. A escrita de Fisher é limpa e directa, sem grandes subterfúgios ou segundas palavras, o que por um lado é bom mas por outro, a ideia deste livro não pode e não devia ter sido metida nestes termos. 
Quando começámos a leitura, esperámos grandes e maravilhosas descrições de coisas fantásticas e inimagináveis, explicações longas de como funciona esta sociedade, das diferenças entre o Exterior e a Prisão, coisas necessárias a este tipo de enredo mas que neste livro não acontecem e aí escapa ao leitor toda a essência da narrativa, uma vez que a ideia por trás do livro é brilhante mas a sua execução tem demasiadas falhas para não serem notadas. Não significa que este seja um mau livro atenção, pelo contrário, é um bom livro mas um que podia ter sido muito melhor do que realmente é. A verdade é que a qualidade da história vai melhorando conforme se avança na leitura, muito por culpa da acção compulsiva da narrativa, já que há sempre algo a acontecer mas o leitor já tem na mente aquele início banal, já estando desiludido com a história, é difícil depois abarcar a genialidade inerente àquelas palavras tão simples.
Com a falta de descrições, faltou profundidade às personagens e apenas Claudia e o pai conseguiram aguçar a minha curiosidade devido a todas as nuances inerentes àquilo que são e o que escondem por trás das fechadas frias de cortesãos. De resto, faltou personalidade e dispensava-se muitos dos clichés e discursos demasiado iguais. Finn, o protagonista do livro, acaba por ser uma grande desilusão. Esperámos um rapaz cheio de personalidade e energia, uma lenda a temer em Incarceron, um herói temível e sai-nos uma «menina» assustadiça e ingénua demais para o gosto de quem quer que seja. 
Tirando isso, não foi uma leitura má de todo mesmo com os clichés e segredos demasiado óbvios para toda a gente perceber. A autora consegue mexer bem com os espaços que criou e a narrativa não falha em acção e aventura, mantendo o leitor agarrado ao livro. Ao dividir o livro igualmente pela prisão e pelo Exterior, vai aguçando a curiosidade e mantendo o interesse do leitor mas o que realmente salva o livro é o final que salta à vista do restante livro pelos grandes momentos que proporciona e a personalização da Prisão, com diálogos que nos fazem pensar que deviam ter durado mais páginas e nos fazem arrepiar e pensar em Big Brother.
Para mim não é, de todo, um dos melhores livros de fantasia que já li, nem chega a ser distopia ou steampunk mas parece-me que antecede um segundo livro muito melhor que irei ler só para tirar as teimas. Aconselho a leitura a leitores com muita imaginação e que detestem livros muito descritivos mas caso contrário não me parece que irão gostar.

Incarceron

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