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Incarceron & Sapphique - Catherine Fisher | Book Review

Incarceron & Sapphique (series review)

Catherine Fisher

Reviewed 2/3/25


Rating:

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️


Review (NO spoilers):

This series was not exactly what I was expecting when I picked it up off the library shelf! The plot and world were quite intriguing, but I didn't like many of the characters, and the plot was slow at times. A solid duology that at times could not decide if it was sci-fi or fantasy. I enjoyed it.

Scroll down for SPOILERED review

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Review (SPOILERS):

One of the best things about this series, in my opinion, is its unique concept / originality. A living prison that’s actually infinitesimally small in a modern, advanced world voluntarily living like it's the 1600s. The split between Claudia & Finn's POVs (in the first book, at least) remains interesting because both worlds are interesting. As the series progressed, though, I began to dislike both main characters; 

Claudia is clearly spoiled, fairly self-centered, and blissfully unaware of it. Finn is kind of boring; he tries too hard to have depth when he constantly reflects on betraying the Maestra. I really, really liked Queen Sia until she just withered and died in the second book. Claudia was all “she's the real villain here! She's powerful and scary!” and I really was hoping she would actually do something… 

...but she didn't. 

The whole who's-the-real-prince in the second book was infuriating to read; that trope is so overdone and this was not in any way a good rendition of it. In the end, the Warden still refused to tell them if Finn was really Giles or not. I want to know…?

I have my criticisms, but overall this was a pretty good series. I enjoyed it.



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