Incarceron

"Who can chart the vastness of Incarceron?
Its halls and viaducts, its chasms?
Only the man who has known freedom
can define his prison.
                        -Songs of Sapphique"
(Fisher, 10).                        


Hey everybody! So I just started this new book called Incarceron, and to be honest, I'm not really sure what to think of it yet. I definitely like it, but I'm going to have to read more for sure. So something that makes this book really interesting is the setting. There are two different settings of the book, which are a prison and a small town. They seem to be set in two different time periods, but subtle hints from the author show that both of the stories occuring in this setting happen at the same time. Yes, this can get a little confusing, but the author separates the stories by telling them through alternating chapters. This helps the reader to keep the stories serparate without forgetting the other story. So there are basically two different plot lines and settings, but I have a feeling the author will add a twist somewhere along the way to make the plots intertwine and come together.

What I enjoy the most about this book (so far) are the vivid descriptions that are used to paint a picture of the setting. The author, Catherine Fisher, does a beautiful job transporting you into the world of Incarceron, a prison that is alive. From what I know so far, I can distinguish different groups that live within the prison, who all have a common goal:to survive any obsticle that Incarceron may create. "He was gasping with relief, but the trucks still came on. Surely the Civicry could see him. They must be able to see him! The flashlight was a star in the immense rumbling darkness of the hall, and in that moment, through all its stairs and galleries and thousands of labyrinthine chambers he knew Incarceron had sensed his peril, and the crah of the trucks was its harsh amusement, that the Prison watched him and would not interfere" (Fisher, 11). In this short description, we learn a lot of information about Incarceron. We know that Incarceron is a living prison, as well as is able to feel emotion, such as amusement, and that Incarceron is very vast. We also learn that there are different groups of people that live within the walls of Incarceron, such as the Civicry and other groups mentioned later in the book (Starseers and Comitatus).

The other story in the book has a setting that is very different from the prison. "From this height she could see the while estate; the kitchen garden, glasshouses, and organery, the gnarled apple trees in the orchard, the barns where the dances were held in the winter" (Fisher, 16). Right away, we notice that the setting is in complete contrast with the prison. It is much more calm and relaxing, unlike the tense and nervous feeling of the other story. I have a feeling that Catherine Fisher will use this contrast to twist the plots together to make the book more interesting.

I'm so excited to read more!!! Here is the author's website for information about herself, Incarceron, and other books:

Catherine Fisher Website