As a librarian, I am regularly asked "What is your favorite book." I never have an answer for this. I have many "favorites" depending on my mood and what I need from a book at the moment. However, I will admit to a soft spot for the fantasy genre. I know, I know...it's not for everyone, but the thing is, there's a reason why so many books with cult followings are fantasy. Fantasy like the Lord of the Rings, the Chronicles of Narnia, The Wheel of Time, and Harry Potter have all the hallmarks of good storytelling--well-developed characters whose lives and fates you care about, suspense, drama, and compelling themes. But on top of the storytelling the writers of good fantasy have the almost other-worldly ability to invent entire worlds that are simultaneously foreign to us and yet recognizable. They develop entire mythologies and histories for the peoples in their books and often new languages, new environments and new cultures. We fantasy fans are so loyal to these invented worlds because we find them so wondrous and believable that we want them to be real.
So yes, generally, fantasy is my "go-to" genre, but I'm picky about what I label "really good fantasy." In the past couple years, I've added Kristin Cashore's Graceling and Fire to this list, along with Shannon Hale's Books of Bayern series and Elizabeth Knox's awesome Dreamhunter Duet. I am happy to say I've recently added another--Incarceron by Catherine Fisher.
Incarceron is a prison, created as an experimental closed system to rehabilitate and relocate troublemakers away from the "mainland." The book begins several generations after the invention of Incarceron, when the experiment appears to be going horribly wrong. In the opening scenes we meet Finn, a young man surviving in a gang through ruthlessness and street smarts. Finn can't remember his childhood, but he believes he is from the outside--something those around him dismiss as impossible. Through a chance of fate, Finn comes across an enemy who may be able to get him some answers.
Later, we meet Claudia, daughter of the prison warden, and, in some ways, a prisoner herself. She lives in an artificial world where everyone must stay "authentic" to a medieval time period where loyalty to one's lord and king is all. She has been groomed to marry the prince since childhood but knows she is being manipulated. When she breaks into her father's office looking for proof, she finds a key that connects her to Finn. Can Claudia find the door to the prison before her wedding day and without the queen or her father discovering her? Can Finn trust Claudia with his life and the lives of his companions? Ahh...these are just two of the many deliciously suspenseful questions that get answered by novel's end. This book is just full of imaginative detail and wonderful plot twists that will have you holding your breath as you race to end. And kudos to Catherine Fisher for a bang-up finish with an exciting question left to be answered in the next book in the series (I hate this latest trend of first books having a weak or unresolved ending to ensure the need for a sequel). The sequel, Sapphique will be out in stores December 28. I know I'll be there!
To watch the book trailer for Incarceron, check out: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sMRFsTwwj_U
