Incarceron

by Catherine Fisher
New York: Dial Books, 2010.

Finn is a prisoner in Incarceron, the sentient prison originally intended as a utopia, but truly a savage place with Scum and outlaws and all-seeing eyes. Claudia is the daughter of the Warden of Incarceron. As the betrothed of the Prince, Claudia may apparently have an idyllic life, but she's in a prison of her own.

The world imaged in Incarceron is apparently sometime in the future. Huge scientific discoveries were made and a lot of technology could be available, but the people have purposely turned their backs on it, instead following a Protocol much like the Victorian Era. Both those inside and outside Incarceron still seemed imprisoned by Protocol and by the royal family - what Claudia's father refers to as "the game." The world-building is complex and sometimes confused me, but it builds up the tension and suspense in reading. Finn and Claudia are sympathetic characters, and I want to know more about each of them. I hope future titles in the series further explore their backgrounds, and I'll be waiting impatiently for book 2 (due out December of this year).