No really, don't try it.
I was first acquainted with Ms. Catherine Fisher many years ago, and I will forever recall our meeting with a wince and a shudder.
The time in which I got to know her was very brief and utterly horrifying. Someone, perhaps my mom, came home with an extremely tantalizing, thick, nasty-looking volume.
It was named The Sphere of Secrets.
I pried it open with sufficient excitement, thinking I had found a trove of treasure. It was, as you may conjecture, a trap.
Fisher proceeded to barrage me with a crooked tale of adventure, intrigue, and assassination. She forces the reader to shadow the parallel stories of several characters, each with their own hopes, dreams and motivations- but their ultimate goal in their world is survival.
She cleverly weaves a tale of mystery and fear with so many twists and cliff-hangers that one begins to think she actually enjoys leading her characters and readers astray to the brink of their deaths.
The book defeated me in a mere two days. I had to put it down, away, and out of my sight, not wanting to hear or feel the adrenaline and fright of the clamoring voices coming from the book, the suspense hissing in my head.
But recently I picked up another book of hers, Incarceron. In typical Fisher style, the book does not disappoint. It is fierce and daring, and she mercilessly rips the reader's heart out in the end.
Incarceron is a running mockery of humans and our construction of this thing we call "reality." Fisher likes to play mind games, and she always wins. Though perhaps not as often as Isobelle Carmody (oooooh, DISSSS. Yeah, Isobelle really takes the cake, but thats for later.)
If you are looking for a story to raise your blood pressure and kidnap your rationality, please consult my dear friend Catherine Fisher. She knows just the thing.
Thanks for the recommendation Amrutha :) I'm always looking for a new good book, and this one seems quite exciting!
ReplyDeleteThis seems like an interesting book! Does she have any series? I like the title of this post a lot.
ReplyDeleteYes, The Sphere of Secrets is her 2nd book in The Oracle trilogy. She has also written The Book of the Crow series and The Snow Walker trilogy.
ReplyDeleteSounds scary! But intriguing. Very visceral review!
ReplyDeleteI loved your style in this essay! I'm currently compiling a summer reading list so I'll have to check Fisher :)
ReplyDeleteI tried to read Incarceron and I haven't managed to get very far. I think it's because I read right before I go to bed, and you have to be a bit more attentive and awake to read that book. You might be interested to know that the book is being made into a movie supposedly staring Taylor Lautner and Emma Watson. Since you've finished the book, what do you think of those actors as the leads?
ReplyDeleteOMG, no way! Emma Watson will probably nail Claudia, she has the whole girl-stuck-in-an-ivory-tower thing down. But I'm not so sure of Taylor Lautner as Fin...all I can think of when I see him is "ewww, Twilight!"
ReplyDeleteWonderful way to recommend a book! I want to pick it up immediately (and then again I don't). Your writing is engaging as usual. Keep up the good work!
ReplyDelete"Incarceron?" With a title like that, I'd never take it off the shelf: at least, not without a recommendation, and this is one hell of a recommendation. Fine. Impress me, Catherine Fisher.
ReplyDeleteIn seriousness, though, a writer who can actually make you give half a damn about the characters is a rare thing these days. I'll have to see whether Fisher lives up for the challenge. Thanks.
Great review. Going to add these to my summer reading list. Which would you recommend looking at first?
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