Sapphique by Catherine Fisher

This book is the sequel to Incarceron, and I gave it a rating of four out of five. Finn has escaped the living prison, but he discovers that the Outside is not the paradise he expected. He is supposed to be the heir to the throne, but the evil queen will do anything to stop him. Finn doesn't remember much about his past, so the queen creates an impostor to say he's the real heir. Claire, daughter of the prison's Warden and Finn's close friend, wants to end Protocol and make the realm more democratic. Finn just wants to get back to Incarceron to help his friends, Keira and Attia. In the meantime, they are trying to escape the prison, but it has become obsessed with seeing the Outside too. Everybody wants to get their hands on Sapphique's glove. Sapphique was rumored to be the first inmate to escape, and the glove is supposed to give the wearer power and knowledge. All of the characters and events in the book lead to a final climax at the Portal, a door between the two worlds.

I read Incarceron last year and forgot some of the events. I recommend you read both books back-to-back to get the full enjoyment. The prison is a living organism, so it takes some imagination to understand that concept. The Outside is just an illusion, and it's hard to remember that too. The setting mostly went back and forth between Incarceron and the Outside, but a third setting was added when Claire's mentor left the palace. I found it a little annoying when the book jumped between three plots. The character development was well done as Finn was torn between helping the Outside and saving his friends within the prison.