The dystopian story of the living prison begun in Incarceron (U.S. edition: Dial, 2010) continues with hope having turned to pessimism. Finally free from Incarceron, Finn hates his life in Claudia’s luxurious world, and doubts he is actually Giles, the prince destined for the throne. And he’s not alone. The appearance of a second young man claiming to be Giles complicates Finn’s already tenuous claim. Finn can’t remember anything about his life before prison, while the other young man offers sharp and detailed memories of Prince Giles’s childhood. It’s clear to Finn that even Claudia doubts his identity, although she tries to hide her uncertainty and her disappointment in his lack of princely demeanor. Finn also worries about his friends Keiro and Attia, still trapped in Incarceron. The two have formed a reluctant alliance as they search for the dragon glove that belonged to Sapphique, the legendary figure who escaped the prison long ago. Meanwhile, Incarceron is plotting its own escape—into a human body—and the facades and functions in both the prison and the court begin to crumble. As in Incarceron , the narration alternates back and forth between action in prison and Outside, sometimes at a breakneck pace. Parallel interwoven plots converge in the continuation of Catherine Fisher’s metallic, futuristic, and suspenseful series. (Age 13 and older)