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Arkadien #1
Arkadien erwacht
Schon bei ihrer Ankunft auf Sizilien fühlt sich Rosa, als wäre sie in einen alten Film geraten - der Chauffeur, der ihre zufällige Reisebekanntschaft Alessandro am Flughafen erwartet; der heruntergekommene Palazzo ihrer Tante; und dann die Gerüchte um zwei Mafiaclans, die seit Generationen erbittert gegeneinander kämpfen: die Alcantaras und die Carnevares, Rosas und Alessandros Familien. Trotzdem trifft sich Rosa weiterhin mit Alessandro. Seine kühle Anmut, seine animalische Eleganz faszinieren und verunsichern sie gleichermaßen. Doch in Alessandro ruht ein unheimliches Erbe, das nicht menschlich ist...
448 pages, Paperback
First published November 1, 2009
94 people are currently reading
8727 people want to read
About the author
Kai Meyer
140 books1,447 followersWith millions of books sold worldwide, Kai Meyer is one of Germany's most successful authors. His novels have been translated into 27 languages including English, Spanish, French, Italian, Japanese, Russian and Chinese.
Kai Meyer was born in 1969 in northern Germany. He began college at the University of Bochum, Germany, where he studied film, theatre, and philosophy. After a year, he dropped out to work for a newspaper as a trainee journalist, followed by two years as a staff journalist.
Kai wrote his first novel in his early 20s, and it was published when he was just 24 years old. He has been a full-time novelist since 1995. To date, Kai has written nearly 50 books – some for adults, some for teenagers. Kai’s books are mostly historical with strong fantastical overtones. There are over 1.5 million Kai Meyer books in print in Germany, and he is quickly gaining popularity in other countries as well: THE WATER MIRROR went into its third US printing before it was even delivered to bookstores, and his young adult dark fantasy series SIEBEN SIEGEL is a substantial hit in Japan. The British edition of THE FLOWING QUEEN / THE WATER MIRROR won the 2007 Marsh Award for Best Children´s Book in Translation.
In 2007 his historical novel DAS GELÜBDE (The Vow) was turned into a movie by celebrated German director Dominik Graf. SIEBEN SIEGEL is set to be filmed in 2008, other books are optioned.
Kai has also written screenplays, two of which have been made into TV movies. He is the author of a hardcover comic book, PANDORAMICUM, and is one of the creators of the fantasy role-playing game ENGEL (US edition by White Wolf).
Kai Meyer lives in Westphalia near the Rhine in Germany.
Kai Meyer was born in 1969 in northern Germany. He began college at the University of Bochum, Germany, where he studied film, theatre, and philosophy. After a year, he dropped out to work for a newspaper as a trainee journalist, followed by two years as a staff journalist.
Kai wrote his first novel in his early 20s, and it was published when he was just 24 years old. He has been a full-time novelist since 1995. To date, Kai has written nearly 50 books – some for adults, some for teenagers. Kai’s books are mostly historical with strong fantastical overtones. There are over 1.5 million Kai Meyer books in print in Germany, and he is quickly gaining popularity in other countries as well: THE WATER MIRROR went into its third US printing before it was even delivered to bookstores, and his young adult dark fantasy series SIEBEN SIEGEL is a substantial hit in Japan. The British edition of THE FLOWING QUEEN / THE WATER MIRROR won the 2007 Marsh Award for Best Children´s Book in Translation.
In 2007 his historical novel DAS GELÜBDE (The Vow) was turned into a movie by celebrated German director Dominik Graf. SIEBEN SIEGEL is set to be filmed in 2008, other books are optioned.
Kai has also written screenplays, two of which have been made into TV movies. He is the author of a hardcover comic book, PANDORAMICUM, and is one of the creators of the fantasy role-playing game ENGEL (US edition by White Wolf).
Kai Meyer lives in Westphalia near the Rhine in Germany.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 467 reviews
September 18, 2017
“One day," she said, "I'll catch dreams like butterflies."
"And then what?" he asked.
"Then I'll put them between the pages of big, fat books and press them until they're words."
Arcadia Awakens is a series very close to my heart. There's so many things I love about it.
Imagine the most sarcastic female protagonist arriving in Sicily, her family deeply involved in mafia affairs and hiding darker secrets than she could imagine, all the while trying not to get killed or to fall in love with the enemy's heir. But that's not the least of it. There is something under her skin - literally - something that shouldn't be possible, something that will change her and her world forever.
Arcadia Awakens combines a fascinating, original story and breathtaking writing. I highly recommend it.
Find more of my books on Instagram
"And then what?" he asked.
"Then I'll put them between the pages of big, fat books and press them until they're words."
Arcadia Awakens is a series very close to my heart. There's so many things I love about it.
Imagine the most sarcastic female protagonist arriving in Sicily, her family deeply involved in mafia affairs and hiding darker secrets than she could imagine, all the while trying not to get killed or to fall in love with the enemy's heir. But that's not the least of it. There is something under her skin - literally - something that shouldn't be possible, something that will change her and her world forever.
Arcadia Awakens combines a fascinating, original story and breathtaking writing. I highly recommend it.
Find more of my books on Instagram
March 30, 2012
This book managed to tick all of the boxes for the first few chapters (actually quite a few chapters because they're only short) and I was pleasantly surprised to find a young adult author that: a) doesn't think it's okay to be condescending when the audience is younger, and b) creates an atypical heroine who isn't all about drooling after her inevitable one true love. As a matter of fact, the author attempts to write quite prettily and sets the scene in the Sicilian countryside very well, you can practically hear the waves of the Mediterranean sloshing against the shore.
The protagonist - Rosa - immediately stands out against countless other young adult urban fantasy heroines. She's introduced as something of a kleptomaniac, she's snarky and upon meeting the novel's obvious love interest, rather than seeing cupids flying and hearing someone playing a violin, she turns away with a good dose of sarcasm as a goodbye present. It's no secret that they will clearly meet again and gradually Rosa's attitude towards him will change, but I was thankful for the lack of insta-love and sappy heroines.
So, I had the protagonist I've always longed for, the setting out of my wildest dreams... what was the problem? The lack of story. Or, at least, the lack of an engaging story. I kept reading and waiting for the moment when the author would use her heroine and her setting to create a novel that would blow my mind but it just never delivered. The big mystery of the book was easy to guess, even the author realised this and revealed it all pretty early on... but after that the story consisted of a lot of info-dumping about Greek mythology and the Italian mafia and the legendary island of Arcadia. I felt that the author set the kind of scene that had me anticipating something awesome but it was highly anticlimatic in the end.
I do wonder if this was done intentionally, because this book is the start of a trilogy and perhaps the author wanted to place emphasis on the setting and characters in book one so that you would actually care about them when the real story gets going in book two. It's possible but it isn't enough, if you're writing the first book in a series it's so important to make sure the readers are going to want to continue. I finished this book feeling like I had nothing to look forward to in the sequels.
Many thanks to the publisher for kindly providing an arc of this for review
April 24, 2015
Hier geht's zu meiner Rezension: https://youtu.be/5qhU4s3VEWc
July 8, 2025
Ein Herzensbuch – damals wie heute, auch 16 Jahre später 🤍
dnf
December 17, 2011As much as I want to know more about the difficult main character (she lies, steals and is fond of acting all emo), as much I like a good mafia story and as much as I adore an exotic locale (Sicily!), the writing (or the translation) is just not good enough. The sentences are choppy and don't flow together, the observations are often trite or unnecessary, the narrative is dull, distant and lifeless.
This might be the case of writing style incompatibility though.
This might be the case of writing style incompatibility though.
January 25, 2012
You know, you’d never think that, when putting together a story using the Italian Mafia and mythology would mix. Kai Meyer’s “Arcadia Awakens” not only makes it totally work, but literally casts a spell over his readers. This book is gorgeously written, with no stone left unturned, and makes for a very good first book in a trilogy. If you like your heroines awesome with a side of gumption, you definitely need to read “Arcadia Awakens”, ASAP.
For a first book, this part of the Arkadien trilogy is surprisingly full-bodied. Had I not already known that this had been published as a trilogy in Germany, I would have thought it a standalone. It reads like a standalone, and yet leaves lots of room for more expansion into this world of snakes, tigers, myths, and the mob. Meyer covers all of his bases so thoroughly that I was quite impressed and just a taste speechless by the end of the book. The characters feel fully-rounded and totally 3D (hell, I kind of wish I were in the Alacantara household – even if dangerous, it never seems dull!), the sensory language positively electric. All of the arcs and the sub-arcs were executed more or less flawlessly, without leaving me scratching my head in confusion or worse, throwing the book across the room in rage at lack of that sense of completion we as the reading audience look for when reading.
More impressive, Meyer has conquered cross-gender narration. This book is mainly written in 3rd close, so we get to be in Rosa’s head without her actually telling the story herself. 3rd close, if used correctly, can be completely gender-neutral, or shapeshift to fit the gender of the character it follows. Meyer does that here so well that I was completely convinced that this had been written by a woman. It’s very difficult to write characters that are not of the same gender as the writer, I’ve figured out, especially when there might be romance involved, and still manage to make it realistic. But Meyer is one of the few male writers I’ve seen in YA that’s managed to create a completely believable YA heroine and not what just might be a male mental facsimile of one. (Hey, ladies, we tend to do the mental male facsimile thing, too – especially when it comes to creating convincing/realistic guys in romantic situations – so don’t think it’s just a problem that the guys have when creating female protagonists. I bring this up because it’s a simple problem that comes up a lot when you try to write a differently-gendered protagonist, regardless of the author’s gender. Redundant? Maybe. But it needed to be said.) That being said, I think that this will be one of the few YA books with a female protagonist that will be easily relatable to both genders as an audience. It has something for everyone, whether you’re a boy, girl, or somewhere in between, and that’s hard to do, especially in YA.
But what really knocked my socks off was the part about a more obscure bit of Greek mythology: King Lycaon and Arcadia. I won’t spoil the story, but I’ll just say this – the way that Meyer rebuilt this mythology to fit his own was incredibly awesome, and I want to know more, now. Hell, I want the last two books now (since, unfortunately, I can’t speak, read, nor write in German). He gives us just enough to fill in the blanks, and doesn’t quite leave us on a cliffhanger, but doesn’t get anywhere close to answering the rest of our questions (how this Greek version of utopia migrated to the Italian Mafia, for instance), either. But as I said before, this reads as a standalone, and the way that all of these questions and answers were plugged into the main arc and sub-arcs, I’m totally cool with how the information was dealt out, both in amount and in method.
Also, my hat’s off to the translator – you did a fantastic job. This reads smoothly with no “translatese” issues that translated works so often have.
I think that this book is going to be a hit when it gets published on Valentine’s Day (the most appropriate release date for this story, to be perfectly honest) here in the States, and I sincerely hope it gets the attention and adoration it deserves. This definitely is within my top ten of 2012 so far, so you guys really have to give it a read. “Arcadia Awakens” will definitely make you want to fly off to rural Italy, stalk the mob, and hunt for tigers and snakes in the night. Highly recommended!
(posted to goodreads, librarything, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
For a first book, this part of the Arkadien trilogy is surprisingly full-bodied. Had I not already known that this had been published as a trilogy in Germany, I would have thought it a standalone. It reads like a standalone, and yet leaves lots of room for more expansion into this world of snakes, tigers, myths, and the mob. Meyer covers all of his bases so thoroughly that I was quite impressed and just a taste speechless by the end of the book. The characters feel fully-rounded and totally 3D (hell, I kind of wish I were in the Alacantara household – even if dangerous, it never seems dull!), the sensory language positively electric. All of the arcs and the sub-arcs were executed more or less flawlessly, without leaving me scratching my head in confusion or worse, throwing the book across the room in rage at lack of that sense of completion we as the reading audience look for when reading.
More impressive, Meyer has conquered cross-gender narration. This book is mainly written in 3rd close, so we get to be in Rosa’s head without her actually telling the story herself. 3rd close, if used correctly, can be completely gender-neutral, or shapeshift to fit the gender of the character it follows. Meyer does that here so well that I was completely convinced that this had been written by a woman. It’s very difficult to write characters that are not of the same gender as the writer, I’ve figured out, especially when there might be romance involved, and still manage to make it realistic. But Meyer is one of the few male writers I’ve seen in YA that’s managed to create a completely believable YA heroine and not what just might be a male mental facsimile of one. (Hey, ladies, we tend to do the mental male facsimile thing, too – especially when it comes to creating convincing/realistic guys in romantic situations – so don’t think it’s just a problem that the guys have when creating female protagonists. I bring this up because it’s a simple problem that comes up a lot when you try to write a differently-gendered protagonist, regardless of the author’s gender. Redundant? Maybe. But it needed to be said.) That being said, I think that this will be one of the few YA books with a female protagonist that will be easily relatable to both genders as an audience. It has something for everyone, whether you’re a boy, girl, or somewhere in between, and that’s hard to do, especially in YA.
But what really knocked my socks off was the part about a more obscure bit of Greek mythology: King Lycaon and Arcadia. I won’t spoil the story, but I’ll just say this – the way that Meyer rebuilt this mythology to fit his own was incredibly awesome, and I want to know more, now. Hell, I want the last two books now (since, unfortunately, I can’t speak, read, nor write in German). He gives us just enough to fill in the blanks, and doesn’t quite leave us on a cliffhanger, but doesn’t get anywhere close to answering the rest of our questions (how this Greek version of utopia migrated to the Italian Mafia, for instance), either. But as I said before, this reads as a standalone, and the way that all of these questions and answers were plugged into the main arc and sub-arcs, I’m totally cool with how the information was dealt out, both in amount and in method.
Also, my hat’s off to the translator – you did a fantastic job. This reads smoothly with no “translatese” issues that translated works so often have.
I think that this book is going to be a hit when it gets published on Valentine’s Day (the most appropriate release date for this story, to be perfectly honest) here in the States, and I sincerely hope it gets the attention and adoration it deserves. This definitely is within my top ten of 2012 so far, so you guys really have to give it a read. “Arcadia Awakens” will definitely make you want to fly off to rural Italy, stalk the mob, and hunt for tigers and snakes in the night. Highly recommended!
(posted to goodreads, librarything, shelfari, and witchoftheatregoing.wordpress.com)
July 30, 2025
Spannende Mischung aus Fantasy, Thriller und einem Hauch von Romantik. Bin auf die zwei anderen Teile gespannt.
July 30, 2022
I first read this series 10 years ago, when I won the second book during a live show with Kai Meyer. It was one of my first steps into Fantasy books and around that time I fell in love with the genre and I’ve wanted to reread the series for quite some time now.
I think Kai Meyer's writing style is great, it has a good flow and is easy to read. A few of his chapters feel a little bloated at times, though. I really like the way he’s building the lore around the Mafia and the myth around the shapeshifters, it fits nicely together.
It took me some time to get used to Rosa as our main character, but I think that’s an age thing. She is seventeen and has been through a lot even before the book starts, so the way she acts is justified. She is a strong character. Alessandro, the male lead, is likable and an interesting character. The romance feels like insta-love though and it’s a trope I don’t enjoy.
I think Kai Meyer's writing style is great, it has a good flow and is easy to read. A few of his chapters feel a little bloated at times, though. I really like the way he’s building the lore around the Mafia and the myth around the shapeshifters, it fits nicely together.
It took me some time to get used to Rosa as our main character, but I think that’s an age thing. She is seventeen and has been through a lot even before the book starts, so the way she acts is justified. She is a strong character. Alessandro, the male lead, is likable and an interesting character. The romance feels like insta-love though and it’s a trope I don’t enjoy.
August 25, 2016
Prepare yourselves. A rant is coming.
Arkadien erwacht had a really good start, I mean, it quoted something from the Tintenwelt-trilogy, what's not to love about that? Plus the first chapter of the book was just so beautifully written, it hooked me right in. But from there, the book simply spiraled down. The writing style is plain and simple, and reminded me a lot of Twilight (which I just despise), and even though the book was written in German, the characters sometimes swear in English..and swear a lot. I like neither of that.
And of course, the instalove. Oh, I'm so fed up with instalove. D'uh.
Moreover, he brought in lesbian characters, just to kill them off - he plainly used them for shock. And then killed them off because he didn't really need them anyway. Why? Oh, if he could have just not DONE THIS.
Arkadien erwacht got compared to Twilight, but I thought it couldn't be that bad. Turns out, it is. I should have taken the hint and not read it. It also got compared to Romeo and Juliet but the only thing they have in common is the instalove and the only thing it has in common with The Godfather is the mafia-story.
So if you're looking for something like Twilight, read this.
If you're looking for something as beautifully written and well honed as Romeo and Juliet, don't read this.
If you're into stories about mafia-clans and don't mind all I mentioned before, you might try this, too.
May 18, 2017
This book was a very solid 3.5 stars and I feel like if I knew German and read a non translated version I'd rate it even higher. But as it stands you have some heros that are very anti hero in all ways, you have multiple mysteries to unravel, and a lot of intrigue. If you need to love your heros this might not be the book for you but if your ok with morally grey sometimes unreliable narrators then I say buckle up.
October 29, 2015
3,5 Sterne
Gestaltwandler und Mafia...Interessante Kombi.
Das Buch fand ich ganz nett, Teil 2 wird auf jeden Fall gelesen.
Gestaltwandler und Mafia...Interessante Kombi.
Das Buch fand ich ganz nett, Teil 2 wird auf jeden Fall gelesen.
March 11, 2012
Unlike most other readers, the premise of this book did nothing for me, simply because I've never had any sort of interest in the mafia which is a big theme in this book. I was a little unsure about the shapeshifter element, another big theme, as I've not yet read any books about shapeshifters that I've really enjoyed. Why did I read this then? I'm not all that sure - I guess I just wanted to see if this was any different to other young adult books at the moment and I'd read some great reviews. I'm very glad that I did decide to read this one as it was a surprisingly engrossing read!
I'll start with the main thing that bugged me and that was the writing style. This book was actually written in German, so I'm not sure what was lost in translation and I can't blame the author for that. I just felt as though a lot of the sentences didn't flow well - note that I did read an ARC of this book though, so this may be slightly different in the final version.
Apart from the sometimes awkward writing, I found Arcadia Awakens to be a very enthralling read. This is a quite loosely based modern day Romeo and Juliet, set on the alluring island of Sicily, Italy. The backdrop to the story wasn't overly described but Meyer gave us a very good sense of the setting. Our two main characters, Rosa Alcantara and Alessandro Carnevare, are from opposing sides of the Sicilian mafia and they form a forbidden bond, falling in love with each other. Thankfully the love wasn't instant and instead, they gradually grew to trust each other. I actually did find myself wishing that there was slightly more chemistry between them, but I think that it was enjoyable enough as it was - it felt natural and unforced. There was potential for conflict between them and I thought that could've been explored more - especially because of the feud between the two families. Of course, there is certainly room for a lot more exploration in the next books in the series.
I really did begin to care for both Rosa and Alessandro, they were both very likeable and strong characters. I thought that Rosa was particularly fascinating. From the beginning, we see that she is quite head-strong and confident - however, she does have a somewhat fragile layer underneath which we can see from her recollections of what's happened to her in the past. Rosa clearly has a history outside Italy and the Mafia, which I would love to learn more about. I think that Alessandro and the mafia history were equally as interesting - something that I never thought I'd say! I did find it slightly confusing at points as parts of the clans, the history and hierarchy were explained but it wasn't overly heavy or difficult which I was thankful for - I am glad that it was explained to help me understand the story as it was quite intricate. Arcadia is a part of Greek mythology and it was interesting to see how this was interwoven into the clans lives.
As well as unexpectedly enjoying the mafia aspect of the story, I also really liked reading about the shape shifters. The Carnevares turn into different species of big cats (i.e. tigers, lions and panthers) and the Alacantaras morph into snakes. I thought that the transformation was very well described and I didn't find it 'creepy' like I have in other novels - although it's fantasy, it didn't actually seem that bizarre, it was almost mesmerising to see how the humans changed and how their animal sides acted.
I thoroughly enjoyed Arcadia Awakens and would love to see how the rest of the trilogy turns out. It's quite a unique, complex story which certainly brings something original to the young adult genre. I'd recommend this to anyone who simply wants a different fantasy read. If you're a little apprehensive of the subject matter like I was, I'd also urge you to give it a go - you'll probably be very pleasantly surprised!
I'll start with the main thing that bugged me and that was the writing style. This book was actually written in German, so I'm not sure what was lost in translation and I can't blame the author for that. I just felt as though a lot of the sentences didn't flow well - note that I did read an ARC of this book though, so this may be slightly different in the final version.
Apart from the sometimes awkward writing, I found Arcadia Awakens to be a very enthralling read. This is a quite loosely based modern day Romeo and Juliet, set on the alluring island of Sicily, Italy. The backdrop to the story wasn't overly described but Meyer gave us a very good sense of the setting. Our two main characters, Rosa Alcantara and Alessandro Carnevare, are from opposing sides of the Sicilian mafia and they form a forbidden bond, falling in love with each other. Thankfully the love wasn't instant and instead, they gradually grew to trust each other. I actually did find myself wishing that there was slightly more chemistry between them, but I think that it was enjoyable enough as it was - it felt natural and unforced. There was potential for conflict between them and I thought that could've been explored more - especially because of the feud between the two families. Of course, there is certainly room for a lot more exploration in the next books in the series.
I really did begin to care for both Rosa and Alessandro, they were both very likeable and strong characters. I thought that Rosa was particularly fascinating. From the beginning, we see that she is quite head-strong and confident - however, she does have a somewhat fragile layer underneath which we can see from her recollections of what's happened to her in the past. Rosa clearly has a history outside Italy and the Mafia, which I would love to learn more about. I think that Alessandro and the mafia history were equally as interesting - something that I never thought I'd say! I did find it slightly confusing at points as parts of the clans, the history and hierarchy were explained but it wasn't overly heavy or difficult which I was thankful for - I am glad that it was explained to help me understand the story as it was quite intricate. Arcadia is a part of Greek mythology and it was interesting to see how this was interwoven into the clans lives.
As well as unexpectedly enjoying the mafia aspect of the story, I also really liked reading about the shape shifters. The Carnevares turn into different species of big cats (i.e. tigers, lions and panthers) and the Alacantaras morph into snakes. I thought that the transformation was very well described and I didn't find it 'creepy' like I have in other novels - although it's fantasy, it didn't actually seem that bizarre, it was almost mesmerising to see how the humans changed and how their animal sides acted.
I thoroughly enjoyed Arcadia Awakens and would love to see how the rest of the trilogy turns out. It's quite a unique, complex story which certainly brings something original to the young adult genre. I'd recommend this to anyone who simply wants a different fantasy read. If you're a little apprehensive of the subject matter like I was, I'd also urge you to give it a go - you'll probably be very pleasantly surprised!
July 23, 2019
Zuerst einmal muss ich das Cover loben. Links das der gebundenen Ausgabe, rechts das des Taschenbuchs. Ich habe beide angefügt da ich mich nicht entscheiden konnte, welches ich schöner finde. Der Panther, die Kontraste, die stimmigen Farben im Hintergrund; alles passt zusammen und macht Lust, das Buch aufzuklappen und zu lesen. Auch die Schnörkel am Anfang eines jeden Kapitels finde ich wunderschön. Das zweite passt aber auch sehr gut, das düstere Mädchen und die Schlange.
Dieses Buch hat mich aber total überzeugt, da die Handlung sehr stimmig ist und keine Logikfehler anzutreffen sind. Da es in diesem Buch unter anderem auch um Gestaltwandlung geht, war ich neugierig darauf, wie der Autor diese Verwandlungen in die Handlung einbauen und beschreiben würde und war auch davon begeistert. Die Raubkatzen und Schlangen sind geheimnisvoll und meiner Meinung nach sehr echt und fantasievoll dargestellt.
Einige Szenen waren äußerst brutal dargestellt und haben mich trotzdem gefesselt. Ich konnte die Bedrohung, in der sich Rosa immer wieder befindet, richtig gut nachvollziehen und nachfühlen. Und bewunderte sie für ihren Mut und ihre Überzeugungen, dank denen sie sich oft gefährlichen Situationen aussetzt. Auch die Verbindung der Handlung mit der Mafia hat mir gefallen, die Darstellung der Clans ist meiner Meinung nach eine klare Anklage.
Der Autor hat es geschafft, die ganze Geschichte der Clans und Arkadier einleuchtend und sagenhaft zu erzählen und so einen Hintergrund für die ganze Trilogie zu schaffen, der sich wirklich sehen lässt und auch total spannend gestaltet ist.
Dies alles geschieht mit einer schlichten, aber trotzdem emotionalen und schön beschreibenden Sprache, die für ein Jugendbuch angemessen und gut verständlich gehalten ist.
Das einzige das mich etwas gestört hat, war die Darstellung der Hauptperson Rosa am Anfang. Sie wandelt während der gesamten Handlung immer auf einem sehr schmalen Grad der Sympathie. Rotzfreche, arrogante Göre oder starke und mutige junge Frau? Dafür finde ich den zweiten Charakter Alessandro authentisch und sympathisch.
Fazit:
Wer auf der Suche nach detaillierter Fantasy, einer stimmigen Story mit tollen Hintergründen, Spannung, Action, ein wenig Romantik und viel Tiefgang ist, ist mit diesem Buch bestens beraten.
Dieses Buch hat mich aber total überzeugt, da die Handlung sehr stimmig ist und keine Logikfehler anzutreffen sind. Da es in diesem Buch unter anderem auch um Gestaltwandlung geht, war ich neugierig darauf, wie der Autor diese Verwandlungen in die Handlung einbauen und beschreiben würde und war auch davon begeistert. Die Raubkatzen und Schlangen sind geheimnisvoll und meiner Meinung nach sehr echt und fantasievoll dargestellt.
Einige Szenen waren äußerst brutal dargestellt und haben mich trotzdem gefesselt. Ich konnte die Bedrohung, in der sich Rosa immer wieder befindet, richtig gut nachvollziehen und nachfühlen. Und bewunderte sie für ihren Mut und ihre Überzeugungen, dank denen sie sich oft gefährlichen Situationen aussetzt. Auch die Verbindung der Handlung mit der Mafia hat mir gefallen, die Darstellung der Clans ist meiner Meinung nach eine klare Anklage.
Der Autor hat es geschafft, die ganze Geschichte der Clans und Arkadier einleuchtend und sagenhaft zu erzählen und so einen Hintergrund für die ganze Trilogie zu schaffen, der sich wirklich sehen lässt und auch total spannend gestaltet ist.
Dies alles geschieht mit einer schlichten, aber trotzdem emotionalen und schön beschreibenden Sprache, die für ein Jugendbuch angemessen und gut verständlich gehalten ist.
Das einzige das mich etwas gestört hat, war die Darstellung der Hauptperson Rosa am Anfang. Sie wandelt während der gesamten Handlung immer auf einem sehr schmalen Grad der Sympathie. Rotzfreche, arrogante Göre oder starke und mutige junge Frau? Dafür finde ich den zweiten Charakter Alessandro authentisch und sympathisch.
Fazit:
Wer auf der Suche nach detaillierter Fantasy, einer stimmigen Story mit tollen Hintergründen, Spannung, Action, ein wenig Romantik und viel Tiefgang ist, ist mit diesem Buch bestens beraten.
April 19, 2016
2.5 stars.
This was...yeah. It hurt my brain trying to understand what the hell was going on here. I picked this up predominantly because the cover is GORGEOUS. Then I read the blurb, and was like "Mafia + shapeshifters? Uh, AWESOME." I was even more on board when I found out that this was originally written in German and translated to English a couple of years later, because I'm trying to read more translated works this year.
But this really didn't live up to my expectations. At the end of the day, I came out of it enormously confused. Because there's a LOT going on in this book. Like, a lot a lot.
Let's do this in bullet points, shall we?
So yeah. I wanted to like this. But the writing was pretty dry, and there was so much going on that I couldn't QUITE wrap my head around the story. Basically, I was more confused at the end than when I first started. I'm definitely not going to be looking for book 2.
This was...yeah. It hurt my brain trying to understand what the hell was going on here. I picked this up predominantly because the cover is GORGEOUS. Then I read the blurb, and was like "Mafia + shapeshifters? Uh, AWESOME." I was even more on board when I found out that this was originally written in German and translated to English a couple of years later, because I'm trying to read more translated works this year.
But this really didn't live up to my expectations. At the end of the day, I came out of it enormously confused. Because there's a LOT going on in this book. Like, a lot a lot.
Let's do this in bullet points, shall we?
So yeah. I wanted to like this. But the writing was pretty dry, and there was so much going on that I couldn't QUITE wrap my head around the story. Basically, I was more confused at the end than when I first started. I'm definitely not going to be looking for book 2.
October 30, 2010
It sounds like a mixture of „Romeo and Juliet“, „The Godfather“ and „Twilight“. A cheesy romance between two young people from families that are enemies for centuries now and all of that is overshadowed by a dark mysterious secret.
But “Arkadien erwacht” (Arkadien awakes) is more than you would expect first. While using old and known elements from familiar stories Kai Meyer manages successfully to create a new and thrilling world that the reader can fully sink in and let us fight along with the characters until the very last page.
Who expects something similar to Meyer´s other Child- and Youth books will most likely be a bit disappointed. Because from a sweet romance and the problems of a teenage girl the story leads us to a bloody power struggle and dark intrigues of the mafia; and main character Rosa is always in the middle of it.
But “Arkadien erwacht” doesn´t need bloomy paraphrases to capture the reader’s interest, because this book scores with incomparable richness on details as well as a mixture of reality and fantasy that make this book to something special.
“Arkadien erwacht” is definitely an exciting Kick-off for a breathtaking series and leaves the reader on the edge of their seat waiting for the sequels.
I gave “Arkadien erwacht” 4 out of 5 stars because I know that the sequels will be even better.
But “Arkadien erwacht” (Arkadien awakes) is more than you would expect first. While using old and known elements from familiar stories Kai Meyer manages successfully to create a new and thrilling world that the reader can fully sink in and let us fight along with the characters until the very last page.
Who expects something similar to Meyer´s other Child- and Youth books will most likely be a bit disappointed. Because from a sweet romance and the problems of a teenage girl the story leads us to a bloody power struggle and dark intrigues of the mafia; and main character Rosa is always in the middle of it.
But “Arkadien erwacht” doesn´t need bloomy paraphrases to capture the reader’s interest, because this book scores with incomparable richness on details as well as a mixture of reality and fantasy that make this book to something special.
“Arkadien erwacht” is definitely an exciting Kick-off for a breathtaking series and leaves the reader on the edge of their seat waiting for the sequels.
I gave “Arkadien erwacht” 4 out of 5 stars because I know that the sequels will be even better.
December 11, 2015
eher 3,5? keine Ahnung, ich bin hin und her gerissen... ich meine kai meyer hat schon deutlich bessere Bücher geschrieben (wolkenvolktrilogie!!!). das Konzept war (wie von ihm gewohnt) genial (ich meine hallo, griechische Mythologie und italienische mafia, da muss man erstmal drauf kommen) und insgesamt hat mir das Buch auch gut gefallen, aber es gab so ein paat Sachen, die mich echt gestört haben. ich hatte irgendwie echt Probleme mit Iole (schreibt man die so?), ich fand es wurde nur sehr oberflächlich auf die psychologischen implikationen ihrer Gefangenschaft eingegangen und das trug dazu bei, dass sie mir als charakter sehr suspekt war. und den Umgang mit lgbt+ Charakteren finde ich ehrlich gesagt unmöglich, dass hätte man sich echt sparen können.
insgesamt ist es aber ein durchaus gelungener Auftakt der Reihe und ich bin gespannt auf den zweiten Band.
insgesamt ist es aber ein durchaus gelungener Auftakt der Reihe und ich bin gespannt auf den zweiten Band.
February 28, 2023
Leider für mich ein eher mittelmäßiges Buch. Die Story an sich hätte gut werden können und ich mag Kai Meyers Schreibstil, aber irgendwie fand ich Vieles an den Haaren herbeigezogen und auch Spannung wollte sich nicht bei mir aufbauen. Das Buch scheint außerdem eher an sehr junge Leser gerichtet.
January 21, 2015
Lieblingszitat:
"'Eines Tages', sagte sie, 'fange ich Träume ein wie Schmetterlinge.'
'Und dann?', fragte er.
'Lege ich sie zwischen die Seiten dicker Bücher und presse sie zu Worten.'
'Was, wenn jemand immer nur von dir träumt?'
'Dann sind wir beide vielleicht schon Worte in einem Buch. Zwei Namen zwischen all den anderen.'" (Seite 11 ♥)
Schon bei ihrer Ankunft auf Sizilien fühlt sich Rosa wie in einem alten Film – der Chauffeur am Flughafen, der heruntergekommene Palazzo ihrer Tante und dann die Gerüchte um zwei Mafiaclans, die seit Generationen erbittert gegeneinander kämpfen: die Alcantaras und die Carnevares, Rosas und Alessandros Familien. Trotzdem trifft sich Rosa weiterhin mit Alessandro. Seine kühle Anmut, seine animalische Eleganz faszinieren und verunsichern sie gleichermaßen. Doch in ihm ruht ein unheimliches Erbe, das nicht menschlich ist...
Nachdem ich "Die Seiten der Welt" von Kai Meyer gelesen und geliebt habe, war es mir klar, dass ich weitere Bücher von ihm lesen muss.
"Arkadien erwacht" hat mich sofort vom Klappentext her angesprochen und ich habe es mit hohen Erwartungen angefangen zu lesen. Zum Glück!
Ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Auch dieses Buch hat mich begeistert. Die Tatsache, dass es in Italien spielt, hat es noch interessanter für mich gemacht, denn ich liebe Italien.
Der Schreibstil von Kai Meyer kann meiner Meinung nach von kaum jemandem übertroffen werden. Er schreibt so bildhaft und wundervoll, dass ich die ganze Zeit das Gefühl hatte, ich wäre auch in dieser Welt gefangen.
Die Charaktere - Rosa und Alessandro - haben mir sehr gut gefallen. Rosa ist mutig, neugierig und unabhängig und alles andere als schüchtern. Endlich trifft man mal eine starke Persönlichkeit, die sich mit der Zeit immer mehr zu einer sympathischen Rebellin heraus kristallisiert.
Alessandro hat mir ebenfalls unglaublich gut gefallen.
Er war sympathisch und charmant, hatte aber auch etwas geheimnisvolles an sich.
Die Tatsache, dass ich sehr schnell hinter sein Geheimnis gekommen bin, hat mich dabei überhaupt nicht gestört.
Alles in allem kann ich nur sagen, dass es ein gelungenes Meisterwerk ist, welches von mir mit 4 Sternen bewertet wird.
Wieso nur 4?
Weil ich noch Platz nach oben lassen möchte, da ich glaube, dass die weiteren zwei Teile den ersten Band noch übertreffen können.
Ich bin ab jetzt ein riesiger Fan von Kai Meyer! :)
"'Eines Tages', sagte sie, 'fange ich Träume ein wie Schmetterlinge.'
'Und dann?', fragte er.
'Lege ich sie zwischen die Seiten dicker Bücher und presse sie zu Worten.'
'Was, wenn jemand immer nur von dir träumt?'
'Dann sind wir beide vielleicht schon Worte in einem Buch. Zwei Namen zwischen all den anderen.'" (Seite 11 ♥)
Schon bei ihrer Ankunft auf Sizilien fühlt sich Rosa wie in einem alten Film – der Chauffeur am Flughafen, der heruntergekommene Palazzo ihrer Tante und dann die Gerüchte um zwei Mafiaclans, die seit Generationen erbittert gegeneinander kämpfen: die Alcantaras und die Carnevares, Rosas und Alessandros Familien. Trotzdem trifft sich Rosa weiterhin mit Alessandro. Seine kühle Anmut, seine animalische Eleganz faszinieren und verunsichern sie gleichermaßen. Doch in ihm ruht ein unheimliches Erbe, das nicht menschlich ist...
Nachdem ich "Die Seiten der Welt" von Kai Meyer gelesen und geliebt habe, war es mir klar, dass ich weitere Bücher von ihm lesen muss.
"Arkadien erwacht" hat mich sofort vom Klappentext her angesprochen und ich habe es mit hohen Erwartungen angefangen zu lesen. Zum Glück!
Ich wurde nicht enttäuscht. Auch dieses Buch hat mich begeistert. Die Tatsache, dass es in Italien spielt, hat es noch interessanter für mich gemacht, denn ich liebe Italien.
Der Schreibstil von Kai Meyer kann meiner Meinung nach von kaum jemandem übertroffen werden. Er schreibt so bildhaft und wundervoll, dass ich die ganze Zeit das Gefühl hatte, ich wäre auch in dieser Welt gefangen.
Die Charaktere - Rosa und Alessandro - haben mir sehr gut gefallen. Rosa ist mutig, neugierig und unabhängig und alles andere als schüchtern. Endlich trifft man mal eine starke Persönlichkeit, die sich mit der Zeit immer mehr zu einer sympathischen Rebellin heraus kristallisiert.
Alessandro hat mir ebenfalls unglaublich gut gefallen.
Er war sympathisch und charmant, hatte aber auch etwas geheimnisvolles an sich.
Die Tatsache, dass ich sehr schnell hinter sein Geheimnis gekommen bin, hat mich dabei überhaupt nicht gestört.
Alles in allem kann ich nur sagen, dass es ein gelungenes Meisterwerk ist, welches von mir mit 4 Sternen bewertet wird.
Wieso nur 4?
Weil ich noch Platz nach oben lassen möchte, da ich glaube, dass die weiteren zwei Teile den ersten Band noch übertreffen können.
Ich bin ab jetzt ein riesiger Fan von Kai Meyer! :)
May 25, 2012
Ok this book seemed to have promise but I really don't know what happened to be honest. It took me forever to read, even though I was reading it a couple of chapters are day for a challenge, but in all honesty it really wasn't that captivating. I think it's because it has been translated form German to English and somewhere along the lines it lost soul. I really didn't feel connected to the characters and couldn't care less what happened to them. Then about 85% in there was finally some action and I felt a little riveted. If only most of the book was like this. The premise was unusual and unique but it was too weird for me. I was asking more questions about the story then getting the answers I needed to figure out what was going on. I was left confused at times and I still am. I really don't know what happened in this book LOL. This book is the first in a trilogy and I'm sorry to say I will not continue with it. Just not my cup of tea...but I'm sure if I knew how to read German it would have been brilliant LOL.
August 16, 2010
Don't think I'm going to pick this up again.
I so wanted to like the book and have been waiting eagerly for quite a while to read it, but neither the story nor the characters drew me in.
I'm glad I got it from the library and therefore didn't spend any money on it.
Kai Meyer can definitely do better, as he has already proven with The Water Mirror and Pirate Curse for example.
I so wanted to like the book and have been waiting eagerly for quite a while to read it, but neither the story nor the characters drew me in.
I'm glad I got it from the library and therefore didn't spend any money on it.
Kai Meyer can definitely do better, as he has already proven with The Water Mirror and Pirate Curse for example.
August 29, 2025
Ich verstehe, warum diese Reihe einer meiner Lieblingsreihen in der Jugend war! An manchen Stellen merkt man, dass das Buch 16 Jahre alt und nicht ganz so gut gealtert ist, aber alles in allem hat's mich wieder gepackt <3
February 19, 2017
" And they both dove into the deep blue sea at the same time."
February 23, 2022
3.5 for the Shakespeare Star Wars shout out
June 8, 2010
Am Anfang dachte ich echt, es sei ein Fehlkauf gewesen. Während der ersten Seiten hab ich mich einfach nur gefragt, warum der Autor (ein Mann!) aus der Sicht eines TeenagerMÄDCHENS schreibt.. ich fand es zu Beginn sehr gewollt böse. Oh oh oh Rosa ist so böse, sie klaut Schokoriegel.
Aber ganz egal, denn nach den ersten ca. 70 Seiten wurde es richtig gut. Rosa hat sich eingekriegt und die Machenschaften der Familien wurden spannend und verworren.
Tiger und Löwen tauchen plötzlich auf... naja, ich will nicht zu viel verraten.
Der männliche Hauptcharakter Alessandro ist sehr sympathisch ;) Ein richtiger Frauenheld - den man auch nicht unbedingt richtig durchschauen kann.
Ich bin mir sicher, das Buch wäre genauso interessant gewesen, wenn Kai Meyer nicht aus Rosas Sicht, sondern aus Alessandros Sicht geschrieben hätte und sozusagen ihre Rollen vertauscht hätte.
Alles in allem kann ich nur sagen: Sehr sehr sehr spannend (gerade zum Ende hin), interessant geschichtlich gesehen - ich habe vorher noch nie von Arkadien gehört - und auch romantisch. Wenn auch etwas wenig... aber das Ende hat das wieder wett gemacht :)
Nun gibt es ja bald einen zweiten Teil... gut, einige Kleinigkeiten sind offen - aber ich habe auch Angst davor. Schließlich war das Ende des Buches so schön und rund, ich brauche keinen zweiten Teil.
Aber natürlich werde ich ihn lesen, wenn er kommt.
Wehe, das Buch wird nicht gut!!!
Aber ganz egal, denn nach den ersten ca. 70 Seiten wurde es richtig gut. Rosa hat sich eingekriegt und die Machenschaften der Familien wurden spannend und verworren.
Tiger und Löwen tauchen plötzlich auf... naja, ich will nicht zu viel verraten.
Der männliche Hauptcharakter Alessandro ist sehr sympathisch ;) Ein richtiger Frauenheld - den man auch nicht unbedingt richtig durchschauen kann.
Ich bin mir sicher, das Buch wäre genauso interessant gewesen, wenn Kai Meyer nicht aus Rosas Sicht, sondern aus Alessandros Sicht geschrieben hätte und sozusagen ihre Rollen vertauscht hätte.
Alles in allem kann ich nur sagen: Sehr sehr sehr spannend (gerade zum Ende hin), interessant geschichtlich gesehen - ich habe vorher noch nie von Arkadien gehört - und auch romantisch. Wenn auch etwas wenig... aber das Ende hat das wieder wett gemacht :)
Nun gibt es ja bald einen zweiten Teil... gut, einige Kleinigkeiten sind offen - aber ich habe auch Angst davor. Schließlich war das Ende des Buches so schön und rund, ich brauche keinen zweiten Teil.
Aber natürlich werde ich ihn lesen, wenn er kommt.
Wehe, das Buch wird nicht gut!!!
November 23, 2010
Toll gelesen wie zu erwarten von Andreas Fröhlich.
Die Charaktere sind interessant, gerade Rosa, weil sie so anders ist als ihr Name erwarten lässt. Alessandro fand ich nach einer Weile auch interessant und attraktiv.
Es ist immer wieder beeindruckend, dass Kai Meyer sich einfach ein neues Gebiet sucht und darauf seine ganze eigene originell Welt aufbaut.
Der Schreibstil war atemberaubend, sehr dicht und atmosphärisch.
Irgendwie hat es für mich aber an der Story gehapert. Gerade im ersten Teil zieht sie sich ewig hin und nichts passiert so recht. Leider wusste ich auch vorher von den "Transformationen", was mir glaube ich einigen Hörspaß verdorben hat.
Es fällt mir zu schwer herauszufinden, was genau mich nicht richtig von Arkadien überzeugt hat, deshalb hier nur so ein paar Wortfetzen. Lust auf den 2. Teil habe ich trotzdem.
Die Charaktere sind interessant, gerade Rosa, weil sie so anders ist als ihr Name erwarten lässt. Alessandro fand ich nach einer Weile auch interessant und attraktiv.
Es ist immer wieder beeindruckend, dass Kai Meyer sich einfach ein neues Gebiet sucht und darauf seine ganze eigene originell Welt aufbaut.
Der Schreibstil war atemberaubend, sehr dicht und atmosphärisch.
Irgendwie hat es für mich aber an der Story gehapert. Gerade im ersten Teil zieht sie sich ewig hin und nichts passiert so recht. Leider wusste ich auch vorher von den "Transformationen", was mir glaube ich einigen Hörspaß verdorben hat.
Es fällt mir zu schwer herauszufinden, was genau mich nicht richtig von Arkadien überzeugt hat, deshalb hier nur so ein paar Wortfetzen. Lust auf den 2. Teil habe ich trotzdem.
May 9, 2022
Die Sturmkönige-Trilogie fand ich ganz unterhaltsam, Fürimmerhaus hat mir nicht wirklich zugesagt. Da ich aber einige kenne, die für die Bücher von Kai Meyer schwärmen, wollte ich es mal mit der Arkadien-Trilogie versuchen.
Die Geschichte an sich klingt auch nicht schlecht: Schauplatz Sizilien, verfeindete Mafia-Clans, Raubtiere, Geheimnisse, eine verbotene Liebe...
Ich fand es auf jeden Fall sehr kurzweilig und die Protagonistin Rosa mit ihrer Vorgeschichte auch eher untypisch für ein Fantasy-Jugendbuch, was mir persönlich gut gefallen hat. Auch, dass die Protagonisten keine strahlenden Helden sind, sondern eher etwas grau mit ihrem Mafia-Hintergrund, fand ich erfrischend. Insgesamt gibt es von mir 4 ⭐ und ich bin gespannt wie sich die Geschichte weiter entwickelt.
Die Geschichte an sich klingt auch nicht schlecht: Schauplatz Sizilien, verfeindete Mafia-Clans, Raubtiere, Geheimnisse, eine verbotene Liebe...
Ich fand es auf jeden Fall sehr kurzweilig und die Protagonistin Rosa mit ihrer Vorgeschichte auch eher untypisch für ein Fantasy-Jugendbuch, was mir persönlich gut gefallen hat. Auch, dass die Protagonisten keine strahlenden Helden sind, sondern eher etwas grau mit ihrem Mafia-Hintergrund, fand ich erfrischend. Insgesamt gibt es von mir 4 ⭐ und ich bin gespannt wie sich die Geschichte weiter entwickelt.
June 4, 2013
Endlich mal wieder ein sehr lesenswertes Buch, mit einem tollen Schreibstil.
Besonders schön fand ich den Schauplatz der Geschichte, der auf Sizilien angesiedelt war. Orte und Umgebungen wurden bildhaft beschrieben und machten das Lesen zu einer eigenen kleinen Reise.
Endlich auch mal wieder ein Hauptcharakter, der nicht weinerlich daher kam. Rosa ist einfach anders: eigensinnig, ein wenig böse aber irgendwie auch sehr herzlich.
Interessant empfand ich auch, dass die Geschichte in der 3. Person geschrieben wurde und man dennoch das Gefühl hatte Rosas Ängste und Gefühle hautnah zu erleben.
Sehr empfehlenswert!
Besonders schön fand ich den Schauplatz der Geschichte, der auf Sizilien angesiedelt war. Orte und Umgebungen wurden bildhaft beschrieben und machten das Lesen zu einer eigenen kleinen Reise.
Endlich auch mal wieder ein Hauptcharakter, der nicht weinerlich daher kam. Rosa ist einfach anders: eigensinnig, ein wenig böse aber irgendwie auch sehr herzlich.
Interessant empfand ich auch, dass die Geschichte in der 3. Person geschrieben wurde und man dennoch das Gefühl hatte Rosas Ängste und Gefühle hautnah zu erleben.
Sehr empfehlenswert!
August 25, 2016
I only made it 50 pages into Kai Meyer's Arcadia Awakens. There is something off about the translation to me. Many of the phrases seem stilted and blunt. I have not read Meyer before; perhaps this is owing to style more than translation.
Still, I never got into the story or wrapped my head around the characters and, at this point, I don't need to. I have too much to read without devoting time to books that do nothing for me.
1 out of 5 stars.
- Review courtesy of www.bibliopunkkreads.com
June 27, 2016
Wieder ein toller Auftackt von Kai Meyer.
Kai hat hier eine wunderbare Mischung aus Mafia-Thriller und einem Gestaltwandler-Fantasy-Roman erschaffen. Außerdem ist Rosa eine unglaublich tolle Protagonistin. Sie ist stark durch ihre Vergangenheit und definitiv kein kleines Bitte-rette mich-Mädchen.
Weiterhin konnte ich das Ende definitiv nicht vorhersehen.
Ich gebe "nur" 4/5 Sternen, da ich mir noch Luft nach oben lassen möchte :)
Und was befindet sich eigentlich in den Lücken von Menschenmengen?
Kai hat hier eine wunderbare Mischung aus Mafia-Thriller und einem Gestaltwandler-Fantasy-Roman erschaffen. Außerdem ist Rosa eine unglaublich tolle Protagonistin. Sie ist stark durch ihre Vergangenheit und definitiv kein kleines Bitte-rette mich-Mädchen.
Weiterhin konnte ich das Ende definitiv nicht vorhersehen.
Ich gebe "nur" 4/5 Sternen, da ich mir noch Luft nach oben lassen möchte :)
Und was befindet sich eigentlich in den Lücken von Menschenmengen?
September 11, 2018
Wie gut das Buch einfach war. An manchen Stellen ein bisschen langatmig aber alles in allem sehr gut. Ich mag die ganze Story um die Arkadier und bin gespannt wie es weiter geht!
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