4.5/5 stars!

Meyer does it again, guys! With no trace of middle book syndrome whatsoever, I didn't think he could make me love Rosa or Alessandro more but he did. If you've read "Arcadia Awakens", you're in for a treat in "Arcadia Burns" - where the stakes (and the body count) have never been higher, the action scenes any bloodier, nor the romance never hotter. Seriously one of my favorite sequels of 2013 so far, this one has it all.

So, guys, be warned - this one has some seriously heavy subject matter in it. Yes, there's all of the wacky Mafia shenanigans we saw in book one, but there's also the matter of finding out some seriously terrible details about Rosa's rape and other things in that vein of things. Though thankfully nothing about the rape is graphic, it's still enough information to give you chills. So, warning, there's some pretty triggery content in this installment of the Arkadien trilogy.

However. It also makes for wonderful worldbuilding. Meyer did a great job of setting up his world in book one, and now he's finishing it up with filling in the backstory for pretty much all of our main cast here in book two. When you have a book that has any fantasy elements, I can't emphasize how important character histories/backstories are in the worldbuilding arena of things, and Meyer totally, once again, nailed it.

We also get more character development, which happens pretty early on in this second book. Particularly, when Rosa and her mother Gemma are talking - it forces Rosa to really stop and take a look at what being a capi is doing to her. Will she become like her aunt and grandmother - literally, a cold-hearted snake that will do anything to keep her grip on her clan? Or is Rosa made of sturdier, better stuff? The answer isn't easy, and Rosa has to grapple with a lot of things that require her faith in various people (her mother, Alessandro, Valerie, and to some extent, Travini) when it's being tested the most. We also get more backstory on the fall of Arcadia and more on other clans within the dynasties (specifically, the Hundinga - dogs/wolves - which we didn't really hear about in book one), and we get the tease of the mystery of the organization known as TABULA. As far as the latter is concerned, because it looks like TABULA is going to be pretty much most of book three ("Arcadia Falls"), we're not given too many answers here, just enough to work with, and far more questions to set us up for book three's content.

I could have used a little more suspicion on Rosa's part toward Alessandro - I felt things were a little too peaceful between them considering how deeply his family is entrenched in the nastier parts of Rosa's past (no spoilers, but let's just say a lot of this was NOT under Alessandro's control), but I did like the way that they were having problems literally keeping their human forms when making out. I thought that was awesome. I also liked the idea of the TABULA serum (before we find out what it really is) giving Rosa and Alessandro an out and thus, a way to be together without turning into snake and panther the whole time.

As for Big Reveals - this book is full of them. Who was involved in Rosa's rape? Who ordered it? Who is the mysterious Apollonio, and how deep are his dealings with not only the Alcantara but other Arcadian dynasty clans? Where are the statues on the seabed near Isola Luna going? What is TABULA and their agenda? And what's with the fur coats that Constanza kept in the freezer? While we don't get all of the answers, we get more than enough to work with, and more than enough to really solidify the world. There's a lot of tension and action that's very well-paced and interspaced between these questions, and it all moves very, very smoothly. The translator did a great job in this area because it all flows very easily - to the extent you'd think that this trilogy was actually written in English and not German in the first place. If you thought the first book was full of enough animal chases, bullets flying everywhere, and murder after murder - well, get your body ready for book two, because there's heaps more of that in this book compared to book one. And it all works marvelously.

Final verdict? If you liked "Arcadia Awakens", you're going to LOVE "Arcadia Burns". I know I did. Definitely one of my picks for the best of 2013 so far, "Arcadia Burns" is out now in North America through HarperTeen. Definitely make sure to check it out when you can, and if you haven't started the series yet - well, what are you waiting for?

(posted to goodreads, shelfari, librarything, birthofanewwitch.wordpress.com) ( )

So many new twists!! I simply loved this story.

What I enjoyed more about this book is the complicated plot. When I say complicated I mean, you need to be paying attention cause of all the revelations that are spilled. Rosa is stronger than ever, asking questions, kicking butt, and taking names later. She has grown much since the last book, finally fulfilling her destiny. Each chapter Rosa learns more and more about her family history and what is really going on. The fact that it is more corrupt than a freaking novella had me at the edge of my seat.

The love interest didn't sway from where I want it to be instead, it gave me some peace. Let me tell you that this book is filled with plenty of gasps and what!!! The small amount of peace that Rosa gets from Alessandro balances out the angry and hate. He brings peace to her like she has had it before. I admit that there are several place where the author lead me to believe that I might loose hope in Alessandro. For he is holding some secrets as well, and I'm scared to know what it is. Rosa is in such a fragile state that one mistake can fuel her hatred ever more.

Arcadia Burns is a great sequel that leaves me burning for more. It captures my mind with the great world building and history of the Arkadien's. There is much more to learn, I know it. There's no denying the intricate writing style with awesome characters. Arcadia Burns is sweet! ( )

Kämpfe zwischen Mafiaclans. Menschen, die sich in Tiere verwandeln. Die verbotene Liebe zu Alessandro ... Rosa braucht dringend eine Pause von Sizilien. Also zurück in ihr altes Leben, nach New York. Das war allerdings schon früher alles andere als unkompliziert, und jetzt hat sie es auch noch mit den mächtigen New Yorker Stellvertretern der Clans zu tun. Dann stößt Rosa auf beunruhigende Details über ihre Vergangenheit. Und über ihren toten Vater. Aber warum, zur Hölle, spielt dabei immer wieder Alessandro eine Rolle? In Rosa keimt ein schrecklicher Verdacht ...

Noch spannender als der Vorgänger!

Der neue Band setzt gut vier Monate nach den Ereignissen von »Arkadien erwacht« ein und bietet zahlreiche neue spannende Szenen. Rosa wird hier gezwungen, sich mit ihrer Vergangenheit auseinanderzusetzen und schnell ihre Gestaltwandler-Fähigkeiten in den Griff zu bekommen. Gleich mehrmals ist sie gezwungen, auf ihre Sinne in Schlangengestalt zurückzugreifen, um so beispielsweise brenzligen Situationen zu entkommen. Kai Meyer wagt dabei neue Höhenflüge, die beispielweise in einer Menschenjagd mitten in New York gipfeln. Das mag sonderbar klingen, ist aber bei weitem die beste Szene diese Bandes! Er findet passende Formulierungen, baut Spannung auf und macht die erwähnte Menschenjagd zu einem Highlight, das man mit angehaltenem Atem liest.

Gespickt ist der Roman außerdem mit vielen Details rund um Alessandros und Rosas Beziehung. Diese gestaltet sich kompliziert, da, immer wenn die beiden miteinander schlafen wollen, sich einer von ihnen in ein Tier verwandelt. Meistens endet das dann mit Schuppen oder Fell zwischen den Zähnen, Frustration, aber auch Lachen. Das Miteinander der beiden wird zu einem Herzstück von »Arkadien brennt« und sorgt für viele Lacher auf Leserseite, was den Gesamteindruck ungemein auflockert. Insgesamt wirkt der Roman erneut für ein reiferes Publikum ab etwa 15 Jahren konzipiert.

Die Mafia-Clans wirken weiterhin sonderbar im Kontext eines Jugendromanes, tragen hier allerdings maßgeblich zur Spannung bei, so dass man sie zu dulden vermag. Die »Arkadien«-Trilogie ist anders als andere Jugendfantasy-Romane und sucht meistens nicht die Nähe zur Logik. Dennoch bleibt sie mit Abschluss dieses zweiten Bandes interessante Lektüre. Es werden neue Fragen aufgeworfen und Alessandro und Rosa gehen weiter dem Mysterium um die Dynastien von Arkadien nach. Der hungrige Mann treibt weiter sein Unwesen mit den Arkadien und Rosa beginnt allmählich, das Geheimnis ihres Vaters zu lösen. Was sich auch positiv abhebt, sind ihre Zweifel an Alessandro. Als sie erfährt, dass er am Abend der Vergewaltigung ebenfalls auf der Party war und die Täter zudem sogar seine Verwandten sind, wird sie misstrauisch und beginnt, ihre ganze Beziehung in Frage zu stellen.

Durch das lebhafte Beziehungsgeflecht der Teenager und zahlreiche spannende Stellen in New York und auf Sizilien wird dieser neue Kai Meyer-Roman zu einem tollen Leseerlebnis!