Toller Fantasyauftakt im Recency Setting Optisch gefällt mir “The Rose Bargain" von Sasha Peyton Smith wirklich unfassbar gut. Die goldenen Details und der Farbschnitt verkörpern für mich die Eleganz des Regency Zeitalters. Auch Band 2, der im Buch schon abgebildet ist, wird neben Band 1 im Regal sicher toll aussehen. Auch inhaltlich konnte mich der Auftakt der Fantasy-Dilogie überzeugen. Die Geschichte beginnt mit einem Rückblick aus dem 15. Jahrhundert, der an den englischen Rosenkrieg anspielt. Hier wird die Geschichte direkt spannend und die Antagonistin vorgestellt. Diese historische Verknüpfung gefällt mir gut und auch die Umsetzung des Regency Zeitalters hat eine tolle Atmosphäre erzeugt. Hier kamen für mich richtige Bridgerton Vibes auf. Inhaltlich gefiel mir das Love Triangle auch gut und die Erzählperspektive aus Ivys Sicht konnte die Charakterentwicklungen der Protagonistin nachvollziehbar darstellen. Das wurde durch die vereinzelten Perspektivwechsel zu den anderen Kandidatinnen noch unterstütz. Nach dem Ende von Band 1 freue ich mich jetzt sehr auf Band 2!

The ending caught me soo off guard(crazy plot twist!!), but it felt a bit rushed. All in all it was still really good! The writing was so smooth, that I could easily read the whole book in one sitting. Can't wait for the next part!

4,5 ⭐️ Hab’s geliebt!!! Es hat Mega Spaß gemacht und ich liebe die Bridgerton Vibes gepaart mit Fae Magie

WOW

if you know me you know I love my faerie lore and a good historical setting. This book is set in an alternate 1800's England, where they are ruled by an immortal Fae queen who took power at the end of the War of the Roses. Every citizen is allowed to make a Fae bargain with the Queen, all of which come with a price - be that your pinky finger or your ability to love - and all debutantes are expected to make theirs at the beginning of the season. Most make one to increase their chances of making a good match. Ivy Benton's season starts a little differently than most - with the announcement that the Queen's son Bram is to choose a wife from this year's debutantes. Those who wish to become a suitor must sign their name in blood, forfeiting ever marrying if they are not the girl chosen. With her family on the verge of destitution and her prospects practically non-existent, Ivy has little to lose. This book highlights the way the fair folk typically play around with humans and their emotions, with the Queen using her magic to make bargains that are always what was asked for but never quite what was wanted, and the trials and tasks that the girls who are competing for Bram's hand undertake. We follow Ivy, desperately trying to win in order to re raise her family's standing in the world and help her sister who has returned from an ordeal she cannot remember, along with the help of Prince Emmett, the Queen's legitimised stepson, who thinks it's vital that Ivy be the one his brother weds. I love the use of fae bargains in this book. Fae have always been known for their trickery especially towards humans - if you dance to faerie music you won't be able to stop, mortals should never eat or drink anything in the faerie lands - and the price of the bargains can be quite gruesome. Losing toes, fingernails, all your childhood memories. I also love that we see that the Queen is cruel in her boredom, using her subjects and playthings to entertain herself as is the nature of the Fae.