Monday, May 21, 2012

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks


Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Release Date – May 22, 2012
Publisher Website –  Feiwel & Friends /Raincoast Books
Publisher Social Media -  Twitter
Pages -  324 pages
My Rating- 4/5
**obtained from the publisher for an honest review**

Here is the Goodreads synopsis
Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk.
Mermaid books and I tend to not mix very well. I am not sure what it is, but I think I have a harder time with them as the mythology tends to be something I find unrealistic.  However, Anna Banks has convinced me. I enjoyed the mermaid mythology in Of Poseidon and foud myself really enjoying the novel.

Syrena (mermaids) are divided into two “families” consisting of the Triton tribe and the Poseidon tribe. Each tribe as a special gift, and Poseidon’s is the ability to communicate with fish. Galen is searching for a Syrena who has this gift in order to cease a war and save not only his Kingdom, but all of Syrena.

Galen both bothered me and intrigued me at the same time. I had issues with his treatment of Emma. He does things “for her own good” and to “keep her safe” but they just ended up making me think he was a bit of a jerk. I did like that Emma didn’t really put up with it and challenged him. I didn’t like that he thought her saying NO and telling him not to tell her what to do was “cute” and “adorable”. However, I did like that he was there for Emma and supported her through things.

Emma was a fun character. She has a temper, is quite stubborn, and doesn’t back down. I found her “voice” to be quite amusing. The girl says “OHMYSWEETGOODNESS” which I found highly funny.

What kept me reading was Anna’s writing. It’s highly addictive, and the plot is well developed.  I enjoyed the different perspectives we got by switching the chapters between Galen and Emma’s view point. The switching for first person, to third person was a little jarring at first, but once you are used to it you barely notice. The mermaid mythology was one I very much enjoyed and am anxiously awaiting to learn more about the Poseidon and Triton tribes and the rift that happened to separate them.

There is a shark attack early in the novel that I felt was well done. I could feel the panic, and fear. It was a very intense moment and it was moments like these that made the novel really stand out.

The ending provides a killer cliffhanger that made me want to grab the second book immediately. I guessed part of the twist, but not the full extent of what was going to be revealed. I admire the subtle clues Anna hints at without making anything glaringly obvious. The mythology kept expanding and changing throughout the story. I liked that it unravelled slowly and that we learnt things as Emma did.

While I had some issues with the characters (mainly the guys) the plot, and writing more than made up for any disconnect I felt with them to provide a highly enjoyable mermaid read. I am looking forward to reading the next book in the series. For those who might be sceptical about mermaid books this is the perfect book to dive in with - romance, action, and mystery are all waiting for you in the deep blue ocean.

4 comments:

  1. Yours is the second review I've read for this book today! It sounds really great, and I can't wait to get started on it. :) Great review!

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  2. I've read nothing but great things about this book! I can't wait to read it myself!

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  3. The ending definitely killed me, I didn't see it coming and really want to read the next one now. There were a few things that kind of got to me about the book, but I still really enjoyed this one. Great review!

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  4. I really enjoyed it. I'd call it a cute light read. Hints of romance mixed with a really clever take on Mermaid lore make this book pretty unforgettable! In fact, Of Poseidon has made a new mermaid genre fan out of me! I've already added a few more books to my TBR list! I just can't get enough of these underwater wonders! I definitely developed a bit of a crush on a certain Syrena Prince! I loved seeing things from Galen's point of view. There were so many things that made him stand out. My favorite, his macho attitude! This passionate prince stole my heart from the very beginning. It was really interesting to read the story from duel points of view. Being able to feel what both characters were feeling, the mixed emotions, the confusion, the passion, made for one awesome read! Loved it all! Of Poseidon had a perfect blend of everything. Great characters, a unique story, a mystery that had me guessing till the very last sentence.

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