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.