Of Triton by Anna Banks
Release Date – May 28, 2013
Publisher Website - Raincoast Books/Fiewel and Friends
Publisher Social Media - Twitter
Pages - 256 pages
My Rating- 3/5
**obtained for review from publisher**
**SPOILERS FOR OF POSEIDON**
Here is the Goodreads synopsis
In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.Mermaid stories and I tend to not mix very well. I can't put my finger on what it is, but they normally are a miss with me. I was pleasantly surprised when I read Of Poseidon last year. I was won over by it's charm, humour, and refreshing take on the genre. Of Triton is everything Of Poseidon was, and as a result it's a rather enjoyable read. However, there were a few little things that made this end up just being an okay read for me.
As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?
Anna Bank's humour that everyone loved in the first novel is back with a vengeance in the sequel. Funny, and a little sarcastic, it's the type of book that makes you feel good. Toraf especially provides delightful one liners that left me giggling. It's the humour that makes this novel so endearing.
My biggest issue was the pacing. It felt slower, and less urgent than the first. The major plot points were easily dealt with and resolved. The heart of the novel, Emma discovering her mother's deception and the aftermath, didn't pack the emotional punch I was expecting. Her mother sends Emma's life into a tailspin, and I wish they would have delved further into that, especially with the bombshell that is dropped regarding Emma's father. I didn't feel as connected to the characters in this installment and was therefore less invested in it's outcome.
The Syrena politics takes center stage in this novel. Emma's mother reappearing sends them into a frenzy and Emma's existence is just another potential complication. Filled with possible betrayals, and last minute revelations it made for an exciting part of the novel. I just wish the stakes felt a little higher, and the outcome a little less predictable. It was harder to become invested in the journey when you are certain about it's outcome.
Those who found the end to Of Poseidon torturous will be happy to learn that Of Triton has a non cliffhanger ending. It leave enough unanswered to warrant a third installment, but without the heart stopping ending.
A fun mermaid tale that fans of the first one devour and immediately look for more. For myself I found it on par with the first, but with a slower pacing that left me feeling like something was missing. I felt, overall, that the novel could have been a little longer to flesh out the plot points, but was otherwise an enjoyable summer read.
