Series Review + Giveaway: Of Poseidon - Anna Banks

Title: Legacy Lost (Of Poseidon #0.5)

Release Date: May 22nd 2012

Publisher: Tor Books

Source: Read here

Goodreads

He is a mer-prince, she is the mermaid princess that his family orders him to marry so that their kingdoms unite. Grom dreads this arrangement, until he meets Nalia—both beautiful and smart, she’s everything he ever wanted. But just when their connection grows deeper, tragedy strikes. Legacy Lost is a prequel story to Anna Banks’ debut novel, OF POSEIDON.

I read Legacy Lost right after Of Triton, so I didn't expect much because I'd already known how this story would end—a mistake, apparently. The biggest surprise was that in less than fifty pages, I became a Nalia/Grom shipper, and I really pitied how their romance was so short-lived... *winks*

This was an awesome prequel short story to the series but I don't recommend reading it before Of Poseidon, for reasons that are spoiler-y, to say the least.

MY FAVORITE PART was their unexpected meeting at the Ceremony Chamber, hee.

RATING:

Title: Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)

Release Date: May 22nd 2012

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Source: Signed hardcover won from author (Thanks again, Anna!)

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...

Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

Right from page one, I knew Of Poseidon is the kind of book that I can read over and over again and never get tired of. It was so original, not just because it's my first mermaid book but more because of the take on them. Oh, wait, not mermaid—Syrena. The fantastic writing urged me to turn the pages and keep learning about their unique world, and the perfectly-timed humor fit in really well with the overall fast pace of the story.

Emma, our main character, was brave and kind, with a stubbornness that was endearing, not infuriating. She had been looking forward to her eighteenth birthday, like other teenagers do. It was supposed to mean freedom, but for someone with a talent as fishy—see what I did there?—as hers, it led to a shocking truth which she accepted admirably. She panicked, yes, but she quickly got over that and faced the undeniable facts with an open mind.

Along with Emma's newfound identity came Galen, the beautiful boy with dark hair and violet eyes, the same violet eyes that had always made Emma feel like a freak. He's a Syrena prince who was an ambassador to the humans, although he worked with only a handful of them, and Emma's talent drew him in... in more ways than one, as he would soon realize. Because of his Royal upbringing, he did tend to be controlling and possessive at times, but that worked out well because Emma wasn't one to be bossed around. Them knowing how to push each other's buttons really provided for a lot of laughs.

The ending was quite abrupt, and I would've pulled out chunks of my hair if I didn't already have Of Triton in my hands. Fortunate, really, because I read three-fourths of this book while my dad sat watching me from across the room. I don't even want to imagine how he would've reacted if I suddenly pulled a tantrum :))

MY FAVORITE PART was Emma and Toraf "working" together. They sure shocked their beloved spoiled Royals :))

RATING:

  Title: Of Triton (Of Poseidon #2)

Release Date: May 28th 2013

Publisher: Feiwel & Friends

Source: ARC also won from Anna! She's amazeballs ♥

Goodreads | Amazon | The Book Depository

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.

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? 

You wanna know how awesome Of Triton is? Well, let's just say it's been months—or a year, even; I honestly can't remember—since I last read a book from cover-to-cover in one sitting. Yep, it was the ermahgerd-when-will-the-characters-get-a-rest-so-I-can-too kind of book. 

This sequel picks up right where Of Poseidon left off so there was immediate conflict and an urgency that kept me peeled to the pages. It made up with action what it lacked in swoon, which is the only reason why I'm not giving this a solid five. Not that I don't like action, but I just wanted more Emma/Galen. 

But enough of the golden couple because, really, the other characters were all noteworthy as well, especially since we see a lot more of them in here. They all felt like real, breathing people and Syrena, and I really enjoyed seeing their dynamics between each other. Although the conflict between the two kingdoms made everyone wary of reunions and new acquaintances, it also showed what each of them were made of.

Of Triton sated my appetite for more insight into the Syrena world leagues below sea level. The heavy presence of political intrigue in the story surprised then pleased me, because God knows how much I love that stuff. Of course I took the side of the Royals, and their enemies were my enemies. The said enemies weren't puny, but I've encountered enough of their kind in other books that I knew their own stupidity would get them in the end.

Honestly, I'd have been happy if this was the last book in the series. The ending was the definition of satisfying, so now I'm worried as to what the frick could possibly go wrong in Of Neptune. I sense something ominous, and I'm so ready for this year to fly by so I can know what it is.

MY FAVORITE PART was Emma's "Make way, badass coming through" moment which made me squeal and clap like a seal.

RATING:

Now for the giveaway!

I'll be giving away the signed Of Triton ARC that I won from Anna plus the matching bookmarks that I designed :3 Open internationally!

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