Of Poseidon by Anna Banks Review

Monday, May 27, 2013

Title: Of Poseidon
Author: Anna Banks (Twitter)
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Publish Date: May 22, 2012
Genre: YA, Paranormal
Pages: 326
Source: Publisher

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.
Emma has a power, and she doesn't even know it. Galen has been searching for the girl who can speak with fish, and when he has a chance encounter with Emma, suddenly their lives are on a collision course. While Emma is content to enjoy a leisurely vacation by the beach, while Galen is on a mission. He needs to find her and, coincidentally enough, he does. But nothing is quite that simple, and there are more than a few things that the two have to conquer together before Emma's life changes forever and Galen gets what he's been searching for. 

I'm typically a bit wary of mermaid stories these days because, in the past, they've been very hit and miss for me. Some succeed, while others miss the mark by a long shot. Of Poseidon was one of the few that actually really rang true for me, and I ended up absolutely loving it. Anna Banks has accomplished quite the literary feat with this novel, as well. Offering us both a female and a male MC with complex voices and alternating chapter viewpoints and tenses, Of Poseidon tackles this risk with ease, sweeping us into the underwater world of Syrena where nothing is what we expected and everything is new.

Emma's character hooked me from the start with her startlingly honest inner monologue in which we get such a clear view of her persona. She steers us through the world of Of Poseidon with such charisma and wit and, despite her overwhelming clumsiness, she's intelligent, thoughtful and really engaging. Galen, too, got me hook, line and sinker (pun intended). He's sweet and naive, and his ability to make mistakes with simple human interactions made him a lot more personable, and it made the developing connection between the two characters incredibly tangible and believable. The characters definitely drive this story and, as they begin to interact more and more, we begin to see why Galen needed Emma so desperately in the first place. The only thing that I felt was a bit lacking was more in depth descriptions of Syrena. I wanted to understand their customs more, and I really wanted to have that added layer interspersed through Emma and Galen's points of view. I also thought the conclusion was a tad rushed, but it definitely left me wanting more, so I can't fault it too strongly.

Overall, I really enjoyed Of Poseidon. I thought it was a great new addition to the world of fantasy and mermaids. I give it a 4 out of 5, and I highly recommend it to all fans of YA, especially those who enjoy fantasy, paranormal and a touch of sweet romance.

I received this book free of charge from the publisher in exchange for an honest review. This, in no way, affected my opinion or review of this book.

10 comments:

  1. I've had this one for a while, and you've definitely convinced me to read it soon. I love mermaids, and don't know why I haven't read it yet. Thanks for the review!

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  2. I actually had no intentions of reading this book until I won a copy from a giveaway, and was surprised to find out that I actually enjoyed it. I fell in love with Emma and Galen and I can't wait to read more.

    - Ellie at The Selkie Reads Stories

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  3. Ooh nice review!! I've had this in my TBR pile since last year when it released. Really hoping to get to it soon, but likely might be farther than I think! I am definitely captivated by the mermaid themes lately and hoping that this one is just as magical for me as it was for you! Great review!

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  4. I have wanted to read this one for a while, but I was getting rather bored with mermaid books. But as it is summer, I really want to read this one.

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  5. I haven't jumped on the mermaid bandwagon yet, but this sound really good. I might have to give this one a shot.

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  6. I've heard quite a few good things about this one, so I really have to give this a try. I think I'll wait for the entire trilogy to be released and see the continued reactions. I've been burned too many times by trilogy conclusions, but this seems worth checking out - great review! :D

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  7. I love this book! I can't wait for Of Triton! I agree, it has a sweet romance. Lovely review :D

    -Dannielle

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  8. I'm very careful (read: picky) about the mermaid books I read. I'm curious about this one, since some people have said that it's funny, but I'm also wary, as others have not liked the guy in it. It still remains to be seen whether I will actually read this -- but I'm glad you enjoyed it!

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  10. I had fun with this one too, though I think I also predicted the twist well before it hit in the story (it's been awhile so I can't remember how early I predicted it; I don't think in the beginning). In spite of its flaws, I found it fun enough to keep going with book two. Looking forward to your thoughts on Of Triton! :-)

    Cath Brookes (Limo in Seattle)

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