Overall Rating:

• 3/5 Starfish

Likes:

• Clever incorporation of Poseidon and Atlantis folklore into modern day world-building.
• Fun underwater descriptions of ocean life and the Syrenas’ (mermaid/merman) world.

Dislikes:

• Some of the romance between Emma and Galen reads a bit too superficial for my preference. I would’ve liked more depth in the romantic tension and why they’re into each other.
• Book ends on a cliff hanger without adequately wrapping up the existing plot lines. Normally, I’m all for prepping the next book in a series with a teaser. Unfortunately, the ending in this novel felt as if the author simply stopped in the middle of the drama, rather than finishing the story arc and introducing new enticing information for the sequel.

Of Poseidon, by Anna Banks, is the first book in The Syrena Legacy series for young adults. The story focuses on a teenage girl, Emma, who experiences a traumatic event that sets her on a path toward discovering her unique underwater powers. With the help of Galen, a royal Syrena (merman), Emma explores her family lineage and inexplicable abilities. Emma and Galen’s partnership blossoms into romance despite their differences, royal edicts, and Syrena tradition.

Overall, this book follows a rather standard plotline with the usual themes prevailing. The wealthy, handsome, Royal finally finds love in an unlikely mate, then struggles with his family responsibilities. A paradoxically clumsy yet feisty female who doesn’t want to be “that girl” but falls head over heels for the dashing (and occasionally possessive) boyfriend anyway.

The novel has some clever dialogue and humor – including a few laugh out loud moments. The incorporation of mermaid mythology is fun, and some of the romance scenes were cute. One major bummer is how abruptly the novel ends. The story arc was just starting to hold weight when suddenly a new plot twist turns into the end of the book. As mentioned in my summary bullets, I love a good teaser to a sequel, but this ending feels less than satisfactory.

In summary, Of Poseidon is a nice, quick read. Maybe I’ll come back to read the sequel at another time, but for now this series will take a back seat while I continue on my quest for other fin-tastic mermaid stories!

Check out Of Poseidon and other books by Anna Banks at your favorite book retailer. That's all for now, Merworld. Until next time. You flipping rock!

~Melissa