Series Review: Is this series worth your time? Does it get better as the novels progress? Or does it get worse? Find out below:
Synopsis for Of Poseidon (from Goodreads):
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.
Series: Syrena Legacy; Of Poseidon
Author: Anna Banks
# of Books: 3 (Full Reading Order Here)
Book Order: Chronological
There are numerous novellas and short stories.
Complete?: Yes
Genre: Young Adult, Mythology, Non-Contemporary, Paranormal Romance, Mermaids
Heat Rating: cool
Point of View: First & Third Person
Publication Dates: May 2012 – May 2014
Source & Format: Public Library–Audiobook
Why I Picked it Up / My Expectations:
I’ve had Of Poseidon on my TBR for YEARS. It escaped numerous declutterings of my TBR because there was just something about it that made me want to read it, even years later. I think part of it is that I just never really read a lot of mermaid books. The other part was that this book seemed to be everywhere when I first started blogging and I think I felt like I was missing out on something.
When the trilogy became available on audio at my library, I knew it was the next one for me to binge!
The Concept / The World:
The whole world is really intriguing. It’s a fun play on mythology and other mermaid tales.
The Plot:
Even as I get older, I still enjoy YA reads. I just get a little chooser about what I read because I know what I like and what I don’t like.
This is one of those series I might have enjoyed a little more 10 years ago when it first came out.
I craved a little more excited but perhaps that was because I could see the plot twists a mile away. However, I did think the pacing was good and these books were always moving so they never felt like they dragged on. They’re very basic in their approach and I feel like with the politics of the world, more things could have been going on to give the story an edge.
The Characters:
Emma is the classic “special snowflake” heroine with a massive chip on her shoulder to make her (unnecessarily) angsty. I wasn’t a fan. Her rationale for some of her decisions made me roll my eyes considering she is supposed to be 18 and “mature”.
Galen won’t be winning my teenaged heart but he was a nice hero and I appreciated that he wasn’t displaying a ton of “alpha” maleness.
The Romance:
It’s your standard girl falls for boy with paranormal abilities/genetics.
When to Read the Novellas & Short Stories:
I never read any but I think the order listed on Goodreads would be accurate.
My Audiobook Experience:
The audio production was good. I think Galen’s chapters (in third person) could have been read with a different narrator or had Emma’s chapters (first person) start with “Emma” so that you know there is an apparent shift. I also thought Rayna’s voice really changed (and not just because of the plot) in Of Triton (#2). She seemed more childish than before, which in turn seemed slightly out of character.
Series Rating: 3/5
Of Poseiden 3/5 | Of Triton 3/5 | Of Neptune 3/5
I think for young YA fans or YA fans who want to dip their toes into the world of the paranormal, this is a good started series for you. It has just enough going on to keep things interesting but there are a lot better reads out there.
Read if You Like: mermaids, paranormal romances
Avoid if You: want more plot twists, dislike YA
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- Deep Blue by Jennifer Donnelly (Waterfire Series #1)
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