Of Poseidon

Title: Of Poseidon

Author: Anna Banks

Format: Paperback (Library checkout)

Year: 2012

Series?: Of Poseidon Book 1

Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Mythology

Plot Summary: After a tragic accident in which her best friend Chloe dies, Emma discovers there is more to her than meets the eye. Galen, Prince of the Syrena and descendant of Triton becomes convinced that Emma is one of the Syrena (or in other words a mermaid) like him, but that she is hiding among the humans, something he does not understand. Determined to unravel the mystery of Emma, Galen enrolls at her high school in New Jersey and takes an active interest in Emma, maybe even a little bit romantically. Unfortunately, if Galen is right and Emma is one of the Syrena, law dictates that she would have to mate with his older brother Grom, and Galen cannot bear this as he has already fallen for Emma. Together, Emma and Galen search for the answers to Emma's background, while hoping they could end up together.

Opinion: Of Poseidon is a cute and refreshing take on the mermaid story. I was constantly laughing at the humor Banks threw in with the Syrena characters and their reactions to human phrases and way of life (for example, the phrase "swapping spit"). The relationship between Galen and Emma was sweet and just a little bit angst-ridden but not overly so. The world building in the book was cleverly weaved into the story and was not exhausted all at once, but carefully explained throughout the book. I especially liked the love/hate relationship between Toraf and Rayna, it made for some giggles throughout the book. I will say that this book seemed geared more for some of the younger YA genre readers, but is entirely enjoyable by readers of any age (meaning middle school to elderly). One thing I really did not understand though is why Emma's perspective was written in first person and why Galen's was in third; it irked me throughout the entire book. Of Poseidon, ironically, would be a great summer beach read. Warning, the book ends with a bit of a cliffhanger, but fortunately the second book has already been published.

I give it 3.5 out of 5 stars, and I will definitely read the other books in the series.