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3.75 AVERAGE
3.75 AVERAGE
This review originally appeared on Book Brats on May 17, 2013.
Last year, I read Of Poseidon, the first book in this series. While I enjoyed the many laughs that the spunky main character, Emma, provided, there was one thing that did bother me. That one thing was the dynamic between Galen’s sister, Rayna, and his best friend, Toraf. The arranged marriage aspect just wasn’t my cup of tea, especially considering the way it was enacted. Thankfully, things seemed to have improved. We’ll just say that it’s a good thing Rayna actually wanted to be with Toraf all along. I still don’t like how it came about, but I’m trying to look on the bright side.
That being said, I really enjoyed Emma and Galen in Of Triton. Their relationship has greatly improved from Of Poseidon. Galen isn’t as overbearing, Emma is more independent, and Emma really comes into her own. Not only that, but we get to find out what the gifts of Triton will finally be revealed and the gifts of Poseidon are displayed in all their glory. It all makes for a thrilling culmination that I really enjoyed the most out of any other part of the book.
There is a wide array of events and emotions throughout Of Triton. From heartbreak to betrayal, you can find it all. There is even an emotional reunion laced throughout the story. The villain is truly insidious in his ambition and greed and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. In the background you will find the underwater world of the Syrena, a serene yet dangerous world filled with all the things you would imagine (fish, whales, dolphins, and more) and the things you wouldn’t (namely the Syrena and their underwater territories). It was definitely an asset to the story.
Though I’ve become a little burned out when it comes to mermaid books, Of Triton provided a nice reading experience. With a good dose of humor, Emma makes the narrative sparkle. The confrontations are riveting and the emotions are well presented. Overall, I found Of Triton to be a very enjoyable story, one which I wouldn’t mind continuing with.
Last year, I read Of Poseidon, the first book in this series. While I enjoyed the many laughs that the spunky main character, Emma, provided, there was one thing that did bother me. That one thing was the dynamic between Galen’s sister, Rayna, and his best friend, Toraf. The arranged marriage aspect just wasn’t my cup of tea, especially considering the way it was enacted. Thankfully, things seemed to have improved. We’ll just say that it’s a good thing Rayna actually wanted to be with Toraf all along. I still don’t like how it came about, but I’m trying to look on the bright side.
That being said, I really enjoyed Emma and Galen in Of Triton. Their relationship has greatly improved from Of Poseidon. Galen isn’t as overbearing, Emma is more independent, and Emma really comes into her own. Not only that, but we get to find out what the gifts of Triton will finally be revealed and the gifts of Poseidon are displayed in all their glory. It all makes for a thrilling culmination that I really enjoyed the most out of any other part of the book.
There is a wide array of events and emotions throughout Of Triton. From heartbreak to betrayal, you can find it all. There is even an emotional reunion laced throughout the story. The villain is truly insidious in his ambition and greed and will stop at nothing to get what he wants. In the background you will find the underwater world of the Syrena, a serene yet dangerous world filled with all the things you would imagine (fish, whales, dolphins, and more) and the things you wouldn’t (namely the Syrena and their underwater territories). It was definitely an asset to the story.
Though I’ve become a little burned out when it comes to mermaid books, Of Triton provided a nice reading experience. With a good dose of humor, Emma makes the narrative sparkle. The confrontations are riveting and the emotions are well presented. Overall, I found Of Triton to be a very enjoyable story, one which I wouldn’t mind continuing with.
This was a million times better than the first book. Full review coming soon!
Actual rating: 1.5 stars.
This book was so laughably awful.
What little charm the first book managed to hold has been totally lost in this sequel.
The writing. “Ohmysweetgoodness”, I hate Anna Banks' writing style. The voice that comes through in these books is so teeny and whiny and forced and unpleasant. Also, I thought it was a general rule that any writing that doesn’t move the plot forward in some significant way should be cut. Why is Banks not held to this rule? It leaves us with huge paragraphs of annoying inner thought and unnecessary interaction.
I also hate when books written in first person POV “speak” to the reader; this book asks so many rhetorical questions, and it irritates the hell out of me. And Emma would frequently comment on her actions, with lines such as, “Yes, I really did just ask a whale that. And no, he doesn’t answer.” Bleh. There’s nothing beautiful or eloquent about the prose in this novel. It’s light and stupid and it sometimes tries at being relatable but consistently falls short of it. The metaphors and similes employed are awkward and weak. Actually, the writing in general is awkward and weak.
There isn’t anything new to say about the characters—they haven’t changed in the slightest. They didn’t get any more annoying, thankfully, (looking at you, Rayna) but they certainly didn’t get any better. They still read like dolls being made to do things, not people. And their every action and thought is described in painful detail. Anna Banks apparently hasn’t mastered the art of SHOW, DON’T TELL.
Now, the story… it somehow manages to beat out the writing style as the worst aspect of this book.
Right from the get go, the root of all the conflict in this book-- Nalia and Grom each believing the other is dead and Nalia fleeing to land—is so weak. Why did she immediately assume he was dead? It’s not as if she saw his dead body! No one told her he was dead. Yes, there was an explosion, but if she didn’t die, why did she immediately assume he didn’t survive? I understand that she couldn’t sense him any longer, and Emma even brings up the idea that her sensing abilities could have just been messed up, and because there isn’t a good reason for it, Nalia just shuts the idea down. Which isn’t an answer! It makes no plausible sense that she would just leave without a word to anyone and stay gone for decades. So, that foundation is moot, and the rest of the story falls apart.
Despite the fact that the story itself shouldn’t exist on such faulty grounds, it does. So now we have the current situation of “Ohmigod, Nalia’s alive! Grom’s alive! True love survives!” which is like, whatever. Good for them. Except of course some angst must come from this, so Emma has loads of miserable feelings about seeing her mom with her “soul mate”, a guy who isn’t her dad (and who is also her boyfriend’s older brother but okay, whatever). And those are valid feelings! Her mom even adds to her unhappiness by admitting that she and Emma’s dad had never actually been in love (and had simply existed in a platonic marriage for 16 years. Riiiiight). That does suck! But Emma invalidates her own emotions; every line about her inner unhappiness is followed with, “Stop being such a brat! Grow up!” which doesn’t help anyone. But, abruptly, and for little reason, she’s over it. Apparently seeing a man she barely knows but who reminds her of her father flirting with another woman makes her feel like her dad has found someone, too. And that makes all her bad/sad feelings go away. What- How- Why- Stop. Don’t question it. Like everything in this book, if you stare at it too hard and search for the logic in it, it totally falls apart. There was also some pre-reunion angst of Emma doubting everything she knows about Galen with the slightest provocation, so we get to listen to her struggle internally for a chapter or two before they’re reunited and she believes in him again. Ugh.
Now, the rest of this shallow book is spent with most of the characters in the ocean trying to prove that Nalia is Nalia and that Paca does not have the Gift while Rachel, Rayna, and Emma are stuck on land doing literally nothing (don’t even get my started on the whole “leaving the women at home to keep them safe” aspect of this part of the story). It’s all terribly boring. Banks tries to spice it up with the chapters ending in someone tackling or strangling or stabbing someone else abruptly, but it’s a fairly transparent ploy. And then, in what is supposed to be a shocking twist, Toraf “betrays” Galen and company by denouncing the Royals and revealing Emma’s existence along with a promise to bring her to the trial. It is immediately obvious and then immediately revealed that Toraf has only good intentions and is bringing Emma to the trial to disprove Paca’s claim of possessing the gift. This seems like a good idea, except Emma is worried about angering Galen by disobeying his (order) request to stay on land (to be fair, it is because he’s afraid she’ll be killed once revealed to be a Half-Breed).
Emma goes to the trial, Galen’s wrath be damned, and is admittedly impressive in proving herself. And then she’s stabbed. Which abruptly ends one of the few interesting scenes in the story. And while the story should have wrapped up after that point, the climax, for some reason it is dragged out and sort of built up again which is actually really annoying—it’s very disconcerting for there to be more rising and falling tension after the conflict has been resolved. And it seems the only reason this was done is so that Banks could kill off Rachel. I wasn’t attached to Rachel in any way, but she was supposed to be a likable character, which is why she was killed: for angst. It is ridiculously obvious that she was just killed off for one last emotional punch (it didn’t work, but it was an attempt). If I didn’t already hold so much disdain for this book, that really put it over the edge. Unnecessary character death is a huge pet peeve of mine.
Because I almost always write my reviews directly after finishing a novel, they are always colored with how I felt by the end of the book. Because by the end of Of Poseidon I had found the experience of reading it more enjoyable than irritating, my review isn’t as heavily laced with criticism. Because I was darkly amused by the how impressively mediocre this book is by the end, my review doesn’t sing the praises of the very few things this book did right (I can’t even remember them, to be honest). I would recommend this series to no one, to be frank. I’d also call it a waste of time if it didn’t take so little time blow through and be done with.
(Also, is there actually a 3rd book coming out??? Why??? JUST LET THIS SERIES DIE).
This book was so laughably awful.
What little charm the first book managed to hold has been totally lost in this sequel.
The writing. “Ohmysweetgoodness”, I hate Anna Banks' writing style. The voice that comes through in these books is so teeny and whiny and forced and unpleasant. Also, I thought it was a general rule that any writing that doesn’t move the plot forward in some significant way should be cut. Why is Banks not held to this rule? It leaves us with huge paragraphs of annoying inner thought and unnecessary interaction.
I also hate when books written in first person POV “speak” to the reader; this book asks so many rhetorical questions, and it irritates the hell out of me. And Emma would frequently comment on her actions, with lines such as, “Yes, I really did just ask a whale that. And no, he doesn’t answer.” Bleh. There’s nothing beautiful or eloquent about the prose in this novel. It’s light and stupid and it sometimes tries at being relatable but consistently falls short of it. The metaphors and similes employed are awkward and weak. Actually, the writing in general is awkward and weak.
There isn’t anything new to say about the characters—they haven’t changed in the slightest. They didn’t get any more annoying, thankfully, (looking at you, Rayna) but they certainly didn’t get any better. They still read like dolls being made to do things, not people. And their every action and thought is described in painful detail. Anna Banks apparently hasn’t mastered the art of SHOW, DON’T TELL.
Now, the story… it somehow manages to beat out the writing style as the worst aspect of this book.
Right from the get go, the root of all the conflict in this book-- Nalia and Grom each believing the other is dead and Nalia fleeing to land—is so weak. Why did she immediately assume he was dead? It’s not as if she saw his dead body! No one told her he was dead. Yes, there was an explosion, but if she didn’t die, why did she immediately assume he didn’t survive? I understand that she couldn’t sense him any longer, and Emma even brings up the idea that her sensing abilities could have just been messed up, and because there isn’t a good reason for it, Nalia just shuts the idea down. Which isn’t an answer! It makes no plausible sense that she would just leave without a word to anyone and stay gone for decades. So, that foundation is moot, and the rest of the story falls apart.
Despite the fact that the story itself shouldn’t exist on such faulty grounds, it does. So now we have the current situation of “Ohmigod, Nalia’s alive! Grom’s alive! True love survives!” which is like, whatever. Good for them. Except of course some angst must come from this, so Emma has loads of miserable feelings about seeing her mom with her “soul mate”, a guy who isn’t her dad (and who is also her boyfriend’s older brother but okay, whatever). And those are valid feelings! Her mom even adds to her unhappiness by admitting that she and Emma’s dad had never actually been in love (and had simply existed in a platonic marriage for 16 years. Riiiiight). That does suck! But Emma invalidates her own emotions; every line about her inner unhappiness is followed with, “Stop being such a brat! Grow up!” which doesn’t help anyone. But, abruptly, and for little reason, she’s over it. Apparently seeing a man she barely knows but who reminds her of her father flirting with another woman makes her feel like her dad has found someone, too. And that makes all her bad/sad feelings go away. What- How- Why- Stop. Don’t question it. Like everything in this book, if you stare at it too hard and search for the logic in it, it totally falls apart. There was also some pre-reunion angst of Emma doubting everything she knows about Galen with the slightest provocation, so we get to listen to her struggle internally for a chapter or two before they’re reunited and she believes in him again. Ugh.
Now, the rest of this shallow book is spent with most of the characters in the ocean trying to prove that Nalia is Nalia and that Paca does not have the Gift while Rachel, Rayna, and Emma are stuck on land doing literally nothing (don’t even get my started on the whole “leaving the women at home to keep them safe” aspect of this part of the story). It’s all terribly boring. Banks tries to spice it up with the chapters ending in someone tackling or strangling or stabbing someone else abruptly, but it’s a fairly transparent ploy. And then, in what is supposed to be a shocking twist, Toraf “betrays” Galen and company by denouncing the Royals and revealing Emma’s existence along with a promise to bring her to the trial. It is immediately obvious and then immediately revealed that Toraf has only good intentions and is bringing Emma to the trial to disprove Paca’s claim of possessing the gift. This seems like a good idea, except Emma is worried about angering Galen by disobeying his (order) request to stay on land (to be fair, it is because he’s afraid she’ll be killed once revealed to be a Half-Breed).
Emma goes to the trial, Galen’s wrath be damned, and is admittedly impressive in proving herself. And then she’s stabbed. Which abruptly ends one of the few interesting scenes in the story. And while the story should have wrapped up after that point, the climax, for some reason it is dragged out and sort of built up again which is actually really annoying—it’s very disconcerting for there to be more rising and falling tension after the conflict has been resolved. And it seems the only reason this was done is so that Banks could kill off Rachel. I wasn’t attached to Rachel in any way, but she was supposed to be a likable character, which is why she was killed: for angst. It is ridiculously obvious that she was just killed off for one last emotional punch (it didn’t work, but it was an attempt). If I didn’t already hold so much disdain for this book, that really put it over the edge. Unnecessary character death is a huge pet peeve of mine.
Because I almost always write my reviews directly after finishing a novel, they are always colored with how I felt by the end of the book. Because by the end of Of Poseidon I had found the experience of reading it more enjoyable than irritating, my review isn’t as heavily laced with criticism. Because I was darkly amused by the how impressively mediocre this book is by the end, my review doesn’t sing the praises of the very few things this book did right (I can’t even remember them, to be honest). I would recommend this series to no one, to be frank. I’d also call it a waste of time if it didn’t take so little time blow through and be done with.
(Also, is there actually a 3rd book coming out??? Why??? JUST LET THIS SERIES DIE).
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
No
Just like the first one, it was quick and an overly enjoyable read. I liked that there was more world building and that we got to see more of how the Syrena world works. There were also some twists that I liked. The romance, however, again felt very cheesy, especially between Grom and Nalia. But I'm curious to see what's going to happen in the final book because it feels like this one tied everything up quite nicely.
I really enjoyed this book! The action scenes, as well as the soft emotional scenes, all the revelations and reunions, are well-written!
No me deja de sorprender esta autora, un libro genial.
El único "pero" que pondría es que no le veo el caso hacer un tercer libro, el final podía haberse dado en este... solo queda esperar que nos trae el final de esta trilogía.
RESEÑA COMPLETA: http://raneverland.blogspot.com/2014/08/resena-of-triton-syrena-legacy-2-anna.html
El único "pero" que pondría es que no le veo el caso hacer un tercer libro, el final podía haberse dado en este... solo queda esperar que nos trae el final de esta trilogía.
RESEÑA COMPLETA: http://raneverland.blogspot.com/2014/08/resena-of-triton-syrena-legacy-2-anna.html
The plot was good. In fact, better than in the last book. It kept me at the edge of my er... couch. But, I think the weak point of this installment is the characters. The main character. Sure, she was super badass when it was the time to be, when it mattered, but to get there, I had to wade through her muddy, boring thoughts. They were all over the place, and conflictedin places that were just dumb. Emma had the potential of being very likable, but I don't see where her development is. She has the gift of Poseidon. Cool. But I don't see who she is without it. Hobbies? Motivations? A life? Same goes for Galen.
Overall, not a bad book, but one that needs a little work.
Overall, not a bad book, but one that needs a little work.
I absolutely loved Of Poseidon. This book was just as incredible by I have to admit the ending disappointed me a bit. It was well written but I just got too attached to the characters I guess. No spoilers here but let's just say that I'm struggling to start the last book and I don't want it to end