REVIEW: Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Title: Of Poseidon (Of Poseidon #1)
Author: Anna Banks - Webpage | Twitter | Facebook
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Published: May 22, 2012
Format: ARC 324 pages
Rating: 5/5

Galen, a Syrena prince, searches land for a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. It’s while Emma is on vacation at the beach that she meets Galen. Although their connection is immediate and powerful, Galen's not fully convinced that Emma's the one he's been  looking for. That is, until a deadly encounter with a shark proves  that Emma and her Gift may be the only thing that can save his kingdom. He needs her help--no matter what the risk 

Amazon | B&N | Mysterious Galaxy

My Review:
Anna Banks really surprised and totally floored me with Of Poseidon. The Syrena mythology she weaves into the story is utterly fascinating and coupled with her clever writing, it makes up one brilliant and highly entertaining novel. The overall storyline is complex, but still simple and easily understandable. It piques interest and is definitely well developed as a whole.


My favorite part of this book is the alternating point of views of Emma and Galen. Anna Banks is brilliant for doing this because I believe it brought more depth to the story. She made Emma and Galen’s voice clearly distinguishable so I knew who exactly was narrating. It allowed the reader to connect more with Emma and Galen as individuals and when they were together. The split POVs definitely gave the book more character. I loved getting to know Emma this way, getting to Galen in another way and seeing how they each made one another feel. I also loved the fact that this helped me see the story in full circle.

Emma is one heck of a narrator. Her strong and gripping voice really grabbed me. She was hilariously funny almost every moment. The inner workings of her mind were immensely amusing. I connected with her effortlessly. I loved her energetic personality, her stubbornness and even her wild tempers. I especially enjoyed her kind-heartedness. Her overall good nature left me admiring Emma all the way. I really loved that she stood her ground and that she didn’t let anyone step all over her. She was spunky and snarky and all kinds of awesome.

I adored Galen so much. At first I thought he would be a snob considering his title and superiority as a Royal, but he was nothing of the sort. Sure, he was regal and poised and had this air of power around him, but he was immensely enchanting, super charming to bits and definitely seductive in more ways than one. I loved his sense of humor and even some of his innocence towards human life. I enjoyed watching him squirm around Emma and I liked that I got to see his internal struggle of choosing between love and duty. For me, Galen was otherworldly and beautiful. He’s all kinds of romantic and he’s sweet to the bone. He’s loyal and he really cares for the people he holds dear to his heart. If I could have him for myself, I would keep him forever.  I loved how Galen could push Emma’s buttons and I loved that Emma could take Galen’s breath away. The tension between the two was mounting up to that one moment and it was worth the wait.


I really loved the setting of the book and getting to know the Syrena world bit by bit. I was extremely captivated by the Syrena. I loved knowing about the Royals, learning their customs and ways of life. I enjoyed being introduced to sifting and mating rituals and learning about the two powerful houses: Poseidon and Triton. I liked that Anna Banks added some background story, giving enough information to make everything clear, but still keeping readers in the dark by hiding essential details that will be revealed in the future books to come.

Overall, Of Poseidon was a fun and very quick read! It definitely met my high expectations. With a fantastic storyline full of frustrating and teasing romance and engrossing adventures, Of Poseidon will not only please you, it will enrapture you. And with the ending that could kill, you’ll begging for more Emma and Galen and the rest of the Syrena!