Of Triton (Syrena Legacy, #2)

by Anna Banks

[Raven]

Read this and other reviews at my blog.

Learning that her mother is the long lost Syrena princess that everyone believed to be dead was just the beginning. Now, the two kingdoms of Syrena are pitted against each other in a political struggle while Emma struggles internally with an identity crisis. As a half-blood, she is a freak in the human world and an abomination in the mer-world below the sea. When tensions below reach epic proportions, Emma must decide if she will honor Galen’s request to keep herself safe and unknown, or if she should reveal herself and her gift to save the Syrena below.
I was not as impressed with this book as I was with the first one. I still like the series, but this book was enough to take it off my favorites list. It had barely made the cut, but this one just secured the idea that it was presumptuous to add it to that list so soon like I did.

The characters are mostly the same. The mother does a one-eighty on her personality, but with her secret revealed, that was to be expected. Grom basically had no personality and it was very very late into the game that I even started liking him a little bit. The villains and side characters felt rather hollow. If this weren’t a second novel, I would feel like no one was fleshed out. That characters just all became non-impressive and easily faded into the background.

The story had some issues, but it was still entertaining. It was enough to keep me reading despite the issues I had with the characters. I clearly remember in the first book that Emma had trouble breathing for that long under water, and then in this one she can suddenly stay under for hours? That felt wrong to me. The story was interesting but felt a little thin. That could be because of the characters or their motivations feeling garbled.

I almost feel like I should give it less stars, but I just can’t because I really did enjoy it. It felt almost rushed to me. There were just too many issues that I don’t associate with Anna Banks. The fact that it was still told from Emma’s point of view in first person and Galen’s in third was annoying. It’s almost jarring while you are reading really. Then there were a few scenes from Galen’s pov that were written in both first and third and left you confused for a few pages as to whose point of view it was.

I think the worst part of this though, was that there was a pointless death at the end. The death is basically hinted to, but never really led up to. There is no emotion with it. I expected to be bawling like an infant and I was hardly moved at all. But let’s add to that, there will be a sequel. This is working out to be a trilogy. This book had a nice clear-cut ending. It was vague and left things open to a continuation, but it really isn’t needed. So the idea of another one doesn’t feel right. I will still read it, but I can’t help but feel disappointed by it’s existence.