Monday, March 31, 2014

Swimming with Mermen

Of Poseidon by Anna Banks
Genre: YA Fantasy/Romance
*First novel of a trilogy

"The day Emma meets Galen on the beach is the day her life changes forever. Galen is the prince of the Syrena sent to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. When Emma runs into him-literally, ouch!-their connection is immediate and powerful. Could this be the girl? After several encounters, Galen is convinced Emma is the one. But how can he convince her of her gift? And how can he make his feelings for her disappear? She's the key to his kingdom, she can't be the key to his heart."

Or can she? Oooh. I was first interested in this book because the cover shows someone swimming underwater, and I'm fascinated by the ocean, mermaids, or anything wet since there's so little of it in Amarillo, TX. And let's face it people, readers do judge books by their covers.

I highly enjoyed this book and I have read it twice. Yes, it is cliche in some parts, and for the most part the reader can guess what is going to happen, but Banks crafted an interesting plot and did I mention there are mermaid-like creatures (Syrena) swimming from page to page?

The narrator, aka the main character, is extremely snarky and sarcastic, and I found myself laughing out loud several times (good thing the first time I read this book it was an audio version in my car). Each character in the novel stood apart and possessed at least one slightly entertaining facet.

I had a difficult time imagining the underwater world of the Syrena, and it was a bit too romance-focused for me, but if you want a light, funny read, this book is for you. I give it a 3 out of 5 and suggest it for 15 year olds and up.

What I learned: People can't expect to know everything about a person and what they're thinking/feeling right away; bigger things might be swirling around in someone's soul, making them act in a certain way. Good rulers are those who can sacrifice their own desires for the betterment of their people.  

Warning: There's a major cliffhanger at the end of this novel. Be prepared. (The sequel is out; more on that later).

Anna Bank's blog: http://byannabanks.blogspot.com/


No comments:

Post a Comment