Of Poseidon by Anna Banks

Of Poseidon
Anna Banks
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Released: May 22, 2012
Genre: Paranormal/Fantasy
Pages: 336
Source: Cavalier House Books

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.

There were a few things about this novel that kept me from loving it; however, I did thoroughly enjoy it and would recommend it to fans of this genre.

The story went back and forth between Emma's and Galen's points of view. This would normally excite me to no end, but Emma's chapters being told in first person and Galen's chapters being told in third person threw me in the beginning. After several chapters the switch didn't so much bother me except for the way it made me feel differently about Emma. While reading Emma's chapters, I really felt for her. Sure she let her temper get the best of her on more than one occasion, but being in her head gave validity to everything she did. While seeing her actions and reactions through Galen's chapters made her seem like a whiny snot. There were several points where I thought I had enough, and then a new chapter began and Emma was back in my good graces. While it wasn't enough to keep me from finishing, I would be interested in knowing why the author chose to tell the story this way.

The story itself was pretty good. I had a few issues with the believability of the plot. There were a few small details that didn't quite fit with one another. But the mythological basis for the story was very interesting, and overall I was invested in it. I really enjoyed a few of the side characters. I really enjoyed the ending. I figured out part of the mystery, but another part surprised me. I was definitely interested enough to be looking forward to the sequel.

FTC: I received an ARC of this novel from Macmillan via Cavalier House Books in exchange for an honest review.