Book Review #445 - Of Neptune (Syrena Legacy #3) by Anna Banks

Emma and Galen s kingdom and their love is threatened by long-lost Syrena in the brilliant conclusion to Anna Banks bestselling trilogy.

Emma, half human and half Syrena, and her Syrena love, Galen, need time together alone. Away from the kingdoms of Poseidon and Triton. Emma s grandfather, the Poseidon king, suggests the two visit a small town called Neptune.

Neptune is home to both Syrena and Half-Breeds alike. But Emma and Galen didn t sign up to be peacemakers between the ocean and the land-dwelling, freshwater Syrena. They didn t bargain for meeting a charming Half-Breed named Reed, who can barely disguise his feelings for Emma. And they especially didn t expect to find themselves in the middle of a power struggle that threatens not only their love but their ocean kingdoms.

In this stunning conclusion to her bestselling Syrena Legacy, Anna Banks thrills fans with more action and romance than ever.

My Rating: 4.5/5

I received this book for review from Hardie Grant Egmont. It is the sequel to Of Poseidon and Of Triton. 

I didn't reread the first two books like I usually would do because I didn't have enough time but I found that this book was easy enough just to jump back into the Syrena world. 

This book was probably my favourite in the series because I really loved the whole idea of Neptune. 

Whilst the split narrative is very common now in the young adult genre, I don't think I have seen it work anywhere near as well as it does in this series. It worked especially well in this book as Emma and Galen spend so much time apart and their voices gel really well together. 

Reed was a refreshing character. He reminded me of a stereotypical Australian. He was very laid back, charismatic and very outgoing. 

Emma and Galen both annoyed me at times throughout the book and I think this was because there wasn't as much focus on secondary characters as there has been in the first two books. 

I love the amount of depth put into the whole Syrena biology and politics. Overall, this is a was a fantastic series and definitely my favourite in the mermaid genre.

Book Review #350 - Of Triton (Syrena Legacy #2) by Anna Banks

Emma is half-mermaid: a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. But she's in love with Galen - a gorgeous Syrena from the House of Triton, god of the sea. If Emma's secret is discovered by the Syrena, she risks being put to death as a Half-Breed.

Emma's heritage comes from her mother - a princess from the House of Poseidon who escaped the sea to live as a human. Aware of the danger her daughter faces, she is determined to keep Emma away from the Syrena. But her reappearance after so many years turns the underwater kingdoms, Poseidon and Triton, against one another.

How can Emma and Galen stay together when their two rival kingdoms, and two different worlds, just want to tear them apart?

Picking up right where Of Poseidon left off, this utterly irresistible story is full of humour, intrigue, and waves of romance.

My Rating: 4/5

I received this book for review from Hardie Grant Egmont. It is the sequel to Of Poseidon.


I decided to re-read Of Poseidon before I read Of Triton. Although I did not enjoy Of Poseidon as much as I did the first time I read it, I found that I still liked it more than Of Triton.


Of Triton was too heavily focused on the politics of the Syrena for my liking.


Given that I read both books in this series back to back, I liked that one started straight where the other left off.


All the characters developed considerably especially Emma. Even though I didn't particularly like the Syrena politics, I felt like that it aided world building immensely.


I found this book to be well paced, and I actually read the book cover to cover in about a 3 hour period.


Given the ending to Of Poseidon, I was looking forward to how Emma's mother would become part of the story. I wasn't disappointed as that question is answered almost immediately.

  

Book Review #242 - Lullaby (Watersong #2) by Amanda Hocking

Harper only wanted a safe, normal life. But when her younger sister Gemma runs off with a dangerous clique of beautiful girls, Penn, Thea, and Lexi, everything changes. Vowing to get her sister back no matter what the cost, Harper must face dangers unlike any she's ever experienced. Fortunately, she has Daniel by her side, a gorgeous guy who's devoted to helping her find her sister—and who's immune to the girls' dark powers.

While Harper searches for her sister, Gemma struggles to adjust to her new life. Gemma's powers are growing by the day, and the longer she lives with her new "sisters," the harder it is to resist entering their magical world. It's a realm both dark and beautiful, and where she's plagued by strange hungers and unspeakable needs. Just as she's drifting far away from her old life, Harper and Daniel find her...but no one can deny how much she's changed. All she wants is to return to her family and the mortal world, but how can she do that when she's become something else entirely—and will they still love her once they learn the truth?

 

 

My Rating: 4/5

 

 

I received this book for review from Pan MacMillan Australia. It is the sequel to Wake.

 

 

After reading Wake last month and really enjoying it, I had high expectations for Lullaby. Whilst I didn't like it as much as Wake I still liked how the story progressed.

 

 

Harper was a character from Wake that I didn't connect to as much as I wanted. Although she is the dominant character in this book so it was easier to connect with her.

 

 

Gemma is still my favourite character and so I can't wait for the third book Tidal so I can find out her fate.

 

 

As for the male characters, I really liked Alex in Wake but he was barely present in Lullaby. And Daniel, I just don't like at all for some reason.

 

 

There was less action than in Wake which is probably why I didn't like it as much.

Book Review #231 - Wake (Watersong #1) by Amanda Hocking

Gorgeous. Fearless. Dangerous. They're the kind of girls you envy; the kind of girls you want to hate. Strangers in town for the summer, Penn, Lexi and Thea have caught everyone's attention—but it’s Gemma who’s attracted theirs. She’s the one they’ve chosen to be part of their group.

Gemma seems to have it all—she’s carefree, pretty, and falling in love with Alex, the boy next door. He’s always been just a friend, but this summer they’ve taken their relationship to the next level, and now there’s no going back. Then one night, Gemma’s ordinary life changes forever. She’s taking a late night swim under the stars when she finds Penn, Lexi and Thea partying on the cove. They invite her to join them, and the next morning she wakes up on the beach feeling groggy and sick, knowing something is different.

Suddenly Gemma is stronger, faster, and more beautiful than ever. But her new powers come with a terrifying price. And as she uncovers the truth, she’s is forced to choose between staying with those she loves—or entering a new world brimming with dark hungers and unimaginable secrets.

 

 

 

My Rating: 5/5

 

 

This book is set in third person. At first it made me confused as it kept jumping from character to character in the space of one page, but by the end of the novel I wouldn't have preferred it any other way.

 

 

As for the characters, I connected with Gemma instantly and felt the connection between her and Alex instantly which is extremely rare for me. Harper, I slowly warmed up to her throughout.

 

 

This is my first Amanda Hocking book and I really liked the writing style. I will definitely be reading Lullaby as soon as possible.

 

 

Although there were predictable plot twists, there was also one that came out of nowhere which was also the cliff-hanger in this book.

Book Review #151 - Of Poseidon (Syrena Legacy #1) by Anna Banks

Galen is strong, protective and gorgeous, with striking violet eyes and a body to make you shiver - and that's just when he's in human form. He's from the House of Triton, god of the sea, and he's searching for a girl with the gift of Poseidon to save his brother from marrying a fraud. Emma is a human. Or so she thinks. When Emma meets Galen on the beach, they both sense a sizzling chemistry. But can Galen convince her that she holds the key to his kingdom - without letting on that he's falling for her?

My Rating: 5/5

I want to thank Hardie Grant Egmont Australia for sending me a copy of this book for review.

From the very first page when I read the witty dialogue between Emma and Chloe I knew I was going to love this book. Then, a very shocking plot twist just 17 pages in really sealed the deal for me. From that moment on I was unable to put the book down.

I really liked the alternate point of view chapters of Emma and Galen as it showed a broader range of perspective. The chemistry between them was evident from their first meeting.

What surprised me most about this book was how funny it was. It had a perfect mixture of humour and romance.

The mythology aspect was great. My only knowledge of Poseidon is based upon the Percy Jackson and the Olympians series so I was glad that it wasn't over complicated. In fact, the mythology part is barely part of the book at all as it focuses more on the Syrena/Mermaids aspect.

The huge cliffhanger at the end I predicted about 20 pages from the end, which is good because usually if I predict the ending I predict it early on and it ruins the rest of the book.

I am very excited to read the next book in the series titled Of Triton which will be published in 2013.