Book Review: Of Triton (Of Poseidon #2) by Anna Banks

The blurb as seen on Goodreads:
Release Date: May 28, 2013
Publisher: Macmillan
246 Pages

In this sequel to OF POSEIDON, Emma has just learned that her mother is a long-lost Poseidon princess, and now struggles with an identity crisis: As a Half-Breed, she’s a freak in the human world and an abomination in the Syrena realm below. Syrena law states that all Half- Breeds should be put to death.

As if that’s not bad enough, her mother’s reappearance among the Syrena turns the two kingdoms—Poseidon and Triton—against one another. Which leaves Emma with a decision to make: Should she comply with Galen’s request to keep herself safe and just hope for the best? Or should she risk it all and reveal herself—and her Gift—to save a people she’s never known?

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It’s been awhile since I’ve read Of Poseidon. I remember liking it okay – not amazing, but amusing. I feel like this one was the same way but with slightly more issues, a little more meh to me. Of Poseidon and Of Triton brings together mythology (which I adore) and modern teenage life which sound intriguing enough, but unfortunately are still falling flat for me as a series. 

In Of Triton, we pick up where the last one left off. Emma, after revealing Galen to her mother, has been kidnapped by mommy dearest, who is running from Galen’s older brother, Grom. Of course they find her, and of course Emma’s mother suddenly only wants to be with Grom – who cares that she has a daughter. She can go back to the sea and be rejoined with her true love and her father. I’m not kidding. Her mother is probably the most immature human being in this entire series. She goes from overbearing parental unit to teenage girl with googly eyes in the span of a chapter. Her lack of responsibility for her child’s safety or well-being is really disconcerting. I did not like her character at all. 

Speaking of characterizations, it doesn’t really seem as if there was any character growth from the first book to this one. The men are still extremely sexist and swim around with the idea that women should stay in the background and be pretty. Galen spends the whole book declaring that Emma is his mate and everyone needs to stay away. Emma meanwhile pouts and whines about everything, but then at the end is suddenly fine with the way everything turned out.

As for the story itself, I found it to be extremely predictable (can you say Toraf?) and at times ridiculous (Emma and her horde *snicker*). I wanted so much more but felt that everyone was a pushover or willing to not question anything. The book is very short, but it dragged to me. I had no real desire to get to the end and find out what’s going to happen. The writing style was also not one I really liked. The fact that Emma was in first person and Galen was in third didn’t sit well with me and I found that it took me out of the story every time it switched. We go from being completely inside someone’s head to being a spectator, watching on the sidelines. 

This is still the only mermaid series I’ve read but I feel like it’s a good segue into the genre. Despite its beautiful cover (come on, it’s so pretty!), it just doesn’t stand out to me.