{Audiobook} Review: Of Triton by Anna Banks

Title: Of Triton
Author: Anna Banks
Narrator: Rebecca Gibel
Series: The Syrena Legacy, book #2
Publisher: AudioGO
Publication Date: June 4, 2013
Source: received from publisher for review via Audiobook Jukebox
Purchase: Amazon | Barnes & Noble | Audible

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?

I remember Of Poseidon being funny.  It had its intense moments -- shark attack, anyone? -- but I definitely remember laughing.  And I liked the first book.  But maybe I should take into account that it was my first mermaid book and so maybe I was a little giddy with The Little Mermaid nostalgia from my childhood.  Because as far as sequels go, Of Triton was very meh.

I read an ARC of the first book last year, and I downloaded the free audio from SYNC a couple of weeks ago when it was offered.  But I didn't have time to get to the audio for a refresher before I received the audio for Of Triton for review.  I dove in (no pun intended) remembering little of what happened in the previous book, but there's a brief recap, so a re-read of the first book wasn't necessary.

However, I don't remember Emma being so immature and annoying in the first book.  I'd blame it on the narrator of the audiobook, but I've heard her rendition of Splintered, and I know the immaturity level in this book wasn't her doing.  In fact, Rebecca Gibel's narration was probably the only thing that really kept me listening.  The POV switches -- each chapter alternated between Emma’s present-tense, first person point-of-view and a third person point-of-view from Galen’s perspective -- were still as incongruous as in the first book, but I think listening to the audio helped supplant any of my previous issues with this style of narration.

Emma doesn't know who to trust.  Her mother's been lying to Emma her entire life, but Emma also knows Galen has been lying to her.  Her mother's identity -- and Emma's existence -- leads to a power struggle under the sea, one that forces its way to shore.  And Emma's future with Galen may be in jeopardy after certain revelations.

Yet, I found that I didn't really care how any of it turned out.  Even Toraf's humor couldn't save the lackluster story for me.  The ending seemed pretty cohesive and it felt like things were wrapped up and that this could really be the end.  But then I went to update my reading status on Goodreads and found a third novel in the series planned for release next year.  Yeah...I don't think I care enough to read anything further in this series.  I didn't hate it; I'm just apathetic toward it.  The characters, the plot...nothing did it for me this time around.  I've completely lost interest in the series.


Rating: 

About the author:

New York Times Bestselling author of The Syrena Legacy series.

Grew up in a town called Niceville. No, seriously. I graduated from Niceville High School. So did J Lo's second husband. And the guy that plays Aqua Man on Smallville dated my best friend.

Now I indulge my tendency to lie by writing the lies down and selling them to publishers. Well actually my agent sells it, so she's an accomplice to lies. One of my lies is called OF POSEIDON. The sequel is called OF TRITON. I'm still making up the third lie, OF NEPTUNE.

And um. I also write adult fiction under pen name Anna Scarlett. One of the adult lies is DEGREES OF WRONG.

That is all.

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