Book Review
Title: Of Triton by Anna Banks (The Syrena Legacy Book 2)
Genre: Young Adult, Fantasy, Romance
Rating: 3 Stars
It has been a while since I read Of Poseidon but I remember really enjoying it and finding it really funny as well as being invested in the blossoming romance between Galen and Emma. The reveal at the end of book 1 that Emma is a half-breed and her mother is the long lost princess of House Poseidon was amazing and I couldn’t wait to get back into it. The novel opens right where the first book left off but Nalia is kidnapping Emma to get her away from Galen and the other Syrena. Nalia believes very strongly that she killed Grom in the explosion and that Galen is getting the Syrena police to come and arrest her and nothing Emma says is making any difference but Galen and Grom are tracking them down with help from Rachel so sooner or later Nalia is going to come face to face with Grom again as both believe the other to be dead and won’t accept it until they see each other with their own eyes.
As we approach the ¼ mark in the novel, the pace is immensely fast but Nalia and Grom are reunited after a standoff with Rachel which ends with both Rachel and Nalia sustaining injuries but Syrena heal quickly. When Nalia realises along with Grom that she was wrong and neither of them are dead a lot of old feelings come flooding back leading to a tearful reunion but not everyone is happy. Emma is unhappy since she has learnt that her mother’s relationship with her father was non-existent and Emma’s existence is because of a moment of weakness on her mother’s part shattering this loving image she had of her family and she unfairly blames Grom for it which Galen can sense. Things are complicated though since Grom was remated to Paca, who they now know is a fraud which means that Nalia has to return in order to set things straight and get Grom’s mating dissolved. However, if things don’t go to plan, Galen is next in line to be mated to Nalia but he wants to take Emma for his mate which is forbidden under Syrena law since half-breeds like Emma are put to death. They decide that Grom should return with Nalia and straighten that mess out and if it goes well they will introduce Emma to Syrena society and get her accepted even if it is against their laws.
As we cross the ¼ mark in the novel, all the Syrena are returning with the exception of Rayna who is staying behind with Emma. Galen and Toraf are immediately aware of a large party heading towards them in a not so friendly manner and that is why the girls were left behind in order to protect them from what is coming but Grom doesn’t seem to notice since he is too wrapped up in Nalia. When they meet the approaching party, the Poseidon King recognises his daughter and welcomes her home but Romel and Jagen throw Nalia identity into question which is going to make things difficult. Jagen seems to have both the Archives and Trackers in his pocket since they side with him and show open disrespect towards the Kings of both Kingdoms and Galen knows this is because Paca is Jagen’s route to the throne so he won’t allow her to be removed easily. This mean a trial is going to be held in order to prove who Nalia is and until this is done and her identity proven, Paca’s mating to Grom can’t be unsealed and if it isn’t unsealed then Galen is next to be mated to Nalia which neither of them will go through with. Paca claiming to have the Gift of Poseidon also makes this hard since everyone in Galen’s party knows that Emma actually has the gift but they can’t prove this without outing Emma as a half-breed and potentially sentencing her to death or she could be mated to Grom since Nalia doesn’t have the gift.
As we approach the halfway mark in the novel, I wasn’t enjoying this book as much as the first one because the pacing felt a little rushed and I did want more depth into the now rekindled romance between Nalia and Grom as well as the growing unrest in the Syrena kingdoms. On land, it seems that Rayna is coming down with some illness that is affecting her voice while Emma is struggling both mentally and emotionally to come to terms with her new reality and there is still some small part of her that is longing for a normal life. The pair along with Rachel end up paying Dr. Milligan a visit to try and deal with some of the anxiety they are all dealing with due to the lack of news from Galen and the others but he doesn’t help much. Back in the Syrena Kingdoms a tribunal is being held to determine whether Nalia is who she says she is, however, it looks like Jagen and Rommel are looking to make political moves in order to discredit the royals are replace them with their own group called the Loyals and Paca is the key to this since their whole argument is based around Commons being able to inherit the Royal gifts. Galen already knows this is true since Emma is a half-breed and has the gift of Poseidon which is why she is safer on land right now but he also learns that there is another plot in the works for if the tribunal goes badly and he thinks it is going to involve Emma in some way.
As we cross into the second half of the novel, Rayna is getting impatient with the lack of news from her brother and mate and decides to head home despite the warning they were given and Emma of course, follows her. However, before Emma can catch up with Rayna she comes across a Syrena caught in a fishing net and goes to help scaring away the fisherman using her whale friend although he is injured in the process. Emma ends up returning after this but Rayna has arrived home much to the disappointment and fear of Galen and Toraf who aren’t pleased since the tribunal is still ongoing. At the continuing tribunal Jagen asks for Rayna to give testimony about Nalia because she hasn’t been arrived and has to admit she has been on land although she tries to blame Jagen for it rather than giving up Emma. However, Toraf steps in and declares the existence of a Half-Breed and wants to bring her to Jagen. Obviously, knowing Toraf as we do and the depth of his affection for Rayna, I have a feeling this was Plan B to bring Emma into the Syrena Kingdom and show them that she has the gift of Poseidon despite being a Half-Breed thus protecting her and Nalia but this is a big risk which means that Toraf knows something the others don’t and is trying to protect them or I’m hoping that is the case and he isn’t just an asshole for the fun of it.
As we approach the ¾ mark in the novel, Toraf is sent to go and find the Half-Breed since he is the best tracker and he does just that. On land he finds Emma and tells her what he has done and what he needs her to do in order to save Galena and the others and of course she agrees. During the journey back Emma gathers allies in the form of ocean predators to prove that she truly has the gift of Poseidon. When they return Jagen tries to talk circles around Emma but she isn’t having any of it and manages to convince people that she does have the gift and that Nalia is who she says she is. Almost all of the Royals retreat to land in the immediate aftermath since Jagen attacked Emma revealed that Rayna and Galen share the gift of Triton since they are twins. During this time both Jagen and Musa are captured and kidnapped by humans and the Archives need the aid of the gifts in order to protect the Syrena but none of them are really willing to help unless they get things in exchange. Grom wants to unmated from Paca so he can be with Nalia, Galen wants permission to be with Emma and Emma wants the laws surrounding Half-Breeds to change which are seemingly granted although it can’t be that easy considering how many of the Archives turned on the Royals but I will have to wait for the final book to see that come true.
As we cross into the final section of the novel, Jagen and Musa are being held on a Government island and together the Syrena go to rescue them along with Rayna, Galen and Emma who use their gifts to flood the island giving the Syrena and advantage while protecting the humans. During the rescue mission Jagen knows he is going to be arrested and makes one last effort to beat the Royals by injuring Toraf and trying to kill Galen but he doesn’t succeed. However, Rachel does end up dying in the flood as she was taken back to the island and locked in a cell which is heart-breaking for Galen and Emma understands this pain better than most since she lost Chloe. This singular event brings Emma and Grom together since he knows that his siblings are going to need Emma for support in the coming months and she is beginning to accept him as well. While Grom and Nalia stay in the Triton Kingdom, Galen and Emma are living on land and they decide to take a break for a while for Galen to come to terms with Rachel’s death the same way she did with Chloe’s. I am looking forward to the sequel but this book felt like filler and should have been split and added to the 1st and last book but it was still worth the read.
Buy it here:
Paperback/Hardcover: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
Kindle Edition: amazon.co.uk amazon.com
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