Series Recap: The Syrena Legacy by Anna Banks

Reading Order: (sort by date)

Of Poseidon (Book 1, Published on May 22, 2012)
Of Triton (Book 2, Published on May 28, 2013)
Of Neptune (Book 3, Published on May 13, 2014)

Click on the titles to check out my reviews.

***

Synopsis Recap:

Emma thinks she's just a normal Florida teen girl... until she meets Galen, the prince of Triton. Turns out she's not that normal at all... she's a Half-Breed herself, and she possess powers that are really rare. She's thrown into wars that she doesn't even know existed or she doesn't know how she's involved. Those were ignited a long time ago. And Emma is determined to stop them, even if she doesn't need to. Even if she doesn't actually have a right to.

Thoughts Recap:

My views are very different towards the three books.

Of Poseidon is actually my favorite book of the trilogy. It seems like the whole idea is very original and the wits Emma possesses are very real and funny even if they're not always artfully hilarious. The whole thing seems so cute to me. And while sometimes there are tension between characters (not the real battle-tension), they're still humorous and it makes me giggle. It's kind of hard not to like Of Poseidon.

Of Triton is okay, I guess. There are a lot of times where Of Triton is better than the first book. Like the fact that there are actual risks and their lives are really at stake (for once). Emma gets pretty badass in this book too, which is one of my favorite things in the book. However the humor part falls short and that's a little disappointing because I really look forward to that part. Generally, though, I still like this book.

As for Of Neptune... I kinda wish this series is a duology (aka no Of Neptune whatsoever). It's like everything falls short in this book. And I mean EVERYTHING. Not just humor, not just cuteness, not just edginess of fighting for their lives, even the romance between Galen and Emma (which, while it's not my favorite thing in the series, is still awesome nonetheless). I'm pretty disappointed. And the ending is so rushed that I feel like everything is just "what the hell is going on exactly?". Pretty bipolar, huh?

Due to the extreme bipolarity of my views (that sounds like I'm suffering from schizophrenia or something), no overview this time. Yeah.

Overall Rating: 6.5/10
Do I recommend this series?: How about I only recommend the first two books only?

Of Neptune: Review

Synopsis:

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.

***

It seems like I'm being really critical to the series finales. I can't help it sometimes, whether it's because of my occasionally evil mood or other stuff. But this is another last installment of a series that I'm critical of. Three in a row. That's gotta be a record.

No, I don't hate this book. But I don't like this book either. I don't know whether I should be amused or annoyed or disappointed. I guess a little of all of that. Talk about the amused part first. It's more of a bitter humor than a good-ole humor. The whole concept of Neptune and the whole war thing between water-dwelling Syrena and the Half-Breeds are actually funny, but it's the ridiculous-funny, not the ha-ha-funny. 

Which leads to the annoying part. They're only slightly annoying. But you know what, a lot of slightly-annoying stuff can lead to quite annoying. I mentioned the whole Neptune thing. And that is so weird that I can't even begin to understand it. It's more of a temper-thing between water-dwelling Syrena and people in Neptune, rather than an actual, honest-to-goodness political dissatisfaction. And then there's this thing about Emma and Galen. What the hell? I mean, I can't tell exactly what is wrong with the two of them (I'm sure they're just being their own self but...), but I just feel annoyed whenever the two of them are arguing. I can't find the cuteness between them anywhere. 

There's a whole lot of disappointment there as well. I was not sure how to feel about this before I read it. But I'm open-minded and willing to give it a try. I hate to say it, but I'm quite disappointed. The whole Emma-and-Galen thing disappoints me a lot, and I'm not just talking about the lack of cuteness or the arguments. The ending is a little confusing and really weak as well. It's like everything is suddenly okay, without much of an explanation. It's not too bad to say I want a better ending, right?

It's probably a little too cruel to say this, but I wish it's a duology rather than a trilogy. The ending in Of Triton is really good enough. There's no need for a third book.

Rating: 6/10