Review: Of Neptune by Anna Banks

Of Neptune

Author: Anna Banks

Release: May 13th 2014

Genre: Urban Fantasy, Mermaids, YA

#3 in the Syrena Legacy trilogy

Series: Of Poseidon (#1), Of Triton (#2)

Plot:

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.

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Review:

I know that everyone and their grandma has already said this before me, but this is probably one of the biggest wastes of 330 pages I have ever come across. Those poor trees. It felt like a filler book, just a one last grasping chance for Anna Banks to beat a dead horse, milk a bit more money out of this trilogy, you know? It was so full of unnecessary stuff, I am baffled that it got published at all.

I was already wondering where the relationship drama and fallout was during Of Triton, because in the second book, that's usually when the main characters start to question each other and their feelings and blah, and that is usually when the second person for the love triangle is introduced at the latest, and so I thought that we'd pass that stop by in this trilogy, that we'd skip the needless drama — but oh no, not at all. As a result, with Banks doing exactly that in this third novel, it was all extremely underwhelming, like a last ditch effort to shovel some clichés in, and as a result, it was just boring and unbelievable. Yeah, sure, Emma and Galen start doubting each other and their feelings, but there was never one moment where I actually believed that this could be serious or anything other than temporary, there was never once a moment where you could imagine Emma actually ending up with this Reed dude, so it was incredibly ridiculous in the end and Banks could, nay, should have done without that. In fact, done without the whole book.

Anyways, now that I'm on it, let me just say real quick that man, that Reed guy was seriously irritating. What a cocky, arrogant asshole, I mean Galen was already on my shit list since book 1 because he's a controlling, misogynistic dickbag, but Reed really isn't much better. I don't know what Banks is trying to do by creating all these subpar male love interests, but she is definitely sending out all the wrong vibes with these kinds of men. I do hope that this is not wish fulfillment for her, because if she really digs abusive, mega-jealous jerks who only want a docile mate that cooks for and always agrees with them, then she has my deepest regrets.

And let's not forget, something that I have held my tongue about for the past two books because I thought there was still a chance it might all get addressed in this last book, but this trilogy has more plot holes than Swiss cheese. I'm amazed that its bullshitting is not leaking out of all the holes there are. Honestly, it broke the immersion so hard for me, being left with all these questions Banks never even so much as touches upon briefly, it's no wonder I'm coming out rather disliking this series. So, while I may have been lenient about these gaping plot holes, not anymore. Banks had her chance to 'fess up and answer basic questions, like What the hell happened to Galen's parents? that should evidently need to be answered, but it appears she doesn't even see the problem with not telling us those things. In fact, I'd almost bet you that's something she's never really thought about.

What else is there to say? Honestly, I was really hoping to like this trilogy a lot more, I never expected this to be a deep, complex read with compelling characters that will change my world view or anything, I was rather going for a light-hearted, fun and quick read, but I do still expect a little more than this. It doesn't always need to be dark with important themes in order for me to enjoy a novel, but the Syrena Legacy is just way too shallow and obvious to me, with all these characters being super special, the most special-est of the most special who can do no wrong and have no troubles, no inner conflicts outside of the party pooper bad guys, and that is just too boring and too lame for me.