Book Review: Of Triton by Anna Banks

My rating: 7/10
Goodreads average rating: 4.02/5
     *If you would like to read my review on Of Poseidon, the first book in this series, please look to the earlier post.*    
     Of Triton was published on May 28th, 2013. It is 246 pages long and one of the three main books in the Syrena Legacy series.
     The second book in the Syrena Legacy series, Of Triton, by Anna Banks really raised the bar from the first book. While the first book contained a bit more humor than this one, Of Triton possessed gripping scenes that made you go back and ask if what you read really just happened.
     At the end of the first book, the author left us with a cliffhanger that made it nearly impossible to stop ourselves from reading the next book. *SPOILER ALERT* At the end of the first book we found out that Emma's mother is actually Nalia, the lost princess of Poseidon house.
     In the beginning of this book, we learn what followed Galen's accusation that Emma's mom had a few secrets she had been hiding. What makes this situation funny is that it followed with an all out brawl. Galen, Toraf, and Rayna managed to get Nalia captured while Emma just stood there with her mouth hanging open.
     However, Nalia didn't stay down for long. She kidnapped Emma and took her away to be safe from Galen and the Syrena. She does not believe that Grom is alive. In fact, she has convinced herself that Galen is there to get to her through Emma. With a few falsely believed truths, Nalia gets Emma to doubt Galen's intentions.
     Meanwhile, Galen has gone on a quest to bring Grom to Nalia as proof that they are not lying. All the while, he is worried about Emma. How can he not be? Her mother drugged her, put her in the back of her car, and drove her off to where she thought was "safe".
     I have not even started to get into the types of problems they run into within this book. However, I want to show you guys a scene from the beginning of the book that will give you an idea of what is going on in Galen's mind during all of this initial chasing.
     Below is the scene that takes place when Galen realizes Nalia has escaped with Emma. The way in which he comes to gather this information is by finding Rayna tied to the same chair Nalia used to be secured in. 

Of Triton by Anna Banks pages 7-8:

“Nalia kept saying she needed to go to the restroom, so I let her use the downstairs bathroom. I figured it would be okay because she seemed to have calmed down since you left, so I untied her. Anyway, she was taking a long time in there.” Rayna points to the bathroom below the stairwell. “So I checked on her. I knocked and knocked but she didn’t answer. I opened the door—I should’ve known something was off since it wasn’t locked—and the bathroom was dark. Then she grabs me from behind and puts something over my face. The last thing I remember is Emma standing in the doorway screaming at Nalia. Next thing I know, I wake up in this chair, tied up like some common human.”

Toraf finally frees her. She examines the red lines embedded into her wrists. Rubbing them, she winces. “I’m going to do something bad to her. I can be creative, you know.” Rayna clutches her stomach. “Uh-oh. I think … I think I’m gonna—”

To her credit, she does try to turn away from Toraf, who’s now squatting on his haunches to unstrap her feet. But it’s as if he were the target all along, as if Rayna’s upchuck were attracted to him somehow. “Oh!” she says, vomit dripping down her chin. “I’m sorry.” Then she growls, baring her teeth like a piranha. “I hate her.”

Toraf wipes the wet chunks from his shoulder and gently lifts Rayna. “Come on, princess,” he murmurs. “Let’s get you cleaned up.” Shifting her in his arms, he turns to Galen in askance.

“Are you serious?” Galen says, incredulous. “We don’t have time for that. Did you not hear what she just said? Emma and Nalia are gone.”

Toraf scowls. “I know.” He turns to Grom. “Just so you know, Highness, I’m upset with Princess Nalia for tying Rayna up like that.”

Galen runs a hand through his hair. He knows how this works. Toraf will be useless until Rayna is sufficiently calmed down and happy again. Trying to convince his best friend of doing anything otherwise is a waste of time they don’t have. Unbelievable. “There’s a shower on the third floor,” Galen says, nodding toward the stairs. “In Emma’s room.”

Galen and Grom watch as Toraf disappears up the stairwell with their sister. “Don’t worry, princess,” they hear him coo. “Emma has all those nice-smelling soaps, remember? And all those pretty dresses you like to wear…”

Grom cocks his head at Galen.

Galen knows this looks bad. He brings his brother to land to reunite him with his long-lost love and the long-lost love has tied up his sister and run away.

Not to mention how else this looks: illegal. Rayna wearing human dresses and taking showers with human soaps and upchucking human food. All evidence that Rayna is much more familiar with the human way of life than she should be.

But Galen can’t worry about how anything looks. Emma is missing.

It feels like every nerve in his body is braided around his heart, squeezing until it aches incessantly. He stalks to the kitchen and flings open the garage door. Nalia’s car is gone.