Review – Of Neptune (Serena Legacy, Book 3) by Anna Banks (4/5 stars)

Reading Level: Young Adult
Genre: Paranormal
Size: 336 pages
Publisher: Feiwel & Friends
Release Date: May 13, 2014
ISBN: 978-1250039606
Stand Alone or Series: 3rd book in the Serena Legacy
Source: Borrowed from Library
Rating: 4/5 stars

This was the third and final book in the Serena Legacy. This is one my favorite “mermaid” young adult series. The writing is well done, engaging, and fast-paced. This is a quick and fun read and I ended up really enjoying the direction the story took.

Emma and Galen need some alone time after all the events that happened in the last two books. Emma’s grandfather suggests they visit the town of Neptune. When Emma and Galen arrive there they find that Neptune is inhabited by Half-Breeds (like Emma) as well as full-blooded Syrena, all of whom are freshwater dwelling. This is a big enough surprise, but neither of them anticipate the depths of intrigue and politics they will be thrust into by arriving in Neptune.

I thought the second book ended at a great spot to tie up the series, so I was a bit concerned when I heard there was going to be a third book. I really like this YA mermaid series…and it is pretty much the only “mermaid” type of series I have ever read and really liked…so I really didn’t want it wrecked. However, I shouldn’t have been concerned, Banks did a great job using this book to tie up an issue that I didn’t even really think much about in earlier books.

Emma and Galen are supposed to be mated but they want to go away on a road trip to spend time getting to know each other and just having some time as a couple away from the constant judging and chaos. The big question that looms over them both is what they will do after they are mated. Will they live on land? This would be great for Emma but hard on Galen. Will they live in the water? Emma needs to breath every couple hours because of her half-Syrena status, so that won’t work out well for her. This book is largely about these two dealing with that issues, which while fantastical isn’t that far away from decisions a lot of couples are faced with.

The whole thing escalates when they arrive at Neptune. Here there are half-breeds like Emma and here is a place where Emma is not ostracized but feels like she belongs. Then there is the Half-Breed boy Reed; he is Emma’s age and understands exactly what she deals with on a day to day basis. The citizens of Neptune wants to return to their salt-water origins and they are hoping Emma can help them.

I love that Emma and Galen are for the most part a responsible couple who try to talk things through. Yes, there are moments when anger or selfishness overtake their common sense, but for the most part they have a healthy and stable relationship.

I also really enjoyed that Banks wrote this book to deal with the issue of inequality between Half-Breeds and full Syrena. It was the one question that wasn’t really dealt with in the second book and it ended up making for a good story.

The story is fast-paced and hard to put down. It was very well written and I ended up enjoying it a lot. This book really does tie up all of the loose ends and makes for a very satisfying conclusion to the series.

Overall this was an excellent conclusion to this series. I really enjoyed watching Emma and Galen work through their issues, and I loved meeting a community where Half-Breeds and full bloodied Syrena lived side by side. The story is very engaging. I would recommend this whole series to those who love YA paranormal reads. I would especially recommend it if you like paranormal reads with a mermaid theme to them; this is the best series in that sub-genre that I have read.

This book goes towards the following reading challenges:
– Series Reading Challenge
– You Read How Many Books? Reading Challenge