Of Poseidon (The Syrena Legacy #1) by Anna Banks

Galen is the prince of the Syrena, sent to land to find a girl he's heard can communicate with fish. Emma is on vacation at the beach. When she runs into Galen—literally, ouch!—both teens sense a connection. But it will take several encounters, including a deadly one with a shark, for Galen to be convinced of Emma's gifts. Now, if he can only convince Emma that she holds the key to his kingdom...
Told from both Emma and Galen's points of view, here is a fish-out-of-water story that sparkles with intrigue, humor, and waves of romance.

First, may I say, aren't those covers beautiful? I've always had a thing for underwater covers (like “The Unbecoming of Mara Dyer) I was originally going to read this book when my pool construction was finished. (so I could just feel like I was taking an awesome vacation.)
I couldn’t wait that long. I ended up sitting on the couch, and devouring this novel, and it’s sequel immediately. It was fantastic. I could feel the struggle of Galen. What he should do, and why he didn’t want to do it, but knew he had to.

And then, the glorious moment when…well, ok, I won’t spoil it.

Nonetheless, I love Galen and his old world nature. I love his perseverance. I love Emma and her propensity to get in to trouble. I like her spitfire nature, and her compassion towards living things (I’d say animals, but that doesn't really fit.)

I like a lot of the relationships presented in this novel, mainly because they have presented different kinds of love, and how each of them can be just as powerful as the other. If you are looking for a good summer read (that you don't have to fight to enjoy) this is the novel for you. I seriously enjoyed its rolling action (without the taxation of some of the more serious themed summer novels.) Such a sweet romantic story! I can’t wait to see what happens in the next installment!

Gypsy Knights by Two Brothers Metz

"Fourteen-year-old Durriken Brishen has lost his parents, his grandfather, and though he doesn't know it, his Gypsy culture's dangerous gift.

       Taken in and raised on the rails by the first woman to pilot a freight train, Durriken  
          has one remaining connection to his Romani roots: a small wooden box that hangs      
        from the hammer loop of his overalls.The last gift he received from his grandfather,
  the box contains the world's first chess set. But a piece is missing: the Red Queen.
       According to Durriken’s family lore, the complete set awakens the power of Tărie, a mercurial gift that confers unique abilities on each new Master.

When a suspicious fire erupts in the Chicago rail yard, Durriken's escape produces an uneasy alliance, though not without its silver lining. Dilia is a few inches taller, several degrees cleverer, and oh yes – very pretty. While Durriken is uneasy allying with a girl whose parents were convicted of sedition, there's no doubt she is a powerful partner. And while it's not immediately clear to either, her own Guatemalan culture and family history are deeply entwined with the ancient Romani mystery.

Jumping box cars, escaping riverboats, deciphering clues, crossing swords with the brilliant madman Radu Pinch – with great American cities as its backdrop – Gypsy Knights is the page-turning saga of Durriken Brishen and his quest to rediscover his past."One word: Awesome. It’s like an Indiana Jones adventure right here in America. I love how chess and Durriken’s culture is woven seamlessly into the story, it just makes all the strategies so much more interesting. It does take a little bit for the action to start. It’s not ‘slow’ per say, it just starts handing you puzzle pieces, and you just have to wait for that moment that they all start clicking together. Negative: cussing. A few might also find it a turn off because it does incorporate Spanish (or at least that’s what I think it is…I suppose on the off chance it could be Italian because the languages are similar.)  Living where I do, the bilingual moments didn't faze me. The sequel may just put this series on the shelf of fame.

Eye of the Moon by Dianne Hofmeyr

      Isikara and her father tend the sacred crocodiles and assist at mummifications of both humans and animals. One day, they are ordered to a tomb. Two bodies are waiting for them--Queen Tiy and her eldest son, Tuthmosis. Tuthmosis has been poisoned but is clinging to life. With no time to spare, Isikara rescues the young prince and runs away with him. The pair find themselves on a journey across Egypt, searching for allies who will help Tuthmosis regain his throne. Their travels lead them along the Nile, across the desert, and through bustling market towns. All the while they must avoid their pursuers, the High Priests who wish to silence them. But there are dangers in the desert and all around. Who can they trust? And where will their adventure lead them?

  Isakara is her father’s temple assistant. She takes care of the sacred crocodiles (the same ones who ate her brother’s arm) and helps embalm bodies. Right as they were to begin the ritual offering to Sobeck, they were summoned for a royal embalming. It was the Queen and the Crown Prince who were dead. Isakara, or Kara as her friends call her, was always a stubborn girl. She was shocked when her father told her to run away. Not only run away, but to flee Egypt. And not just flee, but flee with the Prince. It turned out that the Crown Prince Tuthmosis had survived the poison that was given to him and his mother, and Kara was to smuggle him out. With his younger brother was in charge of the thrown and the high priest of Egypt after his soul, it was unlikely they’d even make it to the Great Nile River.

Eye of the Moon was fantastic! First of all, I would like to say, this is a special book. My dad picked it out on the shelf; he has a way of doing that. He read the back and then handed it to me, he knew I would love it, he has never given me a book that I haven’t liked (ignore the double negatives, you know what I meant.) It was a pretty summer day when I started reading it. I wanted to take advantage, so I sat in the grass. Thirty minutes later I was on chapter 11 and something weird happened. The book melted. It must have been hotter than I thought. Nevertheless I was able to finish the book. I would definitely recommend this book. I may love it because I’m extremely interesting in Egyptian history and Tuthmosis is one of my favorite pharaohs, but it was excellent! It has a nice bit of mythology and history to learn but it isn’t cut and dry. You know, like some of the dusty history books you’re handed at school. Definite recommend. Can’t wait to read Eye of the Sun.