Emilia Hart is a fantastic storyteller! Her characters are some of my favorites I’ve read about, especially the historical parts.

I was so excited to receive the ARC for Emilia Hart's newest novel! I loved Weyward and could not wait to start! This book is moody and perfect for a rainy day. Her writing is always touching and the character development is fantastic -- switching between three timelines and what the women endure.

Emilia Hart is quickly on her way to becoming one of my new favorite authors. I enjoy the way she manages to entertwine different genres into a beautiful story. In this one we get a bit of historical fiction, mystery, and of course magical realism. The underlying theme seems to focus on female resilience and the bonds of sisterhood. Hart also adds a touch of generational trauma into the mix. The story was moving and focused on the strength these women were able to show despite the terrible things that happened to them. Lucy spending so much of the book unraveling all the mystery that surrounds her sister was actually a beautiful way to help the story unfold because we were able to watch all the pieces as they came together. I would have liked a bit more detail on the changes that the twins, Mary and Eliza, were going through. I know at the end it becomes clear but it felt like we were building a backstory that didn't come through all the way. I also felt like the epilogue could have been a bit more clear, or even left out, as I think enough clues are dropped that it's easy to understand what happened without it.

I was. Very excited to read the follow up to Weyward. This was ba great story, and I enjoyed the historical aspects and dual timeline. I do think the recent other books of human transformation came to mind while reading. Very well written, I felt like I was there,.

Emilia Hart knows EXACTLY how to deliver a woman first story with just the right amount of whimsy to her historical fiction. This hit the same beats and feelings of Weyward while exploring a new setting and storyline including a bit more of a mystery thriller-esq undertone that I loved.

thank you to the publisher for the advance readers copy :)

I'm sorry, but Weyward was better. And I give The Sirens just 3 stars. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. I enjoyed the way in which it was written (and how it came together in the end) but it was too predictable and, overall, just not that exciting.

I really liked Mary and Eliza's experience on the ship and how their skin started to transform. Their story was more powerful and I kept wanting more. But they were overshadowed by Jess and Lucy's story, which didn't have much substance.

I love Emilia Hart's work, though, and look forward to what she writes next!

I liked this one but a little bit less than I was hoping to. I don't know, I really like the historical part and I do enjoy magical realism but the killing men to protect women just didn't hit, maybe because o read it right after reading the ban witch and I was kind of tapped out on that subject or maybe because it just didn't really go that deep into explaining the calling. But it was a good book. And there were some good surprises.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover drew me in, the haunting story made me stay.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!! I was trying to read Weyward before this book came out (April 1st) but clearly failed to do so, anyways I'm so happy I got access to this ARC and was STOKED to read it based on Emilia Hart's popularity with Weyward!!
RATING: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️'s!! A beautiful combination of Myth and Womanhood!
"We are not monsters. We are women who were taught to fear ourselves."

If you were captivated by Emilia Hart's debut novel Weyward, then you'll love this work of hers!! I love historical fiction, and The Sirens is a full feminist reclamation that weaves together mythical resonance and womanhood into a piece that is both a novel and doubles as poetry.
From the very first page, Hart starts off with her signature multi-timeline structure, The Sirens echoes the same immersive brilliance that made Weyward
"To be a siren is to be feared. But it is also to be Heard."

In this story though, the sea is not just a setting in the background, but a living breathing entity that takes the shape of every woman in the story!! It's a book you'll get more out of from the second reading!!
To me, Emilia Hart is quickly becoming an important voice in contemporary historical fiction. I've read some other reviews on here that say otherwise, or that compared to her last novel this one wasn't as compelling, everyone is entitled to their wrong opinion though..
I highly recommend this novel if you loved her first!! or if you're a fan of Madeline Miller's works!!

While I wanted to love this, the three timelines in my opinion were a bit much. While I appreciate the way it was written and how it came together, it felt thrown together at some points and then came together at the end like a rush.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Emilia Hart for the advanced copy of The Sirens in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I wanted this to be grittier and darker than it was. It dealt with heavy topics but almost just in a surface level way. I wanted feminine rage, but it felt more like feminine discontent. I didn’t connect with any of the characters and I didn’t feel any empathy towards their problems.

I did like the multiple timelines and how they were woven together. Seeing the different characters at different points worked well with the story and added a little bit of depth.

I’m still going to give Hart’s other work a chance, but this one did not impress me.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart took me a little while to get into, mainly because it took some time for me to connect with the characters. However, once I did, I enjoyed it. I loved the blend of magical realism and historical fiction, and the dual timelines worked well together. They complemented each other and kept me engaged throughout the story. If you enjoy tales that feature strong female characters, and a touch of magic and mystery spanning different periods, this one is worth checking out!

This book was stunning. From the characters to the story I was in love from the beginning. This is one of those books where you’ll wish you had the ability to read it again for the first time!

When I first started this book, I struggled a little. I was fully expecting it to be just another OK book! I am so pleased to say I was wrong! I have ended up loving it way more than I expected! The female empowerment, the magical beings, the little plot twist at the end. I just really, really liked it! Recommending to everyone!

-       beautiful cover
-       well written
-       interesting plot
 
This was a highly anticipated read for me. Emilia Hart’s debut novel Weyward was my favorite read of 2024, and I could not wait to read The Sirens.
 
I enjoyed the story line and historical component of this novel, and I was pleasantly surprised on the unique twist on the “look” the mermaids had. However, I did not have a strong connection to most of the characters. In fact, Jess was very unlikeable, and her storyline was not believable specifically her relationship with Lucy. I also felt like there should have been less of a gap between Mary/Eliza’s timeline and Jess’s. Oh, and I could have done without the epilogue, I mean I would have accepted any explanation of how baby Hope came to be except for what we got.
 
Overall, I liked the story but wish some of the connections were stronger and the characters more likable.
 
Thank you to NetGalley and f St. Martin's Press for the eARC. All opinions are my own.

Overall I really enjoyed this story, especially the dual timelines following Lucy in one, and the twins, Mary and Eliza, in another. The historical side of this story was interesting and the way that in-world history was built up, did so much for where the story went and the believability of where Lucy found herself. The twist of the story was pretty predictable given the title and premise of the story, but Hart was still able to take that and add a bit more to the twist that was, not surprising but fun and inventive.

The audiobook was great and I feel like I’ve definitely heard this narrator in other books that I’ve really enjoyed so listening to this one felt kind of soothing.

I was hyped for the intriguing premise of two connected timelines between two sets of sisters, but unfortunately I feel like it failed to deliver on the haunting potential.

The disjointed narrative began with a sleepwalking incident that felt more like a contrived setup rather than an organic story catalyst. Both timelines suffered from indistinguishable narrative voices, which made it hard to connect or care about either set of siblings. What could have been a captivating exploration of feminine power across centuries drowns in excessive introspection and aimlessness, with the story taking far too long to reveal its true direction while never providing enough character depth to keep me invested during the slow journey.

🌊 New Book Review🧜‍♀️

The Sirens
By Emilia Hart
Published: 4/1/25
Genre: magical realism/historical fiction/mystery

This novel was a lovely and haunting story of family and found family. It’s about the secrets they try to drown, but ultimately bubble to the surface. Written in both past and present, the women might be different, but they all know the trauma and sacrifice of being a woman in a world that is ready to take advantage of the vulnerable. In the end, they must learn to feel afraid and choose courage anyway. I liked it a lot, and give it a rating of ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the opportunity to read a digital copy of The Sirens!

#arcreview #bookreview #bookrecommendation #thesirens #gmabookclub #mysterybook #magicalrealism #historicalfiction #netgalley #april2025books #newbook #seanovel #sirensnovel #bookstagram

I really liked this, but it’s hard to say I would recommend it to everyone. I think you REALLY need to be in the mood for something like it to enjoy it.

It’s eerie, atmospheric, and moves slowly. I loved the blending of multiple POV’s, suspense, historical fiction and magical realism. It was so obvious to me that this was the same author as Weyward, she has such a distinct writing style that I love.

I don’t think this is a book you will love right off the bat, it’s more of a slow burn where the story grows on you as you go!

3.75 3.75 I wanted to love this historical fiction story but the modern story never quite clicked with me. In this book we follow two separate timelines one in modern times following sisters who have some sort of mystery growing up causing them not to be the closest. One day Lucy showed up at Jess’s home after having nightmares with her sleepwalking toward water. Lucy finds Jess missing and starts looking into this mystery surrounding the town and how it relates to her own history. We also follow Lucy and Jess’s ancestors as they were coming over on a prisoner ship to Australia and all the hardships they faced and their mystery surrounds Jess’s hometown. This book was interesting there was so much going on in this book that was bleak and heartbreaking so it’s hard to say this is an enjoyable read. With that said I think it was an important read as it shone a light on what those prisoners faced. Where I ran into trouble was the modern storyline, I never really found myself connecting with these two and felt like this story was a little slow paced. Overall I enjoyed this book the writing was atmospheric but pretty heartbreaking story. I would like to thank NetGalley and the publishers for a chance to read this book for an honest review.