I was thrown off from the beginning with Lucy waking up from sleepwalking to find she is strangling a guy she slept with. Rather than staying to sort it out. She then runs off campus and begins to drive to her sisters in the middle of no where. It's weird that there wasn't an explanation or story leading up to the sleepwalking. It was so startling. Once she gets to her sisters house, it sounds like a miserable location and so much rambling around searching. It was weird to me that she never tries to clear her name and just lets all this stuff happen at the college because she won't speak up or answer calls. This did come from multiple time period perspectives but they all sounded the same. It was sooo monotonous and really boring and hard to see where this would take the story. Then the ending felt so outside of what the story leading up to the book was. I actually went back and read the end again because I felt as if I was reading a totally different book.
I would not have finished this book if it wasn't an advanced reader copy.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart
Narrator: Barrie Kreinik
Rating: 4 stars
Pub date: 4/1

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook.

This is a mesmerizing story about sisterhood and the incredible strength of women across time. It blends magical realism with rich Irish folklore in a way that’s both haunting and empowering.

The story starts with Lucy waking up in the middle of the night, her hands around her ex-boyfriend’s throat. Freaked out, she runs to her sister Jess’s house in coastal New South Wales, only to find her missing. As she tries to figure out what happened, she stumbles upon eerie rumors about the town—stories of disappearing men, voices on the waves, and a baby abandoned in a cave. To make things even weirder, her dreams start merging with reality, pulling her toward the past.

Meanwhile, in 1800, Mary and Eliza are ripped from their home in Ireland and thrown onto a convict ship to Australia. As they sail farther from everything they know, something strange starts happening to them, hinting at a deep connection to the sea.

As their stories unfold, past and present collide unexpectedly, revealing a shared trait that ties them all together.

Hart puts a fresh, feminist spin on siren mythology. Instead of being deadly temptresses, the sirens—or Merrow—are protectors of women, using their song for justice. This twist makes the story feel fresh and powerful, driving home themes of resilience and reclaiming power.

While The Sirens is beautifully written, the back-and-forth between timelines and perspectives can slow things down a bit, and some character moments don’t hit as hard as they could.

I loved the narrator, Barrie Kreinik. She did an amazing job with the different accents and brought all of the characters to life. Her narration and singing were beautiful and really added to the atmosphere that the story was going for.

Overall, this is an unforgettable journey through time and myth. If you loved Hart’s last book or enjoy authors like Kristin Hannah, this one’s definitely worth the read.

This was a good read for me but I don’t think it was for me. It is different than what I normally read. Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

I enjoyed this book! It had lovely writing and the story was simple enough but really well put together. I was led to believe by other reviews that it was slow and it was slower paced but I didn’t find it a drag. The pace was very intentional and I loved that layers of the story were slowly revealed through all of the different timelines. This was a really visceral read as well, I could really see the house in Comber Bay and feel the dinginess of the hold of the boat Eliza and Mary were trapped on.

Overall would recommend for anyone who likes their literary fiction with a dash of supernatural in it, and is interested in a slow burn story with complex familial relationships.

Emilia Hart has launched herself to the top of my auto-buy authors list. This novel was delicious. Thoroughly enjoyed everything about this.
Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan

This book was gorgeously written and came together stunningly. I love seeing the dual timeline stories interact happening so seamlessly. The twists were shocking but believable.

There were some parts that were difficult to read. However I was able to witness beautiful moments of female bravery and womenhood

Wowww! This book was completely captivating! I wasn’t sure where it was headed but I was hooked from the very beginning. I was curious about the bond between Lucy and Jess. I liked the way in which we learn about who Jess is. And I definitely didn’t see the way things would turn out! This was a unique story and definitely recommend!

I loved Weyward, and this one was just as successful for me. The two books share some traits - female empowerment, an interesting house that's its own character, family secrets, and magical elements. We follow Mary and Eliza as they're held in bondage on a convict ship from Ireland to Australia, and we follow Jess and Lucy in present day Australia. I felt connected to each woman thanks to the evocative writing. I also looked forward to each new discovery about the house and the treacherous coastline below it - I could easily picture the damp and dilapidated rooms and the steep, slippery steps down to the sea. The reveals of the family secrets kept going right to the last page, and the ending was very satisfying. There's something about Emilia Hart's writing that really works for me, so I'll definitely be picking up whatever she writes next. Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for this digital arc.

I loved this author's debut, Weyward, and I loved this one EVEN MORE.

Mermaids and Sisterhood and Vigilante Justice and PUT THAT ISH IN MY VEINS.

I loved the multiple timelines, the distinct voices of each complex character, the interwoven Irish folklore, and the feminine rage.

THE FEMININE RAGE

Was I disappointed Ben didn't go for a final swim? Yes, but I'll content myself with the other nine (+) bits of retribution.

Here’s to many more.

Lucy has just had a terrible experience. She is awakened and she has her hands around her boyfriend’s neck. She has been dreaming. She knows she cannot stay at school, so she heads to her sister’s new house, The Cliff House. Her sister, Jess, is not there. And then strange things begin to happen and Lucy needs answers.

Of course, this tale starts with a female, convict ship in the 1800s headed to New South Wales. So, this hooked me right from the start. Then it rotates from present day to 1999 and back around to the 1800s. Trust this author to tie it all together, because she does and she does it in a grand fashion. Believe me, you will be questioning what actually just happened.

Now y’all…this is not really my genre. And it did not get weird until the end of the story when the strange twist occurred. It hinted at a few things but I was already invested. Did I like it…yep, yep I did!

Talk about a bit twisted but y’all, this novel is definitely worth your time!

Need a unique tale which will have you guessing and has a great twist at the end…THIS IS IT! Grab your copy today.

I received this novel from the publisher for a honest review.

In The Sirens, Emilia Hart crafts a beautiful story, that at its very heart, is about family love and all the things we do because of it. This was one of those books that grabbed me right from the beginning. Maybe it was the history of the prison ships and thinking about all the different types of women who would have been aboard, represented in the book. I enjoyed getting to know the main characters and sticking with them right to the end of the story.

The writing was very beautiful in this book. I enjoyed the atmosphere and the detail of the setting. The mystery got me hooked and wanted to know more throughout. I enjoyed reading about both of the different timelines woven for the different set of characters interesting. I loved the strong bonds and relationships with the characters.

this was my first book by emilia hart and I wasn’t sure if I am her intended audience. it wasn’t bad but it wasn’t great or kept me intrigued.

This story was such a slow burn that I found myself really struggling through, hoping that it would pick up or get better- and it didn’t.

although at times I was intrigued the story never really captured me. if you love historical fiction with a generational tie-in and a complex familial story with a slow burn, then you’d enjoy this one.

I typically do like a slow burn but this one wasn’t it for me. None of the plot lines really kept me interested. However I would recommend giving this one a shot if you’re a fan of Emilia hart!

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley, for the opportunity to read this ARC!

Emilia Hart is back with another tale featuring magical realism, strong heroines, and themes of fellowship and resiliance. This time, rather than witches and nature, we get the sea and sisterhood as four women across 3 timelines attempt to uncover truths about their lineage and overcome injustice.

The plot spans 1800, 1999, and 2019 as two sets of sisters find their lives linked by various mysteries, from visceral dreams and hidden adoptions to missing persons and a strange allergy to water. This multi-timeline approach made the pages fly by. However, I was distracted by the 1999 timeline, which took the form of diary entries that felt too convenient and not like something a teenager would write. Still, the author’s atmospheric writing style shines bright. At times, I swore I could smell the ocean breeze and hear the cawing gulls!

While this book had a lot going for it, I didn’t find it as captivating as Weyward. It kept my interest, but the late-breaking reveals and rushed epilogue made it difficult to bond with the characters. Though, bonus points for the big plot twist, which I did not see coming. I also appreciated learning about the late 18th-century convict transports that shuttled thousands of people, many of them women, from Europe to New South Wales. Those passages were heartbreaking and emphasized the plight of women caught in the crosshairs of an unfair justice system.

Even though this book didn’t hit like Weyward, I still enjoyed it and think fans of magical realism will, too! 3.5 "I really liked it!" stars on StoryGraph, rounded down here on NetGalley.

After really enjoying Emilia Hart's first novel, Weyward, I was super excited to receive this ARC! I enjoyed this novel as well, but I didn't like it as much as Weyward for a couple reasons.
Firstly, what I enjoyed about The Sirens: I loved the characters in our modern timeline! I loved Jess especially, and the diary snippets we got from her were super interesting. I also loved the worldbuilding with Hart's signature touch of magical realism. I also enjoyed the writing style, and it does feel upgraded from Weyward, though not a whole lot (but that's not a bad thing, since Weyward's writing was gorgeous!)
Now, let's talk about some of the things I didn't like as much. I didn't feel connected to our historical timeline, almost at all. Mary felt much more flat to me, and I didn't find myself enjoying her chapters. I also felt like we could have gotten more explanation on the siren lore and backstory. Again comparing to Weyward, we got a whole lot less of a 'origin' story for the sirens and why they exist. It was also relatively easy to guess the plot twists, but I don't mind being able to guess them, so that's not as big a deal.
Overall, I did enjoy this book and would recommend you to pick it up if you liked Weyward and are interested in reading another of her books! I look forward to her next release, but this one was kind of a miss for me. (3.25/5)

Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this E-Arc.

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“Most people just want an easy life. It’s unsettling when someone starts pulling apart the stories we’ve stitched together, the things we tell ourselves for comfort.”
-The Sirens

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This novel was not what I expected at all. I think it was longer than it needed to be as well.

A few months ago, I tried to read Weyward by this author, and I DNF’d it.

In my opinion this book was boring due to its predictable nature.

This book did not excite me or give me the desire to continue reading.
I kept waiting for something unpredictable to happen. In the end, it was overall unsatisfying, predictable,and had an anti-climactic ending.

This story was not quite what I had expected from the summary.

The fantasy aspects did let me down. I thought there would be far more fantasy.

Mostly the story is a blend of realistic and historical fiction.

Great idea, poor execution.

After letting some days pass after reading this book, I can honestly say I wholeheartedly regret using my time to read this over something else.

Thank you to St. Marten's Press for my copy of THE SIRENS. This one is out April 1.

I really loved Emilia Hart's previous novel, WEYWARD, and was super excited to get my hands on THE SIRENS. This one just didn't meet my expectations after her previous novel. I didn't really enjoy the characters and I felt myself dreading reading this one. I do not recommend it.

This book had its moments, it was interesting at times. Overall, felt like it kept circling the same themes without gaining much traction. The multiple timelines should have added richness, but instead, it felt repetitive, stuck in a loop of flashbacks and flash-forwards without enough new things happening. There were eventually some satisfying reveals, but getting there felt more like a slow trudge than an exciting unraveling. I hoped to connect with at least one of the characters across the three timelines, but it never clicked. There were some immersive, descriptive moments, but the plot and character depth didn’t go far enough for me. Not bad, just… not enough.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to this book.

Beautifully written, haunting story of two sets of sisters, connected across time. This book is lovely, with terrific character development, compelling plotlines, and gorgeous imagery. The magical elements are woven into a realistic story in a way that feels natural, and the book as a whole is an immersive reading experience.

Yesss! I loved this like I loved Weyward. Sirens are so interesting & I loved this take on them. The alternating timelines really helped me fly through the book because I constantly wanted to know what was going to happen next in both stories. I do wish we got to see more of underwater life & I had a couple questions at the end that I would’ve liked to be answered, but I still really enjoyed it. I definitely recommend it. Emilia’s writing always sucks me right in & it’s so beautiful. Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for the arc.