The Sirens by Emilia Hart 🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️🧜‍♀️

I would like to thank NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advance e-galley of this book in exchange for my honest review. Look for it now in your local and online bookstores and libraries.

I loved Weyward by Emilia Hart, and I loved The Sirens. She is moving toward the top of my favorite authors list.

“She remembers something she read as a child, in a Lonely Planet book, about sunken cities. Homes and churches drowned by governments to create reservoirs. Whole villages beneath murky water, chimneys and spires shadowing the surface. That's what the dreams are like. Unseen, but always there. Waiting.”
— Emilia Hart, The Sirens

Thanks to the publisher for the gifted copy.

I absolutely LOVED Weyward by this author so I was really excited to read The Sirens. I didn't love this one quite as much, but I still really enjoyed it and can not wait for the next book she writes!

We are told, in dual timelines, about 2 different sets of sisters with the same affliction - they can't be touched by water or else they break out in a stinging rash. One set of sisters live in Ireland in the 1800s, but were convicted of a crime and are being forced to relocate to Australia with other women prisoners. The other set is in the present, and Lucy runs away from her university after an altercation with another student. Only, when she gets to her sister's cottage, she isn't there. Lucy finds her journal and starts unraveling quite the mystery about her family and the past.

The story of sister bonds and the resistance of women is so strong, and the magical aspects fit perfectly within the plot. I did like the current timeline better than the past, but they were both powerful pieces to the story as a whole.

Rounded up from 3.5. The Sirens helped me out of a recent reading slump with its immersive storytelling and mysterious connections between pairs of sisters. The story drew me in, and I absolutely enjoyed the weaving of stories across timelines to create the world and set up the mystery of the murdered men, the rescued children, and the lore of the town. However, I did have some issues with a part of the ending that I thought could have been resolved earlier. Ultimately though, I enjoyed the book. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC. All views are my own.

Generations of women are followed through times, as they experience aquagenic urticaria, which is basically an adverse reaction to water exposure. We slowly learn how the women are connected and what they will do to protect the people they love. To be honest this book was a little boring and it dragged on. We needed something more thrilling, a big plot twist or conflict which was not present and made me want the course of events to go by faster.

This was really slow, but I also found myself unable to stop reading.

It took awhile to really get going and get into the story. But I’m glad I stuck it out.

I love stories about women and complicated family stories- and this was that!!

It’s a little fantastical with bits of historical moments, in a contemporary world. It was incredibly atmospheric and I enjoyed my read.

3.5 stars

Not quite as mesmerizing as Weyward for me, however still a magical story about relationships across years and the bonds that unite women. I ended up preferring this book in audio as the change in timelines, character and "historical" context was too heavy for me via text alone. I put it down several times because it felt daunting, but ultimately switching to an audiobook allowed me to finish it. This book is less plot and more story building so adjusted expectations might be warranted.

Thanks to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for the ARC.

This has very similar vibes to Weyward but I like the story in Sirens more. There are dual timelines with all four women having this mysterious air about them. It’s a solid 4 star read for me.

I absolutely adored this novel of magical realism by Emilia Hart. I wasn't sure what to expect but I loved the history and the culture of the location of the novel. It was new to me as a reader. At first, I was concerned about the dual timelines and dual POV in the current timeline but it ended up working out perfectly for me. I wanted to keep reading and it was hard to put down. I loved the importance of family connections and the connection of sisterhood. Jess and Lucy had such a connection to each other. I do struggle with invisioning them as mother and daughter after picturing them in my mind being so close in age throughout most of the book. I definitely recommend this, especially to those that love a bit of lore.

This was different not much my read style. Yet i found the story interesting. Overall it was a good read

This book was a beautiful haunting tale of women from two different time periods. I enjoyed the way that the characters lives were woven together, dispute the different timelines and the message of women’s resilience was empowering.

I did feel like there could have been some more balance with the different storylines. Lucy’s story felt like it dragged on at times making the book feel very slow paced. I wish I got more back story for Mary and Eliza. As well as more from Jess POV. Although it was a beautiful story, I felt like the imbalance left me feeling disconnected from the characters.

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and Emilia Hart for an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

I am honestly not sure where to start. I did not love this book, and it was a struggle for me to finish. I kept it at 3 stars because it was not bad- it was just incredibly boring for me. I am sure some people will like the elements that fell short for me. Like 80% of the book was build up to the big reveal and then the book was over? And most of that 80% was very repetitive and wasn’t really needed. The flash backs to the girls on the ship just honestly seemed unnecessary to the plot. The play could’ve easily have done without that aspect which might have helped- because this book is too long for the amount of actual plot it contains.

With 'The Sirens' Emilia Hart proves that she's not a one hit wonder. Following the massive success that was her debut 'Weyward' might have thrown some authors for a loop, but not Hart. 'The Sirens' cements her as a author to follow- combining two timelines, complicates characters, emotional family dynamics, and perhaps a bit of magic. I was immediately invested in the two sets of sisters- one pair trapped on a convict ship, the other separated under mysterious circumstances in modern day. This book has everything I love- family drama, complicated female friendships, strong settings, and plot twists I didn't see coming! I don't know what Hard plans to write next, but I'll be on the lookout for it.

Hart’ describes setting in such a visceral way. Love how she tells women’s stories with such care, especially the hard parts, and weaves in subtle fantasy elements.

Thank you go Netgalley and to the publisher for the eARC!
I enjoyed reading this story and it held my interest the entire time. The two timelines worked and it was interesting to see the two stories intertwine at the end. Good twists throughout the story that I didn’t see coming.

My review will be posted to my bookstagram, @bookforthemeg, on 5/3

This is my first book by Emilia Hart, and I’ve been wanting to read Weyward for ages. The Sirens is an intriguing tale of magical realism, with ‘sirens’ (mermaid-like women) and mysterious myths of them being present in the area of Comber Bay, often called ‘Australia’s Bermuda Triangle.’ It’s a story filled with historical mysteries, including missing men over the years and an abandoned baby found in a cave at Devil’s Point. I listened to it on audio, and Barrie Krienik’s narration was amazing. Her Irish accent was so captivating! I didn’t realize she was born in Hartford, Connecticut and is an actress and dialect coach. I thought she was from Ireland! I really enjoyed the audio, but the book was quite detailed, and I think it might have been better for me to read the e-book. The storyline of the book was a bit slow-paced at times. But what kept my attention was the changing point of views and timelines. We switch between Lucy in 2019, Jess in 1999 (revisiting her diary), and the sisters Mary and Eliza in the 1800s. One of the things I really liked about the book were the themes of strong female bonds and relationships. It was also interesting to learn about the historical element of British ships sailing through the sands of miles to transport convicts to exile them and also help develop the colony of New South Wales. There was also a mystery element to the story, not just the missing men, but also other hidden secrets that are uncovered. It was tough to read about the horrible conditions that these female ‘convicts’ were subjected to while being transported. And most of these women were wrongly prosecuted. Overall, The Sirens was an entertaining read, but it might have just caught me at the wrong time. I had recently read several books that also had multiple point of views and timelines. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone that appreciates books that contain magical realism.

When I saw that, Emilia Hart had a new book following up her amazing breakthrough debut of Weyward, I was equally excited and hesitant. Excited because I absolutely adored what she did with wayward and he hesitant because I absolutely adored what she did with Weyward and I did not know how she would pull that off again…. But let me tell you she definitely pulled it off and The Sirens is just as commanding as her debut!

In this book, we are again given a snapshot of women who are connected through generations and time, and this time the magical or mystical element are sea sirens!

Featuring an college aged MC who has just been humiliated by the boys she trusted and liked sharing her nude photo to all of campus- not knowing where to turn she decides to leave and drive across country to her estranged sister’s house on the coast of Australia. When she rise, her sister is missing and she starts unravelling their family history as she explores the ancient house. Her sister has moved into. At the same time, she is experiencing dreams of another pair of sisters travelling from Ireland via transport ship to Australia.

This book is full of women, strength, women’s relationships, and women’s resilience. I find her characters and their history so inspiring and for the second time now when I have Reid and Amelia heart book, I am immersed in this world and unable to put it down until the end. These are stories that I binge in one sitting every time!

I love mermaids. I will read anything involving mermaid because there isn't enoughh fantasy novels of them! This was a good read. I did enjoy it very much!

I really liked The Sirens!! I thought the writing was very atmospheric and I loved all the moving parts, the flashbacks and the dreams, and I thought how everything came together was so compelling. Kind of dark, so be prepared for that, but I think it wasn't dark for darkness sake, but to examine some broader themes that feel very timely. And I really liked the audiobook, I thought it was great! Definitely recommending this one!

Sisterhood, multiple timelines, mythology and magic - these are the main ingredients of “The Sirens”. The story is full of twists and turns that kept me gripped until the end.
This was my first book by Emilia Hart, but it certainly won't be my last.

I was really excited when I saw that Emilia Hart was coming out with a new book because Weyward was a total sleeper hit for me! I was spellbound (no pun intended) by the author's writing style and prose. It was such an interesting and well-written book and I was so looking forward to seeing what came next. When I saw the early buzz about her follow-up novel, I saw immense potential.

Sophomore novels are so difficult to pull off, especially when the first novel is so extraordinary. I imagine there's an inordinate amount of pressure on the author to outdo themselves, and a lasting knowledge that whatever they put out next will inevitably be judged with the predecessor as a comparator. So I'm trying to avoid doing that because these are two very different books and I want to be fair.

The premise of The Sirens is fascinating. I won't recycle it here because I don't want to reveal anything beyond what the book jacket synopsis does. And I think the author does a good job of telling the story. But I wanted, and expected, more. The dual timelines felt very drawn out and separate as opposed to intertwined. I struggled to connect with any of the characters (and here I'm going to do the thing I said I'd try not to) whereas with Weyward, the characters were so strong and clearly defined. There was little distinction between the voices of Lucy, Jess, Eliza, and Mary - switching to audio saved this for me a bit. I didn't feel like the plot was particularly compelling either. I could have used a fraction less of Lucy's internal monologue, as well, or at least a change of pace with it.

Regarding the pace in general, I loved the in media res aspect of starting off with Lucy having awoken from sleepwalking with her hands around the neck of a guy. Loved! And yet... after she flees that setting, it's sort of never really dealt with again? The most exciting part of this ride occurs in the first 30 pages and then it peters off to become a fairly tranquil and sometimes even boring stroll through Lucy's mind. And it never picked up. Sure, there were a few reveals along the way, but most of them were detectable from a mile away. I just never felt like this book got there for me.

There is one aspect of this book that was pretty icky, and it's something that makes me squirm when I encounter it, every time. I'm frankly a little tired of it at this point - though I'll just say that I got my fill of it with the ridiculousness of Pretty Little Liars. That's as close as I can get to a non-spoiler disclosure.

Overall, this book was fine. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad. It was sometimes a bit of a slog. I struggled to connect with the characters, which is unfortunate given that this is a character-centric novel that is not at all driven by plot. But Emilia Hart's writing is simply gorgeous, so that saves this from a lower rating for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.