Thank you to St. Martins Press for my complimentary arc of The Sirens. Thank you to MacMillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Sirens was a very complex read/listen for me. I found it very interesting and yet it was different from any other book I have read lately.
Again I went in blind, I didn't read any reviews, or even a full synopsis. I just now noticed the tags.

It was slow in the beginning and I almost set it aside. But after 80 pages it really picked up and I was thoroughly invested. The back and forth timelines were very clear, and I enjoyed the present timeline the most.

Without giving anything away, there were quite a few bombshells and guess what???
I DID NOT SEE ANY OF THEM COMING. Such is my life.

I was confused at the epilogue. I misread 37 years earlier AS 37 years after. Made a huge difference it that chapter 😬 but after a reread I think I understand.

The audiobook is narrated by Barrie Kreinik and it is wonderfully done.

🐬The Sirens was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I went in blindly, drawn by my deep connection to the author’s previous novel, Weyward. This book, with its blend of magical realism and historical fiction, is one that lingers in the mind long after finishing.

Set in both the past and present, the novel takes place in Australia and offers a glimpse into the lives of women who were transported there as punishment for their so-called offenses. Mary, Eliza, Jessica, and Lucy are bound together across centuries, their stories weaving into one another in profound and haunting ways.🐬

🪸This is not an easy read. The author tackles difficult and weighty themes, and the story unfolds at a slow, deliberate pace. Told through alternating timelines, it highlights the resilience of these women as survivors. While I appreciated the depth of the narrative, I found myself wanting more clarity on the origins of the magical realism woven into the story. It felt slightly underdeveloped for me.

That said, the book is beautifully written and thought-provoking. Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for the earc of this novel.🪸

CW: This book explores several heavy and potentially triggering topics, so please read with care.

I really enjoyed Weyward by this author so was happy to get an ARC from NetGalley of The Sirens. I think I liked this even more. The Sirens weaves two storylines together. One is set in the present day Australia - Lucy, a college student in crisis flees to her somewhat-estranged sister's home on the coast and finds her sister missing. The second storyline is set in the 1800s and revolves around two sisters also, Mary and Eliza, who are convicted of a crime in Ireland and set on a convict ship sailing for Australia. (Although this is fiction, the second storyline is loosely based on actual fact and this part was fascinating, if sad.)

First of all, it's just lovely writing. There are moments of really nice prose and imagery that work well. This is always a bonus, although not necessary for an entertaining storyline.

As far as characters, there could have been a bit more fleshing out here; however, certain details are kept in the dark until later in order to try to preserve some mystery. That said, I figured out what was going on pretty quickly. This did not stop me from enjoying the story and its unfolding and progression to its conclusion. Pacing is a bit off perhaps, with a bit of a slower middle. I didn't mind it and enjoyed the writing, but it does sink into atmospheric details rather than actually having anything happening for awhile.

Eventually, both storylines are satisfactorily resolved. This book does employ magical realism, but it's subtle. I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for an ARC of this beautiful novel in exchange for my honest review. I loved Emilia Hart's novel Weyward so I was VERY EXCITED to get an ARC of The Sirens. This book did not disappoint! Beautifully written with a wonderful story about what it is like to be a woman then and now. I loved the characters and the plot. I was in it from beginning to end and I will think about these characters for time to come. I will definitely recommend this novel to all of my reader friends!

Rounded up from 2.75. Sad to categorize Hart's sophomore effort as "not for me" since I was so looking forward to it after reading and enjoying Weyward, her first. Loved the ties to the past and memory and water, but this did not do it for me otherwise. Lucy was an impossible character to like, and that didn't help. I'll definitely give the next Hart a go though. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Sirens by Emilia Hart ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a slow burn, genre mash up about the healing powers of water and female strength and resiliency. The writing was beautiful, but I didn’t really get drawn into this book until about 60-70%.

Here are some of my disjointed thoughts:

🧜‍♀️ lots going on - two timelines, multiple women and their own dilemmas, genre mashup
🧜‍♀️ I found the historical fiction part to be super interesting
🧜‍♀️ I never understood the motivation for the “stay away from water” demands / water-related transformations
🧜‍♀️ I’m not clear about how both timelines tie together other than water
🧜‍♀️ the ending didn’t wrap everything up for me

Giving it 3.5 stars for its unique premise and beautiful writing. Weyward is my favorite of the two, but it is clear Hart writes beautifully with feminist themes.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

This was a really interesting read! It was a little spooky, had a lot of mystery, and complex characters that demanded respect and an epic conclusion to their stories. I overall enjoyed it.

One of my favorite things about this story was the theme of women’s empowerment. All four of our lead characters learned how they hold power as women throughout history and I really enjoyed watching them grow into this power as the story went on. Everything they needed they found in each other. There were themes of sisterhood woven throughout both Eliza and Mary’s and Jess and Lucy’s stories which were touching and beautiful. Women hold power in community and that was really prevalent in this book.

The connections between each of the stories and the unraveling of the mystery was done really well. I constantly wanted to keep reading to figure out what was going to happen! I did like how all of the characters ended up connecting. Little pieces of each story were given throughout which had you really thinking about how it would all go down in the end. Some of it I guessed, some of it I didn't, which was intoxicating in its own way!

The timeline jumps did get confusing at times. I had to backtrack a lot to remember who was in which story and what they did to earn a spot there. I also felt like the plot twist in the epilogue was way too late and I needed a lot more information about it to make it make sense. This honestly made me rethink a lot about the book and I had a hard time stomaching the ending.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves mystery with some dark twists!

I will definitely read more from this author as I thought both Weyward (though, I did like Weyward more) and The Sirens were haunting and complex stories. Something out of the ordinary from what I typically read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5⭐️ This book is mainly just vibes. It’s very dark and eerie! Hart’s writing is truly beautiful. Her descriptions have a beautiful eeriness to them. My main issue with this book was the pacing. The book didn’t really pick up until 70%. Once it did I started to enjoy it so much more! I do have some questions that don’t feel fully answered. Overall I did enjoy this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was really eager to give Emilia Hart another chance since Weyward didn’t resonate with me the way it did for so many others. Sadly, The Sirens didn’t quite hit the mark for me either.

The multigenerational storyline and the family secrets were definitely intriguing, and I enjoyed the sprinkle of magical realism throughout. However, I felt the plot was a bit lacking, leaving too many loose ends by the time I reached the conclusion. I craved more depth and a stronger connection between the characters—just more substance, really.

I also found myself disappointed with how the book approached its themes. Given that it touches on the colonization of Australia, the absence of meaningful Indigenous representation felt like a significant missed opportunity.

I loved the idea behind it, but the execution just didn’t do it for me. I’d give it a solid 3 stars.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the chance to read this one.

I want to start by saying I absolutely love the cover. This was one of the reasons I got drawn to this book and an idea of a story about sirens but unfortunately this turned into DNF for me. Right from the beginning I couldn’t get into the story. I am not sure if it was because of a lack of plot or unrelatable characters. There was just something about this book that didn’t speak to me. Many readers will find it interesting; I was just not the right audience for it.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was more interested in Mary and Eliza's story than Lucy and Jess, I probably could read an entire book around the events they endured and why. It is on the slower end in terms of pacing, but the mystery behind the strange events continued to be captivating enough, pulling you further and further into the book as you read.

The book was slow to get into, then sweet you in , but I wasn't entirely thrilled with the ending. It felt like we just put a bow on something that wasn't finished thoroughly in order to get to an ending.

If you enjoy feminist historical fiction or multi-generational sagas, you will love the sirens. this 2025 release is Emilia Hart’s second novel, following her debut Weyward that was published in 2023. beginning in present day Australia, it alternates between sisters Lucy and Jess in the present, and sisters Mary and Eliza over 200 years in the past who are being forcibly torn from their home in Ireland and placed on an convict boat set for Australia. i love the magical realism elements that are infused into her novels, making a witchy ambience, threading the stories of women and nature across time and space.

Honestly I loved Weyward so much but was completely let down by this one! Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I loved the theory in concept but i wasn’t captivated by the characters.

The Sirens is written by Emilia Hart. Emilia wrote Weyward, a book I read and loved in 2023. This book, will share shelf space with Weyward and I will treasure it. It is a story told in three different timelines. In 1801 two Irish sisters, twins, are being deported to New South Wales, Australia for their crimes. They are boarding a ship that consists of all female prisoners (83) and 22 crewman. In 2019, Jess and Lucy are sisters - born 17 years apart. They both suffer from a skin condition that keeps them covering themselves. They both sleepwalk and feel themselves drawn to water even though water makes their condition worsen. Lucy, the younger sister, at the start of the story, awakens to find herself strangling a boy that shared an intimate photo of her on TikTok. Lucy flees her college campus to go visit her sister who lives more than 12 hours away in the seaside village. Lucy arrives and she sees Jess's paintings but Jess is not home, yet her car, house keys and phone are there. Lucy begins looking around the place for information and she finds her sisters journal from 1998. Lucy is hungry for information about her big sister and begins reading the journal and realizes that her sister had difficulties too - and she is more worried about her than ever. Lucy finally breaks down and tells her parents where she is and that Jess is missing. In the 19th century the sisters, Eliza and Mary, suffer during the voyage as there isn't much food, and they are treated poorly, and the constant fear of the water. Both, Jess and Lucy dream of the sisters. I found this to be a strong feminist story of myth and rage. It's beautifully written, and I loved the characters. This is my 99th advanced reader copy - I had the ALC and the ARC - and I thoroughly enjoyed immersively reading The Sirens. The narration by Barrie Kreinik is stellar. I would listen to her read her grocery list. 4.25 stars. Thank you to #NetGalley, St. Martins Press, and MacMillan Audio for my advance copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Sirens is a captivating slow burn historical mystery with elements of magical realism mixed in. I wasn’t sure what to expect jumping into this, but it turned out to be an absolute page turner for me. I adored it.
Told in a dual timeline about two sets of sisters, both haunted by the eerie pull of the sea, Emilia Hart uncovers the secrets of the New South Wales coastal town of Comber Bay and its strange mystery of missing men.
I really loved the feminist undertone as these women navigate a world separated by hundreds of years, where justice doesn’t necessarily exist for people like them.
As the woman all start to notice unusual changes in their bodies, and the storylines come together with past and present colliding, they find a way for past and future to harmonize in a beautiful tale of empowerment.
There were twists I didn’t see coming intertwined with a reimagined version of real events of Australia’s history, which I thought developed a very spellbinding read. I haven’t read Weyward yet, but I’ve seen it said that if you liked that one, this one is also for you!

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an eARC via NetGalley.
Publication date 4/1/25

I loved Weyward by Emilia Hart and perhaps my expectations for this new novel. While Hart delivers the beautiful descriptions I really enjoyed from her first novel, this book was lacking in all other aspects for me.

Maybe this just was not the book for me and others will feel differently about it. I almost stopped reading it several times.

In the future, I will still read books by this author because I Ioved Weyward so much.

Thank you so much to Emilia Hart, St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for an ARC of The Sirens!

As a huge fan of Weyward, I was excited for The Sirens. Ultimately, while I enjoyed aspects of the novel, I was left feeling a little unsatisfied.

I was intrigued by the premise and loved how the element of mermaids was explored so subtly and in such a unique way. The writing was wonderful and it felt like it was really thoroughly researched and grounded in historical accuracies. My favorite aspect by far, was the theme of female empowerment and sisterhood. Emilia is wonderful at weaving these powerful themes throughout her books!

I found I struggled to connect to the characters and with the pacing, which at times moved a bit too slowly and lost my interest. I also found that the diary entries were written in a way that didn’t feel like an actual diary/journal. I think it would have made more sense if it had just been a pov/time jump rather than labeled a diary but then written in normal prose.

Overall, I liked the unique take of Sirens/Mermaids and the themes of the book, and the writing. While it didn’t quite live up to my hopes, I am still a big fan of Emilia Hart and look forward to her next book!

My first Emilia Hart book and I was not disappointed.

The Sirens is a magical realism novel inspired by historical folklore. It follows two different POVs from two separate pairs of sisters, Lucy and Jess in 2019 and Mary and Eliza in 1800. It was super captivating to read about the hardships the pair of sisters faced in different time periods but seeing familiar themes amongst them all the same.

I was more interested in Mary and Eliza's story than Lucy and Jess, I probably could read an entire book around the events they endured and why. It is on the slower end in terms of pacing, but the mystery behind the strange events continued to be captivating enough, pulling you further and further into the book as you read.

My only caveat is that I wasn't entirely thrilled with the ending. It felt like we just put a bow on something that wasn't finished thoroughly in order to get to an ending.

I really enjoyed The Sirens and can't wait to finally get my hands on Weyward.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Emilia Hart and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!

DNF here. I just couldn't get into it. Too slow and too frustrating of characters. I really liked Weywood but this is a no for me.

A feminist tale revolving around 4 women—two sets of sisters. This one had elements of magic but also symbolic with how women can be mistreated and silenced. I felt there was more of a story in the epilogue and would’ve loved a third timeline with that character. Great read — I did a mix of reading with my eyes and listening to the audio with my ears. Many thanks to St Martins Press, Netgalley, and Macmillan Audio!