Emilia Hart weaves a beautiful story of sisterhood across multiple timelines, following twin sisters Eliza and Mary in the 1800s and present day Lucy and Jessica. Lucy and Jessica keep sleepwalking and having dreams of the twin sisters. Lucy slowly uncovers her sister's secrets, while also learning they are all not quite human.

Although this one was a bit slow in the middle, it had all of the elements that I love in Emilia Hart's writing: magical realism, mystery, and great structure. Sirens are known to have a vengeful spirit by luring men to their watery graves and this story definitely highlighted that. Female trauma was heightened throughout the book and the bonds of sisterhood were displayed. I learned from this book that I need more mermaid lore in my life!

Thank you NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and the author for an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine

I am a big fan of Emilia Hart after reading Weyward and I also am a big fan of dual timelines.

The Sirens is a genre blend of historical fiction, magical realism, and mystery, and Hart takes it up a notch by sprinkling in a fair amount of family drama to tie everything together. Similar in format to Weyward, this has a contemporary timeline intertwined with timelines from the past. And like her previous book, I cannot take my eyes off the gorgeous cover. It is so good.

I think Emilia Hart will now be an auto buy/auto read author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The Sirens (referring to the mermaid form, not birds) features multi-timeline, multi-narrator first-person POVs and settings ranging from Ireland to the darkened belly of a ship crossing halfway around the world to Australia. Despite being primarily about violence against women and vigilante justice, the novel opens with one of our narrators, Lucy, strangling a former lover. While powerful as an opening, one of the reasons I downgraded my rating of the novel is due to how it addresses this episode. If we as women wish men to take accountability for their actions against us,shouldn’t we take accountability for our actions as well? Should violence be met with violence? All of the female main characters in The Sirens perpetrate violence against men with varying degrees of moral justifiability. As a feminist, I seek balance above all, and I would have liked to see accountability for some of the more cruel actions of the female main characters, not simply justification and excuses.
My favorite chapters were Lucy’s chapters overall. I found it hard to connect with Jess, either through her journal or through her flashbacks. I liked Mary’s sections the least, and dreaded the time spent on that ship with her, though the transitions to Lucy’s chapters immediately after were very interesting.
I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook. I enjoyed Barrie Kreinik’s narration, and I would definitely recommend listening to it.
Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

I'm really torn on this book, cause Emilia writing is amazing. I love her flow, the way she describes things & the mystery she puts into her book. However, this one was harder for me to get into. I didn't find the story intriguing until about 50% in.
For the most part, great book. Beautiful writing. Just at points I was bored.

GMA Book Club pick - April ‘25. Thank you to St. Martin’s Press via NetGalley for this advanced reader copy, my first Emilia Hart book. Folklore, mermaids, inspired by a true story.. all sound intriguing right. While magical realism doesn’t always work for me, in this case it did. I was wowed by how interesting and incredibly easy this story was to understand and relate to. The storytelling is exceptional with two sets of resilient sisters, family connection, secrets.. centered around an all consuming mystery with Hart’s writing holding my attention from page one. Although I only dabble in this genre THE SIRENS was so good that I had to add Weyward to this year’s backlist TBR. 4.5 stars — Pub. 4/1/25

I struggled to finish "The Sirens" (and probably wouldn't have if I hadn't received an ARC). The book never managed to pull me in; there was no connection with the characters, no compelling plot for most of the story, and nothing that made me want to keep reading. The stakes felt consistently low, and Lucy's lengthy introspections could have been significantly trimmed. The multiple perspectives all shared the same narrative style, making it less believable and quite monotonous. Although the story picks up towards the end, it wasn't enough to redeem the meandering and uneventful journey. Overall, it felt like a lot of dithering with little payoff.

Thank you to NetGalley for this arc!
This is a hard book to rate for me because I did really enjoy some parts and the writing was really pretty. I just have a lot of questions. I think a few more rounds of plot centered editing would have been helpful - there were a lot of things that were touched on and then just never revisited. Also this is just me being nit picky but the author personifies nature by using the word “licks” like at least 20 times. First time I was like woah the sea foam licks the rock, amazing - but it was very oddly overused by the end.

Beautiful, lyrical novel about the power and love of sisterhood, and the resilience of women. Hart takes a kernel of truth (a prisoner ship from Ireland headed to Australia) and turns it into a gorgeous story of sisters separated in time, and the magical realism just works and is organic to the story and the resolution. I really liked how the chapters alternated between present day and the past, eventually drawing the two stories together and towards the inevitable conclusion.

"A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine

2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies."

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the free ARC in exchange for my honest review. All opinions expressed herein are my own.

I enjoyed the multiple timelines told from the POVs of three women, which merged together in a fascinating way. Lucy, Jess, and Mary all seem to suffer from a bizarre affliction when they come into contact with water. Each woman has insecurities and a backstory tied to that condition. The storylines were unique, mysterious, and suspenseful, with a touch of mysticism and magic. Fans of historical fantasy or historical suspense will enjoy this one.

I liked Weyward okay, but wasn’t planning on picking up another book by Hart until I saw the title and cover for this one— I’m a sucker for sirens and mermaids!

The fantastical elements are understated, and though I would’ve liked more undersea action, I was pleased with the execution. I loved the setting, and the historical elements were compelling. I knew nothing about convict voyages to New South Wales and now I’m interested in learning more.

I had a hard time with the lack of loose ends tied. I am actually a fan of ambiguous endings, but there were some plot points that felt completely abandoned.

I’d recommend this one to fans of Weyward, though it might feel a bit repetitive. The structure is extremely similar and there are a lot of overlapping themes (justice, resilience, family bonds). The pacing is also similar, though I’d argue the plot in The Sirens was more engaging.

Overall, this was an enjoyable read. Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the eArc

This story captivated me from start to finish. The intertwining timelines, Lucy in 2019, Jess in 1999, and Mary and Eliza in the 1800s, kept me hooked, blending historical fiction with magical realism beautifully. I was drawn to Lucy's journey as she unravels family secrets and her sister's mysterious past. The diary entries added depth to Jess’s character, while Mary and Eliza's struggles on a convict ship brought an eerie sense of connection to the sea. The themes of sisterhood, resilience, and retribution against abusers were powerful. The audiobook, narrated by Barrie Kreinik, was fantastic, especially with her mastery of accents and characters. This genre-bending novel is haunting, emotional, and absolutely worth the read.

The Sirens was an incredible read! The writing was captivating, and the plot was filled with unexpected twists that kept me hooked from start to finish. The storytelling was immersive, and the characters were compelling, making it impossible to put the book down. I highly recommend it!

I had a difficult time finishing this book, but I trudged through. At no time did it hook me and draw me in, it was also predictable, which is unfortunate. I found it difficult to connect to the characters, even with all the different perspectives, the voices felt the same. Overall, it was a hard read and I feel like this just wasn't my cup of tea.

Let me break down what this book is supposed to be about before diving into my thoughts!

**The Sirens** weaves together two timelines: In 2019, Lucy flees to her sister Jess's coastal home after a disturbing sleepwalking incident where she almost chokes her ex. But when she arrives, Jess is mysteriously missing, and Lucy discovers the town has a history of vanishing men stretching back decades. Meanwhile in 1800, Irish sisters Mary and Eliza are forced onto a convict ship to Australia, experiencing strange bodily changes during their journey. The stories converge through dreams and folklore, exploring themes of sisterhood, transformation, and the mysterious power of the sea.

Now for my review:

This book had me swimming in circles, and not in the magical mermaid way I hoped for! As my first Emilia Hart experience, it's unfortunate it didn't deliver. The pacing was glacial - seriously, watching actual tides might have been more dramatic.

Lucy's decision-making had me constantly questioning her judgment. Who responds to a missing sister with such casual energy? "Oh, my sister's gone? Guess I'll just hang out here for a bit!" 🤷‍♀️ Make it make sense!

The sleepwalking setup initially seemed promising but then faded into background noise. And those alternating timelines? Rather than creating intrigue, they just created confusion and drag. I tried both Kindle AND audio versions hoping something would click, but this story was determined to keep me at arm's length.

I'm giving it the extra .5 stars bc the UK version is stunning, so .5 stars for packaging. At least it'll look pretty on my shelf while collecting dust!

The vibes we're tracking:
🐌 Glacial pacing energy
🧠 Questionable decision-making
💤 Sleepwalking plot that goes nowhere
🌊 Ocean metaphors beaten to death
📚 Beautiful cover hiding disappointment

Based on other reviews, Hart's debut "Weyward" seems to be where the magic actually happened. This sophomore effort unfortunately feels like a pale imitation - all the ingredients for something special, but the recipe just didn't come together.

For a book about sirens, it's ironic how it failed to lure me in with its song. Let's hope Weyward proves to be the enchanting read this one promised but couldn't deliver!

This was very enjoyable! I liked The magical aspects and the characters were solid. I had Never read this author before and am looking forward to seeing what she writes in the future. Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest reviews

Hart's debut Weyward was one of my favorite reads of that year, so The Sirens was highly anticipated for me. While the magic was there for sure in this installment, I felt less connected to the story and the main character. I figured things out very early on, and the final comeuppance was less satisfactory.

4.5 ⭐️

"There’s something about this place, something different. It keeps its women safe.”

After loving Weyward, I knew I needed to read this, and it did not disappoint. I'm a sucker for multiple timelines, and Emilia does it so well. I always finish her books with a feeling of satisfaction that I rarely find with others.

When I tell you, I DEVOURED this, I read it every single second I could find. There were a few things I DID NOT see coming. I was so invested in the story and each character. I was angry with them, and for them, relating to them, happy with them, and jealous of them a bit. Because what I wouldn't give to feel that free.

This is a must-read you should all add to your TBRs.

This was quite a unique story, being told in three different timelines. I enjoyed the story itself and definitely wanted to keep reading, but boy was it difficult. The pacing is very slow and I had a very hard time connecting with any character. With that being said, I still really enjoyed the story!

I am obsessedddddd with this cover 😍

I had high expectations for this book, having really enjoyed Weyward by the same author. As I’ve said many times, expectations can make or break an experience, and unfortunately this book did not live up to my expectations.

Told in dual timelines from multiple POVs, I did like learning the stories of each set of sisters, and I appreciated the historical aspects. I loved the magical realism interwoven into the story, and I do absolutely love Hart’s lyrical writing. The message of consent was powerful and is so important, and I loved the feminism, power, and retribution.

However, I felt like it was fairly slow at the beginning, and I wasn’t gripped by the story. I finished this book still having some questions. I wish I liked it more, but perhaps you will, so give it a try.

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This is a standalone historical fantasy, set on the coast of New South Wales. We follow multiple POVs as well as multiple timelines. We follow two sets of sisters one in the 1800s and one in 2019, they have a strange connection and you really discover what’s going on in this book as you continue reading it. In the 1800s perspective we follow Mary, who with her sister are taken captive in Ireland and put on a convict ship with other women set to take sail to New South Wales. These chapters are tense and often graphic of what the women went through on that ship. In 2019 we follow Lucy as she tries to figure out why she is dreaming of sisters Mary and Eliza, while trying to find out what happened to her missing sister Jess. I really enjoyed the mystery aspect that came with the 2019 POVs, we also get to read diary entries that help us figure out what’s going on. It made it hard for me to put down and had a couple of audible gasp moments. Honestly I don’t think I had a fav pov, they’re all great and have input to the whole storyline. This story is a feminine rage at its core and loved the elements that went into it. This is a perfect read for spring or summer as well 🌊 I’d look up triggers/ warnings before reading 📖