Really enjoyed this audiobook. Nice blend of historical information, suspense and some fantasy. Recommended.

Although this book was very slow, the ending was perfectly wrapped up. The storytelling is incredible.

thank you netgalley for my ebook arc!

I think unfortunately this author just may not be for me. I read Weyward last year and struggled as well. That one was a very slow, dreary read. But I did want to give another chance… This has been a book that I’ve picked up and put down many times in the span of a month. Only reason that has occurred is because it was an arc and I really don’t like to DNF but I must. A lot of others like this author and her writing is really beautiful, I just find the stories themselves to be lacking.

Thank you so much for the arc and apologies it took me this long to review, I tried!

The Sirens was such an interesting read made even more intriguing by how Hart wove the story and timelines together. I found myself getting lost in the story and needing to know what happens next both in the current timeline as well as the past timeline. Blending the two together can often make a story confusing, but I had no issues following the different timelines. I do wish at times that the pacing was a little faster, but I do think Hart did well in building suspense surrounding the story. Hart knew just when to cut away from a scene or timeline ensuring there was no way you could stop reading at that point as you must know what happens next. I did find a few of the plot points to be on the predictable side, but I still enjoyed the journey to reach the revelation. I also really appreciated the exploration of the dynamic between sisters and women in general. I would highly recommend reading this via audiobook. Barrie Kreinik did a phenomenal job distinguishing between the characters. She also brought a wealth of emotion to the role and easily kept me engaged in the story. I feel that the narration enhanced my enjoyment overall making it a more immersive experience than eyeball reading alone.

I had a really hard time connecting with the characters in this book. It has themes of empowerment and growing through trauma but the characters felt flat.

Pre-Read notes

Sirens and mermaids are my favorite mythological creatures, so this was an obvious choice. I requested and received a digital copy, and then I was sent a widget for the audiobook. I'm really enjoying Hart's style and the audiobook narrator's delivery.

Final Review

Review summary and recommendations

Well, I definitely liked this book! Weyward wasn't a favorite for me, but this is one suspenseful, Gothic, beauty of a book. The twist surprised me but it was well-plotted and fitting to the story. The themes Hart visited here, such as violence against women and children, mental health stigma, and forgiveness in broken, toxic, or dysfunctional families made for a gripping story.

I was so fascinated with the characters belonging to the contemporary timeline. You could comfortably call this book character driven, and Hart provides characters with depth and complexity. I was so fascinated in learning more of the sisters' story that I hardly even noticed the plot, which didn't move much from beginning to end.

I recommend this one to readers of magical realism, contemporary mythology, suspense, or women's fiction. Also, fans of human transformation in metaphor and the flesh, captivity (this word represents a fabulous leit motif that operates throughout the book, from beginning to end, and complex female characters.

Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. The opening of the audiobook, with the music, which is haunting and gorgeous, sets a mood for the book. On the audiobook, the author reads her own introduction about some of the history she discovered in her research but didn't include in her story. I highly recommend.

2. Some gorgeous descriptive writing here, which I remember about Weyward also. A prickle starts at the base of Lucy’s spine. Maybe it’s the knowledge of what the water would do to her skin. She imagines the waves lapping at her like tongues, stripping her of flesh until she is nothing but bone, gleaming white. p37

3. I think it's challenging for writers to juggle both alternating perspectives and multiple timelines without affecting clarity, but Hart manages this technique well.

4. I'm so happy that this book takes on the experiences of students who accuse their classmates (or teachers) of SA. Trigger warning for SA, rp, and victim suppression. When she sought help through the proper channels, the procedures, no one gave her a gold star or thanked her for asking nicely. Instead, they wanted her to keep being nice, to put Ben’s feelings—his reputation, his future—above her own. They wanted her to go away. p131

5. Capture. It’s the perfect word, isn’t it? You paint them and it’s like you own them, like you’ve taken their soul from their body and put it right there on the canvas. p153 I love the repeated use of the word "capture" in the text. This doesn't always work, but it does here. I love all the subtext Harr builds into this word.

6. I love sister stories. I find if very moving when the depicted relationship demands a dreary tone, like it does here, with the sisters being separated. She will stand here, her hands on Jess’s artwork, as if she can soak up her sister’s thoughts. p208

7. "...So, he’d put his hands on the button of my jeans, and kiss my neck and beg for more, and I’d say no, even though sometimes I felt like it’d be easier to say yes. Just give in, I’d think. Get it over with. It can’t be that bad. But still, there was that little seed of fear.” Hart writes brilliantly about what it means to be a young girl.

8. I wasn't much for the plot here, but I also thought that didn't matter because of how well all the elements came together. The climax itself is wonderfully fantastical and fulfilling and I think it strengthens the plot, as it gathers up many ends here at the climax, which is my favorite place in a plot to receive new information that settles a question or conflict. The denouement is too late. She does a great job with this.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Hart's definitely wrong about tongue-rolling being entirely genetic, it's not. A simple Google search would have revealed this. But she pils all the eggs in the plot basket on that pseudoscientific idea. *edit Yeah she already knew this lol, but if this point bugs you, i encourage you to keep reading!

2. I nodded, but I couldn’t stop trembling. He got me a glass of water from the art room’s clanking metal sink, and while I drank he put his hand on my shoulder, just for a moment. I was wearing a long-sleeved top under my school uniform, stiff and probably stinking of sweat, but I still felt an almost electric charge, as if his bare skin was touching mine. Then he took his hand away. p153 The main character of this book, a teenage girl with few quality connections, befriends her teacher, a man in his thirties. I love how Hart handles this relationship, gracefully depicting how the very nature of their relationship suggests impropriety, even where none exists. It's as though Hart is saying, I know you're squicked out by this friendship, but that's a you problem.... until it's not. Perception is often flawed.

Rating: 🧜🏽‍♀️🧜🧜🏽‍♀️🧜🧜🏽‍♀️ /5 sirens, not mermaids!
Recommend? yes!
Finished: Mar 19 '25
Format: digital, audiobook, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🪢 alternating povs
⌚️ alternating timelines
🙎‍♀️ girl's coming of age
🕰 historical fiction

Thank you to the author Emilia Hart, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for advance digital copy and an advance audiobook of THE SIRENS. All views are mine.
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I’m really glad I doubled down and pushed through the first 50% of this book. That being said, I think the biggest downside of this book is the pacing and narrative in the first half of the book. I really think that some editing could have been helpful to reduce the length of the first half because once I got into the second half of this book, it really shinned in the way that “Weyward” did for me. I really loved the different perspectives and the ways in which it was presented to the reader (I especially liked the journal entries from Jessica). The second half of this book was so good and held my attention so much better than the first half. I felt like once the mysteries of the plot began to unravel the characters roles in the story really began to emerge; I especially found this in our past POV from Mary. As always, I appreciate stories about the bonds between woman and this story allowed us to explore the bond between mother and daughter. I really felt the ending was very satisfying for me and I really am happy the author included a final chapter that tied in the major loose end that was left. Everything felt complete and resolved by the end of this book!

I want to add a little side note that Hart always has the most beautiful covers for her books and I will likely be purchasing a copy of this book for my collection solely based on the fact that I love the cover so much.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “The Sirens” will be published April 1, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Author Emilia Hart for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story is told in three different timelines - 2019, 1999, 1800. I have read stories that had separate timelines intertwined before, and I find that I enjoy this concept. In this book, the 2019 timeline primarily follows Lucy- a 20 year old college student who is fleeing her current town to go to her sister Jess, after waking up with her hands around her ex-lovers throat. She arrives to find her sister is missing. The 1999 timeline is primarily written from the perspective of Jess, through journal entries being read by Lucy. Lastly, the 1800 timeline is written primarily through the perspective of Mary, one of a pair of twin girls that have been arrested in their home in Ireland for attempted murder and placed on a prisoner ship bound for New South Wales.

There is only one narrator, but the perspectives are easy to follow and each story can be followed seamlessly through each connecting chapter. The atmosphere of the book is very forlorn, dark, and eerie, with a bit of mystery and suspense and also a fic-lit feel as Lucy explores Jess’ home and town to try to get to know her distant and solitary sister through what she has left behind since she disappeared.

The descriptions of the town and surrounding area are written beautifully and make you feel like you are seeing the scene with your own eyes. The description of the emotions and the environment that Mary and her sister are living in on the ship are also written very well, and allow the reader to see this timeline as equally unsettling and hopeless.

The pacing of the book is quite slow, and I felt that the first 3/4 of the book dragged on. Because it took so long to get to the “action” or to start putting the pieces together, it made the ending feel very rushed. I also would have liked a little more detail and story into the lore portion of the book, as this story seems to be much heavier on the themes of broken relationships, the perseverance of women, and friendship. I found myself wanting more magic and fantasy, and that part of the story fell flat for me.

I would say that I liked the story by the time everything came together in the end, but there was nothing that I didn’t see coming or that was so gripping that I couldn’t put it down. If you loved Weyward, I would say give this one a try. Also if you love your stories to have just a touch of the fantastic but more heavily focused on the relationships between the characters, then this is also for you.

Immersive. This is a hauntingly beautiful story of female resilience and the bonds of sisterhood blended with the mystery and magic of the sea.

I recommend this novel for fans of gorgeous covers, eerie magical realism, and the luminous complexities of womanhood.

I thank NetGalley and the publisher for an advanced copy of The Sirens for my unbiased evaluation.  3 stars

I really enjoyed this book throughout the whole story. There was a sense of magic throughout without really knowing what it is until the end. There was a good mystery that left me on my toes wondering what would happen next.

Thank you to the publisher for a free Netgalley.

Let me start by saying how much more I enjoyed this than Weyward.

Our main character, Lucy, runs into some trouble at college. She leaves and goes to her sister's house where she finds it deserted. But Jess' phone, car, etc are still there. Lucy was fine as a MC, but her story left a few questions unanswered. Especially when it came to what led her to her sister's house in the first place.

Jess' diary gives us the backstory we need, a tad slowly, but we get there.

And finally, we have the story of Mary and her sister Eliza on a ship for criminals. This tale sometimes felt like it was interrupting the main story though the actual plot of this line was interesting.

overall, I enjoyed this story. I felt the multiple storylines to be a bit choppy and the ending just felt weird.

The Sirens written by Emilia Hart did not disappoint. It is a story of sisters told across time and of a deep connection to the sea. Written with a dual timeline, including the tragic history of early settlers of Australia.
It is beautifully written and has mystery, magic, mysticism and the author wonderfully transport you to the setting and the beauty of the setting of the story, and the cliffs and coastline of Australia.
This author also has a way of writing stories celebrating women, their strength, and their connections. This is an enjoyable read, and I highly recommend it.

First off, thank you to the publisher for my ARC. Though I received an ARC, all thoughts are my own. This review is mostly spoiler free!

I was really excited to read this book as her previous novel (Weyward) was a surprise hit for me. Like Weyward, this book is told from multiple POVs and timelines, and (mostly) through the female characters. It is the story of two sisters, past and present - Lucy and Jess, and Mary and Eliza.

The novel starts out with Lucy fleeing her college to a remote town to stay with her sister Jess after Lucy wakes up from sleepwalking with her hands at the throat of the boy she slept with once who shared her sexy photos online. The beginning of the story centers around that event and the anger/shame felt by Lucy, but then kind of drops it as a theme. Instead, it shifts to the mystery as Lucy arrives at Jess’ house only to find her sister is gone, but a mysterious painting by Jess draws Lucy in. Trying to find answers, she discovers Jess’ old diary, and the mystery begins to unravel. The reader follows Jess’ perspective from the past as she questions everything about herself, as well as Lucy’s perspective in the present as Jess’ diary equally challenges her own identity.

In the past, Mary and Eliza are torn from their home in Ireland and sent via a convict ship to Australia. Their story is mostly told from the hull of the ship, as they and the other women spend the treacherous journey in the dark. Frankly, this whole plot line was pretty boring to me and felt like it dragged on too much.

The two plot lines connect at the end of the book in an interesting way, which I will not spoil here, but is foreshadowed throughout the book.

While parts of the story were a little dry, I overall enjoyed the book and its magical realism style. I liked the mystery element, and while some parts were very predictable, others caught me by surprise. Would definitely recommend to fans of strong female characters, family mysteries/secrets, and epic/fantasy elements.

The Sirens is one of my most anticipated reads this year and I really enjoyed it! Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for the chance to read this via gifted eARC. All thoughts are my own and honest.

Emilia Hart writes multi-timeline books so well! I was immersed in both the contemporary storyline and the historical storyline. What I knew prior to reading this about Australia’s history as a penal colony was surface level, so I really appreciated the historical note at the beginning of the book. It gave me the context I needed to better appreciate the story and understand the real history.

I loved both sets of main characters! The parallels between Lucy and Jess and Mary and Eliza were extremely well written. Lucy and Jess in particular reminded me a lot of Kate from Weyward, Hart’s debut novel.

I highly recommend giving this book a chance. If you enjoyed Weyward, you’ll like this one too.

3.5
"The Sirens" by Emilia Hart is told in two timelines about two sets of sisters across centuries. Eliza and Mary are torn from their home in Ireland and placed on a convict ship. Lucy and Jess are sisters set in modern time Australia. Lucy is a college student studying journalism. She wakes up one morning after a vivid dream in her ex-lovers college dorm room with her hands around his throat. Lucy is so distraught she runs to her sisters new place in New South Wales for help after her incident. Lucy remembers Jess had sleepwalking incidents in the past and hopes she can help her. Lucy and Jess both dream of Eliza and Mary's lives and not sure why. How are sisters connected through time?

Loved- the strong themes of sisterhood and resilience, the mystery woven through dual timelines,
being physically different and trying to fit in. One of my all time favorite covers, jaw dropping and gorgeous.

Dislikes- the pacing in the middle of book was a little slow/repetitive and I wanted more from the ending.

Overall- I would recommend if you like a magical realism, multiple points of views and dual timelines.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC in return for an honest review.

If you’re looking for an intricately woven atmospheric book look no further than The Sirens. This is my first book by this author but it won’t be the last. If you’re looking for a book that will engage you from the very first word look no further than this one. This book is told in dual POV past and present which is one of my favorite timelines. I love when there is an intricate balance of bouncing between the past and present and learning what led us to where we are in the present day storyline. Dark dreams and feelings of disconnection plague Lucy as she struggles with cruel acts committed against her. When she tries to escape to find a safe place where she feels like she belongs, things only get more complicated and confusing.Mary and Eliza are taken from their home and their father and thrust into a life almost not worth living. They wake each day, not knowing if they'll live to see the next. This novel is driven by strong family bonds and the striving for finding yourself and the people to whom you belong. With Lucy and Jess, and Mary and Eliza, we see how much stronger we fna be as a united front.

This book is a fantasy tale and, as the name implies, is centered around sirens and merfolk with strong feminist themes. Following two sets of “sisters” in different times, we get the perspective of 3 different characters.
For me this book had a slower start for the first 50% of the book but it was very easy to read so it didn’t feel like a drag.
The last 30% of the book is *chefs kiss.* This was a highly anticipated book for me and it did not disappoint.

I received a free ARC through NetGalley in exchange for my honest opinions.

The Sirens is swimming with mystery and eerie underwater terrors. Dark dreams and feelings of disconnection plague Lucy as she struggles with cruel acts committed against her. When she tries to escape to find a safe place where she feels like she belongs, things only get more complicated and confusing.

Mary and Eliza are taken from their home and their father and thrust into a life almost not worth living. They wake each day, not knowing if they'll live to see the next.

These stories are driven by strong family bonds and the striving for finding yourself and the people to whom you belong. With Lucy and Jess, and Mary and Eliza, we see how much stronger we can be if we're together.

Hart expertly intertwines the lives of these women and their journeys and leaves us with a tale that will burrow into our hearts like the sound of the ocean nestled inside a seashell.

The Sirens is a difficult book to classify. I initially expected it to be a mystery—which it is—but it also ventures into fantasy. However, this shift doesn’t occur until about 80% into the story. Up until that point, the pacing felt slow, and it didn’t consistently draw me back in. While my interest picked up toward the end, many storylines seemed disconnected from the conclusion.

Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley for letting me review this book.

First of all, I loved the historical note at the beginning, that helped give me a better understanding of references throughout the book!

From Weyward, to The Sirens, Ms. Hart did not disappoint!

This book goes between three timelines:

-1800 with twin sisters, Mary and Eliza, being shipped from their father in Ireland to Australia as convicts.

-1999 when Jess, lonely, in a rural town, where an Art Teacher takes an interest in her.

-2019 where Lucy woke up from choking her ex-boyfriend, and flees to her older sister’s house on the coast of Australia.

All four of these women, were always told to stay away from water because it was bad for them. They begin to understand where they were either forced into, drawn to, or led to, the understanding of so many secrets all the way back to the 1800’s, to now.

These storylines went back and forth which helped build the characters and continued to add complexities. This was a heartwarming story that I actually had to go back and re-read some paragraphs to make sure I had read them correctly, because it was either too complex or too mind blowing, but in amazing ways.

I loved it. I can appreciate a story about strength in woman, and historical thrillers.

I truly hope everyone reads this book. It has suspense, thrill, pulls at your heart, and twists that I had to literally make a diagram to unravel.