Emilia Hart's latest novel, The Sirens, is an eerie contemporary/historic fantasy exploring the importance of sisterhood and female resilience. The tale of Irish sisters bound for Australia, missing men, haunting songs, and vivid dreams intertwine.

While I really enjoy the magic Hart writes across multiple points of view, it was journey of the Irish sisters that really pulled me into The Sirens. The claustrophobic, dirty, and dismal boat conditions were so vividly described, and the sisterhood among the travelers really came to life. In the contemporary POV, I often questioned some of the decisions Lucy made, and I didn't necessarily connect with her as much as the other characters.

Admittedly, I think the pacing is a little off in the first part, the first 45-ish percent, of the book, and it felt a bit flat. Nevertheless, it picked up in the remainder of the book, and I inhaled the second half. It was always going to be hard to follow up the amazing debut that was Weyward. But I think The Sirens is deserving of a read and cements Hart as an author focusing on tales exploring female empowerment. Hart remains for sure an insta-read author for me.

The Sirens is a stunning, atmospheric novel that completely swept me away. From the very first page, I was drawn into its eerie and mysterious world, where dreams, memories, and unexplained phenomena collide. Lucy’s haunting dream, and the terrifying realization that it might be tied to her ex-lover’s attack, set the tone for a suspenseful journey. As she delves deeper into the strange history of her sister Jess’s town, the chilling stories of men disappearing at sea and the eerie voices heard by sailors kept me on edge. I loved how the narrative weaves together three distinct timelines—Lucy in 2019, Jess in 1999, and the twin sisters Mary and Eliza in 1800—all of which were intricately connected by the sea’s mysterious power. The bonds between the women, their resilience, and the sense of something otherworldly calling to them were beautifully depicted. This book captivated me from start to finish, and I can’t recommend it enough. Five stars for its immersive storytelling and unforgettable atmosphere.

This was such an interesting take on sirens. It has 3 povs, following Lucy, Jess, and Mary(who is from the 1800s). It follows Lucy trying to figure out her nightmares and why she’s started to sleepwalk. It does get emotional and I cried a few times. I loved that the men who were killed by the sirens deserved to die, the sirens were protecting women.
Favorite quote: “There's something about this place, something different.
It keeps its women safe."

I was really excited for this book because I loved Weyward by this same author. My favorite thing about this book is the setting absolutely came to life. I love when authors make the setting feel like a character all of its own. The seaside was haunting, strong, alluring... I also appreciate this authors approach to storytelling with different character perspectives and timelines. However, I did not feel quite as connected to the characters in this story as I did with Weyward. This story did have some interesting twists and moments of suspense, but the pacing was a bit off for me. Too much happened towards the very end and the middle of the story plodded along at times. That being said, I will certainly continue to read this authors works, as I enjoy the overall writing style and the kinds of story premises she comes up with.

I have published my review to goodreads, linked below. I will post reviews to Barnes and Noble, Amazon, and Books a Million too.

THE SIRENS by Emilia Hart is a dual timeline novel blending history and fantasy in an enchanting way. The story features three young woman, Lucy, a traumatized college student, and Mary and Eliza, sisters exiled to a penal colony. Though hundreds of years separate the girls, their lives are shaped by the violence of evil men. Their tragedies will lead them to find a strength they did not know they had in the magic of the sea.⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I really enjoyed the salty, wind-swapped atmosphere of this story, but wish it hadn't felt so one-note. The setting of the story, the rocky coast of New South Wales, was more distinctive a character than any of the narrators, whose perspectives begin to blend together despite the differences in time periods. However, I did really enjoy skin allergy representation (hotties have water based urticaria) and in general the focus on meaningful relationships between sisters. The story has the feel of a myth despite its anchor in reality, making it prime magical realism. I just wish I had been able to enjoy the characters more!

I have mixed feelings about this book. I really loved Weyward and I will definitely read Emilia’s next book. However, this one didn’t resonate with me as much. I enjoyed the magical realism elements and the alternating timeline, but I didn’t connect as much with the modern day protagonist and def that storyline dragged on at times. I’m a big fan of this author, but this book wasn’t my favorite.

The Sirens, in framing itself around two sets of sisters, obviously focuses a lot on female empowerment and how women move throughout the world, though the first set, Mary and Eliza, get a lot more in this sense than Lucy and Jess, who end up more absorbed in the mystery of just why the two of them have a rare skin disorder that leaves them unable to be near water, as well as sleepwalking and dreams of the hold of a ship.

Although there is a lot that is compelling - the mystery of what happened 30 years ago from the present-day timeline, what will happen to Mary and Eliza in the ship, the reality of female convicts sent to Australia and what was likely to be their fate - it doesn't tie together as well as I would have liked. Between the title and where each part jumps back and forth between the timelines, there's not much of a sense of tension wondering what each twist will be as a lot is very telegraphed.

I really wish the ending weren't...that. It doesn't tie up any ends, it just leaves so many more questions and not in a nice, wondering way, but in a "wait, what about this?" way. It ends up tripping over itself tying itself so strongly to the idea of a siren call as power and doesn't quite know how to actually neatly tie everything together. There's so much that is just...left.

I also don't love that as much as it touts itself to be about sisterhood, it's so focused on mother-daughter relationships that the actual sisterly bonds feel less thought-out and explored. That said, I did enjoy it at the end of it all, and the setting particularly is so vivid that it will stick with me for a while.

This was very similar in style and structure to her previous book, Weyward, but I enjoyed it more! I loved the feminism and colonization commentary, and I adore Australia and Ireland in books.

Emilia Hart's The Sirens is a poignant, haunting novel. Told from three different POVs in three separate periods, it is the story of two sets of sisters, one in the 1800s and one in modern times, and how their stories connect. Hart does a fantastic job creating nuanced characters and capturing these women's lives and struggles. The story is compelling and touching and kept me hooked until the end. I love how Hart's book captures women's empowerment, triumph over abuse, and ability to embrace who they are. I look forward to reading any books by Emilia Hart in the future!

The Sirens by Emilia Hart is a dark, mysterious, and fantastical tale told from multiple perspectives of four different women. As someone who lives for multiple POV’s, I ate this up! I enjoyed getting to see each character’s perspective all while being separated by hundreds of years. I do feel like the story fell a bit flat in some areas; I felt like there were very many questions that were left unanswered, however this could have been on purpose because it absolutely played into the overall feeling of eeriness. I did enjoy the strength of the each of the women and the importance that family played in this tale. Thank you to Net Galley & the publisher for this eARC!

I loved this book. It was so magical. I love the multiple people and the way all of their stories intertwined with each other. I love this authors style of writing and hope to read many more from her in the future!

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

I loved the idea of this book, and love these we kinds of stories that are tinged with fantasy but anchored in the real world and around realistic characters. I really appreciated the two timelines (sometimes 3) and felt like they helped the storyline develop with the right amount of anticipation as to where it was headed. Starting out with Lucy, who is running from a traumatizing event at university, we learn more about her sister and how their two paths are connected. Plus a story of two other sisters imprisoned on a ship.

Although this one was a tad slow for me; the descriptive and atmospheric writing did win me over - but I would have loved more of a twist or something unexpected to wrap it up!

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my early copies! I did both versions, but I think I preferred the audio! Loved the narration - especially the siren songs. This one is out at the end of the month.

#netgalley #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress #reading #bookreview #bookishthoughts #booksta #mybooknotes #read #bookthoughts #bookstagram #canadianbookstagrammer

St Martin’s Press gave me a free copy of the book The Sirens by Emilia Hart and I am so grateful. I loved the author’s work in Weyward and I truly think this is her best one yet.
Lucy is a college student who wakes to find that she has been sleep walking and when she comes to she is choking a boy who wronged her. She flees the school afraid of what was going to come from her actions and goes to the only one she thinks can help: her sister. From there she starts having realistic dreams of women who lived long ago which begins the multiple timeline storytelling.
I really liked that this book still had a twist at the end when I thought I had it all figured out. I was intrigued by the historical aspect of the book as it was not a part of history I had learned or read about and she did not just hint at fantasy, she went full force. I am so glad I was able to read this great book about family, righting the wrong and knowing who you are.

“Really enjoyed this one! The dual timelines were super engaging, and I loved how the story blended history, mystery, and a touch of magic. The writing was beautiful, and the themes of sisterhood and resilience really stood out. It did feel a little slow in parts, but overall, the characters and atmosphere kept me hooked. Definitely worth a read if you like historical fiction with a bit of a mystical twist!” ⭐⭐⭐⭐

The gorgeous artwork on the cover of Sirens drew me in instantly and the twisting story between time periods kept me guessing. This book highlights the love between sisters, magic & mysteries inside ourselves, and so many hidden secrets. I enjoyed how this one unfolded, and was surprised, maybe a little confused, with how it ended. I am always fascinated by the history of convicts sent to the colonies (Australia) and the hardships they faced both at sea and once they arrived.

Captivating read featuring two timelines that intersect in a somewhat magical way. I love how the story gives us some history of the prisoner ships being sent to settle New South Wales (Australia). This part of the story is treacherous and is another example of women being treated badly in the world. The two sisters who are the focus of this part of the story have a mysterious past that keeps your attention. They travel from Ireland to New South Wales.

The second part of the story follow two sisters who are experiencing nightmares and sleepwalking. As the story moves along we uncover the reason for the dreams. Lucy also has a condition that makes her skin peel if she is exposed to the water. After an incident at college Lucy flees to her sister's Cliff House which is set on the ocean. Her sister is mysteriously not there. Lucy becomes interested in the stories of men who have disappeared in the area.

All the characters lives are connected and I enjoyed how the connections were revealed. The finale of the book is satisfying and legendary. I loved how the story came together. I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys a mystery, legends and strong women. Emilia Hart has a great second book as I loved Weyward. Thank you Netgalley for the chance to review this book.

Superbly written with a mystery that had me intruiged and split stories about two pairs of sisters that had my heart in a chockehold. Once I started, I could not put it down. Atmospheric, empowering, thought provoking and fantastically paced and written, I'll be recommending this book to anyone who is willing to listen!

Thank you St. Martin's Press for this ARC! The Sirens by Emilia Hart is set to publish April 1st, 2025!

I was drawn to this book after having a near earthshaking experience reading Weyward.

There are so many similarities between the two books. Female characters who are strong and powerful in spirit in a way often overlooked by society. The importance of the stories of these women who have made up the backbone of society since time immemorial, but since they're not wealthy white men, they're forgotten.

Honestly I feel emotional even now writing this review. I think Emilia Hart does a phenomenal job giving voices to these overlooked women. Even though the stories she writes are fictional, the circumstances are real. The pain and suffering they've endured is real.

I found the setting of this book fascinating. I loved the land acknowledgement at the beginning. I knew that much of the white population in Australia today draw its origins from convict ships which sailed from the British Isles, but for some reason I only imagined this population as male. I've never even heard of the female convict ships which sailed to Australia.

This was a poignant, extremely well written story with an interesting plot line I very much enjoyed reading. It had a bit of a slow start, and then I had to read it in pieces since the material is heavy. I found Lucy/Jess/Mary/Eliza to be very compelling characters and the older sisters perspectives nearly unearthly.

As long as Emilia Hart is writing books I'll be reading them.

Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I was a HUGE fan of Emilia Hart's first Novel "Wayward" and happy to say I loved "The Siren's" just as much!

Similar to Wayward, The Sirens follows multiple perspectives. Twin sisters forced on a convict ship to Australia, Jess a lonely 16 year old and Lucy plagued with strange nightmares. I found this story to both lyrical and eerie. Hart has a way of writing stories that can resonate with women of all ages and have a lasting impact. It is evident on reading that a lot of research went into this novel to portray an accurate account of what these women in different time periods across different continents might have gone through. Would highly recommend!