I went into reading The Sirens expecting a sea creature fantasy. However, it was more of a slow-burn fiction/mystery with a focus on sisterhood and self-discovery.

All of the main characters were pretty distinct. However, I struggled with Eliza and Mary’s timeline. My heart went out to them and the struggles they faced. But, I had a hard time finding the connection to the Lucy and Jess Martin’s story. This made the timeline switches feel pretty jarring at times.

I was really drawn to certain elements of the book. But, ultimately, I think the plot was too slow-moving for me to really sink my teeth into.

However, the ending was 10/10 spectacular. It gave me all the warm and fuzzies, and definitely influenced me to bump up my final rating. [3.5 stars rounded up to 4].

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this e-ARC!

Read if you like:

✨Stories about sisterhood
✨Light magical realism
✨The sea and/or bodies of water
✨Shipwrecks
✨Local superstitions

This is a beautifully told story of womanhood, sisterhood,and motherhood with a twist of fairytale lore! The Sirens holds a lot of mystery that keeps you turning the page and the twists and reveals hit you right in the feels! I highly recommend this book to all women, specifically those with a strong sister bond or a strong mother/daughter bond!

Absolutely captivating! I loved this so much!

The Sirens is a haunting and powerful tale that weaves together the voices of three women across centuries, although I wish Eliza's POV was also included. It draws you into their struggles and their fight for justice. What a fitting read for Women's History Month!

The exploration of historical persecution and the enduring strength of female bonds is both heartbreaking and inspiring. A truly unforgettable read!

This is my second book by this author and she defiantly has a writing type. She writes descriptions beautifully and not overly drawn out. I do love her writing. Her theme is always abused women rising up and women helping women.

This story is a female fantasy told by 4 POV’s, one daughter present, one present daughter’s journal and two sisters from the 1800’s. While the story started out about Lucy strangling her ex you go off in another direction. Unfortunately I don’t feel that part gave me closure in the end. I was curious still about all of that.

The two sisters from the 1800’s definitely were very intriguing to read about. Their struggles from their time period and then the struggles on the ship. Their bond was beyond that of twins.

There were a few twists that made the story fun and the pacing made it easy to read. The story is all wrapped up by the end.

I personally didn’t relate to any of the characters or their problems. The author does a great job of telling a story and getting you to image what you are reading. I will still probably more by her in the future.

I went into this book expecting far more than what I read... I love reading about badass female main characters, and the added detail of mermaids, and complicated family dynamics left me feeling excited for the read. I also really enjoyed Weyward so I expected more of the same.

It just fell short of that for me... the mermaids and the magical realism and fantasy elements were very well done. I also found myself flat out loving the dual timelines between the 1800's and 2000's far more than I ever thought I would.

Where I lost interest was with the character development - the book had 3 points of view, Lucy, Jess (Lucy's older sister), and Mary who is an Irish girl. Well over half the story is in Lucy's point of view but she was the one I felt the least amount of connection with - she just felt flat. She never knew what was happening and just always felt really untethered to anything which was very strange. The middle of the book I found myself mostly just skimming because I could just not get invested... the last 20% though truly shined. The details, the writing, the twists all being tied up rather nicely - that was incredibly well done and it makes me excited to see what Emilia Hart publishes next!

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for the e-arc in exchange for my honest review.

Sorry for the short review, but unfortunately this one didn’t work for me. Don’t think the plot ever became fully realized. Rather large questions left open at the end.

Thanks NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Unfortunately, this book fell flat for me.
I didn’t feel a connection with any of the characters and they all felt one dimensional to me. Lucy as a main character was especially hard to connect with because I couldn’t understand her choices or thought process at all. For such a long book there wasn’t really much to the plot until the last 10% of the book and then everything felt rushed. The writing was atmospheric but also repetitive at times and I found myself skimming parts.
Over all, an interesting concept but lacking in plot and character development.

Well, well, well … This was similar but also different than Weyward, which I loved. The book unfolded beautifully, told between two storylines of past and present - which left you trying to figure out how the lives connect.

I found myself shouting “no!” with each plot twist for part 1, 2 and 3 and I love when I don’t guess the twists! That was a refreshing part of this book - The characters were endearing and the narration was great. I could’ve even had more to the story.

Adding as an author on my “must read” list.
Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review

I expect that this book is going to be pretty polarizing and I'm sure many readers are going to love it.

I enjoyed Weyward but wasn't in the "love" category for me, but still wanted to give this one a try... I like the premise and I think Hart's descriptive writing is very strong.

Unfortunately, this one just never totally hooked me. I felt like it was a little boring in the beginning and the writing was almost so ethereal (in the best interpretation) and obtuse (in the worst) that I was struggling putting all the characters together and what was really happening.

The story starts with Lucy waking up from sleep-walking and finding her hands around the neck of this guy she slept with one time (before he shared intimate photos of her). Mortified, she flees her university and decides, for some reason, to drive out into the middle of nowhere to visit her estranged sister. I just really didn’t understand her actions from the start. It seemed a weak and weird excuse to force Lucy and Jess together, although later on we get more themes of abusive men, so this is Hart's way of fitting it together, but it didn't quite work for me initially.

The story moves about through multiple perspectives and time periods. It took me a while to really get into it, but then I enjoyed the different perspectives, but I still found the language, at times, to be overly obtuse to the point where it felt like the language was so descriptive that it was almost difficult to distinguish what was actually being said. However, the language was beautiful and had a other-worldly quality to it that I did like.

The story picks up in the end, but not quite enough for me to love it. I still was left with a few questions so I'm not sure if that was just me, or if there were some unanswered threads.

If you loved Weyward, love mermaids, love magical realism and don't mind things being a little gray in terms of detail, I suspect you may love this one.

I absolutely loved The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I devoured it in less than a day because I could not put it down and had to know what happened and how some of the characters were connected. I have always been obsessed with mermaids, so I knew I would enjoy that side of the story but I also loved how these mermaids were a little different than the childhood mermaids many think of. Some of these sirens were out for vengeance and protecting other females.

Thank you Netgalley and publisher for the ARC of this book.

I had high hopes for this book after Weyward. I liked the premise of Sirens- sisters, dual storylines, past and present, old English/Irish folklore, Australian setting. But it was just an odd shoveling together of all of those things that made the book seem rushed. The sisters’ relationship was odd and the FMC- Lucy, she was so wishy-washy in her thoughts and actions, I had a hard time connecting to her, which made most of the book frustrating for me.

I wish there was more backstory to connect the early mermaids/merrow and the modern day women. I hated the teacher/student dynamic but felt vindicated at the end with that plot line.
Overall, I liked the book- that part of Australian history is both horrifying and tragic, especially for the women brought over. Their stories, even fictionalized, need to be told.
Thank you again for the ARC.

Oh this book to me by surprise! I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. I was fortunate to have the audio and kindle version and it was nice to go back and forth.

Really enjoyed the two POV’s and listening to the MC’s journey.

I know this will be a big hit when it hits shelves April 1, 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan audio and St Martin’s Press for my audio and e arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this one! Emilia also wrote Weyward which was one of my favorite books the year it came out. She does such a great job of teaching you a history lesson without you knowing and throwing in a little witchyness. Thank you to @netgalley for my copy!

An obviously lovingly crafted feminist work combining historical and contemporary fiction, The Sirens was a satisfying read on several fronts. The story follows two sets of sisters, one in contemporary Australia, and one two hundred years earlier—traveling on a British convict ship to Australia. Both sets of sisters have been wronged by men in some way and Hart deftly explores themes of trauma, healing, and transformation as the story unfolds. There were three aspects of the book I particularly enjoyed:
1. The representations of sisterhood and the power that that particular kind of bond and loyalty can have.
2. The incorporation of Irish folklore around merrow. I'd never heard of this kind of mermaid/siren before!
3. The history around the transportation of female convicts to Australia—there's often such a focus on the lives of the men, but this story took the time to delve into the specific horrors women faced.

Overall, I loved Hart's unique blend of folklore, history, and contemporary fiction. If you enjoyed her earlier book Weyward, I think you'll probably like this one too!

Title: The Sirens
Author: Emilia Hart
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Kindle Page Count: 352
Genre: Historical Fantasy Fiction
Start Date: Feb 10, 2025
End Date: Feb 19, 2025
Anticipated Publish Date: April 1, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After loving Weyward, I was eager to dive into The Sirens by Emilia Hart. The novel follows four women—Lucy, Jess, Mary, and Eliza—across different time periods, weaving their stories together in a tale of resilience, mystery, and fate.

Going in with an open mind, I was ready for another immersive read. However, I quickly found the pacing to be much slower than Weyward, with certain details and plot points dragging on unnecessarily. Some events felt repetitive, while others seemed out of place, making chapters feel longer than they needed to be.

That said, I still enjoyed the book. The twists ranged from predictable to genuinely surprising, keeping me engaged even when the pacing felt uneven. While I wished for a more streamlined narrative, the storytelling and themes remained compelling.

Overall, I’d give The Sirens a solid 3.5/5, rounding up to four stars. It may not have matched my expectations, but it’s still a worthwhile read for fans of Hart’s writing.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is the story of...
Two sets of sisters, their negative interactions with men and their journey with the sea and its effect on them.

Something I appreciated...
This book kept me wanting to pick it up and read it. I was definitely hooked, which surprised me because I wasn't sure I would like it based on other reviews. I enjoyed the writing and the dual time line and journal entries.
I loved the mixture of including current day crime podcasts and old school microfiche for researching.

Something I learned...
The history of convicts being carried on British ships and a bit about what happened to them.
Sometimes as authors, we do need to spell a little bit more out instead of having a vague ending.

Sum up...
I liked this book because it kept me interested in the mystery. The ending disappointed me in that it felt rushed and somewhat confusing. I will be thinking more about the details of the story in the coming days. Any story that stays with me after the end has value in my opinion.

Quotable Quotes:
"Humans are born to storytelling," Da used to say. "Does the goat tell stories? The blackbird, or the sheep? No. Sure it is God's gift to us and us alone."

Would I recommend this book?
Yes, but if you read it, let's discuss the ending so I can get some clarification.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin Press, for an arc of this novel.

Overall this was a fun interesting book about sister and their bond. It was fun to see the back and forth between the two time lines and see Lucy learn the truth and about everything.

I’ve been patiently waiting for Emilia Hart’s next book since reading Weyward. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I could not put this book down. Haunting, hopeful, and full of resilient women. Emilia Hart is officially a must read for me.

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 💚

I was, and am, a huge fan of Weyward. That book shook me to my core. So when I got my hands on The Sirens, I was hyped.
Well, to no one's surprise, I was completely hooked and mesmerizing right from the beginning. This book had a choke hold on me the whole time I was reading it.

The story is incredibly compelling and interesting and I loved every minute of it 💚

Book Review: The Sirens by Emilia Hart
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

This novel weaves a tale of sisterhood, resilience, and the call of the sea across three timelines. While the unique mermaid-esque lore and alternating perspectives create an intriguing mix of historical fiction and mystery, the story felt too slow and sorrowful for me. Many elements remained unexplained, which left me feeling more frustrated than enchanted.

That said, fans of atmospheric, character-driven narratives may find the magic and mystery of the sea captivating. 🌊🧜‍♀️

Thank you, MacMillan Audio, Emilia Hart, and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 😊