I received an ARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.
All opinions are my own.

I feel very let down by this book, after reading Weyward last summer and loving it. This book just did not do it for me. There are so many unanswered questions, a lot of stuff that's "oh yeah by the way the character does do this, did I forget to mention it," and plot points that seemingly exist for no reason. I think there is definitely something intriguing at the most basic level of the plot, but then it goes bad bonkers and you're just praying for it to end. Oh, and there's also some student-teacher ick that made me cringe for everyone involved. What prevents me from giving this 1 star instead of 2 is that the author actually is very good at descriptions and making scenery come alive.
I will not be recommending this to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the ARC!

★☆☆☆☆ 1.5/5

The Sirensis my first time reading works from Emilia Hart and may potentially be the last time I do as well. I had requested this ARC because the cover is absolutely gorgeous, the premise was intriguing, and I was very interested in knowing the story that would evolve. I unfortunately did not get any sort of satisfaction from this book like I had hoped and found myself really, really struggling to read this that I contemplated DNF'ing.

My Review Rants

The writing for this book was strong. It was beautiful and I found myself pulled in by the writing, despite not really clicking with anything that I was actually reading about. I felt no attachment to the characters or the experiences their storylines followed. And the strong writing made the lack of an actual plot or development stand out all the more. I found myself constantly questioning or simply skimming through most things Lucy did or said.

The start of the book had an interesting prose, but the more I looked at it, the more questions I had about the holes surrounding it. We start The Sirens with Lucy waking up to find her hands around the neck of a man she had slept with and was forming an intimate relationship before he leaked her nude photos to his group chat of friends, and essentially the entire school. Sounds interesting until you look into it a bit more (because, like I always do, I overanalyze things more than I should). How did she get across campus to his dorm? How did she unlock his dormitory door and slip in unnoticed? How did neither he nor his roommates hear her get in and inside his room? How did no one on campus see this woman sleepwalking and think to stop her?

Putting that aside - Lucy is mortified by the fact that she woke up with her hands around his neck and she flees. Where to, you ask? Well of course, to her estranged sister's home thousands of miles away from her, a place she had never visited and only knew existed because her sister sent her a postcard with the address years prior. Only, she gets there, and no alarm bells go ringing in that head of hers when the front door is unlocked, her sister nowhere to be found, and she is still essentially on the run from a near murder attempt on her ex-fling.

This entire setup feels forced and has very little explanation because much like everything else in this book, they never circle back on this or elaborate on the how's, why's, or what-the-hell's. And instead of taking the opportunity to delve into all of these questions before, we are instead sat through a book of Lucy and this contrived mystery of eight missing men, her sister's disappearance, and the exile of Mary in the 1800s while waiting for the conclusions to be told point-blank to Lucy.

There was this build up and expectation that the characters had so much personality and life to them that they've lived and experienced, but I felt nothing for any of them. It felt so one-dimensional, and I couldn't for the life of me bring myself to care about anything.

I won't even touch on the student-teacher conversation in this book because that would make my review longer than I want to make it. Just know, it is awful.

Final Thoughts

I give this book a solid 1.5/5 stars, and the only reason why it is not a complete 1 star is because I applaud the effort. There was clearly thought and effort to this book, it just didn't click for me or make me feel anything it wanted me to. I personally would not recommend this to anyone, but my taste is subjective and oftentimes all over the place, so don't hesitate to check it out on its official publication if you think it may be something more aligned with your interests.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for the ARC in exchange for an honest review of this novel.

3.5/5 ⭐️

What would you do if you fled to your estranged sister's house only to find her missing and her paintings depicting the dreams that have been haunting you?

I discovered Emilia Hart through her debut novel, Weyward , which I absolutely loved! Naturally, I was excited to dive into The Sirens . Both books are standalones so you don’t have to read them together, although, if you haven’t read Weyward yet, I highly recommend it! They both share a common thread of being stories about women across different time periods, grappling with similar struggles despite their vastly different circumstances.

The Sirens blends historical fiction, fantasy, and magical realism, weaving a haunting connection between Lucy, a modern-day woman in Australia, and Mary and Eliza, twin sisters from 19th-century Ireland who are among a group of women “convicts” being shipped to the Australian colonies. While I loved the premise of the book and The Sirens contained all the elements of what I was expecting from an Emilia Hart novel, unfortunately, I didn’t enjoy it as much as I expected.

For one, the plot felt underdeveloped. The novel opens with Lucy waking up from sleepwalking only to realize she’s strangling her ex (who she hates and who leaked her nudes online). She immediately goes MIA, and flees campus and crosses the country to visit her sister, despite their distant and strained relationship. This drastic reaction felt a bit implausible. Also, after discovering her sister is missing, Lucy doesn’t report it to the police or even tell her parents for over a week! Imagine if something seriously awful could have happened to your sibling and you just chill in their apartment for a week!

Moreover, the majority of the book is in Lucy’s POV and I struggled with her inner dialogue. This weighed me down a bit and I found myself slowing down around the 60% mark as the pacing began to drag. Her naivety was frustrating and it takes her an exasperatingly long time to connect the dots. I had the major plot twist figured out before I was even a quarter of the way through, making the rest of the story feel even more drawn out.

Overall, The Sirens didn’t resonate with me as much as Weyward did but I still enjoyed it. I still think it is worth checking out if the premise is something you are interested in!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review via NetGalley!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this gifted ARC!

The Sirens is a very uniquely written novel in two separate timelines and multiple POV’s. I loved the sisterhood in each timeline as well as the character growth. I wasn’t expecting the turns and twists. I did feel like it was slightly repetitive and the story seemed long. Overall, following Lucy and Jess in today’s time and Mary and Eliza in their lives hundreds of years beforehand was intriguing. Definitely a slow burn but held many captivating elements.

Looking for a book with complicated family dynamics, a town haunted by mermaids, and women pursuing justice? The Sirens by Emilia Hart has all of the above (and more)!
I have always been a mermaid girlie more than anything else, and obviously thought that in combination with Hart’s writing style would make this an enthralling read. I inhaled Hart’s debut, Weyward, and had been anxiously awaiting another tale of myth, feminine power, and raw history. And while The Sirens has all three of those elements, they don’t have the same pull that Weyward had for me.
The book has three main characters. Lucy, an Australian university student; Jess, her older sister; and Mary, an Irish girl on a convict ship heading to Australia. We spend the majority of our time with Lucy, who left university in a rush after a sleepwalking incident. It’s mentioned in a few different ways that Lucy has a skin condition that’s affected by water. Lucy spends most of the book at Jess’s house, waiting for her to return from a trip.
Unfortunately, even though the book is 80% in Lucy’s POV, I felt like she was the least developed. Most of Jess’s character development happens as Lucy reads through Jess’s old diary and all of Mary’s development happens through Lucy’s dreams. This setup keeps Lucy front and center, but keeps her in a perpetual state of almost-knowing and never lets her do anything else.
Overall, I enjoyed the twists and turns of all three storylines, and was invested enough to finish the book. The mermaid details started to appear more frequently, and the book ended with a blend of magical realism that I was expecting. Some of the final details really threw me for a loop, but overall, the ending saved the book from its middle.
If any of this book's weirdly specific traits caught your eye, you should definitely give it a shot! I’d also recommend it if you’re really into mermaid myths!
Thanks to Netgalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Macmillan Audio for the free advanced copy and audiobook in exchange for an honest review!

I received an advance copy via NetGalley.

Three storylines featuring resilient women are the focus of this unique book. In 2019, a young Australian woman, Lucy, awakens, choking the ex-boyfriend who recently betrayed her. She flees to a remote coastal town where her older sister lives, to find her missing. Meanwhile, Lucy is plagued by intense dreams about two sisters from Ireland in 1800 who are unjustly loaded onto a prison ship destined for Australia--and judging by the art in the household, her sister has been having the same dreams for years. Lucy struggles to understand herself, and begins reading through her sister's diary, discovering deep family secrets.

This is an engaging book, but a frustrating one in some regards, as the ending doesn't deliver much in the way of surprises. The title alone is a big giveaway about what is going on, and Lucy's big revelations are transparent incredibly early, though it takes her a long time to put pieces together. The diary format didn't work well, either, as the entries were nothing like believable diary entries.

There was a lot to like, though. The characters are very well done, and the deep insights into Australia's colonial history were disturbing and enlightening. I can see this being a major book club read in the coming years.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy.

When I first read the premise of this book, I was so excited and intrigued. Sirens are freaking awesome, and hell yeah I want to read about women turning into beautiful creatures to lure men to their deaths. But this book just did not deliver for me.

Strengths:
• The writing was lovely, and I enjoyed the fictional town of Comber Bay. And I especially loved Eliza and Mary’s POV chapters.

Weaknesses:
• Just about everything aside from what I listed above. I just did not care about Lucy’s POV, and tbh I think she wasn’t even that necessary to the story; it could have just been Jess and the story would have worked just as well.
• We got verrrrrryyyy little of the actual Sirens. The whole book is basically build up to characters discovering they are Sirens. I wanted to read about Sirens being Sirens, and we just did not get that, like at all.
• Hart does historical stories better than modern day. For that reason, I think the story would have been miles better if written entirely from Eliza and Mary’s POV and delved more into them once they actually become Sirens.
• The ending felt so abrupt? Like we just abandon the whole premise in the last 20 pages or so?

Overall, this gets 2.5 stars (rounded up to 3)

This was a hauntingly beautiful read. I love how the author sets the tone with her words and paints a beautiful, mythical picture. Great read.

From the very first chapter, this book gave me an eerie, haunted feeling. Weyward was one of my favorites, so as soon as I saw Emilia Hart had another book coming, it was an instant add to my TBR. This story unfolds across two interwoven timelines: Lucy & Jess’s journey and Mary & Eliza’s tale.

After experiencing a traumatic event at university, Lucy seeks refuge with her sister Jess at Cliff House, where Jess has been living and working on her art. Though the sisters have grown apart, Lucy feels Jess may be the only one who truly understands what she’s going through. But when she arrives, Jess is nowhere to be found. While waiting for her return, Lucy stumbles upon her sister’s diary, uncovering long-buried family secrets that might explain the strange events unraveling around her.

Meanwhile, in the past, Mary and Eliza’s story unfolds aboard a convict ship bound for an uncertain future. Their chapters gradually reveal how their fate connects to Lucy’s present-day struggles. As Lucy pieces together the truth, she realizes Jess may be in danger—and time is running out to save her.

This gripping tale of resilience and hidden power kept me turning the pages. Nothing and no one is quite what they seem. I can’t wait to see what Emilia Hart writes next!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for the ARC

This is the second book by Emilia Hart and WOW, it does not disappoint. It is clear that Hart ties in themes of nature, superstitions, mythology, and strong female characters to her style of writing. The females in this book look out for each other. Hart does a seamless job weaving different time periods together in a way where you want to read about both time periods. Hart adds so many traditional and mythological aspects to her writing as well. Reading this book transports you into a different world. A world where magic and myths have to be real.

Female power in spades. This really focuses on the four women’s growth and feminine power as each story unfolds. Traveling back in time to present day these females embrace their power. Loved this book thank you NetGalley

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ - 4/5

“We will keep you safe. I promise.”

The Sirens is a devastating and beautiful tale, told from the perspective of two women with an ocean of time between them.

In Ireland, 1800, Mary and her sister Eliza have been exiled and forced aboard a female convict ship that is making the perilous journey to New South Wales. In New South Wales, 2019, Lucy is seeking the help of her sister Jessica, after awakening to find herself strangling her ex-lover.

Readers are introduced to these four women who, despite being separated by two centuries, are facing very similar struggles. Mary and Eliza have committed no crime beyond defending themselves. While Lucy and Jess are struggling to recover from placing their trust in the wrong people. Both sets of sisters find their paths shrouded in secrets, the answers to which just might set them free.

The journey of these characters highlights the resilience of women and the strength that many find in sisterhood (I found myself crying multiple times). The mythical spin on historical events added an additional layer of meaning to this story, as sirens are known for their ability to lure men to their deaths. What better way to depict women who have been wronged by a system built for men. Is this poetic justice?

Emilia Hart’s willingness to give a voice to women lost to time and history made this story much closer to my heart. I appreciate the amount of research she did to create this story and that her forward directed readers to the appropriate sources for more information on the topic.

If you enjoy feminist fiction, mythology, and sobbing over the bonds of sisterhood - this book is for you!

The Sirens by Emilia Hart is a book that leaps to and from different timelines. The main characters in this book, Lucy and Jess, sisters in the present, and Mary and Eliza, sisters from the 1800’s, are connected through vivid dreams. I normally enjoy a historical fiction genre, but this lacked any vibrancy. The cover of the book is beautiful, the descriptions sound lovely, but I had trouble connecting with any of the characters. The story itself was choppy, I couldn’t feel the flow of the different centuries, they really felt like different stories.

I truly struggled trying to get through this book. I was hoping for a strong, feminist fantasy of a storyline, but I found it boring.

I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange of an honest review.

The Sirens completely swept me away!

Told in dual timelines, we follow Lucy in 2019 as she flees to her sister’s house after a violent and unexplainable incident, only to find her missing. At the same time, we’re taken back to 1800, where Mary and Eliza, two sisters sentenced to a convict ship heading for Australia, begin to experience strange changes to their bodies. The way these timelines weave together—layering mystery, mythology, and history—was so GOOD, I couldn’t put it down.

This was my first book by Emilia Hart, and WOW, her writing is insanely immersive. When I tell you I smelled the stench of that prisoner ship, I mean it. The atmosphere, the emotion, and the slow unraveling of secrets all made for an unforgettable read.

If you love stories about sisterhood and just a dash of something otherworldly, this one’s for you.

Special thanks to St. Martin’s Press for providing me with a copy of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.

Emilia Hart is a beautiful writer, and this novel was beautifully written, but I didn't find the storyline to be as satisfying as Weyward. I liked the alternate timelines, but connected more with Lucy and Jess's story (the modern story) than I did with Eliza and Mary's.

I found that some of the themes in the story weren't fully fleshed out. For example, Lucy sleepwalking and strangling someone was never really explained fully.

A lot of characters were introduced but not given enough development.

Still, it was a unique premise and an interesting story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5. The Sirens by Emilia Hart. Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and the author for this advanced reader copy. The cover art alone earned this novel a star! So pretty. This novel brings us to the 1800s on an Australia bound ship. Female prisoners are being sent from Ireland to Australia to serve their sentences. Two sisters cling to each other in fear. Then in present day we meet two other sisters who are struggling with many issues. Lucy was attacked at school, and while sleepwalking, she attempts to strangle her assailant. Lucy flees to her sister’s new home on the coast. But Jess seems to have disappeared! This village is known for spooky happenings too. Men have disappeared from this seaside locale. There’s rumored to be a hidden sea cave too. We go back and forth between the sister pairs, learning about the strength of women and what binds us all together. This had a lot of potential, but ended up just becoming too convoluted. Disappointing. #books #whatiread #bookstagram #bookgram #reading #advancedreaderscopy #netgalley #goodreads #libbyapp #thesirens #bookworm

A really dark, cold and almost folktale-like novel that focuses on four women living in different centuries, each of whom is on a journey of self-discovery. Although this is an interesting and compelling story, one that is beautifully written, parts of it dragged way too much and parts of it were wholly predictable. Moreover, the initial plot of the story (involving Lucy’s having to face the consequences of her actions) just disappeared as the story continued, and I was definitely underwhelmed by the ending. All in all this was an interesting, good read but not a great one.

3.5 stars. After reading and loving the author's first book, I was so excited to pick this one up! Alas, it did not quite live up to my expectations.

The Sirens is a beautifully written story with an interesting premise. Written in multiple timelines with multiple POVs, we have a story of sisterhood, healing, and self-discovery.

The writing and vivid description made it easy for me to visualize the setting and the storyline. While I enjoyed having different POVs, they were written very similarly and were hard to differentiate as I read, which made things feel a bit monotonous. I also struggled to understand or believe some of the characters' decisions, and I did not care much for the teacher/student relationship and its revival in the present.The book dragged in the middle, but things picked up again around the 75/80% mark to a mostly satisfying ending. We got our biggest questions answered. There are a few smaller loose ends that weren't fully resolved, but that didn't bother me as much as it did other readers.

I think readers who like beautiful prose, fantasy, female empowerment, and mermaids/the sea, and who don't mind a slower burn, will enjoy this book. But I think the author's first book is better.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The Sirens is the newest release by Emilia Hart, author of Weyward. I loved Weyward and was so excited to receive an ARC of The Sirens!

This story is told in alternating timelines and points of view. In the 1800s, we have Mary and her sister Eliza. They are convicts on a prison ship from Ireland headed to the penal colonies in New South Wales. Crowded into the belly of the ship with other female prisoners, the sisters experience cruel treatments and heartache as they leave their home behind. In the present day, we have Lucy who wakes up from sleepwaking and finds herself assaulting a boy who had hurt her in the recent past. She flees university to avoid the investigation and to try to learn why she's been sleepwalking from her sister, Jess, who also sleepwalks. She arrives at her sister's house, Cliff house, but her sister is missing. Finally, we have Jess, whose POV is told through her diary in 1999. Lucy finds this diary and begins to piece the puzzle together in order to find her sister.

This story is one of resilience and kinship, feminine rage and protection. It blends mystery, historical fiction, and magical realism to create an intricate tale of sisterhood and the things that bind women together. Thanks to the publisher, the author, and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book by Emilia Hart is a captivating novel that intertwines the lives of two sets of sisters across different centuries. The story alternates between 2019, where Lucy flees to her sister Jess’s house after a traumatic incident, and 1800, where Mary and Eliza are forced onto a convict ship heading to Australia. The novel explores themes of sisterhood, resilience, and the haunting power of the sea.

What I liked about the book:

Atmospheric Writing: Hart’s descriptions of the coastal setting and the eerie, sea-swept caves are hauntingly beautiful, creating a vivid backdrop for the story.
Characters: The characters are well-developed, with each sister’s journey reflecting their strength and vulnerability. The dual timelines are handled skillfully, with each era’s narrative enriching the other.
Themes: The novel delves into heavy themes such as trauma, healing, and the fight against oppression, making it a thoughtful and compassionate read

What I didn't like:

Pacing: I felt like it was a slow pace in the middle sections, as the story takes its time to build up to the climax.
Predictability: A few plot twists may be predictable for seasoned readers of the genre, which could lessen the impact of the revelations.
Conclusion: “The Sirens” is a mesmerizing blend of historical fiction and magical realism that celebrates the strength of women and the bonds of sisterhood.

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's Press for the advanced copy.