I wasn't sure I was going to enjoy this book but the characters and their story pulled me in and I couldn't put it down.

After a traumatic event at college, Lucy takes off to visit her sister who she hasn't seen in months. When Lucy arrives, she finds Jess's house unlocked, her phone still there, and a neighbor in charge of her cat, but no Jess. Lucy find an old journal of Jess's and as she reads she begins to find details that might point to where Jess has gone. This story is told alongside the story of two sisters in 1800 who have been exiled from Ireland and are being transported on a ship to Australia as convicts. All of these women are called to the water, but also fear it immensely.

This story is unlike any other I have ever read. It's mystery, drama, and magical realism all wrapped up in one beautiful story of family ties and fate. Weyward was my first Emilia Hart book and The Sirens has made her a new must-read author for me.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC of The Sirens.

Interesting, multi-generational magical realism story! Even though the direction of the story was somewhat obvious, it was an interesting tale, and the ending was satisfying.

I never fully connected with the writing though. The writing was good on a technical level, and of a style that I'm sure many enjoy, but I never really found myself lost in the story. I think this was partially due to not connecting with the different perspectives as much- I definitely followed Lucy's chapters better than the others.

Thanks NetGalley and St Martin's Press for this arc

3/5 stars

This was a book about sisters, secrets, and the pull of the sea. I was super excited going into this book, as I love anything to do with mermaids and sirens! Unfortunately I seem to feel the same way many others felt about this book, in that it never truly pulled me into the story and made me invested in the way I was hoping. Now don't get me wrong the writing was beautiful, lyrical, and haunting, its just that the characters felt a bit one dimensional and I couldn't connect with them or get invested into their story, Lucy and Jess in particular. I enjoyed the dream sequences with Mary and Eliza more than Lucy and Jess, which was disappointing as they were so few and far between lol. Overall, this was fine. 🤷🏼‍♀️

The author’s first book, Weyward, was a hit and deservedly so. So I was thrilled to get her second book, The Sirens, on NetGalley. I know when an authors debut is a huge hit that the second book is rarely just as good as their first. This was almost as good as Weyward.

She writes about women very well, our fear of men, hopes for our survival and our futures, and the danger men pose to us especially in the historical parts of the story. Though I guessed one of the big twists way in the beginning of the story I did not guess what was revealed at the very end. I did very much enjoy The Sirens and I will absolutely read her next book. Though this book contains a touch of fantasy that may turn off some readers I think if you enjoy historical fiction you will like this book. As an American I knew Australia started out as a penal colony for Britain but I learned a lot more about how dark that history is with The Sirens.

**Thanks to the author and St Martin’s Press for the e-arc I received via NetGalley in exchange for my honest review.**

I was lucky enough to get this book as an ARC copy and it did not disappoint.

First of all, Emilia Hart is exceptional. Having read Weyward, I had high standards for The Sirens, not only were they met but I’m beginning to think that nobody can do magical realism quite like she can. Her descriptions throughout were haunting, beautiful and at times sorrowful. I felt immersed every time I picked this up.

The story follows two different timelines and focuses majorly on the relationships between sisters and women, a rare allergen to water and a local town haunted by the mysterious deaths of local men.

The Sirens was excellent.

The Sirens was the second book by Emilia Hart I've read, and after enjoying Weyward, I was eager to dive in. Plus, the cover is very appealing!

Like Weyward, there is a dual timeline and just a touch of magic. Not too much, as that is not of genre of interest to me. The main part of the story deals with sisters Lucy and Jessica, living in modern day Australia. Woven into their story is the tale of two Irish sisters, Eliza and Mary, who were sent to Australia in a prison boat in the 1700s, and the boat sank within sight of land. All four sisters stories converge in a place called Comar Bay, a remote and haunting place with a haunted past. This is where the boat bearing prisoners crashed two hundred years ago with great loss of life. And this is where men have mysteriously met their end over the past few decades.

Lucy is looking for her missing sister Jessica, and comes to Comar Bay to search for her. She then becomes caught up in the history of the men who have gone missing, and over time she begins to see a common thread. Meanwhile, the story of the sisters who came to Australia on the prison ship begins to haunt her dreams. Each dream reveals a little more of their story.

If you like atmospheric books that paint a vivid picture, and characters haunted by their past, you may enjoy this book, as I did. You must be willing to go with the flow on the magical mysticism of the sirens story. This is not for the one hundred percent literal reader, but for those willing to suspend practicality and believe in a touch of magic.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emilia Hart and St. Martin's Press for allowing me to read this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Enchanting, haunting, and dare I say magical story that was full of mystery and suspense. This is a story of women, sisters, mothers, and the things that binds them together as well as resiliency. Also, there is a historical fiction competent that the author weaves in with a shipwreck based on ships from the British back in 1788 that carried convicts from the overburdened prison systems to Australia. The story is told between alternating timelines and POVs between sisters Jess and Lucy as well as Mary, an Irish girl in 1800 placed on ship of convicts with her twin sister Eliza. Lucy flees her university after something terrible happens and goes in search of her sister Jess who she has not seen in over a year. Jess is now living in Comber Bay alone the coast of South Wales, When Lucy arrives, she finds Jess's house abandoned with the door unlocked, no sign of forced entry, and Jess's phone left behind. Lucy begins to search for Jess and discovers her diary which she starts reading to hopefully gain insight as to Jess's whereabouts. However, by reading Jess's diary secrets and mysteries will start to be revealed. This book had great writing and great storying telling.

2.5 stars. Though the premise for this book was clever, the execution just killed me. The narrative is very heavy handed and the result was a plot that lacked any intrigue. I was able to predict the entire plot (including anything considered a twist/turn) by about 15% into my read. Honestly, I should have DNF'd, but I was really hoping that my guesses were wrong and there was something that would blow me out of the water. No such luck.

The writing itself is decent and I did like Hart's first novel, Weyward, so the fact that I struggled so much with liking this one was incredibly disappointing.

After enjoying the author’s debut novel, Weyward, I eagerly anticipated reading The Sirens. However, my experience with this book was a bit mixed, and here’s why.

I chose the audiobook version, which was narrated beautifully by Barrie Kreinik. While her narration was exceptional, I struggled to fully engage with the story. For me, some books connect better when read physically rather than listened to, and this might have been one of those cases for me.

The story is told from three timelines: 1800, 1999, and 2019, each following different characters. I found the 1800 timeline captivating—it was, by far, the most compelling part of the narrative for me. The modern timelines weren’t bad, but they felt repetitive during the first half, which hindered my engagement. Fortunately, they gained momentum later on, reigniting my interest.

There were moments when I contemplated not finishing the book, especially around the halfway mark. However, I’m glad I persevered because the ending was more intriguing than expected, and the finale redeemed the story quite a bit for me. Although I had predicted some elements, the conclusion was satisfying, and the epilogue added significant value.

Despite the issues I noted, if you loved Weyward as much as I did, I’d still recommend giving The Sirens a chance. The book explores profound themes such as family secrets, female resilience, sisterhood, motherhood, and the abuse of power. While the overall narrative didn’t captivate me as much as I hoped, the emotional essence of the story, particularly in its later chapters, made it ultimately worthwhile.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Happy Pub month to The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the gifted galley of this masterful book!

Haunting, lyrical, and utterly mesmerizing—The Sirens is a wave that pulls you under and doesn’t let go. Emilia Hart masterfully weaves three timelines into a single thread of sisterhood, secrecy, and sea-born magic. From Lucy’s chilling present-day nightmare to Jess’s isolated adolescence, and back to the heart-wrenching voyage of Mary and Eliza in 1800, this novel pulses with atmosphere and mystery.

Hart explores trauma, power, and transformation with the same spellbinding touch she brought to Weyward, but with an even deeper dive into the myths women carry in their blood. The sea is both a cradle and a curse here—and I couldn’t look away.

Perfect for fans of folklore, gothic tension, and stories where women reclaim their voices (literally).
Read if you love: generational magic, oceanic mythology, layered mysteries, and slow-burn emotional unraveling.

The strange watery world of The Sirens is a land of mermaids and siren's songs. The dual timelines, present day Australia, and 1800 Ireland are linked by the memories of sisters and their troubled relationships with the sea.

Emilia Hart paints a vivid description of the convict ships that carried prisoners, often petty criminals, from England and Ireland, to the woman starved shores of colonial Australia. Their legacy extends down to the present day, and in Hart's story, that legacy is powerfully mystical.

The present day story is something of a mystery, and was less compelling for me than the historical story. But both are well written and enjoyable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the review copy of The Sirens.

This book is beautifully written, with prose that pulls you in and captivates you much like the siren song itself. From page one, you’re drawn into the story, which switches mainly between Lucy and Mary’s POVs.

The story itself has a mystery at its heart, and just when you think you’ve solved it, new twists and turns emerge. I was truly surprised by some of what unfolded, as Hart lulled me into a false sense of security where one more obvious secret actually hides more beneath its depths.

I appreciated the way this book centers the female experience in all its complications. Lucy is navigating a difficult situation, made worse by the differences between how men and women are treated. Similarly, Mary and Eliza are trapped aboard a ship full of women who have been shipped to a penal colony for seemingly minor crimes, many of which were brought about in self-defense. In this way, we see how things have improved for women between 1800 and 2019, and how they haven’t.

This book ramps up the supernatural elements compared to Weyward. While that book does have a tinge of magic to it, the supernatural notes were more profound – and more mysterious – in The Sirens, which I enjoyed.

Final Thoughts
In all, the story and the language of The Sirens will drag you in, captivating as the song of a siren in legend. I absolutely loved reading this one and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a solid, complicated story about women and life and love.

Emilia Hart's writing in this book takes you into the story. You can see and feel the story as it goes. I also love how she writes the story from 3 different women and timelines. It is easy to follow and to know where you are in the story.

The stories of these women and what they have faced is all too real. Being told to be quiet because what happened could ruin his life even though the woman was the victim. Also just how there is a double standard in life.

I also love the magical realism of this book and the story of the merrows.

Mermaids & female rage? Yes, please.

I’ve read books set in Australia before, but never had one of the dual timelines feature women on a convict ship headed there. We go back & forth between Irish sisters Mary & Eliza on the ship in the year 1800 & Lucy in the year 2019 searching for her missing sister, Jess. While looking for answers to her own problems & her sister’s whereabouts, Lucy learns that the history of where Jess had chosen to live is riddled with mysteries…

Magical realism infused into historical fiction is a type of story I love to read, & this was no exception. The author of the debut hit Weyward has written another powerful novel in The Sirens, & the mix of a part of history I hadn’t heard much about with the mystical, unknowable elements of the ocean made me want a third book from this writer immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! The plot in this book was entertaining and the characters were also enjoyable, also while I am not usually a fan of multiple POVs this one felt natural for the story! I did feel like the plot took some time to set of which had me struggling to connect with the story and get sucked in for some time. The ending definitely felt a lot easier to get into than the beginning of this book but overall an enjoyable story that I definitely recommend checking out!

3.5 out of 5 stars!

am a big fan of Emilia Hart. I love the way she blends magic, folklore, and women coming into their own power. The Sirens was similar to her previous book Weyward in that the povs go back and forth between past and present, which I think adds a lot of depth to the stories. I loved that this book had an element of mystery and suspense to it too, and while I was able to guess one of the main twists I didn't think it took away from the story at all. Emilia writes fantasy books for women that want magic in their stories but not a full fantasy which I think is really refreshing as someone that reads a lot of fantasy. I also am just always a sucker for a book about mermaids or mermaid type creatures so this was definitely a hit for me.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart was a very enjoyable book which followed sisters and other females from different generations. The changes over time were very interesting. I enjoyed reading a good book about females in different generations and the different hardships that they bore.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a hauntingly gorgeous story this is! It unfolds slowly and smoothly, layering timelines until they all come together. The Sirens truly swept me away. I now want to read more from Emilia Hart. I’m just dazzled by the mysterious and mystical characters and storylines. I loved it! Those who find it to be a bit too slow, hang in there. It really comes together in the end! Absolutely beautiful!

I picked up Emilia Hart's debut book up on a whim and I absolutely loved it so I had super high expectations going into this. I love stories that involve intergenerational plot lines, which is why her first book worked so well for me. While this book still had that aspect, it wasn't as major of a story line as I was hoping it would be. But I still had a great time! You just know when a book is 5 stars and unfortunately this book didn't give me that 5 star feeling. I really enjoyed the magical realism in this as well. I don't usually reach for siren stories but this book made me a bit more interested in them. I just wish it went deeper into the lore and how it connects with the characters. I was super invested in the main characters and how their stories unfolded, which will always be a win in my book. Overall, I had a good time and I didn't want to put it down!