Such an interesting premise but meandered a bit too much for me to feel fully immersed in the story. I really appreciated the novel’s focus on processing intergenerational trauma, thoughtful exploration of female safety and autonomy, as well as the elements of historical fiction and magical realism.

A large chunk of this book dives into a really interesting period of time I knew nothing about previously. It was interesting to learn about Irish women being sent to current day Australia for petty crimes and hear about the journey from their perspectives. This book inspired me to want to learn more about this chapter of Irish history.

However, the novel’s constantly shifting perspectives made my reading experience feel disjointed. It took me a while to become invested in the characters and story.

Lucy was my favorite character due to Hart’s strong writing in her sections. I wish there was less focus on Mary’s perspective, especially at the beginning. I found myself struggling to get through most of Mary’s parts and wanting to get back to the writing in Lucy section because she was a much stronger narrator.

It was interesting to see the twists develop in each part. Yet, by the time they were revealed they felt a bit obvious to me and the pacing felt a bit inconsistent. I also felt disappointed by the ending.

My favorite parts of the book happened when the focus was on Lucy and Jess. I wish there had been more focus on their relationship in the same timeline, especially at the end. There were some really interesting dynamics between them that got introduced but didn’t feel fully developed.

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

Emilia truly knows how to draw you in! I fell in love with this story line and characters. And I never knew I needed a story told in different timelines. Everything about this book was soooo amazing.

Wow, wow, what a beautiful, mysterious ride The Sirens was!
I alternated between my kindle and audio and I felt the kindle narration aged up the characters a bit, but was still excellent. This book takes on some tough topics - sexual assault, grooming, cyber-bullying, the historical mistreatment of female “prisoners”(TW) while incorporating beautiful views in a coastal town full of mysteries, flashbacks, and a podcast tackling cold cases.
There were some twists I definitely didn’t see coming and I genuinely couldn’t put this down. It’s real-world mixed with mythology and historical context in a deep, fast-paced entirely important book.

I love mermaids! I loved how enchanted this book is. and how the cover is beautiful. This story is powerful and quite the journey.

This book was pure magic. A combination of Sisterhood, adventure and fantasy.
If there are mermaids, I am in.
The story was a slower paced, but gave me time to appreciate it.
I loved it being told in two timelines

EMILIA HART YOU ABSOLUTE GENIUS!!!!! I have now fallen in love with two of Emilia Hart’s books. I have been absolutely obsessed with Weyward since I read it and was beyond excited for this release. It definitely lived up to my expectations. I don’t think I can properly articulate just how much I adore Hart’s writing and the way she conveys such heart and soul within her books. Thank you NetGalley for giving me the opportunity to read this book and cement Hart’s place as one of my favorite authors.

"Don't judge a book by it's cover," they say.... but what if the cover is the very thing that draws you to the book?? In this case, this really worked out for me. I read Emilia Hart's first novel and was curious to see her follow up. This book is quite different, but in a way that really worked for me. The alternating timelines wove together in ways that you sort of guessed along the way, but weren't quite sure. This book was beautifully written and the narrator was a 10/10 for me. (Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers (Macmillan Audio and St. Martin's Press) for an eARC and a listening ARC-- I was lucky enough to have this novel in both formats which allowed me to get LOST in the story and not really do much else until I was done (if I wasn't reading, I was listening).

The Sirens publishes in May and if you're in the mood for something a little different with beautiful writing, this may be just what you're searching for.

The Sirens is great for readers who enjoy a book on sisterhood, doused with fantasy and a strong sense of the sea. The story is engaging, the Australian setting lovely, and I liked learning a bit of Australian history, the female prisoners sent from England and Ireland to Australia to become wives or slaves. The author gave plenty of clues as to what the "secret" or twist to the story was, so no real surprises there, but still a fun read. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this eARC.

People who loved Emilia Hart's Weyward are bound to love her next novel, The Sirens. The way Hart is able to weave tales between the past and present is impressive. The Sirens combines the right amount of magical realism with history, grabbing the reader's attention from the first few pages. I enjoyed the character Lucy and her growth throughout the novel. She was a complex character that began to appreciate her family throughout the novel. The love between the two sets of characters--Jess and Lucy, Mary and Eliza is evident and inspiring. A story of not giving up hope, loving oneself, and seeing people through their flaws, The Sirens is a must read for anyone wanting to embark on a magical journey.

This is the story of Lucy and her sister Jess and Mary and Eliza, told centuries apart. Jess and Lucy are apparently allergic to water. And have dreams about women hundreds of years earlier who did the same. The water harms them, yet they are drawn to it.

Hmm....the writing was fantastic, and the atmosphere was top-notch. I just never felt compelled by the personalities of the women within.

I love, love, love this book. A bit of finding yourself, uncovering the past and a dash of mythology. Emilia Hart never fails to blow me away.

A journey of self-discovery wrapped up in a timeless tale of merfolk and the sirens of the sea. This story takes the reader from Ireland to Australia and New South Wales. It is a terrifying journey for two twin sisters on a prison ship and the many women with them. It is also the story of a family and what you do to keep your loved ones as safe as possible and to know they are loved. This is a beautifully crafted tale that alternates between the prison ship of the past and the present day.

Emilia Hart is back with another atmospheric novel full of magical realism, mystery, and female empowerment. The story is told in two timelines: twins Mary and Eliza in 1800, who board a convict ship in Ireland en route to NSW. (Based on a true story). Their mother had mysteriously disappeared at sea years earlier.

In 2019 Australia, Lucy flees university after a sleepwalking episode where she wakes up choking her ex-boyfriend. She makes the twelve hour journey to Comber Bay, where her sister Jess lives. On arrival, the mystery deepens and questions abound. The house is in chaos, the door unlocked, with Jess's latest painting of The Sirens on display. It also appears that a man was at her house. But Jess is gone, and her cell phone and car are still at the house. Where is she? Her art show at the gallery is just days away. Using her journalistic skills and Jess's diary, Lucy sets out to solve the case. Why is she sleepwalking and having nightmares that seem to connect her to sisters from the past? Why does she have aquagenic urticaria?

This book is woven with themes of sisterhood, the bonds of family, and choosing your own destiny. It pulled me in like a siren call to the sea, and I highly recommend it. 🌊 🧜‍♀️
Many thanks to NetGalley, St Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for the advance reader's copy in exchange for my honest review.

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"The Sirens" by Emilia Hart was wildly disappointing. Hart's writing is beautiful, yet I found this story lacking. I was hooked for around the first 20 percent of the book, but I quickly found myself losing interest. There just wasn't enough happening. Most of the book is spent with Lucy just waiting for the next thing to happen. I thought the chapters revolving around Mary and Eliza were boring. The one thing that kept me reading was Hart's prose. I don't think I would have finished this book if it had been written by another author. If you enjoy mysteries with little to no action, you may enjoy this. But for readers who enjoy action-packed fantasies, I would recommend you skip it.

Eerie and unsettling books have been a recent hit for me, and this book fits this description perfectly!

This book is set in two different times in history, and both follow a set of sisters. One follows two sisters who are on a prisoner ship and are being sailed off to Australia where they most likely will be met with more horrors than they already have experienced. The other time follows a sister whose daily life is being challenged by these visions she is seeing, and so she flees and goes in search of her older sister for help. When she arrives at her sister's home though she is nowhere to be found.

Both timelines highlight the struggles of being a woman in the past and the present, and that is a huge focus of the book. This book may focus on how the world forces women to struggle, but it also focuses on the strength of woman and their connections with each other. This focus adds purpose to the book and makes it multi-dimensional, and I was truly able to connect with these aspects of the book.

One of the other things that stood out to me in this book was the atmosphere it creates for the reader. There is such an eerie and strange vibe to this book, and it truly felt immersive. The setting and just feel of this story were masterfully created by this author, and in doing so made such an interesting place/set for this story to take place.

Overall I was very impressed with this story, and also the atmosphere that it was created in.

This is a really rich tale with super beautiful prose. The pace was a bit too slow for me, especially in the beginning, and it led to me not fully appreciating the end as much as I could have.

The Sirens, following a similar story structure to Weyward (which I really enjoyed) gave me an edge when it came to the predictability of this story. However, I still found it to be very well written and an intriguing story. I listened to the audiobook alongside reading the e-arc and I had a great time, mostly. There were some points that really seemed to lull but I am happy that I continued. I love seeing all of the story lines coming together! I cannot wait to see what Emilia Hart does next, or if she will choose to continue these interconnected story lines.

This was a really beautiful story about female empowerment. It was so mysterious and engaging. We learn about the lives of four women from two different timelines. I love their story of healing, trauma, and accepting who they are. The connection was also super interesting.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for access to this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to the publisher for giving me a chance to read this book ahead of the release.

I really enjoyed this book. Hart's writing is evocative as always and the story was very compelling. I was very drawn into the mystery and I absolutely loved the haunting setting of Comber Bay.

After loving her debut, Weyward, I knew I had to jump on Sirens. I was so excited to read another book by this author. Hart's stories are so different from others and they suck you in from the start. Following these two time lines, it was exciting as they started to come together.

Hart does a great job at character development, and it's so easy to fall in love with them!
It is easy to related to these women, as they are working through their struggles of feeling different than anyone else.

Sirens definitely lived up to my expectations, and I can't wait for more books from this author!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for an ARC of this book!