Thank you to NetGalley and publishers for giving me the opportunity to read this book.

This is my second read from Emilia Hart and I love the way she includes family and women empowerment.

This read in particular shocked me with how much I liked and understood the meaning behind it. The parallel between the sisters and Lucy and Jess were so vastly different yet come together in a satisfying way.

I thought the historical aspect was going to intimidated me but Hart had it spun in a way that really worked for the story. I felt and saw everything that they went through and it hurt.

Emilia Hart, I need your next book NOW!

Thanks to NetGalley and St Martin's press for the ARC.

This was my first book by the author and I really enjoyed the writing style and overall themes. Jess was my favorite character, and felt the most realistic and multi-dimensional. I would have preferred that the book was shorter as the second half dragged. I have also figured out the twist around 50% mark so exceeding naivete displayed by Lucy was not endearing her to me in any way (how poor of a grasp does she have on basic biology/genetics)?

Cameron was a weird character as some of his actions at the end did not seem logical to me based on his previous actions.

This was my first book by Emilia Hart. This was an interesting read! I enjoyed it and I look forward to reading more books in this genre.

The Sirens is a stunning blend of magical realism and mystery with an overriding theme of female endurance similar to that of Weyward. The novel follows Lucy and Jess in the present day with flashbacks from Mary’s point of view hundreds of years in the past. There’s a definite dark, almost haunted, quality to the book. I enjoyed both timelines but felt a little underwhelmed by the pacing of both. The ending felt a little rushed, with a lot happening in the last 15% of the book. Overall this was an enjoyable read that I would definitely recommend to others.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC provided in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you so much for allowing me this advance copy. I’ve been waiting for a year to read this and it did not disappoint!! I loved it. I loved the variety of perspectives. The varying time lines were great. The characters were interesting and dynamic. The writing was engaging and flowed well. I will definitely be buying my own hard copy and reading again. I can’t wait for more from Emilia

I loved Emilia Hart's debut novel "Weyward", and could not wait to get my hands on her second novel. As someone who loved her debut and has been a lifelong lover of mermaids and the sea, this book felt right up my alley. However, I found that "The Sirens" felt too much liked the story of Weyward all over again, but in a different package. I honestly think I would have enjoyed this novel more if I had not read "Weyward" prior.

I would recommend to anyone who is a feminist, loves historical fiction with a dash of magical realism, but I do not think I would ever pick up to reread.

i was drawn to this book by its beautiful cover, the title (i LOVE mermaids), and the fact that i had never read anything by Emilia Hart before. i purposely avoided reading the description, wanting to approach the story with a clean slate. overall, it was a heartwarming tale of women coming together, overcoming both internal and external obstacles, and realizing their self-worth – all incredibly important.

the mystery surrounding the missing sister had me hooked from the beginning, and i was curious to see how the two different points of view would intersect. However, as i reached the halfway point, the story began to drag a bit with too much focus on Mary's dark ship expiernce and Lucy's internal struggles, without much action to move the plot forward. fortunately, Jess's diary entries helped to inject some life into the narrative and build up to the surprising twist at the end.

while the ending was satisfying, there were a few loose ends that were left untied. despite this, I found the story to be a heartwarming read with a slow burn that kept me engaged.

i would like to thank NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for providing me with a digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for this free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

"The Sirens" is a mystical, moving, and often macabre story about the complicated relationships we have in our lives, whether it be with our family, or friends, or our lovers.

The story starts off fairly slow, with Lucy not doing much after she flees uni, and Mary and Eliza spending 99% of the book on the prison deck of a ship. Once Jess' diary was introduced, and you started to see how everyone's storylines were connected, it picked up a bit. I've seen many of the reviews saying there was no sense of urgency in the book, but I think it worked in this scenario. The slower pace helped you feel the helplessness of the characters when they could do nothing but wait.

I would've liked some resolution to the aftermath of Lucy's actions with Ben, and whatever potential ramifications she may or may not have faced after her abrupt departure, but overall the story wrapped up quite nicely for all the characters, both past and present.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Harper Collins / The Borough Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review! I was drawn to the cover of this novel and setting in NSW, Australia. I was constantly reminded of "The Fatal Shore" throughout this book and was happy to see it mentioned in the acknowledgments! Definitely an atmospheric, dark story from the perspectives of two sisters in two differing timelines. I loved the historical fiction aspect, the mystery, and the characters themselves. The story was better than expected and had a satisfying ending despite the twists and turns. I will be recommending this title after publication!

Emilia Hart is a talented writer. She has the ability to capture my senses through her descriptions, first with Weyward and now with The Sirens. I could taste, smell, see and hear all of the places in this book.

The Sirens follows two strong female characters in two different timelines, but their stories are similar. Lucy and Mary have both been wronged in their relationship with men, which changes the course of their lives. This book is a reminder that women are still treated differently and oftentimes ignored when problems arise with the men in their lives.

I found this book enjoyable to read, it was slow but full of all of the "goods" Hart offers. The last chapter in the book answered a question I had throughout, how are all of these characters connected?

Unfortunately, this story never clicked with me. I think it could have been pared down significantly to make the heart of the story shine brighter: Told in two timelines, THE SIRENS tells the stories of two sets of sisters who have an unusual skin condition.

THE SIRENS is really hard to describe … it’s haunting and dark and, like Emilia Hart’s previous novel, Wayward, it explores the strength of women. Unfortunately, THE SIRENS is a really slow burn and many of the happenings at the beginning of the book don’t really have an impact at the end. There were too many loose ends and storylines that were never explored past the initial mention. There’s also an element with a teacher (I don’t want to give away any plot points here) that I didn’t care for.

Although THE SIRENS didn’t work for me, I am sure that others will enjoy it, particularly those who enjoy magical realism and stories about strong women overcoming hardships and becoming who they were meant to be.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the chance to read an early digital copy of THE SIRENS in exchange for my honest feedback.

After reading Weyward in 2023, I immediately needed more from Emilia Hart. It was worth the wait! The Sirens is a beautiful and haunting story of the bond between sisters and a magical link across generations.

Mary and Eliza are prisoners on a ship headed toward New South Wales in 1800. Flip to 2019, Lucy is escaping to her sister Jess after an incident at her college. But Jess has vanished.

The imagery throughout the book is eerie, yet somehow lovely. Emilia can break your heart and also give you hope as you’re reading. Injustices against women never seem to end, they just transform in a way. But we love a story where the women take back their power and lean into their “wrong”.

Any fan of Weyward needs to read The Sirens. I’m so happy for Emilia and now she’s an auto-buy author for sure!

Lucy wakes up with her hands around someone's throat.  In a panic, she rushes to see her sister, looking for help.  Jess, though, is nowhere to be found.  Lucy stumbles upon her diary and notices she's been having the same strange dreams as Lucy.  She also realizes some other disturbing things about their past and starts digging for answers.

Thoughts 💭
I liked the idea of this story, and the title gave a direction and sense of what was going on.  I didn't mind the now/then timelines, but besides the girls in the present having dreams about the girls in the past, they weren't really connected.  It was almost like two completely different stories that I was reading.  As someone who enjoys historical fiction, I wouldn't have minded a story completely focusing on the women from the past since their story is rarely (if ever) told.  Together, these stories seemed disjointed.

Be prepared for a slow burn.  Almost all of the action didn't happen until part three.  There was enough mystery that I wasn't exactly sure how it would end, which left things a nice surprise.  I was mostly satisfied with the ending, although I wasn't sure how I felt about the epilouge. Overall, the story was just ok for me.  I think if you enjoy stories about mermaids/sirens, this will still interest you, though.

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

A magical realism story of the power of sisterhood and the magic of the sea - The Sirens is an extraordinary novel from start to finish. Lucy wakes up to find her hands around the neck of her ex, and no recollection of how she got there. When she flees to her sister Jess’ house on the coast, she find her sister missing. The more she investigate into her sister latest work and disappearance the more she finds that the strange dreams she’s been having of sister Eliza and Mary may be more connected to her and Jess than she realizes.

This books was so rich in storytelling. I was hooked from the first chapter and could not put this down. I loved meeting all the characters. I loved their brokenness and hearts. It was a beautiful story about the resiliency of sisterhood and the indelible magic of the sea.

The Sirens
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The Sirens is a dual timeline story following two different sets of sisters. Sisters in exile on a ship to Australia in the 1800s, and sisters in current day, both with a strange connection.
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🐚magical realism
🐚strong female characters
🐚family secrets
🐚sisterhood
🐚mystery
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I really wanted to love this book. A siren story, mysterious deaths, dual timeline, and family secrets?? I was sold. Although the premise was exciting I think the execution fell a bit short. The plot was unfortunately confusing.
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Thank you netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I loved Weyward, so I was super excited at the chance to read The Sirens. I absolutely devoured the book in less than 24 hours. Like in Weyward, the story jumps between the 1800s, following the story of two sisters on an Irish convict ship bound for Australia, and 1999/2019 following the stories of two Australian sisters-- Jess and Lucy-- who have a rare skin condition and have never really fully fit in.

The story is full of mystery- both supernatural and surrounding the secrecy of Jess and Lucy's parents. The timelines blend together flawlessly, and I couldn't put the book down. I'd definitely recommend this book!

4.5 Stars

A story of sisters, of family, and truths withheld by family.

A story that revolves around Lucy who leaves college when she feels she might be in trouble, and so she leaves to go to her sister’s home in a seaside town, only to find no sign of her sister, but she stays anyway. The neighbor doesn’t know where her sister is, but neither are too worried about it. So Lucy stays, finding things left behind that she feels are important, which is somewhat disconcerting to her.

At the heart of this story shared in two timelines, 1999, as well as 1800, is the unveiling of secrets, the bond of sisterhood, lies, and the history of mistreatment by men, as well.

A powerful and very moving story by one of my favourite authors.


Pub Date: 01 Apr 2025


Many thanks for the ARC provided by St. Martin’s Press

thank you Netgalley for the ARC! 3.5 i love women’s revenge and women doing bad things to protect themselves from men and bad men getting what they deserve however this was a tad predictable. i saw almost all of the twists coming a mile away

Emilia Hart has solidified herself as one of my must read authors. This dual timeline story of sisters from Ireland bound to Australia on a convict ship and Jess and Lucy bound together by memories and old secrets as mesmerizing. The writing was beautifully done- I couldn’t put it down. Thank you NetGalley for the opportunity to read this amazing story.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the advanced e-copy of The Sirens! I was immediately excited because I loved Emilia Hart's debut novel Weyward.

The Sirens has many of the same feminist, female rage undertones, but is more focused on the power of sisterhood and female friendship. I once again really enjoyed the writing (creative and visceral, without trying too hard) and felt the characters were nuanced. They were not perfect and often morally gray, but certainly still had you rooting for them.

I wish the pacing was not as slow in the first half of the book, but I'm ok with it based on how it paid off in the second half. It was just a little harder to get into. Instead of one big reveal, it sprinkles breadcrumbs slowly, nudging you to put it all together. While some might find that less satisfying, I really enjoyed it by the end. Emilia Hart does it again!!