I loved this book! The sisters relationships felt so real and I was very connected to everyone in this book. The overarching theme of how society lets women down felt especially relevant with todays political climate and overall I loved it

4.75 stars

Overview:
Sisterhood, sisterhood, sisterhood.

The Sirens highlights, through the course of the novel, the divide in power and understanding between men and women. However, instead of focusing (as many books do) on the crimes men commit against women, The Sirens focuses more intently on sisterhood, both literal and figurative: the bond between girls raised as two halves of a whole, but also the bond between all women that exists purely because of our shared gender. It also does this without ever being corny or overemphasizing it.

From beneath the decks of a ship carrying exiled women from Ireland to Australia in the 1800s to a teenager struggling with identity in 1999 to the young woman who struggles to put all of their stories together, the one thing that persists is that women are at their strongest when they stand together.

I enjoyed this book. It was more driven by character than plot, which is what I generally prefer. There was a mystery (or several) that slowly unwound, but the more interesting aspect was the slow-burning development of the three POV characters. The prose was gorgeous. The one place where it lost a quarter of a star for me was that the beginning dragged a little as I waited for Lucy to catch up with me. The second half of the book was much more compelling.

Further breakdowns of character, plot, and prose continue below, but in summary, I would recommend this book to anyone who enjoys character-drive stories, who appreciates painterly writing, or who likes seeing women who well and truly do not need a man. I think this would be a great read for anyone who is a fan of Erin Morgenstern or who enjoyed Kim Liggett’s “The Grace Year”.

Characters:
I loved all 3 of our POV characters, and I enjoyed the way Mary and Jess’ POVs were integrated through the book as things Lucy was experiencing. It was also a very clever way for Hart to use POV-switching, which is often so jarring, to the advantage of the story. All three were easy to root for, even if some times they did enraging things.

I was most impressed that we were able to repeatedly return to Mary’s POV, where realistically very little was happening as she was stuck belowdecks, yet there was always new light for her to shed on Lucy’s life and their shared story.

Plot:
I struggled a bit with the plot at the beginning of the story. So much of what Lucy is trying to puzzle out is known immediately to the reader by the title of the book, so it feels for a long time like we’re waiting for her to catch up. I admit, I can be impatient, so maybe this is a “me” problem. Once I realized that this is a sotry more about the journey than the destination, I relaxed into it better. That, and the fact that things got more complex as we went, made the second half much more compelling.

Prose:
The prose is stunning. I am amazed that Hart managed to use so much imagery of the ocean without it ever feeling overwrought or repetitive. EVERYTHING comes back to the ocean, and I really marveled at that. Similarly, she described the characters skin probably hundreds of times, and that, too, never felt like too much. The descriptions of their transformations, slow and baffling, were evocative and enthralling without ever crossing the line into body horror, though it totally could have. The transformation remained beautiful, even as it was frightening. Completely gorgeous writing — I would go on, but I want to avoid spoilers.

OMG, this book was like, seriously a whole mood—spooky, mysterious, and dripping with salty sea vibes! The dual timelines totally had me hooked. I mean, we’re talking sisters separated by centuries but still somehow connected through these eerie dreams and, like, ocean magic? Uh, yes, please! It’s all so haunting and feminist, with resilient women fighting for their truths while wrapped up in secrets tied to the water. 🌊

Lucy in 2019? She’s out here waking up mid-chokehold on her ex (like, girl, yikes!) and running off to her sister’s coastal house, only to find Jess missing and this whole town full of weird vibes. Then we’ve got Mary and Eliza on this brutal convict ship in the 1800s, discovering their own spooky, transformative connection to the sea. Both stories are, like, dripping with suspense, and I was flipping pages like crazy to figure out how it all tied together. And spoiler (but not really): when it clicks? So. Good. 👏

What really worked for me was the balance between the mystery, the magical realism, and the deep dive into family and sisterhood. The bond here felt super relatable but also kind of mythical and larger-than-life. It’s like the ocean was its own character, pulling everyone into its secrets, and honestly, I couldn’t get enough.

Now, let’s spill some tea. The ending? Felt way too rushed. Like, we were riding this wild wave of tension and build-up, only for the last few pages to just… fizzle out. Not a dealbreaker, but still, give me more closure, ya know? And that one subplot with the teacher? Major cringe. 🚩 Hard to overlook, even though it didn’t totally ruin the book for me.

Still, the writing was gorgeously atmospheric, and the story was equal parts haunting and empowering. If you’re into sister stories, ocean magic, and a feminist twist on sirens, this one’s calling your name. Four stars! 🌟🌟🌟🌟

Big thanks to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest opinion. 💖

The Sirens is an intense and brilliant book about so many things, but mainly the power of women. There are so many stories within: a story of women in a criminal transport ship in 1800; a story of siblings and their intricate relationship; a story old as time of the mysterious sirens who lead men to their deaths, just to name a few. This is not a quick read, nor an easy one. It took be three times longer to read than the average book, but I felt so full after reading it. The writing is intelligent and the stories well-developed. This author is wonderful, judging by this book. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart is like peeling an onion, Layers of stories within a story that lead you to a mystery full of sadness, legends, and hopefulness. I am drawn toward stories and legends just like this one, so it was a pleasure reading The Sirens. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the ARC.

3.5 stars. I enjoyed the magical realism to a degree but think I was perhaps not in the right mood for it. I did like the eerie vibe that made you keep second guessing the connections between the characters and why they had certain threads linking them together. I think Emilia Hart did a great job w/ the pacing after a slow start and the multiple timelines worked well in telling the story. I found the characters to be compelling and enjoyed the bonds between the sisters.

Overall, it was a good story - it just didn't fully grip me the way I had hoped. I still look forward to reading whatever Emilia Hart writes next!

Thank you to #Netgally, Emilia Hart, and St. Martin's Press for an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was such a cool concept and I had such high expectations, but I called every twist from across the sea. There were no surprises, and I felt like I was spoon fed a lot of things.

I did, however, like the multiple POVs/timelines and the siren element, but overall this was just okay for me personally. As a huge mermaid/siren fan, I wanted so much more than what I got.

3.75 stars // This was a beautiful book full of magical realism with one foot in the past and the other in the present. The women in this story are strong and beautiful and overcome all that life throws at them. The sea calls to them and they listen.

Thank you for providing me a free electronic copy. I enjoyed Wayword so I just knew I will love this book. The Sirens has dual timeline and tells a story of two sets of sisters centuries apart. There's longing, complicated relationships, and family secrets. I don't feel the sleepwalking episodes were explained to my satisfaction but I absolutely loved the feminist narrative. I definitely enjoyed this read and gave it 4 out of 5 stars on Goodreads.

Jess and Lucy's relationship is beautifully done and perfectly complements the myth of the sirens, a tale that has always captivated me with its exploration of power and desire. The dual timelines flow effortlessly, keeping the pacing spot-on and leading to a fantastic twist at the end. The vivid water imagery adds a magical, atmospheric vibe that makes the whole story a captivating, haunting read.

I knew I had to read this as someone who has always felt pulled to the water. It did not disappoint! Read this if you like: multi-generational stories that weave together mystery, folklore, strong female relationships, themes of resilience, sisterhood, the power of nature, and magical realism.

I really love Emilia Hart's writing. This is her second book, and like the first one, I found it compelling and engaging. I really had a hard time putting it down for the first half.

It follows Lucy as she grapples with strange nightmares and sleepwalking...plus things she doesn't remember in the morning that get her into big trouble. She is still feeling from being hurt by Ben, and she needs a place to escape to. She goes to her sister, Jess, who lives in a beach town where there have been several disappearances over the years, and she discovers that things aren't quite as they seem. This sends her whole world upside down until she figures out what's actually going on..

I enjoyed the author's first work, Weyward, and this is almost a retelling of that book with a completely different theme and characters. It's about feminine power with a supernatural bent. There is a twist in the middle that I did not see coming, but otherwise most of it was fairly obvious.

Also, Weyward really kept more to magical realism, where The Sirens veers into fantasy. I have seen more of these types of books lately, where it starts out feeling like there's going to be some incredible secret that makes it all make sense in a satisfying way. But then it relies on pure fantasy, which isn't in line with the feel of the book and feels more like a deus ex machina, even though it is foreshadowed. Because the first half of the book was so gripping, it was a letdown.

Next, I didn't love the two main characters. They did some unsavory things themselves, making it harder to root for them even as they were victims.

Just a tiny pet peeve, but at some point toward the end, everything started blooming. Blood stains, courage, power. We need a new verb, as powerful as blooming is.

I was leaning toward giving this a 3,5 rounded to 4 for most of the book, but I didn't love the ending. Weyward was much more powerful; this ending was weaker. The very end, where we go back to the prologue and get the backstory, was unappealing. It really soured me on the story. I basically knew what happened; there really wasn't another way for things to have played out, but the way it happened was...unpleasant, I guess. Not in line with what I would have expected, given what we know about the characters. Perhaps more explanation would have helped.

I'm looking forward to reading more from this author.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for the opportunity to review an advanced copy.

The Sirens is a creative story. I was very intrigued by the premise of sisters and the mystery of the sea and dual timelines. There are multiple stories being woven together and while I appreciated everyone’s point of view, in the end, I was slightly confused by it all. It reads as a young adult novel and there are some heavy social issues throughout. I felt there were some points in the story not well explained or wrapped up.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.

Thanks to NetGalley and the St. Martin's Press for this ARC! This was a compelling read with the perfect balance of mystery & magical realism ◡̈

Emilia Hart has struck gold again with "The Sirens". I found her 2023 book "Weyward" riveting and "The Sirens" was equally compelling. Hart was a way of telling stories from a female perspective that is insightful and familiar and her characters are so well fleshed out that the reader feels she could recognize them walking down the street.

"The Sirens" opens with a harrowing case of somnambulance that leads the character, Lucy, to panic and look for a way to hide out to get her head together. Her dreams have been tortured visions of dark water and drowning children that somehow feel familiar to her. Looking for answers, she decides to run to her elder sister,, Jess, though they haven't spoken in ages. Jess has relocated to Comber Beach, a place notorious for the mysterious disappearances of 8 men. She arrives at Jess' house only to find that her sister has disappeared in what looks like a very hasty escape. Lucy spends the next few days trying to stay awake to avoid her tortured dreams, meanwhile trying to discover what has happened to her secretive and mysterious sister. This leads her to find out long-buried secrets about herself and her family that have her questioning everything she's ever known but they also help her to make sense of things she's never understood about herself. Oh, and for an added twist, Lucy and Jess have a very rare condition called "aquagenic urticaria".

"The Sirens" is a story that could not be more timely in its exploration of female relationships, feminine agency and the constant threat of violence that all women live with, whether consciously or unconsciously. And as she always does, Hart does this with beautifully lyrical prose and complex characters.

It is a definite must-read.

This one had so much potential but I feel the pacing and plot are not quite right. The mystery of the sisters and their childhood takes forever to get to even though it’s really obvious what’s happening. I had high hopes since I loved the authors first book but I just couldn’t get into this one.

Knowing that I absolutely loved Weyward, Hart’s maiden voyage, I wanted to snatch up The Siren’s right away.
A mix of historical fantasy and magical realism, The Siren’s brings us the story of early Australia being used as a colony known as New South Wales. A colony that was used as a prison ground for the British empire in the 1800s. Bringing a similar theme from her previous work, Hart centers the story on a theme of the ill treatment of women throughout history. Women, written in her books, can harness their own inner power and stand up to the pressures of this early world.
The overarching story of this book was very intriguing and brought a part of history left in shadows to the light. Unfortunately, I didn’t feel the same drive and attachment to the characters, but this story was still a great one to get lost in.

I found this book thoroughly enjoyable, albeit a little slow in the beginning. It is compelling and mesmerizing, and even a little magical.

Told in dual timelines, it is very easy to get involved in the lives of sisters, Lucy and Jess from present times, and Mary and Eliza from the past. The story takes some twists and turns but it kept me engaged throughout, especially some of the folklore, which was a great touch.

Ultimately, this is a story of resilience and the difficulties of being a woman, both in the past and present. If you like magical realism, you’ll most definitely enjoy this one.

Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the eARC.

Excellent premise, plot and suspense. The creepy sea cove, the long history of tragedy - well done. Just a great assist to the plot.
I also enjoyed the complexity of female lives and relationships. Women who wanted, desperately, for a life of their own. Women who deserved to be safe. Targeting and grooming young women. Hart does a great job calling for accountability while showcasing the problem.

While I did enjoy the book when I got into it, I found it was a slow pace at the beginning and it really took a while for me to get into. I love that the book includes Sirens but I did feel there was way too much background info that didn't really make any difference to the direction of the story. I did enjoy the book but I definitely would have liked the pace to be a little faster to get me into the book at an earlier point. My favorite thing about this book is the mythical retelling for sure!!

The Sirens is a stunning story about family, secrets, determination, and female empowerment. It’s an epic fantasy that follows two sets of sisters—separated by centuries but connected through haunting dreams and the pull of the ocean.

I couldn’t put this book down! From start to finish, I was hooked. The story is packed with twists, a touch of magic, and so much emotion - it even made me cry at times.

Emilia Hart’s writing is a masterpiece of creativity—lush and evocative, painting vivid images that linger in your mind. The pacing was perfectly balanced, never dragging. And the ending? Stunning - bringing everything together so beautifully.

This is a “tale” that will mesmerize you from start to finish, a must-read for anyone who loves stories that empower and enchant.