Oh I loved this from start to finish! It was such a fun read that I read it in only three sittings. It's definitely a departure from her earlier work, but I love the way she captured what it means to live as a woman the trials and tribulations

After reading and loving Weyward, I have been dying to get my hands on her next book. And this did not disappoint! Loved the meaning behind it and the thought provoking story

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Sirens is an engaging, multi-faceted story following two sets of sisters in dual timelines, the early 1800s and near present day. This story weaves together true historical fact with magical realism, a bit of folklore, and mystery. The author does a great job at building a sea-centric, mythological, and mildly haunted atmosphere, which boosted the quality and emotion of the overall story. There is a fair amount of action and activity ongoing throughout this book but, it definitely kept the pages turning.

I did enjoy the present day timeline more than the historical story but, I can appreciate the connection that the author was forging here and the importance of sharing the history of the people and land in the novel. This book was propulsive and engaging overall but, I did feel a bit underwhelmed at the ending. I think this is because there was so much buildup and so much happening at once, in so many directions, that it felt a bit disjointed once the final direction of the plot became clear. Additionally, I struggled a bit to connect to the characters but, was invested enough to see how the plot and their storylines would pan out.

I do think that this is a book lots of readers will enjoy- it’s got a little something for everyone and the female strength and stories that shine through here will certainly find its readership. I would recommend this book to fans of the authors previous works and to contemporary/historical fiction fans, especially if you enjoy a bit of magical realism!

Thank you to Emilia Hart, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review The Sirens in advance of the release.

Another beautifully atmospheric story from the author of Weyward. The first chapter pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The story builds between the past and the present, creating an eerie, unnerving vibe of mystery. The bonds of sisterhood are strong throughout. You will be able to stop turning the pages. A wonderfully layered and masterful tale from Emilia Hart.

Wow, what a story! The Sirens kept me up at night with its words weaving images in my head. What a fabulous combination of realism and fantasy. The strength of the women, the beauty of the places, the fast moving plot, all made for an excellent read.

This book is for people that like dual timeline stories. There are three points of view. You have Mary who is an Irish convict being transported to Australia with her sister, Eliza. You learn their stories as you go through the book. Then you have Lucy and Jess who are sisters in present time. They are linked in a mysterious way to Mary and Eliza. The discovery of learning how they are actually strong females, and the coast of Australia draws you in to the story of The Sirens.

The pace was very uneven in this book, which made it hard to stay engaged. There were a few interesting plot twists, but the book, overall, felt like it was trying to do too much. True crime, historical fiction, mystery, magical realism ... all mixed with The Little Mermaid. It made the story seem a bit disjointed.

I loved this book. The writing style really worked for me, it was atmospheric and vivid. I will say I did guess most of the twists fairly early on but I didn’t mind since it felt like this novel was more about the relationships between women and the struggles and challenges they face in their lives. The story was well paced and engaging and I never felt bored with the POV changes even though I’m not always a huge fan of POV/timeline jumping. I also loved how everything was interwoven and all tied together in the end, that always makes for a fun second read. Overall a solid read for anyone who enjoys mysteries or historical fiction with well written and relatable female characters.
Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Emilia Hart’s prose is amazing! The writing, the atmosphere, the story… EVERYTHING. I loved how unique this story is, and how the whole thing played out. Hart is now an auto-buy for me. If you enjoyed Weyward, you will love this!

3⭐️

First of all, thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this eARC and the chance to read and review this.

This is a tale of feminine resilience. Coming from reading Weyward not too long ago and having enjoyed it, I was excited for this. This, however, felt completely different and it almost didn’t feel like it was the same author. With the title, I was expecting some more mermaid/siren lore but I feel like it wasn’t explicitly obvious or none was really shared. It also almost read like a mystery/thriller which I wasn’t fully prepared for and had to put this down a few times to take breaks when it was too dark. Additionally, the end didn’t make sense- was the dad actually the dad and * - - - - redacted for spoilers* the mom? Finally, there were a few main plot holes not tied up. I think this has an audience, but I’m not entirely sure that it was for me, although I did want to and try to love it as I did enjoy Weyward.

This was a beautiful story of generations of sirens. Emilia Hart has become one of my favorite authors. Her story telling is effortless and she finds ways to connect these story lines together. This is definitely one of my favorite reads of the year.

The Sirens was a eerie read filled with hardships and nightmares. There is a bit of a slow start and the ending disappointed me however. In spite of those two things, I really did enjoy this read. I think that Emilia did an excellent job of setting up the world, story, and characters.

3.5 stars rounded up

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy of the book in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed a lot about this book. The setting was fun and I really love mysteries with multiple points of view. I feel like it adds to the suspense of the mystery. I did find a lot of the plot to be predictable and the hints a little heavy handed. The final plot twist was unexpected but the more I thought about it the hints were there. I think if you enjoyed Weyward you will enjoy this book too.

Firstly, I love the author’s writing style! Most of the book was creepy, cold, and mysterious, which was perfect for spooky season; however, I found the first half of the book was slow and I wasn’t really sucked in until about 65% of the way into the book. I felt like I was doing a lot of waiting for the build up. Overall, The Sirens was an interesting read and there were some shocking twists, but I felt like I was left with so many questions. I did enjoy it though!

I enjoyed this book for a multitude of the same reasons why I also enjoyed Weyward. The multiple POVs was interesting and with their corresponding time periods that went with their stories was also fantastic. I am also always here for feminist story and any dynamic that is very like sisterhood or female friendship heavy. Something about this one didn’t hit as hard for me like Weyward did and I think it was probably just because I do really enjoy the subject matter of witches more.

To say that this book was atmospheric would be doing it in injustice. I enjoyed reading this book so much. Time lines alternate from Lucy and Jess in 2019 and Mary and twin sister Eliza in the 1800s. This story was about sisterly bonds, a mysterious water allergy, women empowerment, and the mystical sea. It was equal parts, fantasy, magical realism and mystery.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced readers copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

This is a story about two sisters, Jess and Lucy, with time jumps back to the 1800s with two other sisters, Mary and Eliza. Lucy flees from college after she "accidentally" chokes the guy who took her virginity, in search of her sister, Jess. She gets to Jess's house and nobody is home. Lucy begins trying to figure out where Jess went and she stumbles across Jess's diary from when she was young. Lucy finds out that her and Jess are more alike than she previously thought. The other part of this story involves Mary and Eliza, two sisters who are aboard a prison ship.

I literally don't know what to say about this book other than it was anti-climactic. The story itself flowed nice, I think the time jumps really saved it for me and kept me going. But the title, "The Sirens", gives the whole book away. Knowing the title, I can already assume.. Someone in this book is going to be a siren, and ope, look, Lucy has scaly skin and she can't get wet. Also, it felt like every chapter that started with Lucy, she was sleepwalking or finding herself near a body of water, which ended up feeling very repetitive.

It definitely was a book I didn't want to put down until I knew what happened, but then the ending left me unsatisfied. I can definitely see how this book would be appealing to some and not to others. I think this is a "you love it or you hate it" type of read.

Emilia Hart's The Sirens is a captivating, atmospheric novel that blends elements of historical fiction with mysticism and suspense. Set across multiple timelines, the book weaves together the lives of three women, each grappling with their own truths, secrets, and connections to the mythical sirens of legend.

What sets this novel apart from others in its genre is the haunting atmosphere Hart creates. There’s an almost cinematic quality to the descriptions of the coastal settings, and the tension builds slowly, making the eventual revelations both inevitable.

Minor critique : the novel’s predictability. While the building tension and mysterious elements certainly draw the reader in, the plot's eventual turns and revelations can feel a bit too foreseeable, in my opinion.

I still find Emilia’s writing both captivating and hypnotic, with a lyrical quality that draws the reader in and keeps them fully immersed in the world she's created.

Many (MANY) thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a digital reviewer copy of this gorgeous novel in exchange for my honest review!

once again, emilia hart beautifully encapsulates womanhood, mythology, and the pure strength of women. i identified with lucy's character throughout the story and found her to be very realistic and her circumstances with her abuser was an accurate representation of how it feels to struggle.

I love Emilia Hart, it is always I’m not sure and then she just grabs me into the world. I like how the timelines were handled (sometimes I get so confused With them but this was clear). If you like her other work this is sure to be another gem