After reading Wayward I was very excited to get a new book by Emilia Hart. This one did not disappoint! It had the same "gothic like" feel that I love. It was a great story about strong women, and the ups and downs of their lives. We follow two pairs of sisters, one pair from the 1800 and the other pair from modern times, and their struggles. The pair from 1800 are convicts forced to go to Australia from Ireland. They all have a strange relationship with water akin to some sort of allergy.
The story is captivating, especially the suspenseful and mystery parts, and they are plentiful. Certain parts left me gasping, especially the end.
The narrator did a great job, she made it so easy to follow along, and enjoyed it very much.
I highly recommend this book! It was so well written. I can't wait for more from Ms Hart.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for this early copy for review.
While not my usual genre, I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was 100% invented in the outcome. The narrator was excellent.
I will be recommending to everyone.

Final Rating: 3.14

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Press, and Emilia Hart for allowing me to read an advanced copy of this story.

A dual timeline story of self discovery, family ties, and a love of the ocean. This was beautiful and slightly horrifying. I was intrigued throughout and overall satisfied with the ending. I will say that the first 50% was a little slow moving for me, but past the 50% mark things really start to pick up.

Lucy and Jess are both compelling characters that just want to know themselves and where they came from. While also understand the shared visions and dreams they are having.

Mary and Eliza are just trying to survive, dealing with anger, grief and retribution.

I was really impressed with the story overall and I’m excited to read more from this author.

I was so excited to see a new book by Emilia Hart, after loving Weyward, and I honestly preferred this one! I love the undercurrent of feminine rage throughout it. The characters were so well developed and I loved how they were all connected. The author perfectly blended elements of fantasy and reality.

The story is set in two timelines. The first timeline follows Lucy and her sister, Jess, in modern day Australia, where Lucy has had to flee from university to Jess’ house, to find Jess not there. The other follows Mary and Eliza, to sisters on a 1800s convict ship, bound for Australia.

I received the audio version and was blown away. The narrator is excellent. Her reading was so distinct between the two timelines - it’s hard to believe it’s only one narrator.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for the review copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Sirens is one of those books that stay with you after you're done reading. I love interwoven stories over time and the characters just added the ethereal atmosphere. Listening the hardships and tragedy was heartbreaking, but worth it.

Well, this was a meandering tale that seemed all over the place, trying to weave in the story of Eliza and Mary long ago, sisters with a special secret that they come to realize as they are shipped to Australia for a crime they committed and the story of Lucy and Jess in modern times with their own secret history that they must come to terms with in order find their places. There is just too much with things like sleepwalking, and dreams that seem like ancestral memories and that all gets pushed to the side for a neat little ending that was a bit disappointing. So, it did have promise and I did enjoy part of it but it seemed too long with Lucy's introspective thoughts. I think if I had read this, I would have not finished it but the audiobook was well done and the narrator did a good job with the material she had. She had a soothing voice and did the different accents very well and she is the reason why I stuck with this book to the end.

So, the narrator did a 5 star job and the book was 3 1/2 stars. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for giving me the chance to listen to this audiobook.

WOW! I loved Weyward but this story blew me out of the water (ha ha). Emilia Hart's abilities to craft characters and weave timelines is truly a work of art.
The audio of this book was also stellar. I usually am a 1.25-1.5 speed listener but the narrator did a fabulous job with pacing and accents that truly added to my experience as a reader. Will be raving about this one for a long time.

I loved the audio for this book. The narrator did such a fantastic job of bringing the story to life. Not only that but she did it in such a way that you could feel the emotions that were in the book. It was hard to not imagine being in the story and seeing the events happening. Well Done!


Book Review: What a memorizing and beautifully written novel. The way that Hart writes about heartbreak and trauma and the roads that we take to redemption is exactly the kind of stories I need in my life. Add a little dash of magic and mystery and *chefs kiss* . I liked Lucy and thought that she was endearing and relatable, she had so many things working against her with her medical condition and the things that started happening to her that she couldn't explain or understand. Then of course throw in a condescending "golden can do no wrong" boy in the mix and I was sucked in and ready to go to bat for her. When she shows up to her sisters is when the story takes that fantastical twist that Hart does so well. So many things made this such a fun read, between the main story line, the ship, and the diary it was three stories all perfectly woven together. And all three felt fleshed out enough that none seemed incomplete by the end. I could not put this down and every time I thought I knew what was going on or where the connections were I was thrown back into left field. The mystery parts of this book are fantastic and the feminine rage revenge angle played out perfectly. The Sirens now lives next door to Weyward rent free in my head and I cannot wait to see what is next for Hart.

I'm going to start with: I liked Weyward better than Sirens.

That being said, EHart once again told a very powerful tale about women. Sirens is a tale about sisters (and other women) who were sent to what is now Australia. The novel shifts back and forth between past and present, converging in Jess and Lucy's timeline in present day ending generational trauma.

There is an overwhelming mood of sadness about this book like a storm in sea. The women in this novel never seem to have it easy. Even with the best of intentions, even when they make themselves small to avoid attention, even when they get out of everyone's way, trouble seems to find them. Yet in spite of all their travails, we see their bond of sisterhood and use it to prevail.

There's a lot of heartbreaking spots in this book especially in Eliza and Mary's timeline. As an immigrant, I know how hart it is to uproot your life and move to another country with only Hope and Prayers carrying you through your entire journey. Eliza and Mary's story was difficult to get through, EHart made sure we completely understand the conditions in that boat and how horrific it is to be a woman at that day and age. Jess and Lucy's were more emotional. They carry the burden/generational curse of Eliza and Mary's story and though they prevailed, it was not an easy task to complete.

I may have liked Weyward better than Sirens, but just like the former, this new novel by EHart tore my soul and put it back together. I love her imagery and style of storytelling. Every character she creates, their backstories, and experience in womanhood speaks to me. Reading her stories is not easy though, it involves diving in and really imbibing every word. It can be a lot, but so worth it in the end. EHart is definitely an author I'll be following, I look forward to her future works.

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I liked the narrator, she captured the somber tones of the story.

4 🌟

I love a good siren/mermaid story, so I was immediately hooked! By the halfway mark, my theories were running wild, and I couldn’t help but share them with anyone who would listen. Emilia Hart masterfully weaves an intricate mystery, dropping just enough clues to keep you guessing. I wish I could post my highlights because my notes were full of AHA!! I knew it!! moments.

One of the most fascinating twists was the unique take on sirens—the girls in 2019 suffer from a rare condition (aquagenic urticaria), causing their skin to change upon contact with water. They fear it, avoid it… yet, they’re inexplicably drawn to it, often sleepwalking into pools or baths in the middle of the night. The entire time, I was practically yelling, Just go into the water already!!

The dual timelines felt deeply connected, intertwining history and myth in a way that never felt disjointed. The parallels between the sisters—both physically and mentally—were striking. Sometimes, multiple timelines can feel uneven, but here, they complemented each other beautifully.

I did a hybrid read of this, switching between the audiobook and E-ARC, and it was amazing. The narration added so much depth to the storytelling, making the atmosphere even more immersive. If you enjoy books that blend history, mystery, and a touch of the supernatural, this is definitely worth the read (or listen)!

This book was really good I loved the magical realism mixed with the historical fiction. This is a very dark and creepy book that reminds me a lot of what I love about Gothic fiction. Over all I was very pleased with it and would love to get a copy for my shelves!

I loooove Emilia Hart’s writing!! This is a very unique story surrounding women’s empowerment and the self discovery journey in a world potter against you.

Emilia Hart delivered another gorgeous & haunting novel with The Sirens, but I think it lacked some of the depth & heart that made me fall in love with Weyward.

The Sirens blends Women’s Fiction, Magical Realism, & Historical Fiction. The story follows 2 pairs of sisters across multiple POVs, timelines, and continents. As always, Emilia delivered absolutely beautiful prose in this novel. I also loved seeing a book about Sirens, which feels like a criminally underutilized mythical creature!

Unfortunately, I just didn’t feel as connected to the characters or as invested in the plot as I would have wished. The pacing dragged in some places & ultimately left me wanting more.

This book. Some books make me happy and proud to be a woman. Some books make hate being a woman. And some books make me angry at men who make me hate being a woman. This book. This book does all three.

First off, I want to say I /loved/ this as an audiobook - Barrie Kreinik does a fantastic job with both the Irish and Australian accents, as well as singing some of the folk songs that are woven throughout. It all really helped to bring together the setting and bring to life the desolation of the crashing waves on the cliffs of Comber Bay and the filth of the hold of the Niad.

The Sirens, in framing itself around two sets of sisters, obviously focuses a lot on female empowerment and how women move throughout the world, though the first set, Mary and Eliza, get a lot more in this sense than Lucy and Jess, who end up more absorbed in the mystery of just why the two of them have a rare skin disorder that leaves them unable to be near water, as well as sleepwalking and dreams of the hold of a ship.

Although there is a lot that is compelling - the mystery of what happened 30 years ago from the present-day timeline, what will happen to Mary and Eliza in the ship, the reality of female convicts sent to Australia and what was likely to be their fate - it doesn't tie together as well as I would have liked. Between the title and where each part jumps back and forth between the timelines, there's not much of a sense of tension wondering what each twist will be as a lot is very telegraphed.

I really wish the ending weren't...that. It doesn't tie up any ends, it just leaves so many more questions and not in a nice, wondering way, but in a "wait, what about this?" way. It ends up tripping over itself tying itself so strongly to the idea of a siren call as power and doesn't quite know how to actually neatly tie everything together. There's so much that is just...left.

I also don't love that as much as it touts itself to be about sisterhood, it's so focused on mother-daughter relationships that the actual sisterly bonds feel less thought-out and explored. That said, I did enjoy it at the end of it all, and the setting particularly is so vivid that it will stick with me for a while.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the eAudiobook ARC! The Sirens, the latest from Emilia Hart (Weyward), follows three timelines: 2019's Lucy who has been dealing with harassment and dangerous sleepwalking and seeks the help and advice of her older sister, Jess. But when she discover's that Jess is gone, she embarks on a quest to find her. 1999's Jess who has a rare skin allergy and deals with feeling inadequate and different, her complicated relationship with her best friend, Max, and her growing relationship with her art teacher. 1800's Mary and Eliza are on a prison transport ship from Ireland and details the horrors aboard the ship and the reasons the women were arrested and sent away. With fantastical elements interwoven with the darker plot point offers a surprizing twist to each storyline. Barrie Kreinik gives a pitch perfect performance with excellent dialects and emotional impact.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

I loved the idea of this book, and love these we kinds of stories that are tinged with fantasy but anchored in the real world and around realistic characters. I really appreciated the two timelines (sometimes 3) and felt like they helped the storyline develop with the right amount of anticipation as to where it was headed. Starting out with Lucy, who is running from a traumatizing event at university, we learn more about her sister and how their two paths are connected. Plus a story of two other sisters imprisoned on a ship.

Although this one was a tad slow for me; the descriptive and atmospheric writing did win me over - but I would have loved more of a twist or something unexpected to wrap it up!

Thank you to @stmartinspress and @macmillan.audio for my early copies! I did both versions, but I think I preferred the audio! Loved the narration - especially the siren songs. This one is out at the end of the month.

#netgalley #macmillanaudio #stmartinspress #reading #bookreview #bookishthoughts #booksta #mybooknotes #read #bookthoughts #bookstagram #canadianbookstagrammer

Synopsis:

2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

A breathtaking tale of female resilience, The Sirens is an extraordinary novel that captures the sheer power of sisterhood and the indefinable magic of the sea.

"The Sirens" by Emilia Hart is told in dual timelines with two sisters, Mary and Eliza, on a convict ship headed to New South Wales in 1800. In 2019, Lucy heads to New South Wales to visit her much older sister after she starts having strange dreams, starts sleepwalking, and tries to choke her ex boyfriend. It is told from multiple points of view with highly likeable characters. The novel has elements of mystery, historical fiction, and magical realism. I felt the novel was a bit slow paced, but found the narrator, Barrie Kreinik to add to the mystical elements. Overall, it was definitely not as engaging as Hart's previous book, "Weyward", but still a good read.

Thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy of the audiobook for my opinion.

I went into this book not knowing what it would be about and with low expectations. I was pleasantly surprised with how much I was hooked on the story and wanted to keep reading. I loved the build up of the Lucy timeline. The other story, Mary, confused me at first but then I was just really into the whole thing and really enjoying it. I was disappointed by the ending, I felt like it didn’t explain things enough and I was left with so many questions. I also fell like it ended abruptly.

I tried to listen to this book but found myself preferring the ebook.

It’s a good story, an original one and I did enjoy reading it.

An absorbing, magical read. I loved this dive into the mystical bonds of the sisterhood of women, across time, genetics, and shared experience.