The plot of this book was great. But for me the narration was challenging to make it through. I would suggest people perhaps try it on paper!

The premise of this book was very interesting.

Two different timelines give us the lives of 2 sets of sisters. In the 1800s Eliza and Mary fight to stay alive as they are transported on a British convict ship to Australia. The further they travel the more they notice changes to their bodies as they are called by the sea.

In 2019, Lucy leaves home after a cyberbullying incident to visit her sister Jess in Comper Bay on the Australian coast. When she arrives, her sister is not there, and her neighbors don't know where she went. Lucy starts sleepwalking and dreaming of the 1800's sisters as she tries to find Jess. Lucy starts unravelling the family history after she finds Jess's diary, and her perception of family changes forever.

The two storylines weave their way together as the women struggle with chauvinism.

The characters were strong, resilient women, but unfortunately, I didn't find them very likeable. The plot moved very slowly in the middle and I almost gave up. There was a major plot twist I didn't expect, but even that didn't really save the book for me. I wanted to enjoy it more than I actually did.

The narrator did a lovely job with the multiple voices, and helped immensely with the constant changes in point of view. Even then, I got lost a few times determining who's story we were listening to.

I was a massive fan of Emilia Hart’s Weyard and have been looking very much forward to reading The Sirens. It is another beautiful exploration into the way that women are treated, disbelieved, and disregarded throughout time as well as the beauty and strength in reclaiming your power. I was incredibly moved by The Sirens and will be telling all my girlfriends to read it. Thank you for my gifted copy!

Really enjoyed this audiobook. Interesting mix of historical information and fantasy. Current suspense as well. Recommended.

I listened to the audiobook version, narrated by Barrie Kreinik, and her performance was excellent. She used varying voices and accents for the different characters, which made it easier to connect with each one. What really stood out to me, though, was the singing in the audiobook. It was such a unique touch that added so much emotion and depth to the scenes. It wasn’t something I expected, but it really enhanced the overall experience. I also really appreciated the music at the beginning and end of the audiobook, it set the tone perfectly, making me feel even more immersed in the story.

One of the things I really loved was how the story alternated between multiple points of view. Each character had such a distinct voice, and watching their stories weave together felt so natural and satisfying. It kept me hooked the entire time.

The twist with Lucy and Jess! I did not see that coming, and I loved how it completely surprised me. It was one of those reveals that made me appreciate how cleverly the story was put together.

What made this book special for me were the themes of womanhood, trauma, and resilience. It was so empowering, shedding light on the complexities and strength that come with being a woman. The book doesn’t shy away from difficult topics, but it also shows how women can rise above adversity and find strength in the most unexpected places.

Emilia Hart is a master of writing female rage. The way the stories of women across centuries were seamlessly woven together painted a picture of injustice, but also of women using their power to take control back. One of my favourite things about her writing is the way she describes smells - I don't think I've read any other author who makes me feel like I'm right there quite like Emilia Hart does.

If you love atmospheric stories, multiple timelines, and a heavy dose of magic, I highly recommend. I read and loved Weyward, and The Sirens gave me more of what I loved.

The Sirens is a clever and imaginative mixture of real life and fantasy! Told in dual time lines, this story is about the strength and body between sisters and family. I loved the narration and the plot. Who isn't drawn in by the romanticism of mermaids and the mystery of the sea! Where the story fell a little short for me was the violence against women it portrayed (in both timelines). It was a bit of a slow burn and relied more on the mystery than the characterization. Overall a great story that I think readers will love!

Okay, wow! This was a feminist magical realism with historical elements and a mystery set in two different timelines, and seriously, wow, what a fun combo!

Two sets of sisters, one set from 1800 and one set from 2019, whose stories converge in such a unique and unexpected way! I loved both timelines and the themes of sisterhood and feminine resilience throughout. The narrator was fantastic, whimsical and really brought this story to life for me!

I loved Weyward so I was really excited for this one. Unfortunately, it just did not live up to its predecessor. The Sirens is full of magical realism and has a fairy tale feel to it. Lucy wakes up finding herself doing the unthinkable. As she is shaken up, she decides to escape to her sister's home on the coast. However, when she gets there, Jess is nowhere to be found. Thus starts a mystery that jumps back and forth in time. We also follow Mary and Eliza, young girls who have been convicted of crimes and shipped out to New South Wales in the 1800s. There are threads in here that I really enjoyed and that echoed the atmosphere I loved in Weyward. Hart pays a lot of tribute to the natural world in her writing. This one was just a bit too choppy for me and we spent way too much time in Lucy's head. I wanted more from the story and found many sections to move slowly. The audio is well done. The narrator's voice was perfect for this book which had a very nautical feel. It just wasn't enough to keep me engaged. I'm sure, though, I would have struggled more had I read this in print. I do think those who like stories about women, sisterhood, magical realism, and stories of the sea will find a lot to enjoy in this book. It sadly was not for me.

The Sirens is swimming with mystery and eerie underwater terrors. Dark dreams and feelings of disconnection plague Lucy as she struggles with cruel acts committed against her. When she tries to escape to find a safe place where she feels like she belongs, things only get more complicated and confusing.

Mary and Eliza are taken from their home and their father and thrust into a life almost not worth living. They wake each day, not knowing if they'll live to see the next.

These stories are driven by strong family bonds and the striving for finding yourself and the people to whom you belong. With Lucy and Jess, and Mary and Eliza, we see how much stronger we can be if we're together.

Hart expertly intertwines the lives of these women and their journeys and leaves us with a tale that will burrow into our hearts like the sound of the ocean nestled inside a seashell.

ARC audiobook from Netgalley and Macmillan audio. Thank you

I don't think this was for me.
This story had a lot of plots and twists to it. It's a very slow novel and I'm not used to that but I enjoyed it. The story was told through a very visual aspect through words it gives you that creepy vibes. If you are into slow historical fiction, magical realism stories about the sea, I definitely think this is for you. The narrator did a great job.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this audio. I really enjoyed this audio. It's by the same author as wayward, which I was also really into. This follows sisters who are separated by centuries. This was magical and emotional. I loved it very much, I highly recommend the audio.

I had high hopes for this book after loving Weyward so much. The audio narration by Barrie Kreinik was very well done. The eerie vibes of the seaside town, the feel of the mystery, the peril on the ship, and even the singing added so much to the experience of listening to this story. Emilia Hart's prose is beautiful and she is an evocative storyteller.

However, I struggled with this story. I found the character Lucy difficult to connect with and I had a hard time getting invested in her motivations or her journey. I also struggled with the pacing, as the start of the story was very slow with a considerable amount of backstory then picked up toward the end of the book as the two storylines came together. The ending was disappointing as it seemed to lose focus. Finally, I had difficulty connecting all of the aspects of the magical realism in the story with the central plot line and, while those aspects did help to reinforce the themes of feminine power, they were sometimes confusing and pulled me out of the narrative.

Thank you to NetGalley and publishers St Martin's Press for allowing me to listen to the audio book of The Sirens by Emilia Hart. This was a beautiful historical fiction with the lore of Sirens. I really enjoyed the aspects of the mystery that surrounded much throughout the story. You found yourself immersed in the world of these characters; Jess, Lucy, Mary and Eliza. I felt the narration was very well done and beautiful. I found myself invested in the characters and truly enjoyed their self-growth. The book left me feeling tragic, angry, relief, bittersweet and resolved. There were a lot of moving pieces and characters to follow, but each was necessary to the plot. I especially enjoyed the description of the sea/creatures and the description of smells associated. It felt is if you were there, in that cave and on that ship. The pace was slower and easy to follow. There was a point in this book where I gasped “Oh my gosh!”. Even after I finished, I sat down to think about our 4 MFC and only wish I could sit by the sea doing so. I remember their Siren Call. This met my expectations and more, so grateful I had the opportunity to voluntarily listen to this! Thank you!

I received an ARC from NetGalley to review. These are my honest thoughts.

“The Sirens” by Emilia Hart is a hauntingly beautiful book about two sets of sisters in different timelines. It hits a wide range of emotions, is dark and mysterious at times, and lightly comical at others. I will say that I enjoyed the perspectives of Lucy and Jess more than Mary and Eliza, but both were mesmerizing in their own right. It offers an interesting mix of mythical, historical, and familial perspectives, and paints some truly beautiful and fascinating images, while also highlighting important, controversial issues. Worth checking out!

I really enjoyed reading this book. I’d give it 4.5/5.0 stars. I read Weyward a few years ago and was looking forward to this. The historical aspect was a plus. I love dual timeline. I learned a bit about Australian history as well and I will read more. I especially liked the magical realism aspect of this story in both timelines. Overall I really enjoyed the book and would recommend it for my bookclub and other friends. I didn’t see the Jessie/Lucy plot twist coming. I love that.

The ending seemed abrupt, was a parr missing? Thank you.

This is such a wonderful, lyrically written story. It grabbed my from the very first word and had me turning the pages, had me tumbling into the stories, needing to discover more and loving everything I was reading. Just amazing.

Whew this one took me for quite a ride! I love how the writing intertwines multiple POVs and time periods. In the most modern timeline, the reader follows Lucy who is a college aged woman. She mostly accepts herself and knows what she wants to do with her life, but she has some questions and situations that she needs to uncover and come to terms with. Jess' storyline takes place mostly a couple decades before and mostly centers on an angsty teen with lots of questions. Then in the much distant past, the story follows two sisters as they go through a very traumatic situation. The author does a beautiful job of weaving these storylines together into a tale of female empowerment and the bonds between womankind.

I am always intrigued with magical realism with some feminine rage.

Unfortunately this one just never hit the way I was expecting. It was very slow and often confusing in a way that felt like something was missing or just muddled plot that was hard to really be excited about. Probably should have dnfed but wanted to finish the arc.

Thanks to netgalley and Macmillan for an alc

"The Sirens" is the story of two sets of sisters, centuries apart, mysteriously linked by the wonder of dreams and the allure of the sea.

In 2019, the primary setting is on the coast of New South Wales, Australia, where two sisters, Lucy and Jess, are searching for answers from the past...

In 1800, the secondary setting is on a convict ship traveling from Ireland to Australia, where twin sisters Mary and Eliza begin to notice unexplainable changes to their bodies as they get further and further out to sea...

"The Sirens" is a genre blend of Historical Fiction, Magical Realism, and Mystery, and Hart takes it up a notch by sprinkling in a fair amount of Family Drama to tie everything together. Similar in format to her impressive debut novel, "Weyward", this has a contemporary timeline intertwined with timelines from the past. And like her previous book, I cannot take my eyes off the gorgeous cover.

I love how this author's storytelling builds with intricate details and emotions given to the characters. You clearly understand the depth of the research effort to create this intense story. An unexpected twist dropping at 70% was a pleasant surprise, and I flew through the remainder of the book.

This was an immersion read; the audiobook was read by Barrie Kreinik, one of my favorite narrators. She recounts the story flawlessly, switching from English to Australian accents as necessary. Her gender voicing was also discernible, making this a pleasurable listening experience.

"The Sirens", Emilia Hart's sophomore novel, does not disappoint, and I will patiently await her next book!

4.5⭐

Thank you to St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Emilia Hart for a DRC and an ALC through NetGalley. This is my honest and voluntary review.