Thank you to NetGalley and the author for an ALC of this title. This one was a bit slow to start. But with how much I liked Weyward, I trusted the process. And this one did not disappoint! I'm not always a huge fan of the jumping back and forth between timelines, but this author manages to do so while keeping both past and present stories exciting. I enjoyed the myth of the Sirens with the real history of the area. The narrator was great, and her changing accents was impressive. The descriptions in the book, especially those in the belly of the ship and the cave, were visceral. This author is one that I will be patiently waiting on for her next book.

Title: The Sirens
Author: Emilia Hart
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: April 1, 2025

I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted

T H R E E • W O R D S

Predictable • Meandering • Mystical

📖 S Y N O P S I S

1800: Twin sisters Mary and Eliza have been torn from their loving father in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia. For their entire lives, they’ve feared the ocean, as their mother tragically drowned when they were just girls. Yet as the boat bears them further and further from all they know, they begin to notice changes in their bodies that they can’t explain, and they feel the sea beginning to call to them...

1999: Jess is a lonely sixteen-year-old in a rural town in the middle of the continent. Diagnosed with a rare allergy to water, she has always felt different, until her young, charming art teacher takes an interest in her drawings, seeing a power and maturity in them—and in her—that no one else has.

As Lucy awaits her return, the rumors surrounding Jess’s strange small town start to emerge. Numerous men have gone missing at sea, spread over decades. A tiny baby was found hidden in a cave. And sailors tell of hearing women’s voices on the waves. Desperate for answers, Lucy finds and begins to read her sister’s adolescent diary.

2019: Lucy awakens from a dream to find her hands around her ex-lover’s throat. Horrified, she flees to her older sister’s house on the Australian coast, hoping she can help explain the strangely vivid nightmare that preceded the attack—but Jess is nowhere to be found.

💭 T H O U G H T S

I was wholly intrigued by the premise of The Sirens. although this isn't a book I would typically be drawn to.

With this novel, Emilia Hart delivers an absolute genre mashup - mixing elements of historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism, true crime and mystery. Told through multiple timelines and perspectives, it is a story about the bonds of sisters, strong women and the injustices they have faced, as well as, an ode to the magic of the sea.

The writing is deeply atmospheric, yet I never felt as though it captured my attention and kept me at a distance throughout. At times, it was difficult to differentiate between the perspectives, with each one feeling similar. Parts of the plot were very predictable, yet other parts were weighed down with excessive detail and dragged.

The audiobook narrated by, Barrie Kreinik, was okay, yet I had a bit of a hard time following along with the different perspectives. The pacing and tone captured the atmosphere and suspense of the narrative wholly.

Overall, The Sirens was a bit of a struggle to get through. While there were some elements I loved, there were other aspect that just didn't work. I also found it eerily similar to Weyward and that it kept me at a distance throughout the entire thing. It isn't a bad book, it just wasn't the right time or book for me and I don't know that I will continue picking up this author's work.

📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• sister stories
• Weyward
• the Little Mermaid

⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, adult/minor relationship, pedophilia, child abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual violence, rape, confinement, violence, murder, pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, misogyny, sexism, death, body horror, body shaming, physical abuse, deportation, abandonment, blood, colonization

While I enjoyed the duel timelines and the overall storytelling was so different than anything I have read. It was really slow at the beiginning for me and there was a not a lot of depth overall. I just was not as into this book as I had hoped.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio for an early copy of The Sirens audiobook! 💖
As someone who has heard a lot about Weyward, Emilia Hart's debut title, I have been intrigued but knew that I would do better with these themes and genre via audiobook and boy, I was right! This audiobook had the perfect amount of theatrics and intrigue due to the fact that there is quite a bit of thriller vibes that keep you on the edge of your seat. There's also a gorgeous amount of feminism/strong women sentiment which we love! This story follows the stories of a few different women over three different timelines but all of them are intertwined and mixed together to all be important and further the story!
This audiobook actually had me gasping at the end when all of the puzzle pieces started falling into place and I had no idea what was going to happen and where the story was going to go! This book has opened up the door for me to enjoy historical magical realism fantasy (which can sound a little intimidating) but the story really grabs you and drags you in!

I really wanted to love this one but it just didn’t hit right for me. I LOVED Weyward. It was one of my favorite reads last year so I guess I had high expectations. The narration was good. It was an interesting plot but something felt flat for me.

Wow- what a great book! This one was so interesting, and unlike anything else I’ve read. I loved the storyline and how mysterious it was. Definitely a great read, and a great follow up novel from Emilia’s last! She’s pricing to be one of those *must read* authors.

An Australian girl discovers she’s sleepwalking and wakes in a compromising position. Lucy seeks out her estranged sister living on the coast because Jess also sleepwalks, except, Jess isn’t there when she arrives. Lucy spends the time trying to get to know her sister from the evidence she’s left behind, and Lucy tries to figure out why her sister has created a painting that features two women she keeps dreaming about.

The narrator was great. She switched seamlessly between convincing Australian and Irish accents. I didn't read all the tags before starting so I wasn't sure if Lucy’s skin condition would lend itself to the mythic creatures the book is named for (but I was hopeful!). I loved learning the origin stories of Lucy and Jess, and I loved that bad dudes got their just desserts. I also learned a little about the history of "convict" women Australia, which was fascinating.

While I didn't love the boy Lucy spends so much time fixated on, part of growing up is learning that (some) men are trash. At my advanced age, I don’t have patience for those characters and I'm sad that he was the only bad guy who didn’t get his karmic retribution. I also wish there was closure regarding the convicts who got away. Did they get back to Ireland? Start their own community somewhere in Oz?

Overall, I found the story very compelling, I enjoyed the writing and I would definitely read other novels by this author.

The book was good, and the story was intriguing. However, the ending was basic. It felt like I read a lifetime movie with a supernatural element. Overall, 3.75/5.

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.