Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.
Pub Date: April 1, 2025

4.75 stars
Emilia Hart's writing really draws you in and makes you feel for the characters. There are a few time-lines in this book that you follow and it deals with some of the struggles of being a woman. There is a historical fiction aspect with the sinking of a prison ship full of women as well.

The narrator for the audiobook is excellent and helps to separate the characters by having different accents.

This book was so interesting, it had many twists and such well developed and interesting characters, I listened to the audiobook in one sitting! At first the time jumps made it somewhat hard to keep up with what was happening, but you get used to it. There’s a lot of things I wish I could say about this book but I want to keep this spoiler free, so to make this short, definetly give this book a read or listen!!!

With lyrical prose, The Sirens tells a tale of two sets of sisters bound by family secrets and by the sea. This folkloric coming-of-age story is a stunning meditation on female beauty and power that carefully examines the nuance of violences that women face—that women have always faced—and rejects notions of "good/bad girls" and "boys will be boys" that continue to dominate society's treatment of survivors.

Although it is not a novel that all readers will enjoy, the complex characters, dual timelines, atmospheric setting, and themes of agency and consequences makes The Sirens an excellent book for discussion—a perfect book club pick.

For an extra treat, grab this one as an audiobook. Barrie Kreinik's performance elevates the storytelling, enhances characterization, and creates wonderful distinctions between the timelines. I will definitely seek out other titles read by this narrator.

4.5 stars

This was my first audiobook from NetGalley and it did not disappoint. The narrator, Barrie Kreinik, did such a beautiful job telling the story and switched seamlessly from Australian to Scottish accents.

This book itself was a beautiful mix of genres - fantasy, magical realism, historical fiction - and switched between multiple timelines and POVs. We hear from modern-day Lucy, who has recently begun sleep walking and having odd dreams. We hear from Mary, a woman aboard a female convict ship in the 1800s. And we hear from Jess, Lucy’s older sister, who has gone missing. All three women possess a unique allergy to water and a unique connection with one another. The way the three stories intertwine is incredible and beautiful.

This book features a lot of trauma but ultimately allows these women to triumph in fantastical ways. While the subjects tackled in the book are difficult ones, I finished the book with a sense of hope.

I really loved this story and this audiobook and I highly recommend it. This audiobook releases on 1 April 2025. A giant thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for an ALC in exchange for my honest review.

I think the author is a phenomenal writer but I didn't quite enjoy this one.

I loved 'Weyward' and so I was so excited when I got approved for this audiobook. Unfortunately, I did not quite love it. I didn't get sucked into the story at any point, and I did not feel any connection to the characters whatsoever. I also feel like the narrative style was pretty monotone.

The sleepwalking ordeal also seemed to have been completely forgotten towards the end, which I thought was strange. I felt like things that needed to be addressed, weren't.

Thank you so much to the publisher and author for my ALC. This one didn't quite work for me but that doesn't mean YOU won't enjoy it.

Emilia Hart's Weyward was a smash hit. Atmospheric and thrilling, readers could not get enough of it.

The Sirens is Emilia Hart's follow-up. It's very different from Weyward. It's still dark and mysterious but it goes in a different direction. Jumping around in different POVs and different timelines, The Sirens tells the stories of women who find themselves in the grip of a mysterious power. Both timelines revolve around a set of sisters. The reader is kept in the dark and begins to understand little by little as the book progresses. I found this effective and I think Hart has a great knack for building intriguing characters. The pacing is a little bit off in this one, compared with Weyward. The story takes a while to get going but once it does, I was really reeled in. A dark, powerful story for our complicated times.

I really enjoyed the narration and I'm glad that I chose to read it in the format. The narration was good and the story was very easy to follow.

I absolutely devoured this book. I did have to listen to the narrator sped up a little bit but I have to do that with most narrators.
I really like how the dream/nightmares that caused the sleep walking is what gave us a glimpse to the past. The narrator singing in some of the chapters was really enjoyable and it would be unique to have the full song released as a companion.
I will say it was very hard to connect with the characters. I was not invested in the story until about 60% of the way through. There was a lot of build up with the traveling, the journal and with Jess that it kind of slow down the story.
Overall this was a quick listen and I really like the choice of narrator. I think the pacing of the story could use work. I really enjoyed Weyward but realoze how similar these two books are with time periods and connections it's hard to separate the stories.

The Sirens 🐚
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The Sirens is a dual timeline story following two different sets of sisters. Sisters in exile on a ship to Australia in the 1800s, and sisters in current day, both with a strange connection.
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🐚magical realism
🐚strong female characters
🐚family secrets
🐚sisterhood
🐚mystery
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I really wanted to love this book. A siren story, mysterious deaths, dual timeline, and family secrets?? I was sold. Although the premise was exciting, I think the execution fell a bit short. The plot was unfortunately confusing.
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I did enjoy the audiobook and thought it was well done!

Thank you netgalley and Macmillan audio for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

I found this one tough to get into and just didn’t really enjoy the story. I thought the mystery of it was intriguing but overall not enough to win me over.

I enjoyed listening to this novel. It was interesting with the two timelines and multiple perspectives. The story was mysterious with trying to find out who these women were/are, and what happened to all those men who went missing. The whole story was interesting and kept me listening intently until the very end.

The narration was well done and the little songs flowed well.

This audiobook is FANTASTIC!! The narrator has such a beautiful voice. Barrie Kreinik is so incredibly talented. Going back and forth between an Irish and and Australian accent would prove to be challenging for me, but Kreinik did it seamlessly. This story is so incredible, and the amazing narration only added to it. If you are going to read The Sirens, I highly recommend adding the audiobook. You will not be disappointed.

“The sea gives, but it also takes” - The Sirens

Prior to reading the Sirens, I read Weyward last year, and it was one of my favorite books of the year. I was super excited to have the opportunity to read an advanced reader copy of the Sirens. Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press.

The sirens alternates point of view between Lucy who is a college student in Australia in 2019 and Mary in Ireland in 1800. A third POV, Jess’ childhood diary entries are introduced 1/4 into the book. Eventually, about 80% into the story, a fourth POV is introduced - Jess in modern time. The alternating POVs and alternating timelines made it difficult to follow at times, which wasn’t a problem when reading Weyward.

After having nude photos leaked by a male student, Ben, Lucy sleepwalks and attacks Ben in the middle of the night in their college dorm. The story begins with Lucy running from the authorities, on her way to her sister’s house in Comber Bay. When Lucy arrives, she discovers her sister‘s car in the driveway, finds her keys and phone inside her house, but quickly discovers that her sister is nowhere to be found.

Lucy’s sister Jess is introduced in the first chapter of the book, and later through Jess’s diary entries that we get to read snippets of throughout the story. Lucy finds a painting in Jess house of a mermaid and ship she dreamed of. Lucy discovers several more paintings of the ship, all featuring the same two sisters. Throughout the story, Lucy slowly learns the truth of her and Jess’ history.

Lucy listens to a podcast about the unsolved disappearance of several men in Comber Bay over 30 years. Comber Bay/Devils lookout is a coastal town miles from Sydney where Jess lives. The story is of the unsolved mysterious disappearance of 8 men between 1960 and 1997. No trace of any of them ever found. Some towns people believe there is some kind of supernatural explaniation for the disapperancea and claim to hear womens voices coming from the waves.

There is also the mystery of Baby Hope found abandoned at the Devil’s Lookout in 1982. Baby Hope was adopted by a family that later underwent scrutiny and was accused of abandoning Hope and staging the rescue for their own benefit.

Mary and Eliza are imprisoned in Ireland in 1800 after the failed Irish rebellion where England maintained their power over the Irish. They are being forcibly transported by boat to New South Wales, Australia. Eliza is called “the girl who sings but does not see.” Mary and Eliza struggle with being separated from their Da, and we learn that their Mam died from drowning in the sea despite Da begging her not to go near the water.

Lucy is having dreams about being on being in the dark with women crying and praying. She can feel herself holding hands with another woman in these dreams. Lucy was diagnosed with a skin condition that makes water dangerous for her skin. Lucy finds an invitation to an art show called The Sirens for her sister, schedule to take place later in the week.


A third POV, Jess’ childhood diary entries are introduced 1/4 into the book. Jess believes that her parents aren’t really her biological parents and believes they are hiding something from her. Lucy learns that Jess shares her skin condition, aquagenic urticaria, and that their parents hid this from her. Lucy also learns that Jess sleepwalks and was having an inappropriate relationship with her art teacher. Jess believes that their parents moved them as far away from the sea to keep the truth hidden. We later learn the truth - that Lucy was actually Jess daughter, conceived in secret with her art teacher who left the school after finding out Jess was pregnant. Eventually, the story switches from old diary entries and we get Jess POV from modern time. We learn that Jess teacher is on the run from authorities for sexually assaulting a student, and shows up at Jess house in Comber Bay for help. We also learn that Jess is Baby Hope, their parents are Robert and Judith Wilson, and Lucy is actually Jess daughter. I struggled with this plot twist and with the changing dynamic of the relationship. I also struggled to like Jess as a character, knowing she had abandoned her responsibilities as a mom and hid the truth from Lucy for so long.

As the story of Mary and Eliza unfolds, we slowly see their lives intertwine with Lucy and Jess. The connection between the sirens and the missing men unfolds, and Lucy learns that the missing men all had dark pasts involving hurting women or children. Melody, Jess neighbor, assures Lucy that she doesnt need to worry about Jess because Comber Bay “keeps its women safe.” By the end of the story, the connection has come full circle and all of the uncertainty about their connection is resolved.

I appreciate the opportunity to read that book early and was so excited to have the chance to. I absolutely loved Weyward and because of that my expectations were pretty high. Unfortunately, the Sirens just did not compare to my love for Weyward and I didn’t feel a connection with the character like I wanted to. I recommend giving this book a chance, but do not make the mistake I made of expecting it to compare to Weyward because it didn’t even come close for me.

I genuinely enjoyed this novel and appreciated the extensive research and thought that went into portraying the journey of women who were imprisoned and sent to colonized Australia. This is a strong piece of feminist fiction with four central characters who discover their inner strength in profound ways.

The plot unfolds across two timelines and from multiple perspectives. The first timeline follows sisters Lucy and Jessica, who are intrinsically linked by their behavior and a rare skin disorder. However, with nearly two decades separating them, they do not share the typical sisterly bond. Lucy finds herself in a difficult situation and feels she cannot return to her family home. As a last resort, she heads to Comber Bay to stay with her sister.

The second timeline follows sisters Mary and Eliza, who have been forcibly taken from their home in Ireland after an act of self-defense. Along with many other women, they are being transported to New South Wales as criminals to be sold into bondage or marriage—essentially two sides of the same coin. Their journey is challenging, and the sisters gradually uncover more about their mysterious upbringing and their mother before their supposed arrival in Australia.

The small town of Comber Bay is enveloped in an atmospheric mystery, with hints of the supernatural. It was the site of a devastating shipwreck in the 1800s and has a history of young men disappearing, believed to have been lured to their deaths by the spirits of the drowned women from the ship.

I appreciated how both timelines were interwoven with a supernatural element, particularly the dreams that Lucy and Jessica shared with Eliza and Mary. Furthermore, the nuanced theme of self-acceptance—recognizing that individual identity may differ from societal standards—was compelling. The novel featured many powerful plot points that complemented the feminist theme, and I was glad to see that neither set of sisters engaged in self-deprecation.

Thank you NetGalley for an advance audio copy of Sirens. Much like Weyward, Sirens is mystical, intriguing and shrouded in mystery, but the vibes are darker and much eerier. The story revolves around four women on the road to finding themselves in a world ruled by chauvinistic men. I loved this cast of characters and the way the story evolved and bloomed open to reveal how the lives of all these women are connected. Though it has a slow start and the pacing stuffers at times, the story kept me intrigued. I found many of plot twist to be very predictable, but still felt satisfied at the end when all the pieces fell into place. Emilia Hart is incredible at writing multiple timelines, magical realism and strong female characters. She is quickly becoming an autoread author for me.

When people say literature is art, they are talking about Emilia Hart.

Emilia Hart’s, The Sirens is a mesmerizing, multi-layered novel that masterfully intertwines the lives of women across three centuries, bound by mystery, resilience, and the call of the sea. With lyrical prose and an eerie, immersive atmosphere, Hart crafts a tale of sisterhood, trauma, and transformation, seamlessly shifting between timelines to unravel long-buried secrets. The novel’s richly drawn characters, from Lucy’s unsettling present to Jess’s troubled youth and the haunting journey of Mary and Eliza, bring depth and emotional weight to the narrative. Infused with folklore, feminism, and an undercurrent of quiet magic, The Sirens is a spellbinding exploration of power, identity, and the enduring pull of the past.

A beautiful narration by Barrie Kreinik of Emilia Hart’s The Sirens explores the interconnected trials of three women who are separated by time. This haunting tale highlighted modern and historic trials that women have faced bringing a new take to the age old tale of sirens.

With thanks to Macmillan Audio and NetGalley for the audio ARC.

Wow, what a story! If you enjoyed Weyward then I’d say it’s very likely that you’ll like The Sirens!

This story is a great mix of historical fiction and magical realism. I was very fascinated to learn about how prisoners were shipped off to New South Whales. EH writes her characters so well. She clearly loves giving a voice to women who maybe haven’t had a chance to tell their story yet, and she does it so well. I did predict some of the things that happened, but was surprised by some things too. Like the epilogue! One of my favorite parts for sure!

I listened to the audiobook and I HIGHLY RECOMMEND. The narrators are so good. They sing, too! You won’t be disappointed.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC.

This was a really amazing read! I did the audiobook and I highly recommend it if you’re into that. The narrator delivered the back and forth storylines in such a melodious voice that it was dreamy.
The story centers on two sets of sisters in two timelines. One set on a convict ship headed for New South Wales and the other in 2019 trying to unravel the mystery of recurring dreams they unknowingly share. The story ebbs and flows beautifully, just like the sea that both attracts and terrifies them.
The women, both in the ship and the present, are brought to life on the page in an amazing way. This is a lovely lovely story of women and the power they hold.
** Thank you to Netgalley for the opportunity to read this early!**

I found this book kind of unreadable. The audio narrator wasn't bad, but the writing was clunky and the story made me more uncomfortable than it did intrigued. I have very little interest in the way the story was laid out and found myself dragging my heels about picking it up to read.

Great story about women and the daily struggles/battles they face in their lives. I loved the development of all the characters and learning how they all connected in time was beautifully written. At times, I had to rewind the audiobook, but that was on me just because I'd hear something and had to make sure I heard it right. Overall, a mystical read.