Book Review: The Sirens by Emilia Hart
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

This novel weaves a tale of sisterhood, resilience, and the call of the sea across three timelines. While the unique mermaid-esque lore and alternating perspectives create an intriguing mix of historical fiction and mystery, the story felt too slow and sorrowful for me. Many elements remained unexplained, which left me feeling more frustrated than enchanted.

That said, fans of atmospheric, character-driven narratives may find the magic and mystery of the sea captivating. 🌊🧜‍♀️

Thank you, MacMillan Audio, Emilia Hart, and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 😊

4 ☆
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. 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.

The cover art is gorgeous! I don't even know what to say about this story. This story took me by surprise; by the name alone, I was thinking mythical creatures—sirens walking among humans and taking men. But that's totally not what's happening in this story. It almost gave me a coming-of-age, finding family, and coming to love one's self in their uniqueness vibe. Which isn't bad at all, and I felt like this story showed all that. The pacing was good, though I did feel like it was a little long and could have been a little shorter. But overall, I really enjoyed this story.

The audiobook was good. The narrator did a good job telling the story; it was very easy to listen to and understand. I listened to this story at 2x speed.

Thank you, Netgellay, Macmillan Audio for the audiobook, and St. Martin's Press for the ebook in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed the dual timelines this book followed. I liked switching between the POV of Lucy (2019) and Mary (1800s) throughout the book while also getting a glimpse at what Jess was facing in 1999. The atmosphere of this book was great, and the main characters are likable. This is a book of magic, enchantment, and strong female characters as you sort through family mysteries and secrets spanning multiple generations. I did find the story to be predictable. However, that didn’t affect my overall opinion of the book because it was so well written. I stayed engaged the entire time. I listened to the audiobook version and the narrator did a great job. I would definitely recommend adding this beautifully written novel to your TBR list. Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing me with an ALC in exchange for an honest review.

The queen did it again! Emilia Hart is a wonder ladies and gentleman. I would recommend this book to all my friends and feel no nerves at all!

Another 5 star read from Emilia Hart!

I'm so glad I was able to get an advance copy of Sirens on audio. I absolutely loved Weyward by Emilia (also a 5 star read), so I knew I HAD to read Sirens.

The narration was great, very well written to be read as an audiobook.

I did get lost in the time-line sometimes, but it was easy enough to get back on track.

The characters are likable, and you can share all their emotions with them as they go through the story. Very descriptive in telling about events and locations.

Looking forward to more to come from Emilia Hart.

Thank you so much Emilia Hart, Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this opportunity. I am absolutely swooning over this book, the story was beautifully complicated, the narration was perfection and I was engaged from minute 1 and never wanted to press pause. The concept of this book was fascinating and simultaneously otherworldly and completely real, This is my first Emilia Hart book but it is absolutely the first of many.

Dark, moving, and eerie. Perfect for winter! I loved the atmosphere and dual timelines. I will recommend to everyone who likes this type of book.

It took a bit to get into the story and to follow the shifting timelines of past and present but then it all fit together and I was fully engaged! Sisters in the present on land, Lucy and Jess are both having nightmares, dreaming powerful dreams of sisters from the past - over 200 years ago - travelling as convicts on a ship to Australia; dreaming of the trauma and of the strength of their bond. The mystery and suspense had me hooked throughout the rest of the book. Narrator #BarrieKreinik did a fabulous job reading with just the right tone. #TheSirens by #EmiliaHart Thanks to #NetGalley and especially to #MacmillanAudio for the #eARC in #audiobook format! #myeyespreferaudiobooks #accessiblebooks

Thank you Netgalley for an audio ARC. This was based on an actual ship headed for New South Wales in Australia that crashed on the rocks. The author took a turn to historical fiction and made this a ship of Irish women prisoners. These women's crimes ranged from petty to murder. The Sirens, the women who lost their lives on the boat sang to the brutality of men against women. The book took fact & fiction creating a whimsical story seeking justice for women.

This book mixes historic and with legend and presents it in the package of an ordinary "today".

While sisters Lucy and Jessica both have an odd, sometimes painful, skin condition, the rest of their lives seem normal. They have a love for eachother but a relationship that is distanced by their age gap if 16years. Jessica is moved out and works on her art, while Lucy is taking classes for journalism in school.

Lucy's life abruptly changes when she finds herself kneeling over a classmate's body, strangling him. After that, it's a blur of college gossip, investigations and alligations coming to light.

Lucy feels like the only person she can turn to is her older sister. She drives out to a small, secluded costal town to find Jess. When she arrives it's obvious that her sister is gone. What is less obvious is where she is and why she isn't answering anyone.

Once Lucy uncovers journals belonging to Jess, she discovers the depth of the secrets in her family mimics the ocean she hears calling to her her in her dreams.

This novel is filled with family secrets and current day tribulations. The other perspective is the story of the women and girl prisoners on ships from the UK, sailing to the continent Australia. It illustrates how the hardships of being a woman, and existing, have not changed so much since the beginning of time.

I love it. I'm going to be recommending it right away!

I couldn’t put this book down! From the gripping opening to the beautifully woven ending, 𝗧𝗛𝗘 𝗦𝗜𝗥𝗘𝗡𝗦 𝗯𝘆 𝗘𝗺𝗶𝗹𝗶𝗮 𝗛𝗮𝗿𝘁 had me completely hooked. Hart masterfully blends timelines, exploring the haunting mysteries of a coastal town and the lives of four resilient women across centuries. The dual POVs and Jess’s diary entries added depth and intrigue, making the unraveling of the town’s secrets and the missing men utterly captivating.

This is more than a mystery—it’s a tale of sisterhood, transformation, and the unyielding power of the sea. The connection between past and present was mesmerizing, and the themes of resilience and self-discovery stayed with me long after turning the last page. Don’t miss this one—it’s bound to be a standout read this spring!

I absolutely adored Weyward, so I was really excited to see what Emilia had in store for us with The Sirens. It definitely gives the same vibes with the multiple timelines and POV's, and the women escaping abusive situations with the help of a little bit of magic.

While predictable at times, The Sirens was definitely a solid story. I loved the story set in the 1800's as well as the modern one--the juxtapositions of their lives were done very well, but it was the ending that had me underwhelmed. It felt rushed, a little glossed over, and almost as if it didn't matter. I would've loved to see more of what happened with Jessica after she told the police what happened and maybe a little bit of WHY he brought the knife into the cave. Lucy meeting Max would've been great as well. Everything was woven together so well just to be kind of dropped at the end. Other than that, it was a great story and I have already started recommending it to my friends.

Thank you to Emilia Hart, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the ALC!

This was an interesting story, as long as you suspend reality just a little bit. The story, as its title implies, has a supernatural element to it. This book reminds me of a long ago fable families would tell children about the mermaids of the sea!
The book follows two story lines which both connect by the end. I preferred the modern story but the older story line about female prisoners being shipped to Australia was equally interesting. The writing was really lovely and the story was cute. It wasn't anything too exciting but I enjoyed it.

I loved this one. So beautifully written and the narrator was perfection. I loved how well the characters were developed and the story is so unique!

Another magical book from Emilia Hart!
Instead of a forest cottage, we are taken to the coast of Australia, with different points of view and timeliness, all woven wonderfully together.
Different from Weyward, and yet similar in that the main character(s) are wronged women. One of which escapes to the solitude of a small coastal town.
Dealing with the history of Australia as a penal colony for Britain's criminals, this story was historically tragic and yet hopeful.
The characters were complex and relatable.
The narrator did an amazing job. A beautiful voice, with great pacing and emotion.
4.25 stars rounded up.
Thanks so much to Netgalley and MacMillan Audio for the advanced copy of this audiobook!

A highly original story, unlike one I’ve ever read (or am likely to read). The writing itself is top-notch, beautiful writing—almost poetic at times. I found it oddly peaceful despite tackling very unpeaceful topics. That said, it didn’t always hold my attention. I found this to be one of those reads where I frequently had to go back and re-read parts after realizing my mind must’ve wandered and I missed something important to the plot. (Though, this may speak more to the narration of the audiobook, as I alternated reading platforms, but primarily listened to this one.)

I really wanted to fall in love with this story and these characters, but I just never got there. For me, it is a bit too slow, sorrowful, and mysterious (in that I feel like a lot of things are never explained, leaving a reader potentially frustrated). But I think others will be fascinated by the unique mermaid-esque lore told through alternating perspectives that almost feels like a historical fiction.

Thank you to Emilia Hart, St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, & NetGalley for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

The Sirens is a captivating historical fiction fantasy filled with magical realism. The story revolves around two sets of sisters: Lucy and Jess in 2019, and Mary and Eliza in the 1800s. Lucy flees to New South Wales to seek refuge with her sister Jess when her life falls apart. Meanwhile, in 1800, Mary and Eliza are convicted and aboard a convict ship to Australia, enduring brutal conditions and experiencing mysterious physical changes along the way.

When Lucy arrives at her sister's place, Jess is nowhere to be found. As she waits for her sister's return, Lucy uncovers the remarkable connection they share, along with the intertwining local history and lore. Using Jess's abandoned journal, she pieces together their past and its significance to her own story. This novel beautifully blends family dynamics and mystery, creating a unique and enchanting tale.

I enjoyed the narration of the audiobook by Barrie Kreinik. The narrator conveyed the emotion and confusion that the women in the story were facing is both timelines. I recommend enjoying this book as an audio book.

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the advanced listener copy. This is my honest review.

I really enjoyed Hart's firts book Weyward, and wanted to give her new story a try.
This book has time skips between three characters but does a great job keeping them separate and easy to distinguish.
The narrator does an excellent job reading in both an Irish and Australian accent.
This book seemed long to me, and maybe that is because I read it in chunks over a longer period, but it felt like it dragged a lot.
This book repeats itself a lot as the protagonists think back on sayings or earlier conversations, or excerpts of diary entries. This is not a bad thing, but it is something I noticed. Maybe if I read it instead of hearing it, it wouldn't've stuck so much in my mind.
This book has a lot of stream of conscienceless and inner battles stretched out, so if you don't like that, steer clear.
This book has magical realism involving mermaids, and I really enjoyed how the story built on itself but kept me feeling impatient as to what was actually going on. It kept me wanting to read more and find out the ending!

3.75 stars // This was a beautiful book full of magical realism with one foot in the past and the other in the present. The women in this story are strong and beautiful and overcome all that life throws at them. The sea calls to them and they listen.

The Sirens is a creative story. I was very intrigued by the premise of sisters and the mystery of the sea and dual timelines. There are multiple stories being woven together and while I appreciated everyone’s point of view, in the end, I was slightly confused by it all. It reads as a young adult novel and there are some heavy social issues throughout. I felt there were some points in the story not well explained or wrapped up. I also received an audiobook version and did find the narrator did a great job with bringing the story to life.
I received a complimentary copy from the publisher via NetGalley and all opinions expressed are solely my own, freely given.