Thanks to NetGalley for the audio ARC of The Sirens by Emilia Hart.

I really wanted to love this book. The concept is fantastic with three women across different time periods, all connected by a shared legacy and a supernatural thread. I especially appreciated the narrative structure: three POVs, weaving through history, with hints and echoes across time. That part was beautifully done and kept me engaged.

Unfortunately, that’s where my enjoyment stopped. The characters felt flat and emotionally distant. I never really connected with any of them and none of them had personality. Their voices didn’t feel distinct, and their arcs lacked depth or growth. Each was just carried along by the plot without guiding it. The mystery of them being sirens is treated like a big revelation, but honestly, the title gives the whole plot away. There’s no real tension or payoff because it’s all telegraphed from the start.

The book is also heavily inspired by the Me Too movement, which I don’t inherently mind, but it doesn't bring anything new or nuanced to the table. The themes felt one-dimensional, more like a slogan than a story.

In the end, The Sirens had potential, but the execution just didn’t deliver. Great idea, well-structured, but ultimately hollow.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart explores the ocean’s mysteries and Australia’s disturbing origin story. The narration alternates between Lucy in 2019 and the late 1700s on a ship full of women exiled from Ireland to New South Wales.

Lucy flees college seeking solace at her older sister Jess’ new house in a small seaside town. Lucy, an aspiring journalist dives in to the mysterious disappearances of men that the ocean has claimed over the years. Meanwhile two sisters, Mary and Eliza haunt her dreams as they survive abhorrent conditions upon an exile ship headed to the same shore Lucy’s now living at. She’ll uncover not only the ocean’s secrets but those of her family. The story will keep readers staying up late and turning the pages quickly to the very end. 4.5 stars rounded up to 5.

The audiobook was well done and I loved the addition of the siren song. What a treat!
Fans of Kate Morton’s Homecoming will enjoy this novel too.

Finished Reading

Pre-Read notes

Sirens and mermaids are my favorite mythological creatures, so this was an obvious choice. I requested and received a digital copy, and then I was sent a widget for the audiobook. I'm really enjoying Hart's style and the audiobook narrator's delivery.

Final Review

Review summary and recommendations

Well, I definitely liked this book! Weyward wasn't a favorite for me, but this is one suspenseful, Gothic, beauty of a book. The twist surprised me but it was well-plotted and fitting to the story. The themes Hart visited here, such as violence against women and children, mental health stigma, and forgiveness in broken, toxic, or dysfunctional families made for a gripping story.

I was so fascinated with the characters belonging to the contemporary timeline. You could comfortably call this book character driven, and Hart provides characters with depth and complexity. I was so fascinated in learning more of the sisters' story that I hardly even noticed the plot, which didn't move much from beginning to end.

I recommend this one to readers of magical realism, contemporary mythology, suspense, or women's fiction. Also, fans of human transformation in metaphor and the flesh, captivity (this word represents a fabulous leit motif that operates throughout the book, from beginning to end, and complex female characters.

Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. The opening of the audiobook, with the music, which is haunting and gorgeous, sets a mood for the book. On the audiobook, the author reads her own introduction about some of the history she discovered in her research but didn't include in her story. I highly recommend.

2. Some gorgeous descriptive writing here, which I remember about Weyward also. A prickle starts at the base of Lucy’s spine. Maybe it’s the knowledge of what the water would do to her skin. She imagines the waves lapping at her like tongues, stripping her of flesh until she is nothing but bone, gleaming white. p37

3. I think it's challenging for writers to juggle both alternating perspectives and multiple timelines without affecting clarity, but Hart manages this technique well.

4. I'm so happy that this book takes on the experiences of students who accuse their classmates (or teachers) of SA. Trigger warning for SA, rp, and victim suppression. When she sought help through the proper channels, the procedures, no one gave her a gold star or thanked her for asking nicely. Instead, they wanted her to keep being nice, to put Ben’s feelings—his reputation, his future—above her own. They wanted her to go away. p131

5. Capture. It’s the perfect word, isn’t it? You paint them and it’s like you own them, like you’ve taken their soul from their body and put it right there on the canvas. p153 I love the repeated use of the word "capture" in the text. This doesn't always work, but it does here. I love all the subtext Harr builds into this word.

6. I love sister stories. I find if very moving when the depicted relationship demands a dreary tone, like it does here, with the sisters being separated. She will stand here, her hands on Jess’s artwork, as if she can soak up her sister’s thoughts. p208

7. "...So, he’d put his hands on the button of my jeans, and kiss my neck and beg for more, and I’d say no, even though sometimes I felt like it’d be easier to say yes. Just give in, I’d think. Get it over with. It can’t be that bad. But still, there was that little seed of fear.” Hart writes brilliantly about what it means to be a young girl.

8. I wasn't much for the plot here, but I also thought that didn't matter because of how well all the elements came together. The climax itself is wonderfully fantastical and fulfilling and I think it strengthens the plot, as it gathers up many ends here at the climax, which is my favorite place in a plot to receive new information that settles a question or conflict. The denouement is too late. She does a great job with this.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Hart's definitely wrong about tongue-rolling being entirely genetic, it's not. A simple Google search would have revealed this. But she pils all the eggs in the plot basket on that pseudoscientific idea. *edit Yeah she already knew this lol, but if this point bugs you, i encourage you to keep reading!

2. I nodded, but I couldn’t stop trembling. He got me a glass of water from the art room’s clanking metal sink, and while I drank he put his hand on my shoulder, just for a moment. I was wearing a long-sleeved top under my school uniform, stiff and probably stinking of sweat, but I still felt an almost electric charge, as if his bare skin was touching mine. Then he took his hand away. p153 The main character of this book, a teenage girl with few quality connections, befriends her teacher, a man in his thirties. I love how Hart handles this relationship, gracefully depicting how the very nature of their relationship suggests impropriety, even where none exists. It's as though Hart is saying, I know you're squicked out by this friendship, but that's a you problem.... until it's not. Perception is often flawed.

Rating: 🧜🏽‍♀️🧜🧜🏽‍♀️🧜🧜🏽‍♀️ /5 sirens, not mermaids!
Recommend? yes!
Finished: Mar 19 '25
Format: digital, audiobook, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🪢 alternating povs
⌚️ alternating timelines
🙎‍♀️ girl's coming of age
🕰 historical fiction

Thank you to the author Emilia Hart, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for advance digital copy and an advance audiobook of THE SIRENS. All views are mine.
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I don’t read very many ‘women’s fiction’ novels but something about the cover and blurb of this one called to me.

Dual timeline of sisters, bonds, tragedies, self/discovery, and magical realism. The audio was SO GOOD. I probably wouldn’t have picked up the book, but the audio took me outside my comfort zone and I really enjoyed it!

Thanks so much to NetGalley and the publisher for my ALC.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart is centered around the story of sisters Jess and Lucy. The novel begins with younger sister Lucy (2019) who is suspended for an altercation with Ben, a love interest, who humiliated and betrayed her trust. Her experience makes her long for her sister, who she has lost contact with after Jess moved to Comber Bay, Australia’s Bermuda Triangle. What Jess is looking for or running from is a major plot point of the story which Lucy will discover through Jess’s diaries (1999). Lucy travels to Comber Bay looking for her sister to find her sister gone, or was she kidnapped?

Jess and Lucy share a secret skin condition that results in a fear of water, as well as a series of dreams of a set of twins, Mary and Eliza (1800), traveling as prisoners on a ship from Ireland to New South Wales, the women’s fate pinned under the subjugation of misogyny. Like the twins, Jess and Lucy endure the remnants of this history in their own lives. The connection between these women across continents and through history is revealed. This makes me think of the women, ancestors, who have come before me, their tragedies working themselves out genetically and emotionally in my life.

Thinking about sirens mythologically adds another layer to the novel. There were no major surprises where the novel would lead, yet the details, and how the storyline connected added a modernized layer to the existing mythology.

Thank you Emilia Hart for this engaging and passionate work, Barrie Kreinik for a fantastic narration and NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC.

Sighs. I’m just confused.
I liked Weyward, but I just couldn’t follow this book. It was very slow… that on top of multiple timelines, multiple POVs and magical realism… it just didn’t work for me. I’m not sure I even followed the plot. I really wanted to like this. But kudos to another STUNNING cover. I thought Weyward was gorgeous, but this is just AMAZING!
I will say, the narrator in the audiobook was wonderful! I especially loved her singing.., very haunting..

The Sirens (referring to the mermaid form, not birds) features multi-timeline, multi-narrator first-person POVs and settings ranging from Ireland to the darkened belly of a ship crossing halfway around the world to Australia. Despite being primarily about violence against women and vigilante justice, the novel opens with one of our narrators, Lucy, strangling a former lover. While powerful as an opening, one of the reasons I downgraded my rating of the novel is due to how it addresses this episode. If we as women wish men to take accountability for their actions against us,shouldn’t we take accountability for our actions as well? Should violence be met with violence? All of the female main characters in The Sirens perpetrate violence against men with varying degrees of moral justifiability. As a feminist, I seek balance above all, and I would have liked to see accountability for some of the more cruel actions of the female main characters, not simply justification and excuses.
My favorite chapters were Lucy’s chapters overall. I found it hard to connect with Jess, either through her journal or through her flashbacks. I liked Mary’s sections the least, and dreaded the time spent on that ship with her, though the transitions to Lucy’s chapters immediately after were very interesting.
I alternated between the ebook and the audiobook. I enjoyed Barrie Kreinik’s narration, and I would definitely recommend listening to it.
Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan Audio, and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC!

The Sirens was a mix of magical realism, historical fiction, and mystery with an incredibly atmospheric writing style that had me invested right away. I loved the dual timeline in this enchanting story, filled with sisterhood and mystery. The gradual unveiling of secrets and the realistic portrayal of heavy topics kept me engaged the entire time and I didn’t want to stop listening. I’m definitely excited to read more by this author! 4.5 stars

Thank you Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for my gifted copy!

This story was hard for me to get into. I selected it because I really enjoyed Weyward by this author-however this one left me feeling underwhelmed.
The multiple timelines and the mystery of how the timelines connected was intriguing. The narrator did an excellent job. This one wasn’t for me, but I believe others will find it interesting.

I enjoyed the multiple timelines told from the POVs of three women, which merged together in a fascinating way. Lucy, Jess, and Mary all seem to suffer from a bizarre affliction when they come into contact with water. Each woman has insecurities and a backstory tied to that condition. The storylines were unique, mysterious, and suspenseful, with a touch of mysticism and magic. Fans of historical fantasy or historical suspense will enjoy this one.

The Sirens is a masterfully woven tale of resilience, identity, and the weight of history. Hart’s writing is breathtaking, lyrical yet sharp, immersive yet deeply introspective. The story itself is utterly spellbinding, pulling the reader across multiple timelines and perspectives with seamless elegance. And it is impossible to see the twists coming!

This intergenerational journey of self discovery is both heart wrenching and empowering, a poignant exploration of feminist existentialism. The characters are crafted with brutal honesty, their growth raw and profound, making their triumphs and tragedies feel all the more real.

For those who enjoy audiobooks, the narration is an experience in itself. The narrator’s voice is stunning, her accents impeccable, elevating an already mesmerizing story into something truly unforgettable. The Sirens is a book to savor. One that is haunting, beautiful, and utterly unmissable.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Macmillan Audio, and Emilia Hart for the audio ARC in exchange for my honest opinions.

I love Emilia Hart's writing in Weyward and her first novel was a 5 star read for me in 2023. I am a big fan of Hart's atmospheric writing style and was super excited for The Sirens because I had loved Weyward so much. I love love a good gothic book and the Hart's first novel delivered on sinister and dark without it being too much. The Sirens was too much for me and some of it left me feeling quite ick. I never really connected with any of these characters and I found the pace much slower than Weyward. Unfortunately, I couldn't wait for this one to be over. Read it if you like beautiful prose, despite a slow narrative, and a creepy atmosphere.

Thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for an Advanced Reader Copy of this book.

I haven't read Weyward by this author, so I wasn't sure what to expect going into this novel. I am glad I listened to this on audio. The audio helped me keep a more rapid pace with the book as there were some parts that seemed a little slow. I liked the themes the story touches on, which are probably what you would expect with a title like The Sirens. Sometimes it felt a little heavy handed and at other times not heavy enough. The resolution, both modern and historical, helped to resolve some of this and made it feel appropriately weighty. Overall the basic plot is just that basic, but the characters and the setting of Cliff House helped to make the story more. The audiobook helped it feel like I was sitting down with these people and listening to their stories.

Let me break down what this book is supposed to be about before diving into my thoughts!

**The Sirens** weaves together two timelines: In 2019, Lucy flees to her sister Jess's coastal home after a disturbing sleepwalking incident where she almost chokes her ex. But when she arrives, Jess is mysteriously missing, and Lucy discovers the town has a history of vanishing men stretching back decades. Meanwhile in 1800, Irish sisters Mary and Eliza are forced onto a convict ship to Australia, experiencing strange bodily changes during their journey. The stories converge through dreams and folklore, exploring themes of sisterhood, transformation, and the mysterious power of the sea.

Now for my review:

This book had me swimming in circles, and not in the magical mermaid way I hoped for! As my first Emilia Hart experience, it's unfortunate it didn't deliver. The pacing was glacial - seriously, watching actual tides might have been more dramatic.

Lucy's decision-making had me constantly questioning her judgment. Who responds to a missing sister with such casual energy? "Oh, my sister's gone? Guess I'll just hang out here for a bit!" 🤷‍♀️ Make it make sense!

The sleepwalking setup initially seemed promising but then faded into background noise. And those alternating timelines? Rather than creating intrigue, they just created confusion and drag. I tried both Kindle AND audio versions hoping something would click, but this story was determined to keep me at arm's length.

I'm giving it the extra .5 stars bc the UK version is stunning, so .5 stars for packaging. At least it'll look pretty on my shelf while collecting dust!

The vibes we're tracking:
🐌 Glacial pacing energy
🧠 Questionable decision-making
💤 Sleepwalking plot that goes nowhere
🌊 Ocean metaphors beaten to death
📚 Beautiful cover hiding disappointment

Based on other reviews, Hart's debut "Weyward" seems to be where the magic actually happened. This sophomore effort unfortunately feels like a pale imitation - all the ingredients for something special, but the recipe just didn't come together.

For a book about sirens, it's ironic how it failed to lure me in with its song. Let's hope Weyward proves to be the enchanting read this one promised but couldn't deliver!

4.5 ⭐️

"There’s something about this place, something different. It keeps its women safe.”

After loving Weyward, I knew I needed to read this, and it did not disappoint. I'm a sucker for multiple timelines, and Emilia does it so well. I always finish her books with a feeling of satisfaction that I rarely find with others.

When I tell you, I DEVOURED this, I read it every single second I could find. There were a few things I DID NOT see coming. I was so invested in the story and each character. I was angry with them, and for them, relating to them, happy with them, and jealous of them a bit. Because what I wouldn't give to feel that free.

This is a must-read you should all add to your TBRs.

**Review of *The Sirens* (ARC)**

*The Sirens* is a hauntingly beautiful novel that weaves together elements of mythology, romance, and self-discovery. The story follows its protagonist as they navigate a world where the line between reality and illusion is often blurred, with sirens acting as both literal and metaphorical forces. The prose is lyrical and immersive, drawing the reader into a world of mystery and danger.

The characters are well-developed, with their own emotional depth and motivations that make their struggles both relatable and captivating. Themes of temptation, choice, and the search for identity are explored in a way that feels both timeless and fresh. While the pacing can be slow at times, the payoff is rewarding, with a conclusion that is both thought-provoking and satisfying.

Overall, this is a mesmerizing read that will stay with you long after the final page. Perfect for fans of dark, atmospheric fantasy with a touch of the mythical.

I read the first 40% of the book by ebook and thought… I’ll wait until the book releases and listen to it on audio. AND THEN when I was able to listen early (thank you Macmillan audio 😘) the book was a lot more enjoyable for me.

What you need to know:
Lucy is a university student and wakes to find her hands around the neck of the boy she thought she may have loved. She grabs her stuff and makes her way to Comber Bay, the place her older sister moved to not to long ago. Lucy hopes that the nightmares and sleepwalking can be explained and that Jess might be able to help her. Jess and Lucy’s relationship has been strained, but Lucy feels this pull to this town full a secrets where her sister has found refuge. Only when she gets to her sister’s house Jess is nowhere to be found. Are the secrets to where her sister is linked to the towns past?


My thoughts: (warning- potential spoilers ahead)

Overall I enjoyed the book. I think I preferred listening to the book over reading it with my eyeballs. I think it you liked Weyward and even The Lost Apothecary I think you might enjoy this book, but it was a slow start for me.

Now this could be a me problem but I had a hard time knowing the difference between Eliza and Mary (even though the chapter was told in third person from Mary’s pov when we jumped to the past.) I don’t think this was because of the audio performance though.

It felt like we weren’t in the past long enough for me to differentiate between the two. I don’t know if that was the third person pov, or just me needing more info in Mary’s chapters to understand the difference between the two girls- granted they are sisters joint at the hip but still.

I thought the way Emilia wove the past chapters to the present was really creative. So I understand maybe why we weren’t in the past longer at the beginning on the book.

Audio review:
I thought Barrie Kreinik did a fantastic job on the audio and within the chapters I was able to differentiate between the characters. She switched between an Irish accent and an Australian accent and thought it was well done. Truly made me want to continue listening. The sisters did sound pretty similar when we switched over to the diary since we didn’t get much dialogue of them at the same time, so it would have been nice for that to be a little more distinct but overall it was executed well.


Thank you to Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the alc.



SPOILER:



I don’t quite know how I feel about the epilogue… kinda wished it wasn’t there at all, but I guess it did answer some questions I had, though don’t ask questions you aren’t gonna like the answer for 🫣.

2.75⭐️

Thank you NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I love a book about sisters and a sisterly bond. This was not that for me. This book definitely has an eerie-ness to it. I found the story overall intriguing. It had potential to be something really great which is the only reason I kept going. Finally the story started to unravel 75% in.
There was not much dialogue in the book which I was not fond of. It was one main character’s inter dialogue throughout the current timeline. Might be why it was hard to connect with the characters and why the story felt a little stale at times.
I also struggled with the connection and storyline to the past. I was really hoping for a WOW ending to make this read worth it. Unfortunately I didn’t happen.

The stunning cover and premise drew me in to this lush and breathtaking story about femininity, sisterhood, and the bonds that keep us together. I absolutely loved the split-timeline narrative and thought it added a unique element to the story that both juxtaposed and tied the women's tales together really beautifully. 10/10 would recommend.

Spoiler: I LOVED IT

@emiliahartbooks is truly such a talented writer and this book is a masterpiece. I’ll read anything this woman writes.

I enjoyed Weyward, but man, did I LOVE The Sirens. I was instantly hooked from the beginning and so intrigued of where the story was heading.

This is a story that has multiple timelines and multiple POVs but was still pretty easy to follow. I listened to the audiobook (thank you, @macmillan.audio ) and really enjoyed it. I reallllyyy wish it was full cast because I think this would be phenomenal then, but still it was fantastic.

If you’re into stories with magical realism, family secrets and hidden pasts, pick this one up immediately! It’s a great book to discuss with a friend, I had so much fun chatting with @chelseahudsonreads as I read.

Just published YESTERDAY so swing by your favorite indie bookshop and grab a copy. Also the @gmabookclub pick of the month!