This was a fantastic read!! I read this in a single evening and couldn’t put it down. Excellent pacing and plot. Somewhere between historical fiction and fantasy, almost speculative fiction, it’s a genre bending feminist anti-fairy tale i gobbled up

The Sirens by Emilia Hart is one of my most anticipated reads for this year. I LOVED Emilia’s previous novel, Weyward. This is another home run for me. It is a beautiful story of family, mysterious connections, and mermaids. Emilia does a fantastic job of sucking you into the story lines and plot of this multi-generational mystery. 100% a must read.

Moody and completely enthralling, The Sirens will have you binge reading into the wee hours of the night!

I should preface this review with I LOVED this book. This story is what mystical realism is all about. There was so much mystery and history. The feminine rage had me by the throat and the ending....well I will just say that the ending was worth the wait, which if I am being honest wasn't very long because I consumed this book.

You will feel all the feelings, with outrage at the front. If you are not in a place to feel these extreme emotions, you may want to put this on the backburner.

The Australian history was absolutely fascinating and the author could not have picked a better setting for this story. Even though I figured out a lot of the big mysteries prior to them being revealed, I didn't care because the writing was so excellent and I was truly engrossed in the characters. Overall, I will be singing (like a siren) this one praises for a long time. Emilia Hart has become one of my most anticipated authors and she did not disappoint with The Sirens!

The Sirens is a story of two sets of sisters told in three different timelines. While the start was a bit slow for my taste, the interwoven stories picked up and drew me into the atmospheric settings. Alternating between the lush and eerie Australian coast and the filthy bowels of a prisoner ship you learn more about the two sets of sisters with unusual secrets. The magical elements woven into this story were lush and descriptive, making you believe you could catch a flash of scales if you turned your head fast enough. As with Weyward there is a current of female rage & revenge woven into the stories that was gratifying. The timeline of Mary & Eliza was a tad too slowly told which impacted the pacing, but their story was such a wonderful part of the overarching story.. Overall this was an excellent sophomore novel of sisterhood that I will recommend widely.

I loved Weyward and was excited for the opportunity to read Emilia Hart’s The Sirens. The story had me hooked. I was able to figure out part of the mystery early on but by the end was left with several unresolved questions and theories. Overall I found the story engaging, rating this book between 3-3.5 stars. Looking forward to more books by Emilia Hart. Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin’s Publishing Group and the author for the opportunity to read and review The Sirens.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc copy of this book. All opinions expressed are entirely my own.

It's 2019. Lucy wakes up with her hands around the neck of the man she had a one night stand with. Lucy has no inclination as to how she got there, but she packs a bag and flees to her sister Jess's house in New South Wales without a heads up. Lucy arrives to find Jess missing, vehicle and phone left in the unlocked house. Naturally one would think to call the police, but after speaking with a neighbor/friend of Jess, Lucy decides to hang around and wait for Jess's return. While doing so, she keeps having vivid, yet familiar, dreams about two sisters and a distinct ship.

Time jump to 1800. Twin sisters Mary and Eliza were charged with a crime, and as punishment are on a convict ship traveling from Ireland to Australia. Once in Australia, they are to be sorted into brides or workers to fulfil their sentences. However, as revealed in present 2019 time, the ship ends up crashing and majority of those onboard perish.

There is a lot going on in this book. It jumps between Mary and Lucy for majority of the book, with some chapters in Jess's POV. The book doesn't get good until the 40-50% mark, but after that I was desperate to finish it. There are some nice twists thrown in, one of which I did partially guess, and some content thrown in meant to distract you from said twists. The epilogue definitely ties the entire thing together, and overall I think everything happened the way it should have. I don't think there's a specific genre to tie this book to, it has aspects of fantasy, mystery, murder, historical fiction, and literary fiction.

Trigger warnings - attempted rape, murder, unwanted distribution of nude photos, grooming, child sexual predator, strangulation

I first received this book as an arc, but it came when I was in the middle of reading something else so I kind of forgot about it. Two weeks ago I was in a book store and saw this book on display and picked it up because the book was so beautiful. I read the synopsis and thought, this sounds familiar, and then it hit me that I already had it. I started it right away when I got home and wish I hadn’t waited. The book is written in a way that I just fell right into the story, watching it play out in my head.
There are several different times lines and I think that was why I originally put off reading this, I’m normally not a fan, but I loved it all. Suspense, mystery, and strong female characters, what more could you ask for. I am definitely going to pick up the hardback copy next time I’m at the bookstore.

I thoroughly enjoyed this author's debut novel and wanted to see if her second novel would be as good as her first. My verdict? "The Sirens" was very good, but not quite as good as "Weyward".

"The Sirens" is a triple-timeline novel infused with a lot of magical realism. As is often the case, I personally enjoyed the historical timeline more than the present day stories.

1800's story follows twin sisters who have been banished from Ireland and forced to board a convict ship heading for Australia. The conditions aboard the ship were absolutely horrendous. The longer the girls are at sea, they notice subtle changes in their bodies...

The 1999 story stars Jess. A teenage girl who has always felt different. She has a rare allergy to water and must cleanse herself with wipes. She is ostracized by her peers and is very lonely. She is a talented artist and when her teacher singles her out, she is very vulnerable to his advances.

In the present day, Lucy travels to visit her sister Jess after an altercation with her boyfriend. She arrives to find an empty house, and she is puzzled by Jess's absence, especially because Jess is soon to participate in an art show. The small coastal town where Jess lives has been rife with speculation and suspicion. Several young men have gone missing. Years ago, a tiny baby was discovered alive in a sea cave, alone, with her mother nowhere in evidence. Even more strange - people hear the eerie sound of women singing near the shore. As the days go by, Lucy searches Jess's house for clues as to where she might be. She stumbles upon Jess's teenage diary and begins to read...

I was thoroughly engrossed in the historical narrative of this novel. It was well researched and the prose flowed well. The plight of the female convicts was heart-rending.

I guess what I didn't like was the magical realism. There was just so much of it that it crossed the line into fantasy. A genre that I really don't enjoy. Shame on me though, as I was duly warned by the publisher's description. I guess I thought it would be just lightly touched with magical realism like her first novel. However these are just my own personal reactions to the book.

Emilia Hart writes well, and her characterization and imagery are flawless. This book speaks to the strength, courage, and resilience of women over the centuries. Sisterly bonds and folklore permeate the narratives. There was a hint of mystery interjected into the plot, but you need only to read the book's title to figure it out.

Recommended to readers who enjoy historical fiction infused with elements of fantasy.

I can’t remember if this is my second or third Emilia Hart book but either way, I really liked this one. I thought the different POVs and different timelines made for such an interesting story and I loved that Emilia did that in Weyward as well. I love the blending of the past and present and the mystery that this story covers.

I took one star away for the bittersweet feeling I was left with in the end. Some people may think it’s perfect and fitting but I rate books mostly on my gut feeling and this just didn’t sit right with me in the end. I thought it was an intriguing and thought provoking mystery and was definitely an enjoyable read but I wanted something a bit tidier for the ending.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This story absolutely pulled me under—lush, haunting, and filled with raw, feminine energy. The writing was beautiful and immersive, and I *loved* the twist—totally didn’t see it coming. The sea-soaked atmosphere and sense of eerie mystery were so well done, especially in the 1800s timeline with Mary and Eliza. Their arc was the most vivid and gripping for me.

That said, I did struggle with how the three timelines—Mary and Eliza in 1800, Jess in 1999, and Lucy in 2019—connected. The emotional threads were strong, but the literal ties between the sisters from the past and the present-day women felt a little murky. I wanted just a bit more clarity around how Mary and Eliza's legacy trickled down to Jess and Lucy.

Still, this is a powerful story about sisterhood, survival, and the way the past refuses to stay buried. A mesmerizing read for fans of myth, mystery, and generational storytelling, with a haunting sense of magic just beneath the surface.

Utterly haunting and atmospheric in the best of ways. I was unsure of what to expect from The Sirens but I felt compelled to listen (no pun intended, I promise).

The writing was amazing and while the story itself was slower, it fit with the vibes and the plot, perfectly, in my opinion.

I loved the dual timeline across multiple characters, The sister dynamic was also well done and something I had not realized I was craving right now.

The mystery of the men going missing coupled with the water allergy of the women we encounter was intriguing and kept me hooked through to the end.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the advanced readers copy.

Lucy wakes up one morning with her hands wrapped around the throat of a fellow first-year uni student - a guy she had hooked up with weeks before. Stunned and terrified, she flees, driving through the night to stay with her sister Jess on the southwestern coast of Australia. When she arrives, Jess is nowhere to be found. All the while, Lucy’s dreams are filled with women - two sisters, prisoners of the British colonies, being loaded onto a ship on its way from Ireland to a penal colony in New South Wales. As Lucy explores the house, she discovers that Jess has been painting pictures of the same women. How are Jess and Lucy connected to these sisters from over two hundred years ago? And how is everything tied to a string of disappearances of men in this small coastal town?

This story is equal parts historical fiction and magical realism. The past and present-day sisters share a condition called aquagenic urticaria, a rare-but-real skin sensitivity to water, sweat, and tears. This condition makes the women feel othered, deformed, but unbeknownst to them, their gifts lie beneath the surface. I can only imagine how difficult life is for people who actually have this condition. I think Emilia Hart walked a fine line rooting this condition in reality while taking the story into the fantasy realm; while it leans into the “disability is a superpower” trope, it feels respectful. I interpreted it as what we share with our family members - our genes - can be a strength that we draw from in times of trouble.

There are some elements of the story I think some people will have issues with - namely, people who are part of non-traditional families (adoption, foster care, etc.). The subtext of the narrative carries a bit of bias against adoptive families that I don’t *think* was intentional on the author’s part, but I picked up on it nonetheless. Without spoiling anything, I think if there had been a scene or two going into how the parental figure had impacted the child figure as part of raising them (the “nurture” part of nature versus nurture), I think that bias wouldn’t have been as noticeable.

I received an e-book and an audiobook for review consideration, so I would be remiss if I didn’t mention how the audio version enhances the story for the reader. Narrator Barrie Kreinik has a lovely singing voice, bringing the sirens’ song to life within the text. During one climactic scene in the prisoners’ timeline, the melody gave me chills in the best way. Kreinik also handles the Australian and Irish accents beautifully, making it easy to distinguish between the characters as chapters transition from one sister to the next.

In The Sirens, Emilia Hart weaves a story of loss, love, sisterhood, and learning to embrace what makes us different. It feels like a modern day folk tale - one that, for fans of stories that walk the line between fantasy and reality, will continue to echo after the last page has turned.

**Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Macmillan Audio, and Emilia Hart for providing this e-book and audiobook for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.**

The Sirens was a quick read for me. I was engaged in the story the whole time. I did predict the ending but overall it was an entertaining, unique read.

What a strange but alluring story!

Roughly sixty percent of our body is made of water, and many scientists believe through evolution that creatures crawled onto of the ocean unto land and evolved into what we have today including humans. It's a fascinating thought and one that lends some credence to this story.

Presented by the author are two set of sisters, separated by hundreds of years. Mary and Eliza, taken onto a penal colony ship headed for Australia notice that their bodies are changing, not only from the harsh voyage but also in other ways. When their ship is shipwrecked that change is something that saves their lives and that of others.

Lucy and Jess are both drawn to the sea. they hear the music sung by those women beneath the ocean, and these sirens call to them. Jess has moved to a very strange town where men have disappeared, and Lucy's dreams and sleepwalking become what drives the story. Jess who has a powerful secret is also drawn to the sea, but needs to save Lucy from who she is perhaps.

The story is magical, the sea is mystical a world where the unknown is present and things thought to be mystical tales might just be real.

I was so excited to get the ARC for this because i absolutely LOVED Weyward!!!! I will say, this one was a little disappointing/underwhelming for me. I was expecting that WOW factor i got with Weyward & I just never got there. I loved the mermaid aspect of the book and i enjoyed the journal entries. It was very descriptive which made it easy to picture everything happening in the book.

However, I felt like a lot of this book was just rambling. I felt like we got so much information from Lucy that was irrelevant/not impactful of the story. There were certain things mentioned early on that seemed to be forgotten well into the story. I thought Lucy's sleepwalking was an important part but it turned out that wasn't true.

I do feel like the book picked up about 75% in but unfortunately that last 25% did not recoup the first 3/4 of the book for me. I think this will have many mixed reviews. It was a middle of the road for me. I'm hoping the next one by Emilia will be another 5 star read like Weyward was for me.

I loved the first chapter from Lucy's perspective, it felt quick and energetic, and I was pulled in when I had been hesitant, but I don't know that the energy carried all the way through. An interesting premise, but the second we go back in time it loses me. I know that's a personal preference, but I like the idea of modern explorations of sirens/mermaids versus always going back to an older time. As much as atmosphere was powerful in this book, but I don't know that it felt like the plot matched the vibes. I would give this author a try again in the future, but this didn't follow through on its promise.

Thank You to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of The Sirens. Once again, Emilia Hart, does not disappoint with this new novel. A breathtaking and suspenseful fantasy fiction of the bonds of sisterhood, female resilience, and the mystical sea. Ms. Hart is a captivating writer,, and I look forward to her next novel.

I loved the connection between the dual story lines and the take on sirens. The mystery of the story kept me engaged and wrapped up nicely. I would have loved to follow the story a little longer.

After falling in love with Emilia Hart’s Weyward, I had high hopes for The Sirens—and it delivered. Hart once again proves herself a master storyteller, blending history, myth, and female resilience into a haunting, beautifully layered novel.

Told across three timelines—2019, 1999, and 1800—The Sirens follows women connected by blood, mystery, and the pull of the sea. In the present day, Lucy’s life is unraveling after a violent dream and a missing sister. In the late ’90s, we see teenage Jess struggling with isolation and an unsettling teacher. And in the 1800s, Mary and Eliza, twin sisters torn from Ireland, begin to feel the ocean altering them in ways they can’t understand.

What makes this novel so powerful is how effortlessly Hart links these women’s lives across centuries. The sea is both danger and salvation, and the theme of sisterhood—its strength, its complexity—is the heart of the story. The pacing is tight, the atmosphere rich, and the supernatural elements feel grounded in emotional truth.

If you liked Weyward, you’ll find the same signature magic here: stories of women surviving, fighting, and carrying each other through time. The Sirens is eerie, moving, and immersive—a book that lingers after the final page.

Emilia Hart has done it again. The Sirens is a novel that will sweep the reader away. I picked it up on a whim one morning, intending to read just a few pages to see if it resonated. Seven hours later, I finished. And I can’t remember the last time a book gripped me so entirely that I had to read it in one sitting.

Having loved Weyward, I had high hopes for Hart’s latest, and she delivered with precision. Her storytelling is immersive, her themes rich with meaning—sisterhood, generational trauma, power imbalances, and the resilience of women who refuse to be broken. She exposes history with a skilled touch, revealing the harrowing reality of convict ships that carried women to Australia—something I had no idea existed. But now I find myself ready to research.

Hart’s ability to blend historical fiction with elements of magical realism is what makes The Sirens so absorbing. There’s a quality to the prose, in the ability to bend time and memories across generations. Two sets of sisters, separated by centuries, yet tied together by shared dreams and the call of the sea. The past and present, meld seamlessly, shaping a story that is haunting, lyrical, and deeply evocative.

This is a novel that will linger with the reader. Hart has once again woven a tale that is a testament to the voices of women who refuse to be silenced.