I loved Weyward and so was excited to read The Sirens. It did take me a few attempts to get into the story but eventually I was sucked in. While some of the plot points were predictable, the language was beautiful and the storyline was engaging.

If you enjoyed Weyward, like some mythical realism, and interesting female characters, I'd recommend giving this a read.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC.

Thank you to Net Galley for the pre-pub ebook.

I was so happy to really like this. I know authors do not like it when we, as readers, compare their works, but it is very hard not to do. I loved Weyward, and I'm happy to say that this is a lovely read as well. That same feeling of magic and connection and feminine strength is present throughout the entire story.

I am not normally into sirens, merrow, mermaids, whatever term you want to use, but these two storylines were woven in with the "allergen" to water seamlessly and I really enjoyed how that was written. If I had one criticism, it would be that I wish we had more an explanation of the connection at the end and the point/origin of the dream connections.

This is a wonderful piece of fiction based on some true components in history. Well done, and recommended. (I'm only bummed Hart is in London - I want a book tour here in the states!)

I LOVE MERMAIDS. OK? No ifs ands or buts. If there are mermaids, I will read it.

Rating: 4 ⭐️

"Freed from her prior inhibitions-from the compulsion to be nice, to be a good girl-she'd become something she could never have imagined being. She'd become... dangerous."

The Sirens follows two sets of sisters; two twins on a convict ship in 1800, exiled to Australia, and two sisters in 2019, plagued with memories of the twins' voyage. In 2019, we follow Lucy as she slowly uncovers the circumstances of her birth, the mysteries surrounding her sister, the rumors of missing men, and the voyage in 1800. She slowly discovers that maybe they're all not quite... human.

I'm probably biased because well, mermaids, but this was really good! By the halfway point I had my theories locked down, so I sat my mom down and explained my hypothesis. Emilia Hart did a great job of creating the mystery and leaving little hints and clues. I wish it would let me post my highlights because my annotations were filled with AHA!! I knew it!!

This was an interesting take on the classic siren tale. All the girls were plagued with a rare skin condition (in 2019, called aquagenic urticaria) in which their skin changed when in contact with water. Seeing it as a threat, they never went near water. Ever. However, they were constantly drawn to it, sleepwalking into pools or baths in the middle of the night. The whole time I was like, PLEASE! GO INTO THE WATER!

Despite the 200+ year difference in the two storylines, they were interconnected and complimented each other well. The events surrounding the convict ship in 1800 were related the mysteries and strange phenomenon in 2019. Both sets of sisters also went through the same physical and mental changes. Sometimes, I find parallel storylines disjointed or boring, but here, it was done well.

As one of three sisters, I also love a sister-story. Love you, Tori and Katie ❤️ Respect to sisters.

Overall, The Sirens was haunting, mysterious, feminist, and altogether, compelling. Strap in for its release in early 2025, because you're in for a fun ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me early access to The Sirens in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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Pre-read:
I got the arcccccc. I saw sirens 🧜🏽‍♀️ and I went, enough said 😤

Book Review
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
(Author of Weyward)

What Its Got
Dual timelines
Multiple POV
Myths and mermaids
Missing people
Secrets
Sexual assault/harassment
Sisterly bonds
Female empowerment

Thoughts
Slow start
Atmospheric
Heavy at times
Felt like a retelling of the Little Mermaid

Overall
A Solid read but Not my favourite from this author- there were parts of the story that were a bit predictable and parts that dragged
I did enjoy the historical aspects of the Irish women convicts and their journey on the ship that brought them to Australia’s shores

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Another spellbindingly atmospheric multi-timeline novel about the bonds of sisterhood and the magical lure of the sea. Spanning centuries, this newest novel from Emilia Hart follows two Irish sisters in the 1800s who are sent to the penal colony in Australia and their terrible experience aboard the cargo ship at the hands of the crew.

It also follows two sisters in modern day Australia as younger sister Lucy travels to the coast to visit her older sister Jess only to find her missing. Both sets of sisters have a link with the sea and a severe allergy to water that causes their skin to react horribly and both are treated badly by men who take advantage of their situations.

Amazing on audio narrated by one of my favs, Barrie Kreinik, with an interesting author interview included at the end. Highly recommended for fans of books like The exiles by Christina Baker Kline or The museum of extraordinary things by Alice Hoffman. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Having loved Weyward, I was very excited to read The Sirens. I was not disappointed in the least. In fact, I think I have found my new favorite author!

The beginning of the story is replete with mysteries. Hart does a great job of building tension throughout, as we try to figure out the different pieces of the puzzle. Some of the themes are similar to Weyward, including women overcoming hardships, especially at the hands of men. I loved how the mysteries are revealed bit by bit and developed to a feeling of resolution at the end.

I think you will find that this is a book that is always calling to you to read - like a siren’s call.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

A blend of fantasy and historical that remains more serious and upsetting than the cozy, whimsical feel the promotion and cover evoke. A good read but plenty of triggering situations.

Absolutely loved this novel. It is so beautifully written. The story draws you in and keeps you there! Full of emotion, and keeps you needing to flip the page.

This book started off promising. The dual timeline was not my favorite and neither was the mermaid part. But overall a decent book.

Eliza and Mary are considered criminals in Ireland and forced on a convict ship for Australia. They are packed like sardines with other women. We learn of their time in Ireland and what led to their arrest. Then we learn of Jess and Lucy in 2019 and their life. What a hauntingly poignant story of sisters and history. This story will sit with me for quite some time.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an eARC of this book via NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press. All thoughts and opinions are my own.
Rating: 4/5 Stars
Publishing: April 1, 2025
Pages: 352

“The Sirens” is a first time read by author, Emilia Hart for this reader. Having been in a reading slump, this book put me back into the frame of why I love to read. Although it has a bit of creepiness to it, I could not put it down until the end. The heroine suffers a traumatic event in her life and sets off the visit Cliff House to visit her sister and someone who might be able to guide her through what she is going through. I found the story to be haunting and quite frankly thought it to be just another mystery type of read. The plot was good, and it is a well-written book about the bonds between two sisters and uncovering secrets of their family. My only drawback is the flashbacks. I tend to shy away from novels such as these, but this one was worth the read. Enjoyed and highly recommend.

The characters were kind of bland. The story line was interesting it just didnt move quick enough or snare me the way I needed it to keep me entertained.

𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒔 was a story of strength, grit and resilience…absolutely a female empowerment novel, as was the case with Weyward. In 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒔, Emilia Hart’s 2nd novel, she weaves a tale of fantastical feminism and sisterhood. Emilia’s writing is captivating and with this 2nd novel she has proven she’s here to stay. I can’t wait to see what she writes about next.

This was a very atmospheric novel with a slow and steady pacing, which really suited the story.

Things you’ll find in this story…

🧜🏻‍♀️Trafficking / Kidnapping / Slavery
🧜🏻‍♀️Murder
🧜🏻‍♀️Grooming
🧜🏻‍♀️Gaslighting
🧜🏻‍♀️Sexual Assault
🧜🏻‍♀️Family secret
🧜🏻‍♀️Sisterhood
🧜🏻‍♀️Strong Female MCs

I loved the audiobook for this one because the song they sing is so calming that I’d like to listen to it to fall asleep. This would be a perfect book to read while sitting on the beach with the sound of the ocean waves in the background, just immersing yourself in the story. 𝑻𝒉𝒆 𝑺𝒊𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒔 definitely should be shopped for a movie adaptation for sure.

I love Emilia Hart’s prose and how she weaves a story. I was a bit apprehensive about The Sirens because Weyward was difficult for me to finish. I did not have that same issue with The Sirens, if anything I plowed through this one in no time because I was so invested in the story!

Some parts were a little predictable, though well executed. I enjoyed how Mary and Eliza’s story was intertwined with Jess and Lucy’s, though I wish there had been a little more “meat” to Mary and Eliza. I really enjoyed the otherworldly vibe of this story,

Thank you to NetGalley, SMP, and Emilia Hart for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you Net Galley for this ARC! Going into this book, I was excited because of the synopsis but I just couldn’t get into it. I didn’t particularly resonate with or find myself interested in the characters all that much. However, if your reading vibe is the dark, mysterious, historical fiction realm, this here is for you!

I really loved Weyward so I was excited to get approved to not just read this but I was also approved for the audiobook, so I will be reviewing both.
Sirens has a very similar vibe to Weyward, so if you were a fan of that you will not be disappointed. This book has it all, strong female leads, mystery, fantasy…it’s an epic tale and a real page turner.
It follows two timelines. In 2019, we meet Jess and Eliza, sisters who have a lot more in common than they realize and a lot to learn about each other. Each sister is being called and on a strange journey of their own.
In 1800, we meet Mary and Eliza, similarly afflicted sisters who are making their way on a convict ship heading to Australia. They will face great peril and many obstacles to learn the truth about themselves and why they are called to the sea.
Female empowerment is the over encompassing theme of this book. It is told in an engaging way with well developed characters that you really care about.
The audiobook by Macmillan Audio is a joy to listen to and is narrated by Barrie Kreinik. She does an amazing job and even sings in part of it and she has a gorgeous voice! I highly recommend it!

I love Emilia Hart’s writing. Although this book was easy to guess what would happen I still enjoyed the story. The historical connection was interesting, and the relationships between these family members will be relatable for people.

I really enjoyed Emilia Hart's first book, Weyward, and The Sirens was an excellent sophomore novel. I loved the sections from 1800, following twins Mary and Eliza, who are Irish convicts bound for Australia. There's always a suspension of disbelief when an author has one character read another character's diary in bits and pieces, instead of all at once. So while I was able to figure out most (but not the last) of the twists and revelations before the characters did, I still found the various timelines and Hart's writing compelling.

Thanks NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced copy of this book.

I devoured this book in two days. I had so many questions that needed to be answered. I love multiple timelines and when narration switches in stories so going back and forth between Lucy and Mary and then eventually Jess was so fun to read. I will give a heads up that it’s a slow start but, it’s all necessary information for the story that follows. One thing that bugged me is that Hart foreshadowed enough to the point where when I first heard of the cave I immediately thought “oh just look there”. I see why she didn’t now but…I still would have looked lol. Regardless, such a great plot. I enjoyed learning about these two set of sisters and how their bond through extreme turmoil remains resolute. Books like this can’t help but make me wish I had a sister but luckily I can settle for reading books like Hart’s. If you enjoy reading books with suspense, historical fiction, and sisterly bonds this will be your next read come February.

Thank you to Emilia Hart, St. Martin’s Press, and NetGalley.

I was really excited to get an early copy of The Sirens, as I enjoyed the author's last book, Weyward so much. Unfortunately this one fell flat for me. The story was told in a similar way to Weyward in that it was told from two timelines in alternating chapters. I really enjoyed the start of the book, but as I read on there were a lot of things that were confusing to me, and I didn't really feel like the end was tied up nicely. The plot twists were predictable, and the story seemed very slow.
On a positive note, the writing is gorgeous, but this book was just not for me.