A really good story about female resilience and the relationship between sisters in different time periods. This story hold your interest with lots of twists and turns and a very interesting ending. Definitely recommend this book.

Weyward was such a wonderful read that I was excited to be able to preview sirens prior to its release date. Another beautifully written story of finding your way and navigating complicated yet loving relationships. A beautifully written novel about history, ships , convicts, dual timelines, and sisterhood. This book is full of mystery and discovery. Great read!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

I admit that I might not’ve been the best reader for this one- “sisterly love” is not one of my preferred plots. I’ve seen a lot of love for Weyward and wanted to branch out and see what she was about! I pushed through and wasn’t unpleased with the ending.

The prologue was a lot more chilling, and I was left a bit disappointed with how it didn’t really align with the way the book went. But on the other hand, I’m happy that it ended in a more satisfying way for the MC, Lucy.

It was well written and of course I didn’t see the main plot twist coming (I never do, it seems). I wouldn’t re-read since it wasn’t really my cup of tea, but I’m glad I finished it and can cross it off my list. A really solid book, all things considered!

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think my expectations were too high after reading and loving Weyward by the same author. After reading this, I was left wanting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and Emilia Hart for this ARC!

I read one of Weyward as part of one of my book club picks, and was super excited to check out this new book! The title definitely hooked me, I feel like sirens are rarely written about in newer fantasy books!

As someone who tends to have a hard time enjoying/following along with a dual timeline, I didn't think that this book gave me quite as hard of a time as I thought it would have. I do think some themes from her previous novel carry into this one, specifically how women are connected through different generations, but I didn't find it repetative as I read.

Such an atmospheric book and I loved the writing style!

A magical, haunting story that will stick with you. I loved this book. The mystery and the eloquence Emilia used to bring it all together was beautiful!

Highly recommend preordering this one!

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for my ARC.

This was a tough book to get through and I find with dual timelines, if both story lines aren’t equally strong, it’s hard to keep reading when one POV story line ends and the weaker POV story line picks up again. And this book suffered from that issue. I found the historical timeline much more interesting with higher stakes and deeper characters. And then, when we switched back to Lucy, things fell flat. In the very beginning, she held her own in this novel, but as time went on, Lucy’s timeline weakened and I started to not be as invested in her character or her journey.

Without getting in to too much detail, I also feel that the end did not payoff like it should have and not all of my questions were answered.

For these two big reasons, I had to give it three stars.

I really enjoyed this book. I loved the aspect of the mermaids and I always love dual POVs. One bit of feedback...goats/sheep do not neigh, they bleed. Horses neigh.

A wonderful feminist tale of an historical fiction with powerful characters. This is my first contact with this author's work. Different time lines, different narratives, relatable with strong imagery.

The cover art, the suggestion of sirens, and the mystery of the missing sister pulled me into this book immediately!

We are just dropped into it with Lucy waking up with her hands around a boys throat; we follow Lucy in her desperate fear to get away from everything that's happened at school and can only trust that her sister Jess will be able to shelter her, in spite of their distant relationship recently. We get multiple POV; mostly we follow Lucy and her modern day waiting game and Mary's who is trapped as a convict on a ship with her sister, bound for lands unknown (to her).

Its hard for me to review without spoilers. The first half of the book was great, I loved the build up, I loved the intensity of Lucy's emotions, turmoil, and eventual intrigue into her sister's life all while waiting and hoping Jess returns home soon. The explanation of WHERE Jess was for the missing time wasn't realistic or believable for me, it felt lack lustre compared to the rest of the story. Lucy was the best part of this story, and her journal through the truth of the town, what happened, the history she digs up for everything was the only part keeping me reading. Mary and Eliza's story comes to a good conclusion, their influence throughout was great.

Overall, great read. If you're thinking of reading it, Id recommend diving in (excuse the pun)!

I would give this book more of a 2.5 stars. The premise was super interesting, and I was really excited to be selected to read it. Unfortunately, the story spends a lot of time building up to a very underwhelming conclusion. I think if executed differently I would’ve really been a fan. I love the power of sisters concept and you definitely get initially sucked in, but it falls off a bit in an effort to wrap everything up.

Emilia Harts debut book, Weyward, was one of my top books of last year so The Sirens had BIG shoes to fill. It didn’t quite fill them but I still really enjoyed the book.

The Sirens follows two sisters in the 1800s as they’re taken away on a prisoner ship and modern day of a girl whose body is going through strange changes as she begins to have intense dreams of sirens.

I absolutely love the way Emilia Hart writes. Her writing has such a whimsical feel to it. The way she describes the changes the women are going through in such a way that you can feel it yourself. I think the story would’ve felt more magical if one of the POVs wasn’t in modern times. For some reason, that just took me out of the story. I also felt like the ending was wrapped up too quickly with no real satisfying resolution.

I can’t wait to read what Emilia Hart will write next. 🧜🏻‍♀️
Thank you to NetGalley for this ARC!

This book was fantastic.

A huge thank you to NetGalley and St Martins Press for my advanced copy of The Sirens.

Amelia Hart is a new favorite author of mine.

The Sirens was beautifully written and has something for every reader. History, mystery, adventure and fantasy.

I was a huge big of the dual timelines, multiple POVs and diary entries.

Being able to read this book prior to its release has been such a privilege. I look forward to reading more by this author and highly recommend her previous novel Weyward.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart tells 2 stories. The first is present day Lucy and her sister Jess. The second is Mary and Adelia who in 1800s get sent to Australia by ship. The stories converge at the end.

A part real part mythical story that kept me reading. All though the writing was good it was some what on the dark side. Lucy is the most relatable character. All are very strong female characters. I felt I wanted to learn more about the sirens.

Thank you NetGalley and St Martin’s Press for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Emila Hart has become one of my favorite authors. Weyward was a beautiful debut and Sirens is just as amazing and became such a favorite read of mine this fall.

A historical fantasy, our history element is a prison ship filled with woman heading to New South Wales (Australia) and two sisters experience during this journey. Our present timeline is focused on Lucy as she discovers her family secrets and what happened to her sister Jess.

A time, this story felt predictable but Hart does a great job adding twists and reveals amongst the predictable. This story is beautifully written, with painful parts but also heartfelt moments.

I’m looking forward to when this one is published next year because I need to add it to my collection. The cover is stunning and I can see my self wanting to reread this one in the future.

I love Weyward, so I was SO excited to read The Sirens. It was unexpected in the most wonderful way. The book description does a great job hooking the reader. I don’t want to give anything away. The writing was lovely and haunting and beautiful and the ending was perfect.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25

🎧Song Pairing: Daughter of the Sea - Eliott Tordo Erhu (I wanted a female sung sea shanty and wow look that collection up. She a MOOD)

💭What I thought would happen:

Sirens…mermaids I mean if it’s not I’ll be very sadly disappointed (note: no disappointment here)

📖What actually happens:

1800s - transportation of female prisoners from
Ireland to New South Wales. Women accused to petty crimes who said F*** you to the man.

Current Year - Lucy wakes up strangling a classmate who f*cked her then posted her naked on the internet. She decides to flee to her sister for help and is confused to find her missing.

🗯Thoughts/sassy musings:

This one comes out April 2025 and I’ve already read and reviewed?! Who in the hell am I 😂 lots of changes coming spring so best to do it now!

Ya’ll….need words to describe this book but woah just seems best. It’s soo atmospheric. I swear I could feel salt water on my face and a chill to my bones while reading.

It has mystery, question marks on the past, 2 very different timelines, revenge on men, magic & family ties. Need I say more?

Overall, a slow burn so maybe brace for that but I also desperately wanted to savour it. I learned a LOT about New South Wales/Australia. 🤓

Can’t wait to hear others thoughts! Especially the fans of Weyward!

This is a fantasy/historical fiction book that is told in a dual timeline. One timeline takes place in the past and follows sisters as they are forced to leave their home in Ireland and placed on a ship to a new home. As they are on the ship, they realize they are starting to change.
The present day story follows another family and to be honest, I liked this storyline better than the past. It starts with Lucy as she is fleeing from her college to visit her sister that she has been a bit estranged from. Lucy had an unfortunate event that happened with a male student at her college and she needs time away to help heal. When she arrives at her sister's home, she discovers her sister is missing and appears to have been taken.

I loved the other book by this author, but this one was pretty confusing to me. I liked the present storyline much more than the past. I feel a little more editing needs to take place in the past storyline to help it read better.

3 stars, but I will continue to read future books by this author.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of The Sirens by Emilia Hart in exchange for an honest review.

The Sirens is a fantasy that dives into the lives of four women across different timelines while they explore sisterhood, self-discovery, and empowerment. I was really drawn to our fmc Lucy’s struggles and how they where betrayed. Cyberbullying and complex family/sibling relationships aren't often portrayed in books yet alone accurately so I really enjoyed getting that from this book. I loved the lore around the mermaids and the world that Emilia crafted. In addition the alternating POVs perspective, and the vivid descriptions of the eerie seaside setting really added to the atmosphere of the book. While I appreciated the character development I found some parts a bit slow, which made it hard for me to stay fully engaged at times. It was also darker than I thought it was going to be. The story goes into some heavy themes and emotional struggles that can be quite intense. There were a few mysteries that felt unresolved, especially concerning character motivations and some of the plot twists. I also wished there was a clearer connection to the siren elements; those aspects felt a bit underexplored and could have added even more depth to the story.
Overall, although the book had its beautiful moments and great themes, it didn’t quite grasp me as much as I hoped it would. That said, I still found it to be a great read with plenty to enjoyment, and so I would still recommend this book!
I am looking forward to what Emilia writes next!
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a copy of the arc for an honest review :)

I loved Emilia Hart's Weyward, so I was excited to see a new book from her. The Sirens did not disappoint.
Atmospheric, and eerie- I loved the story telling. Much like Weyward, The Sirens is a book about female strength through the generations. While sharing a message, I think The Sirens offers a very different vibe.
It was weird, and perhaps predictable at times, but I couldn't put it down. I very much enjoyed the 2 timelines to unravel the story.

I especially think you'll enjoy this if you're a fan of Weyward.
Thanks to Netgalley and St. Martin's for an early copy for review.