Full of female rage, sisterly bonds, and complicated mother-daughter relationships. Absolutely loved it

Emilia Hart's 2nd novel, The Sirens, intertwines two timelines, exploring themes of sisterhood, resilience, and the captivating lure of the sea. The narratives alternate between 2019 and the early 1800s, following the lives of two sets of sisters whose stories become intricately connected.​

In 2019, Lucy awakens from a disturbing dream to find herself attempting to harm her ex-lover. Shaken, she travels to her sister Jess's secluded home on the Australian coast, only to discover Jess is missing. As Lucy delves into the mystery of her sister's disappearance, she uncovers unsettling family secrets and a deep connection to the coastal town's folklore. She is visited by vivid dreams and an increasing pull towards the sea, blurring the lines between reality and myth.​

The 2nd timeline, set in the 1800s, follows Irish sisters Mary and Eliza, who are condemned to sail from Ireland to New South Wales on a prison ship. As they endure the harrowing voyage, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in themselves, suggesting a mystical bond with the ocean. Their story sheds light on the brutal conditions faced by female convicts and the transformative power of embracing one's true nature.​ Hart does a good job here of capturing mystical realism elements, as she did in her prior book, Weyward, but the story here is more complex and often slow at times.

The dual timelines are woven together seamlessly, creating a story that highlights the enduring strength of women across generations. The novel's exploration of folklore, particularly the mythology surrounding sirens and mermaids, adds a layer of enchantment to the narrative.
The Sirens is a mesmerizing blend of history, mystery, and magical realism that lingers long after the final page. It has a rich narrative, strong female protagonists, and an atmosphere dripping with intrigue; perfect for readers who appreciate stories about resilience, sisterhood, and the power of the past shaping the present.

The beginning had me spooked but I am one to get that way easily, so immediately I had goosebumps from the story of Lucy, fleeing to be with her sister, Jess. The book jumps timelines from the past 1800s with twins Mary and Eliza who are exiled from Ireland and set sail for Australia to current day with Lucy AND flashbacks to Jess' childhood through her journal. I was quickly drawn into the exploration of generational trauma and the power of sisterhood, but I was really moved by the women's resilience. Highly recommend this book to those that love wordplay and metaphorical language, as Hart paints vivid pictures of human nature and its connection to the world. Thank you St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for a digital copy in exchange for my honest review.

My Quick Takes:
- 4/5 stars ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
- Language 🤐 strong
- Spice ❤️‍🔥 a few instances of fade to black and vague open-door all in the past
- Content 🤔 infertility, miscarriage, assault

I really enjoyed all the different plot elements at play: historical events, mysterious family past, dual timeline, multiple points of view, missing persons case/podcast, folklore, magical realism. It all combined together to weave an alluring tale.

The history of how Australia came to be populated under the crown has always intrigued me and I enjoyed the history and insight into how it happened, and how bleak it all truly was.

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗦𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘀 is a beautiful, haunting read that left me spellbound! If you’re a fan of mermaid folklore and in the mood for something with a darker, eerie vibe that will send a few shivers up your spine, I highly recommend diving in to this one! Emilia Hart’s writing has an almost dreamlike quality to it as she intertwines themes of sisterhood, family secrets, and female resilience with the magic and mystery of the sea.

The story centers around two sets of sisters across three different timelines. In the 1800s, Mary and Eliza are forced aboard a convict ship headed from Ireland to Australia. In 2019, after a terrifying sleepwalking incident at college, Lucy flees to her older sister’s house in a rural coastal Australian town - only to discover that her sister, Jess, is missing. When she finds Jess’s diary, the story shifts to 1999 where Lucy uncovers deep family secrets connecting the sisters in unexpected ways, both to each other and to the town’s dark past - from the sinking of a convict ship in the 1800s to the discovery of an abandoned baby in a sea cave in the 1980s, and the unsolved disappearance of several men over the years. The deeper Lucy dives into this web of mysteries, the more she struggles to separate her dreams from reality and to resist the mysterious, unrelenting pull of the sea.

It took me a little while to get into this one, but once the mystery began to unfold, I couldn’t put it down! I love stories about sisters, and this was emotional, thought provoking, and so satisfying - especially for the men who get what’s coming to them. I loved Hart’s attention to detail and historical research that brought each timeline to life. While the premise of this book was a bit unusual, after suspending reality and letting Hart’s beautiful writing sweep me away on a dark tide to a faraway time and place, I absolutely loved it!

Thank you St. Martin’s Press for the eARC!

Thank you to the author and publisher for the Net Galley arc, it was greatly appreciated.
I enjoyed this book so much. It had various aspects of mysteriousness and will keep you guessing.
My favorite was the setting the story took place in (sea) and the timeframe of the 1800's which is one of my favorite times to read in, really anything from 1500's to 1800's I love! It left one of the most lasting impressions of how strong women evolve and how women can empower each other more, especially in a time such as the 1800's when women did not have a voice.
I would highly recommend to anyone who enjoys mysteries/fantasy themes and if you read Weyward (if you haven't, you should)!

This dual timeline story involves a young woman, Lucy, whose nightmares lead her to wake up strangling her ex. Running scared trying to understand what is going on she flees to her sister Jess's house hours away in Comber Bay. What she finds upon arriving there is her sister missing and their family secrets coming up everywhere...in her dreams, in her sister's journal, and in the very contents of her sister's house. In the other timeline we are thrust back to the 1800s and a story of the Irish women who were brought to Australia as prisoners. More specifically focused on how two sisters, Mary and Eliza, make it through the horrific sea voyage.

As we flip between timelines more and more of the mystery is revealed. How are the women from the 1880s connected to the present day woman? Why are the men disappearing? Why is it that the two women have in present day have a strange skin condition and where did it come from?

Having read and LOVED Weyward, I had high hopes for this one. And The Sirens did not disappoint! This book weaves mystery, mystical creatures, women's literature and historical fiction together in an engrossing tale of the power of women, not only as individuals but as supporters of each other.

happy pub day to this HAUNTINGLY beautiful book

I was lucky enough to get my hands on this a few months ago (thank you @netgalley) & I was completely enthralled by the eerie Australian setting, complex characters, & mix of historical fiction + “magical realism/folklore” connections

IMO this book did have a few flaws with its pacing & some parts of the plot (esp the ending 🤔 🤔 🤔)

but I still think it’s worth a read if you enjoy
🧜‍♀️ nautical Australian setting
🧜‍♀️ genre-bending stories (historical fiction + “magical realism” + mystery)
🧜‍♀️ multiple POVs including different time frames (2019, 1999, & 1800)
🧜‍♀️ stories that tackle the female experience, particularly trauma & the healing process, ultimately providing a story of empowerment

is this book on your radar? if you’ve read, tell me your thoughts! 🧜‍♀️ 🌊 🐟

I love Weywerd and was so happy to receive this arc. The Sirens started off very slow and I couldn't see the connection or where the story could possibly go. But as things started to connect, I was more interested and wanted to continue. The present day storyline was more successful in my opinion, I think I skimmed too much of the past timeline so missed some of the connections & highlights. The female empowerment message was done great.

I recommended to other readers & friends to read this one slower so they do not miss anything.

This book was a unique and beautiful story of women finding out who they are. Definitely read if you like multiple POVs and timelines, mythology/folklore, strong women, found family, shocking truths, and emotional stories. I don't usually read books with these types of themes but I absolutely loved this one and thought it was perfect for the spring. It is full of mysteries and it a page turner that you don't want to miss!

Lots of twists and turns, this book combines many genres but at the heart of it is about the love between two sets of sisters born hundreds of years apart. With a touch of magical realism The Sirens would make a lovely book club pick. I stalled a bit halfway through but once I pushed through I was happy to read the rest of the story. Thanks to netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press as well as the author for this ARC in exchange for my honest opinion.
#NetGalley #St.Martin’sPress #EmiliaHart #TheSirens #Fiction #MagicalRealism #HistoricalFiction #Fiction #Book #BookReviews

Title: The Sirens
Author: Emilia Hart
Format: eBook
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Publication Date: April 1, 2025
Themes: Family, Feminism, Sisterhood
Trigger Warnings: Death of mother, childbirth, pregnancy, misogynism

Happy Publication Day to The Sirens and Emilia Hart!
This is perfect for fans of the author's previous work, Wayward. This historical novel tells the dual timeline story of four strong women learning to survive in a world filled with injustice. Lucy is having dreams that are a little too real. Lucy’s sister, Jess, is missing and is hiding some dark secrets. Mary and Eliza twins that are forced onto a prison ship in their home of Ireland and headed to Australia. They experience some changes in their body that are confusing to say the least.

This is a beautifully written book. The author’s grand and sweeping imagery makes this book into a picture window for the imagination. That was my very favorite part of Weyward, her first novel, and was no exception for this novel. The scenes and settings leapt to life in my head as I read. I love how the settings tended to reflect the feelings and moods of the characters as well. The characters were a little tough for me. I didn’t have much of a connection with them. I appreciate that the female struggle was the theme of this novel and I can relate, but I didn’t feel a lot for these characters. I feel they could have been better established.

All in all, I would recommend this book for fans of the author’s other work. Ms. Hart is a talented author. I liked this book but not as much as I liked Weyward. I will, however, continue to read Ms. Harts’ work.

"Sirens" by Emilia Hart is one of those books that is so good you forget where you are while reading it. This story of two pairs of sisters, separated by hundreds of years but who share a mysterious bond that will shock and delight any reader, absolutely enchanted me. Ms. Hart deftly juxtaposes multiple genres, including fantasy, historical fiction, and mystery; weaving an intriguing and enthralling tale of girl power and sisterhood. Written beautifully, I was swept up and along by the tide of the author's words, and I found the tone to be positively hypnotic. The characters emerged from the pages and became vibrantly alive as I devoured page after page of this riveting story. Though I know many readers were disappointed that this book was not offered by the Book of the Month Club as an April selection, it is well worth spending the money and picking it up at your local bookstore.

I eagerly await Ms. Hart's next book and thank her, the publisher, and NetGalley for the privilege of reading an advanced digital copy of this fabulous book. Five, bright shiny stars!

✨ A Hauntingly Beautiful Tale of Sisterhood, Secrets, and the Sea ✨

The Sirens by Emilia Hart was exactly the atmospheric, magical read I was hoping for. The story weaves together two timelines, both centered around resilient women bound by their connection to the ocean and each other.

Set over 200 years apart, the dual narratives follow Lucy and Jessica in 2019 and Mary and Eliza in the 1800s. Lucy, running from her own dark secrets, finds herself searching for her estranged sister Jess in the remote, stormy Comber Bay. At the same time, Mary and Eliza are being forcibly transported from Ireland to Australia, enduring unimaginable hardships on their journey. Their paths may be separated by centuries, but the themes of survival, sisterhood, and the haunting pull of the sea tie them together beautifully.

The way Emilia Hart captures the raw power of the ocean and its pull on these women was mesmerizing. The prose is lush, vivid, and feels almost dreamlike at times, with descriptions so detailed that I could practically feel the cold spray of the sea and hear the whispers of siren songs.

While the dual timeline structure kept me hooked, I did feel more invested in the present-day storyline with Lucy and Jess. The secrets surrounding their family and the eerie mysteries of Comber Bay were gripping. However, the historical timeline with Mary and Eliza, while tragic and powerful, felt slightly underdeveloped in comparison. I would have loved more time spent exploring their journey and their gradual transformation.

The biggest strength of this novel is its atmosphere. Emilia Hart creates a world where the magic feels real and the darkness lurking beneath the surface is palpable. The twists were well-executed, even if a few of them were predictable. What really stayed with me were the emotional threads of acceptance, resilience, and what it means to find yourself after everything you once believed in has crumbled away.

A huge thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for giving me the chance to read this beautifully haunting story ahead of its release.

✨ WHAT I LIKED:
📌 The haunting, almost lyrical prose that captured the ocean’s power and mystery.
📌 The dual timelines that added complexity and intrigue.
📌 Lucy’s determination and the complicated relationship with her sister Jess.
📌 The eerie, mysterious atmosphere of Comber Bay.
📌 The subtle magic and the siren lore woven into both timelines.
📌 The exploration of sisterhood and personal transformation.
📌 How the past and present were skillfully intertwined to create a compelling story.

✨ TROPES:
📌 Dual timelines.
📌 Sisterhood and family secrets.
📌 Magical realism.
📌 Found family.
📌 Strong female protagonists.
📌 Survival against all odds.
📌 Atmospheric, coastal small town setting.
📌 Historical fantasy.

The Sirens
by Emilia Hart
Pub Date: Apr 01 2025

The Sirens is a haunting mystery with unexpected twists and turns told between three different time lines, 2019, 1999 and 1800. This book is a beautifully written story that blends fantasy and historical fiction, a tale of women, sisters, mothers, friendship, and family bonds. A spellbinding novel about sisters separated by centuries, but bound together by the sea. To anyone the likes historical fiction, fantasy and mystery I highly recommend this book!

Many thanks to #NetGalley, #StMartinsPress and #TheSirens for providing me an E-ARC of this wonderful read!

I just finished The Sirens by Emilia Hart, and honestly, it didn’t grab me the same way Weyward did. Hart still writes beautifully, and the historical connections mixed with magical elements were interesting enough, but the story felt slower and less compelling overall. I didn't connect as deeply with the characters this time around, and some plot points felt predictable. If you loved Weyward, you might still enjoy aspects of this, but for me, it lacked the emotional depth and originality that made her previous novel so special.

2023’s WEYWARD was an enchanting, engrossing, top read of the year that had me eager to see what came next for Emilia Hart. Two years later, THE SIRENS is here — and the wait was worth it.

Bouncing between 2019, 1999, and 1800, THE SIRENS follows women on the run (to? from?) and the pull of the ocean beckoning them home. Exiled from Ireland, 16-year-old twins Mary and Eliza board a ship bound for Australia. In 2019, Lucy flees her university, running to the one person she believes could help: her estranged older sister Jess. Only, when she reaches Jess’s home, there’s no sign of her.

Instead, Jess’s paintings reveal the strange dreams Lucy has been having. Dreams of long-forgotten women whose lilting Irish lullabies Lucy should have no way of knowing or understanding. Dreams of women with skin like hers — always hidden from view, careful to avoid water and the harm it brings.

Emilia Hart is no one-trick pony. THE SIRENS is lush and imaginative. So richly-detailed I could smell the salty air, hear the waves crashing on the shore. Hart writes novels for women, about women, and she provides the justice so many of their stories lack. This was a fantastic read that held me captive and I am thrilled to see where Hart goes from here!

I went into this book with the HIGHEST of hopes because I really enjoyed her previous book, Wayward, and the premise of this book sounded so interesting and amazing… but I feel like by the end I was wanting more. I am not sure if the book needed to be longer, but I felt like things needed to be rounded out more.

The Sirens follows two sets of sisters, Mary & Eliza in the year 1801, as well as Jess and Lucy in the year 2019. Lucy starts having dreams about the sisters Mary and Eliza, and she starts to realize that they may have some things in common.

As someone who has a huge fear of the ocean, the way Emilia Hart describes the ocean, and the magic of it, it made me question my fear… but only for a second. She makes the ocean a very feminine thing, something that will protect us, especially from the awful men of the world. As much as I clicked with the ocean, I just didn’t click with the actual characters of this story. Nothing they did wrong, I just for some reason didn’t always agree with their actions, their reasonings for things, or just them.

The thing about this story, too, is that it is very predictable, like you pretty much know what will happen in the end, but to me that didn’t matter because I was excited for the journey there… but I felt like all the different storylines were just not executed to their full potential. I just feel like we were left wanting more.

ALSO, one of the most interesting storylines that I was actually super invested in was just like wrapped up quickly in the epilogue.. and was just weird.
I dont know, this book just had SO MUCH POTENTIAL, and I feel like it was kind half-assed.

Thank you so much to NetGalley & St. Martins Press for an eARC in exchange for my honest thoughts.

The Sirens is a dual timeline story that follows two sets of sisters. Mary and Eliza are twin sisters living in the 1800s who are taken from Ireland on a convict ship bound for Australia. The further out to sea they travel, the more their bodies inexplicably begin to change. After enduring unimaginable hardships aboard the Naiad, the sisters vow to make cruel, abusive men pay, and they embrace their newfound freedom and identities to do so. In 2019, Lucy has a bizarre dream and awakens to find herself in the middle of attacking an ex-lover. Remembering that her sister, Jess, was also prone to sleepwalking, Lucy flees to Jess's house in hopes that she can explain what is going on. When Lucy arrives in the small coastal town, she discovers that her sister is missing. As she awaits her sister's return, Lucy learns that this town holds many secrets, including mysterious deaths, strange voices from the sea, and the truth of the sisters' past.

The Sirens contains the wonderful writing, atmospheric setting, and female empowerment that I expected from Emilia Hart. I love the idea of women banding together to overcome abuse and injustice, and this story definitely checked that box for me. I also enjoyed the dual timeline and learning how the main characters' lives were all intertwined. I did feel like parts of the story were slow and didn't hold my interest as well, but things picked up a bit at the end.

The book is ok, but it did not pull me in like the previous book Wayward did. I never really connected with the characters, and bits and pieces felt out of place or had no explanation as to why decisions were made.

I did like the past and present, the story was interesting, and the vivid descriptions. The historical mystery did hold my interest.

Thank you to the NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advanced copy; this is my voluntary review.