I really enjoy Emilia Hart's writing style, the prose was amazing. I did have a hard time connecting to the characters which I feel is important in women's fiction.

Emilia Hart crafts a tale of women’s fiction with mysterious mermaids, resilience, and overcoming trauma. Lucy and Jessica dream of Eliza and Mary, twin sisters from 200 years ago forced to Australia on a convict ship. As they dream, Lucy and Jessica sleepwalk towards the water.
Their stories converge in Comer Bay, known as the “Bermuda Triangle” for missing men, revealing heritage and identity. The Sirens, called Merrow, are vengeful protectors of women, a feminist twist on Greek mythology. They switch between mermaid and human forms and use a fatal siren song.
Hart's books focus on female experiences, trauma, and healing. While beautifully written, the characters are flawed, highlighting themes of change and acceptance. Despite this, the pacing suffers from alternating points of view and shifting timelines, sometimes causing important moments to be overlooked. Overall, I did enjoy the book and cannot wait to see what else Emilia Hart has in store for us.

I would like to extend my gratitude to Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing me with an advanced copy of this book. Additionally, I applaud Emilia Hart for crafting an outstanding story.

This book was magical. I loved the interconnected stories over the multiple generations. Emilia Hart’s writing style is one of a kind and it’s so good.

Emilia Hart does it again! Oh my goodness, what a book! It had a lot of things I love in stories like magical realism, a bit of mystery, multiple POVs and timelines and incredibly atmospheric writing. I love a book where I look up from the pages and I’m genuinely surprised to not be in the setting of the story. I felt like it had the same vibes as Weyward so if that’s a book you enjoyed. I think you’ll love this one too. Both timelines were done so well and I had such a hard time putting this book down because I was so invested from the get go. All of the female characters were so beautifully written in both their strengths and vulnerabilities. I had extremely high hopes for this one after loving Weyward and I’m so glad it worked for me.
CW: domestic violence, sexual assault, violence, death, mentions of miscarriage, deportation, mentions of pedophilia

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the digital readers copy!

This historical fantasy book has so much to it. It is both unique and fascinating. You’re drawn right away into the mystery that the story unravels chapter by chapter. Amazing world building that is detailed and imaginable. Fascinating characters that are well developed and diverse. The storyline is fast-paced and very well written. This review is based on an early review copy I was sent by the publisher, but this didn't affect the content of my review that I am voluntarily providing.

The Sirens is a spellbinding tale of magic, mystery, and four women that are deeply connected despite the centuries that separate them.

The charm that Hart brought to her debut, Weyward, made an appearance again in The Sirens. She continues to do an immaculate job of weaving past and present, real with unreal.

The story was very atmospheric. Hart does an incredible job of painting an immersive picture of the landscape, both the beauty and the horror of it. It was one of the most captivating components of the story, aside from the main characters. I loved the way they were written-assured in who they were and remarkably resilient. They felt tangible and complex. I cared so deeply for the four main characters and was fully invested in what happened to them.

While this story had a bit of a slow start, the pace livens up through the changing timelines and perspectives. The mystery of these converging stories is what caught and held my attention. I’d recommend this to anyone who enjoys a blend of genres, feels called to myth and magic, or is deeply influenced by the bonds of women.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy of this book!

🧜🏼‍♀️ Is your feminist rage tank running on fumes? Doubt it— but this book will fuel it for sure. Thank you to @stmartinspress for my advanced copy. This is out today— and you should absolutely chase down a copy ASAP.

🧜🏼‍♀️ I was hooked to this story from the first page, and devoured this in a matter of days. I could tell there was something behind Jess & Lucy’s story and I just had to find out what it was!

🧜🏼‍♀️ There are deeper themes behind this book about society’s treatment of women, particularly within the criminal justice system going back centuries. The author speaks to the theme of water’s ability to change and heal, which is an interesting part of her author’s note at the end.

🧜🏼‍♀️ If you don’t know much about the UK’s choice to exile criminals to parts of Australia I also recommend reading The Exiles by Christina Baker Kline.

🧜🏼‍♀️ Overall, I loved everything about this book and it was my favorite read of March! What was your favorite book you read in March? Think you’ll give this one a try? Again, it’s out today!

⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5
The Sirens is a story of sisterhood spanning centuries as they are connected and bound by the sea. We follow along with sisters Lucy and Jess in a present era time period and twins Eliza and Mary in the 1800’s as both timelines and plots slowly converge with one another. What initially drew me to this book was its stunningly beautiful cover and premise of sisterhood thru the ages. However despite the book itself being faster paced I still found myself becoming easily distracted and pulled out of each timeline. What made this more apparent was my struggle in connecting to the sisters. I just simply had a hard time with the timeline jumps in the story, as soon as I was feeling closer to one pair of sisters I’d then be brought to the other set. This is probably a preference issue on my end as I’ve come to notice that certain timeline connected stories just aren’t my favorite narrative choices. I also felt that the “mystery” of the story to be predictable fairly early on as well. However I do have to sing praise to the author’s writing style when it came to its atmospheric nature as it had incredibly vivid descriptions that painted beautifully immersive pictures. Overall this was a pretty book with gorgeous descriptive settings that just didn’t completely sell me on its plot.

The Sirens comes out April 1st, 2025. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin Press for providing me with a copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.

I loved Weyward and was looking forward to this book for so long, and still, it exceeded my expectations. The Sirens is told in 3 timelines that are beautifully woven together. In 2019, Lucy finds herself strangling her ex in her sleep and doesn't know what to do, so she flees to her older sister's house on the Australian coast. But her sister isn't there so she starts to read her diary. In 1999, her sister Jess was an artistic but isolated 16 year old with a strange allergy to water. And in 1800, twin sisters Mary and Eliza were sent on a convict ship from Ireland to Australia despite their fear of the ocean after their mother drowned. The way the characters develop and interact is haunting and relatable and my heart truly bled for them. This story is dark and tragic but also empowering and Emelia Hart's beautiful prose is intoxicating, I feel like I could drown in her words.

🎧 Audiobook +📗 eBook: The Sirens-a standalone

✍🏾 Author: Emilia Hart-new to me author

📃Page Count: 352

📅Publication date: 4-1-25 | Read: 3-31-25

🏃🏾‍➡️Run Time: 10:15

🌎 Setting: Australia and New South Wales 2019, 1999, and 1800

👆🏾POV: 3rd person and 1st person- multiple

Genre: Historical Fiction, Women's Fic

Tropes: sisterhood, sirens, multiple timelines, family drama, magical realism

⚠️TW: leaked nudes, misogyny, death of a parent, SA, racism, grooming

🗣️Narrator: Barrie Kreinik voices all the characters with standouts from Jess and Lucy. The reading style brought the text to life, and the author and narrator worked together perfectly. The pacing and flow allowed me to get lost in the story. The narrator paused and announced new chapters and there was a table of contents which helped me follow along.

Summary: Two pairs of sisters with the same rare allergy to water and feel the call of the sea are connected through time. From 1800 to 2019 Lucy, Jess, Mary, and Eliza must deal with being at the mercy of men and their disappearances.

👩🏾 Heroine: Lucy-wakes up choking bf Ben, flees to sister Jess who's MIA

👩🏾Heroine: Jess-an artist encouraged by her art teacher

👩🏾Heroines: Mary + Eliza-twin sisters forced to leave Ireland for Australia

🤔 My Thoughts: I wish I had read Weyward first, but I'll go back to it. The multiple POVs and different timelines with sirens against evil men, sign me up!

*Emotion: 5/5 🥲
*Rating: 5/5 ⭐

🙏🏾Thanks to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, Macmillan Audio, and Emilia Hart for this ARC & ALC! I voluntarily give my honest review, and all opinions are my own.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

After reading Weyward by Emilia Hart, I was completely prepared to do whatever it took to get my hands on whatever she wrote next. When it turned out to be another multi-POV and multi-timeline novel with more interesting women as the main characters and SIRENS??? I felt like she was writing for ME!!!

Emilia Hart is a master at weaving together multiple timelines, creating meaningful connections that span generations of women. She delicately writes trauma (and there was dark subject matter in this one so check TWs!) and ties their stories together in ways that showcase their resiliency and strength.

The writing in this story completely captivated me and by the last half I seriously could not stop turning pages! Hart’s writing was utterly atmospheric, the descriptions of paintings, emotions, and the magical sea made me feel like I was *there.* Of course, I feel like I was born to be in a house on a cliff by the sea, waiting for the sirens to call me home, so this setting and plot really catered to me. I’m biased!

The Sirens doesn’t stick to just one genre, and this makes it something that can be enjoyed by so many readers! It’s historical fiction, almost fantasy/sci-fi with the sirens element, mystery, and magical realism all tied up into one beautiful story of sisterhood and the magic of the sea. I loved this book.

*The Sirens* makes a significant impact with its effective integration of mythology and human-centered storytelling. Although the novel has minor imperfections, its strong narrative and thematic richness substantially outweigh any shortcomings. Emelia Hart demonstrates remarkable creativity and literary skill through this work.

Readers who appreciate myth-inspired fiction, atmospheric storytelling, or narratives driven by well-developed characters will likely find *The Sirens* to be a rewarding read. The book provides both intellectual depth and engaging entertainment, making it a valuable addition to the collection of literary enthusiasts.

Emilia Hart does it again - this dazzling magical realism novel tells the lesser-known stories in history. I love her books because they hit hard and are magical while still being based in the truth. The Sirens delivered and hit harder than Weyward.
p.s. This is the perfect book to read while listening to Sea Shanty's.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for a copy. It's out tomorrow, April 1st (no joke)!

3 out of 5 Stars!

When Lucy wakes up to find herself strangling her ex-lover, she is horrified. What possessed her to do such a thing? To escape the horror of what she’s done, she flees to her sister's house on the coast of New South Wales. Except, when she arrives, her sister Jess is missing. As Lucy waits for her to return, she starts to do some investigating of her own. Not only into Jess’s disappearance, but into the missing men along the coast. Back in the 1800s, Mary and Eliza are forced onto a convicted ship heading for Australia. As they leave Ireland and head towards Australia, their bodies start to morph into something new. As the days pass, the more they uncover their true identity.

Since reading “Weyward” by Emilia Hart, I have been craving another piece of magical historical fiction. So, when I finally saw “The Sirens” hit Netgalley, I was ecstatic to be picked for an advanced reader copy. This book had a strong emphasis on family, sisterhood, feminism, and fantasy. Normally, I really love these topics, but this specific one really didn’t do it for me. Even with the strong writing, I thought this book fell flat with a slow plot and twist I saw coming.

I do believe this book had huge potential for crazy twists and action. But like I mentioned before, I saw most of the twists coming pretty early on in the plot. Along with that, the plot was really lacking for me, up to 80%. A lot of the plot was about Lucy trying to find Jess, but instead of looking for her, she was reading diary entries to learn more about her sister. Personally, I think a combination of detective work and journal reading would have brought more of a flow to the story.

Along with Lucy’s perspective, we get to hear from Jess and Mary. Out of all three perspectives, Jess’s was my favorite as there was an actual plot and cliffhangers in between chapters. Mary’s perspective was interesting, but I found it hard to follow at times. Again, there wasn’t anything that really jumped out to me in terms of the plot.

By the time I finished the book, I felt like there were still some leftover questions. Again, I think the boiling point of this book could have started earlier, so we heard more about their current situation at the end. I am really disappointed by “The Sirens” by Emilia Hart. But, because “Weyward” was so good, I am hoping for a better book in the future!

“The Sirens” by Emilia Hart will be released on April 1st, 2025!

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press, Emilia Hart, and Netgalley for a digital ARC of this novel in exchange for my honest review.

The Sirens definitely has a plot that is different than anything I've ready before. Part mystery, part historical-fiction, part magical realism, it really blended all these genres together well. The book kept my interest from the start and was hard to put down. The writing was atmospheric and the mystery storyline definitely had me hooked.

It's really cool how the author managed to combine a part of history I had never heard about (ships full of British convicts that were taken to what is now Australia) with a mystery that also has feminist themes running throughout.

There was a twist that I saw coming pretty far in advance. It didn't diminish my enjoyment of the story, I just didn't experience the shock that I think I was meant to when the twist was revealed.

I really don't want to say too much more as I don't want to give anything away. Just know it's a unique story with some unusual elements to it. If you enjoy historical fiction, mysteries, and magical realism, I think you'll really enjoy this book.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

I do not know what it is that draws me into the books of Emilia Hart. The language? Characters or themes? I don't know. They are otherworldly. Hart's books truly are like Siren songs to me. There is something in her writing that is so mystical. Elegant. Visceral. Speaking of her books, using words like "captivate" or a phrase like "draw me in" would not accurately describe what I feel when I listen to or read them. No. They CALL me into their worlds. This one washed over me like a soft sea wave.

Taking place in three different periods, this wonder of the sea tells the story of three generations of two sisters who are searching for the truth about their longings, dreams, and old mysteries.
In 2019, Lucy has been sleepwalking and ends up with her hands around her ex-lover's throat. Confused by her actions, she seeks out her estranged sister, Jess, who has always been a sleepwalker. Arriving at Comber Bay on the coast of Australia, Lucy finds Jess's house empty, with her car, keys, and phone present. As she waits for Jess to return, she lets herself in and begins to feel a visceral connection to the artwork, the home, and the sea. But why? As she searches for answers, she listens to a true crime podcast about men in Comber Bay who have gone missing. Yet, a baby is found in a nearby cave. When she finds Jess's diary, she realizes that the truth may be closer than she thinks.
In 1999, Jess is a small-town girl who has a crush on her art teacher. He seems to see something in her that no one else does. Jess knows she's different. She just happens to have an allergy to water. She can't stop thinking and dreaming about two sisters trapped on a ship in the ocean. Is she connected to them somehow? The closer she gets to learning the truth, the more difficult it becomes to stay away from Comber Bay
In 1800, Mary and Eliza are taken as prisoners aboard a ship to be exiled on the coast of Australia. Facing harsh conditions in cramped quarters, Eliza finds singing to bring comfort to them both. They've always been afraid of water. But as the ship travels to this new land, they begin to notice changes in their bodies, as the sea calls them.

The writing. Oh, the writing! The setting, the themes of resilience, the bonds of sisterhood, the connection across time, and the hints of magic are simply breathtaking. This is not a fantasy book. It is more historical fiction and magical realism. Emilia Hart is creatively brilliant.

A very special thank you to St. Martin's Press, Emilia Hart, and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this audio ARC in exchange for my raving review.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!
4.25 stars!
I was so hyped to get this ARC after loving Weyward. I really enjoyed this one. Harts writing really draws you in and immerses you into the story. I enjoyed learning about parts of history I did not know much about and I loved the concept of Sirens and mermaids being protectors of women. If you enjoyed Weyward, I think you will enjoy this too!

Two sets of sisters living two centuries apart connected by their dreams. Such is the premise of Emilia Hart’s latest feminist mystery, THE SIRENS.

Like her earlier book, WEYWARD, Hart delivers an atmospheric novel rich in imagery and with a touch of magic. Her writing is beautiful and it’s easy to get swept away by her words. Another similarity is the heavy emphasis on female trauma and the struggles to get justice.

Lucy and Jess are sisters bound together by sleepwalking that accompanies strange dreams. Along the rugged coast of Australia a mystery reveals itself regarding men who have vanished without a trace. The sisters’ dreams slowly reveal a possible connection to another set of sisters banished on a slave boat from Ireland centuries ago.

THE SIRENS is a slowly meandering journey that requires suspending disbelief and immersing yourself in the tale. It’s a story of resilience and connection and the magic of answering what calls you.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance copy. All opinions are my own.

This is a story about sisterhood, and how the sea brought together women who needed each other, needed an escape, needed to feel safe. There were multiple timelines in this story, but in each one those themes were very present. And then the timelines tied together in a beautiful way, older generations of women helping the next ones as time went on. There were some twists I wasn't expecting and definitely didn't see coming throughout this book. It was a little slow to start until I felt rooted into the different timelines, but once I did I was consumed by these stories and how they weaved together so beautifully in the end. 🩵📚

Thank you to the author and to the publisher for this ARC of The Sirens, in exchange for an honest review.

The Sirens
Emilia Hart did it again! She brougth us another original story where feminism and magical realism collide with epic results.
We follow the stories of four women in two diferent time lines.
First we meet Lucy, a journalism student who gets into trouble after being ciberbullied due a rare skin condition. Seeking her estranged sister Jess help at Comper Bay in the Australian coast. All she could find was it looks like a haunted house and the most desolate place where several men have gone missing at sea over the years.
Through Jess´diary, Lucy finds out that she also have been struggling with her rare condition.
The narrative shifts between chapters to the 1800s, where we meet Mary and Eliza and their heartbreaking story. They are twin sisters from Ireland sent to Australia as convicts. Due their journey aboard a ship for criminals, we learn their sad story and the strange changes in their bodies.
This is a immersive read with a powerful mesage about self discovery. I loved the characters development and the autor´s creativity reimagining the historical events.
Officially, I can say, that I´m gonna read everything Emlia Hart writes.
Thank you NetGalley, thank you St. Martin´s Press New York for this ARC.