Sisterhood, multiple timelines, mythology and magic - these are the main ingredients of “The Sirens”. The story is full of twists and turns that kept me gripped until the end.
This was my first book by Emilia Hart, but it certainly won't be my last.

I was really excited when I saw that Emilia Hart was coming out with a new book because Weyward was a total sleeper hit for me! I was spellbound (no pun intended) by the author's writing style and prose. It was such an interesting and well-written book and I was so looking forward to seeing what came next. When I saw the early buzz about her follow-up novel, I saw immense potential.

Sophomore novels are so difficult to pull off, especially when the first novel is so extraordinary. I imagine there's an inordinate amount of pressure on the author to outdo themselves, and a lasting knowledge that whatever they put out next will inevitably be judged with the predecessor as a comparator. So I'm trying to avoid doing that because these are two very different books and I want to be fair.

The premise of The Sirens is fascinating. I won't recycle it here because I don't want to reveal anything beyond what the book jacket synopsis does. And I think the author does a good job of telling the story. But I wanted, and expected, more. The dual timelines felt very drawn out and separate as opposed to intertwined. I struggled to connect with any of the characters (and here I'm going to do the thing I said I'd try not to) whereas with Weyward, the characters were so strong and clearly defined. There was little distinction between the voices of Lucy, Jess, Eliza, and Mary - switching to audio saved this for me a bit. I didn't feel like the plot was particularly compelling either. I could have used a fraction less of Lucy's internal monologue, as well, or at least a change of pace with it.

Regarding the pace in general, I loved the in media res aspect of starting off with Lucy having awoken from sleepwalking with her hands around the neck of a guy. Loved! And yet... after she flees that setting, it's sort of never really dealt with again? The most exciting part of this ride occurs in the first 30 pages and then it peters off to become a fairly tranquil and sometimes even boring stroll through Lucy's mind. And it never picked up. Sure, there were a few reveals along the way, but most of them were detectable from a mile away. I just never felt like this book got there for me.

There is one aspect of this book that was pretty icky, and it's something that makes me squirm when I encounter it, every time. I'm frankly a little tired of it at this point - though I'll just say that I got my fill of it with the ridiculousness of Pretty Little Liars. That's as close as I can get to a non-spoiler disclosure.

Overall, this book was fine. It wasn't great, it wasn't bad. It was sometimes a bit of a slog. I struggled to connect with the characters, which is unfortunate given that this is a character-centric novel that is not at all driven by plot. But Emilia Hart's writing is simply gorgeous, so that saves this from a lower rating for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Sirens is unlike other books I've read before. It is a female fantasy that relies on the uncovering of family secrets to move through the plot. It is slow paced and may not be for some, but I ended up loving it. The main character, through her journalism skills, finds out her truths and is able to build a full life and work through her physical differences to love herself.

Four women connected through a devastating series of events and a wild amount of mystic mystery take the stage in this multiple-POV tale of sisters, estrangement, and the sea. Mysterious, exciting, and once you get going, pretty fast paced—I saw the twists coming, but that didn't make me love them any less!

I LOVED Weyward. This one was 'meh.' I feel like the magical realism didn't quite flow. I like the symbolism of the sirens as female protectors, but I feel like associating it with a real skin condition was a flop for me. Just OK.

I’m really struggled to connect with the story and characters. The author has been one I enjoyed in the past, I look forward to reading her future books.

I’m sad to say I didn’t love this one!! I was really excited to read it and thought the premise was so interesting. I liked the first quarter of the book, it was eerie and haunting and I found myself thinking about it when I wasn’t reading. The writing was strong and descriptive in a good way (most of the time). Unfortunately, the story just dragged on and I felt absolutely no connection to the characters 😭 there was a lot of rambling from the main character, Lucy, and it really wasn’t necessary to the plot. Also the sleepwalking aspect is never really addressed? I’m honestly confused about the point of this book 😭😭 I just feel like the focus was ONLY on the characters and the plot took a hit because of it. The book was super repetitive and I kind of hated the epilogue?? I wish I had better things to say, but I really struggled to get through this one. It was a quick read but I was bored through most of it and just wanted to get it over with.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martins Press for this arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Publishers for the advanced reader's copy of The Sirens. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Quick Take: I will never say no to a dual timeline, multi-POV story about wronged females, with magical realism and atmospheric writing!

Blurb: In 2019, sisters Lucy and Jess have a complicated relationship, and now when Lucy needs her older sister for support, Jess is missing. In 1800, two other sisters, Eliza and Mary, are on a convict boat headed to Australia. All of these women's lives are connected, and with vivid dreams, mysterious voices, unexplained disappearances, and one location drawing them all together, Emilia Hart tells a beautiful story of sisterhood and the sea.

Mood Reader: girl power / Australia / historical fiction / trauma / family ties / art / seaside small town / mystery / atmospheric / layered storytelling / diary entries / slow pacing / magical realism / nautical

Thoughts: I loved Hart's first book Weyward, with its themes of female empowerment and dual timeline structure, so I had high hopes for this one, considering it features similar focuses. While I did not love it as much as her first, The Sirens was still a very good novel with beautiful writing and a building tension that comes together nicely by the end. The relationship between Lucy and Jess, while the two characters spend most of the book apart, is really well crafted. There's so many different moody elements happening throughout the book, and it reminds me of Adrienne Young's recent books. I loved the descriptions of the art that Jess was working on for her show. The parts of the story set in the 1800 convict boat were more interesting - that might be the historian in me, but I wanted to know more about all of those women's lives and their journey from Ireland to Australia. The climax and conclusion of the book made the slower parts of the story worthwhile, but I don't think this book will be for everyone.

I really loved this author's debut novel. I was so excited to get a review copy. The world building was very intriguing and well done. I loved the writing style and the techniques that were used to tell the story.

I absolutely loved this story!! The characters were strong and resilient - I loved how the themes of sisterhood were woven throughout the story…top that off with feminine rage and a little revenge and I couldn’t put this down!

This story takes place in multiple timelines - from sisters who are on a convict ship set for Australia in 1800 to 1999 where we meet a 16 year old named Jess who has a rare water allergy and is a gifted artist to 2019 when Jess’s sister Lucy wakes after a vivid nightmare. Lucy flees to Jess’ house to find her missing…

I really liked use of multiple timelines and Jess’ diary entries and the true crime podcast to tell the story. I loved the overall sense of this creepy tension as Lucy goes through Jess’ diary and she hears about the local dark lore…and missing men.

✨What To Expect:
🐚Historical Fiction
🌊Small Costal Town
🪸Magical Realism
🔥Feminine Rage
🌪️Twists & Turns
🎨Sisterhood
🧜🏻‍♀️Mermaids
🔪Revenge
🎙️Podcast
🐠Multiple POV
⏰Multiple Timelines
🇦🇺Set In Australia

Emilia Hart is a fantastic storyteller! Her characters are some of my favorites I’ve read about, especially the historical parts.

I was so excited to receive the ARC for Emilia Hart's newest novel! I loved Weyward and could not wait to start! This book is moody and perfect for a rainy day. Her writing is always touching and the character development is fantastic -- switching between three timelines and what the women endure.

Emilia Hart is quickly on her way to becoming one of my new favorite authors. I enjoy the way she manages to entertwine different genres into a beautiful story. In this one we get a bit of historical fiction, mystery, and of course magical realism. The underlying theme seems to focus on female resilience and the bonds of sisterhood. Hart also adds a touch of generational trauma into the mix. The story was moving and focused on the strength these women were able to show despite the terrible things that happened to them. Lucy spending so much of the book unraveling all the mystery that surrounds her sister was actually a beautiful way to help the story unfold because we were able to watch all the pieces as they came together. I would have liked a bit more detail on the changes that the twins, Mary and Eliza, were going through. I know at the end it becomes clear but it felt like we were building a backstory that didn't come through all the way. I also felt like the epilogue could have been a bit more clear, or even left out, as I think enough clues are dropped that it's easy to understand what happened without it.

I was. Very excited to read the follow up to Weyward. This was ba great story, and I enjoyed the historical aspects and dual timeline. I do think the recent other books of human transformation came to mind while reading. Very well written, I felt like I was there,.

Emilia Hart knows EXACTLY how to deliver a woman first story with just the right amount of whimsy to her historical fiction. This hit the same beats and feelings of Weyward while exploring a new setting and storyline including a bit more of a mystery thriller-esq undertone that I loved.

thank you to the publisher for the advance readers copy :)

I'm sorry, but Weyward was better. And I give The Sirens just 3 stars. It wasn't terrible, but it wasn't great. I enjoyed the way in which it was written (and how it came together in the end) but it was too predictable and, overall, just not that exciting.

I really liked Mary and Eliza's experience on the ship and how their skin started to transform. Their story was more powerful and I kept wanting more. But they were overshadowed by Jess and Lucy's story, which didn't have much substance.

I love Emilia Hart's work, though, and look forward to what she writes next!

I liked this one but a little bit less than I was hoping to. I don't know, I really like the historical part and I do enjoy magical realism but the killing men to protect women just didn't hit, maybe because o read it right after reading the ban witch and I was kind of tapped out on that subject or maybe because it just didn't really go that deep into explaining the calling. But it was a good book. And there were some good surprises.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

The cover drew me in, the haunting story made me stay.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for this ARC!! I was trying to read Weyward before this book came out (April 1st) but clearly failed to do so, anyways I'm so happy I got access to this ARC and was STOKED to read it based on Emilia Hart's popularity with Weyward!!
RATING: 5 ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️'s!! A beautiful combination of Myth and Womanhood!
"We are not monsters. We are women who were taught to fear ourselves."

If you were captivated by Emilia Hart's debut novel Weyward, then you'll love this work of hers!! I love historical fiction, and The Sirens is a full feminist reclamation that weaves together mythical resonance and womanhood into a piece that is both a novel and doubles as poetry.
From the very first page, Hart starts off with her signature multi-timeline structure, The Sirens echoes the same immersive brilliance that made Weyward
"To be a siren is to be feared. But it is also to be Heard."

In this story though, the sea is not just a setting in the background, but a living breathing entity that takes the shape of every woman in the story!! It's a book you'll get more out of from the second reading!!
To me, Emilia Hart is quickly becoming an important voice in contemporary historical fiction. I've read some other reviews on here that say otherwise, or that compared to her last novel this one wasn't as compelling, everyone is entitled to their wrong opinion though..
I highly recommend this novel if you loved her first!! or if you're a fan of Madeline Miller's works!!

While I wanted to love this, the three timelines in my opinion were a bit much. While I appreciate the way it was written and how it came together, it felt thrown together at some points and then came together at the end like a rush.