Huge thanks to Emili Hart, St Martin’s Press and @netgalley for allowing me to participate in the early reading of this one!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Hot on the heels of Weyward (which I read earlier this year) is another excellent read from Emilia Hart. While I’m not typically a huge fan of multiple POVs, I absolutely love the way that Emilia weaves together such (at first glance) vastly different storylines into a powerful, united story. She brings an air of mystery that is just chef’s kiss, top notch.

I was so captivated by the characters in this - all incredibly strong women, and all in such different ways. I felt that the writing really encompassed different aspects of women’s resilience and strength, while not romanticising their suffering which can be a common pitfall.

As a big history gal, the historical aspects made the story even more enticing and gave me insights that were incredibly interesting and helped me learn a lil something new.

And on top of it all, there’s the underlying theme of (of course) sirens / merfolk - all told in what I felt was a very new perspective completely, leaving aside cliches and the usual storylines.

Any partial points docked were due to my feeling that there were some aspects (ie the start of Lucy’s journey, and some other pieces) that were not wrapped up in a way that was completely satisfying.

Thank you St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the opportunity to read this ARC!
I have heard so many amazing things about Weyward (which I still need to read) so when I was given the opportunity to read this story I jumped at it!
This story has elements from a few of my favorite genres, historical fiction, mystery, magical realism and it made this such a stunning story. This book was incredibly well written with the dual timeline flowing so well, nothing was jumpy or unbalanced. It did start out a little slow for me, but when it picked up I binge read it to the end!

Emilia Hart has done it again. With a tale rooted in folklore, The Sirens, has rekindled and reignited the same gratitude and the same rage she stoked in me with Weyward, her debut novel in 2023.

Lucy is a young college woman, excited about where life is going to take her when an incident with a man sends her spiraling into the deep. She is suddenly plagued by sleep walking and vivid nightmares all centered around a sinking ship. As we follow her further away from her path, we learn that her sister, Jess, has experienced similar, if not the same, nightly terrors. Through their shared nightmares, we come to learn not only about Lucy and Jess's pasts, but also about two women on board a prison ship bound for New South Wales from Ireland in the 1800s. As the women's dreams converge, we find out the truth about what has been done, and in some ways, continues to be done, to women at the hands of some evil, ill-meaning men. And it'll explain why Lucy and Jess are so called the water, in waking or asleep.

The Sirens is another revenge story. It takes an old folk tale and spans it out across generations and seeks a different kind of ending.

I love the way Hart writes atmosphere. She paints a picture like no other. Weyward felt like a walk in the dark woods. The Sirens feels like you're underwater. It's dark, it's cold, it's mysterious and for much of the story, you're not quite sure what's down there.

I loved so much of this book. Hart's writing is beautiful. The story is bold. I love the complicated mother-daughter, sister-sister relationships depicted. They were complex and rang true. I love the flawed women and their relationships with flawed men. I wanted more of the sisterhood. I wanted more of the relationships between the women on the ship. I wanted more of Lucy and Jess. I wanted more of the mothers, those bound to land and those of the sea.

In her acknowledgements, Hart writes that, "this novel is about the ability of water -- and sisterhood -- to heal and transform," and it made me tear up! I feel a great deal of rage when reading Hart's works but it's buoyed by so much gratitude and respect. Gratitude and respect for the women who have come before me and for women, like Hart, who continue to tell their stories.

I can't wait to see what women I'll be fighting for next.

I loved how they find eachother and the mysteries and history in this book is very well described. It was an improvement from the authors last book but wasn't my favorite book either.

rating 3.75 stars.
The story is told through the POV of three different people: Lucy, a young college student, her artist sister Jess' diary, and Mary a centuries old woman on an Irish convict transport ship to Australia. Lucy ran into trouble at her university, and decides to escape to her sister's home on the coast. She hasn't heard from her sister in a while, and cannot reach her enroute to the house on a bay at the coast where she lives, but goes anyway. She arrives at the home and her sister is nowhere to be found. Amid Jess' paintings and writings, Lucy tries to figure out where she disappeared to, and if Jess is in trouble. The bay itself has a mysterious past with the disappearance of several men over the years, and a baby found in a cave there. Lucy, and Jess both have a skin condition where scabs and scaling skin forms with exposure to water, which leaves them insecure and confused, and being by the sea brings out more, as well as nightmares of being on a ship.

The other POV is of two Irish sisters on a ship in the 1800's. Mary and Eliza, are convicted of a crime, have to leave their father, and are loaded onto a convict ship with 100 other women. Raised by their father after their mother disappeared, presumed drowned, they fear for him and themselves as they head to an uncertain future in Australia. When they were younger, their mother raised them on her stories of the women of the sea, and how their father met her while he was out fishing, being lulled by her beautiful singing. Mary relates the cramped and horrible conditions on the ship over the months in the prisoner hold, the other women with them in the prison hold, and how the skin and features of her and her sister are changing, the longer they are on the ship.

For Lucy, the mystery of the missing Jess, the changes to herself at Jess' house on the bay, and her research into the ship of women that met its fate at the bay and why they haunt her dreams, the questionable answers from her parents regarding her condition and situation, are all brought
together to a mystical conclusion at the house by the bay, and a cave there.

The story premise was creative, however it lagged in the middle for far too long, especially when the hints were not very subtle, so I just wanted her to tie it together and wrap it up, instead of belaboring the same thing over and over.

Overall the book was good, the multiple views were inciteful, and the tie in together was nice, but it did leave me with other questions I feel weren't answered, or dealt with.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

This was definitely an improvement from the last book I read from this Author.

It was interesting, I loved the mystery within the book and that it also gave little hints here and there about what was happening.

Getting 3 different POVS while a bit confusing at first was great for this book.

Mary and Eliza's story was sooo so interesting.

Knowing from the title what would happen eventually did not take away from it at all.

It was a great take on sirens and also incorporating folklore and new aspects to it.

Thanks to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me the opportunity
to read this ARC.

This was an interesting mix of history, mystery, and a young woman's search for her past.
I enjoyed the underlying theme women's rights and independence.
The ending didn't come as a surprise but the journey was intriguing.

**The Sirens by Emilia Hart**
⭐️ 4.25/5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley, Emilia Hart, and St. Martin's Press for the opportunity to read this book.

I really enjoyed *The Sirens*. The dual timelines and multiple POVs were captivating and added layers to the story. There’s a compelling mystery throughout, along with powerful lessons on women and their rights, which resonated deeply. The historical aspect was particularly engaging—it shed light on the early days of Australia and the role women, especially prisoners, played in shaping it. I also appreciated the exploration of family dynamics, which was handled thoughtfully. The book threw in a few unexpected twists that kept me guessing, even when I thought I had it figured out. Overall, this is a great read, and I would definitely recommend it!

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I am not very sure about how I feel respecting this book, the premise, the cover and the plot look amazing but when I started reading it I was confused about it. It was so eerie and dark and cold. The author’s writing was definitely captivating and compelling. This was definitely a feminist tale and depicted resilient and strong women.

I will say that I didn’t expect this type of story with the premise. I honestly think the prologue ruined the book for me.

Dark, damp, powerful and liberating-a tale set in the sea as much as it is on land. Follow generations of women called to the sea. Sirens is a bewitching tale of women through the ages, who come together for survival. This is magical realism, myth and legend at its best.

A wonderful combination of history and magical realism that flashes back (and forth) from the years of settlement of Australia from England/Ireland and the present. Engaging characters that drew me into their beautiful and sad story.

Thank you, NetGalley and Kensington Publishing for this advanced reader's copy of The Sirens by Emilia Hart.

When I saw Emilia Hart had a second book coming out I was super excited, I love Wayward so much.

The Sirens did not disappoint, I can’t give it 5 stars as I did Wayward but it’s a solid 4.

Absolutely loved the characters and the way the story was told. It was a bit predictable but kept you intrigued the entire book.

The love that Lucy had for her older sister Jess was unconditional and she would have stopped at nothing to forge a closer relationship with her. When she shows up at Jess’s house and Jess is gone Lucy finds things from her past and realizes how much like her sister she actually is.

I would recommend to anyone that would listen.

Traditional format 📕 (digital). Release date March 4, 2025.

In thinking how to describe this book, it’s a mix of historical fiction, magical realism and fantasy. The book follows the stories of two sets of sisters. The first set of sisters, Mary and Eliza, are from the 1800s and are prisoners on a ship sailing from Ireland to Australia. The second set are from the modern day and have many secrets and problems of their own. Their stories cross through dreams and the sea. There are a few elements of fantasy that I don’t want to share to spoil the book.

I didn't love this book. The story was interesting at the beginning but the pace was very slow and just when it picked up the book ended leaving me wanting a little more. I felt like several elements of the plot were not wrapped up well.

I would say you need to really enjoy magical realism and fantasy to fully appreciate this story.

I did enjoy the writing in this book. It was poetic at times but was not enough to salvage the story for me.

I give this my average rating of 3/5. I wanted a little more from this book and it just missed the mark.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Net Galley for a digital ARC of this book in exchange for a review.

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

Emilia Hart has to be my all time favorite author, especially after this wonderful work of art I've read. Such a great book! I absolutely love the writing style so much, its perfect to tie everything together. This book is so beautifully written, fans of nautical stories will absolutely love it!

In 2019, Jess and Lucy are sisters that are so different but at the same time, so alike. Lucy ends up trying to hurt Ben, her ex, in her sleep. She had no idea why she started sleep walking, but she realizes what she's doing and flees in terror. She thinks her sister Jess in another town can help, since Lucy saw her sister sleep walk once before. Jess seems nowhere to be found when Lucy gets to her sisters house. A mystery about the town soon unravels itself and Lucy is hooked. Lucy soon realizes that her and her sister Jess have the same haunting nightmare about 2 sisters from Ireland that are being transported to Australia and much more in common. Each time the nightmare comes, Lucy is able to see a little bit more of what happens to the women.

Meanwhile, we have Mary and Eliza from 1800, who are convicts heading to Australia. They soon notice, in the prison deck of the ship, that their bodies keep changing. They fear the water because of how they're mom disappeared in the ocean and Mary just can't get over the fact that their mother had seemingly abandoned them but they soon find out why.

Highly recommend! Easily a 5 star read!!

First off, I loved this book! It seemlessly transitions from time periods and the connections? Magnificent. A beautiful and captivating novel. My only qualm is I want to know what happened with Lucy's assault charge and how that was handled, to me it seems like a loose end when it was the catalyst of the entire book. Besides that the book was absolutely perfect. A book I will definitely be recommending to others when it releases!

Enjoyed this so much! The title gives it away of course but finding their way to each other and forward is what every pair of sisters must do.

This was my first dip into historical magical realism, and let me tell you, I was INTO it. Not to mention, Ariel from the Little Mermaid, was my favorite Disney princess so I knew that a book about mermaids was going to be a big win. Not only mermaids but ships filled with prisoners, sinking ships, and heavier themes such as sexual assault. I don't know how she was able to weave the 1800s and 2019 with such ease, but she did.

Lucy is an 18 year old college freshman suffering from a rare skin disease. She meets a boy who makes her feel beautiful and she decides to send him some provocative pictures. Later, the pictures end up all over social media with the captions such as, "Gorgon and graveyard smash". One night, she slept walked right into the boys room and awoke to her strangling him. She had to leave college immediately and decided to go visit her sister in Conton Bay ( a town riddled with tragedy and stories of missing men). When Lucy arrives, her sister Jess, is no where to be found. Lucy begins to panic, but begins to find clues about her sisters new life. Her paintings (that have the same women that Lucy dreams about), journals (with some of her deepest darkest secrets), and similarities (a skin disease where they cannot touch water). Lucy continues to uncover more about her sister, and realizes that something odd is going on. How do they both suffer from the same rare skin disease, how do they both sleepwalk, how do they both dream of the same two sisters and Lucy won't stop until she uncovers the truth. The truth that they may be something other than mortal.

Mary and Eliza are prisoners on the Naiird ship. They were convicted of hurting a man (who was trying to sexually assault them) but of course they were the ones exiled. Them along with hundreds of other women, all "convicts" (aka protecting themselves) were shoved into the bottom of this vessel. The ship was taking them to be sold off as wives or domestic servants. Along their journey, Eliza and Mary revisit their past. They talk about their mother (who abandoned them), Eliza's blindness, and Mary's skin condition (yes she too cannot touch water). As their journey comes to an end, the ship crashes and Mary and Eliza find themselves transforming into something that they could have never imagined.

The link between these four woman was so fun to read. I loved seeing how despite centuries between them, they were cut from the same cloth.

It was a fun read and I definitely recommend. Thank you to St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

Read if you like:
- Multi-timeline, multi-POV
- Magical realism worked into historical events
- Women-centred stories

The Sirens tells the story of twin sisters being transported on a convict ship from Ireland to what is now Australia in 1800 and how it relates to two sisters in the present day.

I had high hopes for this book after loving Emilia Hart’s debut, Weyward. However, this one fell short for me. The story itself is interesting and certainly unique, but I found it a little too weird and also, unfortunately, predictable. I correctly had the ending figured out a quarter of the way in. I also found the switch between timelines and POVs too jarring in this book, whereas in Weyward I found the same concept worked much better. Overall I would definitely recommend Weyward over this one.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press for the ARC ebook. The Sirens releases March 4 2025.

Really enjoyed the jump between past and present timelines. The four women are on a journey of self discovery and how they fit into the world. It was enjoyable but felt bored at times.

The book encompasses three timelines, each offering a unique perspective on the lives of its female characters. In 2019, a sister, Lucy, plagued by nightmares, is searching for her missing sister, Jess. The seaside town has a legend of missing men and hearing women's voices on the waves. As Lucy reads Jess's adolescent diary, her fears blend with the town's dark secrets. In 1999, the timeline focused on Jess's younger years, and her rare allergy to water alienated her from others. She feels acceptance when her art teacher takes an interest in her, creating a complex and troublesome relationship. The last storyline is in the 1800s when twin sisters Mary and Eliza endure the hardships of a convict ship bound for Australia. The sea becomes a source of power and transformation in all three timelines. The author captures the tension of the supernatural as the characters wrestle with their own identities and the allure of the ocean. While the shifting timelines and layered narrative structure may require some patience from the reader, the story is a haunting blend of history and an example of the strength of women.

I received an ARC ebook for my honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and St. Martin's Press