The word I keep seeing around THE SIRENS is "atmospheric," and I think this is spot on! I was fully immersed in the setting, and I think this is a strength of Hart's storytelling and clearly in-depth research.

At the beginning of the novel, we're thrown into the aftermath of a traumatic event for protagonist Lucy, who accidentally assaults someone at her college who has harmed her emotionally during a bout of sleepwalking. She flees school and goes off in search of her somewhat estranged sister at her home by the sea, only to discovery that her sister is missing. Past and present intertwine and explore themes of family and sisterhood as well as female bonds and the ways in which women are vilified.

This book was a bit too slow for me to recommend it wholeheartedly, but I know it will have lots of fans for those who loved WEYWARD and anyone who loves mystery mixed with important underlying themes and powerful speculative elements.

I read this whilst on holiday and I felt it gave me all the water and sea feels. ive read other by the author and have thoroughly enjoyed, would definitely recommend

I live mermaids/sirens and was so excited when this book showed up on netgalley! Just reading the blurb made me even more excited to read this!

Emilia Hart could write down her grocery list and I would read it!! The Sirens was another excellent novel. I absolutely loved reading about Mary and Eliza. They absolutely broke my heart, but at the same time their sisterly bond was untouchable. The mix of mystery, historical fiction, and magical realism created a beautiful atmosphere that added to the overall experience of the book. Such an exceptional read!

I received an eARC of this book from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely love this book. It was exactly what I was hoping it would be, based on the author's previous book, Weyward. I did predict what was going on fairly early on, which I suspect most readers will. However, experiencing the main character working through what she needed to in order to come to the same conclusion was both understandable and made the predictability of the plot worthwhile. This book was not trying to throw curve balls but more make you understand and care about each of the characters. You essentially go into this book knowing how it will be ending based off the information you are given from the start. If you like a mystery this isn't for you but if you love a book about characters and relationships, then I would highly recommend it.

This premise had a lot of potential, and I'm absolutely loving books about sirens recently, so I was primed to love it. Unfortunately it didn't quite work for me because I think it tried to do too much. The present story was so compelling, but because so many different perspectives are provided, most of the reveals were massively telegraphed ahead of time. While this isn't a thriller, I think these discoveries would have landed with more weight had the author just focused on Lucy's perspective and really told that story.

That being said, it had some lovely passages, and Lucy's story was incredibly interesting.

This book was heartbreakingly beautiful. I've always loved stories told from multiple perspectives, and the dual timelines were handled so well here. The transitions between past and present kept the narrative dynamic and immersive. Each sister had her own distinct personality, but they all shared a quiet, powerful strength that made them incredibly compelling. I especially appreciated the theme of sisterhood. It was written with such emotional depth that, even though I don't have a sister myself, I could feel the bond between them. The story held my attention from start to finish. There were moments that genuinely shocked me, and the way everything came together in the end was both satisfying and emotional. It's a story about resilience, secrets, and the unbreakable ties between women across generations. An unforgettable and deeply moving read.

Thank you to NetGalley for giving me this free digital ARC in exchange for my honest review!
I was so excited to read this and it didn’t disappoint! Such an amazing story of love, loss and family told over time. It really is a beautiful read I highly recommend!!

I couldn’t wait to read this after really enjoying reading Weyward. I found that this novel, however, was difficult to get into, flat characters, and up until about 75%, the story felt pretty bland. The end worked, but it took 3/4 of the book to get to the good stuff and even then, it wasn’t a huge revelation.

As always, thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for gifting me a copy in exchange for my review.

This book was interesting. I enjoyed the magical realism aspect as well as the mystery. I do think I found the story a bit underwhelming, and found it difficult to relate to the characters at times.

The Sirens was beautifully written and had such a haunting coastal atmosphere. The story blends mermaid lore, family secrets, and feminist themes in a way that feels both emotional and a little eerie. I really enjoyed the present-day storyline with Lucy searching for her missing sister and uncovering dark secrets in the small town. Jess’s diary entries were my favorite part because they tied so much of the mystery together. The historical timeline with Mary and Eliza was interesting, but at times it felt disconnected from the modern plot, and I wished the connection had been clearer earlier on. Some parts of the book took a while to click for me, and I felt a bit confused waiting for everything to tie together. Even so, the descriptions of the sirens and the setting were vivid and captivating.

Thank you St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-ARC!

This was a solid book. I really enjoyed the haunted coastal vibe that was going on. This book also had some thrilling elements, which I loved. I think my favorite POV was Jess's diary. We learned so much from that, and it really helped to tie the story together.
I wasn't the biggest fan of Mary's POV in the past. It was interesting, and it was cool to see how that tied to everyone else towards the end of the book. I wish there was a bigger connection shown to us readers earlier, though, instead of having to wait until the epilogue to finally have that "ah-ha" moment. I was left feeling a bit confused at times.
I liked the plot point of Lucy setting out to the find the truth after she realizes her sister Jess is missing. Her POV was super interesting, and it was fun to watch her uncover secrets (even if they were a tad dark).
Overall, this book is worth the read if you enjoy historical and mystery elements in books. The plot is engaging, especially once you hit the part where Jess's POV starts. I can't wait to see what Emilia Hart puts out next!

What a beautifully written book about something I have loved since a child. I enjoyed the descriptions of locations and the sirens physical appearance throughout the story.

The Sirens is an atmospheric, emotional book dealing with mermaid lore, family secrets, and feminist ideas. Everything that I love! Read this if you loved Weyward!

Thanks to #NetGalley and the publisher for providing a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

No "sophomore slump" for Emilia Hart with The Sirens! Multiple timelines, a
coastal setting, powerful female main characters (who happen to be sisters) and a dash of magic is a recipe that grabs my attention from the get-go.

This one had all the ingredients I usually love—coastal mystery, sister drama, a little historical magic—but it didn't fully hook me until the final stretch. The Sirens follows two storylines: in 2019, Lucy wakes up mid-nightmare with her hands around her ex's throat, runs to her sister's remote beach town, and finds her sister missing. There are rumors about the area—missing men, voices in the waves, the usual small-town creepiness. Then we jump back to 1800, where Irish sisters Mary and Eliza are forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia and start noticing… strange changes.

I really liked the atmosphere and the writing—Emilia Hart has a way with words, and I'll definitely read more from her—but the dual timelines didn't always feel connected. It sometimes felt like two different books, and while I liked both, I kept waiting for the stories to truly click.

Overall, it's a solid debut: well-written, a little eerie, and full of potential. It just took its time getting there.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for an advanced reader's copy; all opinions expressed in this review are my own.

After having enjoyed Weyward, I knew I had to check out this book! I enjoyed the dual timelines and the bonds between women, both elements I enjoyed in Weyward. I really enjoyed the story in the present time and wish we could have gotten a bit more of the story in the past. Seeing the history of Lucy's family unravel was heartbreaking and I had so much compassion for all of them. Overall, it was a great story and I look forward to more from this author.

This was an engaging, thought-provoking story with a unique plot!

I liked the resilient heroines and the theme of self-discovery. I really enjoyed the alternating POVs/timelines. The writing was super compelling too. However, the pacing was a bit slow at times for me.

This was a little out of the norm for me genre wise, but overall I enjoyed it and glad I tried it out!

Sirens by Emilia Hart is a well written tale told in dual timelines. As in Hart’s previous book “Weyward” the story focuses on strong women characters to drive the plot. I found the story captivating especially the historical background provided in the introduction. The story effectively weaves together historical fiction and supernatural elements. I look forward to reading more books by Emilia Hart.

Thanks to @stmartinspress and @netgalley for my early review copy!

Weyward by Emilia Hart was a favorite read of mine in 2023 and I was thrilled to get an advanced copy of The Sirens. The cover alone captivated me and the sprayed edges on the physical copy were 🤌🏼

This was the perfect travel and airplane read for me during May. I loved how Hart intertwined historical fiction, mystery, and magical realism to create a true genre bender of a book.

Lucy was a solid main character even if I wanted to shake her for impulsive decisions she made, which we come to understand. I mean, what wouldn’t we do for a sister who is missing? I rooted for Mary and Eliza in our past timeline, to overcome the insurmountable odds they faced. Their situation broke my heart and shed light on the story of female “convicts” from Britain transported to Australia.

Back to the cover, which screamed atmosphere…one of my favorite things about Hart’s writing in Weyward was the atmospherical setting, plot, and characters. There was definitely some of that present in The Sirens, but it did not rise to the level of what we read in Weyward. I felt like the scenes on the convict transport were the most moody and created the most ambience.

The writing was brilliant, as expected, and I will definitely pick up whatever Hart writes.