This book is told from different timelines. In 1800 twin sisters Mary and Eliza have been exiled from Ireland bound for Australia along with other girls and women who have committed crimes. While being transported by ship to their new country the twins experience unexplained changes to their bodies while feeling a strange calling to the depths of the sea. In 2019 Lucy flees home after finding herself trying to strangle an ex- boyfriend while having no recollection of how she got there. With nowhere to go but to her older sister’s house, she runs off seeking to reconnect after not seeing one another for years. Lucy is hoping that her older sister Jess has answers to Lucy’s strange behaviors and nightmares. But Jess is nowhere to be found and neighbors say that Jess left without saying where she was going. While waiting for Jess to return home, Lucy finds and reads her sister’s diary changing Lucy’s life forever.

Sirens is a story that is really two stories. You have two sisters, Mary and Eliza who share there tale amongst the famous boat that wrecked and a 1oo lives were lost. At the same time you have two other sisters - Lucy and Jess. They have a huge age gap between them. Lucy had woken up with her hands wrapped around her ex's neck. She fled school and went to find her sister Jess. However, Jess isn't there and is missing. The journey starts for Lucy as she tries to find her sister and the answers to questions she has long wondered.

4.5 stars
Having read and loved Hart's previous work "Weyward" I was ready for another glorious blend of fiction, historical fiction, and magical realism and I'm here to say "The Sirens" did not disappoint!

Moving between 1800/1801 and the plight of two sister, Eliza and Mary, aboard a ghastly ship among of a group of "convict" women bound for Australia under deplorable conditions, Lucy, a girl on the run in modern day (2019) Comber's Bay, and the 1999 diary of Lucy's sister Jess, who has gone missing. Interspersed throughout the narratives is the mystery of Comber's Bay and why random men have been disappearing for years.

I found Eliza and Mary's story most compelling as it was true that many woman found guilty of even innocent crimes such as "theft of cloth" were sentenced to months on a ship bound for the Australian colony where, if they survived, they would be servants or slave wives of other convicts. Definitely worth looking into.

Lucy and Jess present a modern day mirror. Two sisters bound by a inherited disorder, as well as sleepwalking, causing Lucy to do something drastic.

Love and familial bonds are strong in both stories and the characters well formed and relatable. Interwoven throughout is the theme of water, and specifically the sea. An allergy to water is a common thread among the characters but in the end isn't what you think. I love when modern stories revisit tales of old and remind us that there may not be as much "myth" in old mythology as we think.

My only complaint, the ending was a bit rough and rushed in tying all the pieces together.

May I also say the cover is GORGEOUS, especially the Barnes & Noble exclusive with sprayed edges.

*Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's press for an eARC*

Synopsis: A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine.

Thoughts:
Emilia Hart has a way of bringing generations of women together in magical, mystical ways. This book was very eerie and magical. It was slow at times and I didn't love the whole magical concept, but it kept me reading and the flow was smooth.

My rating: 3/5 stars

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for the e-copy in exchange of an honest review!

Dnf at 25% I’m not crazy about the characters or the story lines. It’s very women’s fiction which isn’t my cup of tea. If you like that and books that have 3 different story lines/time periods you would probably love it. The writing and imagery was great. It just wasn’t for me unfortunately.

While this one starts out a little slow, once it picks up, you’ll find yourself bewitched and enthralled. It’s really great writing and the author weaves a story across time that will have you up late trying to get “just one more page” until you either fall asleep or read the last sentence.

Well written and great follow-up to Weyward!

Emilia Hart delivers an atmospheric read that emphasizes the importance of sisterhood and womanhood. The story follows Lucy, who has a unique and mysterious past, she is currently running from her present. By discovering who she is, and who she was, she leans into what it means to be a modern day woman in an every changing world.

By receiving premonitions of a woman from the past, dealing with similar misogynistic practices, the stark contrast of how far we’ve come as a society and how women were treated in the past, and how the injustices continue.

This book was a difficult because it hit close to home. it deals with some heavy themes of misogyny, power imbalance grooming, not being taken seriously as a woman, systematic discriminations And micro aggression against women. .

I think the important thing about a good book is that it makes you think and since I finish this book almost a week ago I continue to have thoughts about why the author did certain things, and coming up with theories on connecting the fantastic elements ( sirens) to the real world problems that these characters face.

Overall, I really enjoyed the story and I will continue to read this authors work.

Thank you to @stmartinspress via @netgalley for the advance copy of The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I'd enjoyed her first novel, Weyward, so I was interested to check out her sophomore novel.
Lucy has a rare allergy to water, but in her dreams she is consistently drawn to it. These dreams also feature twin sisters on board a convict ship from Ireland to Australia, and she can't figure out why. When an incident occurs while sleepwalking, she flees to her older sister's new home, only to find her missing. She needs to unravel all these mysteries before the lure of the ocean causes her harm.
I have a slight obsession with Australia so I was delighted that the novel was mainly set in this country, with some dual timeline portions of the story happening in Ireland (another favourite locale) and on board a ship (something I do not enjoy typically but found tolerable here). The setting of the book and the prose style completely drew me in. I found myself at a distance from the main characters but fascinated and absorbed by the story which kept me reading.
Overall I found this to be a tragic and absorbing story, with disturbing elements - definitely check for trigger warnings before picking this up, especially for SA.

This is how I know that this author is amazing- I started this book… and could not put it down. Usually when I request something like this I read the first few chapters and then lose interest and quit. Glad I gave this one a shot. The two timelines are so fascinating with all these women/girls. I love how it’s a fairytale for adults. As a woman I felt the frustration of many generations. What a beautiful ending!

An enjoyable read. Like Weyward, i found myself not always "buying" the choices made my Harts characters. Not a deal breaker, of course, but it kept me from giving this 5 stars. I would recommend to any reader who enjoys modern fairy tale retellings.

Thanks, NetGalley for this digital copy of The Sirens.

This novel is all of my favorite genres in one. It’s magical realism mystery, literary and historical fiction.

I loved the mystery around Australia’s Bermuda Triangle.. the author’s writing is descriptive and she really paints a picture. The characters in this novel were well developed

From start to finish, this book engulfed me. The main character, Lucy was tenacious in finding out about what tied her and her family to the sirens. Beautiful story!

The story follows Lucy as she unravels a family secret about where she comes from, and who she is. She is a college student studying journalism and starts having wild dreams of two sisters that are prisoners on a boat set for Australia. As the dreams become more vivid, Lucy feels a call to the ocean. A series of events lead her to her older sister’s home where she discovers her sister is missing.
Emilia did an incredible job at developing these characters so that I was completely invested in their stories. It was a beautiful mix of history, mystery and a touch of magic by the sea. I loved it! I highly recommend it and cannot wait to read more from the author!

The Sirens brings a tale from different points of views turning loose despair and surprise. Emila Hart takes an old story putting an new twist to keep one guessing where you might head next. History is always is always a great point of view to expand from which has been done well. I have freely enjoyed this netgally title, Thank You.

WoW!!! Just Amazing. How anyone cannot read this book and give it 5stars is beyond me, this is one of the best books I've read in years. If you think the one stars that are showing on goodreads equal the Brillance of this book. No do not go by them at all!

I received An ARC from netgalley and this is my wholly and completely my honest opinion of this book!! I'm so grateful I did because I had no idea the hold this book would have over me.

I feel like my heart became a part of this book as I was reading it, that I was being pulled into the sea with Lucy, Jess, Eliza and Mary. Their stories were being engraved into me.

It's been a while I've read a book that kept me intrigued the entire time. On the edge of my seat, needing to read it every moment, on breaks at work, standing in line, I wanted to read even when I couldn't.

The story weaves this magical blanket, between Lucy and her discover of her relationships between her family and the past. In snippets of Lucys life and by reading her sister's journal.

A town of secrets and mystery that pulls Lucy to it, calling her to untangle this web of her life.

Eliza and Mary's journey as "convicts" and how they become who they are meant to be.

The way Emilia writes and describes the world in this story makes me feel as though I am part of the story. The imagery the feel of the ocean spray, the colors, the way she uses art to describe the story. The layers of each character brought to life. This is the second book, and I have no doubt Emilia is becoming one of my favorite authors.

The way each past and present is written the buildup and the way it comes together at the exact moments. I'm in awe at how this author could create that.

Its breathtaking, haunting, the growth of the characters, the way everything is connected. I have never wanted to flip to the end of a book more to find out what will happen. I didn't through and instead just went with the flow, like the tide of the ocean, uncovering the secrets of the shore as it pulls back to sea.

📖📖 Book Review 📖📖 Water is the source is life, nourishing and refreshing. But it can be dangerous, bringing powerful storms and destruction. For teenage Jess with a rare allergy to water, it has both threatened her and continually defined her life. And water brings connections, which Emilia Hart paints vividly in her new book The Sirens. Mysteries and secrets abound in this beautifully written tale that is as captivating as the mythological creatures' enchanting melodies. Emilia Hart delivers an impressively well-written book that captivates in a way not many authors can! What a truly immersive and evocative read with so many beautiful layers to digest.

Review is on Goodreads and will be posted on instagram closer to publication date and on Amazon when published!

I read a digital galley through NetGalley. Sirens is a beautiful story of familial love and women’s inner power. Emilia Hart’s follow up to Weyward touches upon many of the themes and qualities that made her first book special. I enjoyed the connections to Ireland’s rich culture, mythology, and history. It gave this story added depth and meaning.

Let me start by saying I loved Weyward which was a beautifully crafted story of three generations. The twist was beautiful and each character was richly done. The Sirens on the other hand was off and not well thought out. The first half really goes no where and in the end there is zero resolution of Lucy’s college incident. It was like it was forgotten. Jess was a weak character and honestly I knew early on that she was the lost baby and Lucy’s mother. This novel has potential but lacked having it snuffed out. The sea travel portion should have been hatched out better to develop the ideas of The Sirens. I see what Hart wanted to do but needs more details in setting the story up. Personally I think the first portion should be done better leading up to the next portions of the book. I will definitely read more of Hart’s novels but this is for sure her sophomore slump.

As a huge fan of Weyward, I was so excited to see this ARC in my inbox. I think Emilia Hart has yet again captured the magic and devastation of the female experience through her complex characters and their relationships with each other and women of the past. She has done another remarkable job at weaving various storylines to create an interconnected tale of women’s struggles throughout history. One thing I loved about this story was the setting of NSW and the focus on female convicts’ journeys from Ireland (often overlooked in the telling of Australian history).
My three star rating can be attributed to the underdeveloped feel of the story. The entire first half of the book felt confusing in its direction and setup. I thought the podcast and true crime angle were going to be played up more but were quickly forgotten. I wanted more background on Mary and Eliza’s mother and how she met their father.
Although I found the parentage “twists” predictable, I thought the revelations were realistic and well paced. The whole story really picked up at the end with the shorter chapters and increased action of the plot. But I think a few things were lost: closure on Lucy’s college situation, Mary and Eliza’s epilogue, any emotional perspective from Lucy and Jess’s “parents”. While the story almost dragged on in the middle, the end felt rushed and glossed over.
Overall, I still enjoyed the experience of reading this book and will definitely pick up more from Emilia Hart in the future.

Well, it's official - Emilia Hart is now an auto-buy author for me. I LOVED Weyward, and this novel was just as beautiful. The way that Hart weaves magical realism, historical fiction, and what ties us all together as humans is just breathtaking. Highly recommend, and if you did not read Weyward yet, add both to your TBR now.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and Emilia Hart for this advanced copy of this book.