I just loved this book from the first page.
It is a tale of sisterhood ,family and resilience. Throughout the book these characters are drawn to the sea. It is told in three different timelines bu the author has woven them together so it is never disjointed.
It is the story of Lucy and Jess -2 sisters living in Australia and Mary and Eliza-twin sisters from Ireland who were sent to Australia on a convict ship. It is interesting to see how those 4 are so connected. It is a beautiful tale of healing using history, magical realism and mystery to keep your interest up to the last page

This is one of those books where, the more I thought about it, the less I liked it. When I started I was very interested, but it felt like quite a bit of the story was told through journalling, and not in the best way. The end was fairly rushed, and the main character's reaction to the ending was underwhelming. There was a lot that was just hand waived away, and it didn't sit well with me. I kept thinking, "how did that happen?" and not in a great-shocked way.
I am still giving three stars because I really liked it as I finished it, and the writing was very good. When I initially finished I thought I would give it four stars before thinking further on it.

This was an interesting read. I think I made the mistake of listening to the audio ALC because it was a bit hard to keep up with the characters changing and some timeline changes. But overall the story was good. A little mystery and a little fantasy. I love a mermaid type story and since this one was set over generations I enjoyed it. The characters were likable and it was definitely a story of finding yourself and the truth.

I so very much wanted to love The Sirens. I wanted creepy, strong, rage-filled mermaids. I wanted family secrets, revenge, resilience. I got a lot of mold, mustiness, and damp. A lot of nightmares that weren’t that frightening and sleepwalking that could have been really cool, if there had been a point to it. But nothing went anywhere other than exactly where I thought it was going to go. The writing itself is well done - Emilia Hart knows how to write beautifully, even when writing something gross, I’ll give her that. But I’ve read two of her books now, and I think I can safely say they aren’t for me. Certain tropes are worn out, and I don’t like being able to predict everything that’s going to happen. But wow, her covers are gorgeous.

Thank you St. Martins Press and Netgalley for this ARC! This story revolves around sets of sisters; set in the 1800’s twins Mary and her blind twin Eliza are bound to Australia on a prisoner ship from their home in Ireland, in the present sisters Jess and Lucy both have dreams about the twins and their horrible trip on the seas; both are sleepwalking to the water - water which they both have a reaction to; skin cracking and peeling. What do all these girls have in common? Why is the water calling them? Very well written story that you won’t want to put down!

Unfortunately for me, I started this ARC and really by 25% in, I just felt myself drifting away into my own thoughts, phone etc and so I commend anyone who writes a novel because truly that's like the hardest thing there is out there and I try really hard to finish all my ARCS but sadly I didn't complete this one.

The Sirens: 🐚🌊🧜‍♀️⁣
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Thank you @macmillan.audio and @stmartinspress for my gifted copies! #MacAudio2025 #SMPInfluencer ⁣
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“But sometimes, there is no choice. There is only love.”⁣
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Me: “I love sirens and the lore behind them. This is going to be wonderful.”⁣
Me after finishing the last page: sobbing uncontrollably, holding my daughters super close and them giving me a side eye to why I’m being extra affectionate.⁣
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This is a slow burn. My curiosity was piqued, just enough to want to see what was happening to Jess. It took me until about 70% to really stop in my tracks and desperately NEED to know the rest. The dual timelines was so perfectly executed to really have a strong completion into how they’re connected in the end. ⁣
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Honestly, it’s a beautiful book. It’s heartbreaking, yet, hauntingly beautiful. I guess kind of like sirens ya know? The audio was phenomenal. Barrie Kreinik just keeps getting better. And the singing?! The singing!? Throw my book away, the audio was beautiful. (Don’t actually throw the book away, it’s stunning and I’ll be getting a copy for my shelves)⁣
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Overall, not at all what I expected but definitely a favorite so far of the year. ⁣
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QOTD: What did you read this weekend??

Thank you to St. Martins Press for my complimentary arc of The Sirens. Thank you to MacMillan Audio for my complimentary audiobook. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Sirens was a very complex read/listen for me. I found it very interesting and yet it was different from any other book I have read lately.
Again I went in blind, I didn't read any reviews, or even a full synopsis. I just now noticed the tags.

It was slow in the beginning and I almost set it aside. But after 80 pages it really picked up and I was thoroughly invested. The back and forth timelines were very clear, and I enjoyed the present timeline the most.

Without giving anything away, there were quite a few bombshells and guess what???
I DID NOT SEE ANY OF THEM COMING. Such is my life.

I was confused at the epilogue. I misread 37 years earlier AS 37 years after. Made a huge difference it that chapter 😬 but after a reread I think I understand.

The audiobook is narrated by Barrie Kreinik and it is wonderfully done.

🐬The Sirens was one of my most anticipated reads this year. I went in blindly, drawn by my deep connection to the author’s previous novel, Weyward. This book, with its blend of magical realism and historical fiction, is one that lingers in the mind long after finishing.

Set in both the past and present, the novel takes place in Australia and offers a glimpse into the lives of women who were transported there as punishment for their so-called offenses. Mary, Eliza, Jessica, and Lucy are bound together across centuries, their stories weaving into one another in profound and haunting ways.🐬

🪸This is not an easy read. The author tackles difficult and weighty themes, and the story unfolds at a slow, deliberate pace. Told through alternating timelines, it highlights the resilience of these women as survivors. While I appreciated the depth of the narrative, I found myself wanting more clarity on the origins of the magical realism woven into the story. It felt slightly underdeveloped for me.

That said, the book is beautifully written and thought-provoking. Thank you, St. Martin’s Press, for the earc of this novel.🪸

CW: This book explores several heavy and potentially triggering topics, so please read with care.

I really enjoyed Weyward by this author so was happy to get an ARC from NetGalley of The Sirens. I think I liked this even more. The Sirens weaves two storylines together. One is set in the present day Australia - Lucy, a college student in crisis flees to her somewhat-estranged sister's home on the coast and finds her sister missing. The second storyline is set in the 1800s and revolves around two sisters also, Mary and Eliza, who are convicted of a crime in Ireland and set on a convict ship sailing for Australia. (Although this is fiction, the second storyline is loosely based on actual fact and this part was fascinating, if sad.)

First of all, it's just lovely writing. There are moments of really nice prose and imagery that work well. This is always a bonus, although not necessary for an entertaining storyline.

As far as characters, there could have been a bit more fleshing out here; however, certain details are kept in the dark until later in order to try to preserve some mystery. That said, I figured out what was going on pretty quickly. This did not stop me from enjoying the story and its unfolding and progression to its conclusion. Pacing is a bit off perhaps, with a bit of a slower middle. I didn't mind it and enjoyed the writing, but it does sink into atmospheric details rather than actually having anything happening for awhile.

Eventually, both storylines are satisfactorily resolved. This book does employ magical realism, but it's subtle. I really enjoyed this one!

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for an ARC of this beautiful novel in exchange for my honest review. I loved Emilia Hart's novel Weyward so I was VERY EXCITED to get an ARC of The Sirens. This book did not disappoint! Beautifully written with a wonderful story about what it is like to be a woman then and now. I loved the characters and the plot. I was in it from beginning to end and I will think about these characters for time to come. I will definitely recommend this novel to all of my reader friends!

Rounded up from 2.75. Sad to categorize Hart's sophomore effort as "not for me" since I was so looking forward to it after reading and enjoying Weyward, her first. Loved the ties to the past and memory and water, but this did not do it for me otherwise. Lucy was an impossible character to like, and that didn't help. I'll definitely give the next Hart a go though. Free advanced copy from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review

The Sirens by Emilia Hart ⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

This was a slow burn, genre mash up about the healing powers of water and female strength and resiliency. The writing was beautiful, but I didn’t really get drawn into this book until about 60-70%.

Here are some of my disjointed thoughts:

🧜‍♀️ lots going on - two timelines, multiple women and their own dilemmas, genre mashup
🧜‍♀️ I found the historical fiction part to be super interesting
🧜‍♀️ I never understood the motivation for the “stay away from water” demands / water-related transformations
🧜‍♀️ I’m not clear about how both timelines tie together other than water
🧜‍♀️ the ending didn’t wrap everything up for me

Giving it 3.5 stars for its unique premise and beautiful writing. Weyward is my favorite of the two, but it is clear Hart writes beautifully with feminist themes.

3.5 stars, rounding up to 4.

This was a really interesting read! It was a little spooky, had a lot of mystery, and complex characters that demanded respect and an epic conclusion to their stories. I overall enjoyed it.

One of my favorite things about this story was the theme of women’s empowerment. All four of our lead characters learned how they hold power as women throughout history and I really enjoyed watching them grow into this power as the story went on. Everything they needed they found in each other. There were themes of sisterhood woven throughout both Eliza and Mary’s and Jess and Lucy’s stories which were touching and beautiful. Women hold power in community and that was really prevalent in this book.

The connections between each of the stories and the unraveling of the mystery was done really well. I constantly wanted to keep reading to figure out what was going to happen! I did like how all of the characters ended up connecting. Little pieces of each story were given throughout which had you really thinking about how it would all go down in the end. Some of it I guessed, some of it I didn't, which was intoxicating in its own way!

The timeline jumps did get confusing at times. I had to backtrack a lot to remember who was in which story and what they did to earn a spot there. I also felt like the plot twist in the epilogue was way too late and I needed a lot more information about it to make it make sense. This honestly made me rethink a lot about the book and I had a hard time stomaching the ending.

I would recommend this to anyone who loves mystery with some dark twists!

I will definitely read more from this author as I thought both Weyward (though, I did like Weyward more) and The Sirens were haunting and complex stories. Something out of the ordinary from what I typically read!

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martins Press for the ARC in exchange for my honest review!

3.5⭐️ This book is mainly just vibes. It’s very dark and eerie! Hart’s writing is truly beautiful. Her descriptions have a beautiful eeriness to them. My main issue with this book was the pacing. The book didn’t really pick up until 70%. Once it did I started to enjoy it so much more! I do have some questions that don’t feel fully answered. Overall I did enjoy this book!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was really eager to give Emilia Hart another chance since Weyward didn’t resonate with me the way it did for so many others. Sadly, The Sirens didn’t quite hit the mark for me either.

The multigenerational storyline and the family secrets were definitely intriguing, and I enjoyed the sprinkle of magical realism throughout. However, I felt the plot was a bit lacking, leaving too many loose ends by the time I reached the conclusion. I craved more depth and a stronger connection between the characters—just more substance, really.

I also found myself disappointed with how the book approached its themes. Given that it touches on the colonization of Australia, the absence of meaningful Indigenous representation felt like a significant missed opportunity.

I loved the idea behind it, but the execution just didn’t do it for me. I’d give it a solid 3 stars.

A big thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for allowing me the chance to read this one.

I want to start by saying I absolutely love the cover. This was one of the reasons I got drawn to this book and an idea of a story about sirens but unfortunately this turned into DNF for me. Right from the beginning I couldn’t get into the story. I am not sure if it was because of a lack of plot or unrelatable characters. There was just something about this book that didn’t speak to me. Many readers will find it interesting; I was just not the right audience for it.
Thank you St. Martin’s Press and the author for an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I was more interested in Mary and Eliza's story than Lucy and Jess, I probably could read an entire book around the events they endured and why. It is on the slower end in terms of pacing, but the mystery behind the strange events continued to be captivating enough, pulling you further and further into the book as you read.

The book was slow to get into, then sweet you in , but I wasn't entirely thrilled with the ending. It felt like we just put a bow on something that wasn't finished thoroughly in order to get to an ending.

If you enjoy feminist historical fiction or multi-generational sagas, you will love the sirens. this 2025 release is Emilia Hart’s second novel, following her debut Weyward that was published in 2023. beginning in present day Australia, it alternates between sisters Lucy and Jess in the present, and sisters Mary and Eliza over 200 years in the past who are being forcibly torn from their home in Ireland and placed on an convict boat set for Australia. i love the magical realism elements that are infused into her novels, making a witchy ambience, threading the stories of women and nature across time and space.

Honestly I loved Weyward so much but was completely let down by this one! Unfortunately it didn’t work for me. I loved the theory in concept but i wasn’t captivated by the characters.