I enjoyed this author's debut novel, Weyward, so I was very excited to read this! The premise is intriguing, with elements of historical fiction, mystery, family drama, folklore, and magical realism, all in a multiple-timeline format. I also enjoyed the feminist themes woven throughout and the exploration of the bonds between each set of sisters. The characters were well-developed, and the women were likable and resilient.

The book is atmospheric, and the writing is lovely. However, the pacing was uneven. It was slow, mainly through the book's first half, and it took me a while to become invested, and other parts felt rushed. While this one wasn't for me, I can see it appealing to others, especially those who enjoy mermaid lore.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and Netgalley for the gifted ARC.

Women of the Sea and Women of the Land

Emilia Hart is a superb storyteller. It's part of what makes up her very fiber. Nothing is more evident than in her previous novel, Weyward (2023), that gripped me with two hands before this one. Hart has done her steadfast research here as it threads its way through this storyline. We'll stand steadily on terra firma while feeling the brisk winds coming off the raging sea.

The Sirens bows gently from the years of 2019 to the long stretches back to 1800. And at its core are women who are evasive by their nature but bound by a particular sisterhood. We'll visit their existence in certain times and in certain eras with the impact heavily resting upon them due to their strange circumstances.

The Sirens is an intricate read with Emilia Hart bringing her female characters to the surface. She carves them out with their apparent strengths and weaknesses. There's plenty to set aside to revisit later. It all plays into this magical storyline of women caught into the throes of life and the wavering inborn gifts that rise to the ready.

We'll meet Lucy who is on the run from a shocking incident that involved her at her university. Lucy sleepwalks. Hardly something that she can control, but what she can control is an immediate trip to the safe haven of her sister, Jess, who lives in Comper Bay. But when she arrives, Jess is not there even though her car and phone are. Lucy decides to wait it out.

Hart then takes us to 1800 aboard an Irish prisoner ship headed to New South Wales, Australia. There are over 80 women prisoners eventually meeting their fate. But not all of them will reach the shores. Two sisters await us, Mary and Eliza. We will tumble into their story as it comes full circle into 2019.

The Sirens is a very detailed story wrapped in magical circumstances. Prepare for an abandoned baby within a dark cave and 8 missing men who disappeared into thin air. Not all questions will be answered. The possible truth lies in the mist. But it will certainly keep you engaged with possibilities. Those possibilities are as elusive as a woman's smile.

I received a copy of this book through NetGalley for an honest review. My thanks to St. Martin's Press and to the talented Emilia Hart for the opportunity.

3.75 🌟

I'm not sure the dual time-line fully worked for me in this book. 😬

Augh, after loving Weyward I had high hopes for this book and it just fell a little short. The beginning was sloooow and I found myself struggling to get engaged. The ending surprised me and (most of it) I actually loved - I just wish there had been more in the first part of the book.

Thanks, Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

In the 1800's Mary and Eliza have been banished by the British court system and are aboard a convict ship bound for New South Wales. Meanwhile, in 2019, Lucy discovers that she's begun to sleepwalk when she awakens in her former boyfriend's dorm room with her hands around his neck. She flees campus to Jess, her estranged sister's, house. There she finds Jess's house in messy disrepair - but no sign of Jess herself. Where is Jess? Who is the girl that has been haunting Lucy's dreams before she awakens in the strangest places? And how in the world did Jess paint a series of scenes and faces from Lucy's dreams?

Emilia Hart has a talent for writing strong characters and an intriguing story told from multiple perspectives across time. The Sirens comes to us from Mary in the 1800's, Jess' diary (written in 1999), and Lucy in 2019. Despite the years between these women, the past and present collide during this story.

Hart's writing is beautiful and enabled me to feel like I was present in the vivid scenes that she created. This is lovely while we're visiting Jess's seaside cottage, but a bit unnerving when the scene is a ship's cargo hold crammed full of 80 women. I was completely unaware of Australia's founding history and this story sent me to the internet to learn more. How fascinating!

At times I felt that the pacing was slowed down by the changing points of view, and several scenes felt extraneous until the story came more fully together towards the end. Overall, this felt like a wholly unique story, full of richly drawn, flawed characters, set in a haunting and atmospheric environment.

I fell in love with Hart's creativity after reading Weyward and I was so pleased that NetGalley and St. Martin's Press gave me the opportunity to dive into Hart's sophomore novel in exchange for my honest review.

Absolutely beautiful, thank you for the book. Feminism and sirens? Sign me up! The merrows keeping women safe? We, as women, never feel safe in any community. There is always something hurting us somehow, mainly the patriarchy but it's always unsafe. Seeing safety from this book was a gift.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for a complimentary copy of this novel. All opinions expressed are my own. This novel takes place as two separate timelines. The 1800's Ireland where Mary and Eliza are put aboard a convict ship and sent to
Australia with other women. Then in 2019, there is Lucy and Jessica. Lucy suffers . from sleepwalking and one night she wakes up with her hands around her ex-boyfriend's throat. Scared and not remembering how she got there, Lucy decides to go visit her sister Jessica in a small town in South Wales called Comber Bay. But. when she arrives, Jessica is nowhere to be found. Her phone and car are still there, but she’s not. Comber Bay is full of secrets. Men have mysteriously gone missing from there. As Lucy researches and tries to figure out where Jessica is and what's happening, the secrets of their past and present come crashing together like waves
in the sea!
How are these two sets of sisters related? What secrets of the past will be
revealed? This novel is a historical fiction that is both beautifully haunting and mysterious. There is also elements of magical realism. I truly enjoyed reading this novel. The first part did seem a bit slow, but it quickly picked up and I didn't want to put it down! This is my second novel I have read by this author. The first was Weyward. I'm already looking forward to more books by this author! You can find the Sirens when it's available April 1, 2025! 5 stars

Emilia Hart’s The Sirens is an exquisitely written novel, filled with hauntingly beautiful prose and an atmosphere that completely pulls you in. Much like Weyward, it has a lyrical quality that makes every page feel immersive and alive. The way the author crafts setting and emotion is nothing short of stunning, making the world of the book feel tangible and deeply felt.

That being said, while I loved her writing, the story itself left me with some lingering frustration. The book begins with the main character running away from something ominous, setting up an intriguing mystery, but that thread never fully comes together. The lack of resolution around why she fled or if it would come back to haunt her felt like a missing puzzle piece in an otherwise compelling narrative.

Despite this, The Sirens is a novel I would still recommend for its breathtaking atmosphere and Emilia Hart’s undeniable talent as a writer. Even with its shortcomings, it’s the kind of book that stays with you, carried by its poetic storytelling and rich, evocative details.

I loved Weyward, and when I saw The Sirens was available, I was excited to get started on it. The magical realism is woven through this novel which has a gothic vibe as well as themes of the bond of sisters and female empowerment. Told in dual timelines, this is the story of two pairs of sisters, one set is on a doomed female prison ship set for Australia, and in the present day, Lucy sets out to visit her sister, Jess, who lives in a house on the cliffs of Comber Bay where the ship sank. Lucy and Jess both suffer from a medical condition that causes their skin to become terribly inflamed/irritated when it comes in contact with water, and Lucy has questions about her genetic history in light of the condition. When she arrives at her sister's home, Jess is missing, and Lucy finds a diary which answers some as it raises even more questions.

The novel is atmospheric and slow paced, almost painfully slow at times, but the pacing is important to the story, when all is finally revealed. There were a lot of aspects that needed to be brought together, and I am happy to say that the author did a great job of wrapping things up in the end.

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for the digital ARC of The Sirens by Emilia Hart. The opinions in this review are my own.

Really enjoyed this story of women across time. Stories that involve the magic and mysteriousness of the sea are usually something I like, so it's really no surprise that I found this one a good read.

Historical Magical Realism • Dual Timeline
Expected Publication • 1 April 2025

Thank you @stmartinspress & @macmillan.audio for the ARC & ALC. ♡

*ೃ༄*ੈ✩‧₊˚ Blend family secrets, mysterious disappearances, convict ships sailing for Australia from Ireland, and female resilience.

⚓ I enjoyed the atmosphere and the setting on the shores of a remote Australia coastal town. This one had a slow start and took over half of the book to hook me.

Lucy and Jess are sisters in present day, while Mary and Eliza are twins in 1800s Ireland. In the style of The Lost Apothecary, these will converge as justice is served outside of the law, with a flair of magical realism.

I appreciated the twists, but I wish I connected more with any of the four sisters & the plot.

🎧 Narrator Barrie Kreinik has a wonderful range bringing to life multiple accents of the British isles + Australia, fun listening experience including sea shanties! 🇦🇺🇮🇪

TW: Sexual Assault, Murder, Infidelity (off page)

2 Stars – Promising Concept, Disjointed Execution

The Sirens by Emilia Hart had all the ingredients for a gripping, atmospheric tale—interwoven timelines, the mystery of missing men, eerie seaside legends, and a deep thread of sisterhood connecting women across centuries. Unfortunately, while the premise was strong, the execution left much to be desired.

The 2019 storyline with Lucy starts off intriguing—waking up in a panic with her hands around her ex’s throat is a gripping hook. But instead of diving deep into her psychological unraveling or the mystery of her sister’s disappearance, the narrative often drifts into slow-paced introspection that failed to maintain tension.

The historical plotline featuring Mary and Eliza aboard a convict ship was more compelling, but it felt underdeveloped and rushed. The supernatural elements hinted at something larger, but they remained vague and didn’t quite deliver on the suspense or payoff I was hoping for.

The idea of women connected through time by trauma, resilience, and the power of the sea is powerful—but the story never quite coalesced. The pacing lagged, the connections between timelines felt forced rather than organic, and by the end, I was left more confused than satisfied.

A beautifully written book in parts, but ultimately more promise than payoff.

Thank you so much to St. Martin’s Press & NetGalley for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Sitting right at 2.75⭐️ for me, The Sirens started off with an attention-grabbing beginning, lost me a bit in the middle, but did redeem itself in the end. The main character that we spend the most time with, Lucy, was meh and I had a hard time connecting with her. The whole beginning of the book seemed disjointed, and by the time you’re two thirds of the way into the story, it’s almost as if that entire section didn’t exist. The magical realism element and jumping back and forth between time periods was cool in the beginning, but wore off by the end. It was difficult to differentiate between the different narrators as we moved through the story, I even struggled to remember which sister was which because they were so lacking in personality. Concerning Lucy, what I struggled with the most was, we learn that she loves journalism and received top notch grades to get into a rigorous journalism program. Initially, she loves the school and her program, but at some point she comes to the conclusion that she never needed them be a good journalist anyways…with no evidence in the book to support that she is a good journalist other than the fact that we’re told that she is one. It was here that the story started to lose me. The middle portion was a bit slow, but the last third of the book was a page-turner. I will say, I felt pretty dumb for not being able to predict the plot twist, but I think by that point I was just trying to finish the book lol

I think people who enjoyed The Unmaking of June Farrow will like this one. And even though I am one of those people, there was just something about the characters, pacing, and organization that were lacking.

Emilia Hart's *Sirens* is a powerful exploration of female resilience and solidarity, seamlessly blending myth and modernity. Told through two interwoven timelines, the novel presents a striking narrative of women navigating the complexities of trauma and the arduous path toward healing.

At the heart of *Sirens* is its reimagining of the mythical sirens. Rather than the traditional depiction of seductive, destructive beings, Hart's sirens are fierce, vengeful protectors of women. This refreshing feminist twist on the lore offers readers a potent symbol of feminine rage and justice, a reclamation of the narrative often wielded against women. These sirens become metaphors for the strength that can emerge from pain and the unwavering support found in sisterhood.

The novel's dual timelines enrich its themes of intergenerational trauma and resilience. In the present day, we follow a protagonist grappling with the aftermath of a toxic relationship, her journey toward empowerment mirrored by the sirens’ unyielding defense of the vulnerable. Parallelly, the historical timeline uncovers the origins of the sirens’ protective presence, illuminating the stories of women who faced violence and injustice yet found solace and strength within their own community.

Hart’s prose is both lyrical and visceral, capturing the raw emotions of her characters with striking clarity. The thematic presence of the female experience, particularly as it relates to trauma and recovery, is deeply felt on every page. She navigates these sensitive topics with compassion and nuance, making *Sirens* a poignant testament to the resilience of women in the face of adversity.

Ultimately, *Sirens* is more than a story of vengeance; it is a celebration of feminine strength and the transformative power of solidarity. Emilia Hart has crafted a narrative that is both timeless and urgent, offering readers a cathartic and empowering experience. This novel will undoubtedly resonate with those seeking stories that honor the complexities of healing and the unbreakable bonds of sisterhood.

Emilia Hart does it again! I loved Weyward, and The Sirens is a similar vibe. The sisters in the ship, the relationship between Jessica and Lucy, and the magic vibes--what more could you want! Would be a great literary read for book club.

Thanks to NetGalley for the ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I was approved for the audiobook and the arc of this book and I really loved listening and reading this before bed. I am a sucker for mermaid media and this really itched the spot. I do think it is a slow burn but it kept me interested the whole time and I never found this boring. I loved the setting and the switching of the location and time periods between all the girls. I found that it gave a lot of depth to the story and made it very intriguing.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I absolutely loved Emilia Hart’s debut novel, Wayward, so when I heard that Hart had a new novel being released, it was immediately added to my TBR.

The Sirens follows two sets of sisters, living centuries apart, with a deep connection to the sea.

I really appreciate how Hart balances magically realism and female relationships throughout her writing. I did find this novel had a slower build, but the pay off as everything came together at the end was definitely worth it for me.

I’ll definitely be keeping my eye out for more work from Hart!

Love Emilia’s beautiful writing always. The themes in her books are always so deep about feminism/womanhood/sisterhood/motherhood and as a woman, it really hits deep. I thought the settings in this book were very cozy and magical (specifically the cave and cottage on the cliff). Can’t wait to read more of Hart’s books in the future! Thank you!

Lucy awakens at university and finds her hands around the neck of a boy who has wronged her. In a panic she flees across country to find her older sister, Jess, who she hasn't talked to in over a year. When Lucy arrives at the house, she finds the door unlocked, Jess' phone still plugged into the wall, but no sign of her sister. This town seems to have strange disappearances over the decades, but are they connected to her missing sibling? Or the vivid dreams Lucy has been having, where she's aboard a ship full of women convicts?

This book is haunting at times and has such beautifully descriptive writing. The ocean almost seems like a character itself at times calling the reader in closer. The story goes back in time with some of the POVs, and the chapters of Mary and Eliza are so wonderful at making you feel like you're also aboard an overcrowded ship in the darkness. The premise of the story is so unique overall, and I feel like there were several mysteries wrapped up together really well. The plot was a little slow and meandering at times, but as a result you do really get to know the characters. I figured out most of the family mystery pretty early on but was still surprised by a twist at the end. This is a great celebration of sisterhood and women coming together to overcome obstacles.

I was a huge fan of Weyward, and although this book is quite different, I really enjoyed it. I recommend this to all who enjoy mystery, magic, and historical fiction. As always, I look forward to reading whatever Emilia Hart writes next. I received this book as an ARC from NetGalley for my opinions.

A spellbinding novel about sisters separated by centuries, but bound together by the sea. 🌊


THANK YOU St. Martin's Press for sending me over this ARC. 💓

I honestly enjoyed a lot of this storyline and found myself very intrigued by the plot and the characters. There is a lot going on and at times I did have a hard time connecting to the past/present timeline. I loved the bit of mystery the author intertwined into the narrative. A decent book, but just wasn’t not a favorite.

3.5 stars ✨ torn between whether to round up or down!

Pub Date Apr 01 2025 - be on the lookout! The cover is absolutely stunning.

3.75. This book does feel like classic Emilia Hart. In her follow-up to her powerful debut (Weyward), she gives us another set of interwoven lives of women, but this time with a mystery at the heart of it. We don’t get to know how the women are connected until the end but the journey she takes us on is emotional and well thought out.

Overall, I thought the story was well plotted, with exception to the first 20-30%. The first 1/3 of the book opens with a conflict/challenge for one of the women that just doesn’t get properly addressed despite the anxiety and depth of set-up in the intro of the book. I can see why some of the reviews are mixed as some readers are dissatisfied with “plot holes”. I don’t think it was a plot hole per se but I definitely think the resolution could have been more comprehensive and satisfying.

This was a solid read that I enjoyed, but not quite as satisfying as her debut.

P.S. if you listen to audio the narrator sings to you!!