I received this as an ARC and since I enjoyed Weyward, I was sure I would enjoy this one too. Fantasy and historical fiction are favorite genres of mine and I hadn’t really read one from under the sea before. It did not disappoint.

There’s a lot of characters to keep up with and I really had to pay attention to the dates and names of each chapter. It took me a long time to figure out the relationship with Jess and Lucy, but that was part of the plot I guess. I liked reading the different timelines though and honestly really enjoyed Mary’s story. I do wish that there had been more of a follow up on Mary’s story at the end of the novel though.

The epilogue was intriguing and not something I expected. I’ve never read a book quite like this one and it was a fun read. Overall great book and would recommend!

If you like dual timelines with alternating POV, you'll love this one. Emilia Hart is one of the few authors that does it with perfection. Lucy and Jess were my favorites and I loved the mermaid folklore. Beautiful read!

Gosh this book was so great and not at all what I was expecting. Sirens is a book about 2 sets of sisters from different time frames. The first set of sisters are on a prison boat in the 1800s. As they get further from home their bodies begin to change in ways they never imagined. The second set of sisters are in Australia. One sister finds herself having vivid dreams resulting in sleeping walking. She travels to see her sister to find some answers about her dreams. Her sister isn’t there and she begins to discover more and more about herself and her sister. She discovers that the town her sister is in has a rich history of missing men, shipwrecks, and a baby left in a cave. This book is a beautifully written novel about sisterhood, the magic of the sea and resilience.

This book made me very emotional and kept me on my toes. I grew up as a young girl infatuated with mermaids and found this novel an amazing ode to their magic.

Thank you NetGalley and Emilia Hart for the opportunity to read this ARC. All opinions are my own.

Wayward was so enjoyable that I leapt at the opportunity to read Sirens. Another historical/present time plot, Sirens is about sisterhood, strength forged in fire, and women in two very different times who both experience violence, struggles, and unity. If you loved Weyward, you’ll adore Sirens.

What an absolutely stunning cover!! It immediately drew me in and I can wait to see it printed in real life!

The plot of the “The Sirens” follows different females and sisters over multiple generations with alternating POV. I enjoyed the change in timelines and seeing the different sides to the hardships and challenges that women were facing among different time periods.

I have to say that Lucy in present day (2019) was definitely the character that captivated me the most. Potentially because she was the most relatable to me being a modern day girly, but I also found her situation of waking up from sleep walking and her distant and strained relationship with her mysterious sister to interest me the most.

I also loved the folklore surrounding mermaids throughout history and the curious nature of the small sea side town.

I can’t wait to see what this author comes up with next. I enjoy the way she blends history and modern day stories together and strongly focuses on womanhood as a main theme in her books.

Thank you to St Martin’s Press and Emilia Hart for the EARC!

Publish date; March 4th 2025

The Sirens tells the stories of 4 extraordinary woman thru out three different time periods-

Lucy- 2019, wakes up one night in her former lovers dorm, hands around his throat, with no recollection of how she got there. With the threat of expulsion and assault charges, she runs away to the one place she feels safe, Cliff House. Her sister’s house.

Jess- 1999- before her little sister Lucy, is born, Jess struggles with self esteem issues when her skin starts to flake and become scaly. She seeks comfort in the one person who ever acted like she was beautiful, the new art teacher.

Mary and Eliza- 1800- Twin sisters are being shipped off to Australia aboard a convict ship with a grimm destiny. During the voyage, the ocean calls to them.

I’m not entirely sure how I felt about this book. There is no denying, Emilia Hart is a brilliant writer. Her stories are so deep, and always the focal point is love. But this one, left me wanting more. I’m not very familiar with Siren lore, and I finished this book feeling like I still had no idea what they were. At least Hart’s version of them.

Lucy’s story started off focusing on one problem, then by the end, that problem was dismissed? Never spoken about again? Forgotten about? The way days went by without any communication from her sister… stressed me out.

Jess’ story for the first 2 parts is told in diary format. Kinda. I never really love “diary” as a way of telling a story. I just feel like no one actually writes in a diary the way authors white their characters writing in a diary.
Example: “Can I get you something? Painkillers, water?” “No,” I said, gritting my teeth. “I’m just going to sleep it off.”

Mary and Eliza’s story was my favorite. They are on the ship, on the prison deck but they mostly reminisce about the past, and what lead them there.

The stories overall kept me reading. Mostly because I wanted to learn more about what the changes lead to and what being a siren meant. But the Epilogue.. I really disliked it.

Overall, I cannot say it was a disappointing book. I will read anything Emilia Hart writes. Weyward was one of my top favorites last year! Making this a highly anticipated read that just didn’t quite live up to my hopes.

Thank you NetGalley, the Author and the Publisher for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Aftwr reading Wetward, I knew I had to read this. I was luck enough to obtain the ARC, and loved it. I will admit, I was a little confused initially with multiple timelines, but it all came together.
The sirens is a fantasy novel that at its heart is about the power of sisterhood. Well written and an immersove story that sticks with you.

Emilia Hart's second novel shines as brightly as her debut. The Sirens effortlessly sews together past and present, reality and magic, in one novel and again delivers with female power.

Thank you NetGalley!

I am Absolutely in love with this story. The connection between the past and present is absolutely flawless and the transitions are impeccable. I was captivated by Mary, Eliza, Jess and Lucy. You can tell that Emilia put many, many hours of research in for this tale. Weyward has been on my bookshelf for a bit and will now be my next read after this!

Thank you, NetGalley and St Martins Press, for an ARC of this book!

The Sirens by Emilia Hart captivated me in ways I didn't anticipate. From the very first page, the book exudes an eerie, almost chilling atmosphere that draws you in, making you feel like you're right there with the characters, facing the unknown. Hart masterfully creates a vibe that is unsettling yet irresistibly compelling, making it hard to put the book down.

One of the most remarkable aspects of The Sirens is how real it feels. There's often a fine line when writing about mythical creatures; it's easy for the story to feel like a typical fantasy, detached from reality. However, Hart has walked that line with incredible skill, creating a narrative that feels so true to life, it's almost like you're reading a real-life account. It's this authenticity that sets the book apart and makes the reader believe that the events could easily happen to someone they know. This unexpected, refreshing realism pulled me deeper into the story than I had imagined, and I found myself devouring it just to find out what happened next.

However, the book does have a few drawbacks. While the narrative kept me hooked, I felt that some plot points lacked the closure they deserved.

Possible Spoiler: For example, the story opens with Lucy assaulting her former lover Ben while sleepwalking, then fleeing to her sister as the college tries to locate her. This intriguing setup drew me in, but the resolution of this thread felt incomplete at the end of the book. It was a missed opportunity to bring more clarity to the story's many layers.

Despite these minor flaws, The Sirens is a mesmerizing read that lingers in your mind long after you've turned the last page. Emilia Hart has taken a classic myth and turned it into something that feels entirely new—an atmospheric, chilling, and unexpectedly real tale that is sure to captivate readers.

Emilia Hart has done it again! This book has been one of my top reads of 2024, and it isn’t even out yet!
As an avid historical fiction lover, I do find myself wanting something new. New takes, new viewpoints, etc. That is exactly what the author provided with The Sirens. I was captivated throughout, and recommend it to anyone who is interested!

This book is two stories of women persevering, separated by generations, but both leading to a similar destination. A beautifully written, suspenseful tale of sisters finding their place in an often hostile world and the magic that surrounds them and protects them.
Lucy wakes up one night in 2019, from yet another vividly real dream to find herself choking her ex-lover in his bed. She flees to her sister's new home on the coast, hoping Jess can help her understand these dreams. She arrives to find Jess missing. As a journalism student, Lucy knows how to uncover information, and the information she's slowly uncovering here makes things more and more confusing.
In the year 1800, Mary and Eliza were dragged to a convict ship headed for Australia, along with other women convicted of crimes both small and large, and their only thought was survival. Changes happening to them physically in the dark, smelly hold of the convict ship gave them the strength to fight for their lives.
These two stories of feminine strength and resilience combine in the most beautiful way. I loved how the suspense grew and grew, making it a page turning book I could not put down until the end.
Thank you to the publishers and Netgalley for this ARC copy.

I absolutely love the premise of the book, mermaids have always intrigued me. I enjoyed the multiple time lines and how they related to each other. However, I did get a little bogged down in the tedious details. It felt like a long 350 pages.

I was immediately drawn into the story with an exciting tale of a mysterious birth in a cave, a sister going through a traumatic time in college and a missing sister who recently moved to a small town famous for many disappearances. The storytelling was intriguing and I enjoyed the parallels between the two timelines and two pairs of sisters. I was hoping for more mystical siren tales and world building instead of real world historical drama. That said, it was interesting to learn about and I think it was an important plotline. The pacing was a bit slow for my taste and I found it difficult to continue reading. I think this would be a good read for those who enjoy historical Women's literature.

Five stars.

It took me a while to get into this one, but once I did I was hooked! Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.

I was excited to read this book because I really enjoyed Weyward. This book had a lot of the same themes—women’s empowerment and jumping back and forth between different timelines. There is also a strong theme of magical realism which I enjoy.

If you are looking for a realistic book, this is not it. But the on going themes of justice and empowerment for women are very realistic. The artistic descriptions were also spectacular. For fans of Weyward or other magical realism, I highly recommend the Sirens. It was a nice change of pace from the typical “witchy” themes.

I feel like this had the potential to be a really good book. The premise sounded great, the mysterious skin condition, the sleepwalking, etc. all made me really interested. I'm not sure why this wasn't as good as I expected. I think I needed more from the ending (and maybe we needed to hear from Jess sooner?) but either way, it just didn't fully deliver for me.

2.5 stars, rounded up.

Kindly received an ARC from NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

I loved the overall premise of this book. The lore, the different timelines and the way they all interconnected was phenomenal. The main plot was a tad predictable but still the story was very intriguing. You develop care for the main characters and want to see their story seen through.

I loved how a lot of history plays into this story as well.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC of this title. I really enjoyed this book. This is great for anyone who enjoys the lore surrounding mermaids and sirens.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart is a compelling mix of history and magical realism, following two sets of sisters across different time periods. Mary and Eliza, convicts in 1800s Ireland, are sent to Australia, while Lucy and Jess in the present day struggle with their own secrets. The way the sisters' stories intertwine through dreams and the sea is beautifully done, with captivating connections between their lives.

The writing is poetic and atmospheric, though at times the pacing feels uneven, and the ending is somewhat predictable. Despite these minor issues, the emotional depth of the characters and the strong bond between Lucy and Jess kept me engaged. The historical elements were fascinating, though a few plot points felt unresolved. Overall, it’s an enjoyable read with enough intrigue and beauty to make it a solid 4-star novel, particularly for fans of magical realism and historical fiction.

This is the first book I’ve read from this author. I’m not sure how I feel about it. It is told in two main time lines. It was difficult to understand how the two time lines would converge. I liked reading about the characters and their interaction with each other and the historical fiction aspect. However, when the magical, fantasy storyline started, I lost interest in the characters. The epilogue tried to tie both time lines together, but it seemed rushed and even more unbelievable.

3.5 stars, rounded up to 4

It was an engaging story, and I found it kind of sad and spooky.

Why didn’t I give this a 5 star rating? Well… I am someone who typically enjoys historical fiction. However, I found the multiple timelines kept pulling me out of the book. I also felt like Mary’s parts didn’t really serve any true purpose/didn’t add to the story.

I’d still say this was a phenomenally written book. I was rooting for the main character and I truly loved the ending so much.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc!