Emilia Hart is a master of writing female rage. The way the stories of women across centuries were seamlessly woven together painted a picture of injustice, but also of women using their power to take control back. One of my favourite things about her writing is the way she describes smells - I don't think I've read any other author who makes me feel like I'm right there quite like Emilia Hart does.

If you love atmospheric stories, multiple timelines, and a heavy dose of magic, I highly recommend. I read and loved Weyward, and The Sirens gave me more of what I loved.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the eARC.

Emilia Hart's Weyward was a book I didn't expect to adore as much as I did so when I had the opportunity to read The Sirens I was overjoyed. Hart can weave together storylines like nobody's business. I loved how she did that in The Sirens. I enjoyed this book, less than Weyward, but still have no major complaints about any part of the storyline. 3.5/5.

Two sets of sisters separated by centuries intertwine to tell a story of unbreakable bonds - In 2019, Lucy runs away to her sister’s remote home after she assaults her ex while sleepwalking. When she arrives at the dilapidated house, her sister, Jess, is missing. What she discovers while she waits for her return will change everything she knows about her life.
In 1800, Mary and Eliza have been condemned and exiled to the penal colony of Australia. As they suffer in a dark hold of a ship for months, their bodies begin to change.
When all seems lost each set of women finds immense strength and inner power, overcoming their fate in extraordinary ways.


Title: The Sirens
Author: Emilia Hart
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Release Date: April 1, 2025
Rating: 3 ⭐️

I wanted to love The Sirens more than I did. It was an intriguing description and a gorgeous cover, but like Hart’s previous work - Weyward- the lack of tension meant that the stakes, despite the circumstances, never felt high enough. While I’m not a fan of ambiguity, so much of The Sirens is easily called out. Every breadcrumb dropped led to a predictable next step in the story. The character of Jess took too long to develop so I never really felt invested in her POV. Despite being a fast-paced read that kept me engaged I have to score it as a 3 ⭐️ read.

The positives: Hart is a master of weaving together multiple narratives and timelines. As a reader, her POVs have distinct voices that are easy to follow. Her impeccable research makes the 19th century plot burst into life - the hold of the ship with its seeping water and stench of unwashed bodies - the hunger and thirst - the fear of the unknown - are vividly described. I felt as if I was there with Mary and Eliza.

I think had this been a book solely about the journey of Eliza and Mary it would have been a triumph.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for the ARC.

Beautiful writing. I love how Emilia Hart writes, its very calming and soft.

This story is about 2 sets of sisters, one living in the late 90's and the other set in 1800. You learn not just how they are connected but how each sister is connected to the other. Is a beautiful story of finding who you are, not just for yourself but your place in the world.

While I enjoyed this book, it was obvious where it was going. There was one twist I didn't see coming at all but once it was revealed I realized I should have. Plus if family members didn't keep secrets from each other and actually told the truth, I think most books, including this one wouldn't exist. Why lie? It always comes out.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC. Publication date is April 1, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley, St Martin's Press and Emilia Hart for a copy of this beautifully written novel.

The premise is intriguing: Lucy, a college student, finds herself in a precarious situation, fleeing after a disturbing encounter with her ex-lover. Seeking refuge with her sister, she instead discovers her sister is missing, prompting her to delve into her sister's diary for clues. Interwoven with this present-day narrative is a historical timeline depicting sisters transported to Australian colony prisons.

While I found the present-day storyline compelling, driven by Lucy's urgent search and the unfolding mystery, the historical timeline failed to capture my interest. The diary entries, though a key component of the mystery, were inconsistently engaging. My primary concern, however, lies with the narrative's resolution. I felt the disparate timelines and plot threads weren't woven together cohesively, leaving me with a sense of incompleteness.

Despite these issues, the author's writing style is commendable, and the underlying themes and messages resonated with me. The concept held significant potential, and I can see how certain readers might connect with it. Ultimately, though, the execution didn't fully align with my expectations. This book, while not a perfect fit for my personal taste, may appeal to those who enjoy complex, dual-timeline mysteries with a focus on character-driven narratives.

Weyward by Emilia Hart continues to be one of my favorite books and a staple in my Fall reading catalogue. Because of this admiration, I was thrilled to receive an early copy of The Sirens; however, one book very clearly outshines the other.

The Sirens starts slow and continues that pace until about 75% of the way in. The story leaves readers longing for more action and tie in to other characters. There are a few places where a seemingly important theme is brought up (Lucy sleep walking and choking her college hook-up) and not followed through - I'm not sure we ever got resolve from this.

I am sure I will continue to read Emilia Hart's work but I can't safely recommend this book out of pure boredom.

For readers who:
✨️ enjoy dual timeline novels
✨️ appreciate strong female characters
✨️ like darker novels about magic
✨️ like magical realism

I had no problem being drawn right into this book. It has short chapters across dual timelines, which kept the story moving quickly. I wasn't as interested or enamored with the 1800s timeline, but I understood the importance to the story development.
Overall, I loved the pacing and the plot. I thought it was well written and I would recommend it!

This is the second book I have thoroughly enjoyed by Emilia Hart - she has an incredible ability to write across multiple timelines. Her writing is so poignant and her depictions of strong women are incredible. I loved this story and while completely different vibes than her first book, I was so entranced by this story and couldn't put it down.

this was so gripping from the start—emilia hart’s writing is so lush and descriptive, perfectly encapsulating the dark, eerie wonder of the legendary sirens. i loved how the author wove together history and fantasy to create such a hauntingly beautiful tale of female empowerment! it was very satisfying following along the storylines of these four women and seeing how their lives intertwined and finally converged.

i will say that the pacing was quite slow, making the story feel like it was lacking the proper urgency it needed considering the (rather dire, imo) situation at hand. a lot of the book seemed reliant on waiting for the main character to figure everything out, though it was still very fun being able to piece together the clues alongside her!

for fans of a study in drowning, i think this is the perfect atmospheric read to add to your tbr <3

4.25 stars! thank you to netgalley and st. martin’s press for the opportunity to read this arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you St Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC.

Plot: Lucy is in college and finds herself in a pickle when she wakes to find her hands around her former lover’s neck. She escapes to her sister’s house, hoping for refuge with the one person who seems to get her. But her sister is missing, and she starts to read her diary entries to figure out where she went. We also get another timeline of sisters being transported to the Australian colony prisons.

Review: There were points of this book where I was totally clued in, but often, I found myself a bit bored. I did not like the older timeline. The diary entry timeline was okay, and I did overall like the present day timeline. I think my biggest issue was it didn’t feel like the author really wrapped everything together in a coherent way in the end. That said, I enjoyed the writing and message, and I think that the plot had potential. Ultimately, this wasn’t really for me.

This was such a great book! I loved the two POV's. Mary and Eliza's story was so sad and I liked how they were part of Jess and Lucy's story as well. I liked the imagery that the author used. The book was well written and I felt like I was one of the characters. It was such a great story about sisterhood! I would highly recommend.

I was super excited to get my mitts on The Sirens! It had me hooked within the first chapter. If you’re a fellow true crime girlie, you’ll love it too! It briefly references the Beaumont Children, which is a very interesting case! (Crime Junkie has an episode about it and there was just an update to the case in 2/25)

I really appreciated the story having a real life tie in, it made it all the more immersive. This story will keep you guessing until the very end! 🤯🌊🦈🐚

Really enjoyed this audiobook. Nice blend of historical information, suspense and some fantasy. Recommended.

Although this book was very slow, the ending was perfectly wrapped up. The storytelling is incredible.

thank you netgalley for my ebook arc!

I think unfortunately this author just may not be for me. I read Weyward last year and struggled as well. That one was a very slow, dreary read. But I did want to give another chance… This has been a book that I’ve picked up and put down many times in the span of a month. Only reason that has occurred is because it was an arc and I really don’t like to DNF but I must. A lot of others like this author and her writing is really beautiful, I just find the stories themselves to be lacking.

Thank you so much for the arc and apologies it took me this long to review, I tried!

The Sirens was such an interesting read made even more intriguing by how Hart wove the story and timelines together. I found myself getting lost in the story and needing to know what happens next both in the current timeline as well as the past timeline. Blending the two together can often make a story confusing, but I had no issues following the different timelines. I do wish at times that the pacing was a little faster, but I do think Hart did well in building suspense surrounding the story. Hart knew just when to cut away from a scene or timeline ensuring there was no way you could stop reading at that point as you must know what happens next. I did find a few of the plot points to be on the predictable side, but I still enjoyed the journey to reach the revelation. I also really appreciated the exploration of the dynamic between sisters and women in general. I would highly recommend reading this via audiobook. Barrie Kreinik did a phenomenal job distinguishing between the characters. She also brought a wealth of emotion to the role and easily kept me engaged in the story. I feel that the narration enhanced my enjoyment overall making it a more immersive experience than eyeball reading alone.

I had a really hard time connecting with the characters in this book. It has themes of empowerment and growing through trauma but the characters felt flat.

Pre-Read notes

Sirens and mermaids are my favorite mythological creatures, so this was an obvious choice. I requested and received a digital copy, and then I was sent a widget for the audiobook. I'm really enjoying Hart's style and the audiobook narrator's delivery.

Final Review

Review summary and recommendations

Well, I definitely liked this book! Weyward wasn't a favorite for me, but this is one suspenseful, Gothic, beauty of a book. The twist surprised me but it was well-plotted and fitting to the story. The themes Hart visited here, such as violence against women and children, mental health stigma, and forgiveness in broken, toxic, or dysfunctional families made for a gripping story.

I was so fascinated with the characters belonging to the contemporary timeline. You could comfortably call this book character driven, and Hart provides characters with depth and complexity. I was so fascinated in learning more of the sisters' story that I hardly even noticed the plot, which didn't move much from beginning to end.

I recommend this one to readers of magical realism, contemporary mythology, suspense, or women's fiction. Also, fans of human transformation in metaphor and the flesh, captivity (this word represents a fabulous leit motif that operates throughout the book, from beginning to end, and complex female characters.

Reading Notes

Three (or more) things I loved:

1. The opening of the audiobook, with the music, which is haunting and gorgeous, sets a mood for the book. On the audiobook, the author reads her own introduction about some of the history she discovered in her research but didn't include in her story. I highly recommend.

2. Some gorgeous descriptive writing here, which I remember about Weyward also. A prickle starts at the base of Lucy’s spine. Maybe it’s the knowledge of what the water would do to her skin. She imagines the waves lapping at her like tongues, stripping her of flesh until she is nothing but bone, gleaming white. p37

3. I think it's challenging for writers to juggle both alternating perspectives and multiple timelines without affecting clarity, but Hart manages this technique well.

4. I'm so happy that this book takes on the experiences of students who accuse their classmates (or teachers) of SA. Trigger warning for SA, rp, and victim suppression. When she sought help through the proper channels, the procedures, no one gave her a gold star or thanked her for asking nicely. Instead, they wanted her to keep being nice, to put Ben’s feelings—his reputation, his future—above her own. They wanted her to go away. p131

5. Capture. It’s the perfect word, isn’t it? You paint them and it’s like you own them, like you’ve taken their soul from their body and put it right there on the canvas. p153 I love the repeated use of the word "capture" in the text. This doesn't always work, but it does here. I love all the subtext Harr builds into this word.

6. I love sister stories. I find if very moving when the depicted relationship demands a dreary tone, like it does here, with the sisters being separated. She will stand here, her hands on Jess’s artwork, as if she can soak up her sister’s thoughts. p208

7. "...So, he’d put his hands on the button of my jeans, and kiss my neck and beg for more, and I’d say no, even though sometimes I felt like it’d be easier to say yes. Just give in, I’d think. Get it over with. It can’t be that bad. But still, there was that little seed of fear.” Hart writes brilliantly about what it means to be a young girl.

8. I wasn't much for the plot here, but I also thought that didn't matter because of how well all the elements came together. The climax itself is wonderfully fantastical and fulfilling and I think it strengthens the plot, as it gathers up many ends here at the climax, which is my favorite place in a plot to receive new information that settles a question or conflict. The denouement is too late. She does a great job with this.

Three (or less) things I didn't love:

This section isn't only for criticisms. It's merely for items that I felt something for other than "love" or some interpretation thereof.

1. Hart's definitely wrong about tongue-rolling being entirely genetic, it's not. A simple Google search would have revealed this. But she pils all the eggs in the plot basket on that pseudoscientific idea. *edit Yeah she already knew this lol, but if this point bugs you, i encourage you to keep reading!

2. I nodded, but I couldn’t stop trembling. He got me a glass of water from the art room’s clanking metal sink, and while I drank he put his hand on my shoulder, just for a moment. I was wearing a long-sleeved top under my school uniform, stiff and probably stinking of sweat, but I still felt an almost electric charge, as if his bare skin was touching mine. Then he took his hand away. p153 The main character of this book, a teenage girl with few quality connections, befriends her teacher, a man in his thirties. I love how Hart handles this relationship, gracefully depicting how the very nature of their relationship suggests impropriety, even where none exists. It's as though Hart is saying, I know you're squicked out by this friendship, but that's a you problem.... until it's not. Perception is often flawed.

Rating: 🧜🏽‍♀️🧜🧜🏽‍♀️🧜🧜🏽‍♀️ /5 sirens, not mermaids!
Recommend? yes!
Finished: Mar 19 '25
Format: digital, audiobook, NetGalley
Read this book if you like:
🪢 alternating povs
⌚️ alternating timelines
🙎‍♀️ girl's coming of age
🕰 historical fiction

Thank you to the author Emilia Hart, publishers St. Martin's Press, and NetGalley for advance digital copy and an advance audiobook of THE SIRENS. All views are mine.
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I’m really glad I doubled down and pushed through the first 50% of this book. That being said, I think the biggest downside of this book is the pacing and narrative in the first half of the book. I really think that some editing could have been helpful to reduce the length of the first half because once I got into the second half of this book, it really shinned in the way that “Weyward” did for me. I really loved the different perspectives and the ways in which it was presented to the reader (I especially liked the journal entries from Jessica). The second half of this book was so good and held my attention so much better than the first half. I felt like once the mysteries of the plot began to unravel the characters roles in the story really began to emerge; I especially found this in our past POV from Mary. As always, I appreciate stories about the bonds between woman and this story allowed us to explore the bond between mother and daughter. I really felt the ending was very satisfying for me and I really am happy the author included a final chapter that tied in the major loose end that was left. Everything felt complete and resolved by the end of this book!

I want to add a little side note that Hart always has the most beautiful covers for her books and I will likely be purchasing a copy of this book for my collection solely based on the fact that I love the cover so much.

Thank you Netgalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. “The Sirens” will be published April 1, 2025.

Thank you NetGalley and Author Emilia Hart for giving me an ARC in exchange for my honest review.

The story is told in three different timelines - 2019, 1999, 1800. I have read stories that had separate timelines intertwined before, and I find that I enjoy this concept. In this book, the 2019 timeline primarily follows Lucy- a 20 year old college student who is fleeing her current town to go to her sister Jess, after waking up with her hands around her ex-lovers throat. She arrives to find her sister is missing. The 1999 timeline is primarily written from the perspective of Jess, through journal entries being read by Lucy. Lastly, the 1800 timeline is written primarily through the perspective of Mary, one of a pair of twin girls that have been arrested in their home in Ireland for attempted murder and placed on a prisoner ship bound for New South Wales.

There is only one narrator, but the perspectives are easy to follow and each story can be followed seamlessly through each connecting chapter. The atmosphere of the book is very forlorn, dark, and eerie, with a bit of mystery and suspense and also a fic-lit feel as Lucy explores Jess’ home and town to try to get to know her distant and solitary sister through what she has left behind since she disappeared.

The descriptions of the town and surrounding area are written beautifully and make you feel like you are seeing the scene with your own eyes. The description of the emotions and the environment that Mary and her sister are living in on the ship are also written very well, and allow the reader to see this timeline as equally unsettling and hopeless.

The pacing of the book is quite slow, and I felt that the first 3/4 of the book dragged on. Because it took so long to get to the “action” or to start putting the pieces together, it made the ending feel very rushed. I also would have liked a little more detail and story into the lore portion of the book, as this story seems to be much heavier on the themes of broken relationships, the perseverance of women, and friendship. I found myself wanting more magic and fantasy, and that part of the story fell flat for me.

I would say that I liked the story by the time everything came together in the end, but there was nothing that I didn’t see coming or that was so gripping that I couldn’t put it down. If you loved Weyward, I would say give this one a try. Also if you love your stories to have just a touch of the fantastic but more heavily focused on the relationships between the characters, then this is also for you.