After enjoying the author’s debut novel, Weyward, I eagerly anticipated reading The Sirens. However, my experience with this book was a bit mixed, and here’s why.

I chose the audiobook version, which was narrated beautifully by Barrie Kreinik. While her narration was exceptional, I struggled to fully engage with the story. For me, some books connect better when read physically rather than listened to, and this might have been one of those cases for me.

The story is told from three timelines: 1800, 1999, and 2019, each following different characters. I found the 1800 timeline captivating—it was, by far, the most compelling part of the narrative for me. The modern timelines weren’t bad, but they felt repetitive during the first half, which hindered my engagement. Fortunately, they gained momentum later on, reigniting my interest.

There were moments when I contemplated not finishing the book, especially around the halfway mark. However, I’m glad I persevered because the ending was more intriguing than expected, and the finale redeemed the story quite a bit for me. Although I had predicted some elements, the conclusion was satisfying, and the epilogue added significant value.

Despite the issues I noted, if you loved Weyward as much as I did, I’d still recommend giving The Sirens a chance. The book explores profound themes such as family secrets, female resilience, sisterhood, motherhood, and the abuse of power. While the overall narrative didn’t captivate me as much as I hoped, the emotional essence of the story, particularly in its later chapters, made it ultimately worthwhile.

Thank you @netgalley and @stmartinspress for an eARC of this book, which I have read and reviewed honestly and voluntarily.

Happy Pub month to The Sirens by Emilia Hart

Thank you @stmartinspress and @netgalley for the gifted galley of this masterful book!

Haunting, lyrical, and utterly mesmerizing—The Sirens is a wave that pulls you under and doesn’t let go. Emilia Hart masterfully weaves three timelines into a single thread of sisterhood, secrecy, and sea-born magic. From Lucy’s chilling present-day nightmare to Jess’s isolated adolescence, and back to the heart-wrenching voyage of Mary and Eliza in 1800, this novel pulses with atmosphere and mystery.

Hart explores trauma, power, and transformation with the same spellbinding touch she brought to Weyward, but with an even deeper dive into the myths women carry in their blood. The sea is both a cradle and a curse here—and I couldn’t look away.

Perfect for fans of folklore, gothic tension, and stories where women reclaim their voices (literally).
Read if you love: generational magic, oceanic mythology, layered mysteries, and slow-burn emotional unraveling.

The strange watery world of The Sirens is a land of mermaids and siren's songs. The dual timelines, present day Australia, and 1800 Ireland are linked by the memories of sisters and their troubled relationships with the sea.

Emilia Hart paints a vivid description of the convict ships that carried prisoners, often petty criminals, from England and Ireland, to the woman starved shores of colonial Australia. Their legacy extends down to the present day, and in Hart's story, that legacy is powerfully mystical.

The present day story is something of a mystery, and was less compelling for me than the historical story. But both are well written and enjoyable.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Many thanks to St. Martin's Griffin for the review copy of The Sirens.

This book is beautifully written, with prose that pulls you in and captivates you much like the siren song itself. From page one, you’re drawn into the story, which switches mainly between Lucy and Mary’s POVs.

The story itself has a mystery at its heart, and just when you think you’ve solved it, new twists and turns emerge. I was truly surprised by some of what unfolded, as Hart lulled me into a false sense of security where one more obvious secret actually hides more beneath its depths.

I appreciated the way this book centers the female experience in all its complications. Lucy is navigating a difficult situation, made worse by the differences between how men and women are treated. Similarly, Mary and Eliza are trapped aboard a ship full of women who have been shipped to a penal colony for seemingly minor crimes, many of which were brought about in self-defense. In this way, we see how things have improved for women between 1800 and 2019, and how they haven’t.

This book ramps up the supernatural elements compared to Weyward. While that book does have a tinge of magic to it, the supernatural notes were more profound – and more mysterious – in The Sirens, which I enjoyed.

Final Thoughts
In all, the story and the language of The Sirens will drag you in, captivating as the song of a siren in legend. I absolutely loved reading this one and highly recommend it to anyone looking for a solid, complicated story about women and life and love.

Emilia Hart's writing in this book takes you into the story. You can see and feel the story as it goes. I also love how she writes the story from 3 different women and timelines. It is easy to follow and to know where you are in the story.

The stories of these women and what they have faced is all too real. Being told to be quiet because what happened could ruin his life even though the woman was the victim. Also just how there is a double standard in life.

I also love the magical realism of this book and the story of the merrows.

Mermaids & female rage? Yes, please.

I’ve read books set in Australia before, but never had one of the dual timelines feature women on a convict ship headed there. We go back & forth between Irish sisters Mary & Eliza on the ship in the year 1800 & Lucy in the year 2019 searching for her missing sister, Jess. While looking for answers to her own problems & her sister’s whereabouts, Lucy learns that the history of where Jess had chosen to live is riddled with mysteries…

Magical realism infused into historical fiction is a type of story I love to read, & this was no exception. The author of the debut hit Weyward has written another powerful novel in The Sirens, & the mix of a part of history I hadn’t heard much about with the mystical, unknowable elements of the ocean made me want a third book from this writer immediately!

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin’s for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed this one! The plot in this book was entertaining and the characters were also enjoyable, also while I am not usually a fan of multiple POVs this one felt natural for the story! I did feel like the plot took some time to set of which had me struggling to connect with the story and get sucked in for some time. The ending definitely felt a lot easier to get into than the beginning of this book but overall an enjoyable story that I definitely recommend checking out!

3.5 out of 5 stars!

am a big fan of Emilia Hart. I love the way she blends magic, folklore, and women coming into their own power. The Sirens was similar to her previous book Weyward in that the povs go back and forth between past and present, which I think adds a lot of depth to the stories. I loved that this book had an element of mystery and suspense to it too, and while I was able to guess one of the main twists I didn't think it took away from the story at all. Emilia writes fantasy books for women that want magic in their stories but not a full fantasy which I think is really refreshing as someone that reads a lot of fantasy. I also am just always a sucker for a book about mermaids or mermaid type creatures so this was definitely a hit for me.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart was a very enjoyable book which followed sisters and other females from different generations. The changes over time were very interesting. I enjoyed reading a good book about females in different generations and the different hardships that they bore.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martins Press for an advanced reader copy in exchange for my honest review.

What a hauntingly gorgeous story this is! It unfolds slowly and smoothly, layering timelines until they all come together. The Sirens truly swept me away. I now want to read more from Emilia Hart. I’m just dazzled by the mysterious and mystical characters and storylines. I loved it! Those who find it to be a bit too slow, hang in there. It really comes together in the end! Absolutely beautiful!

I picked up Emilia Hart's debut book up on a whim and I absolutely loved it so I had super high expectations going into this. I love stories that involve intergenerational plot lines, which is why her first book worked so well for me. While this book still had that aspect, it wasn't as major of a story line as I was hoping it would be. But I still had a great time! You just know when a book is 5 stars and unfortunately this book didn't give me that 5 star feeling. I really enjoyed the magical realism in this as well. I don't usually reach for siren stories but this book made me a bit more interested in them. I just wish it went deeper into the lore and how it connects with the characters. I was super invested in the main characters and how their stories unfolded, which will always be a win in my book. Overall, I had a good time and I didn't want to put it down!

A beautifully layered story blending historical fiction and magical realism. In the present, Lucy searches for her missing sister in a seaside town full of secrets. In the 1800s, Irish twins aboard a ship begin to suspect their mother’s drowning was something more.

Emilia Hart’s writing is gorgeous! It is atmospheric and evocative. Though it started slow, I was fully hooked by the second half. A haunting, powerful story about sisterhood, the sea, and hidden strength. Highly recommend!

THE SIRENS by Emilia Hart promised a fascinating plunge into the lives of sisters mysteriously drawn to the sea and surrounded by mysteries and inexplicable events. The writing, the pacing, the plot twists and mysterious turns of this story kept me up way too late to read just a few more pages to learn what happened to Jess and to the twins sailing across the ocean that terrifies them -- I wasn't satisfied until I got to the very end of this highly satisfying, immensely entertaining, marvelously well-wrought tale. I received a copy of this book and these thoughts are my own, unbiased opinions.

Leave it to Emilia Hart to write yet another atmospheric and empowering story! This book was filled with the perfect amount of coastal/mermaid lore mixed with a haunting tale of four women and how their stories connect them not only to the sea but to eachother. Lots of twist and turns mixed with the perfect amount of mystery to keep you guessing. Definitely for fans of Adrienne Young— I just adore Harts writing and feel like this is a perfect engaging read to read on the beach this summer!

Thank you so much NetGalley for this ARC :)

4 out of 5 Stars

The Sirens might not be for everyone. Don't get me wrong, it was great read but if you every read My Dark Vanessa it takes that kind of dark turn but less intense. However, if that something you can handle, I would recommend it.

🎧 Thanks, @Macmillan.audio, for the audiobook review copy. #macaudio2025 (Available now) 10 hours, 56 minutes

The novel entwines the stories of two sets of sisters: Lucy and Jess in 2019, in the Australian coastal town where men have been disappearing, and Mary and Eliza aboard a convict ship en route to Australia from Ireland in 1800. Both sets of sisters have mysterious skin conditions and are expectedly haunted.

The cover is lovely, the premise is fascinating, and the narration is excellent, but the story was predictable and slow, like trying to escape a tangle of seaweed.

THE SIRENS by Emilia Hart

I was approved for this ARC a few months ago and really struggled to get into it. So, I figured maybe I’d have more luck with the audiobook. Yeah, no. Perhaps my expectations were too high given how much I loved the author’s other book, Weyward.

The premise is interesting; two sets of sisters overcoming impossible odds, mysterious disappearances, and mermaids - all things I love to read about… However, the story was slow moving and meandering. I didn’t find myself caring for the characters in either time period. The twist/reveal felt anticlimactic as well.

What I did like was the atmospheric writing, the descriptions of the Australian coastline, sea caves and Jess’ artwork.

In short, all the vibes were there, but the story itself didn’t fully reel me in.


Rating: 3.25/5 ⭐️

Pub Date: 04.01.25

**ARC courtesy of Netgalley & St. Martin’s Press

An interesting book that just fell short for me.
This one took me awhile to get into, and when I finally felt like the story picked up it was too little too late.
Anyway, I can see lots of people enjoying this one, but it just didn’t work for me.

I really liked this authors Weyward, and although this one was good, it wasn’t my favorite. Hard to keep up with the characters and a little to magical realism for my taste. Still enjoyed it overall!

Thank you for this ARC!

Lucy wakes up with her hands around a man’s neck - unsure what to do, she follows her instinct to see her sister. But Jess never comes home, and Lucy’s left looking for answers. The present day sister’s story intertwines with sisters from the 1800s as an unexplained mystical connection seems to bind them.

There wasn’t anything inherently *wrong* here, but the story seemed to meander and didn’t really get interesting until close to the end. By that time, I wasn’t engaged with the story enough to care. I also wasn’t really invested in the magical realism aspect. I wasn’t connected to any of the characters or storylines.

But readers who enjoy strong feminist themes and are intrigued by the myth of sirens may enjoy this more than I did.

2.5 stars

Thank you to NetGalley and St Martin’s Press.