Oh this book to me by surprise! I really enjoyed it and couldn’t put it down. I was fortunate to have the audio and kindle version and it was nice to go back and forth.

Really enjoyed the two POV’s and listening to the MC’s journey.

I know this will be a big hit when it hits shelves April 1, 2025.

Thanks to Netgalley, Macmillan audio and St Martin’s Press for my audio and e arc in exchange for my honest review.

I really liked this one! Emilia also wrote Weyward which was one of my favorite books the year it came out. She does such a great job of teaching you a history lesson without you knowing and throwing in a little witchyness. Thank you to @netgalley for my copy!

An obviously lovingly crafted feminist work combining historical and contemporary fiction, The Sirens was a satisfying read on several fronts. The story follows two sets of sisters, one in contemporary Australia, and one two hundred years earlier—traveling on a British convict ship to Australia. Both sets of sisters have been wronged by men in some way and Hart deftly explores themes of trauma, healing, and transformation as the story unfolds. There were three aspects of the book I particularly enjoyed:
1. The representations of sisterhood and the power that that particular kind of bond and loyalty can have.
2. The incorporation of Irish folklore around merrow. I'd never heard of this kind of mermaid/siren before!
3. The history around the transportation of female convicts to Australia—there's often such a focus on the lives of the men, but this story took the time to delve into the specific horrors women faced.

Overall, I loved Hart's unique blend of folklore, history, and contemporary fiction. If you enjoyed her earlier book Weyward, I think you'll probably like this one too!

Title: The Sirens
Author: Emilia Hart
Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
Kindle Page Count: 352
Genre: Historical Fantasy Fiction
Start Date: Feb 10, 2025
End Date: Feb 19, 2025
Anticipated Publish Date: April 1, 2025
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

After loving Weyward, I was eager to dive into The Sirens by Emilia Hart. The novel follows four women—Lucy, Jess, Mary, and Eliza—across different time periods, weaving their stories together in a tale of resilience, mystery, and fate.

Going in with an open mind, I was ready for another immersive read. However, I quickly found the pacing to be much slower than Weyward, with certain details and plot points dragging on unnecessarily. Some events felt repetitive, while others seemed out of place, making chapters feel longer than they needed to be.

That said, I still enjoyed the book. The twists ranged from predictable to genuinely surprising, keeping me engaged even when the pacing felt uneven. While I wished for a more streamlined narrative, the storytelling and themes remained compelling.

Overall, I’d give The Sirens a solid 3.5/5, rounding up to four stars. It may not have matched my expectations, but it’s still a worthwhile read for fans of Hart’s writing.

Thank you to St. Martin’s Press and NetGalley for the ARC of The Sirens by Emilia Hart. I appreciate the opportunity to read and review this book!

This is the story of...
Two sets of sisters, their negative interactions with men and their journey with the sea and its effect on them.

Something I appreciated...
This book kept me wanting to pick it up and read it. I was definitely hooked, which surprised me because I wasn't sure I would like it based on other reviews. I enjoyed the writing and the dual time line and journal entries.
I loved the mixture of including current day crime podcasts and old school microfiche for researching.

Something I learned...
The history of convicts being carried on British ships and a bit about what happened to them.
Sometimes as authors, we do need to spell a little bit more out instead of having a vague ending.

Sum up...
I liked this book because it kept me interested in the mystery. The ending disappointed me in that it felt rushed and somewhat confusing. I will be thinking more about the details of the story in the coming days. Any story that stays with me after the end has value in my opinion.

Quotable Quotes:
"Humans are born to storytelling," Da used to say. "Does the goat tell stories? The blackbird, or the sheep? No. Sure it is God's gift to us and us alone."

Would I recommend this book?
Yes, but if you read it, let's discuss the ending so I can get some clarification.

Thank you, Netgalley and St. Martin Press, for an arc of this novel.

Overall this was a fun interesting book about sister and their bond. It was fun to see the back and forth between the two time lines and see Lucy learn the truth and about everything.

I’ve been patiently waiting for Emilia Hart’s next book since reading Weyward. Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this ARC.

I could not put this book down. Haunting, hopeful, and full of resilient women. Emilia Hart is officially a must read for me.

Thank you so much to St Martin's Press and NetGalley for the eARC in exchange for an honest review 💚

I was, and am, a huge fan of Weyward. That book shook me to my core. So when I got my hands on The Sirens, I was hyped.
Well, to no one's surprise, I was completely hooked and mesmerizing right from the beginning. This book had a choke hold on me the whole time I was reading it.

The story is incredibly compelling and interesting and I loved every minute of it 💚

Book Review: The Sirens by Emilia Hart
⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3/5)

This novel weaves a tale of sisterhood, resilience, and the call of the sea across three timelines. While the unique mermaid-esque lore and alternating perspectives create an intriguing mix of historical fiction and mystery, the story felt too slow and sorrowful for me. Many elements remained unexplained, which left me feeling more frustrated than enchanted.

That said, fans of atmospheric, character-driven narratives may find the magic and mystery of the sea captivating. 🌊🧜‍♀️

Thank you, MacMillan Audio, Emilia Hart, and NetGalley, for this ARC in exchange for an honest review. 😊

1. This book is unique, powerful, and immersive.
2. I highly recommend the audiobook for an enriched experience!

Hart won me over in her 2023 debut, Weyward, with her rich prose and ability to weave together women’s stories across generations. I particularly enjoy her exploration of women reclaiming their voice and power in the face of patriarchal injustices, and The Sirens centers on those similar themes, while expanding more on sisterhood in this new release.

The Sirens follows two sets of sisters, oddly connected via dreams/visions and sleepwalking incidents. In 1800, Mary and Eliza are convicted of murder in Ireland and forced onto a grueling transoceanic convict ship journey to the newly established penal colony in Australia. In 2019, Lucy and Jess are plagued with nightmares, and when Lucy finds herself accused of violence after a sleepwalking incident, she flees to Jess’s home on the coast for support. But when she arrives, Jess is missing, and Lucy must search for answers in Jess’ journals, artwork, and other clues left behind. During her search for Jess, Lucy uncovers local town lore of generations of missing men, tales of babies found in caves, and women’s voices on the waves, all while her dreams of Mary and Eliza grown more intense. With slow-burn suspense that escalates towards a heart-pounding conclusion, I was completely captivated by this story. Hart brilliantly walks the line between lore, magic, and reality, while creating characters and plot lines that are relatable and easy to champion. I particularly enjoyed the exploration of sisterhood and sacrifices women are oftentimes forced to make for themselves or loved ones. Expertly researched, I particularly enjoyed learning more about the women convicts and the lives they tried to carve out for themselves in a new and strange world.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for my gifted audiobook; narrator, Barrie Kreinik, blew me away where her performance, accent work, and ability to distinguish between the various voices/perspectives of the story. Her emotive narration absolutely enriched my reading experience, from the haunting singing to the emotional scenes Hart created. Readers who enjoy women’s fiction, with a blend of historical, contemporary and magical elements need to add this one to their TBR!

The Sirens tells the story of two sets of sisters separated by 200 years. In 1800, Mary and Eliza are convicted of a crime and put on a ship bound for the penal colonies in Australia. In 2019 Lucy runs from her regular life to her sister Jess's house, but Jess is nowhere to be found.

I was excited about this book because I loved the author's debut, Weyward. However, this book fell kind of flat for me.

Starting with the positives. Emilia Hart is definitely a pro at atmospheric writing. She does an excellent job at really making the setting integral to her stories, and in The Sirens, the sea is just as important as all of the characters. The undercurrent of magic throughout the whole thing was also interesting. There was a huge theme of women's resilience and how they have to adapt to survive, and the magic aspect was an interesting way to demonstrate that.

I think my main issue with the book was how slow paced it was. It took so long to get to where we were going, and the action really didn't pick up until probably the last 20%. I didn't find myself connecting with the characters or getting invested in their actions. I also felt like there were a lot of unanswered questions at the end.

I honestly wonder if I would have liked this better had I not read Weyward first, but having read it, I was just expecting more.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for the ARC!

First of all, let me just say the cover is stunning. I really liked the setting, a seaside town named Comber Bay with a mysterious cave and a dark history of men disappearing. The descriptions are beautiful and I liked the writing style. The intersecting themes of mermaids/merrow, family, terrible men, and the history of Australian convicts worked well together and made for an interesting story.

I have mixed feelings about this one. Mostly because it’s obvious where the entire story is going from the start. I’m not a big fan of books where we are waiting for the main character to figure out what the reader already knows. There's also a lot of ruminating over the same events, especially in the historical timeline. I would have liked to see the podcast element and the people of Comber Bay more integrated into the story and the disappearance/mermaid lore.

Some things feel unrealistic, including:
1) The event at the beginning of the book. It kickstarts the story, but isn’t really relevant to the plot at all. I think the author was setting the stage for the “men are awful” thing, but it was not needed
2) Lucy not knowing her family history earlier – for a girl studying journalism, you’d think she would have investigated this more before now
3) It seemed like no one (police or locals) cares about the link between the disappearances in Comber Bay. If the podcast hadn't been dropped early in the book, it could have addressed this
4) Some characters are said to have a skin disorder called aquagenic urticaria. But what they have is clearly NOT that lol. I find it hard to believe that Lucy never googled this disorder and wondered if it was the right diagnosis

Wow this newest book by Emilia Hart is a damn good one!!!!!!!!!!! It is a fantasy story of mermaids from the sea and the daughters of the sea who they live to protect. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!!!!!!!

Thanks to the author, publisher, and NetGalley for giving me an advanced copy in exchange for an honest review.

This book is a bit of a mixed bag for me, I love the concept and the story in the past, but the present day story was a struggle to get through. I found the main character Lucy to be a bit all over the place and the ending felt very rushed. Overall this book was good, but not great.

This layered, heartfelt fantasy is beautifully heartbreaking. To read this book is to be seen as a woman, yet the fantastical elements are so thoughtfully described they are viscerally real. Listening to this audiobook left me fearing I should pull over. I was too sucked in, clutching the steering wheel, so teary eyed it was hard to see. I expected nothing less following Weyward, but I can not wait for this to be released so I can share this experience with every woman in my life.

This was my first time reading a book by Emilia Hart and I plan on reading more of her work in the future. The cover and title of this book drew me in to read it. The cover is stunning. The beautiful writing hooked me to keep reading. I enjoyed the two timelines. I liked the mystery surrounding the women in the book and the family secrets that are uncovered throughout the book. This book takes you on an intriguing magical journey. I would recommend this book if you enjoy historical fiction, mystery, sprinkled in with some magic and fantasy.


Thank you Netgalley and St.Martin's Press for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

I’m not even sure what genre I would classify this book under- it was part thriller, part fantasy, part romance. I flew through this one and couldn’t put it down at times. It was very unique and I really enjoyed it! I’m excited to read more from this author. Thank you NetGalley for this e-ARC.

This book was a beautiful hanging tale of women from two different time periods. I enjoyed the way that the characters lives were woven together, dispute the different timelines and the message of women’s resilience was empowering.

I did feel like there could have been some more balance with the different storylines. Lucy’s story felt like it dragged on at times making the book feel very slow paced. I wish I got more back story for Mary and Eliza. As well as more from Jess POV. Although it was a beautiful story, I felt like the imbalance left me feeling disconnected from the characters.

Another vibey aesthetic book for witchy girlies. I really enjoyed the world building in this book. Very girl power and I love a book with contemporary mythology elements, it scratches a very specific part of my brain.

The Sirens had an intriguing start with strong writing, multiple perspectives, and a compelling sisterly bond, but it ultimately fell short. While the mysteries initially kept me engaged, the plot dragged with excessive atmospheric descriptions and predictable twists. The student-teacher subplot felt unnecessary, the character motivations were confusing, and the ending lacked sufficient explanation. Despite the gorgeous cover, this book didn’t deliver the impactful female empowerment story I was hoping for.