First of all thanks to NetGalley for this ARC! I loved Emilia Hart's previous novel Weyward but I just don't think this book lived up to the hype I had after reading Weyward. Overall a good book but just didn't live up to what I thought it could have been.

I did not finish this book. Which is not to say anything about the writing, as it was beautiful, but I was not expecting a dark story and currently am just not enjoying it.

The writing was beautiful done with great vivid imagery so I will definitely seek out Emilia Hart's books again.

The story is told in three timelines. In 2019, Lucy wakes up from a dream to find she is strangling her ex-lover. When she flees to her older sister's house on the coast of Australia, her sister, Jess, is missing. As she wonders if her sister is in danger and where she could have gone without her phone, she starts to hear rumors of strange things happening in the little town.

In 1999, Jess is a 16-year-old who had been diagnosed with a rare allergy to water. She is struggling to find her place and to express herself through her art.

In 1800, Twin sisters Mary and Eliza were forced onto a convict ship headed to Australia. They were told to stay away from the water after their mother drowned. On the horrible boat journey, they begin to feel a call to the water.

Trigger Warnings

Inappropriate student/ teacher relationship

Why Jackie loves it

Hart has a way of writing intricate relationships that feel authentic and alive. The multiple timelines never felt confusing and added to the need to turn the page. There is just enough fantasy to appeal to fantasy lovers, but not too much to scare away those who are not usually pulled to the genre. #gifted

An absolutely stunning novel. This was such a unique story that captures sisterhood bonds and women's self-discovery against overwhelming odds. Perfect for fans of historical fiction with magical realism and powerful female protagonists.

Emilia Hart works her magic with a second multi-timeline story, like her breakout novel Weyward. Overall, I enjoyed this book, but had a harder time following the plot than I expected. The nonlinear narrative worked at times, but felt disjointed at others, and the characters never fully formed to me. The history that Hart works into the novel is engaging, as is the role of sirens throughout history. I can see why people love it, but it just didn't entice me like her previous work.

At the start of this book I was overwhelmed by the amount of things going on. We instantly were dropped into a story about a woman assaulting her ex while sleepwalking. She goes to visit her sister at a location known for men who have gone missing over the years. When she gets there she can’t find her sister.

In a past timeline we have two women who have been sent away on a ship for convicts because of a crime committed in self defense.

As previously mentioned there was an overwhelming amount of detail in the plot at the beginning and I had trouble keeping track of what was important to hold onto. Luckily I trusted the journey this book took me on.

The details of this book do come together and things seem to feel more settled about halfway through. I was especially interested in the past timeline of Mary & Eliza on the convict ship. The details were harrowing but vivid.

The present day timeline felt a bit predictable and I wish more time had been spent exploring the mystery at hand versus reading the diary entries of the past. If this seems vague it’s because I don’t want to spoil anything. Ultimately I’m glad I stuck with the book, but if I could rate half stars I would give this one a 3.5.

This book blends eerie mystery, myth, and sisterhood in such a compelling way. I was hooked from the opening scene—Lucy waking up with her hands around her ex’s throat? Chilling. The dual timeline added so much depth: 2019 with Lucy and the whispers of disappearing men, and 1800 with Mary and Eliza on a convict ship bound for Australia. The supernatural elements were subtle but powerful, and the atmosphere was gorgeously haunting throughout.

I really enjoyed the interwoven family threads and how the mystery unraveled bit by bit. That said, I found myself craving more insight into Jess—her origin especially, felt like it needed just a little more clarity or exploration. I love an ambiguous ending, but I also wanted a few more breadcrumbs.

Overall, a unique, lyrical story about resilience and the deep magic of women and the sea. If you like stories that feel both grounded and otherworldly, this one’s worth picking up.

Book Review: The Sirens by Emilia Hart

The Sirens is a paranormal fiction novel about women in different timelines, connected by both trauma and the sea.

In 1800, Irish sisters Eliza and Mary protect themselves against assault by a local villager and are arrested, then sent to Australia on a convict ship. The conditions are unbearable, but the sisters cling to each other, just as they did as children when their mother walked into the sea and never returned.

In 1999, teenage Jess is afflicted with a mysterious skin condition that she hides under her clothes. But she shows promise as an artist and falls under the spell of her art teacher, who shows interest in both her and her work.

In 2019, university student Lucy is humiliated after a photo she sent to a man is released on social media. When she sleepwalks into his dorm and is caught trying to choke him, she runs away to the coast, to the town where her older sister Jess has been living. But she arrives to find Jess gone and the town haunted by mystery: a series of men have disappeared into the ocean, a convict ship of women once sank nearby, and in 1982, a miraculous discovery of a newborn baby in a cave captured national attention.

The Sirens is a blend of historical fiction, family drama, the supernatural, and feminist themes. It is beautifully written and is both heartbreaking and inspiring. I loved the descriptions of Jess’s art and the seaside village of Comber Bay. The details around convict transportation by ship from Ireland to Australia felt authentic and suitably horrifying.

Personally, I would have liked the paranormal and magical elements to be a little more mysterious and left up to the reader’s imagination. The novel felt so grounded in reality that I found the supernatural detail toward the end a little too “out there.” But overall, this is an unforgettable novel about the strength and bonds between women.

Just like with Wayward, this is hard to review. If you enjoyed Weyward then you’ll like this and if not, then you want.

Fantasy meets historical fiction, but it left me wanting to have gone more one way or the other. Interesting range of characters, unexpected twists (although some I saw coming), beautiful settings, good plot points. Such an interesting idea that the main characters are focused with. There are basically two main storylines told from three POVs, but it doesn’t get confusing.

A dark, moody, mysterious, and entertaining book.

I did leave, as with her other book, feeling the anti-men agenda too strongly. I’m all for strong female characters, but I don’t feel that all men are either evil or stupid/dull/selfish.

I just do t think I was in the right reading mood when I picked this one up as I loved Weyward and expected to love this one as well. Unfortunately I just didn’t click and so I put this one aside for now and will likely go back and try at another time.

Thank you for the chance to read early

Hart's prose is lyrical and evocative, drawing readers into a world where the boundaries between reality and myth blur. The novel's exploration of female resilience and empowerment resonates deeply, offering a poignant commentary on the strength of women across generations. Highly recommend this novel. AMAZING

I had high hopes for this book because of how much I loved Weyward, but this one just fell flat. Lucy's character seemed to exist just to fill pages with meandering nothingness.

Thank you Net Galley and MacMillian audio for this ARC!

I honestly couldn't wait to read this because I loved Wayward so much. I actually happened to receive the ebook and audiobook for an immersive read and it was amazing. The audio narration was fantastic and kept me interested throughout the book.

The Sirens follows two sisters who have strong characters throughout the novel who navigate trauma and their lives with two separate POV'S. Lucy and Jess are amazing characters and kept me hooked. The only critique I have of this novel was it was a little slow to get going compared to Wayward so it took me a minute to really get in the swing of the plot. Overall it was a great and interesting read.

*Reposting the same review here for the same book-I did mention the audiobook as well as the ebook and how it made for a great immersive read.

This book will not be what you’re expecting. Or at least it wasn’t really what I expected. With the name I was expecting some really crazy mermaid antics. Added to the fact I loved “Weyward”, and this book had a lot to live up to.
With multiple timelines and POVs, it can get difficult to distinguish who is talking at times. I was pretty invested in Eliza and Mary but felt that their story felt unfinished at the end.
There is some beautiful descriptive writing. And a great look back at a horrible time in Australian history.
Overall 2.75/5 stars rounded up to 3.
I received an ARC of this title. All opinions are my own.

After enjoying Emilia Hart's last book, Weyward, I was excited to see The Sirens come across my NetGalley approvals. Fans of the former book will like the similar writing style - a mashup of present day and the past - with a dash of magical realism.

I really enjoyed the 1800s story of Mary and Eliza. This portion is the historical fiction element that describes the journey of women in Ireland sent via boat on a months long voyage to be sold off as wives or slaves in New South Wales (now Australia). Also, I adored the idea of using sirens. They are one of my favorite mythological characters.

Where this book fell short for me was with the present day story. At every turn, it seemed like an overreach to get the story to fit together. I may have been able to get over all of the murkiness in the plot if it came together at the end in a better way.

Bottom line: Parts had a lot of potential, but this one fell short for me.

The Sirens had all the ingredients for a compelling story — solid writing, rich historical detail, and even a twist. Sadly, it just didn’t land for me. I never felt pulled into the story and more importantly, I didn’t connect with the characters at all. It was one of those books that I kept waiting to feel something for, but the spark never came. Even when the twist dropped, I wasn’t invested enough for it to have any real impact. Honestly, if I hadn’t been listening to the audiobook, I’m not sure I would have made it to the end.

Thank to St. Martin’s Press and Macmillan Audio for gifted copies. My thoughts are my own.

Emilia Hart delivers another female-centric novel with a supernatural twist, including the stories of two sisters - two hundred years apart, but connected by the sea. In 2019, Lucy finds herself running to a coastal town to visit her sister, Jess, after she had to urgently and unexpectedly leave college. When she arrives, she realizes that Jess is missing, only her diary and a plethora of secrets left in her place. In 1800, twin sisters Mary and Eliza find themselves on a convict ship from Ireland to New South Wales, changing and connecting with the sea along the way.

This book was intriguing - from the start I was curious about each of the sisters and how these two stories could possibly be connected. I enjoyed the intro which prepared us for the historical aspect and the connections between the fictional story and the actual history. I always enjoy when I can read some fiction but still learn something! Emilia Hart's writing really is beautiful - I felt like I could see myself in Cliff House and on the ship with each of the sisters, and I could vividly picture the sea and the cave. Very well done. There were parts that built upon themselves as the story unfolds with some twists, one in particular actually had me shocked!

I found some parts of this one a bit confusing and harder to connect with. The supernatural pieces, in particular the sirens (which is kind of the point), were a bit confusing and hard to keep track of. I think part of the challenge was having multiple characters, multiple timelines, and so many smaller storylines happening within the main plot, that it got distracting at times.

Overall, I thought it was a good read - maybe a bit slower to set up, but once the story got flowing I could not stop until I got to the end!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for my eARC in exchange for an honest review!

I had really enjoyed Weyward, also by Emily Hart, and looked forward to this one. The writing was once again beautiful and very descriptive, but this one did not pull me in and keep my interest as much. It took me awhile to get into it, although it did pick up the pace near the end, but I did not enjoy the mystery and conclusion as much as I had hoped to. I did see a beautiful edition of this novel at Barnes & Noble. Thank you St. Martin’s Press for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley.

I honestly won't go in depth in this review because there's not really much to say. I was very excited for this book, I had not seen anything about this book, I had just heard about the author so I was excited to read one of her arcs,

I wanted to like this book more than I did. It truthfully wasn't that bad, I just didn't find myself getting swept away into the story. There wasn't enough explanation as to how so many things happened between the past and the present, how the sisters' skin conditions truly worked, and a number of other things.

The plot idea was good, I just couldn't get past the number of questions I had that went unanswered. How did Lucy just never have to answer to the police? What happens to both Jess and Lucy at the end? Was there a significance to the one sister in the past being blind? There was too much for me to fully suspend my disbelief, so it just didn't really hit home for me. I liked it, just not enough to give it a higher rating. I still have yet to read Wayward by Emilia Hart, so I'm hoping that one is better than this.