Much like Weyward, I loved the magic realism vibes and Emilia Hart’s writing. I enjoyed the story from the 1800s the most of the 3 stories. If you like stories that spread across different times and characters I think you will like this. If you didn’t like Weyward or alternate timelines, I don’t think you’ll like this.

Last year Hart’s Weyward was among my pick of books that I actually bought physical copies of and gave as gifts for Christmas, so when I learned she had a new book, I requested the ARC as soon as I could. What Hart does well is weave multiple time lines together without making you wish for more of one or the other. While the message tends to hit you over the head a bit - feminist, empowering, etc - it mostly manages to do so without you rolling your eyes too hard. Mostly. The Sirens was enjoyable, if predictable, and while it won’t be out until February 2025, I might be keeping an eye out for a copy as a gift. I liked how it wasn’t afraid to go to the dark places, and the empowerment often came at the cost - or perhaps with the benefit - of utter destruction.

Emilia Hart is a fantastic writer! I am so happy that NetGalley and the publisher gave me the opportunity to read this eARC.

Keeping true to what we read of Emilia's writing style in Weyward, this is a story of strong women connected to one another in mysterious ways but separated by time. The Sirens follows two sisters who were convicted of a crime and sentenced to board a ship full of female convicts destined for a new country. Meanwhile, The Sirens also follows the story of two sisters in 2019 struggling to understand why they feel connected to the female convicts from years ago that perished in a ship wreck at sea.

I enjoyed this book and found myself hooked as I read, but during the majority of the book I still could not for the life of me explain to you what the overall plot of the story was. It felt like reading a really long prologue. I still really enjoyed this book and I think that Emilia Hart readers and fans will appreciate that she yet again connects strong female characters to the magic of nature.

The Sirens was a beautiful novel that unfurled its plot at a steady pace. One criticism I do have is the final chapter, which I feel is too neatly tied together.. The characters are complex and I enjoyed spending time learning who they are. I also liked that the story was told through varied perspectives, which added a richness to the story.

3.5 stars - I loved "Weyward", so jumped to grab this new release from the same author, but I didn't enjoy it quite as much. This one's also a fantasy/magic realism & historic fiction mash-up, about sisters aboard a convict ship bound for Australia, a young contemporary woman plagued by recurring nightmares in search of her missing sister and a mystery surrounding 6 men who have disappeared over a span of decades. I found the ending to be a bit of a disappointment, but there were facts in this book that I had not read about before too. Overall, it was basically just "okay" for me, but other reviewers may differ. My sincere thanks to the Publisher & NetGalley for the complimentary "read now" DRC!!

I really wanted to like this book and I really wanted to finish this book. But this book was dragging on and on. I felt like nothing was happening for the longest time, even with going back and forth between the time periods.

The Sirens by Emilia Hart is a captivating blend of myth and modernity that pulls you in like the ocean’s tide. The novel weaves an intricate narrative exploring the allure of the sea and the timeless legends of sirens in a fresh, compelling way.

Similar to Hart's other work, Weyward, we follow four women on different journeys through time as they discover their uniqueness and find their places in the world. Each must learn to embrace what makes them different and overcome the "evils of men" that surround them.

The storyline and pacing are well-written. As a reader, I was immersed in the fantasy, folklore, and a fresh take on a mythical creature that's been explored so often. However, I felt the epilogue could have been omitted, as it didn’t quite fit with the overall theme of the morality of men.

Overall, The Sirens is an atmospheric and richly told story that will appeal to fans of dark folklore and immersive storytelling. It's a book that lingers, much like the haunting song of its titular creatures. If you're looking for a read that merges the mythical with the modern, this one is definitely worth diving into.

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for providing a copy of the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️💫

Well, that was not what I expected (and that’s not necessarily a bad thing). Sometimes going into a story wide open yields some great surprises.

The Sirens is a triple timeline and multi-narration story. It centers around Lucy, who after a life-changing event at university runs away to where her sister, Jess, is living in a town along the Australian coast. Jess isn’t there and Lucy starts to realize that something must’ve happened and is determined to find her sister.

Then, a hundred plus years before we meet to other sisters, Eliza and Mary, who are being forced to sail as prisoners to the then penal colony of Australia.

Jess is pulled to their story and slowly we become aware that there is much more in common with these women of different generations.

The story is captivating, haunting, and a bit mysterious.

#netgalley
@netgalley
#readmorebooks
#readmorebooksbywomen
#readersofinstagram
#bookstgram
#bookstagrammer
#bookish
#mybookishlife
#wearebookish
#lovereading
#alwaysreading
#readinggoals
#2024reads
#goodreads

“Most people just want an easy life. It’s unsettling when someone starts pulling apart the stories we’ve stitched together, the things we tell ourselves for comfort.”

This book, in the same vein of Weyward brilliantly braids the past and present stories together to create a dynamic work of female tenacity and overcoming adversity at the hands of our oppressors. From learning about the penal colonies of New South Wales to merrow lore, this tale had me hooked from page 1.

When Lucy awakens to find herself choking her ex-boyfriend nearly to death she flees to her older sister Jess's house for help. She is sure that Jess will know what to do. Jess's home is abandoned though and Lucy can only begin reading from her teen diary for answers.
Flash back to nearly 25 years ago and Jess is a lonely teen. She has the very (very) rare allergy to water, and it isolates her from making friends.

In Emilia Hart's talented hand the stories of the Irish twins Mary and Eliza in the 1800's are also tied in. There is a bit of a ghost story, tone of a fairytale and lots of luscious description.
#stmartins #thesirens #emiliahart

I was so excited for this book! I loved Weyward and knew I’d love this as well.

The story is told in dual POVS by two sets of sisters on different time periods. One about a nightmarish journey and one of mystery. I couldn’t put it down. Magical, enthralling, powerful. Harts writing is beautiful and becoming an auto buy author for me.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

I was a huge fan of Weyward, so I was excited to receive this arc. There were things I liked, but mostly it was different than I was expecting and didn’t keep me interested. Some of the storyline felt a little young or juvenile, and it just wasn’t a great fit for me.

This book was a little different than I was expecting, but I did enjoy it.

The story was wildly atmospheric. The mood, the setting, the characters were all deeply realized and easy to picture. It was even a little spookier than I anticipated.

I read a lot of fantasy and supernatural stuff and the promise of magical creatures always pulls me in. While I appreciated the slow burn of the story, I really just wish it went further into the how and why of the creatures/the transformation. The story is very human centered and I didn't find the resolution particularly satisfying.

Important aspects of the plot end up unresolved. The art show and Cameron specifically. A lot of focus was spent on them to not have some kind of actual conclusion in my opinion. And I wondered why they were unable to find others or the real mother. I also don't understand why the dad was exempt from consequences from what was revealed in the end.

Regardless, I appreciated what the author had to say on what it means to exist as a woman.

I really enjoyed Weyward so was excited for get the arc for the author’s follow up- The Sirens.

The premise sounded interesting to me and had a lot elements I really enjoy in books- multiple POV, magic, dual timelines- but it just didn’t work for me. I don’t know if because I was also reading at the same time a really well written novel but the writing felt pretty juvenile to me. I also never felt fully invested in the story- I even put the book down for about a week and didn’t think about it once in that time.

There were too many storylines that didn’t feel like they were completed for me as well. Sometimes a really great novel can get away with this without me feeling annoyed but this one wasn’t good enough to not wrap things up completely. I just still have so many questions!

I can’t say I’d recommend this one. Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the arc.

A slightly different book from Emilia Hart from Weyward which weaves present time with a historical fiction account of the “beginnings” (read as colonization) of Australia. I should note that there is a trigger warning of SA/grooming. Overall the story (both present and historical) were very engaging and I felt drawn to wanting more of them. An emotional read but a fun story with a hint of magic with makes thing fantastic. Great read and fully recommend.

I received a free advanced copy of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

A beautiful mystical book that brings the ocean and it's life to your soul. Emilia Hart did it again, combing fantasy and magical realism into real life. I was captured by the strong, brave and wild feminity of Lucy, Jess, Eliza and Mary. This book was part mystery, part family and the totality just felt like love. I soaked up the salt air and female bonds. I loved this book.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press and the author, Emilia Hart for this ARC. It is released on March 4, 2025 and seriously, this is one book you have to get and read ASAP. So run, don't walk to your local bookstore on March 4 for this salty goodness.

5 STARS ⭐️

Hart’s writing is so captivating, every word steeped in a sense of magic and mystery. She effortlessly intertwines multiple perspectives, layering each one with just the right amount of intrigue, all while keeping you guessing how the characters are connected until the very end.

I was particularly drawn to the elements of magical realism and the rich historical fiction atmosphere that grounded the story in both the past and present. Hart masterfully shifts between Lucy’s search for solace in the eerie town of Comber Bay, with its notorious disappearances, and the mysterious 1500s setting aboard a ship where Mary and Eliza navigate strange occurrences. The dual timelines were mesmerizing, and I loved how the sea seemed to beckon to all of the women, creating a haunting connection between them.

The feminist undercurrent of the story was empowering and moving, showcasing the strength and resilience of women across time. The way Hart emphasizes the deep bond between these women, and their growing awareness of the power they hold within, is beautifully done. Overall, The Sirens is a gripping, atmospheric read with a perfect blend of mystery, magic, and history.

Emilia Hart is an auto-buy author for me - absolutely phenomenal!!!

Thank you to NetGalley, Emilia Hart, and the publishers for providing me with the e-ARC!

I wanted to receive this ARC because I really enjoyed Emilia Hart’s previous book, Weyward. I liked this one even better!

The book tells two stories of two sisters, past and present. The sisters in the past live in Ireland with their father, their mother has left the family. They get into trouble and wind up prisoners on a ship headed to a new land.

The sisters in the present love each other but rarely see one another. All four girls have something in common. They all have a skin condition that makes getting water on their skin painful.

These four girls stories are told wonderfully and you empathize with all of them. This is a story of the sea and of the love of family. It really resonated with me. Highly recommend!

Thank you to net galley for the arc

Feminist
Mysterious/Spooky Vibes
Sirens

So the beginning of this book was really slow. It took me sometime to get through part one. But once you get past that it dives deep into the mystery surrounding all four women.

I will definitely be preordering the Barnes and Noble SE. Have you seen those fish edges????

The layered mysteries of The Sirens are what kept me reading—that, and the great writing. I will admit there was a point when I thought I would abandon it because I’m not a huge fan of fantasy. But the element of fantasy was handled beautifully and believably.

This story of two sets of sisters takes place in the 1800s, 1999, and 2019. In the 1800s in Ireland, twin sisters Mary and Eliza are convicted of killing a man and are banished to a convict ship that will take them to Australia where their fate may be worse than prison. In 1999, sixteen-year-old Jess grapples with a rare allergy to water and how it makes her feel like an outsider until her art teacher makes her feel seen. In 2019, Jess’s sister Lucy flees college after a devastating sleep-walking incident.

When Lucy arrives at her sister’s home on the coast of Australia, her sister is gone and no one knows where she is. The longer Lucy is there, the more mysteries develop. Atmospheric, immersive, and poignant, the stories of these four women weave together as fluidly as the seawater that connects them.

Although each woman overcomes tremendous odds, the fate of Mary and Eliza was most captivating to me. While I knew about convict ships, I didn’t know the particular problems female convicts faced. Bloodcurdling. The more modern-day storylines were just as compelling. With themes of sisterhood and victimhood, a plethora of secrets, and a dash of magical realism, The Sirens was a rich escape from reality.
Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the advance reader copy. The book will be published March 4, 2025.