The Sirens
Emilia Hart

The Sirens is Emilia Hart’s second novel, coming at the heels of her debut success with Weyward. This is a story of four women, told across two timelines – sisters Lucy and Jesse in the 21st century and twins Mary and Eliza in the 1800’s. The start is a bit slow, but quickly picks up. The novel is quite enjoyable, with an intricate plot and intriguing, well developed characters. That being said, it suffers from being a “second novel,” in the sense that the author seems to have deliberately played it safe, sticking to the formula of her first novel, and not trying something new or overly ambitious.

It is a feminist novel, dealing with women who have suffered abuse and violence at the hands of men, and their eventual comeuppance. Just like Weyward, it blends fantasy and magical realism with elements of historical fiction. I am sure fans of Weyward will similarly enjoy The Sirens. I look forward to the author hopefully stepping out of her comfort zone and expanding her horizons with her future work as she is obviously a very talented storyteller.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I went into this book with such high expectations after loving Weyward. The Sirens by Emilia Hart is a sweeping historical mystery with magical realism about sisterhood and feminine power and resilience. The story is carefully developed, with considerable time spent on the backstory and character development of two sets of sisters in dual timelines.
Mary and Eliza are among a group of female Irish prisoners banished to Australia in 1800. Their journey is grueling and ends tragically. Jess and Lucy’s story is set in 2019 as they attempt to run away from their individual abuses. They seek refuge in a seaside shack, with family ties, in a town infamous for its tragedies and missing men. The mystery behind an abandoned infant as well as the sirens that are alluded to is not revealed until the stories overlap in the end. I appreciate how this author manages to make each of the storylines equally compelling. The slower pacing picks up in the last quarter when the plot lines come together. The ending was somewhat disappointing to me as I feel the focus left the women. 3.5/5⭐️

Thank you to Netgalley and St Martin’s Press for an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

this is like if rikki, emma, and cleor from h2o just add water grew up and wrote a women's fiction novel.

✧ 4.5 stars, it's always the condensation

After Lucy attacks an ex in her sleep, she flees to visit her sister on the coast of New South Wales, but her sister is missing. While she awaits her, she uncovers tales of the town’s history, including an abandoned by and whispers of women in the waves.

I loved Weywerd so was looking forward to this one. I think a lot of readers will love this one, especially if you love mermaid mythology. I loved the past timeline but couldn’t connect with the present timeline and the mystery of the missing men. While this one wasn’t for me, I do think it was very well written and many will enjoy it.

“Humans are born to storytelling. Does the goat tell stories? The blackbird, or the sheep? No. Sure it is god’s gift to us and us alone.”

The Sirens comes out 4/1.

With multiple POVs and timelines, pacing can be hard to master. I think this was constructed well that pacing was consistent and engaging throughout, with the exception at about 20-35%. Because of that lull, I seriously struggled and had to drop the rating to 4 stars. I wanted to keep reading and solve the mystery surrounding Lucy and Jess and their connection to Mary and Eliza. The writing was incredibly descriptive and immersive. I felt connected to Lucy and Jess and sympathetic towards Mary and Eliza’s situation.

The way Emilia Hart captures the connection of women through time, hardship, and courage breaks my heart once again and I couldn’t be more grateful. I had high hopes after Weyward and The Sirens absolutely exceeded those expectations. I simply can’t wait for the next world she builds.

I just finished The Sirens by Amelia Hart, and honestly, I’m still thinking about it—it’s one of those stories that stays with you. On the surface, it’s about two sisters, Lucy and Jess whom have a unique connection to the sea. A story of self-discovery, understanding, and how relationships can shape who we are.
The plot follows Lucy, the younger sister who feels stuck in life, struggling to form meaningful relationships. Lucy has always wondered why Jess seems to pull away—why she’s so emotionally closed off. After suffering a traumatic incident at college, Lucy finds herself at Jess’s doorstep in a quiet seaside town,. While staying there, Lucy discovers a hidden journal that describes a chain of events from their family’s past.
Amelia Hart’s writing is lush and atmospheric. The sea isn’t just a backdrop—it’s a living, breathing presence in the story, reflecting the mystery and turbulence of Jess and Lucy’s relationship. You can almost feel the cold spray of the waves and hear the siren songs that lure Lucy closer to uncovering the truth.

This is an atmospheric, folktale story that is full of mystery and melancholy. The pace of the story is a bit slow but if you are in the mood for a slower book, this one will be perfect. I have always been interested in mermaids and I love the lore behind them so this was a fun, interesting read. Haunting, mysterious, sorrowful and hopeful. Great read.

Thank you NetGalley and St. Martin's Press for access to the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This is the second book I've read by Emilia Hart. I was quite fond of Weyward and was excited to receive this ARC.

The present time focuses on Lucy and her missing sister Jess. Lucy has a skin condition where she's allergic to water. She finally opens up to a guy in college who betrays her, which sets off a chain reaction where Lucy flees to her sister's only to find an empty house. The neighbor mentioned that she was asked to feed the cat so Lucy isn't too worried at first, but as time passes she becomes anxious to find her sister. Her thoughts were often repetitious and I struggled a little to get into the chapters from her perspective at first; but the pace of her story picked up with discoveries made reading her sister's diary.

I enjoyed the historical portion of the book with Eliza and Mary the most. Eliza and Mary were exiled for self defense. Their journey via a ship was perilous and I felt rage on behalf of them and the other women on the ship. There is a factual foundation to their story, but Eliza and Mary were given a far better ending than reality would allow. I enjoyed getting to know them!

Thank you to St. Martins Press, Netgalley and the author for the ARC!

I loved this book! Weyward will always be my number one, but this one is a close second. The author does an amazing job creating magical realism and a submersive story. The history was weaved in beautifully and made me want to go learn more about its origins. The characters and their hardships and resulting at the end, made for quite a journey. I can't wait to read whatever comes out next.

Thank you netgalley for this advanced copy of this book. My review is my own and was in no way swayed.

I loved Weyward and so was excited to read The Sirens. It did take me a few attempts to get into the story but eventually I was sucked in. While some of the plot points were predictable, the language was beautiful and the storyline was engaging.

If you enjoyed Weyward, like some mythical realism, and interesting female characters, I'd recommend giving this a read.

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

Thank you to Net Galley for the pre-pub ebook.

I was so happy to really like this. I know authors do not like it when we, as readers, compare their works, but it is very hard not to do. I loved Weyward, and I'm happy to say that this is a lovely read as well. That same feeling of magic and connection and feminine strength is present throughout the entire story.

I am not normally into sirens, merrow, mermaids, whatever term you want to use, but these two storylines were woven in with the "allergen" to water seamlessly and I really enjoyed how that was written. If I had one criticism, it would be that I wish we had more an explanation of the connection at the end and the point/origin of the dream connections.

This is a wonderful piece of fiction based on some true components in history. Well done, and recommended. (I'm only bummed Hart is in London - I want a book tour here in the states!)

I LOVE MERMAIDS. OK? No ifs ands or buts. If there are mermaids, I will read it.

Rating: 4 ⭐️

"Freed from her prior inhibitions-from the compulsion to be nice, to be a good girl-she'd become something she could never have imagined being. She'd become... dangerous."

The Sirens follows two sets of sisters; two twins on a convict ship in 1800, exiled to Australia, and two sisters in 2019, plagued with memories of the twins' voyage. In 2019, we follow Lucy as she slowly uncovers the circumstances of her birth, the mysteries surrounding her sister, the rumors of missing men, and the voyage in 1800. She slowly discovers that maybe they're all not quite... human.

I'm probably biased because well, mermaids, but this was really good! By the halfway point I had my theories locked down, so I sat my mom down and explained my hypothesis. Emilia Hart did a great job of creating the mystery and leaving little hints and clues. I wish it would let me post my highlights because my annotations were filled with AHA!! I knew it!!

This was an interesting take on the classic siren tale. All the girls were plagued with a rare skin condition (in 2019, called aquagenic urticaria) in which their skin changed when in contact with water. Seeing it as a threat, they never went near water. Ever. However, they were constantly drawn to it, sleepwalking into pools or baths in the middle of the night. The whole time I was like, PLEASE! GO INTO THE WATER!

Despite the 200+ year difference in the two storylines, they were interconnected and complimented each other well. The events surrounding the convict ship in 1800 were related the mysteries and strange phenomenon in 2019. Both sets of sisters also went through the same physical and mental changes. Sometimes, I find parallel storylines disjointed or boring, but here, it was done well.

As one of three sisters, I also love a sister-story. Love you, Tori and Katie ❤️ Respect to sisters.

Overall, The Sirens was haunting, mysterious, feminist, and altogether, compelling. Strap in for its release in early 2025, because you're in for a fun ride!

Thank you to Netgalley and St. Martin's Press for providing me early access to The Sirens in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
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Pre-read:
I got the arcccccc. I saw sirens 🧜🏽‍♀️ and I went, enough said 😤

Book Review
The Sirens by Emilia Hart
(Author of Weyward)

What Its Got
Dual timelines
Multiple POV
Myths and mermaids
Missing people
Secrets
Sexual assault/harassment
Sisterly bonds
Female empowerment

Thoughts
Slow start
Atmospheric
Heavy at times
Felt like a retelling of the Little Mermaid

Overall
A Solid read but Not my favourite from this author- there were parts of the story that were a bit predictable and parts that dragged
I did enjoy the historical aspects of the Irish women convicts and their journey on the ship that brought them to Australia’s shores

Thanks to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for my digital ARC in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

Another spellbindingly atmospheric multi-timeline novel about the bonds of sisterhood and the magical lure of the sea. Spanning centuries, this newest novel from Emilia Hart follows two Irish sisters in the 1800s who are sent to the penal colony in Australia and their terrible experience aboard the cargo ship at the hands of the crew.

It also follows two sisters in modern day Australia as younger sister Lucy travels to the coast to visit her older sister Jess only to find her missing. Both sets of sisters have a link with the sea and a severe allergy to water that causes their skin to react horribly and both are treated badly by men who take advantage of their situations.

Amazing on audio narrated by one of my favs, Barrie Kreinik, with an interesting author interview included at the end. Highly recommended for fans of books like The exiles by Christina Baker Kline or The museum of extraordinary things by Alice Hoffman. Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for an early digital and audio copy in exchange for my honest review!

Having loved Weyward, I was very excited to read The Sirens. I was not disappointed in the least. In fact, I think I have found my new favorite author!

The beginning of the story is replete with mysteries. Hart does a great job of building tension throughout, as we try to figure out the different pieces of the puzzle. Some of the themes are similar to Weyward, including women overcoming hardships, especially at the hands of men. I loved how the mysteries are revealed bit by bit and developed to a feeling of resolution at the end.

I think you will find that this is a book that is always calling to you to read - like a siren’s call.

Thank you to NetGalley & St. Martin's Press for an ARC.

A blend of fantasy and historical that remains more serious and upsetting than the cozy, whimsical feel the promotion and cover evoke. A good read but plenty of triggering situations.

Absolutely loved this novel. It is so beautifully written. The story draws you in and keeps you there! Full of emotion, and keeps you needing to flip the page.

This book started off promising. The dual timeline was not my favorite and neither was the mermaid part. But overall a decent book.

Eliza and Mary are considered criminals in Ireland and forced on a convict ship for Australia. They are packed like sardines with other women. We learn of their time in Ireland and what led to their arrest. Then we learn of Jess and Lucy in 2019 and their life. What a hauntingly poignant story of sisters and history. This story will sit with me for quite some time.