I dragged my feet starting THE SIRENS because the negative reviews were putting me off, but I needn’t have worried. The pacing is a bit off and the characters (especially Lucy) act unrealistically at times in service of the plot, but overall, I was very much pulled into the mystery and found this hard to put down.

I think THE SIRENS may have suffered a bit from being compared to Emilia Hart’s immensely successful debut, WEYWARD. I haven’t read WEYWARD, so THE SIRENS had no expectations to live up to for me. I loved the writing and the mix of literary and fantasy. A pleasant surprise!

Thank you to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read this book in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

There’s so much I want to say about this book but I don’t want to spoil it. Let me just say that it is about sisterhood, mermaids, missing people and dual timelines. It’s a beautiful book that kept me in the edge of my seat the whole time.

I have not read Emilia Hart's debut novel so I went into The Sirens blind to her writing style. First of all, this cover is amazing and really drew me in right off the bat. I found this book to be enchanting and well written. I will be reading more from this author.

I love Emilia Hart's books. As someone who doesn't read fantasy, Emilia Hart's books have the perfect touch of a little fantasy with reality and I love that mix! This book was a great read. Steady paced, lots of secrets unraveling, and the historical touch was greatly welcomed for this story.

Great descriptions throughout the book! Absolutely beautiful cover.

Intertwining storylines in different timelines which Im not always the biggest fan of.

I absolutely love the female empowerment aspect. Overall the book didnt grip me like I wanted it to. It was a bit predictable. I wish there would have been a little more thrill within the scenes. They seemed to drag and it didnt give me the rush I was looking for. The ending fell flat.

Emilia Hart is a beautiful writer though!

Thank you to NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book was a slow start for me. However, the beautiful language, character development, and mystery pulled me in. I love books with past/present timelines, and this one did not disappoint. I was intrigued by the magical elements of the story and loved how the two stories connected in the end.

Multiple timelines, mermaids, and phenomenal audiobook narration. Wished some of the plot points were tied down more, but overall enjoyed the ride. The cover is incredible and I look forward to reading more from Emilia Hart!

Really enjoyed this one! I loved Weyward and was excited to dive into this - it carries over those rich themes of womanhood and sisterhood with an immersive atmosphere. I didn’t connect with the storyline quite as much as I did in Weyward, but I still found it an enjoyable read overall.

Read If You Like:
• Multi-generational narratives with intertwining timelines
• Feminist historical fiction infused with folklore
• Mysteries rooted in family secrets and ancestral legacies
• Atmospheric tales set against the backdrop of the sea
• Stories exploring transformation and the supernatural 

Emilia Hart’s The Sirens is a spellbinding exploration of sisterhood, transformation, and the enduring pull of the sea. Spanning three distinct timelines—1800, 1999, and 2019—the novel weaves together the lives of women connected by blood, secrets, and a mysterious call from the ocean.  

• 1800: Twin sisters Mary and Eliza are torn from their Irish homeland and forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia. As they journey across the ocean, they begin to experience inexplicable changes, feeling an uncanny connection to the sea that once terrified them. 

• 1999: Sixteen-year-old Jess, isolated in a rural Australian town due to a rare allergy to water, finds solace in her art. When a charismatic teacher takes an interest in her work, Jess’s world shifts, revealing hidden depths and dangers. 

• 2019: Lucy awakens from a disturbing dream to find herself attacking her ex-lover. Seeking refuge, she retreats to her sister Jess’s coastal home, only to find Jess missing. As Lucy delves into her sister’s past, she uncovers a tapestry of myths, disappearances, and a legacy that challenges her understanding of reality. 

Hart masterfully intertwines these narratives, creating a rich tapestry that examines the complexities of female relationships, the weight of history, and the transformative power of the natural world.

Thanks so much to the publisher for my ALC and ARC!!!

This one was a little trippy. Historical fiction with a touch of the paranormal and a smattering of mystery. The flow was pretty good with this plot. The characters were well written though some parts were a little spotty. We kind of jumped around with big sister. I was a little confused as to which time we were in occasionally. Definitely a non linear timeline. There was an interesting touch of ‘whoa’ with the skin issues and how they resolved. A pretty interesting read.

💭A novel about sisters separated by centuries but bound together by the sea.

I am so mad for not writing my review sooner after reading this book because I am a person who tends to forget what happened within a week😅, but I remember I loved the story, I talked to my book friends about it! I loved the multiple timelines (1800s, and 2019.) The story was captivating and thought provoking. Everything you want in a book really. This was a breath of fresh air after reading so many thrillers. I definitely think you should pick this one up!

While the premise was fun and I enjoyed some parts of the story, it was really hard for me to finish. I loved Hart's last novel and wanted to feel this same about this one. The historical aspect with the convict ship was fascinating, but I felt like this story went back and forth with present day (2019) and sometimes I got confused with the characters. I did like that I didn't see the fact that Jess is actually the mother and not the sister. I will recommend this to friends that I know that enjoy fantasy type novels with a strong female presence.

This started off good, with a slow roll but the ending so lost me. I felt like there could have been so much more added to the story to close out some of the questions I had but the author didn't do that.

I really enjoyed this author's previous book, Weyward, so I was really looking forward to reading this book! Similar to the previous book, this book weaves historical tales mixed with fictitious characters and demonstrates the power of women, especially when they work together. I felt that this book, however, wasn't quite as strong in the empowering or historical aspect (although I did learn a bit about the women on criminal ships that arrived in Australia). I wish there had been a bit more of that focus on history and a bit less of some of the family drama. I did love how the women throughout the history were all tied together with a common bond and that the book resolved into a satisfactory ending. I look forward to reading this author's next book!

Thank you, Netgalley, the author, St. Martin's Press for the gifted e-book! ❤️ #gifted. My review is comprised of my honest thoughts.

Read this book if you like: Past and present timelines, alternating povs, deep stories, atmospheric reads

Wow. Chills. This is a hauntingly beautiful story. I was hooked to it immediately. I absolutely recommend it.

I absolutely loved this book. From the very first scene I was completely hooked. It starts with such an intense moment and then immediately pulls you into the journey that follows. That beginning really set the tone for me and I could not stop reading after that.

The writing is beautiful in a way that feels effortless. Emilia Hart describes the house and the beach so vividly that I could picture every detail, and it made the setting feel so real. The whole book carries this moody and tragic feeling that felt just right for the story. It never felt heavy in a bad way, just this quiet sadness that made every twist hit even harder.

And the twists really did shock me. I usually figure things out early but this book kept surprising me in the best way. I also completely fell for the characters. I cared so much about Lucy and Jess in the present and Mary and Eliza in the past. They all felt so real and layered and that is what really made the story stay with me.

If you like stories that move between past and present with a haunting and emotional tone and a plot that actually keeps you guessing, this is one you should read.

4⭐

I knew when I read Weyward that Emilia Hart would become one of my favorite authors so I was so excited to receive the arc for The Sirens. I love the sea and anything with mermaids/sirens and thankfully I was not disappointed.

I really enjoy the way Emilia Hart crafts her story’s. The Sirens was so atmospheric. The different POV’s and timelines added so much more to the story and the way she writes her female characters encapsulates the real experience of being a woman.

One of my favorite quotes was, “A man might be kind, like Da. But he might be like the sailors, or like Byrne. That was the problem. There seemed to be no way of telling the difference.”

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the Arc. I can’t wait to read whatever Emilia Hart releases in the future!

I adored Hart's Weyward and was excited to read this one. It took me a little while to get into the story. However, once I got hooked following the different timelines, I was all in.

I liked the way Hart shows the strong bonds between sisters in the novel. The fluid way she can shift between the timelines and have the story unfold is exceptional.

Now I'll be waiting for the next book by Hart.

Thank you to NetGalley, St. Martin's Press, and Emilia Hart for an electronic ARC of the novel. All opinions are my own.

I really liked Weyward so I was excited to start this book. It was a very atmospheric read with an interesting premise. It is a blending of historical fiction, fantasy and mystery with great character development and a detailed backstory. The pacing was a little slow for me until the end which caused me to not connect as much with the story. I still enjoyed the book and plan on trying more by the author in the future.

DNF at 26%

At a quarter through the book, seemingly about the generational trauma of women, not much was happening and I wasn't feeling connected to any of the characters. When it became clear that an adult/minor relationship would play a major role for one of the character's stories, I had to put it down. This was just too much trauma and drama and not enough of anything else for me.

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin's Griffin for the advanced reader copy.