The Sirens is a dual-timeline story of sisterhood, secrets, and belonging. In 2019, Lucy wakes with her hands wrapped around her ex-lover's throat after sleepwalking to his room. She flees her university to seek answers from her sister, Jess, but upon arriving at her new home, Lucy finds her sister gone with no trace of where she could be. Lucy finds herself surrounded by the tension of the area's rumblings of the past, of talk about women's voices coming from the sea, of eeriely realistic dreams, and secrets of her own life connecting her to a past she was only beginning to learn.
In 1800, Mary and Eliza are being transported to Australia on a convict ship. Surrounded by the sea and hunger, the two girls find their bodies changing.

If I were to use one word to describe this read, it would be haunting. Emilia Hart did such a stunning job with her writing, creating such an eerie atmosphere surrounding Comber Bay and its mysteries. I was instantly pulled into this one and read it quite a bit faster than I've been reading anything lately. I am a sucker for dual-timeline stories as it is, but this one was done so well and its usage racketed the tension up even more.
While I didn't find anything too unpredictable or twisty, I was still sucked in and needed to read more and more. I think Hart's writing is simply that amazing. I'm usually not a fan of magical realism, but I love how it all came together in this one. I am definitely excited to read Weyward by this author after reading this one.

Also, it's very feminist and has a hint of female rage in there- two things that will NEVER get old!

Another beautiful and harrowing tale of womanhood and resilience through generations from Hart. The Sirens follows the story of Jess, Lucy, Mary & Eliza as they navigate fear of the unknown while they find who they truly are. I enjoyed how the dual timeline was created through the use of dreams and think everything tied together nicely at the end. Harts writing is so descriptive and beautiful; it creates such a beautiful and detailed picture in my mind. I’m excited to see where her next story will take us.

Thank you NetGalley and author Emilia Hart for this ARC in exchange for my honest review!

A non-linear timeline, connecting sisters through time and sea. All-in-all, spanning centuries, 1800 through 2019. A wild tale, one that will have you reeling. A story of love, lies, coverups, fear, and abuse. Mary and Eliza, their parents… Jess and Lucy, their parents…

Your heart will soar, it will break; you will be sad, you will be angry. This one will take a while to get over. I certainly could appreciate the references to Hawthorne ~ I thought they were fitting and gave that weight - the heaviness - we SHOULD be feeling as we take it all in and try to process the real message here.

Enjoyed the writing style - I stayed connected to the story and the characters throughout. I will be seeking out more Emilia Hart.

I've been really into Siren tales recently, so I was very excited to come across this after reading The Daughter of The Pirate King trilogy recently. I like the multiple timelines that run through this books as well.

I will read anything written by Emilia Hart. After Weyward, I had incredibly high expectations and Sirens did not disappoint.

This book was whimsical, heartbreaking, beautiful, and quite tense at times. You can’t help but be pulled into the mystery of Lucy and Jess and taken on a journey across vast oceans with Mary and Eliza.

If you enjoyed Weyward, then you will definitely enjoy Sirens. This is story of the ties that bind women together in ways that span centuries.

I cannot wait for the world to enjoy this book!

Who doesn’t love seeing men behaving badly get their comeuppance? It should be pretty obvious from the title where this book is going, and I loved going along for the ride to see exactly how Clark would blend her historical and contemporary storylines. A lovely lazy Sunday read that would be especially appropriate for a bath.

This book was a 5 star read in every way. I absolutely loved Wayward and I have looked forward to Emilia Hart's second book ever since. The mystical appeal of mermaids meets the bond of three generations. Couldn't put it down!
Thank you NetGallery for the honor and privilege of an early ebook.

This was such a great read! I loved Emilia Hart's first book, so I was thrilled to receive an ARC of this one. The cast of characters was really robust and well written. I loved Jess and Lucy as well as Mary and Eliza, our four main characters. The writing was lovely and almost haunting in places. While the book lacked mystery (I called most of the reveals before they happened), this plot is an absolute stunner, and I was along for every second of the ride it took me on. While it can be annoying to see every turn coming, sometimes it doesn't detract from the reading experience, and I felt that this book fell into the latter category. I didn't mind that I knew what was coming because I wanted to watch it unfold. Though there's nothing new or groundbreaking happening in this plot, it was an absolutely lovely read that definitely scratches the itch for a magical realism book filled with a feminist bent.

The Sirens follows two sets of sisters from two different points in history. Lucy and Jess in the present, and Mary and Eliza in the 1800's.

Lucy is a journalism student who left her university after an altercation with her roommate/one night stand to visit her sister. When Lucy arrives, Jess is nowhere to be found, so Lucy starts looking for clues in Jess's house to see if there is anything to tell her where she disappeared to. While staying at the house, Lucy has a recurring dream about two girls on a ship fighting to stay alive (Mary and Eliza). While trying to find information about the girls and her dream, she discovers some important information about Jess that changes everything Lucy thought she knew about her family.

Mary and Eliza are twin sisters who were sentenced to exile in Australia from Ireland. While on the slave ship, they struggle with hunger, thirst, poor hygiene, and missing their home and family. On the long journey, they notices changes with their bodies and skin, which they try to keep hidden from the other women prisoners and the crew of the ship.

The lives and stories of the two sets of women intertwine and and Mary and Eliza help Lucy make some discoveries about herself. The women, so different and separated by time, are not as different as Lucy thought. She finds more similarities that helps her embrace who she is.

The Sirens is a story about self-discovery with a fanstastical twist on real historical events. It tells the story of women empowering each other and the bonds and strength of family.

Thank you to St. Martin's Press and NetGalley for an ARC. This is my honest and voluntary review.

I liked this book but not as much as I expected I would. The writing was beautiful and atmospheric. But I feel like the mystery element left me expecting more. There were parts where I was a bit confused as well which made it less enjoyable. Overall, I liked it and enjoyed the writing but didn’t love the plot and how the mystery unfolded.

Gorgeous, and a more than worthy follow up to WEYWARD. Expertly weaves together two engaging timelines while exploring the experience of women through history with nuance and empathy. Deeply affecting!

When I think of beauty in the darkness, female rage and power, wonderfully mastered magical realism, and the tragedy of human history, I will think of this book.

I’ve seen mixed reviews for The Sirens, but I absolutely adored this one. Told in alternating timelines, it’s the story of the bond between sisters transported via convict ship to Australia and how their story intertwines with a pair of present day sisters. There’s just the right amount of mystery and some fairly unsavory plot points, but it grabbed me from the start.

Thanks to the publisher and netgalley for the advanced copy!

I enjoyed this but didn't love it. I was fortunate enough to read her first novel, Weyward, early as well and felt that this one was unfortunately too similar to really stand out. It was eery and easy to read, but I enjoyed Weyward more.

The multiple POV was interesting and kept in Emilia’s previous title with past and present intertwining at the end. It’s an interesting premise in terms of sirens/merpeople and the how water and the sea can impacted the characters differently.

I do feel like the plot ebbs and flows. I could have done with less of Mary’s past storyline. I found the other characters more mysterious and eager to learn what was coming next. There’s a level of mystery to the plot from a number of characters. From reading the arc, I’m not sure if a trigger warning was presented but there are some serious topics. I feel like Emilia handled the topics and situations well by evoking emotions while reading without going so in depth or too in detail.

I loved Emilia Hart's book Weyward, so when I saw that she has written a book about mermaids, I would have committed a lot of crimes to get my hands on it. This was a super interesting book, flashing back to sisters in 1800 to 2019 and a different set of sisters. I cant think of a good way of describing this book. It was a bit dark, it was a bit creepy, it was mysterious, I enjoyed the twists and turns, I always enjoy a story about mermaids, in whatever form they take. It was not a perfect book, but super enjoyable.
Thank you Netgalley for this ARC.

Oh I loved this from start to finish! It was such a fun read that I read it in only three sittings. It's definitely a departure from her earlier work, but I love the way she captured what it means to live as a woman the trials and tribulations

After reading and loving Weyward, I have been dying to get my hands on her next book. And this did not disappoint! Loved the meaning behind it and the thought provoking story

Thanks to NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for this advance reader copy, in exchange for an honest review. The Sirens is an engaging, multi-faceted story following two sets of sisters in dual timelines, the early 1800s and near present day. This story weaves together true historical fact with magical realism, a bit of folklore, and mystery. The author does a great job at building a sea-centric, mythological, and mildly haunted atmosphere, which boosted the quality and emotion of the overall story. There is a fair amount of action and activity ongoing throughout this book but, it definitely kept the pages turning.

I did enjoy the present day timeline more than the historical story but, I can appreciate the connection that the author was forging here and the importance of sharing the history of the people and land in the novel. This book was propulsive and engaging overall but, I did feel a bit underwhelmed at the ending. I think this is because there was so much buildup and so much happening at once, in so many directions, that it felt a bit disjointed once the final direction of the plot became clear. Additionally, I struggled a bit to connect to the characters but, was invested enough to see how the plot and their storylines would pan out.

I do think that this is a book lots of readers will enjoy- it’s got a little something for everyone and the female strength and stories that shine through here will certainly find its readership. I would recommend this book to fans of the authors previous works and to contemporary/historical fiction fans, especially if you enjoy a bit of magical realism!

Thank you to Emilia Hart, NetGalley and St. Martin’s Press for the opportunity to read and review The Sirens in advance of the release.

Another beautifully atmospheric story from the author of Weyward. The first chapter pulls you in and doesn’t let go. The story builds between the past and the present, creating an eerie, unnerving vibe of mystery. The bonds of sisterhood are strong throughout. You will be able to stop turning the pages. A wonderfully layered and masterful tale from Emilia Hart.

Wow, what a story! The Sirens kept me up at night with its words weaving images in my head. What a fabulous combination of realism and fantasy. The strength of the women, the beauty of the places, the fast moving plot, all made for an excellent read.