The sirens

After having read Weyward by this author I honestly couldn’t contain my excitement when I saw her announcing this next novel which would include freaking sirens! I’m both fascinated and intrigued by the sea and everything that lives in it (yes, I believe in mermaids. Fight me) and I feel like this vibe was perfectly transferred to Hart’s new novel. It was a pretty dark read but honestly it was so good, the darkness was necessary for this story although I get that it isn’t everyone’s cup of tea. Again, sister- and womanhood is one, if not the biggest, main topic in The sirens and I feel like writing these strong bonds between women while captivating those eerie vibes is one of this author’s strong suits. Her books are just very different from anything else i’ve ever read and I mean that in the best way possible . Emilia Hart is becoming one of my auto buy authors and I cannot wait to see what she’s got next up on her sleeve.

Wow what a book! was so looking forward to reading this one as I really enjoyed Weyward and I would say I liked this one even better! We begin with an intro to how convicts from the UK were sent to New South Wales in Australia in the 18th century. We then start the story with us meeting Lucy who is sleepwalking and after an incident causes her to leave her uni to go and visit her sister Jess, 100s of miles away on the coast the book flips between now and then - being back in the 1800s where Mary and her sister Eliza are being shipped over after being imprisoned.
I loved how atmospheric the writing style was, the sisterhood between both sisters and also the magic ability of water. I will be recommending to others

I enjoyed Weyward so was interested to read this new book from Emilia Hart. Whilst I enjoyed the history and story of Eliza and Mary and the prison transport to Australia I was not so engaged with the present day story of Lucy and Jess. I think the fantasy element put me off a bit.

A dark, twisting tale of sisterhood, told by a three way POV and hundreds of years apart.

I really enjoyed this story by Emilia Hart, the first book I've read by her, but I will definitely be on the look out for others.

The Sirens is a story of sisters separated by hundreds of years, but bound together in more ways than they can imagine.

“With this awakening, there’d been something else, too. A new awareness of her power. 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”

Firstly, I think Emilia Hart is becoming an auto-buy author for me. I think she writes beautifully, and always manages to trigger some sort of emotion from me. I really enjoyed reading Weyward, and I’m glad I had a similar experience when reading The Sirens.

This was a powerful story, written from multiple POV’s of women in different time periods. I loved how Emilia has weaved the different storylines together and linked these women to each other across centuries. The undercurrents of complexities of sisterhood (both blood relative and non-related) was so emotive to read. Emilia writes characters so well, and I was invested in every single one of them and their backstories - watching the mysteries unravel piece by piece had me gripped. Seeing each one on their path of self-discovery and embracing their true selves was a treasure.

The setting was very well done, and was eerie at times which really played into the story. Emilia is very talented at painting a scene and I could picture everything so clearly!

I don’t have many hang-ups about this book, but I do have some. Mainly, I wasn’t satisfied with how one of the plot points was wrapped up - basically it wasn’t, and for a story about powerful women and how they overcome the wrongs done to them, it was disappointing not to get closure on this.

Overall, it was an emotional read, and also inspiring watching the MC’s heal and transform after what they have been through. If you enjoyed Weyward, chances are, you’ll also enjoy The Sirens!

As soon as I saw Emila Hart had written another book I just had to read it. After loving Weyward i knew this would be my kind of book. I have to admit for about quarter of the book I did struggle as I couldn't really get into it and nearly dnf but I'm glad I kept on with it. The story line is a fantastic idea and i love the way the book jumps through different timelines but for me i though there would be a bit more Siren mythology wrapped in this book. The way Hart has written this book is great but at times it did leave me wondering where it was going. I loved the way the book was ended as eveeything was wrapped up perfectly and i wasnt left with any questiins about what happened to the characters. I give this book three and a half stars. I would recommend others to read it but to be honest I would recommend Weyward first.

A solid read. Not quite as effective as Weyward for me but still very good. I found elements of the plot a little predictable but not in a way that impacted my enjoyment.

Emilia Hart's debut, Weyward, was one of my favourite books of 2023 and it remains one of the most brilliant novels I've never read, so of course I was beyond excited to read her second novel, The Sirens. Unfortunately, this felt like such a departure from the first book... The writing is still great and beautiful, but the story and the characters didn't work for me at all. I usually love when a work of historical fiction jumps between different periods of time, but in this book it felt very disjointed and I found myself skip or skim-read the 1800s chapters. As much as i wanted, I could not sympathise and connect with Lucy and found her chapters very repetitive. I know Emilia Hart writes beautifully so I will definitely read her next novel.

This book!! I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC.

The beginning of this book has an eerie feel and grabs you instantly. I throughly enjoyed the shifting storyline/timeline from the 1800s to 2019. You have historical fiction, magical realism, and feminist power.

The themes throughout this book were compelling and character development was amazing to see.

The overall story had an amazing pace and I was constantly wondering where it was going to go. It was thought provoking and reminded me about the power of female stories.

Emilia Hart is a showstopper. Weyward was one of my top books last year and now I have been captured by The Sirens.
This dark, gritty exploration of feminine power, of pain and loss and of sisterhood thrums start to end. Brilliant storytelling weaved between three different perspectives.

Without saying any spoilers, I Wasn’t too sure what to expect going into this book but can gladly say I really enjoyed it! Dual timelines I usually find are either amazing or quite tricky to navigate. But this was amazing. This book was so many things rolled up into one. And it made for a great story and great read.
Definitely would recommend!

A beautiful story that captures the facets and emotions of sisterhood. Very magical and whimsical. I love Emilia’s style of storytelling.

I really loved this book! The dual timeline gave it a great historical element, the storyline is really unique and I never saw the twists coming!
Hard to put this one down. It's definitely book a ill remember

A haunting and evocative exploration of sisterhood intertwined with the power and mystery of the sea. The Sirens weaves together differing perspectives and timelines, slowly unraveling the threads of each story with a captivating sense of inevitability. Some aspects of the plot surprised me and kept me engaged; however, I would say that the pacing occasionally lagged, which might deter some readers. Overall though, the eerie nature of Lucy’s predicament and the nods to siren mythology kept me thoroughly engaged until the end.

A beautiful tale of sisterly and familial love. It swept me completely and I could not put it down. The elements of magical realism were just the cherry on top I needed. Loved it.

I didn’t have any expectations going into this book, however I loved it.

The story had me gripped from the start. We follow the story of 2 sets of sisters, one set are in the present day and the other are prisoners on board a ship to Australia. The conditions the women were kept on the ship were horrific and the story portrays this well.

All 4 sisters suffer from the condition aquagenic urticaria, however all are drawn to the sea or water.

Lucy is the main character in the present day who is trying to find her sister and also unravel the mystery of the twin sisters she sees in her dreams and how they connect to her life.

The story is haunting and atmospheric and kept me hooked till the end.

Thank you to NetGalley, Emilia Hart and Harper Collins Uk for the ARC

After reading Weyward by this author I wasn’t sure how I would feel about this book but I quite enjoyed it! It wasn’t jaw dropping or one I will remember forever but it was a good time

Beautiful, haunting and evocative. I loved this book and will be recommending to people on release next year.

This book is a haunting commentary of women’s role within society, present and past. It follows two sets of sisters, in different time periods, who have each experienced the brutality of men and sought retribution of some kind. Within the mystery of how these women are connected, there is a lot to be learnt about colonisation and penalisation in the 1800’s and the transgressions of the English in that time period. Towards Irish and Australian Aboriginals alike.
This story highlights the shortcomings of those in positions of power toward the protection of women, detailing awful conditions of transport and life in the 1800’s as well as the excuses and protections afforded to men who have done wrong towards women in the present day.
Throughout this brutal story however, is the strength of women coming together and finding solidarity. There are various distressing themes throughout, yet it also advocates for safe sex practices, mental health coping mechanisms and LGBT+ relationships, this book is an account of women finding their power and strength.
The mystery throughout this book is artfully done, and kept the tension up throughout. The uncovering of the truth was euphoric and empowering, beautifully crafted to elicit strong emotions from the reader. Whilst most questions were answered by the end of the main story, the addition of the epilogue allowed for a deeper layer of understanding and context.
I do hope that in the copy that goes to print a Trigger warning list is included, as there are very strong upsetting themes throughout.

Beautiful, stunning, mesmerising!
Three timelines come together to tell the story of the sirens. Similar to the first book, Weyward, women who have been let down by society and harmed by men. The Sirens begins with a convict ship heading to Australia. The female prisoners held in atrocious conditions, guilty of crimes they had no option by to commit!
Lucy is the modern day protagonist who unravels the stories, discovering her own history in the process. This story weaves fact with fiction and mythology.