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kelly_e 's review for:
The Sirens
by Emilia Hart
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Title: The Sirens
Author: Emilia Hart
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: April 1, 2025
I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Predictable • Meandering • Mystical
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1800: Twin sisters Mary and Eliza have been torn from their loving father in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia. For their entire lives, they’ve feared the ocean, as their mother tragically drowned when they were just girls. Yet as the boat bears them further and further from all they know, they begin to notice changes in their bodies that they can’t explain, and they feel the sea beginning to call to them...
1999: Jess is a lonely sixteen-year-old in a rural town in the middle of the continent. Diagnosed with a rare allergy to water, she has always felt different, until her young, charming art teacher takes an interest in her drawings, seeing a power and maturity in them—and in her—that no one else has.
As Lucy awaits her return, the rumors surrounding Jess’s strange small town start to emerge. Numerous men have gone missing at sea, spread over decades. A tiny baby was found hidden in a cave. And sailors tell of hearing women’s voices on the waves. Desperate for answers, Lucy finds and begins to read her sister’s adolescent diary.
2019: Lucy awakens from a dream to find her hands around her ex-lover’s throat. Horrified, she flees to her older sister’s house on the Australian coast, hoping she can help explain the strangely vivid nightmare that preceded the attack—but Jess is nowhere to be found.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was wholly intrigued by the premise of The Sirens. although this isn't a book I would typically be drawn to.
With this novel, Emilia Hart delivers an absolute genre mashup - mixing elements of historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism, true crime and mystery. Told through multiple timelines and perspectives, it is a story about the bonds of sisters, strong women and the injustices they have faced, as well as, an ode to the magic of the sea.
The writing is deeply atmospheric, yet I never felt as though it captured my attention and kept me at a distance throughout. At times, it was difficult to differentiate between the perspectives, with each one feeling similar. Parts of the plot were very predictable, yet other parts were weighed down with excessive detail and dragged.
The audiobook narrated by, Barrie Kreinik, was okay, yet I had a bit of a hard time following along with the different perspectives. The pacing and tone captured the atmosphere and suspense of the narrative wholly.
Overall, The Sirens was a bit of a struggle to get through. While there were some elements I loved, there were other aspect that just didn't work. I also found it eerily similar to Weyward and that it kept me at a distance throughout the entire thing. It isn't a bad book, it just wasn't the right time or book for me and I don't know that I will continue picking up this author's work.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• sister stories
• Weyward
• the Little Mermaid
⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, adult/minor relationship, pedophilia, child abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual violence, rape, confinement, violence, murder, pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, misogyny, sexism, death, body horror, body shaming, physical abuse, deportation, abandonment, blood, colonization
Author: Emilia Hart
Genre: Historical Fantasy
Rating: 3.00
Pub Date: April 1, 2025
I received complimentary eARC and ALC copies from St. Martin's Press and Macmillan Audio via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own. #Gifted
T H R E E • W O R D S
Predictable • Meandering • Mystical
📖 S Y N O P S I S
1800: Twin sisters Mary and Eliza have been torn from their loving father in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship bound for Australia. For their entire lives, they’ve feared the ocean, as their mother tragically drowned when they were just girls. Yet as the boat bears them further and further from all they know, they begin to notice changes in their bodies that they can’t explain, and they feel the sea beginning to call to them...
1999: Jess is a lonely sixteen-year-old in a rural town in the middle of the continent. Diagnosed with a rare allergy to water, she has always felt different, until her young, charming art teacher takes an interest in her drawings, seeing a power and maturity in them—and in her—that no one else has.
As Lucy awaits her return, the rumors surrounding Jess’s strange small town start to emerge. Numerous men have gone missing at sea, spread over decades. A tiny baby was found hidden in a cave. And sailors tell of hearing women’s voices on the waves. Desperate for answers, Lucy finds and begins to read her sister’s adolescent diary.
2019: Lucy awakens from a dream to find her hands around her ex-lover’s throat. Horrified, she flees to her older sister’s house on the Australian coast, hoping she can help explain the strangely vivid nightmare that preceded the attack—but Jess is nowhere to be found.
💭 T H O U G H T S
I was wholly intrigued by the premise of The Sirens. although this isn't a book I would typically be drawn to.
With this novel, Emilia Hart delivers an absolute genre mashup - mixing elements of historical fiction, fantasy, magical realism, true crime and mystery. Told through multiple timelines and perspectives, it is a story about the bonds of sisters, strong women and the injustices they have faced, as well as, an ode to the magic of the sea.
The writing is deeply atmospheric, yet I never felt as though it captured my attention and kept me at a distance throughout. At times, it was difficult to differentiate between the perspectives, with each one feeling similar. Parts of the plot were very predictable, yet other parts were weighed down with excessive detail and dragged.
The audiobook narrated by, Barrie Kreinik, was okay, yet I had a bit of a hard time following along with the different perspectives. The pacing and tone captured the atmosphere and suspense of the narrative wholly.
Overall, The Sirens was a bit of a struggle to get through. While there were some elements I loved, there were other aspect that just didn't work. I also found it eerily similar to Weyward and that it kept me at a distance throughout the entire thing. It isn't a bad book, it just wasn't the right time or book for me and I don't know that I will continue picking up this author's work.
📚 R E A D • I F • Y O U • L I K E
• sister stories
• Weyward
• the Little Mermaid
⚠️ CW: toxic relationship, adult/minor relationship, pedophilia, child abuse, sexual assault, sexual harassment, sexual violence, rape, confinement, violence, murder, pregnancy, infertility, miscarriage, misogyny, sexism, death, body horror, body shaming, physical abuse, deportation, abandonment, blood, colonization
Content Warnings
Graphic: Adult/minor relationship, Child abuse, Confinement, Misogyny, Pedophilia, Rape, Sexism, Sexual assault, Sexual violence, Toxic relationship, Violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Body horror, Body shaming, Infertility, Miscarriage, Physical abuse, Murder, Pregnancy, Abandonment, Deportation
Minor: Death, Blood, Colonisation