Review: The Sirens by Emilia Hart

February 28, 2026

Synopsis:

A story of sisters separated by hundreds of years but bound together in more ways than they can imagine.

2019: Lucy awakens in her ex-lover’s room in the middle of the night with her hands around his throat. Horrified, she flees to her sister’s house on the coast of New South Wales hoping Jess can help explain the vivid dreams that preceded the attack—but her sister is missing. As Lucy waits for her return, she starts to unearth strange rumours about Jess’s town—tales of numerous missing men, spread over decades. A baby abandoned in a sea-swept cave. Whispers of women’s voices on the waves. All the while, her dreams start to feel closer than ever.

1800: Mary and Eliza are torn from their loving home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As the boat takes them farther and farther away from all they know, they begin to notice unexplainable changes in their bodies.

Review:

This story unfolds through multiple points of view and across different timelines, all gradually weaving together. The first chapter immediately set an unsettling mood, making it clear that something wasn’t quite right, and I found myself wanting to uncover the truth alongside Lucy.

Her actions clearly came with consequences, and feeling overwhelmed, she fled to seek comfort with her sister. But when she arrived to find an empty house, the mystery only deepened. Suddenly Lucy wasn’t just trying to understand what was happening to her, she also had to find out what happened to her sister.

As Lucy searches for answers, she not only uncovers the history of the town but also learns unsettling truths about her own past and family. It becomes clear that those closest to her have been keeping things from her for a long time.

In the past timeline, we meet sisters on a convict ship travelling from Ireland to Australia. Having visited Ireland several times, I felt an extra connection when real places were referenced. The bond the women form on the ship, built out of necessity and resilience during their months-long journey, is powerful. Each woman carries her own story, many of them heartbreaking, and their experiences highlight how women were treated and what they had to endure at the time.

Once the link between past and present became clearer, the direction of the story was more predictable, but still engaging. Some parts resonated with me more than others, yet overall it was an enjoyable read, and I particularly appreciated the author’s writing style.

If you enjoy stories about women finding their place under difficult circumstances, with a touch of small-town mystery woven in, this one might be a great fit for you.

🌙 Recension: The Sirens by Emilia Hart
📚 Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Magic Realism
📅 Release Date: February 13, 2025
📖 Publisher: St. Martin’s Press
📱 Read as: Physical
📗 available in various formats
💸 Bought
🗣️ Language: English
📆 Pages: 337
⭐️ 3/5