The Sirens by Emilia Hart

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.

A breathtaking tale of female resilience, The Sirens is an extraordinary novel that captures the sheer power of sisterhood and the indefinable magic of the sea.

Paperback, 368 pages

Published February 3, 2026

 by St. Martin's Griffin

3.5/5 stars

I enjoyed Emilia Hart’s previous novel, Weyward, I was curious to pick this one up. This ended up being a bit of a hybrid read for me, switching between the physical book and the audiobook.

The story moves between timelines, it's one of my favourite formats.  The current timeline follows Lucy as she arrives in a small Australian coastal town searching for her sister, Jess. It doesn't take long for her to realize something is amiss since Jess is no where to be found.  Alongside this storyline is a historical thread set in the early 1800s involving twin sisters being transported by ship to Australia. As the novel unfolds, the connection between these timelines slowly comes to light.

I always enjoy an Australian setting, the coastal landscape here adds a wonderfully eerie and atmospheric feel to the story. The sea, local folklore and the slow revealing of secrets all help build the mystery. This was a slow paced story that kept me guessing and taken by surprise with the ending, the merging of storylines worked.  Nice build up Emilia Hart.

This book was part of my 2026 Reading Off My Shelf Challenge #12

Weyward by Emilia Hart

I am a Weyward, and wild inside.

2019: Under cover of darkness, Kate flees London for ramshackle Weyward Cottage, inherited from a great aunt she barely remembers. With its tumbling ivy and overgrown garden, the cottage is worlds away from the abusive partner who tormented Kate. But she begins to suspect that her great aunt had a secret. One that lurks in the bones of the cottage, hidden ever since the witch-hunts of the 17th century.

1619: Altha is awaiting trial for the murder of a local farmer who was stampeded to death by his herd. As a girl, Altha’s mother taught her their magic, a kind not rooted in spell casting but in a deep knowledge of the natural world. But unusual women have always been deemed dangerous, and as the evidence for witchcraft is set out against Altha, she knows it will take all of her powers to maintain her freedom.

1942: As World War II rages, Violet is trapped in her family's grand, crumbling estate. Straitjacketed by societal convention, she longs for the robust education her brother receives––and for her mother, long deceased, who was rumored to have gone mad before her death. The only traces Violet has of her are a locket bearing the initial W and the word weyward scratched into the baseboard of her bedroom.

Weaving together the stories of three extraordinary women across five centuries, Emilia Hart's Weyward is an enthralling novel of female resilience and the transformative power of the natural world.

Hardcover, 329 pages

Published March 7, 2023

 by St. Martin's Press

4/5 stars

I was attracted to this book by its intriguing cover. Once I read it, everything just fit together.

I’m not always a fan of three way timelines. Sorry, could just be my age and attention span that sometimes I find it overwhelming. But here it worked nicely.

There’s a central theme to Weyward, which begins in the year 1619.  A young woman is accused of witchcraft, jumping to 1942 there is a teen being raised by her father. And finally 2019 (thankfully before the pandemic) as Kate flees an abusive marriage to Weyward cottage.

I won’t go into detail of what transpires through these three timelines, but suffice to say that I liked each of these women. Their stories were unique, they were tested in ways that were heartbreaking, sad and pulled each of them out of their comfort zones.

Wayward is a story of family, the past and strength. The timelines connected with a touch of supernatural elements and nature. It was well written and detailed the strength of three young women across five centuries.

This book was my March 2023 book of the month pick and is part of my 2023 reading off my shelf challenge