Coffee&Cliffhangers's Reviews > The Sirens

"The Sirens" is my first read by Emilia Hart, even though I have had "Weyward" on my TBR shelf. But who doesn't love a book about the dark mysteries of sirens and mermaids? This story is of two sisters in two different timelines set over 200 years apart. Lucy finds herself in trouble after a sleepwalking event ends her hands around her ex-lover throat. Frightened and unable to face the situation, she flees to her sister's place in South Wales, only to realize she is missing. While waiting for her return, she hears of a baby found abandoned in a sea-swept cave, whispers of men gone missing over decades, with the sound of women's voices across the waves. The second timeline is set in the 1800s when and Eliza and Mary are torn from their home in Ireland and forced onto a convict ship heading for Australia. As they are dragged away from all they know and love, they begin noticing strange and unusual changes in their bodies. Both timelines show the strength of sisterhood and the secret magic of the sea.
Clearly evident in the title, it was obvious where this story was headed, but throughout, I struggled to see where these two timelines would connect. I found myself less interested in the second storyline as not many details were given. I loved the mysteries of the sea, the sirens, and how the story come together, but I wish we would have delved more into the sirens and less into the weird and abusive relationships of both sisters. Perhaps I was just thrown off by the current timeline and issues surrounding today, combined with the sirens which didn't resonate as well with me. All in all, it was an enjoyable and quick read that I found even more lovely as I was able to read it while traveling through South Wales.