Stories about strong, resilient women call to me, and at its heart, The Sirens is a dark, genre bending tale that highlights the determination of women to overcome.  

 

The author’s note at the beginning immediately captured my attention.  Hart’s nod to an historical period I know little of had me committed, especially as I hoped the fantasy elements would enhance the symbolism while well honoring the past.  

 

But the anticipation I felt quickly slipped into disappointment.  While there are many workable elements to this read, the overall execution was a miss for me.  I love bold, strong female characters, and yet I could not connect with these.  And the glaring plot holes and slow pace of the storyline left me less than engaged.  I found myself putting the book down and forgetting to pick it back up.  

 

The one element that Hart gets very right—the atmosphere.  The read was eerie and full of foreboding.  As a female, that felt shockingly astute and very representative of the emotions I currently feel in real life.  

 

In the end, I wanted more from the fantasy aspects.  I needed the magic to give credence to the story and reinforce the feminist themes, but not only was there not enough for me, it didn’t truly show up until the very end. 

 

👯‍♀️ Surprisingly, @brandy_reads and I were reading this book at the same time, and I loved the impromptu buddy read and getting to discuss this one with her.  

 

🎧 The audiobook was the reason I saw this book through to the end.  It is exceptionally executed by one of my favorite award-winning narrators, Barrie Kreinik.  I found myself lost in beautiful lilt of her voice, and she well embodied these characters, each in a distinct tone.  

Many thanks to my friends at @macmillan.audio for the free #gifted copy of this audiobook.