“By the author of Weyward” were the only words I needed to read to request an advanced readers’ copy of The Sirens. I wish the strength of those five words were enough for me to have a higher-rated review. Unfortunately, this book and I did not match.

Sirens of mythology had the power to enchant sailors, using their songs to lure men to a watery death. Only when it was too late to escape would the sailors see the true nature of the ethereal singers. The story in this book follows that theory, knitting together a pair of sisters from 1800 and a pair from 2019. Mary and Eliza are convicts, being forced aboard a ship leaving from Ireland bound for a penal colony in New South Wales. They are surrounded by other women who were also convicted of crimes and conscripted to an unknown fate. Lucy and Jess are sisters separated by both age and physical distance. When Lucy finds herself in deep trouble at school, she flees campus, seeking safety with Jess, even though they haven’t seen or spoken in over a year.

Much of the story bounces between pieces of the past and the unfolding picture of the present. But instead of being drawn into a curious mystery, I quickly discarded any illusion, instead finding myself reading a gritty, strange book that I grew less and less enchanted by. The setting is atmospheric and immersive–especially scenes from Mary and Eliza’s time. But it was an atmosphere that this reader found unsettling rather than engrossing. From characters to plot, I just couldn’t find a connection to The Sirens.