Here are 14 books that The Sirens fans have personally recommended if you like The Sirens. Book DNA is a community of 12,000+ authors and super readers sharing their favorite books with the world.

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Book cover of Upon a Starlit Tide

Kelly Jarvis Author Of Selkie Moon

From Kelly's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Kelly's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Kelly Jarvis Why Kelly loves this book

I love Upon a Starlit Tide because it transports me to a different place and time. Kell Woods reworks “The Little Mermaid,” “Cinderella,” and “Bluebeard” into an innovative tale with more than a splash of family drama. Filled with gorgeous descriptions of the Fae and the ocean, this novel kept me turning pages late into the night! Woods deftly weaves sailors' superstitions with ocean and mermaid folklore as she moves the plot of her story forward, exploring the weight of family secrets and the importance of discovering personal identity. Far more than a simple fairy tale retelling, this book makes me think of the sea and its impact on humanity in a new way, and it will be a favorite of mine for a long time to come!

By Kell Woods ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked Upon a Starlit Tide as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The sea gives life, but it also takes it away ... A dark and thrilling tale about mermaids and sea-magic, love, betrayal and revenge from the Sunday Times bestselling author of After the Forest


Saint-Malo, Brittany, 1758. To Lucinde Leon, the youngest daughter of a wealthy French shipowner, the high walls of Saint-Malo are more hindrance than haven.

While her sisters are busy trying to secure advantageous marriages, Luce spends her days secretly being taught to sail by Samuel, her best friend - and an English smuggler. Only he understands how the waves call to her. Then one stormy morning,…


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Book cover of Aggressor

Aggressor by FX Holden,

It is April 1st, 2038. Day 60 of China's blockade of the rebel island of Taiwan.

The US government has agreed to provide Taiwan with a weapons system so advanced that it can disrupt the balance of power in the region. But what pilot would be crazy enough to run…

Book cover of The Call of the Sea

Kelly Jarvis Author Of Selkie Moon

From Kelly's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Kelly's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Kelly Jarvis Why Kelly loves this book

I love The Call of the Sea because it combines Arthurian lore, mermaid legends, and pirate life with beautiful descriptions, sweeping me away to a fantasy realm that serves as a mirror of the real world. This is the first book in The Grail Cycle, and though I normally prefer standalone novels, the writing pulled me in from the beginning, and I look forward to reading more books in the series. Schumacher provides romance, adventure, oceanic folklore, and magic into one gem of a story, and her plot and characters are fresh and engaging takes on the old tales and experiences that inform human life. Two sequels, A Song of Magic and On this Broken Earth await those who devour the first book and want to read more.

By Kate Schumacher ,

Why should I read it?

1 author picked The Call of the Sea as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

Once, the world was ruled by those with magic in their blood.

But once was a long time ago ...

Ever since magic was outlawed in Kernou, Jenyfer Astolat has been living with a secret that would see her bound to the stake as food for the sea. But when her reckless lies see her married to a man she does not love, Jenyfer has to forget fleeing town — and forget about Ordes Merlyni, the charming pirate who has been helping her wield magic in secret.

Arthur Tregarthen never wanted to be a leader, but it's a duty he…


Book cover of Weyward

Fran Laniado Author Of Beautiful: A Tale of Beauties and Beasts

From Fran's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Reader Educator Theatre geek Yoga junkie

Fran's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Fran Laniado Why Fran loves this book

A different author may have been tempted to throw in certain elements for the sake of appealing to more readings. But those elements weren't necessary for what Hart was doing here, and she trusted her material to do its job.

By Emilia Hart ,

Why should I read it?

10 authors picked Weyward as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

An Indie Next March 2023 Pick • A LibraryReads March 2023 Pick • An Amazon "Best Books of the Year So Far" 2023 Pick

"A brave and original debut, Weyward is a spellbinding story about what may transpire when the natural world collides with a legacy of witchcraft." ––Sarah Penner, New York Times bestselling author of The London Séance Society

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…


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Book cover of Trusting Her Duke

Trusting Her Duke by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke with rigid opinions, a Lady whose beliefs conflict with his, a long disputed parcel of land, a conniving neighbour, a desperate collaboration, a failure of trust, a love found despite it all.

Alexander Cavendish, Duke of Ravensworth, returned from war to find that his father and brother had…

Book cover of A Discovery of Witches

Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Author Of Writing the Sacred Journey

From Elizabeth's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Elizabeth's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Elizabeth Jarrett Andrew Why Elizabeth loves this book

Talk about the perfect escape! Vampire novels aren't usually my thing, but when the witchy main character is a medieval manuscript scholar who falls in love with a vampire hundreds of years old in a cross-species Romeo and Juliet scenario, written by an author who's both a historian and fantastic writer of sex scenes, and the plot hinges on a lost book, what's there not to like?

By Deborah Harkness ,

Why should I read it?

25 authors picked A Discovery of Witches as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

In this tale of passion and obsession, Diana Bishop, a young scholar and a descendant of witches, discovers a long-lost and enchanted alchemical manuscript, Ashmole 782, deep in Oxford's Bodleian Library. Its reappearance summons a fantastical underworld, which she navigates with her leading man, vampire geneticist Matthew Clairmont.


Book cover of The Handmaid's Tale

Mark Lawrence Author Of Daughter of Crows

From Mark's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author

Mark's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Mark Lawrence Why Mark loves this book

I was immediately struck by the quality of the writing. Atwood is a writer's writer - she understands how to use language to its full effect and how to arrange the words on the page so they do more than we expect of them.

By Margaret Atwood ,

Why should I read it?

46 authors picked The Handmaid's Tale as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

** THE SUNDAY TIMES NO. 1 BESTSELLER **
**A BBC BETWEEN COVERS BIG JUBILEE READ**

Go back to where it all began with the dystopian novel behind the award-winning TV series.

'As relevant today as it was when Atwood wrote it' Guardian

I believe in the resistance as I believe there can be no light without shadow; or rather, no shadow unless there is also light.

Offred is a Handmaid in The Republic of Gilead, a religious totalitarian state in what was formerly known as the United States. She is placed in the household of The Commander, Fred Waterford -…


Book cover of Outlander

Karen McCreedy Author Of Unreachable Skies

From Karen's 3 favorite reads in 2024.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Science-fiction reader Film-goer Reader Traveller History nut

Karen's 3 favorite reads in 2024

Karen McCreedy Why Karen loves this book

I'd heard about 'Outlander' from friends who had watched the TV series, but wanted to start my adventure with the book - and I wasn't disappointed! I love historical fiction as well as sci-fi and fantasy, and it was a treat to learn about this period via such fascinating and well-drawn characters.
As with 'Fourth Wing', I immediately sought out the sequel(s) - though I still have a lot of catching up to do!

By Diana Gabaldon ,

Why should I read it?

40 authors picked Outlander as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

#1 NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • The first book in Diana Gabaldon’s acclaimed Outlander saga, the basis for the Starz original series.

One of the top ten best-loved novels in America, as seen on PBS’s The Great American Read!
 
Unrivaled storytelling. Unforgettable characters. Rich historical detail. These are the hallmarks of Diana Gabaldon’s work. Her New York Times bestselling Outlander novels have earned the praise of critics and captured the hearts of millions of fans. Here is the story that started it all, introducing two remarkable characters, Claire Beauchamp Randall and Jamie Fraser, in a spellbinding novel of passion and…


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Book cover of The Duke's Christmas Redemption

The Duke's Christmas Redemption by Arietta Richmond,

A Duke who has rejected love, a Lady who dreams of a love match, an arranged marriage, a house full of secrets, a most unneighborly neighbor, a plot to destroy reputations, an unexpected love that redeems it all.

Lady Charlotte Wyndham, given in an arranged marriage to a man she…

Book cover of The Night Circus

Lisa Redfern Author Of Crossing: A Chinese Family Railroad Novel

From Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author DNA genealogy researcher California history storyteller & media maker Cartophile Close-call kefir exploder A philomath with too many books

Lisa's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Lisa Redfern Why Lisa loves this book

The magical beauty of this fantastical place feels like walking into one of your best dreams. Vividly written, one can almost smell the sweet treats it contains.

By Erin Morgenstern ,

Why should I read it?

24 authors picked The Night Circus as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

THE TIKTOK SENSATION

Rediscover the million-copy bestselling fantasy read with a different kind of magic, now in a stunning anniversary edition to mark 10 years since it's paperback debut.

The circus arrives without warning. It is simply there, when yesterday it was not. Against the grey sky the towering tents are striped black and white. A sign hanging upon an iron gates reads:

Opens at Nightfall
Closes at Dawn

Full of breath-taking amazements and open only at night, Le Cirque des Reves seems to cast a spell over all who wander its circular paths. But behind the glittering acrobats, fortune-tellers…


Book cover of The Hummingbird's Daughter

Cara Lopez Lee Author Of Candlelight Bridge

From my list on history featuring powerful women.

Why am I passionate about this?

I’m a fan of many kinds of stories, but the novel is my favorite form. I love most genres, especially historical and literary. My favorite reads are sagas, not to escape life but rather to experience more of life, immersing myself in a sweeping yet intimate journey into someone else’s world. In my favorite fiction, the protagonists are women or girls who discover their power. Not superpowers, but the real deal: intelligence, compassion, courage. The secret sauce is when an author accomplishes this without a wink—without the heroic woman becoming a caricature of unexpected masculinity or precious femininity. I want novels about women with potential as unlimited as men.

Cara's book list on history featuring powerful women

Cara Lopez Lee Why Cara loves this book

Several Luis Alberto Urrea novels feature powerful women, but this one resonates with me the most. One reason is that, like my novel, his also reimagines the history of a real-life great-aunt from Mexico. Urrea’s protagonist, Teresita, Saint of Cabora, is so full of heart that she gives me hope more readers will embrace Latinas in American literature.

Teresita Urrea exemplifies the strength teenage girls can wield when people encourage them to speak up instead of pipe down and when people value all their gifts regardless of whether those gifts were once labeled “masculine,” like boldness, or “feminine,” like empathy. For me, Teresita offered timeless wisdom: because she led with love, she saw through the lies of the powerful to the hearts of people who needed healing and justice. 

By Luis Alberto Urrea ,

Why should I read it?

4 authors picked The Hummingbird's Daughter as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

The prizewinning writer Luis Alberto Urrea's long-awaited novel is an epic mystical drama of a young woman's sudden sainthood in late 19th-century Mexico.It is 1889, and civil war is brewing in Mexico. A 16-year-old girl, Teresita, illegitimate but beloved daughter of the wealthy and powerful rancher Don Tomas Urrea, wakes from the strangest dream--a dream that she has died. Only it was not a dream. This passionate and rebellious young woman has arisen from death with a power to heal--but it will take all her faith to endure the trials that await her and her family now that she has…


Book cover of The Witching Hour

Joanne Alain Cook Author Of The Spectral Saga

From my list on romance lore science supernatural mystery feminism.

Why am I passionate about this?

I am a mother, wife, sister, teacher, artist, officer, and writer. I retired from the USAF after serving active duty and as a reservist as a C-130 navigator, executive officer, and maintenance officer for over 20 years. Currently, I teach physical science in northern California. My main passions have always centered around story-telling, and I have been a lifelong dabbler in writing fiction. With my experiences in male-dominated fields like military aviation and my love of science, I feel particularly drawn to tales involving women striving to overcome obstacles in a male-dominated culture. I enjoy traveling, art, and, most of all, lounging on my sofa and reading. 

Joanne's book list on romance lore science supernatural mystery feminism

Joanne Alain Cook Why Joanne loves this book

Anne Rice is a wonderful poet disguised as a novelist who creates dreamy and eerie landscapes in this book. She paints backdrops of multiple settings and weaves those landscapes with the mood of her characters: modern and bustling San Francisco to mysterious and moody New Orleans.

The plot involves an analytical science girl who is suddenly immersed in a mysterious past that includes witches and other supernatural beings. It explores the roots of societal misogyny by recapping the history of the Mayfair clan and an unleashed demon spirit that haunts the family, all with a romance lurking in the subplot.

It is written like a dark fairy tale that weaves a contemporary world with supernatural elements. Don’t miss this!

By Anne Rice ,

Why should I read it?

7 authors picked The Witching Hour as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

SOON TO BE A MAJOR TV SHOW, FROM THE NETWORK BEHIND THE WALKING DEAD

'[W]hen I found Rice's work I absolutely loved how she took that genre and (...) made [it] feel so contemporary and relevant' Sarah Pinborough, bestselling author of Behind Her Eyes

'[Rice wrote] in the great tradition of the gothic' Ramsey Campbell, bestselling author of The Hungry Moon

On the veranda of a great New Orleans house, now faded, a mute and fragile woman sits rocking. And the witching hour begins...

Demonstrating once again her gift for spellbinding storytelling and the creation of legend, Anne Rice makes…


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Book cover of Old Man Country

Old Man Country by Thomas R. Cole,

This book follows the journey of a writer in search of wisdom as he narrates encounters with 12 distinguished American men over 80, including Paul Volcker, the former head of the Federal Reserve, and Denton Cooley, the world’s most famous heart surgeon.

In these and other intimate conversations, the book…

Book cover of Lessons in Chemistry

Katie Powner Author Of When the Road Comes Around

From Katie's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Why am I passionate about this?

Author Small town resident Animal lover Question asker

Katie's 3 favorite reads in 2025

Katie Powner Why Katie loves this book

I mean, I wouldn't say I loved *everything* about this book, but boy was it a fun ride! A strong and unique female heroine. An original plot. Tight writing with an engaging voice. Who knew chemistry could be so interesting?

By Bonnie Garmus ,

Why should I read it?

95 authors picked Lessons in Chemistry as one of their favorite books, and they share why you should read it.

What is this book about?

NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER • GOOD MORNING AMERICA BOOK CLUB PICK • Meet Elizabeth Zott: a “formidable, unapologetic and inspiring” (PARADE) scientist in 1960s California whose career takes a detour when she becomes the unlikely star of a beloved TV cooking show in this novel that is “irresistible, satisfying and full of fuel. It reminds you that change takes time and always requires heat” (The New York Times Book Review).

A BEST BOOK OF THE YEAR: The New York Times, Washington Post, NPR, Oprah Daily, Newsweek, GoodReads

"A unique heroine ... you'll find yourself wishing she wasn’t fictional." —Seattle Times…


Book cover of Upon a Starlit Tide
Book cover of The Call of the Sea
Book cover of Weyward

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