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Dark Surf #1
Dark Surf
"Passionate, fun, and delightfully new. An entertaining and emotional novel in which blood is thicker than salt water." — Kirkus Reviews
"This novel blew me away—one of the most imaginative vampire novels I've ever read." — Paul Goat Allen, BlueInk Review
"The novel thrums with action, romance and surf, plus the kind of gory thrills you get with a horror flick. Short chapters make for a fast-paced read." — Monterey County Weekly
When a surfer is killed by a great white shark, his best friend, Jake Ryder, suspects something more sinister. So does undercover FBI agent Lani Marley. To find the truth, they infiltrate the Nomads, a shadowy tribe led by charismatic, darkly handsome Tristan Pierce.
Despite their initial suspicions, Jake and Lani become enamored with the Nomads, their nightly surf sessions, and seemingly carefree lives. While Lani tries to fight her growing attraction to Tristan, Jake falls hard for Skylar Sirena. Skylar has a passionate history with Tristan and more than one dead suitor in her past. She's also fiercely jealous of any woman who catches Tristan's eye—like Lani.
As Jake and Lani dive deeper into the Nomads' alluring lifestyle, they struggle to remember their real objectives and hold on to their true identities. When deadly enemies surface and threaten Tristan's power, he must determine who wants to destroy his clan, while keeping the Nomads' secrets from Lani and Jake.
In their final nights together, the Nomads, Jake, and Lani face betrayal, heartbreak, and the shattering of a world they thought they knew. As they fulfill their ultimate missions, not everyone survives to see the sun rise...
DARK SURF is a gripping and unforgettable novel about friendship, betrayal, revenge, and the lethal power of love.
"This novel blew me away—one of the most imaginative vampire novels I've ever read." — Paul Goat Allen, BlueInk Review
"The novel thrums with action, romance and surf, plus the kind of gory thrills you get with a horror flick. Short chapters make for a fast-paced read." — Monterey County Weekly
When a surfer is killed by a great white shark, his best friend, Jake Ryder, suspects something more sinister. So does undercover FBI agent Lani Marley. To find the truth, they infiltrate the Nomads, a shadowy tribe led by charismatic, darkly handsome Tristan Pierce.
Despite their initial suspicions, Jake and Lani become enamored with the Nomads, their nightly surf sessions, and seemingly carefree lives. While Lani tries to fight her growing attraction to Tristan, Jake falls hard for Skylar Sirena. Skylar has a passionate history with Tristan and more than one dead suitor in her past. She's also fiercely jealous of any woman who catches Tristan's eye—like Lani.
As Jake and Lani dive deeper into the Nomads' alluring lifestyle, they struggle to remember their real objectives and hold on to their true identities. When deadly enemies surface and threaten Tristan's power, he must determine who wants to destroy his clan, while keeping the Nomads' secrets from Lani and Jake.
In their final nights together, the Nomads, Jake, and Lani face betrayal, heartbreak, and the shattering of a world they thought they knew. As they fulfill their ultimate missions, not everyone survives to see the sun rise...
DARK SURF is a gripping and unforgettable novel about friendship, betrayal, revenge, and the lethal power of love.
- GenresVampires
422 pages, Paperback
First published August 23, 2014
6 people are currently reading
575 people want to read
About the author
T.C. Zmak
2 books11 followersT.C. Zmak is a novelist, beach enthusiast, craft beer drinker, oenophile, foodie, and dog parent. She is the award-winning author of the Dark Surf series. Her debut novel, Dark Surf, and the sequel, Rising, have earned critical acclaim and national & international awards. T.C. graduated from the University of California, San Diego (UCSD) with a bachelor of arts degree in communication. She now lives in Marina, Calif., on the picturesque Monterey Bay. Learn more at TCZmak.com.
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
May 13, 2015
** Caution, this review contains spoilers **
I have never been surfing but the way the author wrote the prolog, really draws the reader in with feelings of flying and being free. This story is an interesting twist on vampires, that being they are vampire sharks. Although the plot of the book is unique, it isn't always very exciting. It seems like the book follows the predictable timeline most books follow: all the vampires are extremely attractive, they don't mind hanging out with humans, vampire falls in love with human, vampire is rich, there is a group of good vampires who don't hurt the innocent, this same group is trying to stop the bad vampires who hurt innocent people and kids, etc. etc. the only difference is this group of vampires can also turn into great white sharks and of course the ending... Oh the ending. In my mind, the ending saved the book! You are going to love the ending.
The story is being told through many points of view. Tristan is the leader of the nomads (good guys) and the creator of vampire sharks. He was extremely casual when it came to who he ate, hurt, or turned into a vampire shark. That is until the love of his life was killed by a vampire shark. After that, he created rules for all the vampire sharks to follow. Because of his broken heart, he has never committed to any female. That is until Lani comes into his life and it's connection/love at first sight. Even though he hardly know her, he wants to marry her.
Most of the other vampire sharks don't like the rules that Tristan created or the fact that if you break the rules, the penalty is death. These group of people are called graysuits and are led by Dean. Dean decides he has had enough of his good friend and decides to kill Tristan and his nomad group. Dean is very manipulative and sly. I know I shouldn't say this, but I loved his character the most. It seemed his character had the most depth and I loved how he played everyone.
Another member of the nomad group who also happens to one of the females who fell in love with Tristan but ultimately got her heart broken is Skylar. Sky is a spoiled brat who continually guilts Tristan into giving her whatever or whoever she wants. Because of her spiteful behavior and overall need to act like an egotistical crazy person, Tristan ends up aging 90 years because she decided to ignore his call for help. Yet he forgives her like its nothing. It's funny how she does this exact thing later in the book and it ends up costing Tristan big! Sky decides not to tell Jake it was her boyfriend who killed his best friend. But ultimately the truth will always come out and when it does Jake freaks. And of course who does Sky blame for Jakes reaction- Tristan. Even though he told her to tell him the truth. Sky once again misplaces the blame on someone else instead of taking responsibility. But have no fear, Dean is there to pick up the broken pieces and manipulate Sky into hurting Tristan. Although I'm not sure how much manipulation he really had to do. Sky seemed hell bent on hurting Tristan throughout the entire book.
Lani unofficially goes undercover and hides the fact that she works for the FBI. She easily fits into the nomad group and quickly falls back into her old life of surfing. She also quickly falls in love with Tristan. But by doing this she finds herself caught in a web of jealousy and revenge. Lani is full of self doubt and is t the strongest character. But she ultimately tells Tristan of her secrets and Tristan shares his.
Jake is another character I didn't feel was very strong, until the end of the book. That's when Jake's character really grows into himself and develops self confidence. The funny thing with Jake is throughout most of the book, He is different. The same day his best friend (Cody) was killed, he was also nicked by a vampire shark and is stuck in between being a human and a vampire shark. Of course he doesn't take this news well and freaks completely out. But lucky for the reader, he soon figures out his priorities.
The author surprised me with the ending of this book. Most times they are to afraid to kill off there beloved characters. But that's not the case with this book. I'm not going to give away the ending. But I am intrigued that the author left Tristan's character unknown as well as hints about Cody... Very interesting....
Overall, it was an ok read. Not one of my favorites but I am left wondering what will happen next. So I will probably read the sequel.
I have never been surfing but the way the author wrote the prolog, really draws the reader in with feelings of flying and being free. This story is an interesting twist on vampires, that being they are vampire sharks. Although the plot of the book is unique, it isn't always very exciting. It seems like the book follows the predictable timeline most books follow: all the vampires are extremely attractive, they don't mind hanging out with humans, vampire falls in love with human, vampire is rich, there is a group of good vampires who don't hurt the innocent, this same group is trying to stop the bad vampires who hurt innocent people and kids, etc. etc. the only difference is this group of vampires can also turn into great white sharks and of course the ending... Oh the ending. In my mind, the ending saved the book! You are going to love the ending.
The story is being told through many points of view. Tristan is the leader of the nomads (good guys) and the creator of vampire sharks. He was extremely casual when it came to who he ate, hurt, or turned into a vampire shark. That is until the love of his life was killed by a vampire shark. After that, he created rules for all the vampire sharks to follow. Because of his broken heart, he has never committed to any female. That is until Lani comes into his life and it's connection/love at first sight. Even though he hardly know her, he wants to marry her.
Most of the other vampire sharks don't like the rules that Tristan created or the fact that if you break the rules, the penalty is death. These group of people are called graysuits and are led by Dean. Dean decides he has had enough of his good friend and decides to kill Tristan and his nomad group. Dean is very manipulative and sly. I know I shouldn't say this, but I loved his character the most. It seemed his character had the most depth and I loved how he played everyone.
Another member of the nomad group who also happens to one of the females who fell in love with Tristan but ultimately got her heart broken is Skylar. Sky is a spoiled brat who continually guilts Tristan into giving her whatever or whoever she wants. Because of her spiteful behavior and overall need to act like an egotistical crazy person, Tristan ends up aging 90 years because she decided to ignore his call for help. Yet he forgives her like its nothing. It's funny how she does this exact thing later in the book and it ends up costing Tristan big! Sky decides not to tell Jake it was her boyfriend who killed his best friend. But ultimately the truth will always come out and when it does Jake freaks. And of course who does Sky blame for Jakes reaction- Tristan. Even though he told her to tell him the truth. Sky once again misplaces the blame on someone else instead of taking responsibility. But have no fear, Dean is there to pick up the broken pieces and manipulate Sky into hurting Tristan. Although I'm not sure how much manipulation he really had to do. Sky seemed hell bent on hurting Tristan throughout the entire book.
Lani unofficially goes undercover and hides the fact that she works for the FBI. She easily fits into the nomad group and quickly falls back into her old life of surfing. She also quickly falls in love with Tristan. But by doing this she finds herself caught in a web of jealousy and revenge. Lani is full of self doubt and is t the strongest character. But she ultimately tells Tristan of her secrets and Tristan shares his.
Jake is another character I didn't feel was very strong, until the end of the book. That's when Jake's character really grows into himself and develops self confidence. The funny thing with Jake is throughout most of the book, He is different. The same day his best friend (Cody) was killed, he was also nicked by a vampire shark and is stuck in between being a human and a vampire shark. Of course he doesn't take this news well and freaks completely out. But lucky for the reader, he soon figures out his priorities.
The author surprised me with the ending of this book. Most times they are to afraid to kill off there beloved characters. But that's not the case with this book. I'm not going to give away the ending. But I am intrigued that the author left Tristan's character unknown as well as hints about Cody... Very interesting....
Overall, it was an ok read. Not one of my favorites but I am left wondering what will happen next. So I will probably read the sequel.
May 16, 2015
*POSSIBLE SPOILERS*
I requested this book from Netgalley because I thought it might be fun to read about vampires who surf. Don't judge me, okay?
Little did I know, this book isn't that innocent. Not only is this book about surfing vampires, it's about surfing vampires who can transform into sharks.
We have a group of "good" vampire sharks who have rules about killing (Rule #1: Don't kill children. Rule #2: Make sure it's a "righteous" kill (like Dexter). Your punishment for breaking the rules: DEATH). We have a surfer who just lost his friend to a shark attack and an undercover FBI agent, both of whom get involved with the good vampire sharks and fall in lurrve. But there are rogue vampire sharks just randomly killing people for sport and infringing on everybody's happiness.
The lead vampire's problems stem entirely from him indiscriminately turning people into vampire sharks for years. In one of his back stories, we learn he would make friends with surfers and casually ask them if they want to surf forever. And then he'd ask them if they want to be a vampire shark. And they'd be all, "Yeah! I love surfing!" But then those people would break the rules and he'd have to kill them. Which makes some other vampire sharks very, very angry ...
Every vampire knows you just don't go around turning people for the heck of it. Come on.
Anyway, there was practically no detail in this book. Not for the transformations, not for any of the deaths, not for the romances. There were inconsequential ages and heights and hair colors randomly slapped in for characters who were only going to be around for two more pages. This book was basically just people standing around talking to each other and occasionally doing something, and then talking some more, and we were supposed to believe the characters had formed deep connections with each other. There was no tension and no mystery. No emotion.
I wanted to DNF, but I read this for a challenge. I ended up skimming a lot because this was just the kind of brainless read that lets you do that and not miss anything.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review!
I requested this book from Netgalley because I thought it might be fun to read about vampires who surf. Don't judge me, okay?
Little did I know, this book isn't that innocent. Not only is this book about surfing vampires, it's about surfing vampires who can transform into sharks.
We have a group of "good" vampire sharks who have rules about killing (Rule #1: Don't kill children. Rule #2: Make sure it's a "righteous" kill (like Dexter). Your punishment for breaking the rules: DEATH). We have a surfer who just lost his friend to a shark attack and an undercover FBI agent, both of whom get involved with the good vampire sharks and fall in lurrve. But there are rogue vampire sharks just randomly killing people for sport and infringing on everybody's happiness.
The lead vampire's problems stem entirely from him indiscriminately turning people into vampire sharks for years. In one of his back stories, we learn he would make friends with surfers and casually ask them if they want to surf forever. And then he'd ask them if they want to be a vampire shark. And they'd be all, "Yeah! I love surfing!" But then those people would break the rules and he'd have to kill them. Which makes some other vampire sharks very, very angry ...
Every vampire knows you just don't go around turning people for the heck of it. Come on.
Anyway, there was practically no detail in this book. Not for the transformations, not for any of the deaths, not for the romances. There were inconsequential ages and heights and hair colors randomly slapped in for characters who were only going to be around for two more pages. This book was basically just people standing around talking to each other and occasionally doing something, and then talking some more, and we were supposed to believe the characters had formed deep connections with each other. There was no tension and no mystery. No emotion.
I wanted to DNF, but I read this for a challenge. I ended up skimming a lot because this was just the kind of brainless read that lets you do that and not miss anything.
Thanks to Netgalley for the chance to review!
March 28, 2017
This book has been on my TBR list for quite some time. I am very glad I finally got to it, though a little slow at the beginning with a lot of information dumping and getting to know the characters, it does pick up drastically about half way through. This is an unusual story with characters you don't normally read about IE Vampiric Sharks. What an awesome and intriguing concept. This is not a typical HEA book, you in fact will be surprised at the multiple character out comes, some good and some bad. After all is said and done a great read and leaves you wanting more. So obviously I am off to book #2.
April 3, 2018
To be honest, I do not read vampire books. Ever. Okay, I read Twilight (or rather skimmed it), just to see what all the hype was about in Forks, Washington. But I had a good time with Dark Surf, for several reasons.
One, it takes place on the California coast, and talks about the surfing community. Really fun.
Two, the author tried some really inventive things in this book, bringing vampire culture to surfing. I had to admire her sense of adventure in doing this. Brave girl.
Three, the characters themselves were intriguing. There was a surprise around every corner.
I predict more good things from this gutsy and highly creative writer.
One, it takes place on the California coast, and talks about the surfing community. Really fun.
Two, the author tried some really inventive things in this book, bringing vampire culture to surfing. I had to admire her sense of adventure in doing this. Brave girl.
Three, the characters themselves were intriguing. There was a surprise around every corner.
I predict more good things from this gutsy and highly creative writer.
May 20, 2019
A fun innocent read.
Okay, the writing was a bit amateur. The characters were a bit one-dimensional and predictable. The story is a bit cheesy.
But I will say it was damn entertaining. And in the end, that's what any reader wants. It definitely delivered on the entertainment front. Don't expect it to be more than it is. It is a story of vampire sharks, okay?
Very fun read.
Okay, the writing was a bit amateur. The characters were a bit one-dimensional and predictable. The story is a bit cheesy.
But I will say it was damn entertaining. And in the end, that's what any reader wants. It definitely delivered on the entertainment front. Don't expect it to be more than it is. It is a story of vampire sharks, okay?
Very fun read.
August 15, 2020
At first I really liked the story. But then, it was taking too long to get to the good parts. Lani, FBI agent but she's like a teenager. Tristan feels so guilty about Sky that treats her like a spoiled child. Sky, she can't accept that Tristan will never love her and keeps turning every man she meets. They're supposed to be adults!! And, then, the cliffhanger....
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 8, 2015
REVIEWED BY ANNE-MARIE REYNOLDS FOR READERS' FAVORITE
Review Rating: 5 stars
"Dark Surf by TC Zmak is a horror story with a difference. Jake Ryder’s life changes in an instant when his best friend is killed by a great white shark while surfing. This isn’t the first shark death though – the numbers have been steadily rising for some time. Lani Marley is an FBI agent and is investigating the shark-related deaths while she is on vacation. There seems to be a link between these deaths and a group of surfers called the Nomads, a completely new breed of vampires who are led by Tristan Pierce. Jake and Lani become involved with the Nomads – Lani to find out what they have in connection with it, and Jake to try to find the last surfer to see his friend alive. Neither of them banked on falling in love with members of the surf group, and neither of them could ever have imagined the truth and the consequences of playing in the surf at night.
"Dark Surf by TC Zmak was an amazing story! I was hooked right from page one and could not put it down until the very end. I have always loved vampire tales; this was something so completely different, such a unique take on an age-old story, and that is what will give this book the edge over all the other vampire stories on the market today. Exceptionally well written, with a fantastic story line and well developed characters. TC Zmak allowed us regular insights into the background of each character in a measured manner, drawing out the details and giving the story some real depth. Absolutely loved it, can’t wait for part two!
See the review at: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
Review Rating: 5 stars
"Dark Surf by TC Zmak is a horror story with a difference. Jake Ryder’s life changes in an instant when his best friend is killed by a great white shark while surfing. This isn’t the first shark death though – the numbers have been steadily rising for some time. Lani Marley is an FBI agent and is investigating the shark-related deaths while she is on vacation. There seems to be a link between these deaths and a group of surfers called the Nomads, a completely new breed of vampires who are led by Tristan Pierce. Jake and Lani become involved with the Nomads – Lani to find out what they have in connection with it, and Jake to try to find the last surfer to see his friend alive. Neither of them banked on falling in love with members of the surf group, and neither of them could ever have imagined the truth and the consequences of playing in the surf at night.
"Dark Surf by TC Zmak was an amazing story! I was hooked right from page one and could not put it down until the very end. I have always loved vampire tales; this was something so completely different, such a unique take on an age-old story, and that is what will give this book the edge over all the other vampire stories on the market today. Exceptionally well written, with a fantastic story line and well developed characters. TC Zmak allowed us regular insights into the background of each character in a measured manner, drawing out the details and giving the story some real depth. Absolutely loved it, can’t wait for part two!
See the review at: https://readersfavorite.com/book-revi...
June 25, 2015
Non-Spoiler review - Just a snippet from the book: DARK SURF is a gripping and unforgettable novel about friendship, betrayal, revenge, and the lethal power of love.
Dark Surf is the first book I have read by T.C. Zmak. This story was definitely not what I expected. Mr. Zmak described the characters and scenes so well I could see exactly what was going on, and I love when an author can do that. Great writing, great characters, storyline that keeps you hooked with interesting twists! Ended up staying up half the night to finish it... thanks for the great read and an interesting vampire interpretation! Am looking forward to more books by T.C. Zmak.
Dark Surf is the first book I have read by T.C. Zmak. This story was definitely not what I expected. Mr. Zmak described the characters and scenes so well I could see exactly what was going on, and I love when an author can do that. Great writing, great characters, storyline that keeps you hooked with interesting twists! Ended up staying up half the night to finish it... thanks for the great read and an interesting vampire interpretation! Am looking forward to more books by T.C. Zmak.
May 3, 2015
I was really excited to read this book, so after downloading I jumped right in and started to devour this tasty story.
The good:
Interesting characters
great setting- you feel like a surfer out on the beach with the salt in the hair and the wind in your hair
The bad:
The origination story with Tristan. I had to take a break after reading that scene.
The chapter breaks. I was not thrilled about 2 page chapters.
Overall: This is a unique and interesting story for those of us with an open mind and wide imagination.
The good:
Interesting characters
great setting- you feel like a surfer out on the beach with the salt in the hair and the wind in your hair
The bad:
The origination story with Tristan. I had to take a break after reading that scene.
The chapter breaks. I was not thrilled about 2 page chapters.
Overall: This is a unique and interesting story for those of us with an open mind and wide imagination.
May 9, 2016
"Dark Surf" is a page turning adventure that leads to the incredibly exciting last 100 pages. I love how the short crisp chapters jump from one character to the next.
In the beginning, Jake Ryder sees his best friend attacked by a shark right after another surfer joins him. Afterwards, no one can find the other surfer. It turns out that there have been a number of surfers being attacked by sharks.
While searching for the other surfer, Jake runs into a group called the Nomads. They seem to appear before or after a shark attack. Did I mention that they only surf at night?
In the beginning, Jake Ryder sees his best friend attacked by a shark right after another surfer joins him. Afterwards, no one can find the other surfer. It turns out that there have been a number of surfers being attacked by sharks.
While searching for the other surfer, Jake runs into a group called the Nomads. They seem to appear before or after a shark attack. Did I mention that they only surf at night?
January 5, 2015
Despite the fact that I'm neither a surfer nor a vampire genre reader, I loved this book and read it cover to cover in 1 day!
Very impressive debut novel. Looking forward to reading the sequel!
Very impressive debut novel. Looking forward to reading the sequel!
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews