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Daytide
"BLACK METAL WIZARD OF OZ"
Death comes to those who live.
The Longing is here: a ruthless psychological pandemic that only ever ends one way. Most find relief in a bullet or a blade. Kaya Sinh chose fire.
With Kaya gone, her friend Adam has only the support group they’d attended to keep him going. He’s at his lowest when a priest named Hayle Carnoth appears at group one night, claiming to have discovered a cure for the Longing. Thinking it a crude effort by the priest to seek members for his dwindling congregation, Adam drives him off.
But he keeps coming back.
With the Longing closing in, Adam agrees to let Father Carnoth share what he’s discovered. They visit a nearby cathedral, where something has appeared inside the steeple.
Death comes to those who live.
The Longing is here: a ruthless psychological pandemic that only ever ends one way. Most find relief in a bullet or a blade. Kaya Sinh chose fire.
With Kaya gone, her friend Adam has only the support group they’d attended to keep him going. He’s at his lowest when a priest named Hayle Carnoth appears at group one night, claiming to have discovered a cure for the Longing. Thinking it a crude effort by the priest to seek members for his dwindling congregation, Adam drives him off.
But he keeps coming back.
With the Longing closing in, Adam agrees to let Father Carnoth share what he’s discovered. They visit a nearby cathedral, where something has appeared inside the steeple.
- GenresHorror
500 pages, Hardcover
Published February 26, 2026
About the author
Chris Panatier
28 books231 followersChris lives in Dallas, Texas, with his wife, daughter, and a fluctuating herd of animals resembling dogs (one is almost certainly a goat). He writes short stories and novels, "plays" the drums, and draws album covers for metal bands. As a lawyer, he goes after companies that poison people.
Chris's short fiction has appeared in many places. His novels come from Angry Robot, Sobelo Books, and Rapture Publishing. He's a member of SFWA and HWA.
Chris's short fiction has appeared in many places. His novels come from Angry Robot, Sobelo Books, and Rapture Publishing. He's a member of SFWA and HWA.
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Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Drunken angels who have a fondness for cosplaying famous humans coupled with humans suffering from the "Longing" a strong desire to end it all.
Philip Fracassi’s introduction sets the tone perfectly, framing the novel as an audacious work that refuses easy categorization, and Daytide more than earns that promise.
Billed as a black metal Wizard of Oz, Daytide is a fearless, genre bending novel that fuses dark urbanish fantasy and horror into something both unsettling and unexpectedly humane.
Chris Panatier builds an epic world where angels get drunk on turpentine, fight, and go hunting for "glean" while populating it with characters whose flaws, longing, and resilience shape them into people/angels you can root for. The dialogue is sharp and often darkly funny, cutting through the bleakness with wit and emotional precision. Panatier’s prose is confident and visceral, balancing imagery with feeling. This is a bold, imaginative book that rewards readers willing to dive into something unlike anything they've ever read before.
Spark The Halo!
Philip Fracassi’s introduction sets the tone perfectly, framing the novel as an audacious work that refuses easy categorization, and Daytide more than earns that promise.
Billed as a black metal Wizard of Oz, Daytide is a fearless, genre bending novel that fuses dark urbanish fantasy and horror into something both unsettling and unexpectedly humane.
Chris Panatier builds an epic world where angels get drunk on turpentine, fight, and go hunting for "glean" while populating it with characters whose flaws, longing, and resilience shape them into people/angels you can root for. The dialogue is sharp and often darkly funny, cutting through the bleakness with wit and emotional precision. Panatier’s prose is confident and visceral, balancing imagery with feeling. This is a bold, imaginative book that rewards readers willing to dive into something unlike anything they've ever read before.
Spark The Halo!
March 29, 2026
Now and then you come to a book that is entirely singular. A book that takes all the inescapable genre ores and smelts them into a bright new shining alloy. The Library at Mount Char is one, The Raw Shark Texts is another - and now we have Daytide. It’s punk, it’s epic, it’s hilarious and heartfelt and shatteringly sad, and it is also one of the greatest feats of speculative world building I’ve ever read. The tone pirouettes all over the place, and for so much of the story you REALLY don’t know who to root for and who to despise, but in the end the heart finds a way. I loved this book more than anything I’ve read in a while. It reminded me WHY I read.
Glean on you rock n roll angel.
Glean on you rock n roll angel.
March 26, 2026
What a journey! Horror fantasy about a psychological pandemic called The Longing and drunk angels waving around swords looking like pop culture icons. It sounds insane, and it is insane, but it works. It’s not even totally horror but rather a blend of genres that refuse to be put in a box. Each layer and character just made the story better and better. I really loved the religious elements and faith. Truly a captivating book from beginning to end.
Due to current accessibility, recommend to any audiobook lover looking for something new, dark, and completely original.
4.75 ⭐️
Due to current accessibility, recommend to any audiobook lover looking for something new, dark, and completely original.
4.75 ⭐️
November 19, 2025
A construct that shifts and shuffles within innumerable contexts, faith is a tricky subject. When we think of faith, we often think of religion, where we aim our veneration, our hopes, our desire to be forgiven, to be redeemed at the end of this life. Yet, in a more mundane context, faith is believing the subway will show up on time, that your coffee order will be the same as it was yesterday, and that constants remain exactly that, constant. And what if this belief, in its grandiose and miniscule forms, became the crux of survival? The means to which we pay the bills, we put food on the table, we live? And moreover, what happens when that faith disintegrates, dries up, or no longer serves us? Where do we belong if not for here?
Chris Panatier poses these questions through a nuanced, creative, and bold lens with his dark fantasy novel, Daytide. Described as a “black metal Wizard of Oz,” I can confirm we are not in Kansas anymore under Panatier’s deft, wildly creative influence. The world as we know it is plagued by an affliction known as “The Longing,” a darkness that closes in on an individual with no reprieve from a pill or therapy in sight. But what exists on the other side of The Longing? And when a priest claims to know “the cure” to this demented malady, what does such an antidote look like? Starting in reality then catapulting into a stratosphere of angelic landscapes, Chris Panatier holds a candle to the deeper questions of the human condition, what waits for us on the other side of this life, and begs us to interrogate the narratives we have come to believe.
So much of what makes Daytide a roaring accomplishment is its balance. Panatier knows exactly how to deliver information that builds this incredible world that is connected to a reality that is familiar without ever once taking a tone of lecturing. Instead, the masterful character work at play within these pages does all of the heavy lifting for us in every instance, for both humans and other beings alike. The landscape of Daytide is lush with novel creations, thought-provoking social systems, and entertaining edges to fortify a robust heartbeat at the core of this story. This kind of worldbuilding is the lifeforce behind the compelling nature of this novel, the propulsive “why” that kicks the pace of this novel into high gear.
And as I mentioned previously, the characters of Daytide are what makes this fantastical tome absolutely soar. Adam, Hadriel, Ysgael, Kaya, Ezbiel, the list could keep going. Panatier saddles each character with their own struggles regarding faith, what it means to truly live, and how to find “home.” While this sounds heavy (and it is), the balancing act of believable moral struggle and realistic traits of quirks and personality is sublime. There is whimsy mixed with the macabre, violence matched with humor, shock with gentle understanding. Such a balance is a fine line, one that Panatier traverses with elegance and poise, resulting in a wildly entertaining, emotionally dedicated, and dearly devoted narrative that lingers long past the turn of the final page.
Daytide by Chris Panatier is a lot of things: it is a masterclass in utilizing the fantastical to paint a vivid portrait of our own human dilemmas, it is a captivating, action-packed venture into worlds beyond our own, and most of all, it is a fractured mirror that reflects the morality of power, acceptance of narratives, and the strength to fight. With such unique traits to both its world and its characters, Daytide feels like it exists in a category of its own, one that combines so much of what builds incredible stories that stand the test of time. Under Panatier’s intensely creative and capable hands, Daytide is a novel with wings, one that ascends to the highest tier of masterful fiction.
Chris Panatier poses these questions through a nuanced, creative, and bold lens with his dark fantasy novel, Daytide. Described as a “black metal Wizard of Oz,” I can confirm we are not in Kansas anymore under Panatier’s deft, wildly creative influence. The world as we know it is plagued by an affliction known as “The Longing,” a darkness that closes in on an individual with no reprieve from a pill or therapy in sight. But what exists on the other side of The Longing? And when a priest claims to know “the cure” to this demented malady, what does such an antidote look like? Starting in reality then catapulting into a stratosphere of angelic landscapes, Chris Panatier holds a candle to the deeper questions of the human condition, what waits for us on the other side of this life, and begs us to interrogate the narratives we have come to believe.
So much of what makes Daytide a roaring accomplishment is its balance. Panatier knows exactly how to deliver information that builds this incredible world that is connected to a reality that is familiar without ever once taking a tone of lecturing. Instead, the masterful character work at play within these pages does all of the heavy lifting for us in every instance, for both humans and other beings alike. The landscape of Daytide is lush with novel creations, thought-provoking social systems, and entertaining edges to fortify a robust heartbeat at the core of this story. This kind of worldbuilding is the lifeforce behind the compelling nature of this novel, the propulsive “why” that kicks the pace of this novel into high gear.
And as I mentioned previously, the characters of Daytide are what makes this fantastical tome absolutely soar. Adam, Hadriel, Ysgael, Kaya, Ezbiel, the list could keep going. Panatier saddles each character with their own struggles regarding faith, what it means to truly live, and how to find “home.” While this sounds heavy (and it is), the balancing act of believable moral struggle and realistic traits of quirks and personality is sublime. There is whimsy mixed with the macabre, violence matched with humor, shock with gentle understanding. Such a balance is a fine line, one that Panatier traverses with elegance and poise, resulting in a wildly entertaining, emotionally dedicated, and dearly devoted narrative that lingers long past the turn of the final page.
Daytide by Chris Panatier is a lot of things: it is a masterclass in utilizing the fantastical to paint a vivid portrait of our own human dilemmas, it is a captivating, action-packed venture into worlds beyond our own, and most of all, it is a fractured mirror that reflects the morality of power, acceptance of narratives, and the strength to fight. With such unique traits to both its world and its characters, Daytide feels like it exists in a category of its own, one that combines so much of what builds incredible stories that stand the test of time. Under Panatier’s intensely creative and capable hands, Daytide is a novel with wings, one that ascends to the highest tier of masterful fiction.
January 19, 2026
Thank you Rapture for my free ARC of Daytide by Chris Panatier — available Feb 26!
» READ IF YOU «
🌒 love a blend of fantasy and horror
🪽 think angels would be fun to drink with
🌘 want to get sucked into a different world
» SYNOPSIS «
The Longing is decimating the human population, causing people to take their own lives in droves. Kaya succumbs, only to find that the “afterlife” is not what she expected—and, maybe she can cure this affliction for the rest of humankind. But there’s a cost, and it won’t be extracted from just her…
» REVIEW «
Shut. The fuck up. This book is brilliant!!! It’s an epic blend of fantasy and horror, perfect for all my dark fiction readers out there. The world building is exquisite, and each POV is distinct and interesting—even if some characters might be a little morally bankrupt. Be prepared to shed some tears after the laughs and thrills, though.
I actually read this in only two sittings, because I simply had to keep flipping the pages once I was about 25% in. I am completely enamored with a few of these characters, and already can’t wait to start my reread. I’m sure I’ll discover even more on my second time through, and I would love for you to come along on that ride with me! My DMs are forever open to discussing Daytide.
I completely, wholeheartedly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy and/or horror. There are drunk angels, creepy gods, enchanted weapons, desperate witches, hand-sewn David Bowie costumes, and so much more. Plus, Rapture’s edition is absolutely breathtaking, with all the art by Chris Panatier himself! I cannot wait to have it in-hand.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
» READ IF YOU «
🌒 love a blend of fantasy and horror
🪽 think angels would be fun to drink with
🌘 want to get sucked into a different world
» SYNOPSIS «
The Longing is decimating the human population, causing people to take their own lives in droves. Kaya succumbs, only to find that the “afterlife” is not what she expected—and, maybe she can cure this affliction for the rest of humankind. But there’s a cost, and it won’t be extracted from just her…
» REVIEW «
Shut. The fuck up. This book is brilliant!!! It’s an epic blend of fantasy and horror, perfect for all my dark fiction readers out there. The world building is exquisite, and each POV is distinct and interesting—even if some characters might be a little morally bankrupt. Be prepared to shed some tears after the laughs and thrills, though.
I actually read this in only two sittings, because I simply had to keep flipping the pages once I was about 25% in. I am completely enamored with a few of these characters, and already can’t wait to start my reread. I’m sure I’ll discover even more on my second time through, and I would love for you to come along on that ride with me! My DMs are forever open to discussing Daytide.
I completely, wholeheartedly recommend this book if you enjoy fantasy and/or horror. There are drunk angels, creepy gods, enchanted weapons, desperate witches, hand-sewn David Bowie costumes, and so much more. Plus, Rapture’s edition is absolutely breathtaking, with all the art by Chris Panatier himself! I cannot wait to have it in-hand.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
February 12, 2026
Where do I even begin with this book? Well, first of all huge thanks to Rapture Publishing for sending me this ARC featuring the coolest ARC packaging I’ve ever received (turpentine can not included with the final version).
DAYTIDE is one of the most unique novels I’ve ever read. It is a blend of dark fantasy and horror, pitched as “Black Metal Wizard of Oz”, and while that is an amazing description, I think this novel is even more complex than that.
Panatier does not hold your hand, but shoves you straight into this world where turpentine is a holy medium and death is not always the end. “Death comes to those who live” is a common refrain throughout. Set partially in our world, but mostly in a place called Highside, where angels glean and get drunk on turpentine, and in Lowside (our world) humans are succumbing to the Longing, where the inevitable outcome is death by your own hand. The discovery and revelations of how Highside works and how it relates to our world is fascinating as you learn it as characters do.
The character work is fantastic and we follow a group of characters with alternating POVs, but mostly with two angels, sisters, as well as two human characters. The pace is furious and break neck at points. The world building is incredible and the lore is deep. This is definitely a novel you want to immerse yourself in and give it your full attention.
This novel has a lot to say about a lot of different things but what most resonated with me are the danger of not questioning the very systems that we run on and our place and role in those systems, particularly with which individuals exploit others for their own gain. Power corrupts, faith exploited. Just a brilliant novel that is so much more complex.
DAYTIDE is Chris Panatier’s most ambitious work yet. And it just may be his best.
DAYTIDE is available to pre-order over at Rapture’s site and will be released as a limited signed, numbered, and illustrated (by Panatier) and will feature an introduction by Philip Fracassi. Don’t miss out on this!
DAYTIDE is one of the most unique novels I’ve ever read. It is a blend of dark fantasy and horror, pitched as “Black Metal Wizard of Oz”, and while that is an amazing description, I think this novel is even more complex than that.
Panatier does not hold your hand, but shoves you straight into this world where turpentine is a holy medium and death is not always the end. “Death comes to those who live” is a common refrain throughout. Set partially in our world, but mostly in a place called Highside, where angels glean and get drunk on turpentine, and in Lowside (our world) humans are succumbing to the Longing, where the inevitable outcome is death by your own hand. The discovery and revelations of how Highside works and how it relates to our world is fascinating as you learn it as characters do.
The character work is fantastic and we follow a group of characters with alternating POVs, but mostly with two angels, sisters, as well as two human characters. The pace is furious and break neck at points. The world building is incredible and the lore is deep. This is definitely a novel you want to immerse yourself in and give it your full attention.
This novel has a lot to say about a lot of different things but what most resonated with me are the danger of not questioning the very systems that we run on and our place and role in those systems, particularly with which individuals exploit others for their own gain. Power corrupts, faith exploited. Just a brilliant novel that is so much more complex.
DAYTIDE is Chris Panatier’s most ambitious work yet. And it just may be his best.
DAYTIDE is available to pre-order over at Rapture’s site and will be released as a limited signed, numbered, and illustrated (by Panatier) and will feature an introduction by Philip Fracassi. Don’t miss out on this!
February 21, 2026
It has been nine days since I finished this book. Nine days that I have not stopped thinking about it. One does not simply read Daytide, you heed it. You are at its mercy. I will be writing up a more in-depth and proper review on my blog page very soon. What I can tell you for now is that this is the type of book I yearn for. This is the feeling I have been chasing since I was a child. Daytide is not simply genre defying, it is genre breaking. It completely changes the game, in my humble opinion. Distilling this down (pun intended) to one genre is impossible. It would be a disservice. What Panatier has done here is given me a Tolkien-esque descent into a world his very own, with his own natural talent for world building and character development. I cannot say enough good things about it but when I fully review it, I am sure going to try. Thank you Mitch over at Rapture Publishing and Chris for getting me such a badass ARC. It is a true showpiece in my library. This book is dropping in March 2026, on a limited run of 350 copies, featuring in introduction from Philip Fracassi. Go preorder it before they are sold out over on Raptures website. This book is forever embedded in my heart, along with the great behemoths of my lifelong reading journey. Thank you Chris for bringing us the Daytide.
November 17, 2025
“It was like stepping into a place he hadn’t been for years. An old apartment where he’d lived with a girlfriend, where they’d shared experiences at the height of joy and the depths of sadness. Recognition, familiarity. Normalcy.”
Fuck me! I will never be able to read this quote without crying for how much I FEEL this. This book is massive, an epic fantasy full of angels, turpentine and a diabolical Catholic priest. Chris produces some of the craziest and most fantastic imagery and these characters just got me all fucked up. He is a master wordsmith, his words can create beauty out of the ugliest and most fantastical things. And he has me either bawling my eyes out or laughing my ass off. I was cheering, I was angry, this one has it all folks!
This is the story of Adam, who as a side note I’m fully in love with. Adam and I are kindred spirits and he is probably, no definitely my favorite character EVER. He’s angry and sad and I can’t even write about him without crying. He’s suffering from a sickness called the Longing which eventually ends with you taking your own life. He’s determined to not let that happen to him. He has just lost his closest friend Kaya who attended meetings with him to stave off their inevitable end. After she��s gone he meets Carnoth a catholic priest who pulls him into his devious plan and absolute madness ensues.
Here is where I go back to obsessing over the characters. I must send a shout out to Hadriel, who was a no nonsense, kick ass, take no prisoners angel. I grew to love her dearly and damnit she’s so funny! Chris creates some of the most interesting and lovable characters that I would die on a hill for. With everything that’s going on in this epic tome, it’s them I root for and fall in love with. I could go on forever about how layered they are and deeply “human” but in short, their journey became my journey. Chris has created a story that forces us to pull back the veil on our everyday lives. Whether it be because of religion or politics or both and makes us see the truth.
This book is a rip roaring, heart wrenching epic that was completely immersive and fucking rocked! Thank you immensely to the amazing Mitch Hull at Rapture Publishing for an early copy of this book!
Fuck me! I will never be able to read this quote without crying for how much I FEEL this. This book is massive, an epic fantasy full of angels, turpentine and a diabolical Catholic priest. Chris produces some of the craziest and most fantastic imagery and these characters just got me all fucked up. He is a master wordsmith, his words can create beauty out of the ugliest and most fantastical things. And he has me either bawling my eyes out or laughing my ass off. I was cheering, I was angry, this one has it all folks!
This is the story of Adam, who as a side note I’m fully in love with. Adam and I are kindred spirits and he is probably, no definitely my favorite character EVER. He’s angry and sad and I can’t even write about him without crying. He’s suffering from a sickness called the Longing which eventually ends with you taking your own life. He’s determined to not let that happen to him. He has just lost his closest friend Kaya who attended meetings with him to stave off their inevitable end. After she��s gone he meets Carnoth a catholic priest who pulls him into his devious plan and absolute madness ensues.
Here is where I go back to obsessing over the characters. I must send a shout out to Hadriel, who was a no nonsense, kick ass, take no prisoners angel. I grew to love her dearly and damnit she’s so funny! Chris creates some of the most interesting and lovable characters that I would die on a hill for. With everything that’s going on in this epic tome, it’s them I root for and fall in love with. I could go on forever about how layered they are and deeply “human” but in short, their journey became my journey. Chris has created a story that forces us to pull back the veil on our everyday lives. Whether it be because of religion or politics or both and makes us see the truth.
This book is a rip roaring, heart wrenching epic that was completely immersive and fucking rocked! Thank you immensely to the amazing Mitch Hull at Rapture Publishing for an early copy of this book!
Did Not Finish
January 17, 2026I loved Shitshow but I just couldn't get into this one. It felt kind of rushed and I had a difficult time keeping up. Nothing was really making sense. DNFd around the 100 page mark.
Review of advance copy received from Author
If there were angels, would we really want to worship them?
In DAYTIDE our world sits opposite the firmament. On the other side is Olea, the world of Jugularis, or what we would call angels. Make no mistake Olea is not Heaven and the drunken, selfish, violent, pop culture obsessed gleaners that inhabit it are anything but holy.
The book has several points of view, two drunken shitbirds named Ezbiel and Hadriel have a reputation for their prowess in combat are our Highside guides. On Lowside, or our world, Adam, Kaya, and a priest named Carnoth all suffer from a pandemic level bout of suicidal ideation known as "The Longing." Humans don't know about the Jugularis, the firmament, or Olea. Jugularis can only pierce the firmament if they're sufficiently drunk on turpentine or Holy Medium, once on Lowside they feed off the spiritual belief of humanity known as glean.
This is a spectacularly impressive work of fantasy with dense world building impeccably woven through the narrative. I never felt like I was doing homework or getting bogged down with jargon or info dumps as Panatier's poetic lyrical prose grew wings and carried me through the complexities of a very believable and thoroughly realized fantasy world. The novel lets the world speak for itself and as such you might mix up a cipter and cygnet or a shadowcrake and catcrake once in a while but I promise, fellow lowsiders, once you reach the second half, the intricacies of angel culture and their unique caste system feel like second nature.
The Jugularis share a collective obsession with Lowside birds and pop culture. They speak in avian puns and metaphors. Many are known to take venerates to pay tribute to famous charismatic Lowsiders like Hadriel does with David Bowie; she flies through much of the novel in a custom Ziggy Stardust jumpsuit. All of these carefully plotted bizarre details and wonderful characters give the world an almost haptic tangibility. Panatier's horror pedigree comes through loud and clear especially toward the later chunk of the book with a gory and welcome surprise moments and the bleak subsurface details of the Jugularis world.
There are unexpected moments of beauty and humanity woven throughout DAYTIDE. I found myself swallowing tears at the way Panatier writes about depression, yearning, family, and loss. This is a dense work. The arc weighs in at nearly 500 heavy pages but toward the later half I found myself wishing for more. This is a book about questioning power, resilience, and endurance. Whether it be religion, or economic systems, it indicts any line of thinking that puts anyone in blindservice under a ruler, idea, or god.
There's no easy comparison to reach for here. Of the novels I've read from Chris Panatier, this is by a mile his most ambitious and perhaps most impressive. It will take me some time to gather my thoughts, but this books is a rare treat.
Escape the longing. Break with the routine, the system does not serve you. Death comes to those who live.
In DAYTIDE our world sits opposite the firmament. On the other side is Olea, the world of Jugularis, or what we would call angels. Make no mistake Olea is not Heaven and the drunken, selfish, violent, pop culture obsessed gleaners that inhabit it are anything but holy.
The book has several points of view, two drunken shitbirds named Ezbiel and Hadriel have a reputation for their prowess in combat are our Highside guides. On Lowside, or our world, Adam, Kaya, and a priest named Carnoth all suffer from a pandemic level bout of suicidal ideation known as "The Longing." Humans don't know about the Jugularis, the firmament, or Olea. Jugularis can only pierce the firmament if they're sufficiently drunk on turpentine or Holy Medium, once on Lowside they feed off the spiritual belief of humanity known as glean.
This is a spectacularly impressive work of fantasy with dense world building impeccably woven through the narrative. I never felt like I was doing homework or getting bogged down with jargon or info dumps as Panatier's poetic lyrical prose grew wings and carried me through the complexities of a very believable and thoroughly realized fantasy world. The novel lets the world speak for itself and as such you might mix up a cipter and cygnet or a shadowcrake and catcrake once in a while but I promise, fellow lowsiders, once you reach the second half, the intricacies of angel culture and their unique caste system feel like second nature.
The Jugularis share a collective obsession with Lowside birds and pop culture. They speak in avian puns and metaphors. Many are known to take venerates to pay tribute to famous charismatic Lowsiders like Hadriel does with David Bowie; she flies through much of the novel in a custom Ziggy Stardust jumpsuit. All of these carefully plotted bizarre details and wonderful characters give the world an almost haptic tangibility. Panatier's horror pedigree comes through loud and clear especially toward the later chunk of the book with a gory and welcome surprise moments and the bleak subsurface details of the Jugularis world.
There are unexpected moments of beauty and humanity woven throughout DAYTIDE. I found myself swallowing tears at the way Panatier writes about depression, yearning, family, and loss. This is a dense work. The arc weighs in at nearly 500 heavy pages but toward the later half I found myself wishing for more. This is a book about questioning power, resilience, and endurance. Whether it be religion, or economic systems, it indicts any line of thinking that puts anyone in blindservice under a ruler, idea, or god.
There's no easy comparison to reach for here. Of the novels I've read from Chris Panatier, this is by a mile his most ambitious and perhaps most impressive. It will take me some time to gather my thoughts, but this books is a rare treat.
Escape the longing. Break with the routine, the system does not serve you. Death comes to those who live.
March 24, 2026
Daytide fundamentally changed me. Have you ever met a dread that perfectly compliments your own? That’s this story for me.
I cannot possibly hope to summarize this book as succinctly as the description already does but… here goes:
The Longing, a self-ending psychological outbreak, is sweeping the world. Most choose a convenient or clean method. Kaya went metal. Kaya chose fire. Her bereaved friend, Adam, meets a priest who claims to have a cure for the Longing. From there, it’s all flames and birds, baby.
This was a breathtaking (and often painful) story of redemption, betrayal, and grief. A cocktail of agony and beauty. Even though it’s seeped in loss and tragedy, there’s a grace to the darkness that I found myself wanting to cocoon inside it.
This is my first work by this author and I couldn’t be more impressed so I’ll gush on the writing here. The most intriguing feature to me was the accessibility. Despite this being a DENSE and fantastical world/utility system, it never loses access or gets convoluted beyond repair. In fact, whilst I read I’d often ask a question aloud and have it conveniently (and organically) answered within the same or next chapter. It was rather uncanny but showed an immense amount of intuitiveness on the author’s part. A sort of awareness for the reader’s thought processes or natural spaces in the story where a catch up may be needed. It’s impressive how the world and lore are so immensely complex but somehow retain digestibility.
The characters were stunningly complex and textured. Every character had a complete and satisfying ARC and was sympathetic and captivating in their own right. Their motivations were clear and it’s hard to argue with their decisions when there’s a lack of alternatives and massive implications/consequences.
I drank this up in audio format. The narration job by Eric Fox was superb. The audio was clear and easy to immerse yourself in to. The voice acting was stellar and matched the atmosphere impeccably.
I recommend for fans of fantastical horror, transcendent stories, and bold themes. Chris Panatier became an instant auto-buy.
Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook - all opinions are my own!
I cannot possibly hope to summarize this book as succinctly as the description already does but… here goes:
The Longing, a self-ending psychological outbreak, is sweeping the world. Most choose a convenient or clean method. Kaya went metal. Kaya chose fire. Her bereaved friend, Adam, meets a priest who claims to have a cure for the Longing. From there, it’s all flames and birds, baby.
This was a breathtaking (and often painful) story of redemption, betrayal, and grief. A cocktail of agony and beauty. Even though it’s seeped in loss and tragedy, there’s a grace to the darkness that I found myself wanting to cocoon inside it.
This is my first work by this author and I couldn’t be more impressed so I’ll gush on the writing here. The most intriguing feature to me was the accessibility. Despite this being a DENSE and fantastical world/utility system, it never loses access or gets convoluted beyond repair. In fact, whilst I read I’d often ask a question aloud and have it conveniently (and organically) answered within the same or next chapter. It was rather uncanny but showed an immense amount of intuitiveness on the author’s part. A sort of awareness for the reader’s thought processes or natural spaces in the story where a catch up may be needed. It’s impressive how the world and lore are so immensely complex but somehow retain digestibility.
The characters were stunningly complex and textured. Every character had a complete and satisfying ARC and was sympathetic and captivating in their own right. Their motivations were clear and it’s hard to argue with their decisions when there’s a lack of alternatives and massive implications/consequences.
I drank this up in audio format. The narration job by Eric Fox was superb. The audio was clear and easy to immerse yourself in to. The voice acting was stellar and matched the atmosphere impeccably.
I recommend for fans of fantastical horror, transcendent stories, and bold themes. Chris Panatier became an instant auto-buy.
Thank you to LibroFM for the gifted audiobook - all opinions are my own!
March 24, 2026
I need several moments.
March 5, 2026
This is an epic fantasy of mighty proportions with leviathan greed in a society of takers, of dimension-hopping angels whose only purpose is to siphon joy and belief from us, the Lowside.
The Lowside is slowly dying as people succumb to the epidemic called the Longing, a type of hopeless despair. An angry young man named Adam, his love interest Kaya and an ambitious priest have found a way to contact these world-killing warrior angels from the Highside and try to find a way to restore balance.
The story is filled with memorable characters and stunning visuals in two dying worlds. There are heroes and villains, greed and sloth, bravery and cowardice. Panatier paints his worlds with hope and desperate loyalty. Gorgeous, heart breaking and glorious.
The Lowside is slowly dying as people succumb to the epidemic called the Longing, a type of hopeless despair. An angry young man named Adam, his love interest Kaya and an ambitious priest have found a way to contact these world-killing warrior angels from the Highside and try to find a way to restore balance.
The story is filled with memorable characters and stunning visuals in two dying worlds. There are heroes and villains, greed and sloth, bravery and cowardice. Panatier paints his worlds with hope and desperate loyalty. Gorgeous, heart breaking and glorious.
December 28, 2025
“This is fucked up.”
“Welcome to the world.”
DAYTIDE by Chris Panatier
Limited release 350 copies
February 26, 2026 from Rapture Publishing.
Billed as Black metal Wizard of Oz, Daytide is a heady blend of horror and fantasy, distilled from the mind of Chris Panatier.
A disease, the Longing, is taking over the world. No one knows the cause or a cure. When Kaya leaves her friend Adam to suffer alone, he is determined to fight his feelings of despair by attending support group meetings and sticking to a routine. Adam is barely hanging on when he meets a priest* that says he knows the cure.
How much do you want to know about a story before reading it? To me, less is more. I went into Daytide knowing almost nothing and it was a perfect experience. The world building is WILD. The characters are beautifully flawed and relatable. Panatier’s humor (“you fucking pelican”) softens the heavy themes as the story swirls through the world we think we know, androgynous angels**, and pine trees.
By the Latern’s light, I love this book.
I loved the insanity of the turpentine can ARC.
I love the story of how this book came to be (checkout Robb Olson’s ARC Party pod episode with Mitch Hull and Chris Panatier).
I can’t wait to get my hands on the finished book. This one is special!
*in the beginning, I pictured Chris Panatier as the priest. As the story went on, it didn’t really fit but I couldn’t shake the image so I had to share. You’re welcome.
** the angels were my favorite part. Team Hadriel forever 👨🏻🎤
#Daytide #RapturePublishing
“Welcome to the world.”
DAYTIDE by Chris Panatier
Limited release 350 copies
February 26, 2026 from Rapture Publishing.
Billed as Black metal Wizard of Oz, Daytide is a heady blend of horror and fantasy, distilled from the mind of Chris Panatier.
A disease, the Longing, is taking over the world. No one knows the cause or a cure. When Kaya leaves her friend Adam to suffer alone, he is determined to fight his feelings of despair by attending support group meetings and sticking to a routine. Adam is barely hanging on when he meets a priest* that says he knows the cure.
How much do you want to know about a story before reading it? To me, less is more. I went into Daytide knowing almost nothing and it was a perfect experience. The world building is WILD. The characters are beautifully flawed and relatable. Panatier’s humor (“you fucking pelican”) softens the heavy themes as the story swirls through the world we think we know, androgynous angels**, and pine trees.
By the Latern’s light, I love this book.
I loved the insanity of the turpentine can ARC.
I love the story of how this book came to be (checkout Robb Olson’s ARC Party pod episode with Mitch Hull and Chris Panatier).
I can’t wait to get my hands on the finished book. This one is special!
*in the beginning, I pictured Chris Panatier as the priest. As the story went on, it didn’t really fit but I couldn’t shake the image so I had to share. You’re welcome.
** the angels were my favorite part. Team Hadriel forever 👨🏻🎤
#Daytide #RapturePublishing
January 31, 2026
Review originally appearing on FanFiAddict.com
Hello again dear reader or listener, I hope you’re able to do things that bring you comfort during these interesting times we’re having. For my part that means lots of reading of the most transporting books I can find. Chris Panatier’s upcoming Daytide was one such read, bringing forth catharsis and bit of a mind fuck in equal measure! It definitely was nothing like I expected even from the very intriguing blurb.
With a thank you to the author for the eARC, I promise my incoming ramblings to be honest, as always.
Daytide overall is a book that doesn’t so much defy genre as genre definition. What my sleep deprived brain landed on eventually was a flavor of Portal Horror Fantasy. Or maybe Horror Portal Fantasy. Or Portal Fantasy Horror… I still can’t actually decide!
(Don’t be genre nerds, kids, this is the kind of conundrum you’ll get yourself into and it will be entirely your own thing cause almost nobody else will care about this level of minutiae).
In short I would define it as: Emotional Damage.
But silliness aside now, Panatier has presented us with yet another multilayered narrative, mixing the grotesque, the entertaining, and the poignant, to deliver a story that will force you to think. Be it about the nature of faith and religion, aspects of depression, hope, or even the inherent biases that exist within each of us due to our given communities. The allegories or metaphors abound for those who seek them, some of the commentary is tongue in cheek, while other times the author is very unequivocal about what he means, which I personally find quite glorious. Through some beautiful, if at times dense, but most definitely nearing the psychedelic, world building, Panatier toes the line between imaginative and untethered. Incidentally, I’d say it’s akin to what it feels like to be in a church surrounded by thick incense while being at least a little tipsy from previous alcohol consumption – no, I am not speaking from personal experience why do you ask?
See the thing is, the author takes a concept that a lot of people associate with purity, safety, and softness, i.e. angels, and reminds you that his roots are very much Catholic instead. By making them punk as can be and, in fact, closer to the warriors of the Christian God that they actually are known as by those who grew up in or practice specific iterations of Christianity, Panatier follows the Guillermo del Toro school of allowing your art to be heavily informed/inspired by a religion whose pastors and priests have strayed so far into the sins they so self-righteously decry that their hypocrisy keeps breeding (potentially) lapsed artists who need at least some of that mythology and ideology to make a modicum of sense. I’m not even going to get into the whole angle of how certain types of priesthood nurture/promote (white) savior complexes, topic that the author cuts at with a sharpness that is elegant to say the least. We simply do not have the time, alas.
The imagery throughout the story is just always on point, even if that monstrosity of a sentence that I just subjected you to doesn’t ring true or mean much to you, dear reader. And again, that’s not even touching on the glory that is having one of the protagonists being an absolute chaotic menace who loves Bowie. Hadriel, you have a special place in my heart forever more. Indeed, with his multiple and varied protagonists and colorful secondaries, the author laughs in the face of anyone who thinks they can determine the villains from the heroes based on sterile black and white mentalities. In fact, we see exactly the kind of extremism that type of thought can lead to. I damn near resented how much I could understand some character choices from an intellectual standpoint, because in my heart I wanted to simply and purely be able to hate them for making the shitty decisions that lead them inexorably toward progressively deeper villainy. And yet I couldn’t. The existential crisis in trying to reconcile what you feel with what you try to be objective about will probably not leave you until the very last act either. But isn’t that the crux of the thing? How often do we try to be mature/sensible in the face of senseless and uninformed cruelty that is rationalized through something so completely opposite to who we are that we feel ourselves tear inside because we realize reason has no place in the given moment? I digress.
This is my third book by this author and his superb character work is what will keep drawing me to his words, at least one of the things anyway. Truly, Panatier flies expertly from moments of levity or softness into utter sadness and introspection, from visceral horror, into fist pumping badass action. With pop-culture Easter eggs aplenty to boot! My fellow reviewer George Dunn called it an existential delirium of a book and he couldn’t be more right (check out his full review here as it is a thing of beauty – I lowkey hate him and his magnificent eloquence actually).
Daytide by Chris Panatier is a thought provoking, turpentine induced, rapture of a novel that carries you into a dark world filled with hope against all odds, tender yet bittersweet full circle moments, and unexpected beauty in spite of the grotesque and macabre. It will land February 26th curtesy of Rapture Publishing, you can preorder it here, and if anything I’ve said has piqued your curiosity in the least, you don’t want to miss it.
Until next time,
Eleni A.E.
P.S: Now I want a del Toro adaptation of this book… damn.
P.P.S: By chance, I was listening to the Sinners soundtrack while writing this review and while I’ll grant you the overall vibes of this book are more Metal than Blues music, some of the thematic overlap was delicious.
Hello again dear reader or listener, I hope you’re able to do things that bring you comfort during these interesting times we’re having. For my part that means lots of reading of the most transporting books I can find. Chris Panatier’s upcoming Daytide was one such read, bringing forth catharsis and bit of a mind fuck in equal measure! It definitely was nothing like I expected even from the very intriguing blurb.
With a thank you to the author for the eARC, I promise my incoming ramblings to be honest, as always.
Daytide overall is a book that doesn’t so much defy genre as genre definition. What my sleep deprived brain landed on eventually was a flavor of Portal Horror Fantasy. Or maybe Horror Portal Fantasy. Or Portal Fantasy Horror… I still can’t actually decide!
(Don’t be genre nerds, kids, this is the kind of conundrum you’ll get yourself into and it will be entirely your own thing cause almost nobody else will care about this level of minutiae).
In short I would define it as: Emotional Damage.
But silliness aside now, Panatier has presented us with yet another multilayered narrative, mixing the grotesque, the entertaining, and the poignant, to deliver a story that will force you to think. Be it about the nature of faith and religion, aspects of depression, hope, or even the inherent biases that exist within each of us due to our given communities. The allegories or metaphors abound for those who seek them, some of the commentary is tongue in cheek, while other times the author is very unequivocal about what he means, which I personally find quite glorious. Through some beautiful, if at times dense, but most definitely nearing the psychedelic, world building, Panatier toes the line between imaginative and untethered. Incidentally, I’d say it’s akin to what it feels like to be in a church surrounded by thick incense while being at least a little tipsy from previous alcohol consumption – no, I am not speaking from personal experience why do you ask?
See the thing is, the author takes a concept that a lot of people associate with purity, safety, and softness, i.e. angels, and reminds you that his roots are very much Catholic instead. By making them punk as can be and, in fact, closer to the warriors of the Christian God that they actually are known as by those who grew up in or practice specific iterations of Christianity, Panatier follows the Guillermo del Toro school of allowing your art to be heavily informed/inspired by a religion whose pastors and priests have strayed so far into the sins they so self-righteously decry that their hypocrisy keeps breeding (potentially) lapsed artists who need at least some of that mythology and ideology to make a modicum of sense. I’m not even going to get into the whole angle of how certain types of priesthood nurture/promote (white) savior complexes, topic that the author cuts at with a sharpness that is elegant to say the least. We simply do not have the time, alas.
The imagery throughout the story is just always on point, even if that monstrosity of a sentence that I just subjected you to doesn’t ring true or mean much to you, dear reader. And again, that’s not even touching on the glory that is having one of the protagonists being an absolute chaotic menace who loves Bowie. Hadriel, you have a special place in my heart forever more. Indeed, with his multiple and varied protagonists and colorful secondaries, the author laughs in the face of anyone who thinks they can determine the villains from the heroes based on sterile black and white mentalities. In fact, we see exactly the kind of extremism that type of thought can lead to. I damn near resented how much I could understand some character choices from an intellectual standpoint, because in my heart I wanted to simply and purely be able to hate them for making the shitty decisions that lead them inexorably toward progressively deeper villainy. And yet I couldn’t. The existential crisis in trying to reconcile what you feel with what you try to be objective about will probably not leave you until the very last act either. But isn’t that the crux of the thing? How often do we try to be mature/sensible in the face of senseless and uninformed cruelty that is rationalized through something so completely opposite to who we are that we feel ourselves tear inside because we realize reason has no place in the given moment? I digress.
This is my third book by this author and his superb character work is what will keep drawing me to his words, at least one of the things anyway. Truly, Panatier flies expertly from moments of levity or softness into utter sadness and introspection, from visceral horror, into fist pumping badass action. With pop-culture Easter eggs aplenty to boot! My fellow reviewer George Dunn called it an existential delirium of a book and he couldn’t be more right (check out his full review here as it is a thing of beauty – I lowkey hate him and his magnificent eloquence actually).
Daytide by Chris Panatier is a thought provoking, turpentine induced, rapture of a novel that carries you into a dark world filled with hope against all odds, tender yet bittersweet full circle moments, and unexpected beauty in spite of the grotesque and macabre. It will land February 26th curtesy of Rapture Publishing, you can preorder it here, and if anything I’ve said has piqued your curiosity in the least, you don’t want to miss it.
Until next time,
Eleni A.E.
P.S: Now I want a del Toro adaptation of this book… damn.
P.P.S: By chance, I was listening to the Sinners soundtrack while writing this review and while I’ll grant you the overall vibes of this book are more Metal than Blues music, some of the thematic overlap was delicious.
December 2, 2025
An astonishing book, Daytide by Chris Panatier is quite unlike anything else I’ve ever read before. Fearless, unsettling, Wagnerian, yet still somehow viscerally intimate. I am caught between the wingbeats of Panatier’s brilliance, thrilled and mesmerized by the ride.
• Jendia Gammon, Nebula and BSFA Finalist author of Atacama and Godfestation
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Thank you to Rapture Publishing and the author for an advance review copy.
• Jendia Gammon, Nebula and BSFA Finalist author of Atacama and Godfestation
-
Thank you to Rapture Publishing and the author for an advance review copy.
March 5, 2026
I loved this book. The narration of the audiobook is one of the best I've ever heard and I've listened to easily 300 audiobooks. The production is crystal clear and it does not use music or effects to distract from the incredible voice performance of Eric Fox.
Some books, I just breeze through with with little or no effort enjoying the characters and story, then moving on to the next book that I want to read. Then there are books that take a little more work but they have a higher payoff and stay with me. DAYTIDE falls into the stay with me category.
Panatier has wrote a book that is wholly unique, creative and ambitious in it's scope and he pulled it off. It's beautifully written, darkly funny, immersive, multidimensional, and extremely dark. Seriously dark. There were times that I had to stop because the writing affected me so greatly that I was uncomfortable. Without spoiling the story, I am talking death by fire and other forms of self harm. Not that it's glorified in anyway. Highly visceral descriptive writing.
Panatier has written a story that involves a new vocabulary and realms that's the fantasy part.
The humor part is that there are angels drinking turpentine to get drunk, cos play as famous humans, biting dialog and more.
The horror part is both psychological and the epic battle scenes, suicide and murder.
The beauty is the writing, characters and imagery.
Definitely not a one and done listen for me.
I look forward to reading and listening to this story many times. Discovering new details and understanding this dark world.
It's the kind of story that you want to talk to your friends about, that makes you think and to me that is the best kind of story.
Definitely worth a credit and it's a strong recommend for fantasy and horror lovers.
With this book Panatier has cemented himself as an automatic buy author for me.
Some books, I just breeze through with with little or no effort enjoying the characters and story, then moving on to the next book that I want to read. Then there are books that take a little more work but they have a higher payoff and stay with me. DAYTIDE falls into the stay with me category.
Panatier has wrote a book that is wholly unique, creative and ambitious in it's scope and he pulled it off. It's beautifully written, darkly funny, immersive, multidimensional, and extremely dark. Seriously dark. There were times that I had to stop because the writing affected me so greatly that I was uncomfortable. Without spoiling the story, I am talking death by fire and other forms of self harm. Not that it's glorified in anyway. Highly visceral descriptive writing.
Panatier has written a story that involves a new vocabulary and realms that's the fantasy part.
The humor part is that there are angels drinking turpentine to get drunk, cos play as famous humans, biting dialog and more.
The horror part is both psychological and the epic battle scenes, suicide and murder.
The beauty is the writing, characters and imagery.
Definitely not a one and done listen for me.
I look forward to reading and listening to this story many times. Discovering new details and understanding this dark world.
It's the kind of story that you want to talk to your friends about, that makes you think and to me that is the best kind of story.
Definitely worth a credit and it's a strong recommend for fantasy and horror lovers.
With this book Panatier has cemented himself as an automatic buy author for me.
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
I loved this, shocker.
I saw Wizard of Oz and was sold, the black metal part helped but twisted Oz? Give me every variation.
This was hard, dark and emotional in a way I was really not expecting, The Longing just about hit me like a gut punch reading the way Chris describes it, it feels all too real, wonder why..
Adam fighting against it, chipped away at something inside me his struggle, the determination not to let the final stage of The Longing to get him, this is hard for me to type but I know that struggle and seeing it reflected in Adam was hard but somehow cathartic, I'm not alone, the struggle is real even if it doesn't seem as tangible as The Longing does in this book.
I am trying to keep this spoiler free and not have a absolute meltdown trying to convey how good this is but the meetings Adam goes too, and that priest, oh my god, after Kaya, I just had a feeling and I was SCREAMING at him to GTFO, religious cult like horror is my jam.
Adam does not have long left, The Longing gets everyone it gets its claws into eventually, and he decides to finally let Carnoth show him what is driving him and then well, and then you will just have to read the book..
The characters in this book and the way Chris wrote them is something else.
This was one of my top reads for 2025, check this out if you want a bizarre, black metal religious hard hitting emotional dark horror.
I saw Wizard of Oz and was sold, the black metal part helped but twisted Oz? Give me every variation.
This was hard, dark and emotional in a way I was really not expecting, The Longing just about hit me like a gut punch reading the way Chris describes it, it feels all too real, wonder why..
Adam fighting against it, chipped away at something inside me his struggle, the determination not to let the final stage of The Longing to get him, this is hard for me to type but I know that struggle and seeing it reflected in Adam was hard but somehow cathartic, I'm not alone, the struggle is real even if it doesn't seem as tangible as The Longing does in this book.
I am trying to keep this spoiler free and not have a absolute meltdown trying to convey how good this is but the meetings Adam goes too, and that priest, oh my god, after Kaya, I just had a feeling and I was SCREAMING at him to GTFO, religious cult like horror is my jam.
Adam does not have long left, The Longing gets everyone it gets its claws into eventually, and he decides to finally let Carnoth show him what is driving him and then well, and then you will just have to read the book..
The characters in this book and the way Chris wrote them is something else.
This was one of my top reads for 2025, check this out if you want a bizarre, black metal religious hard hitting emotional dark horror.
March 3, 2026
3.5⭐ Daytide is exactly what it promises: black metal Wizard of Oz energy — wandering, gritty, irreverent, and a little unhinged in the best way. Combat boots on the yellow brick road. A flask in one hand, existential dread in the other.
And honestly? The drunk, irreverent tone was fun. There’s something chaotic and self-aware about the humor that kept it from feeling too self-serious. When it leaned into that messy, feral energy, I was in.
Where I struggled was the pacing. Some sections lingered — slow-burn, atmospheric, heavy on vibe — and then suddenly major shifts would happen so quickly that I had to pause and recalibrate. We’d go from marinating in a moment to speed-running plot developments, and it made it harder to keep track of who was where, what had changed, and how we got there.
It felt like there was a lot packed in. Big ideas. Big shifts. Big tone swings. Sometimes that worked beautifully. Sometimes it felt uneven.
Even listening at 2x speed, it still felt long in places — but I can absolutely see the right reader loving this. If you’re into broody, metal-coded fantasy that blends irreverence with dark pilgrimage energy, this might hit harder for you than it did for me.
For me? A solid 3.5. Ambitious, interesting, occasionally chaotic — just not fully immersive from start to finish.
And honestly? The drunk, irreverent tone was fun. There’s something chaotic and self-aware about the humor that kept it from feeling too self-serious. When it leaned into that messy, feral energy, I was in.
Where I struggled was the pacing. Some sections lingered — slow-burn, atmospheric, heavy on vibe — and then suddenly major shifts would happen so quickly that I had to pause and recalibrate. We’d go from marinating in a moment to speed-running plot developments, and it made it harder to keep track of who was where, what had changed, and how we got there.
It felt like there was a lot packed in. Big ideas. Big shifts. Big tone swings. Sometimes that worked beautifully. Sometimes it felt uneven.
Even listening at 2x speed, it still felt long in places — but I can absolutely see the right reader loving this. If you’re into broody, metal-coded fantasy that blends irreverence with dark pilgrimage energy, this might hit harder for you than it did for me.
For me? A solid 3.5. Ambitious, interesting, occasionally chaotic — just not fully immersive from start to finish.
March 16, 2026
OMG! What did i just read. Like nothing before ill say that. Chris Panatier has created a masterpiece with this book. Panatier tells a story that straight away puts you inside a world like no other and you just "know". I went into this book thinking it was going to be daunting to try and keep up and understand what was going on, but panatier wrote this in such an amazing way that it was like i just understood what was going on. So many great characters and each of them brought something different and lent so much to the story!
Wish my writing skills could put down in words what i really think about this book, but i suck at getting what i really want to say out of my head, all i can say is get your copy NOW, dont wait this is one that brings so much to the table and needs to be read.
Congrats to Chris Panatier for an amazing story, and to Mitch Hull of Rapture Publishing for bringing this book to life. i was lucky enough to read the limited edition of the book and its a great production!
Wish my writing skills could put down in words what i really think about this book, but i suck at getting what i really want to say out of my head, all i can say is get your copy NOW, dont wait this is one that brings so much to the table and needs to be read.
Congrats to Chris Panatier for an amazing story, and to Mitch Hull of Rapture Publishing for bringing this book to life. i was lucky enough to read the limited edition of the book and its a great production!
October 24, 2025
I give it 4.5 stars rounded up!
What a blast this was! Drunk, cosplaying angels addicted to violence? Yes, please!
Chris Panatier creates a dark fantasy world that is balls-out crazy. And at the same time it makes so much sense when overlaid with American culture in 2025. He attempts to explain the imbalance and dissatisfaction that has wrestled the emotional core of society to the ground. His take on what's plaguing us brings us to the edge of despair but offers a glean of hope.
Fans of Clive Barker's Weaveworld and Cabal will love this tale of a secret world that interacts with our human confusion and the struggle that unites both.
I highly recommend to anyone looking for an escape to a fantastic hidden world.
What a blast this was! Drunk, cosplaying angels addicted to violence? Yes, please!
Chris Panatier creates a dark fantasy world that is balls-out crazy. And at the same time it makes so much sense when overlaid with American culture in 2025. He attempts to explain the imbalance and dissatisfaction that has wrestled the emotional core of society to the ground. His take on what's plaguing us brings us to the edge of despair but offers a glean of hope.
Fans of Clive Barker's Weaveworld and Cabal will love this tale of a secret world that interacts with our human confusion and the struggle that unites both.
I highly recommend to anyone looking for an escape to a fantastic hidden world.
November 28, 2025
This book reads like a psychedelic Silmarillion, a hellish vision of heaven on a bad drug trip. Chris Panatier shows himself to be a formidable world builder with a story that is part Burgess, part Sanderson while still being undeniably original. This is the type of book that any author would kill to be able to conceptualize but few have the balls to attempt. Lucky for us, Panatier has balls to spare.
April 3, 2026
Chris is a fantastic author who has written some ridiculously brilliant books across a number of genres, but this is arguably his best work so far. DAYTIDE features some sublime worldbuilding and a cast of characters with so much humour and depth and love that they can't help but ingrain themselves in you as you go on this adventure with them.
I cannot recommend this one enough - and I also need to give a shoutout to the audio narrator, Eric Fox, who was wonderful too.
I cannot recommend this one enough - and I also need to give a shoutout to the audio narrator, Eric Fox, who was wonderful too.
April 11, 2026
What is Daytide about? It’s about angels and their relationship to humanity. And humanity’s relationship to angels set amid a pandemic that affects both their worlds. Beautifully written and paced this book makes you think about and question everything we think we know about heaven and angelic folklore. It’s well worth the read.
March 22, 2026
I don’t think I’ve ever used the term ambitious before in a review, but this was a highly ambitious undertaking from Panatier. And I’ll be damned if he didn’t pull it off.
4.5 Stars rounded up and Highly Recommended.
4.5 Stars rounded up and Highly Recommended.
November 27, 2025
From my blurb:
Daytide is a genre defying assault of cosplaying angels, self-immolation, broken souls, and the terrifying nature of faith. An absolute explosion of cool ideas that collide to create something wildly original and seriously kick ass. Chris Panatier is one of my favorite writers working today, and this is his best book yet.
Daytide is a genre defying assault of cosplaying angels, self-immolation, broken souls, and the terrifying nature of faith. An absolute explosion of cool ideas that collide to create something wildly original and seriously kick ass. Chris Panatier is one of my favorite writers working today, and this is his best book yet.
Review of advance copy received from Author
Full thoughts on YouTube.
If you like religious symbolism, morally gray celestial beings, and horror that lingers in your thoughts instead of your nightmares — this one is worth picking up when it releases!
If you like religious symbolism, morally gray celestial beings, and horror that lingers in your thoughts instead of your nightmares — this one is worth picking up when it releases!
Displaying 1 - 27 of 27 reviews