Breakwater

The Tide #2

by Anthony J. Melchiorri

The race to save humanity continues...
The Oni Agent outbreak has devastated countries across the globe. Despite this apocalyptic new world, Captain Dominic Holland and the Hunters are determined to save the survivors and develop a cure. New threats and discoveries challenge them every step of the way. But they soon find potential help from an unlikely source...if they can survive long enough to receive it.

Genres: Horror, Zombies, Post Apocalyptic, Fiction, Science Fiction, Audiobook, Apocalyptic

378 pages, Kindle Edition

First published December 28, 2015

About the author

Anthony J Melchiorri is a scientist with a PhD in bioengineering. Originally from the Midwest, he now lives in Texas. By day, he develops cellular therapies and 3D-printable artificial organs. By night, he writes apocalyptic, medical, and science-fiction thrillers that blend real-world research with other-worldly possibility. When he isn't in the lab or at the keyboard, he spends his time running, reading, hiking, and traveling in search of new story ideas.

Read more at http://anthonyjmelchiorri.com and sign up for his mailing list at http://bit.ly/ajmlist to hear about his latest releases and news.

Reviews

[Zain · Rating 4 out of 5]

Captain Holland and his team are working with CIA analyst Meredith Webb, to tackle what has become known as the Oni Agent. The genetic monsters are named Skulls ☠️

The Skulls are spreading all over the world, killing and eating their way throughout the planet.

Dominic and Meredith have made it to Fort Detrick. The army base here has bio defense labs available. Maybe they can help slow the spread of the infection.

But with the base surrounded by Skulls, they are desperate for success. Will they survive this nightmare? Will they stop the spreading of the Oni Agent in time?

[Tracy P. · Rating 4 out of 5]

'Breakwater' (Book #2) is an exciting, thrilling and pulse-pounding continuation in the Tide series. The "Skins" are terrifying, and each time the humans come up against them I am sure my blood pressure rises. The vivid descriptions of these confrontations is incredible.
Author Anthony J. Melchiorri has me hooked and eager to continue on to book #3.

[Bon Tom · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm really starting to warm up to this series. I'm even getting better at following all the action. All the while wondering how the heck does the author do it. I mean, the visualization is just nuclear. He must get completely cut off from his surroundings while jotting down what his mind's eye is seeing. Very impressive.

[David Dalton · Rating 4 out of 5]

Lots of zombie like action

My 2nd book in this series. Never a dull moment. At times a bit over the top, but I like it.. looking forward to the next one. Good characters and a plot that makes sense in this end of the world as we know it thriller!

[Mara · Rating 1 out of 5]

Am I enjoying these? No.
Will I finish reading the first four books because I got them as a “box set” deal? Yes.
Why? Because I’m the worst.

[Miriam still reading! HIATUS from GR]

DNF. I can't hang with this series.

I was hoping as the series continued I was get more connected to the characters, but I just can't. They all come off as 1 dimensional and I really don't care who gets killed. Also too much scientific details and terms regarding the virus and possible cure. It's a damned shame because I love that this is not a true zombie book, it's humans turned to blood thirsty monsters with claws and teeth. Not boring lumbering decaying humans.

Oh and one of my biggest pet peeves is when a horror writer tries to throw romance into the mix. Hello I want guts, action and blood. Not some half assed romance development. It feels so fake and forced.

[Loretta · Rating 4 out of 5]

Breakwater is the second book in the Tide series in which we follow Captain Holland and company fighting against the Oni agent. Book two again had an interesting plot line and characters with depth but I felt that something was lacking. I found it hard to get into this book and to actually finish it. I did want to know what would happen to Dominic and his daughters but didn't feel the same pull as with the first book.

Overall though a good book for when you are in the mood for horror reading.

[Aletia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This poor family cannot catch a break! Anthony Melchiorri writes a fast paced, never lets up, story. I was really intrigued by the new characters. Gave us a glimpse into the world as it is now.

FYI sir, I hate your ending! :P
But I really cannot wait until book 3!!!

* I received an ARC for my honest review.
And I will be buying books 2&3 together, to save on shipping :D

[Zain · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thrilled!

I couldn’t stop reading this book! It is filled with so much action and thrills that I just had to keep reading.

[Yvonne · Rating 5 out of 5]

More butt kicking and it was great!

[Ziggy Nixon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Another really solid chapter in AJM's "The Tide" series. I started reading book 2 immediately after Book 1 and was not disappointed with the transition at all. And certainly the adrenaline rush throughout this story kept me glued to seat as I read a rainy Saturday away.

Something I really liked is how the situation is developing both in terms of the Skulls and also the mystery of how this all started and spread. Like Nicholas Sansbury Smith before him, its important to keep these kind of apocalyptic stories evolving and not JUST rely on action to keep things going - which again I would just emphasise is non-stop, out the roof excitement here! Throwing in a few twists like the different sizes and shapes of Skulls - from wee converted yet agile killer kiddies to the mysterious Goliath - is very appreciated.

And I'm also finding that even though I would rate AJM's military 'jargon' and even battle strategizing a bit behind that of NSS's works, that I'm enjoying my re-acquaintance with some biology know-how. No I don't know enough to follow along with prion treatment details, but I remember enough from my various exposures to same. He's been able so far to blend in some pretty technical stuff in that regard without hurting the flow of the story and I'm hoping for more in the coming story-lines!

My only nit to pick - and it was the same in book 1 so it didn't surprise me much - is that the dialogue gets a bit hokey sometimes (for lack of a better word). There's just a little too much positivity under the circumstances along with some unbridled hero worship and rah-rah'ing going on. In fact, I found that having Dom and co. let loose with some well-placed expletives to be a relief ... and helped me connect a little more with these folks that are in a really sh*tty situation!

Having said that, I still found AJM to have some really quotable bits in this book, including the following gem:
"He could smell them, the distinct fermentation stink of the nanobacteria chewing through their flesh and remodeling their bones, like a bad batch of home-brewed beer spiced with sediment from a landfill."
Mmmm, yum!

Great stuff and I'll go now so I can keep on keeping on. Enjoy!

[Tammi · Rating 5 out of 5]

While watching the movie World War Z, I remembered thinking, "How can one person have so much bad luck!?" But then it occurred to me that if a situation like a zombie apocalypse or biological world outbreak ever truly did happen, nothing would be off limits and nothing would ever go as planned. Still, there were many times I just shook my head or thought to myself, "WTF?" Or "No freaking way!" This book seemed to be a rolling ball of bad luck as Dom and his team hopped from one mission to the next on their quest to find survivors and a cure for the ONI agent.

The characters are beginning to grow on me, but I after these first two books, I realize that I need to treat all of these characters with the same distance that I do Game of Thrones characters, because like George RR Martin, this author doesn't pull any punches and doesn't seem to mind killing off characters after telling you all about them! That's not a bad thing really...because there feasibly won't be many happy endings in situations like this. That being said, this book was filled with tense, nail biting action, as well as a new kind of skull that Dom nicknamed a Goliath. It kind of reminds me of the Tank in Left 4 Dead 2...big, bad, and MEAN! Those parts were really scary...

My only complaint for this book is that I felt that the ending was a little unfinished...the author tried to wrap up too much in the Epilogue without fleshing out what I thought were important scenes. For instance, the team was able to secure a place to take survivors to and they ended up towing a cruise ship to the island...but nothing was mentioned about what they did with the boat after the survivors were offloaded. All of the lower decks were infested with skulls...so what would you do with it? Simply set it adrift? Tow it out to see and blow it up? Sink it and hope none of the skulls were able to escape and swim back to shore? Sometimes...I think I think too much...

[BookzBookzBookz · Rating 3 out of 5]

So far, I am still enjoying this series, but I’m just not that engaged. I thought I’d like them, care about them more.

I n book two, we have discovered more concerning the Oni Agent, but not enough to really do much about it. The continue to help others, especially on a cruise liner, but they can’t really engage and destroy the beasts, and there’s no saving them until a cure is made either. Their getting stronger, more aggressive and tolerating to gunfire, but now there are Goliaths! Bigger isn’t always better- especially since there’s no true reasoning behind why these people are infected and turned into ram-like, armadillos on two legs. Why does the skeletal system create these chitonous or whatever they are re plates that erupt from beneath the skin? I just don’t know or get it.

Then again, I don’t want answer. I tell you, there’s more technical jargon in this series than an owners manual to my very isst atomic Big Boy kit! I don’t understand it AT ALL and it’s boring! Not saying the book is, but dang! And dont’ even get me started on the lame attempt at a romance tossed into the mix! So unnecessary and it just doesn’t belong. Mostly because Dom should have been with his daughters (like the one now in a wheelchair) than with some female he’s been with on the side. But that’s just me.

I really want to like this series. After all, I purchased nearly all the books! I want to know the characters and even care even the tiniest bit, but so far, no dice. I may stop here, I don’t know yet. We shall see after book three.

Cheers!

[Nigel · Rating 4 out of 5]

Second instalment of the Tide series, picks up the story from the end of book 1 with the survivors trying to secure Fort Detrick. A large scale invasion of Skulls leads to the Hunters battling to save everyone. Afterwards, the army higher ups decide to pull everyone back to DC to defened the capital, despite the science benefits of keep Detrick open and running in search of a cure /vaccine etc. Due to the circumstance the Hunters leave and head back to their ship, attempts to rescue people on a cruise ship and at Annopolis, which leaves them very stretched and at risk of losing people.
In parallel with this is a narrative about a few survivors at a hospital, no real surprise by this as the Hunters are searching for fellow scientists who can help with the search for a cure.
Fast moving dystopian novel, with good action scenes and intriguing enemies, bit different from run of the mill zombies.

[M. Sprouse · Rating 3 out of 5]

A good sequel to the original, but not quite as engaging. The reason, things went nowhere and not fast. There were some excellent chapters and the action was good early on, but how many ways can you kill a zombie? I like the characters but they could be developed more. Yes we came for the zombie killer's, but we'll stay for the story.

Anthony J. Melchiorri you're a fine writer, you just need to move the pace of the storyline along. You can still do fleeing and fighting, but we need to feel we're making progress on getting answers. It picked up at the end, but not something I couldn't wait to get home to. It seems like the author was stringing things out so he could get as many books in as possible. Don't get me wrong, I liked it and will buy number three. Past that, I make no promises.

[Dana Harding · Rating 3 out of 5]

The series would make a good movie. So far, each book is just a continuation of the story with no real ending. A very long novel. it's an apocalyptic novel with people trying to survive after much of the population is infected by some biowarfare agent that turns them into creatures like demons that kill. Another gets infected by a scratch or some other physical attack that they survive and eventually turn. Survivors are trying to survive and determine causes, treatments and cures. A couple things that don't make sense: These "skulls" as they are called are brutal and kill easily, yet it seems there are so many more of them than the dead. Also, how do you sit on a roof for days waiting for rescue and not get sunburned? I'll still read the rest of the books just because I want to know how it ends.

[Ajitabh Pandey · Rating 3 out of 5]

Breakwater, Book 2 in the post-apocalyptic world series Tide, is as captivating as Book 1. The battle for humanity's survival continued and there are several instances where the excitement quickens the pulse. This is a 10 book long series and I have the first four from audible. Its very difficult to keep the audience engaged for such a long series. So far the author has done a decent job. Let us see how long I can stick to the series.

[Michael Keller · Rating 5 out of 5]

The attacks by the Oni Agent infected crazies continued worldwide. There is now nowhere safe!

Dom and the crew of the research vessel "Huntress" are furiously working on treatment and cure for the Oni Agent turning the world's population into 'skulls'. The disease attacks the brain of the infected, eating huge holes in the frontal lobes, making the victims frantically crazy. The agent also causes massive changes to the skeletal structures of the body turning their fingernails to claws and creating bony structures over vulnerable parts of the body and growing bony spurs and spikes on shoulders and elbows.

The Skulls attack the uninfected, tearing them apart and eating them. Surviving victims became infected and rapidly turned into Skulls. Dom and his Hunters were hard-pressed to combat the Skulls, let alone the the illness causing it.

Terrific action and believable characters bring this story an amazing twist on zombie apocalypse fiction. This is a great read!

[B · Rating 4 out of 5]

I like that the characters in The Tide 1 and 2 are smart and likable and have some sort of survival instincts. For me in terms of enjoyment that's one of the most crucial attributes in postapocalyptic and zombie books.
The only thing that was bothering me in the books was lack of description of the passage of time. Through out the first and especially the second books my mind kept going back to the question of "how much time has passed since this and this happened?" but that didn’t stop me from enjoying this fast-paced action packed work.
Can't wait to read more.

[Shannon · Rating 3 out of 5]

I rate this 3 stars and yet I have spent 2 credits to try and finish this series. The over use of certain words in this series just agitate me. I can't say that I have connected with any of the characters. Well that's not 100% true either, Miguel is my absolute favorite. The narrator does an exceptional job and I will be looking for more of his work. There is something about this series that keeps me coming back for more. It's taking a lot of will power not to use my last few credits to finish this series.

[Joyce Robbins · Rating 5 out of 5]

Heart stopping action. Heart breaking losses

This is a totally different spin on the zombie genre that actually works well. So many follow the same script, but here, we barely scratched the surface of the outbreak that has decimated the human race worldwide.
Slowly, each piece of the puzzle is revealed, but more questions remain about who is responsible and what can be done to stop the horrific outbreak from progressing.

[Robert Chapman · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the second book in The Tide series. Dom and Hunters are hell bent on rescuing survivors and working towards finding a cure for the Oni agent.

Just like in the first book, I am really enjoying the detail with which the story of each battle is told. I find that I'm fully engaged in every move that the team makes as they fight for every little bit of success.

[D. Mark Detrixhe · Rating 5 out of 5]

Humanity built in

The characters are varied and real. The action is nonstop if a bit full of "smashed the skull in"
But also there is the love of a father and daughters. Bravery that has to be based on real people, rescue of a cruise ship and more well thought out scenes.
The helicopter is twin engine so it can fly on one.😉

[Johnathan Breeland · Rating 4 out of 5]

Researched reading

Another action packed book,a little slower than the first book but still good,the characters are unpredictable at times and well developed and the creatures,not zombies,are more violent and stronger than ever and it's a fresher take instead of zombies,if you enjoyed the first book you will enjoy this book

[Terri Pray · Rating 4 out of 5]

Loving the series so far. Very different type of 'zombie', a monster/slash zombie (I'd say they fit into the zombie genre because to become a 'skull' you have to be infected by one, and not be eaten before you change.)
Author has no problem showing the darker side of humanity, and you get a full force introduction to that through the eyes of a civilian student.
Well worth picking up.

[Bobby · Rating 3 out of 5]

Action Galore

A lot happening and sometimes maybe too much. Almost Perils of Pauline-ish! The Hunters are pretty much invincible even against overwhelming odds and therein may lie the only weakness of the story. Maybe some lulls in the action and filled with reminiscing back stories of the main characters would have built the personalities a bit more.

[Yemic · Rating 4 out of 5]

I read 'The Tide' two years ago, so it took me a bit to remember what happened, but the author was clever in bringing readers up to date. That said, this book had me on the edge of my seat, not knowing who would make it out alive. One thing I wasn't happy about was James—I wanted more to happen to him (guess that's just my dark side talking)!

[cheryl · Rating 4 out of 5]

Scary version of the apocalypse.

Recently I have been reading some really good books that are different versions of the zombie apocalypse. This one is very chilling. Man messing with natures work is happening daily. It is not a tall leap to believe this could be a reality.

[Wayne Tripp · Rating 5 out of 5]

Greatness continues

Book two of this series continues to deliver action, drama, and a great new twist on the zombie genre. Looking very forward to reading more to see where this story takes us!

[James Schoen · Rating 5 out of 5]

Wow...to call this book an exciting page-turner is a monumental understatement. I literally had difficulty putting this book down and will immediately move on to the third book in the series. I recommend this book to anyone looking for an exciting read.