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Black Tide
A story with a cinematic feel, Black Tide is Cujo meets A Quiet Place.
It was just another day at the beach. And then the world ended.
Mike and Beth didn’t know each other existed before the night of the meteor shower. A melancholy film producer and a house sitter barely scraping by, chance made them neighbors, a bottle of champagne brought them together, and a shared need for human connection sparked something more.
After a drunken and desperate one-night-stand, the two strangers awake to discover a surprise astronomical event has left widespread destruction in its wake. But the cosmic lightshow was only a part of something much bigger, and far more terrifying. When a set of lost car keys leaves them stranded on an empty stretch of Oregon coast, when their emergency calls go unanswered and inhuman screams echo from the dunes, when the rising tide reaches for the car and unspeakable horrors close in around them, these two self-destructive souls must find in each other the strength to overcome past pain and the fight to survive a nightmare of apocalyptic scale.
It was just another day at the beach. And then the world ended.
Mike and Beth didn’t know each other existed before the night of the meteor shower. A melancholy film producer and a house sitter barely scraping by, chance made them neighbors, a bottle of champagne brought them together, and a shared need for human connection sparked something more.
After a drunken and desperate one-night-stand, the two strangers awake to discover a surprise astronomical event has left widespread destruction in its wake. But the cosmic lightshow was only a part of something much bigger, and far more terrifying. When a set of lost car keys leaves them stranded on an empty stretch of Oregon coast, when their emergency calls go unanswered and inhuman screams echo from the dunes, when the rising tide reaches for the car and unspeakable horrors close in around them, these two self-destructive souls must find in each other the strength to overcome past pain and the fight to survive a nightmare of apocalyptic scale.
245 pages, Paperback
First published May 31, 2022
201 people are currently reading
15537 people want to read
About the author
K.C. Jones
10 books177 followersAfter graduating from the University of Nevada—Las Vegas with a degree in film production, KC JONES returned to the Pacific Northwest to focus on a career in screenwriting, before making the leap to novels. When not writing, he likes to cook, explore the local wilderness, and play video and board games. Black Tide is his debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 846 reviews
May 8, 2025
Beth is a bit of a hot mess and she's the first one to admit it. She drinks a tad too much and has been known to flee in the face of responsibility; at least before.
Lately though, Beth has been turning things around. She's been pet-sitting and feels like she is getting good at it. She's even getting referred to new clients by happy patrons.
That's how Beth ends up at a beach house on an empty stretch of the Oregon coast on the day the world ends.
She is staying with the best good dog, Jake, and all has been going well. She's been spying a little bit on the man next door, but that's to be expected, isn't it?
He's handsome, in a mysterious, scruffy sort of way. He seems lonely. Beth is all kinds of curious about this mystery man.
So, when she sees him drinking expensive champagne on his deck one evening, she heads over to introduce herself.
His name is Mike and he is a film producer. The two hit it off and spend the evening enjoying each other's company in every way you can imagine.
That night, at Mike's place, Beth doesn't sleep well. Her drunken dreams are full of horrifying images that are still rattling around in her brain upon waking.
She finds Mike and Jake together on the beach. Apparently, Mike had gone to the dog's rescue. Beth can't believe she left Jake alone in the house next door overnight.
That's what the booze can do; great decision-making, Beth.
Mike tells Beth all about the insane meteor shower he witnessed from the beach. There's still evidence of the destruction it wrought. Plus, there's the thing that he found.
The power is out. There's no way to listen to any news. How wide spread was the event and what exactly was it?
They decide to drive up the beach and investigate where they believe one of the meteors actually struck. Maybe there will be someone around who knows more of what's happening.
Black Tide is the most intense book I have read in a long time. Edge of your seat doesn't even begin to describe it.
From that very first night, as the meteors start to fall, the tension begins. Driving down the beach the following day, they become stranded and the circumstances continue getting worse for the trio; yes, I am counting Jake.
The entire thing was a nail biter. I was yelling at the book, advising them what they should do: protect Jake at all costs!!
I love SF Horror and I found this one to be incredibly fun. The concepts were unique, the character development was great and the build-up of intensity was fantastic.
It had such a claustrophobic feel. Oh My goodness, I am squirming even thinking about it!
I grew to really care for these characters. In particular, Beth and Jake. I felt like I was able to relate to Beth so much. It made the stakes feel a lot higher for me. I just wanted them to be safe.
I would definitely recommend this to any Horror Reader, but particularly to those who enjoy a lovely blend of Sci-Fi and Horror elements.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback!
Lately though, Beth has been turning things around. She's been pet-sitting and feels like she is getting good at it. She's even getting referred to new clients by happy patrons.
That's how Beth ends up at a beach house on an empty stretch of the Oregon coast on the day the world ends.
She is staying with the best good dog, Jake, and all has been going well. She's been spying a little bit on the man next door, but that's to be expected, isn't it?
He's handsome, in a mysterious, scruffy sort of way. He seems lonely. Beth is all kinds of curious about this mystery man.
So, when she sees him drinking expensive champagne on his deck one evening, she heads over to introduce herself.
His name is Mike and he is a film producer. The two hit it off and spend the evening enjoying each other's company in every way you can imagine.
That night, at Mike's place, Beth doesn't sleep well. Her drunken dreams are full of horrifying images that are still rattling around in her brain upon waking.
She finds Mike and Jake together on the beach. Apparently, Mike had gone to the dog's rescue. Beth can't believe she left Jake alone in the house next door overnight.
That's what the booze can do; great decision-making, Beth.
Mike tells Beth all about the insane meteor shower he witnessed from the beach. There's still evidence of the destruction it wrought. Plus, there's the thing that he found.
The power is out. There's no way to listen to any news. How wide spread was the event and what exactly was it?
They decide to drive up the beach and investigate where they believe one of the meteors actually struck. Maybe there will be someone around who knows more of what's happening.
Black Tide is the most intense book I have read in a long time. Edge of your seat doesn't even begin to describe it.
From that very first night, as the meteors start to fall, the tension begins. Driving down the beach the following day, they become stranded and the circumstances continue getting worse for the trio; yes, I am counting Jake.
The entire thing was a nail biter. I was yelling at the book, advising them what they should do: protect Jake at all costs!!
I love SF Horror and I found this one to be incredibly fun. The concepts were unique, the character development was great and the build-up of intensity was fantastic.
It had such a claustrophobic feel. Oh My goodness, I am squirming even thinking about it!
I grew to really care for these characters. In particular, Beth and Jake. I felt like I was able to relate to Beth so much. It made the stakes feel a lot higher for me. I just wanted them to be safe.
I would definitely recommend this to any Horror Reader, but particularly to those who enjoy a lovely blend of Sci-Fi and Horror elements.
Thank you so much to the publisher, Tor Nightfire, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I appreciate the opportunity to provide my feedback!
May 31, 2022
HAPPY PUBLICATION DAY!
“Sorry, humanity. You needed a Sarah Connor, or an Ellen Ripley, or even a Katniss Everdeen. You got me.” - Beth
K.C. Jones’ debut science fiction/ horror novel hooked me from the first sentence and had me furiously flipping the pages. What a fantastic surprise, as I was white knuckling my couch cushions! I was terrified, but could not look away!
Beth, dubbed “the human car wreck” by her own mother, is a house-sitter. It’s a lonely job, but somebody has to do it! Luckily, this time she also gets to take care of Jake, the owner’s lovable six year old yellow lab.
Mike is the surprisingly pensive next door neighbor.
When Beth approaches Mike on his deck one night, she has no idea where this encounter will lead…
But she never guessed that the next day life as she knew it would be inextricably changed.
Watch out for Cloudfish, Shriekers, Hellvines, and Giants!
I absolutely devoured this book. The publishers sent me this widget because they thought I would like it. And…they couldn’t have predicted any better.
More please! As in, I don’t think this story has ended quite yet.
I NEED to know what happens NEXT with this unlikely couple. Like NOW!
This book is extremely character-driven and had me rooting for Mike, “Badass Beth,” and Jake the dog the entire way through.
It is expertly plotted and truly terrifying!
I highly recommend Black Tide to those who enjoyed the Ashfall series by Mike Mullins (one of my all time favorites), Bird Box by Josh Malerman, and Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 5/10/22
Thank you to Andrew King from Tor Nightfire publishing for granting me a widget for Black Tide in exchange for an honest review.
“Sorry, humanity. You needed a Sarah Connor, or an Ellen Ripley, or even a Katniss Everdeen. You got me.” - Beth
K.C. Jones’ debut science fiction/ horror novel hooked me from the first sentence and had me furiously flipping the pages. What a fantastic surprise, as I was white knuckling my couch cushions! I was terrified, but could not look away!
Beth, dubbed “the human car wreck” by her own mother, is a house-sitter. It’s a lonely job, but somebody has to do it! Luckily, this time she also gets to take care of Jake, the owner’s lovable six year old yellow lab.
Mike is the surprisingly pensive next door neighbor.
When Beth approaches Mike on his deck one night, she has no idea where this encounter will lead…
But she never guessed that the next day life as she knew it would be inextricably changed.
Watch out for Cloudfish, Shriekers, Hellvines, and Giants!
I absolutely devoured this book. The publishers sent me this widget because they thought I would like it. And…they couldn’t have predicted any better.
More please! As in, I don’t think this story has ended quite yet.
I NEED to know what happens NEXT with this unlikely couple. Like NOW!
This book is extremely character-driven and had me rooting for Mike, “Badass Beth,” and Jake the dog the entire way through.
It is expertly plotted and truly terrifying!
I highly recommend Black Tide to those who enjoyed the Ashfall series by Mike Mullins (one of my all time favorites), Bird Box by Josh Malerman, and Life as We Knew It by Susan Beth Pfeffer.
5/5 stars
Expected publication date: 5/10/22
Thank you to Andrew King from Tor Nightfire publishing for granting me a widget for Black Tide in exchange for an honest review.
June 1, 2022
Just another day at the beach becomes just another nightmare!
Mike and Beth met when she noticed him drinking champagne in his backyard. Beth was dog/house sitting next door. After a one-night stand, they both experience what they think is a cosmic light show complete with meteors.
Soon they are stranded on the coast, trapped with Jake (the dog Beth is dog sitting), in a car. They have lost the car keys, and no one is answering their calls. They desperately need help, but as the horrors continue to come, they need to find strength in themselves, faith in each other, and find a way to survive.
First off, Jake is awesome! That four-legged fella stole the show, hands down! Secondly, you may find yourself trapped within the pages of this book. This does have a Bird Box type feel to it, but there are BIG differences as well.
There is something horribly wrong happening. But what is it? How did this happen? How do you explain the unexplainable? How do you fight to survive against what your mind cannot comprehend?
This one is creepy and full of tension. I enjoyed how the plot played out. It had me anxious and wondering just what was going to happen next.
Hard to put down, creepy and tense.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
Mike and Beth met when she noticed him drinking champagne in his backyard. Beth was dog/house sitting next door. After a one-night stand, they both experience what they think is a cosmic light show complete with meteors.
Soon they are stranded on the coast, trapped with Jake (the dog Beth is dog sitting), in a car. They have lost the car keys, and no one is answering their calls. They desperately need help, but as the horrors continue to come, they need to find strength in themselves, faith in each other, and find a way to survive.
First off, Jake is awesome! That four-legged fella stole the show, hands down! Secondly, you may find yourself trapped within the pages of this book. This does have a Bird Box type feel to it, but there are BIG differences as well.
There is something horribly wrong happening. But what is it? How did this happen? How do you explain the unexplainable? How do you fight to survive against what your mind cannot comprehend?
This one is creepy and full of tension. I enjoyed how the plot played out. It had me anxious and wondering just what was going to happen next.
Hard to put down, creepy and tense.
3.5 stars
Thank you to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.
Read more of my reviews at www.openbookposts.com
June 1, 2022
Update 5/31/22: Reposting my review to celebrate that today is publication day!
Beth, an adrift 33-year-old called “the human car wreck” by her own mother, is house and dog sitting in a fancy home on the Oregon coast. She meets and immediately sleeps with Mike, the unhappy man who lives next door. A few hours later, Beth has the strangest dream about an alien world while Mike is outside and sees a meteor shower. The next morning they decide to go to the beach to investigate and the rest of the novel tells the story of what they find at the beach and whether or not they can escape it.
Black Tide takes place over a really, really, really bad twenty-four hour period for this beach in Oregon, and likely all of planet Earth. It reminded me quite a bit of Leave the World Behind or Bird Box, or the movies Cloverfield or Signs. It’s a small story in which both the characters and the reader only get hints of the larger scope of the problem. Beth and Mike and heroic dog Jake must simply deal with these creatures and attempt to survive. Beth and Mike are the primary narrators and both are well-developed, interesting characters.
Finally, a word about the audiobook narration. Sophie Amoss reads the two female narrators and John Pirhalla reads Mike’s sections. I thought Ms. Amoss did a great job, which was important because the majority of the story is told from Beth’s perspective. I had a harder time with Mr. Pirhalla’s performance, especially when he was reading Beth’s dialogue.
Black Tide is nicely paced, and has a nice mix of character development and action/horror scenes. It was an absorbing, entertaining read that I could easily imagine as a movie. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended for fans of the genre.
Sorry, humanity. You needed a Sarah Connor, or an Ellen Ripley, or even a Katniss Everdeen. You got me.Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC audiobook of Black Tide in exchange for an honest review.
…
Seeing is believing, but the real horrors live in those places we can’t see.
…
Together, the three of us watch the darkness burn.
Beth, an adrift 33-year-old called “the human car wreck” by her own mother, is house and dog sitting in a fancy home on the Oregon coast. She meets and immediately sleeps with Mike, the unhappy man who lives next door. A few hours later, Beth has the strangest dream about an alien world while Mike is outside and sees a meteor shower. The next morning they decide to go to the beach to investigate and the rest of the novel tells the story of what they find at the beach and whether or not they can escape it.
Black Tide takes place over a really, really, really bad twenty-four hour period for this beach in Oregon, and likely all of planet Earth. It reminded me quite a bit of Leave the World Behind or Bird Box, or the movies Cloverfield or Signs. It’s a small story in which both the characters and the reader only get hints of the larger scope of the problem. Beth and Mike and heroic dog Jake must simply deal with these creatures and attempt to survive. Beth and Mike are the primary narrators and both are well-developed, interesting characters.
Finally, a word about the audiobook narration. Sophie Amoss reads the two female narrators and John Pirhalla reads Mike’s sections. I thought Ms. Amoss did a great job, which was important because the majority of the story is told from Beth’s perspective. I had a harder time with Mr. Pirhalla’s performance, especially when he was reading Beth’s dialogue.
Black Tide is nicely paced, and has a nice mix of character development and action/horror scenes. It was an absorbing, entertaining read that I could easily imagine as a movie. 3.5 stars rounded up to 4. Recommended for fans of the genre.
August 23, 2023
It's not a human sound at all, not like anything I've ever heard in my life. It's like metal tearing and a woman screaming in rage and the hungry howl of some feral beast all at once.
I LOVE cosmic beach horror, so I naturally had to pick up Black Tide, and I'm so glad that I did! I had a lot of fun reading this, particularly with the creature elements. I thought one of the creature types was incredibly unique; I don't want to spoil it because it's a fun little surprise when you get to it, but I'll say that it made things very suspenseful!
While I did enjoy Black Tide for the most part, I have to admit that I struggled with the characters throughout a lot of this story. I felt like they kept making those incredibly stereotypical bad choices—you know, the kind that leave you yelling at your TV screen, "What are you doing? Don't go in there!"—and I also never really found it in myself to like or care about either of them much. Honestly, most of the novella revolved around me worrying about the dog's survival above all else (but that's no surprise to my fellow animal lovers, I guess).
I also found that some of the plot points were very overly convenient and didn't make a lot of sense within the world that had been built, but it wasn't enough to bother me much. I'd say this is one of those horror novellas you should go into expecting a fun, quick read that you can't think too hard about: nothing world-changing, but I'd still recommend it for a good time. 3.5 stars!
All quotes come from an advance copy and may not match the final release. Thank you to the publisher for the review copy! All thoughts are honest and my own.
✨ Content warnings for:
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June 14, 2022
2.5 Stars
I really enjoyed the setup for this one that romanticized a one night stand on the beach at the end of the world. However, once the story got started, I lost my connection to the narrative. I don't tend to love cosmic horror so this was mostly not to my tastes. I feel like a story like this relies on the readers attachment to the characters and unfortunately in this instance I did not establish enough of a relationship with the characters and so I did not worry for their safety. If you love cosmic horror then you might enjoy this one more than I did.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
I really enjoyed the setup for this one that romanticized a one night stand on the beach at the end of the world. However, once the story got started, I lost my connection to the narrative. I don't tend to love cosmic horror so this was mostly not to my tastes. I feel like a story like this relies on the readers attachment to the characters and unfortunately in this instance I did not establish enough of a relationship with the characters and so I did not worry for their safety. If you love cosmic horror then you might enjoy this one more than I did.
Disclaimer: I received a copy of this book from the publisher.
January 16, 2022
2.5 stars
I think this book had a lot of potential to be great. While I did enjoy it overall, I did have a couple issues. My biggest issue was the complexity of the creatures. It was hard to get into the story and feel scared when I was trying to remember how the creatures worked. My other issue was the pacing. I think the book could have benefitted from being longer and more drawn out, since everything after the first quarter felt rushed.
* thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
I think this book had a lot of potential to be great. While I did enjoy it overall, I did have a couple issues. My biggest issue was the complexity of the creatures. It was hard to get into the story and feel scared when I was trying to remember how the creatures worked. My other issue was the pacing. I think the book could have benefitted from being longer and more drawn out, since everything after the first quarter felt rushed.
* thank you to the publisher for sending me an advanced copy of this book in exchange for an honest review
September 10, 2022
Star Rating: —> 4.5 Stars
AMAZING BR w/ the UHMAYZING Destiny!!!!
Update: THIS WAS A DEBUT NOVEL?! OKAY I AM SHOOK! K.C. Jones is wildly talented & I absolutely cannot wait to see what he will come up with next, because this book was absolutely CHILL-INDUCING, THRILLING, & truly EXCEPTIONAL!
I think that this book is SO underrated! I’m truly shocked that the rating isn’t higher. Sure, in the first half, the FMC drove me absolutely bonkers, lol… but there is SO much growth that occurs throughout the book, and honestly, she’a facing some MAJOR demons—she kind of comes by her constant self-deprecating nature, well, naturally. It’s what shes used to hearing, from important figures in her life… so I can empathize with her not having her mental health necessarily in order.
Something unique that added to the cinematic quality of the author’s writing style was his freaking MAGICAL ability to explain away any tropes I don’t necessarily like, the author actually explained through the character’s eyes & …they ACTUALLY MADE SENSE FOR THE BOOK! Lol. For a horror novel thats especially rare!
There is SOMETHING that I can’t quite put my finger on, or explain, about the author’s prose that just had me absolutely captivated from page one! It is just SO readable & just the right amount of descriptive. (Total Goldilocks sitch right here! JUST right! 😉)
The overall “concept” of the novel, large scale, may sound a bit familiar… but when you look closer, Jones’ “horror factor”/ concepts, & his remix of classic settings were SO ORIGINAL & had a cinematic feel; i could imagine being right there with the characters, experiencing the same horrific circumstances they were in & INSANE EVENTS they experienced! I truly can’t recommend this book enough!!
Also: Theres def some gore, some body horror, death of a few animals, & a few VAGUELY graphic deaths, just fyi!
Overall, just a GREAT apocalyptic? post-apocalyptic? horror novel with an absolutely unforgettable world & concept that reminded me of something out of Star Trek meets Stephen King, sort of? And I could’ve read a King length novel about this world, these characters, and all my questions left unanswered because this is damn close to novella territory (coming in at around 245 pgs!), & not a TOME (I mean is that too much to ask for?! 😉), damn it, & I TOTALLY NEED MOREEEE! Hahah.
Guys, I think its safe to say I was obsessed with this read!!! If any of it sounds interesting to you, please, do pick it up!!! 🤍🤍🤍
Again, 100% recommend!
AMAZING BR w/ the UHMAYZING Destiny!!!!
Update: THIS WAS A DEBUT NOVEL?! OKAY I AM SHOOK! K.C. Jones is wildly talented & I absolutely cannot wait to see what he will come up with next, because this book was absolutely CHILL-INDUCING, THRILLING, & truly EXCEPTIONAL!
I think that this book is SO underrated! I’m truly shocked that the rating isn’t higher. Sure, in the first half, the FMC drove me absolutely bonkers, lol… but there is SO much growth that occurs throughout the book, and honestly, she’a facing some MAJOR demons—she kind of comes by her constant self-deprecating nature, well, naturally. It’s what shes used to hearing, from important figures in her life… so I can empathize with her not having her mental health necessarily in order.
Something unique that added to the cinematic quality of the author’s writing style was his freaking MAGICAL ability to explain away any tropes I don’t necessarily like, the author actually explained through the character’s eyes & …they ACTUALLY MADE SENSE FOR THE BOOK! Lol. For a horror novel thats especially rare!
There is SOMETHING that I can’t quite put my finger on, or explain, about the author’s prose that just had me absolutely captivated from page one! It is just SO readable & just the right amount of descriptive. (Total Goldilocks sitch right here! JUST right! 😉)
The overall “concept” of the novel, large scale, may sound a bit familiar… but when you look closer, Jones’ “horror factor”/ concepts, & his remix of classic settings were SO ORIGINAL & had a cinematic feel; i could imagine being right there with the characters, experiencing the same horrific circumstances they were in & INSANE EVENTS they experienced! I truly can’t recommend this book enough!!
Also: Theres def some gore, some body horror, death of a few animals, & a few VAGUELY graphic deaths, just fyi!
Overall, just a GREAT apocalyptic? post-apocalyptic? horror novel with an absolutely unforgettable world & concept that reminded me of something out of Star Trek meets Stephen King, sort of? And I could’ve read a King length novel about this world, these characters, and all my questions left unanswered because this is damn close to novella territory (coming in at around 245 pgs!), & not a TOME (I mean is that too much to ask for?! 😉), damn it, & I TOTALLY NEED MOREEEE! Hahah.
Guys, I think its safe to say I was obsessed with this read!!! If any of it sounds interesting to you, please, do pick it up!!! 🤍🤍🤍
Again, 100% recommend!
January 14, 2022
Black Tide is a book that swiftly gets to the point and does not let up until the very end. I initially requested this novel because I noticed it was highly rated on Goodreads/NetGalley. Sometimes you need a story that can hook you immediately, and choosing this one was exactly what I needed.
Black Tide is an excellent marriage of sci-fi and horror. I think I saw someone compare it to “A Quiet Place,” and honestly, that’s probably the best description. The claustrophobia seeps from the pages and doesn’t let go until the very last word. The only thing that I’d warn readers about is triggering animal stuffs. Everything else is kinda covered when you bring up sci-fi/horror, I think.
So yeah, this was a 4 star read for me. I needed a book to hook me, and Black Tide answered that call pretty well.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, TorNightfire, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
Black Tide is an excellent marriage of sci-fi and horror. I think I saw someone compare it to “A Quiet Place,” and honestly, that’s probably the best description. The claustrophobia seeps from the pages and doesn’t let go until the very last word. The only thing that I’d warn readers about is triggering animal stuffs. Everything else is kinda covered when you bring up sci-fi/horror, I think.
So yeah, this was a 4 star read for me. I needed a book to hook me, and Black Tide answered that call pretty well.
Thanks so much to NetGalley, TorNightfire, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!
August 4, 2022
A tense and exciting story about the initial hours after some kind of phenomenon deposits literal monsters on Earth. On the morning after a drunken hookup, Beth and Mike find themselves trapped on a beach and fighting for their lives against deadly creatures that are clearly not from Oregon.
If you like "trapped on the scene" survival tales then you know what to expect. Some questionable decisions, weirdly timed soul searching, and a bit of walking off injuries that one would have thought completely incapacitating. But, I guess if you can believe in invading monsters from another dimension, the apparent invincibility of the main characters isn't too big a stretch. It's basically what you're here for anyway.
While it wasn't my favourite in the survival tale niche, it was still a reasonably entertaining low-demand read.
If you like "trapped on the scene" survival tales then you know what to expect. Some questionable decisions, weirdly timed soul searching, and a bit of walking off injuries that one would have thought completely incapacitating. But, I guess if you can believe in invading monsters from another dimension, the apparent invincibility of the main characters isn't too big a stretch. It's basically what you're here for anyway.
While it wasn't my favourite in the survival tale niche, it was still a reasonably entertaining low-demand read.
August 30, 2022
Edit: I’m thinking 3.5 ⭐️ rounded up. I really was on the edge of my seat, and thought it was suspenseful and intense, but yeah, the ending is not my favorite at all.
I have no idea how to rate this one. It was so intense, claustrophobic, atmospheric, and just over the top wild, but the ending!!!!!!!!!!! I’m not one that really gets hung up over endings, but not only does something happen that made me go like, “ohmygod no I’m so sad”, a weird thing happens and then it ends, kind of abruptly.
Idk, I’m gonna report back with my rating when I think about it, because it really was an intense, stressful, but overall entertaining journey, but man the ending 😅
I have no idea how to rate this one. It was so intense, claustrophobic, atmospheric, and just over the top wild, but the ending!!!!!!!!!!! I’m not one that really gets hung up over endings, but not only does something happen that made me go like, “ohmygod no I’m so sad”, a weird thing happens and then it ends, kind of abruptly.
Idk, I’m gonna report back with my rating when I think about it, because it really was an intense, stressful, but overall entertaining journey, but man the ending 😅
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March 5, 2022
It was thrilling and scary, but did they really have to bone it out right when they thought they were going to die?? They were both injured, dehydrated, going to drown/get eaten, and their dog was literally bleeding out right next to them, and they get it on in the car and right afterward he was rarin' to go for round two.
Eh.
It was quick and entertaining, though.
Full RTC.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
Eh.
It was quick and entertaining, though.
Full RTC.
I received this ARC from NetGalley for an honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 14, 2022
I loved this book from K.C. Jones. A fast-paced read with all the monsters, mayhem, and apocalyptic destruction you could ask for, told with a tight urgency that made me itch to jump back into it whenever I was forced to put it down.
The violence is palpable, the bloodshed horrifically fun, and the characters the perfect blend of sardonic and sweet; flawed anti-heroes doing their best to both survive the unimaginable while also learning how to be human again in more subtle, fundamental ways.
I enjoyed the "quiet" moments between the two main characters as much as (if not more than) the page-flipping scenes of mounting tension and terror, which is a testament to the author's willingness to show the best sides of humanity when it matters most - at the end of everything.
A highly-recommended novel for anyone looking for a wickedly fun, gut-shot punch of a story with whip-smart dialogue and breathtakingly tense action sequences. Don't miss it.
The violence is palpable, the bloodshed horrifically fun, and the characters the perfect blend of sardonic and sweet; flawed anti-heroes doing their best to both survive the unimaginable while also learning how to be human again in more subtle, fundamental ways.
I enjoyed the "quiet" moments between the two main characters as much as (if not more than) the page-flipping scenes of mounting tension and terror, which is a testament to the author's willingness to show the best sides of humanity when it matters most - at the end of everything.
A highly-recommended novel for anyone looking for a wickedly fun, gut-shot punch of a story with whip-smart dialogue and breathtakingly tense action sequences. Don't miss it.
June 5, 2022
The only likeable character in this book is the dog and HE DIES.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 11, 2023
A science fiction horror cooked just right!
Directions and ingredients are as follows:
Note: Recipe requires two cooks. Strangers that met under random circumstances. Both heavily burdened by their own personal traumas. As a result, they are only existing rather than truly living.
1. Begin prep while located directly on the Northern West Coast shore. (Should be able to feel the sand under your feet).
2. Combine at least 3 different types of scary, deadly destructive alien(s) for variety.
3. Throw in a tablespoon of plot romance with a touch of spice.
4. Add 10 cups of adrenaline, intensity, and 4 cups of fear.
5. Mix in character depth and self-discovery.
6. Top it all off with a dash of animal sidekick: use "awesome dog" flavor.
Serving size: one book.
Amount of servings yielded: enough to feed every hungry book reader!
*Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review "Black Tide" by K.C. Jones.
Directions and ingredients are as follows:
Note: Recipe requires two cooks. Strangers that met under random circumstances. Both heavily burdened by their own personal traumas. As a result, they are only existing rather than truly living.
1. Begin prep while located directly on the Northern West Coast shore. (Should be able to feel the sand under your feet).
2. Combine at least 3 different types of scary, deadly destructive alien(s) for variety.
3. Throw in a tablespoon of plot romance with a touch of spice.
4. Add 10 cups of adrenaline, intensity, and 4 cups of fear.
5. Mix in character depth and self-discovery.
6. Top it all off with a dash of animal sidekick: use "awesome dog" flavor.
Serving size: one book.
Amount of servings yielded: enough to feed every hungry book reader!
*Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire via NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review "Black Tide" by K.C. Jones.
September 20, 2022
Beth is a mess, a self-proclaimed „car wreck“. She is a professional house-sitter, sampling other people‘s lives. This time around she also dog-sits Jake, a golden lab, and makes friends with her neighbour Mike. Well, she starts by stalking him with her camera and then…Hello to an alcohol-induced one-night stand! And then the world ends and they end up stuck in a car on a beach, surrounded by something scary…
My recent track record with horror is not great. Psychological horror is lost on me, I usually get bored. And slasher stuff turns me off. Creature features are the most fun. This isn‘t exactly that, but a little. Plus there is plenty of action right from the start. Creepy, scary, sci-fi horror fun. Alien invasion with a twist.
I quite liked the reason for this particular end of the world and wish that it had been explored more.
Unfortunately I did not like Beth. Whiny, sorry for herself and a general failure at life. Bent on making the stupidest choices possible. Mike is self-destructive in another way. Together they make a couple that is potentially quite inept at survival under apocalyptic circumstances.
Don‘t expect deep character development.
The audiobook is told by two narrators, one female and one male, alternating between telling the story from the POVs of Beth or Mike. They do a good job although there is one voice towards the end that doesn‘t really work well for me.
Bottomline, I liked the claustrophobic plot, but disliked Beth quite a bit. Good action, fast plot. Let‘s say 4 of 5 ominous bowling balls for now,I might raise that once I‘ve pondered it a bit longer.
*September Update of my July ‘22 review: Considering the 4-star rating I have given to other books I read recently, I decided to rate this down, not up. It was ok, there was action, but I did not love it. I am not looking for more by the author and did not like the characters. So, there you go…
My recent track record with horror is not great. Psychological horror is lost on me, I usually get bored. And slasher stuff turns me off. Creature features are the most fun. This isn‘t exactly that, but a little. Plus there is plenty of action right from the start. Creepy, scary, sci-fi horror fun. Alien invasion with a twist.
I quite liked the reason for this particular end of the world and wish that it had been explored more.
Unfortunately I did not like Beth. Whiny, sorry for herself and a general failure at life. Bent on making the stupidest choices possible. Mike is self-destructive in another way. Together they make a couple that is potentially quite inept at survival under apocalyptic circumstances.
Don‘t expect deep character development.
The audiobook is told by two narrators, one female and one male, alternating between telling the story from the POVs of Beth or Mike. They do a good job although there is one voice towards the end that doesn‘t really work well for me.
Bottomline, I liked the claustrophobic plot, but disliked Beth quite a bit. Good action, fast plot. Let‘s say 4 of 5 ominous bowling balls for now,
*September Update of my July ‘22 review: Considering the 4-star rating I have given to other books I read recently, I decided to rate this down, not up. It was ok, there was action, but I did not love it. I am not looking for more by the author and did not like the characters. So, there you go…
June 14, 2022
This book surprised me. It was billed as Cujo meets A Quiet Place so naturally I was intrigued. However, I wasn’t sure about it in the beginning as I was bored fairly quickly. Once the action picked up I was hooked. I would say it has more science fiction mixed with horror elements. It was creepy and atmospheric. I listened to the audio and the narrators did a great job with it.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for this arc in exchange for my honest review.
January 7, 2023
Major spoilers/Content warnings:
I was enjoying this until that happened. Sure, the writing is not great. Stream of consciousness nonsense that left my mind wandering more often than not, but there was some solid suspense and tension built in to this story that had my hackles up.
But I cannot forgive, and I won’t forget, and no I don’t care that it’s fiction. That was some cheap, emotionally manipulative bullshit.
I was enjoying this until that happened. Sure, the writing is not great. Stream of consciousness nonsense that left my mind wandering more often than not, but there was some solid suspense and tension built in to this story that had my hackles up.
But I cannot forgive, and I won’t forget, and no I don’t care that it’s fiction. That was some cheap, emotionally manipulative bullshit.
January 23, 2022
An alien invasion tale by the way of the creature feature, Black Tide is stunningly mismarketed as Cujo meets the Quiet Place. The worst thing about derivative unimaginative comparison-based descriptions like that is that it’s misleading and sets up wrong expectations. I’m so glad I didn’t read it prior to going into this book.
Do we even need to compare a book to a preexisting popular work? Can it just stand on its own two (or many) legs? This book certainly tries. To be fair, there isn’t much to the story here plot-wise. It takes place virtually in real time during an alien invasion (you want a comparison, how about Cloverfield?) with a tiny cast of three people and a Labrador.
One of the main characters is Beth, a snarky and sarcastic but kind funny 33-year-old trainwreck of a person who’s trying to change her ways by building up a career of hopping from place to place housesitting. Is she really a trainwreck or did her mother just do such a thorough number of convincing her of it…you kind of have to read to find out. The fact that a 33-year-old woman’s entire sense of self-worth and self-esteem comes from her mother is pretty lamentable, but then again Beth doesn’t really read her age, she reads much, much younger. Alternatively, she reads very much like a millennial her age might.
Mike, her circumstantial partner in crime/neighbor, is about a decade older and also reads a lot younger. A movie producer in exile, he’s been moping around his beachhouse, bemoaning the end of his relationship, the end for which he has been holding himself responsible.
Mike’s all set to off himself out of his sorrows, when Beth pops along, the booze, they schmooze, the carouse, and the next morning it’s Apocalypse.
And now the two of them, plus Jake the Labrador, are stuck dealing with a variety of creepy creatures, some of which are not even conventionally visible.
And so, real time, detail by gory detail, Mike and Beth must fight to survive their new and terrifying reality. Along the way they’ll find romance and meet their innerheroes, get tough and get going…because it’s that kind of a story. There’s a kid there too, but she doesn’t get nearly as much screen time until later.
So, overall, it’s kind of fun if all one very drawn out one note sort of fun. It’s lightly humorous, it has a lot of creature effects. It’s hip in a very young almost YA sort of way, although it’s definitely not YA, it just has that energy; and then it just ends…like maybe there might be a sequel or maybe it’s just a classic off into the sunset sort of thing. Middle of the road sort of read, albeit reasonably entertaining. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Do we even need to compare a book to a preexisting popular work? Can it just stand on its own two (or many) legs? This book certainly tries. To be fair, there isn’t much to the story here plot-wise. It takes place virtually in real time during an alien invasion (you want a comparison, how about Cloverfield?) with a tiny cast of three people and a Labrador.
One of the main characters is Beth, a snarky and sarcastic but kind funny 33-year-old trainwreck of a person who’s trying to change her ways by building up a career of hopping from place to place housesitting. Is she really a trainwreck or did her mother just do such a thorough number of convincing her of it…you kind of have to read to find out. The fact that a 33-year-old woman’s entire sense of self-worth and self-esteem comes from her mother is pretty lamentable, but then again Beth doesn’t really read her age, she reads much, much younger. Alternatively, she reads very much like a millennial her age might.
Mike, her circumstantial partner in crime/neighbor, is about a decade older and also reads a lot younger. A movie producer in exile, he’s been moping around his beachhouse, bemoaning the end of his relationship, the end for which he has been holding himself responsible.
Mike’s all set to off himself out of his sorrows, when Beth pops along, the booze, they schmooze, the carouse, and the next morning it’s Apocalypse.
And now the two of them, plus Jake the Labrador, are stuck dealing with a variety of creepy creatures, some of which are not even conventionally visible.
And so, real time, detail by gory detail, Mike and Beth must fight to survive their new and terrifying reality. Along the way they’ll find romance and meet their innerheroes, get tough and get going…because it’s that kind of a story. There’s a kid there too, but she doesn’t get nearly as much screen time until later.
So, overall, it’s kind of fun if all one very drawn out one note sort of fun. It’s lightly humorous, it has a lot of creature effects. It’s hip in a very young almost YA sort of way, although it’s definitely not YA, it just has that energy; and then it just ends…like maybe there might be a sequel or maybe it’s just a classic off into the sunset sort of thing. Middle of the road sort of read, albeit reasonably entertaining. Thanks Netgalley.
This and more at https://advancetheplot.weebly.com/
Read
May 11, 2022DNF at the 15% mark because I really do not like Beth and can't get interested in the story because I only care about the dog
June 4, 2022
One star because after all that shit on the beach Jake didn't make it. You can write all the best words in the world but the two walking fuckups find redemption and the dog dies. Stupid
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 31, 2022
BLACK TIDE by K.C. Jones
Publication Date: May 31, 2022 by Macmillan - Tor - Forge (Nightfire)
A cinematic slice of life and death on a coastal beach of Oregon brimming with tension, horror , anxiety and dread. Our main two protagonists, Mike and Beth, are deeply troubled and flawed characters. Beth, by her own admission is a “hot mess” … seemingly always set up for failure. She is consumed by bad decisions and behavior . Her life without true purpose and goals has come down to housesitting for her subsistence. Mike is a has been Hollywood producer, mourning and grieving for the loss of wife a year ago …. admittedly he acknowledges his failure as a husband and partner. A year ago she went for a walk on the beach, and never came back … most likely finding her solution in the depths of the ocean.
Looking through her Nikon camera, Beth spots Mike over the fence wallowing his grief with champaign in a Solo cup. He appears disheveled with a scruffy beard and uncombed hair, and eyes that are noticeably red and glassy…. probably from crying. Beth takes the initiative and introduces herself over the fence, and invites herself to sharing the champaign.
One thing leads to another with both falling into bed in a drunken and uninhibited state. Mike awakens in the night and decides to end his pain by taking a long and final walk into the ocean.
He feels it was good to make a final connection with another human. As he traipses into the unforgiving ocean his plans are rudely short circuited. Overhead the skies light up with streaking lights and flashes and booming sounds and incredible crashes of bowling ball size objects plunging into the water. Up the beach, bright flashes occur followed by sounds like the earth is splitting in two. Then a sudden darkness occurs accompanied by a stench flowing through a breeze, with the foulness of rotten eggs. He returns to the beach house and awakens Beth, who awakens from a nightmare of sounds and images. They climb into his SUV with the aim of exploring the cause and results of these cataclysmic events.
They find an isolated pocket of people on the beach awaiting an incoming boat to hopefully sweep them to safety. Everyone is terrified and suspects an apocalyptic event with the invasion of multiple types of horrific entities. Mike and Beth scramble back into the Subaru , just as it receives a barrage of shrieking rage by invisible forces that dent and rock the vehicle.
(Beth calls them “streakers”). They note the “bowling ball” objects on the beach are sprouting virulent and twisted vines …. seeking out to encompass and ensnare any passing object. What originally sounds like helicopters in the sky, turns out to be an incomprehensible mass of of colors in a cloud-like formation with jellyfish tendrils, hanging down like long strands of spaghetti searching to grab onto anything in its path (“cloudfish”). The air was filled with tiny husks drifting downward like snow. All of the strange creatures did not present a united front, with some opposing the others. There were groups of other blob-like creatures that when they opened their mouths, visible were rows of needle-like teeth and instead of a tongue, there was a worm-like thing that shot outward.
K.C. Jones crafts a masterful tableau of horror and impending doom and dread. Tension and anxiety inexorably escalates as Mike and Beth are trapped in their vehicle, as they are being pummeled by a multiplicity of horrors as the tide continues to raise…. they have lost the keys somewhere in the surrounding sand. Explored are the changing relationships between Beth and Mike, as they battle insurmountable terror and the developing need for resilience and innovation to survive. World building and characterization are superb and viscerally propel the narrative to an exhilarating denouement. I would anticipate this becoming a hit feature for the big screen.
Thanks to NetGalley and Nightfire for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. This debut for K.C. Jones will most likely be followed by a string of similar visceral expositions.
Publication Date: May 31, 2022 by Macmillan - Tor - Forge (Nightfire)
A cinematic slice of life and death on a coastal beach of Oregon brimming with tension, horror , anxiety and dread. Our main two protagonists, Mike and Beth, are deeply troubled and flawed characters. Beth, by her own admission is a “hot mess” … seemingly always set up for failure. She is consumed by bad decisions and behavior . Her life without true purpose and goals has come down to housesitting for her subsistence. Mike is a has been Hollywood producer, mourning and grieving for the loss of wife a year ago …. admittedly he acknowledges his failure as a husband and partner. A year ago she went for a walk on the beach, and never came back … most likely finding her solution in the depths of the ocean.
Looking through her Nikon camera, Beth spots Mike over the fence wallowing his grief with champaign in a Solo cup. He appears disheveled with a scruffy beard and uncombed hair, and eyes that are noticeably red and glassy…. probably from crying. Beth takes the initiative and introduces herself over the fence, and invites herself to sharing the champaign.
One thing leads to another with both falling into bed in a drunken and uninhibited state. Mike awakens in the night and decides to end his pain by taking a long and final walk into the ocean.
He feels it was good to make a final connection with another human. As he traipses into the unforgiving ocean his plans are rudely short circuited. Overhead the skies light up with streaking lights and flashes and booming sounds and incredible crashes of bowling ball size objects plunging into the water. Up the beach, bright flashes occur followed by sounds like the earth is splitting in two. Then a sudden darkness occurs accompanied by a stench flowing through a breeze, with the foulness of rotten eggs. He returns to the beach house and awakens Beth, who awakens from a nightmare of sounds and images. They climb into his SUV with the aim of exploring the cause and results of these cataclysmic events.
They find an isolated pocket of people on the beach awaiting an incoming boat to hopefully sweep them to safety. Everyone is terrified and suspects an apocalyptic event with the invasion of multiple types of horrific entities. Mike and Beth scramble back into the Subaru , just as it receives a barrage of shrieking rage by invisible forces that dent and rock the vehicle.
(Beth calls them “streakers”). They note the “bowling ball” objects on the beach are sprouting virulent and twisted vines …. seeking out to encompass and ensnare any passing object. What originally sounds like helicopters in the sky, turns out to be an incomprehensible mass of of colors in a cloud-like formation with jellyfish tendrils, hanging down like long strands of spaghetti searching to grab onto anything in its path (“cloudfish”). The air was filled with tiny husks drifting downward like snow. All of the strange creatures did not present a united front, with some opposing the others. There were groups of other blob-like creatures that when they opened their mouths, visible were rows of needle-like teeth and instead of a tongue, there was a worm-like thing that shot outward.
K.C. Jones crafts a masterful tableau of horror and impending doom and dread. Tension and anxiety inexorably escalates as Mike and Beth are trapped in their vehicle, as they are being pummeled by a multiplicity of horrors as the tide continues to raise…. they have lost the keys somewhere in the surrounding sand. Explored are the changing relationships between Beth and Mike, as they battle insurmountable terror and the developing need for resilience and innovation to survive. World building and characterization are superb and viscerally propel the narrative to an exhilarating denouement. I would anticipate this becoming a hit feature for the big screen.
Thanks to NetGalley and Nightfire for supplying an Uncorrected Proof in exchange for an honest review. This debut for K.C. Jones will most likely be followed by a string of similar visceral expositions.
December 19, 2022
Pretty good thriller, suspenseful and interesting. The characters were so so but the focus really is on the non stop action that really just starts up and basically never lets up.
Two people find themselves trapped in a car in a beach at the end of the world after a one night stand.
The story is seriously one of the craziest go-go-go amounts of chaos that I have seen in a book in awhile. The 'mystery' happens and its basically action after action that all feels so suspenseful and honestly almost exhausting in its pace.
The characters are interesting but a little heavy handed in their past tragedies while we are dealing with so much in the current time. But if you want to feel a little dread and stay awake all night this is probably a great book for you.
************Spoiler alert but necessary for a lot of people including myself: the dog dies :( *****
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook! *Sorry its taking me soooo long*
Two people find themselves trapped in a car in a beach at the end of the world after a one night stand.
The story is seriously one of the craziest go-go-go amounts of chaos that I have seen in a book in awhile. The 'mystery' happens and its basically action after action that all feels so suspenseful and honestly almost exhausting in its pace.
The characters are interesting but a little heavy handed in their past tragedies while we are dealing with so much in the current time. But if you want to feel a little dread and stay awake all night this is probably a great book for you.
************Spoiler alert but necessary for a lot of people including myself: the dog dies :( *****
Thanks to Netgalley for a copy of this audiobook! *Sorry its taking me soooo long*
August 26, 2022
This is fine! I think the monster set up was a bit more convoluted than it needed to be and the romance felt unearned, but I'm just cranky. Another short, sweet book with Comet channel matinee vibes and that's not a bad thing.
July 28, 2022
I used to think that surviving the apocalypse at a lakeside retreat wouldn't be too bad, but K.C. Jones may have changed my mind thanks to his Black Tide.
Beth's life is a bit of train-wreck, and if it weren't for her job as a house-sitter she'd likely be homeless. She'd also likely be alone at the end of the world if not for her impulsive decision to get to know the neighbor better. Martin is a movie producer and widower, staying at his lakeside Oregon home with the intent of killing himself until Beth makes his acquaintance. Their (presumably) one-night stand lasts longer than expected after an enormous meteor shower radically alters the world. They head to the beach to investigate and discover loads of people attempting to flee by boat, and a cop warning everybody to return home before disappearing in the dunes. Invisible monsters lurk the beach, strange creatures hang in the air, and the only safe place is inside Martin's car. Too bad they lost the keys to get it started in all the commotion...
Black Tide asks a question I wasn't aware needed asking, but I'm glad Jones thought of it and sat down to hammer out this story with this inquiry: What if Cujo had been a cosmic horror/alien invasion story instead of a rabid dog, and what if instead of a rabid dog it was a pack of six-legged hellhounds (Beth names them shriekers, but since they stay mostly invisible, and because I'm a fan of Supernatural, I couldn't help but think of them as hellhounds) keeping people trapped in their car?
Jones's ideas here makes for a nifty twist on a familiar premise, and he keeps the narrative taught and tense. This is an apocalypse by way of Murphy's Law, where anything that can go wrong for Beth and Martin absolutely, positively, 100% most certainly will - and does! - go wrong. Each subsequent setback these two face permeates the story with a growing sense of dread and claustrophobic isolation that drives them, and readers, into a sense of bleak hopelessness.
My only complaint - and it's a spoiler - is that
The majority of Black Tide, though, works - and it works supremely well. Jones continually ratchets up the suspense and tension by keeping the story fraught with peril, and I consistently found myself on edge wondering what Beth and Martin would try next, and what would go disastrously wrong. Black Tide is an auspicious debut, and I'm very keen to see what Jones does next.
Beth's life is a bit of train-wreck, and if it weren't for her job as a house-sitter she'd likely be homeless. She'd also likely be alone at the end of the world if not for her impulsive decision to get to know the neighbor better. Martin is a movie producer and widower, staying at his lakeside Oregon home with the intent of killing himself until Beth makes his acquaintance. Their (presumably) one-night stand lasts longer than expected after an enormous meteor shower radically alters the world. They head to the beach to investigate and discover loads of people attempting to flee by boat, and a cop warning everybody to return home before disappearing in the dunes. Invisible monsters lurk the beach, strange creatures hang in the air, and the only safe place is inside Martin's car. Too bad they lost the keys to get it started in all the commotion...
Black Tide asks a question I wasn't aware needed asking, but I'm glad Jones thought of it and sat down to hammer out this story with this inquiry: What if Cujo had been a cosmic horror/alien invasion story instead of a rabid dog, and what if instead of a rabid dog it was a pack of six-legged hellhounds (Beth names them shriekers, but since they stay mostly invisible, and because I'm a fan of Supernatural, I couldn't help but think of them as hellhounds) keeping people trapped in their car?
Jones's ideas here makes for a nifty twist on a familiar premise, and he keeps the narrative taught and tense. This is an apocalypse by way of Murphy's Law, where anything that can go wrong for Beth and Martin absolutely, positively, 100% most certainly will - and does! - go wrong. Each subsequent setback these two face permeates the story with a growing sense of dread and claustrophobic isolation that drives them, and readers, into a sense of bleak hopelessness.
My only complaint - and it's a spoiler - is that
The majority of Black Tide, though, works - and it works supremely well. Jones continually ratchets up the suspense and tension by keeping the story fraught with peril, and I consistently found myself on edge wondering what Beth and Martin would try next, and what would go disastrously wrong. Black Tide is an auspicious debut, and I'm very keen to see what Jones does next.
July 10, 2022
Not terrible, but not good either.
I've read quite a lot of apocalyptic fiction, and there's just far too many good "End of the World" books on offer for me to rate this one any higher.
It IS kind of a different take on the apocalyptic genre. Aliens and Cosmic Horror instead of the usual zombie go-to for these kind of books. Unfortunately, "Cujo meets A Quiet Place" this is not...
The main character's constant inner monologues gets frustrating, especially during the most inappropriate times (In the middle of the action). Her self loathing started to grind my gears too.
Don't be put off though. It could just be me.
1.5 Stars rounded up.
I've read quite a lot of apocalyptic fiction, and there's just far too many good "End of the World" books on offer for me to rate this one any higher.
It IS kind of a different take on the apocalyptic genre. Aliens and Cosmic Horror instead of the usual zombie go-to for these kind of books. Unfortunately, "Cujo meets A Quiet Place" this is not...
The main character's constant inner monologues gets frustrating, especially during the most inappropriate times (In the middle of the action). Her self loathing started to grind my gears too.
Don't be put off though. It could just be me.
1.5 Stars rounded up.
Want to read
April 7, 2022Very excited to dive into this one. Also, that cover? Amazing.
Thank you to TOR Nightfire for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
Thank you to TOR Nightfire for my copy in exchange for an honest review.
June 21, 2022
I struggled with 'Black Tide' at the start but it turned out to be a well-structured Can they escape the monsters? end-of-the-world horror story with some moments of high tension. With the right cast, I think 'Black Tide' would make a great movie.
After the first twenty per cent of the novel, I wasn't sure that 'Black Tide' was going to be my kind of novel. I was up for a character-driven, two strangers coming together to face down a scary apocalypse story as long as the characters mattered to me. When I met them, neither Beth nor Mike appealed. Beth was a thirty-something woman with an alcohol problem, low self-esteem and a habit of pressing her self-destruct button whenever she is given any responsibility. Mike is forty-something 'my life is so hollow I want to kill myself - after I've drunk a few more $200 bottles of champagne on the deck of my beach house on the Oregon coast' rich Hollywood movie producer. Neither of them are people that I had much empathy for, so getting me to care whether they survived the apocalypse was going to be a challenge.
The first half of the book dragged a little. They got drunk. They had sex. They each had weird things happen to them separately in the middle of the night which neither of them decided to share even though it was an extraordinary night with meteors striking nearby. The next morning, Beth carries on drinking as a way of not facing up to the world, Mike is still wondering whether being alive is worth the effort and both of them drive to a beach to see if they can find where the meteors struck. When they get there, they can see that something weird is going on but they make no effort to communicate with the people around them to find out what is going on. At this point is was happy to nominate both of them for a Darwin Award. It seemed to me that, if anyone was going to survive the coming apocalypse, it shouldn't be these two no-hopers.
I'd reached halfway through the book and was ready to give up when the pace suddenly changed and I was immersed in a well-structured horror/thriller with scary monsters, a growing body count, lots of blood and an absorbing struggle for survival against the odds.
How did this transformation occur?
Well, firstly we finally got to see the alien monsters and they were original, well-thought-through and truly terrifying. Secondly, the plot tightened, the threat-to-hope ratio was being gradually cranked up until the smallest hope seemed like a relief and the threats seemed likely to be fatal.
Then Beth seemed to undergo a personality transplant after being shot in the head (just a graze) and bitten by one monster and infected by another. I would have expected the Beth I met in the first half of the book to climb into a bottle at this point, let shock take over and wait to die. Instead, she suddenly becomes, competent, brave and capable of deep empathy and sensitivity when dealing with strangers who are in danger. That worked well for the plot but I wondered why I'd had to spend so long watching her demonstrate her long-established habit of self-destruction if she was going to become more than a little kickass under pressure.
Where Beth and Mike had spent the first part of the book being too unimaginative/self-involved to understand or even notice what was going on, they spent the second half of the book coming up with a variety of ingenious plans to get themselves off the beach they were trapped on and analysing the behaviour or the alien monsters to understand their weak points.
K.C. Jones' masterstroke, the one that did more than anything else to ramp up the tension and play on the emotions was to shift the focus from Beth and Mike finally stay sober long enough to rescue themselves to Beth and Mike and their wounded but brave dog give their all to save a stranded little girl who is cuter, brighter and braver than either of them.
I defy anyone to get through the last scenes on the beach without being emotionally involved and routing for all the good guys to be OK while being far from certain that they will all survive.
I recommend the audiobook version of 'Black Tide'. The book is written mostly from the point of view of Beth or Mike in alternating chapters. The audiobook leverages this with two narrators, one for Beth and one for Mike, which I think worked well.
September 8, 2023
4⭐
…𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬
- sci-fi apocalyptic
- caused by a meteor shower or something else???
- dual POVs
- intense pacing
- definite movie potential
- 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 = 𝟕.𝟔𝟕/𝟏𝟎
Once the story gets going, which doesn’t take long, this is one helluva ride. Take two people who have a chance meeting of sorts, whose lives are already on a destructive path, and put them in a life-or-death situation; throw in an awesome dog, because obviously dogs are awesome, and that’s the basis of this story. My experience with this could have been better if I had liked the characters a touch more than I did, although, I did like them more by the end…still…🤔.
- Sophie Amoss & John Pirhalla were both quite good.
…𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐛𝐮𝐥𝐥𝐞𝐭 𝐩𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐭𝐬
- sci-fi apocalyptic
- caused by a meteor shower or something else???
- dual POVs
- intense pacing
- definite movie potential
- 𝐫𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐬𝐜𝐨𝐫𝐞 = 𝟕.𝟔𝟕/𝟏𝟎
Once the story gets going, which doesn’t take long, this is one helluva ride. Take two people who have a chance meeting of sorts, whose lives are already on a destructive path, and put them in a life-or-death situation; throw in an awesome dog, because obviously dogs are awesome, and that’s the basis of this story. My experience with this could have been better if I had liked the characters a touch more than I did, although, I did like them more by the end…still…🤔.
- Sophie Amoss & John Pirhalla were both quite good.
April 23, 2022
4.5 Stars rounded up
This is what I want to call FUN horror- edge of your seat, can’t put it down, and pulls you in from the first chapter. This book plays out just like a movie- and from reading the author’s note at the end, sounds like it started as a screenplay which makes perfect sense. This is The Quiet Place meets War of The Worlds (the movie, not the book, the book put me to sleep). I tore my way through this one SO FAST and honestly could have handled it being another 100 pages or so!
Tor Nightfire, you have done your magic again and MANY THANKS for this advanced reader copy!!
As usual, for most of the horror books I read: ALL of the trigger warnings!
Read this if you like: scifi horror, cosmic horror, apocalyptic horror
This is what I want to call FUN horror- edge of your seat, can’t put it down, and pulls you in from the first chapter. This book plays out just like a movie- and from reading the author’s note at the end, sounds like it started as a screenplay which makes perfect sense. This is The Quiet Place meets War of The Worlds (the movie, not the book, the book put me to sleep). I tore my way through this one SO FAST and honestly could have handled it being another 100 pages or so!
Tor Nightfire, you have done your magic again and MANY THANKS for this advanced reader copy!!
As usual, for most of the horror books I read: ALL of the trigger warnings!
Read this if you like: scifi horror, cosmic horror, apocalyptic horror
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