I debated requesting Black Tide from NetGalley because I don't often read horror, but I did because it's set in Oregon and I thought it was written by not-a-cis-dude. Anywho.

It was thrilling and scary in the beginning, 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.

TW: the dog dies.

It took me a hot minute to get into this book, I was very unsure of my first impressions of the characters but the fast pace of the story helped me keep going to the point I really enjoyed this story.

This was the perfect mash up of a Cujo and A Quiet Place.

A very creepy alien invasion tale. Had me sitting on the edge of my bean bag chair. I even had nightmares the night I read it. That's a good thing?!

A fantastic, nerve-wracking, end of the world alien invasion story. The two protagonists met the night before and had a one night stand, which makes having to work together to fight off predators and figure out what's going on even more difficult, since they barely know each other. They are trapped on a beach, and this claustrophobic setting amps up the dread factor. I really enjoyed every bite-your-nails moment of this!

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and NetGalley for the opportunity to enjoy and review KC Jones' 'Black Tide.'

This is really enjoyable horror, just about post-apocalyptic, and weird creature story featuring a small handful of really well-done characters (including a dog).

There are a range of (to me) very obvious influences here. Stephen King's 'The Mist' and 'Cujo' come to mind as well as a couple of other King novels and stories. The monsters (I don't think that's a spoiler) are pure Lovecraftian creations, there's a bit of the 'Alien' and 'Predator' movies here, and some Josh Malerman as well. Lot's of influences that come together very nicely in a novel that's mainly set on a wide open beach but is very claustrophobic.

The writing is really well paced. The main characters setup at the start is quick and reveals as much as you need to know to get going without leaving room for further character development later on. We get into the meat of the story very quickly and we're stuck there (and I mean that literally for the most part and in a positive sense) until near the end of the book.

What's nice is that there's tons of humor in the book without ever being unbelievable or distracting. You believe that these characters would behave like this in the face of this crisis and it doesn't feel contrived.

The ending was fine with me but could be perceived as a bit of a disappointment by some readers. I will say this, though, it can either work as a stand-alone ending or it leaves it wide open for a sequel that I would be delighted to about and read. Well done, KC Jones.

It's rare that I wish a book wouldn't end, but darn it, I like these characters and want to see them succeed! Okay, they're a couple of losers, but who doesn't have things in their background they'd rather forget about? When things get tough, the best or worst traits of people come out. Fortunately, the former losers are up to the challenges.

And boy oh boy are there challenges. Ugly bowling ball looking things that smell bad and grow killer vines have plopped all over the beaches. Invisible things with screechy voices and tongues with teeth and eyeballs eat people. If they don't get you, a big purple cloud will. That is if you don't drown or burn up, dehydrate or bleed to death. Or get tired of hiding in a Subaru all day. That would kill all but the hardiest.

And, there's a very good dog. These are characters who are easy to root for. Things get worse and worse. I audibly gasped at a few points and I'm not a person who gasps when reading horror. If KC Jones keeps up this good writing, I'll have to procure a gasp-o-meter to keep track of my reading anxiety. .

The story has a hopeful ending even if the reader doesn't know the ultimate ending for the characters. An exciting book that I'm glad I read. Thanks to Netgalley and Tor-Nightfire for allowing me to read and review Black Tide.

I must admit at first it started a bit slow.
But after the first couple chapters BLACK TIDE took off like a freight train!

I love apocalyptic type stories and add some horror to the mix and you have undivided attention.
And for this to be KC Jones debut novel, he killed it!
The world building and characterization that Jones ends up writing about is spectacular.
But it’s the realistic and deep characterization that’s astonishing.
Complex and well developed characters that leap off the pages.
The characters were amazing and fully developed.
An highly addictive and entertaining story that held my attention lie no other.
The writing was phenomenal and I sincerely can't wait for more of it!

“I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.”

Tor Nightfire,
Thank You for your generosity and gifting me a copy of this amazing eARC!
I will post my review to my platforms, blog, B&N and Waterstone closer to pub date.

I loved this fast movie quick little horror story,

Beth is a professional house sitter, watching a beach house on the coast in Oregon when she coincidentally meets her neighbor Mike. Before the relationship has a chance to begin, the world literally ends when a meteor shower damages the power grid and seemingly everything else.

KC Andrews paints real characters that you care about and an imaginary crisis that will have you on the end of your seat. I don't want to give away the SF Horror hooks of the story, but believe me you will think twice the next time you are at the beach. It isn't often that someone creates a new realistic horror story but this one is so unique, engaging and real that I couldn't put it down.

If you like end of the world stories, if you are waiting for the power grid to fail, or you just like a little horror to chill you before you go to bed, then Black Tide is for you! #TorNightfire
#Macmillan #tor #TorForge #BlackTide

Black Tide is a sci-fi horror story. Most of the action takes place in just a couple of days. But on more than one occasion Beth and Mike find their lives depend on what happens in the next few minutes. I really enjoyed this story and am hoping there is a sequel as I would like to learn what KC Jones has in mind next for these characters. I to thank NetGalley and Tom Doherty Associates for an early copy to review,

Deserving of far more than 5 Stars, BLACK TIDE by K. C. Jones (Tor Nightfire, May 10) is EXCEPTIONAL! I ADORE THIS NOVEL! BLACK TIDE has now become the book I'll turn to when I'm short of Inspiration and need reason to hope!


You wisely ask, how can a tremendously Lovecraftian THIS-IS-THE-END-OF-THE-WORLD-AT-LAST (and it's UGLY) be a work of Inspiration? When people (and dogs) disappear en masse, authorities are helpless, there is interdimensional crossover and entities Lovecraft would have been hard put to imagine in nightmares [read IMPLACABLE], what's inspiring? Simply that Death will bring an End to Agony??


NO!!! BLACK TIDE is INSPIRATIONAL because of that lauded but not often enough witnessed INDESTRUCTIBLE HUMAN SPIRIT! Here also is the unending to death canine loyalty! Add a Feckless wreck of a Heroine, a once-proud but not suicidal Hero, and a dog who is in the framework because he lives in the home where Feckless Heroine is house-sitting..... and here comes End-of-the-World and these three might just be HUMANITY'S FINAL HOPE!!!

I couldn’t get into this. After reading a third I was not invested in the characters or the story. Thank you for this opportunity.

5/5 Stars!

Black Tide by K.C. Jones was unlike anything I've ever read before. Cosmic Horror, Sci-Fi, Morbid Humor, and a Romance all into one, this book had me hooked from the first page.

Beth is a self-proclaimed (and mother proclaimed) human car-wreck, and while house sitting/dog watching in the PNW, she meets Mike. After a one night stand, the two of them wake up in a fractured and horrifying new world. Together with Jake, the adorable (and perfect and amazing and all the good words) dog Beth is watching, they go to investigate the strange meteorites that fell from the sky the night before. However, when Beth loses their car keys while they're searching the beach, they are trapped in a hellscape.

I loved this book. It was unlike anything I've ever read before. Wholly original, terrifying, and even funny at times, Black Tide is a summer read unlike any other. K.C. Jones does a fantastic job at creating a character study of both Mike and Beth. They both felt unique and well rounded, and I couldn't help but root for them both throughout. The pacing was absolutely perfect, and I read this in one sitting, totally unable to put it down. This story is chilling and unnerving and I cannot recommend it enough!

*I received an ARC from the publisher and Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions and views in this review are my own.

I started reading Black Tide and it's very well-written. I immediately liked the protagonist, Beth, and it started out nice and creepy.

However, I didn't realize when I grabbed the book that there's a dog in it. I can't handle dog death in my books right now -- I have a senior dog of my own who recently had some health troubles so it makes me too emotional. I decided not to finish the novel for this reason.

Thank you for the chance to read this book, and apologies for not finishing it! I've given it 4 stars based on what I did read.

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book stressed me out so much, and I LOVED it. What follows is basically my love letter to one hell of a ride with some of the most real and lovable characters I've read in a while.

The synopsis is all you need to know to get started. If you read it and thought, "Oo, that's exactly what I'm in the mood for," you will not be disappointed. The kind of story that makes you feel like you should start jogging and maybe put an emergency kit in your car. If you get super anxious reading about the end of the world, be ready to find your zen after this.

The writing was amazing. I somehow missed in the synopsis that the majority of this novel takes place on the beach. It is really easy to mess that up. Too slow, and I lose all interest. Too intense, and I get impatient. But KC Jones absolutely nailed the pacing. Switching back and forth between Beth and Mike was never confusing, and it did not fall into the trap of one of my biggest pet peeves: re-explaining the same scene through multiple POVs. Sure, like everything, there are exceptions to this, but I hate when two characters kill the action and intensity of a life or death situation by starting and stopping and restarting. Like in The Wastelands, which overall was still a very good book. Two characters did this so much at the beginning that I just started skipping pages. But in Black Tide, when one character leaves off, the next one picks up the torch and marches on, so the story never lost its momentum.

I was completely immersed in what was happening. Almost anxiously so. There were scenes where one of the protagonists would do something stupid, and I found myself lashing out at them because I was worried about how in the world they could possibly survive after a mistake like that! What an adrenaline rush. There were some moments when I was almost ready to throw my Kindle, not out of anger, but anxiety. It was awesome.

And I think I made it through that intensity because I loved Beth and Mike. They are total messes in their own ways, but they are so real. Their chemistry was completely on point. They didn't feel like they were forced together for the sake of the plot. It feels like they were soulmates in the way they instantly clicked and attached to each other. They were also both funny as hell. There was one scene about 40% in where I kind of cackled for way to long because it was so unexpected but so in character and right after a VERY stressful scene.

Anyway. I highly recommend Black Tide. 5/5 Would and will read again (but maybe after my nerves calm back down a bit!). Even though I received an advanced reading copy, I really need this book on my shelves. Look at that cover! How could I not?

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!!

Black Tide gripped me at the first page, a beautifully written interpretation of the phrase 'human car crash' welcomed me into the my first experience of KC Jones.
Unfortunately the concentration didnt last long. Whilst I enjoyed the descriptive writing, especially in the nightmare sequences and creature creation, I began to flag quite early into the book. Something about it just wasn't gripping me, I wasn't feeling the tension I expected from an end-of-the-world style alien encounter.

Black Tide is written in first person, present tense from the perspective of Mike and Beth. This choice would usually create the tense atmosphere I expect in a horror, but to begin with Jones redirects our attention from the immediate peril too often to pause and have the characters consider what's happening - sometimes for entire paragraphs. I'd have preferred this material to be a retrospective view rather than burst the bubble of suspense.

The first monstrous attack on Mike and Beth seemed to unfold slowly for this reason and their choices were quite bizarre. I can't say I'd calmly walk toward an invisible entity that's just cleaved a man in two! Especially for someone I'd only met the night before hand. Maybe I'm heartless but I'd definitely be running in the other direction.
As the story progresses there is a noticeable shift where the pacing of Jones writing hits the sweet spot and I found myself beginning to really enjoy the ride.

Over the course of the book I developed an investment in Mike and Beth, decided that I wanted to see them survive after all. Initially their apathetic attitude to life meant I wasnt particularly concerned.
Though having the loveable dog Jake meant I needed them to escape for his sake anyway, you can always tug my heart strings with a loyal animal, especially a dog.

Jones begins to drip little moments of hope into the storyline before tearing them away with brutal consequences, creating an emotional roller coaster. A surprising event toward the end reeled me in for the big finale and despite a rocky start I am very glad to have picked up Black Tide.

Reminiscent of The Mist, I recommend Black Tide to horror, dystopian and scifi fans. I will happily read more from KC Jones in future.

Interdimensional bleed-through sees bizarre lifeforms cross over into our world with violent results in KC Jones' Black Tide. Lead characters Beth and Mike are each damaged for their own reasons and find each other at pivotal moments in their lives before all hell breaks loose and they're forced to fight for survival alongside Jake the dog.

Black Tide is an entertaining ride with plenty of creature action to keep fans of the genre happy, but ultimately frustrates a bit in the slightly annoying inner dialogues of the main characters as well as the familiarity of it all. The blurb for the book compares it eagerly to Stephen King's Cujo crossed with A Quiet Place, and while both of those are valid, I would also say that there's more than a fair bit of King's story The Mist in here as well, and indeed there's even a scene towards the end that is ripped almost straight from it.

While it's a fun ride, Black Tide ultimately left me wanting to go back to the stories it was inspired by.

**I was given a copy of this book by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. My thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge, Tor Nightfire and Netgalley**

A woman with a troubled past is house/dog sitting when she spies her neighbor alone. She goes over on a whim. Lots of alcohol and the two get very friendly only to wake later after a strange meteorite shower. Both are freaked out as is the dog by the weird objects left on the beach and then it turns into something from WAR OF THE WORLD. Invisible aliens with teeth, lots of blood and gore leaving only a few survivors desperate to stay alive. It is a frightening alien horror story with a bit of survivor romance that will keep you up all night and off the beach for a good long while. This may be upsetting for dog lovers. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

One of those rare books you come across where you wish it didn't have to end. This reminded me of The Mist, one of my favorite monster stories of all-time. I hoped it would be as fantastic as I thought when I read the synopsis and I'm happy to report I wasn't letdown. Absolutely LOVED everything about this edge-of-your-seat creature feature.

Science fiction tale of aliens that arrive under cover of a meteor shower and their goal is to kill all of humankind in the most gory way possible. The story takes place over 48 hours with most of the terror happening on the second night. The author has chosen to include a dog in the story and please be aware that there isn't a happy ending.