***4.5 Stars On My Instagram Account***

Black Tide by K C. Jones is the first
sci fi/horror writer to make me cry.
A mashup of The Quiet Place and Bird Box this action filled character driven story brings depressed Mike and wandering Beth together at a low point in their lives. After a desperate one night stand they wake to a world where people are disappearing and Cloudfish, Shriekers and Hellvines now exist.

Brilliantly, it mostly takes place in a car on a beach where there is eminent death, horrifying alien creatures and yet I laughed, cried and even screamed as it all unfolded through perfect descriptive storytelling.

Narrators John Pirhalla and Sophie Amoss bring real emotions from pure fear to smutty lust to endearing love and true bravery. But just know that Jake the dog is the true hero and deserves all the treats. Bring your imagination and a box of tissues for this emotional bumpy ride.

I received a free copy of this audiobook from MacMillan Audio via #netgalley for a fair and honest review. All opinions are my own.

I was not sure what to make of this story's plot for the first few chapters, but I eventually found myself rooting for the characters to make it out alive. The imagery the author uses is clear and vivid, creating a unique picture for the reader. By the end of the story, I didn't want it to be over. I want to know what happens next to the characters. And I have so many questions about the dog in the story. My only hope is that the author makes this at least a duology so I can have these questions answered!

Narrators John Pirhalla and Sophie Amoss do a good job of conveying the story, bringing to life Mike and Beth, respectively. Black Tide is the story of an invasion of alien species and how two strangers band together. The will to survive and a great deal of luck play heavily in this story.

Black Tide seemed like a cross between Stephen King's Cujo and every low budget science fiction film I had seen (Tremors was the first one that came to mind). Many books and movies about the subject existed long before Black Tide, making the genre a difficult one for originality. The problem for me was that the book was too much like Cujo to ignore. Many plot points brought to mind that famous book, serving as a distraction. The story seemed to driven to unfold in a certain way, leaving this reader to yell at the book several times because of the obvious answers the characters were slow to come up with regarding their circumstances. The book was entertaining, but not one that I would recommend to serious readers of science fiction or horror.

Disclaimer: I was given an Advanced Audio Copy of Black Tide by NetGalley and the publisher. I was under no obligation to listen to or review this book.

Summary:
Beth is house/pet sitting and ends up at the neighbor, Mikes house. They drink a lot of champagne and end up in bed together. That night, Beth has what she thinks is a weird dream and Mike watches a meteor shower. The next morning they find they don’t have electricity, so they decide (along with the dog Jake) to take a drive to the beach to see if they can find more of the “meteorites,” only to get stranded and then that is when the real horror begins.

Review:
I loved that this book was told from the POV of both Beth and Mike. I thought both of the audiobook narrators did a nice job. Both of the main characters were flawed, but likable, and I was rooting for them throughout the book. The book was fast paced, and it definitely something I can see being a movie.

I got sci-fi vibes with a touch of horror and not the other way around. It worked, for the most part.

This is an apocalyptic, fast paced and completely thrilling! Beth and Mike are strangers when the unthinkable happens and they are forced to fight for their lives. It was a lot more character driven than I anticipated. I think this wasn't intentional and being the case I was left wanting more from the plot. That said though, I still thought it was tense and scary in some places with the creatures.

So much happens in such a short time! I felt like it was over so quickly. Two different pov and with the audio there were two narrators. They absolutely nailed this for me! I have been listening to enhance my reading and so far I have not regretted it.

Sensitive animal subjects in this one - trigger warning for anyone that leans away from this.

Thank you so much to @tornightfire, @macmillanaudio, @netgalley and K.C. Jones for the review copies!

Narration: 5 Stars
Story: 4.5 Stars

"I've always found sunsets to be rather melancholy," Mike says.
"You? Shocking. Why?"
"They're reminders that no matter what, inevitably, our day will come to an end too. No matter who we are, how we spent every hour, lived every second, eventually night will fall and that black tide will wash over every one of us just the same. And tomorrow the sands will be scrubbed clean, as if we were never here at all."

K.C. Jones' debut novel "Black Tide" was such a wild ride, I had a blast listening to this - if you've been looking for something in the vein of "A Quiet Place", you've got to put this on your radar!

Jones' writing was phenomenal, I can't believe this is a debut! This was a very character-driven story, one that takes place in the same setting for a good 90% of the book, but Jones' pacing was perfection - you get just the right amount of introduction & setup before all hell breaks loose. I loved Beth & Mike, both very complex protagonists haunted by their own demons, & Jake, easily one of the best fictional canine heroes I've come across. (view spoiler) For such a contained story (& one full of nightmarish creatures & quite a few other surprises), this had a lot to say - about life, our pasts & how they shape our present selves, grief, letting go of guilt; this was really poignant at times, even making me misty eyed on more than one occasion. & speaking of the creatures, I thought Jones did a fantastic job describing everything - when I tell ya'll my skin was crawling, I can't stand bugs of any kind! I'm not too squeamish, but this definitely gets gory & gross, so be sure keep that in mind if that's not your cup of tea! & I have to give it up for both of our narrators, they did such an amazing job of selling the story, there were so, so many times when I was on the edge of my seat.

All in all, this was exactly what I was looking for (& then some), there's nothing like a good creature feature to kick off the summer - I can't wait to see what Jones comes up with next! & thank you so much K.C. Jones, NetGalley, & Macmillan Audio for providing an ALC in exchange for a honest review!

This was a very good alien invasion story. The author did a good job of describing the aliens and making them terrifying. My favorite thing about the story was that the main characters were regular folks, not someone who was a former Navy Seal, CIA operative, or police officer. I would like to think that most people would be able to come up with a way to survive, even if they didn't have formal survival training. I also thought the author did a good job of providing a background for the characters without bogging down the action of the story. Plus, the overall pacing of the story was just right to keep it moving.

As far as the narrators of the audiobook (John Pirhalla and Sophie Amoss), they each did a good job voicing the male and female characters. Sometimes it can be distracting when a male badly voices a female character and vice versa, but both of these narrators did a solid job.

I'd like to thank NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for providing an ARC audiobook in return for an honest review.

2.5 stars rounded up.

Beth is known to her family as the human car wreck; she's in her 30's and barely surviving. While housesitting, she meets the neighbor, Mike, and the two of them are swept up into a changing world where monsters are closer than you think.

Okay, hear me out y'all. This started off strong, it had all the makings of a great redemption/horror story for the ages....however once the horror began the story went off the rails. It was just hours of the same perils over and over again, people getting maimed (which I don't mind) but then are totally game to bang one out in the middle of it all. I'm telling you right now, if my leg is mangled and my arm just got a wound coderized, I'm not in the mood, let alone going to be the one on top. The ending left alot to be desired and the monsters not dealt with or really addressed after a certain point.

This one wasn't for me, but some horror fans may enjoy it. Age recommendation of 16+ for explicit content and violence.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an AudioARC in exchange for an honest review.

I read the synopsis for Black Tide and immediately added it to my TBR. I couldn’t wait to read it but I was hesitant because I am not, I repeat, am NOT a fan a Sci-Fi but I wanted to know if Black Tide would be the one to make me a sci-fi fanatic. It unfortunately was not. When approved for this audiobook, I dove straight in. Initially I was hooked. Immediately I loved the MC, Beth. She’s was relatable in more ways than I’d care to admit. I enjoyed the authors style of writing and found promise in the build up and the narrators did a great job bringing the story to life. However, it soon fell flat for me and at 60% I DNF. This is not to say it wasn’t a good book, it just wasn’t the book for me. Once the sci-fi element was introduced, I quickly lost interest. I pushed through as much of it as I could hoping that the other elements like horror could carry me through, but alas they could not. Though this was not for me I can confidently say if you are a die hard sci-fi fan this book is for you!

The book was okay. Narrator was fine, story was somewhat slow and the ending was a bit of a let down.

Thank you to the publishers, author and NetGalley for the free copy of this audio book.

This was a good, action packed apocalypse that kept me pretty hooked throughout! The characters were a little undeveloped but other than that I enjoyed this. The narrators were great as well.

This was an action-packed apocalyptic sci-fi/horror novel. It doesn’t take long for things to get horrific and stay that way for the duration. It has been described as being similar to the movies, A Quiet Place, and that is honestly a very accurate comparison.

This is a one-setting book told in multiple POVs, with two narrators that both did a great job. I was rooting for the characters as they fought for survival against these otherworldly creatures. My pulse was pounding and the tension was high as I wondered the whole time how the hell they were going to get out of this.

With all of the action and terror, I did expect a little more from the ending. It was a bit ambiguous and a little lackluster after the mini heart attacks I almost had during the rest of the book. It is left open to a possible sequel if the author chose to do that, so I’m not sure if that’s the reasoning for it or not. I would definitely read the sequel if that became a reality!

Thank you to @netgalley @tornightfire and @macmillan.audio for the advanced copies of this book in exchange for an honest review!

I generally love a good apocalyptic tale with an alien invasion and a bit of romance thrown in the mix, so I really wanted to like this book. Unfortunately, I was a disappointed. The characters were flat and under-developed, and I had a hard time picturing the creatures well enough to remember to be afraid of them. The pace of the story felt slow and laborious. The narrators of the audio version were not particularly engaging either. Their extreme attention to enunciation was distracting.

Available May 31, 2022
#blacktide #kcjones

A paranormal invasion on the Beach. This book was exciting and suspenseful lots of twists and turns and stressful moments.

The story is set along the Oregon coast located in the (pacific northwest) it’s always fun to read stories set in places you’ve visited.

I did enjoy the plot and the story line however there was lots of Unrealistic moments and sometimes the characters train of thought was on things I thought were a little strange considering the circumstances. I found it difficult to relate at times and connect with the characters.

I would recommend this story to those who enjoy a thrillers with a light touch of gore. Anyone who is a PNW fan and if you’re up for some light scary fun. Aliens or end of world scenarios this is for you.

I gave this book 2 stars ⭐️⭐️

Thank you #macmillanaudio and #netgalley For providing the audiobook for me to review.

Rating: 2.5
I think this was better in theory than execution. I liked the plot, but I really didn't care about any of the characters other than the dog. Their inner monalogue was obnoxious and irritating and if the dog had a perspective, I probably wouldn't have even liked him.

I really loved this story. The story follows two hot messes, one a female house sitter and a male movie producer. who are hanging at the beach when the world comes to an end. Alien creatures take over the area and the two struggle to survive. The book looks at the characters with the sci-fi horror as a bacj=k drop. How these people change in crisis is beautifully written while still tense and scary in the plot.
The voice work is great and really felt like the characters.
I hope there is another book telling us what's next!

Listened to the audiobook.
I received a free Advanced Reading Copy via NetGalley in exchange for a complete and honest review.
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!!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an ARC audiobook of Black Tide in exchange for an honest review.

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.

I really liked this! I’ve read more horror in the past month and I’m happy to say this one delivered. The audiobook was fantastic in my opinion and added a nice layer of humor. The narrators were great!

Jones combines my favorite elements of horror and sci-fi with this post apocalyptic, dystopian setting. I really like how everything takes place in a small area of beach essentially and over a short period of time.

The descriptiveness of the events that unfold is done well. I saw another review that mentioned this reads like a movie and I 100% agree. I’d totally watch an adaptation of this story.

I think what spoke to me most was the chaotic energy and hot mess Beth brought to the story. Mike’s character, while interesting as a contrast to Beth, was a bit more lackluster. When our aliens are introduced, it happens quite quickly and the differences between the creatures are a bit jumbled in the middle. But ultimately, it’s just a bunch of blood thirsty entities that are trying to hurt our MCs. Pretty straightforward.

Looking for a quick horror/sci-fi read? This one is a good pick.

TW: If you’re sensitive to pet injuries then I’d sit this one out. Some descriptions are especially gory. And there are a couple instances where suicidal thoughts are present.

Some great alien/Lovecraftian creatures in this one. They are described in vivid detail which was very interesting to learn about. Highly recommended for any Science Fiction/Horror fans.

Thank you to Netgalley and Macmillan Audio for sending me an audiobook arc of this title.