The consequences of embracing darkness gives us a blend of Irish folklore and body horror.

Trapped on an isolated Irish Island where a new plague is killing the human residents but who or what is causing the other mutilated deaths. Then a woman breaks into your cottage, She’s covered in dirt and looks exactly like one of the four people who was recently pronounced dead and buried named Mira Fitch.

This book starts off running and does not let up. There are so many twists and turns, so many possibilities that you never know what will happen next. You never know who to trust or what to believe. One of the best aspects of this novel is the writing especially in reference to the body gore. It’s hard to say much about this book without ruining it and giving spoilers so just read it. You will not regret it.

Overall this was a fast paced story full of the darkest parts of humanity. Full of beautifully macabre body gore and mystery.

I unfortunately think that Neil Sharpson is just not an author for me. This is the second book I've read from him and the second I've not loved. I gave his previous novel, Knock Knock, Open Wide four stars but cannot recall anything about it after a year since reading it. His books are just not memorable to me, and nothing is standing out to me as really great or unique. I do believe that that fault is my own, as I am exploring my taste and preferences within the horror genre and am learning what I love most. If you enjoyed Sharpson's previous book, there is a high chance you'll like this one too.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this ARC!

I really enjoy a bit of folk horror, especially when it takes place on a claustrophobic island in Ireland, with mythical creatures abounding. There’s certainly no punches pulled with the introduction to this novel, and we start with something claustrophobic and nasty with a burial alive (or, at least, alive-ish?).

We follow the main character, Mara, as she tries to discover who she is and what has happened to her. We follow her around the island and get the sense that there is definitely something amiss as she potters around the village.

I didn’t get a huge sense of character from this book, but the atmosphere is fabulous. There was a definite sense of menace and old magick in this book, and it was really lovely to read something that had such a punch to it.

While I enjoyed the narrative, it did have a bit of a lull in the middle, with the end really ramping up. I thought there could have been a little more development, but I really did enjoy this novel.

I recognize that art is subjective and there is no such thing as "perfect". But by god, this is a perfect book! If you want a bloody good time (literally) I cannot recommend this book enough!

Sharpson has a real knack for balancing horror and humor with some of the richest writing I've ever had the delight to read! I enjoyed the characters and dialogue so much; I feel a sadness after completing this book that I won't get to hear more of Mara, Natalie, and Declan's banter. Even side characters are just teeming with personality.

And mystery elements unravel themselves so deliciously! It reels you in with Mara's frenzied escape from being buried alive. But the twists and turn slowly build to a satisfying ending. I want to reread this soon so I can look over different scenes with a different perspective!

The world is so developed that it really makes the horror shine! From the beginning, you feel trapped in a town trapped with dangerous monsters. And the monsters thoroughly live up to the creeping dread you feel as you read!

Burial Tide is a truly remarkable book that I will continue thinking about for a long time. Neil Sharpson is an author to keep your eye on. I can't wait to see what he comes up with next!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for providing me an advanced reader copy. All opinions expressed in this review are my own.

This book has every twist in turn covered. When I thought I understood what was going on I got a new question and answer. Absolutely loved the ride of emotions and the the amount of POVs we get to read through this book.

The Burial Tide by Neil Sharpson, it was an intriguing horror novel and the few pages led me into knowing I wanted to know more.

It started with a coffin, a woman in a coffin named Mara, she has no idea who she got there and what happened before then, when she breaks out of the coffin, she finds herself on an island, with no knowledge of her name and who she could be.

There is this sentence has filled my mind while I was reading the book, “reality is a facade”, I guess this novel made me realize that, the truth is far more than what Mara thinks in this novel, and it made me realize no one can be trusted, not even yourself.

I think the writer carefully crafted this amazing novel with intriguing plot twits and details that caused me to ask for more, I would definitely recommend this novel to any person who loves a horror physiologically novel.

I would rate it 8/10, make sure go give it a read.

From start to finish, impossible to put down. I loved the complexity of the characters and the fact that I couldn't even guess what was really going on in this mysterious island. Also, loved how the author intertwined the mythology -so beautifully- with a modern story. Definitely a highly recommended book 🖤

wow, what an amazing book!
It starts out with the main character waking up in a coffin and having no memory of her past or how she got there.
Honestly that all you need to know, go into this blind and just expect the most weird and some disturbing stuff!
Thank you netgalley for the arc, one of my favourite reads of the year!!!

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

I enjoyed this book! It starts off well, with eerie things happening from the first page. I like how the pace was steady toward the middle of the book and some of the characters were really well written.

The setting of island itself was very well done, spooky, secluded and full of mystery. The horror elements of this book were really unsettling, the creatures particularly.

I liked that it was multiple POV and we got to see things from many different characters perspective, I loved the way the story unfolded throughout and the ending was excellent - I would definitely recommend this book!

Mara Fitch has clawed her way out of her grave. The doctor tells her it's nothing short of a miracle--there was a viral outbreak on the island of Inishbannock which killed four people, including Mara, yet she's back from the grave as if nothing happened, save for having no memory of her life before her death. The townspeople and her boyfriend, Cian, are willing to fill in the blanks for her as she adjusts to her life, but Mara notices that the things they say aren't quite adding up. No one in town is acting like there was a viral outbreak, her house contains no evidence of her having lived there, and people keep referring to her partner as 'Oisin'...

'The Burial Tide' is a beautiful, dark fairy tale. Set on the fictional Irish island of Inishbannock, it combines the suffocation of small-town secrets with Irish folklore. While amnesic main characters are not uncommon in fiction, Mara's memory loss helps to set the stage for the complicated narrative that the denizens of Insihbannock weave for her, and we find out the holes in the plot at the same times she does. Even the citizens that are kind to her slip up and reveal to her some things that leave her questioning everyone, and lead to her finding out the truth.

I love stories with an ensemble cast, and 'The Burial Tide' has a cast full of interesting characters, all of whom are driven by their own feelings and personal goals. With one exception, every character who is given a point of view chapter is given sympathetic traits, even if you end up rooting for their demise. While Mara was my favorite character, I couldn't help but love Declan, the poor asthmatic young man who becomes her closest companion after she broke into his house (she was awfully hungry after rising from the grave), and Padraig, the gay son of the tavern owner, Gráinne, who desperately wants to get off the island.

There's so much of this book that I loved, so I'll just list it out here. I love that there's a fat, asthmatic hero who is never put down by the narrative for being this way. I love that the power of friendship is a driving force for the story. I love how the story reveals its inconsistencies early on, so they'll always be in your mind when characters say something that goes against it. I love how being enamored with seals is shorthand for characters being trustworthy. I love the creepy body horror. Rarely do I finish a book so quickly, but I didn't want to put 'The Burial Tide' down because I was so enraptured by the story.

If you're a fan of Irish folklore and horror, I can't recommend 'The Burial Tide' enough. I picked it up because I thought it was funny to see my favorite animal on a scary book cover (while there are some scary seals in the world, I think the ones that are around Ireland fall closer to the 'objectively cute' side of the spectrum), and I'm happy that I did. It's definitely a story I want to read again to pick up on the details that I missed the first time around.

This book exceeded my expectations. The Burial Tide has a bit of everything: several types of folk horror, generational trauma and healing, some body horror, and bloody revenge! A background in Irish mythology and folklore will help you spot things coming, but I promise it won’t prepare you for the grand finale,

This is a new favourite. Had everything in it that I love in a horror book — folklore, the sea, a grim setting and feminine rage. I adore Sharpson's writing and Mara is a phenomenal protagonist. This book was a cathartic experience in a nutshell. I loved it so much that I am 100% sure it's going to make into my top 10 reads of 2025.

This was a super quick read for me and I really enjoyed it. Good, creepy elements and lady revenge! This kept me guessing but not in an annoying way.

I'm not sure I LOVED the banter between Natalie, Mara, and Declan, as it took me out of the creep vibes a bit, hence only 4 stars. But overall this was enjoyable!

Thank you to NetGalley and Zando for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!

Going into this, I didn't know how Neil Sharpson could follow the masterpiece that was Knock Knock, Open Wide, but I've been proven wrong. I'm not typically a fan of slow-burns, and at parts I was so frustrated with the lack of information we had as the audience--but I should have trusted Sharpson. In the end, everything came out in perfect timing. It kinda snuck up on me--how much I enjoyed this. Like a hot sauce that takes a minute to burn your tongue. The more I think about the story, the more I'm like.... damn. That was really good.

This story unfolds in such masterful way that had me damn near clapping at the end. His work is so unique in terms of how he approaches and utilizes mythology, and I'll never get enough of it. This specific myth he played on for Mara is one of my favorites so I was extra hyped when it was revealed.

There were times when the prose/writing felt a tad truncated or cut short, but not so much that it tainted the experience of reading or the story itself. If anything, I think it lended to the urgency and characters' confusion that was palpable throughout the book.

Suffice it to say, I already can't wait for Sharpson's next work.

This book was pretty cool and creative. I really enjoyed it. Lots of monsters and creepy crawlies in the night. One messed up town!

A woman awakens in a coffin. She fights her way out.
The Island is on quarantine. Declan finds woman eating everything in his fridge. She looks light she just crawled out of a grave.

This book is perfect for lovers of mythological creatures and fairy tales.

I loved this so much, I finished it in one day and stayed up until almost 4am because I couldn't put it down. Right from the very first chapter, I was sucked in. It was sharp, atmospheric, dark, and had just the right amount of humor. One part freaky creature feature, one part small town mystery, and one part Irish folklore.

Memory loss thrillers are my favorite, and this one was done so perfectly. I loved the steady suspense of not knowing who was bad and who was good. Constantly wondering if you’re being manipulated by the town, slowly putting the pieces together and uncovering the truth. I loved that we get to see so many different POVs, rather than just Mara. It added to the uneasy feeling that something sinister was going on and that this town is harboring some major secrets.

The horror elements were so unsettling and disgusting, and so well done. There was some great body horror and also psychological elements as well. The ending was so satisfying and did a great job bringing everything full circle and giving major “good for her” vibes.

Overall, I highly recommend for anyone who would love a memory loss thriller mixed with a folklore creature feature. I had never read this author before, but I am instantly adding “Knock Knock Open Wide” to my tbr

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Zando for an early electronic copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own

Great, spooky, scary, book! I was absolutely loving all the folklore in this book. I can honestly say I was completely hooked even from the very first page! I will say, being buried alive is HORRIFYING!!! This book brought the spook factor over and over, it was so fun times read after dark!

This book really kept me on my toes! I really connected with it, and I can imagine that that connection would be even stronger if you have a better grasp of Irish mythology and Gaeilge than I do as a swede.

The Burial Tide starts with a nightmarish bang: a woman, who has no memory, wakes up in a grave. Once she’s clawed her way to the surface, she finds herself on a small Irish island where everything isn’t as it seems.

I love the folklore elements of this story and how they fed into the horror. Some of the descriptions are disgusting in the best way. I did have some idea of what was going on thanks to being familiar with Celtic folklore, but figuring out some of the reveals didn’t take away from the story (and there were still a few things I didn’t know!). The writing itself is very readable so I found myself breezing through the story. I will say that I didn’t majorly connect to any of the characters though. It really felt like the story was driven by the suspense and mystery but I would have loved to have been drawn further in emotionally.

I’ll for sure be checking out Knock Knock, Open Wide now!