Author: K.C. Jones
Publisher: Tor Nightfire
Released: May 31, 2022
Received: NetGalley

Who doesn’t love a good character-driven horror novel? Personally, this is my favorite storytelling format – in general, but also for horror in particular. Naturally, that meant I had to give Black Tide, written by K.C. Jones, a chance.

Mike and Beth thought they had walked onto a romance story set. They met by chance, in a moment that sparked a series of other delightful memories. Unfortunately, they will quickly learn it wasn’t a romance they walked into – but a horror.

The next morning the couple wakes not to shyness and awkward conversation but destruction. While they slept, the world burned as an astronomical event caused waves of destruction. To make matters worse, this was only the beginning of something worse.

“Stories explained the unknowable before the advent of science. What happens when science is left shrugging its shoulders?”

To be very clear, Black Tide is favorable compared to Cujo and A Quiet Place. So if you don’t enjoy horror or the more graphic elements that come alongside these stories, you’re best staying clear.

Personally, I probably should have let the Cujo comparison warn me off a bit. Sometimes it got to be borderline too much for me, and I’m not generally bothered by graphic elements. It’s more than the specific type of elements got to me, if that makes sense (I’m trying to avoid spoilers here).

Still, I have to admit that Black Tide is a well-written novel. I love that the characters are the ones to push every plot revelation forward. This human connection made the horror feel more natural – for better and worse. It’s why this storytelling format works so well in this genre.

Like any true horror, you’ll probably find yourself screaming at the main characters. They don’t always make intelligent decisions. This isn’t great for their survival odds but for providing us with more information, so I suppose that’s the trade-off.

Long story short, Black Tide was an interesting and compelling read. One that had a delightful amount of atmosphere and character development.

Thanks to Tor Nightfire and #NetGalley for making this book available for review. All opinions expressed are my own.

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