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.

The conceit here is really interesting, but the execution just wasn't for me. From page 1, I didn't love the main character's voice, and for some reason I didn't realize there would be a dog (I thought the 'Cujo' comp was about being trapped in a car, which I think it is). 'Is the dog hurt/injured' is one of my few anxiety-inducing issues when I read, so this book was way less enjoyable than I'd been hoping. That's a me issue though, but do go in knowing there's harm to the dog in this.

I am so happy and so disappointed at the same time. This is everything I want in a book.
Alien invasion, creatures, mysterious killer plant things? AMAAAAZING. When I come across a book like this, I can let a lot of little things go. Crappy characters, odd plot choices, etc. I am just stoked to be in an end of the world alien situation. (These are examples of how much I love this type of book - not a reflection of this actual book).

So lets get right into what I really liked about this book. I liked our main characters, they were interesting, they were pretty smart. They didn't want to just give up and they didn't lose their cool. They had interesting enough backstories (although, I was not a fan of the car through the window reference over and over and over), and their chemistry was pretty decent. I was even happy to see the doggo.

I loved how right away we were thrust into the alien action and reading about the creatures is always a favorite part of mine. I enjoyed what I got for creature descriptions. Being stuck on the beach was also a very interesting take.

Like I said I loved how our characters kept fighting and they have realistic outcomes to their survival trials.

Now surprisingly, I can't tell you about the things that I did not like because what I was given, I enjoyed.

Unfortunately, I wasn't given as much as I needed. There were more creatures mentioned but we never saw them or heard them described. It was very vague mentions. We were on the beach majority of the time so we didn't get that interesting view of the world overall. The imagery in the book was a bit lacking, I would have liked more detailed description. I had a hard time picturing the surroundings and the creatures. Giving me more descriptive detail would have also upped the creepy atmosphere.

The biggest let down though, was the ending. After reading 256 pages, the ending made it feel like it was actually a beginning. We were about to journey into the most exciting parts of these types of books. If there were to be a sequel, I'd fangirl all over that because I want more of this world. As it stands, as a stand-alone, this ending gives me zero satisfaction. I'm walking away feeling as if I just lost the entire second half of the book. So you know.... if you want to write a sequel - that would be faaaanfreakintastic. Gimmie. Gimmie. Gimmie. Gimmie.

So overall it had all the ingredients and promise of something I could have loved, raved about, obsessed over. Unfortunately, due to the abrupt ending and lack of descriptive detail, I can only give this a three star. This is 100% worth a read if you love alien invasions when all crap hits the fan right away. Just go into knowing you may walk away not liking how it ends. It was enjoyable and has me hoping to see more like it from K.C. Jones.

Beth is the human equivalent of a car wreck. So of course a one night stand turns into a fight for their lives after a meteor shower brings more to Earth than bargained for.⁠
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If you're a fan of science fiction creature horrors, Black Tide provides both an intriguing and heartfelt exploration of the genre. The novel takes place in two major settings over the period of 24 hours. The action and tension is cinematic and I could picture the novel playing out on the big screen. Isolated claustrophobia is one of my favourites in horror and this didn't disappoint.

I really enjoyed getting to know Beth and Mike with all the emotions behind their decisions, plus we cannot forget about best dog Jake! There is dual POV, which was brilliant on the author's part. The characters' stress shot off the pages within their arguments, and I'm sure most of us can relate to it.

Black Tide is a fun creature horror from debut author K.C. Jones. With its fast pacing and light humour, the novel is easily bingeable. While the book is described as Cujo meets A Quiet Place, I think those comparisons hurt the novel and it should stand on its own.

CW: death of an animal (off page), violence

Thanks to Macmillan-Tor/Forge and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy in exchange for an honest review. I love a good apocalyptic story and this fit the bill! It was a quick read and action packed throughout. I’d read more by this author in the future!

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the early ebook to read in exchange for an honest review.

I was really excited to read this one as I’m a big fan of creature features and luckily this one delivered!
I recommend Black Tide to fans of Tremors and The Ruins. This is a one location, 24 hour sci-fi/horror/ creature feature. The author did a good job writing 3 different points of view. I was hooked right away by the characters and they experience internal growth even in that short time. We were given enough backstory but not too much. This is a fun time and I’d watch the movie. Though, I feel like I already watched it inside my head.

Trigger warnings: suicide ideation and animal injury (NOT animal abuse).

With suspense galore and near-nonstop, intensely harrowing cinematic action, Black Tide is one of those books that has claws — once the “woah” moments began, they did not stop, and it was utterly riveting!

The book starts out on a somewhat slow note with no foreboding whatsoever, but then it launches into total apocalyptic creature-feature mayhem that doesn’t let up until the end in the vein of A Quiet Place meets Cloverfield. It’s a survival-based sci-fi thriller following two characters (and a dog) who just have really, really rotten luck and face a gauntlet of monstrous misfortune, all while confined to a Subaru and a small slice of beach.

Even with a limited setting, the author does an incredible job of keeping things open and flowing, and the characters were excellent — neither are very likable at first, but as they began to shed their hard shells and detail bits of their backstories, the pieces started to fall into place and it became hard NOT to root for them.

Really really enjoyed this despite some of the gut-clenching, turn-all-the-lights-on moments of horror (and not knowing what happens to Jake ugh talk about emotional damage)!