Jamie goes to Hawaii to reconnect with his brother Eric. They end up having something happen no one was prepared for. Everything is about to change.

If you have thalassophobia this will be an intense read for you. For all my love of the ocean I am desperately afraid of it and this book, with its deep water, weird sea creatures, physics defying twist and ending-that’s-really-a-beginning, definitely triggered me!

What starts as the dark, murderous tale of two brothers coming back together quickly twists into a horror fantasy of epic proportion for such a small book! Gore aplenty, some sci fi weirdness and a good dose of heartfelt emotion kept me reading faster and faster as the book kept building!

I really enjoyed this one.

Tyler Jones’ Heavy Oceans is a brief yet brutal slice of horror sci-fi. Spanning just one horrific night, it’s fast-paced and gloriously gory; you can almost hear the snap of bones, the slap of tentacles, and the squelch of squished entrails.

Impressive horror set-pieces sit alongside Jamie’s recollections of growing up with Eric. That Eric has always been troubled is clear, but as Heavy Oceans unfolds, it emerges just who - or what - he’s been running from for all these years.

Blending good ol’ fashioned blood and guts with elements of the cosmic, Heavy Oceans is proof positive that the best things often do come in small packages.

Heavy Oceans is a story that takes you on a ride. The strength of a two brother’s bond is tested when Jamie visits his brother Eric in Hawaii. Soon after arriving a critical life event quickly changes the trajectory of the story and the lives of all the characters and takes you for the sail of your life into the abyss where you take an unexpected journey. Tyler Jones outdoes himself in Heavy Oceans.

Overall: ⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
162pgs, Pub Date: Dec 7th
Genre: Cosmic Horror

***Caution Spoilers***
Similar Vibe: Sacculina by Philip Fracassi, Sister Maiden Monster by Lucy A Snyder

From the very first page 'Heavy Oceans' by Tyler Jones had me entranced. Eric and Jamie's story as brothers and characters felt real and intriguing. I had absolutely no idea where the story was going. My best advice for future readers is to go in blind. This book is well worth picking up. It's a violent, well written and very compelling quick read.

I'm an avid member of the Eldrich abomination, Philip K Dick, Matrix, Donnie Darko cult of fandom. Bravo Tyler Jones, outstanding thought provoking work. "An echo of an echo." I could not stop reading. Going in I had no idea this book would be this deep (see what I did there 🤣). God that was great. Thanks for offering me a review copy.

First and foremost, I want to thank DarkLit Press and NetGalley for an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts of it!

This story revolves around two brothers (Eric and Jamie) and their estranged relationship with each other after growing up together in an unstable home as their parents fought off and on until their father chose to leave them behind. The trauma of enduring their parents fight not only caused the older brother to act out and be rebellious as a kid, but he also developed sleepwalking because of it.
Years later, the younger brother, Jamie, has some type of problem at home with his partner, and he decides to go to Hawaii, where his older brother Eric is currently. He soon realizes Eric is involved in some shady things, such as dealing drugs and not being an upstanding citizen. When a horrific act occurs at a bar he and his brother are visiting, they end up on a boat with two others trying to "fix the problem." Soon, mysterious happenings plague the characters, and their relationships and friendships are put to the test in the open waters as they soon realize they aren't alone out on the open sea.
I don't want to say anymore about the plot because I feel it is best to go into this book as blind as you possibly can.

Okay, so here are my thoughts.
As a fan of horror, there are certain criteria that need to be met within the book for me to be ultimately satisfied with the horror that is written. When I read horror, I want to be grossed out to the point of almost wanting to put the book down so I can take a moment and compose myself before continuing. This book did that, and so much more! I knew going into this that this was going to be an extreme horror, and it did not disappoint at all. There were several moments that made me feel nauseated, and when a certain character described a stomach ache they were feeling, I could feel my stomach wanting to twist and turn. The author describes the horrors that each character goes through in such grave detail, and I found myself looking upwards while lying in bed reading this book. If you know, you know. :)
This book makes me not want to go on a boat for a while, and it does not make me want to look at the ocean for a while, and I believe that was the author's intent. Bravo for that. All in all, this was a lot of fun to read. Was it scary? No. Was it fun? Yes. I think this would be an aquaphobic's worst nightmare. This was also a bit of a creature feature, and I enjoyed that aspect of it, immensely. And I almost got emotional towards the end as well? This was a nice touch. Pulled at all the "white strings". Again, if you know, you know. Happy reading!

I was so immersed in this book, what an incredible story.

I have a deep fear of the ocean, which made this read a very effective horror for me! I loved the deep cosmic horror aspect as well. This story took me for a ride, flipped me on my head and ended with my head still spinning like a top. I found the writing to be super smooth and the story was well driven. It kept me really invested and intrigued and I really enjoyed such a fresh take on deep sea horror.

I highly recommend this book to anyone who is looking to lose their afternoon in the upside down, Tyler did such a fantastic job with this story.

Heavy Oceans tells the story of Jaime Fletcher, a new father who travels to Hawaii to reconnect with his brother, Eric. Unlike the more cautious Jamie, Eric is impulsive and self-assured to the point that Jamie has always feared for his safety. When Eric's actions lead to an act of violence, the two brothers, along with Eric's friend, Matty, and Matty's father's Ed, must travel to the middle of the ocean. There, the group must fight to survive as they encounter wave after wave of unexplained horror.

I've always been a big fan of genre shifts, particularly in horror. While there's nothing as drastic here as the genre shift in say, "From Dusk Til Dawn", the first half or so of this books plays out like a crime thriller. It's only thanks to a creepy, well-crafted prologue that a larger world of possibilities is hinted at. Those possibilities come to fruition in the second half of the book, which contains plenty to keep body horror fans happy.

With these kinds of stories, it's always a balancing act of how much to reveal and how quickly. While I can certainly appreciate ambiguity, this is one time that I think I actually would've preferred a bit more in the way of an explanation.

From start to finish, I never knew quite what to expect from Heavy Oceans. From early on, it gives the sense of falling, unable to stop or change directions, just hoping that you'll be able to face what awaits you at the bottom.

Really enjoyed this one!! Tyler Jones prose and writing style is so easy to read and just flows along so damn smooth. Story is very good, mix of crime, creature horror and some cosmic horror thrown in there. Had me hooked from the beginning and read it in two sittings. Some of the descriptions Tyler put out was so vivid i had no trouble believing i was actually seeing these things. loved all the characters and they were so well written. only complaint with this one is it wasnt long enough.

A huge thank you to the author, NetGalley, and DarkLit Press for providing this e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Unfortunately, I seem to be in the minority for this book in the fact that I didn’t really enjoy it the way I felt I should. It was listed as an aquatic cosmic horror story (very little is MORE my jam than that), and while that’s not a lie, it is barely one and only towards the end. A good portion of this book focuses on both of the brothers Eric and Jamie, and their estranged relationship to both each other and their father.

I will be honest, my review is a bit meaner than I intended it to be, but with both aquatic and cosmic horror being one of my favorite genres, I really expected to like this more than I did. However, I think you should read this novel for yourself as it’s not bad, it’s just not what I wanted nor expected out of a horror novel with this premise. I think a reader without the same expectations that I had would love this story.

The first about 30-50% of this book is Jamie’s reflections on growing up with his brother, and his strange actions while sleepwalking as a child - and how it, in turn, changed his personality to become more aggressive and violent. The story kicks off with them reuniting at a bar in Hawaii, and Eric seeming to be involved in some shady business and involved with drug deals. Things escalate quickly, and soon he, his brother, their friend and their father need to escape onto the father’s boat into the ocean.

(I was expecting a much more natural progression for them to be on the boat, and for the horror to then start slowly as isolation and resentment between the brothers set in. This is my own fault, but when I see “aquatic horror on a boat in the middle of the ocean” I kind of assume the inherent horror of the ocean to be involved. As it is, there really isn’t any reason for this novel to take place on the ocean.)

Finally, once the cosmic horror aspect arrives, it is almost very quickly explained away and then the novel ends. In fact, even the horror aspect itself is still revolving around Eric, like we (as Jamie) have been doing the ENTIRE novel. I understand themes and how this could be a thematic throughline of Jamie’s life revolving around his brother to the point that even when the world ends it’s because of Eric, but I kind of felt like this reading was me trying to grasp at straws to justify the “twist” ending.

At the end we have a brief epilogue of a letter from a scientist studying the strange phenomena occurring, which implies the story continues on past this point, but to be honest I was more frustrated I couldn’t experience THAT novel. It’s definitely me, but I think I’d have preferred an aquatic horror novel focused MORE on the aquatic horror aspect, with them slowly studying and experiencing the phenomena as it slowly starts to unravel space and time around them.

However, clearly I’m in the minority for this novel and so if you like any kind of cosmic horror I absolutely encourage you to check this out. I think maybe if I had been more aware of the type of aquatic cosmic horror this novel was, I might have enjoyed it more. As it stands, I wasn’t expecting such a long runtime to be focused on the relationship of the brothers, or Eric ruining the lives of everyone around him for no reason, which definitely dampened my enjoyment reading this.

Thank you to DarkLit Press and NetGalley for providing a review copy.
This book takes a terrifying concept (the ocean) and somehow makes it even more scary. It's so atmospheric and creepy. I went into it semi-blind and it ended up being so much more than I thought. I look forward to reading more from the author. 4.25 stars

“Undertow.
Caught in something that’s pulling him under, deeper and deeper into the dark.”

A poignant tale of two estranged brothers reconnecting. After a lifetime of trauma, and strange events Jamie and Eric catch up in a bar in Hawaii. The following events will break their bond further, or forge it into something stronger; a body, a boat, and an unbelievable cosmic event alter both their lives.

I really, really enjoyed the author’s writing and descriptive style. There were some seriously creepy moments and the whole boat foray evoked a sense of dread for me.

My only critique would be that I would love to know more about why & how these occurrences came about. Why Eric? Why now? That’s just me though. I really like close ended stories and any ambiguous questions answered.

Thank you to NetGalley, the author, and DarkLit press.

Heavy Oceans is a Tyler Jones book. Have you ever been experienced? Well, I have.
Assuming this is your first ride, you'll need to know you're in for layers. Heavy Oceans could be considered a creature feature, and there are cosmic aspects as well, but those oversimplifications do a blatant disservice to the art. Heavy Oceans has those things, but it's a story about understanding. Apply that to understanding one's self or one's family, or meld the two into one. Jones' insights through the lens of Jamie Fletcher are harrowing at times, and despite the spiny, slimy horrors that lurk in the... well, deep doesn't feel quite right, there is warmth and hope, perhaps even just an ember in the darkest parts of this book. And it is a book unafraid to drag the reader to dark places, make no mistake. Even working in the novella form, Jones is able to concoct a hearty meal, sure to put meat on the bones, packing more depth and emotion into a limited page count than most traditionally published books can pull off in twice the length.
So, get experienced.

Heavy ocean

A fast read of sci-fi/ cosmic horror
"One small event and the previous known path is suddenly erased"
A young man, Jamie decides to join his estranged brother, Eric in Hawaii but after they're involved in a crime they end up on Eric's boss's fishing boat headed out to sea. What they discover out there will change the world as they know it.
I don't want to give too much away here but this story is both character and plot driven. Jones has written very sympathetic characters for such a short book. The two brothers have a deep bond despite being estranged.
I highly recommend this gem.

4 stars
This was my first time reading Tyler Jones work. And wow, I’m so glad I did. It was descriptive and haunting and wonderfully written. And that ending really took me by surprise. I’ll definitely be checking out more of his work after this.

This book was absolutely terrifying. As someone who already has a phobia of the ocean, this definitely made it so much worse.

I love how detailed and gory it was. The fact that I could imagine these sea creatures and odd fish in my mind with no problems is amazing. The atmosphere was completely unsettling and horrific.

It was fast paced, and never stopped going. I love that.

I loved the bond between Jamie and Eric. Despite Eric’s flaws, Jamie stood by his brother, quite literally, through everything, until the very end.

An easy 5 stars. And I read this book in less than 24 hours.

You know how there are certain authors whose prose just feels like home? That’s Tyler Jones for me, and his newest novella HEAVY OCEANS is no exception.

OCEANS tells the story of two brothers and their bond through a dysfunctional (to say the least) upbringing, and how that upbringing takes them to waters they never thought they’d trek. There’s a quote from their father early on in the story that sums up their relationship and path they’re on to a T: “No matter what you get into, you get the other out of it…You’re not one, you’re two. Together, always. No matter what, you bleed for each other, because that’s what brothers do.”

This pseudo-crime, sci-fi, cosmic horror novella takes you on a trip where you’ll have no clue where you’re headed, so just strap on a life jacket and hope you can handle the deep waters.

The effective combination of visceral, bloody madness with cosmic, unexplainable horrors gives this story appeal to a wide range of horror enthusiasts. The big-picture story itself was a lot of fun, it was clear that the author had a vision for this story, and it was paced well and didn’t give you time to catch your breath. What fell a little flat for me was the characters. They all felt predictable, and the use of abusive parents and potential cycles of violence just felt like a surface level character trait to grab at, it didn’t feel like it was giving the characters depth but instead predictability. Some of the story development ended up using the stereotypes of these characters as a crutch it felt, which was the biggest disappointment.

After a super intriguing prologue the first third of the book, where we got to meet the characters and the inciting events of the story, didn’t feel like it had an originality or any other quality that gave me any route to invest in these characters or this story. Once events starting happening then the plotting was more propulsive and it sucked you in, but the first third was rough, for me. And that doesn’t come down to what happens, per se, but rather the fact that I didn’t feel like the characters had any depth, and the writing itself wasn’t anything special. It was fine, most of the dialogue felt realistic and it didn’t feel overly forced or anything, but it also wasn’t special in any way, it didn’t add to my fascination or enjoyment, and so combined with mediocre, lackluster characters to leave me wanting more.

Luckily, more did come, once we dive into the heart of the story. Again, the characters behaved pretty much exactly as I expected, they continued to contain no surprises, but the story happening around them was wild enough to keep me entertained and not wanting to put the story down. The themes of personal trauma and regret and intra-familial violence felt like an accessory, superficially added to a story about cosmic monstrosity, and I would have either preferred them be explored in greater depth or left out entirely. But the cosmic monstrosity itself was enough. There were some wonderfully visceral scenes, some inventive ideas, and while nothing felt entirely new considering the world of cosmic and unknowable horror it was still a lot of fun to read once it got going.

(Rounded up from 3.5)

I want to thank the author, the publisher Darklit Press, and NetGalley, who provided a complimentary eARC for review. I am leaving this review voluntarily.

This was a quick read that started off with a bang and never let up. What begins as a night out with a group of guys, quickly evolves into a tale of cosmic horror done right. I was invested in the relationship of brothers Eric and Jamie, and the bond they shared. This book takes you from terror in an alley way to terror on a fishing boat. The pages turn fast, I really liked Jones writing style. Although this isn’t a book I normally would have gravitated to, I’m glad the cover drew me in or I might have missed this one!
Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read the advanced copy.

I enjoyed this book. It’s funny how it was able to stick with me. I started reading this book, got away from reading for quite some time yet I still had this book with me when I picked it back up to finish it.