Title: Where the Tide Leaves its Dead
Author: Bray Mattheson
Pages: 290
Genre: Horror
By night, the sea returns the dead.
By day, the jungle eats the living.
Casey Jones has to survive both.
On a remote Pacific island, the ocean drags its dead ashore—sailors, fishermen, pirates—reanimated as soulless hunters for an ancient sea god. Armed with scavenged weapons and his hell pig, Puaka, Casey fights to stay alive.
But the island offers no refuge. Beyond the beaches lie cannibal caves, volcanic badlands, and desperate survivors praying to carved gods. When Casey and his friend Izzy are drawn to a coastal settlement promising safety, they discover something far worse than the dead.
As the tide rises, so does the army of the dead, and Casey must decide whether to continue his fight for survival by night…or risk everything to challenge the oceans god.
WHERE THE TIDE LEAVES ITS DEAD is a savage, tiki-soaked tale of survival horror packed with mythology and monsters. Dive in—before the tide turns.
Ahoy Brave Bookworms!
I have a new book review for you and this is what happens when paradise starts eating people. It’s pure coconuts and carnage!
Where the Tide Leaves its Dead is a mix bag of horror, dark humour and survival. It’s set on a tropical island with unforgiving terrain, a treacherous ocean – especially when night falls, and all in the aftermath of a zombie apocalypse. The undead come from the sea once night approaches and they are aggressive and relentless in their hunt for human flesh. However, it’s not just the sea that’s terrifying, the land houses deadly cannibals, hostile survivors and an ancient mystical witch doctor watching from the jungle.
We immediately meet our protagonist Casey and his lovable, fierce and trusted boar Puaka. Casey is a transplant from Texas who is rough around the edges, earns his currency by hunting and killing sea corpses for their lower jaws or “jowls”. Puaka fights along side him to collect his currency, but also for protection. But we soon see that his charismatic personality begins to attract new friends as he treks across the island seeking the War Club – a place where other survivors are coming together to fight against the waterlogged undead in larger numbers. Casey’s journey is harrowing and grueling, and he quickly learns that not all rumours or allies are trustworthy.
This novel is fantastical, action-packed, fast-paced and full of some intriguing characters. At no point in this do you feel that the characters, especially Casey, are safe. But instead you feel pure chaos and tension the whole way through.
There is a beautiful swirl of horror with dark fantasy as well, incorporating an ancient sea God – Vaekoro (the leader of the sea corpses) and mystical witch doctor named Manu. It’s a great amalgamation of old world and new. And to be frank, Manu is by far my favourite character in the entire novel and needed more page time if I’m honest. She was quirky, mysterious and oddly charming. Puaka comes in second next to her. Yes, you definitely read that right, the little warrior pig was a gem and a wonderfully written companion.
The story finally comes to a head though; after Casey endures some cruel abuses, only to lead up to the final confrontation with Vaekoro and the sea corpse army. To say the ending was terrifying, intense and heart-wrenching is understatement. It keeps you on the edge of your seat and frankly, I couldn’t get enough!
It’s hard to believe that this is the author’s debut novel because this one is slashing through paradise. Completely recommend throwing this on your TBR and will definitely be keeping an eye out for more of Bray Mattheson’s work in the future!
Hope you enjoyed the review and as always…
Meet you after dark.
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Beneath the Book Light 