Mara wakes up in her own coffin, buried underground. She manages to escape with very little memories. She’s in the town of Inishbannock, a very remote island off the coast of Ireland filled with townspeople who know who she is and are happy to help. But something feels off. As she becomes close to a mainlander called Declan, and the townspeople become more closed off, the two of them begin to question everything and find out who Mara really is.

Neil Sharpson’s The Burial Tide hits shelves September 9th.

This is genuinely one of the best books I’ve read this year. It’s this perfect mix of horror, mystery, and fantastical folklore. Told between multiple perspectives, we follow Mara and the islanders as this bizarre mystery unravels. I loved reading from Mara and Declan’s perspectives the most, I became so attached to Mara throughout the book. Declan was also incredibly sweet and a great sidekick for Mara.

The horror in this book, and more specifically the body horror, was absolutely incredible. I don’t want to give anything away, but some transformation type scenes had me gagging. It was such an incredibly creepy story with some fantastic horror imagery. I’ve also never been scared of seals before, but now I have a new phobia, so that’s fun!

Sharpson’s passion for Irish folklore is apparent, and the way he weaves different folklore tales into a seemingly modern setting was perfection. It also has this kind of dreamy quality to it, so when you put the book down it takes you a moment to adjust to reality. And despite the dark content, you feel yourself wanting to return to this strange creepy world constantly. I read this book weeks ago, but I still think about it all the time. I just genuinely loved every moment.

Overall, this is a fantastically horrific story with body horror, tears, scares, and laughs. A massive thank you to Zando for sending me a copy in exchange for an honest review. Pick up a copy for yourself when it hits shelves September 9th or better yet; pre-order this, because it’s genuinely incredible.