The Tide

By: Anthony J. Melchiorri

Narrated by: Ryan Kennard Burke

Length: 9 hrs and 28 mins

Publisher's Summary

Captain Dominic Holland leads a crew of skilled covert operatives and talented scientific personnel. He's taken them to all corners of the Earth to protect the United States from biological and chemical warfare. When his CIA handler, Meredith Webb, gives him a mission to investigate a disturbing lead on a laboratory based out of an abandoned oil rig, they discover the most terrifying threat to mankind they've ever faced - a genetically engineered biological weapon called the Oni Agent.

Back in the United States, Meredith discovers a frightening connection between the CIA and the Oni Agent. But her investigations are short-lived when the agent spreads and brings mankind to its knees. Cities burn as it turns humans into warped creatures hell-bent on destruction.

Dominic and Meredith vow to do everything they can to combat the agent and find a cure. But will their efforts be enough to turn the tide - or is humanity's fate already sealed?

©2015 Anthony Melchiorri (P)2015 Anthony Melchiorri

It's ok.

The voice performer's affectations of the various characters can sometimes be annoying. It's bad when he's doing a female voice or affectation of panic. That's just my opinion. Otherwise the reader has a pleasant voice and reading style.

The story was an eye roller in places. It seemed juvenile at times. I chalk this up to being the first book in a series. Almost like a pilot episode of a tv series is usually the worst.

I'm moderately interested in what happens next and so I'll try the next book. Given that there are many books in this series I'm fairly confident that it gets better.

The twist on the "zombie/infected" is interesting. Different.

The tide is coming in!

It’s not the same old zombie book!
It’s way better, the skulls are smarter and uglier.
The story starts with a mysterious call, people seeing weird people running around and no one knows anything (per usual) but
a gal from the CIA and the captain of the Hunters,Dominic Holland
find themselves in a whole new world with a whole bunch of problems.
I was hooked from the 1st paragraph. starting the second book now.

Great start! Repeat listener, right here.

This is a great start to a new series. There's a great mix of action and drama. The dialogue also fantastic. He really does a great job with character development which is hard to do with this type of genre. Everything played out in my head like a really good movie that you don't want to end. I've listened to this book twice already. The first time, my mind was blown but the second book wasn't out. I decided to listen again before I played the second book and I was just as impressed the second time as the first. Definitely worth a credit.

WWZ meets Resident Evil

Take the best part of Resident Evil and mix it with the intelligent science part of World War Z and you have The Tide. There is nothing new here, but it is a fine piece of suspenceful entertainment.

Very suspenseful, couldn't stop reading.

Great suspense. I am not a huge fan of zombie gore but am a fan of pandemic stories. This is a spin on the zombie genre but with more medical realism to explain the spread. It was a good story where you liked the characters and good narration. This is a complete story with character goals clearly set, leading up to a the big conflict where it resolves at a good stopping point for a series so you are not left hanging too badly. I appreciate the author giving you enough to feel like you read a whole story and did not rely on a gimmicky cliffhanger that you might see from lesser authors.

The Tide

interesting story that puts a big twist on zombies. strong characters, I like that along with the tough men, the author has strong mind and bodied women that play key roles . The Narrator does a fabulous job with the different characters voices, it always makes a big difference to the listening pleasures. I am a long haul truck driver and audio books are a life savor for the endless miles. this book is a good one. you won't be disappointed.

Good book

fairly decent twist that I didn't expect pretty straightforward zombie book I think the next one would be better. although this one is not bad.

impressed

love the book. good pacing, detail and story content with plausible scientific implications.
looking forward to book 2!

Fast-paced biotech

Captain Dominic Holland (Dom) is head of a covert operations team which investigates bioterrorism. As he and his team check out some suspicious activity on what was believed to be an abandoned oil rig, bone-armored mutant men begin to wash up on shores of countries around the world. Soon, citizens become crazed - brutally attacking and devouring people. Dom's team rushes to find a cure to the bioweapon, as civilization crashes around them.


I found this book in the new releases in Audible and thought I'd try it out. The genre is basically bioweapon zombie apocalypse, but the "zombies" aren't actually zombies. They are living humans who develop bony armor around their bodies and get brain activation of unthinking violence. It was a fast-paced, high-action book. The science was very reasonable - clearly Melchiorri did his research - which I like to see in biotech books (otherwise I tend to roll my eyes and criticize every little mistake). Yes, the race for a cure moved along much too fast to be realistic, but that's the nature of the genre, not a problem with Melchiorri's writing. Nobody wants to read a book with the pacing of real life, after all. :)

I think this book will be quite enjoyable to anyone who likes biotech apocalypse thrillers, especially those who enjoyed Jonathan Maberry's Patient Zero. But beware, it is the first in a series, and the story just cuts off at the end - there's not a satisfying conclusion. Luckily, Melchiorri is releasing the second one hot on the heals of the first, so this may not be an issue for many readers.

The narration of this story was generally well-done. The pacing was good. The voices could have been a little better - Burke didn't do women's voices very well, which I imagine is a difficult, though manageable, skill for male readers.

The Tide

An enGROSSing tale with characters so vivid I can practically see and touch them. This isn't the kind of story I usually read, but I just bought the second book and am eager to begin.

Very enjoyable and different take on zombies

If you could sum up The Tide in three words, what would they be?

Different, exciting, interesting

What did you like best about this story?

The different take on zombies, without going into any spoilers it is a new route to take for the zombie writing. I am intrested to see where it leads in the future books.

Which character – as performed by Ryan Kennard Burke – was your favourite?

Loved the helicopter pilot. Reminded me of the pilot from Black Hawk Down. Great sense of humor. Not a major character but really fun.

Did you have an emotional reaction to this book? Did it make you laugh or cry?

Not reallly, this is more like an 80's action move where you can enjoy it without all the emotional baggage.

Any additional comments?

have listened to all of the Arisen series narrated by RC Bray and if you are a fan of that I would suggest this. Finding a narrator as good as RC Bray is hard but I think Mr Burke does a very good job. The story is also diferent from Arisen but still as enjoyable.

Good start to the acopalypse

I thoroughly enjoyed listening to this book, the first by Anthony J Melchiorri that I have read/ listened to. The story develops at a good pace with a complimentary mix of action scenes, scientific development and characterisation. A group of covert private military contractors (The Hunters) discover the escape of biological agent that turns anyone infected into aggressive crazed killers. These killers also develop bone like structures on their bodies and their nails grow into dangerous talons. These growths lead the team to nickname them ‘skulls’. Early investigations prove that the agent is not airborne but rather spreads through direct contact with an infected person via scratches /bites etc.
Dominic Holland who leaders the Hunters is desperate to find and if necessary rescue his daughters sets out on a dual purpose mission. In part it is a straight rescue mission, but owing to their nearness to the Fort Detrick (home base of USAMRID) he hopes to share what they have discovered about the agent, its origins in WWII Japan and any potential ways of fighting it that they have uncovered in the hopes that between them they can put a stop to the infection whilst they are any members of the human race left to save. The only problem is that between his ship and his girls lie an army of crazed, flesh hungry monsters, can he reach them in time?
There are certainly similarities between this series and Extinction by Nicholas Sansbury Smith which for me is not a bad thing. Whilst I don’t mind the traditional zombie storyline this type of genetic changes story without the monster rising from the dead makes a nice change.
Ryan Kennard Burke narrates this story and does a fine job, for me a good narrator is almost someone you don’t notice. If you are always thinking about the style, voice, pitch or other effects being produce this takes away from the story. Burke simply takes the listener on for wild ride through the start of an apocalyptic event.

Great Book.

I am a big fan of good apocalyptic novels. I have read many in my time and have certainly read my share of bad ones. Hence it is a pleasure to come across a series with the capability of bringing about that large variety of feelings only this type of story line can.

For those like me who have become hardened to the language and event types found in these books, it is fantastic to find one that can reignite that energy you felt back when you picked up your first apocalyptic thriller. For those who have not yet become an expert in such texts.....hold on and enjoy the ride this book will take you on.

Great book, with great audio narration, likable characters and good scientific sections which, make it feel not only real to the reader but feasible as a future event. Would recommend this book to all. Buying the next in the series now having just finished this first instalment and very much looking forward to it.

A great story

I loved this book and can't wait to listen to the next 9 in the series.

loved this book...awesome

As I said in the title....truly awesome.....outstanding, looking forward to the whole series...can't wait...bring it

Not a bad take on the genre

What made the experience of listening to The Tide the most enjoyable?

Different take on the genre.

Who was your favorite character and why?

The older daughter... she’s badass

What did you like about the performance? What did you dislike?

Good emotion in the voice, a bit slow at times.

If you made a film of this book, what would be the tag line be?

Beware the skulls

Gripping and inventive,

When i first started listening i thought of clive cussslers books about the origan but i soon lost myself in the fantasy of the skulls and the desperate survival of a family, i am very keen to read more about dom holland so well done and a brilliant and well written book.

Meh

- no descriptions, characters or scenes. Would have helped with imagery and depicting the characters.
- very clichéd characters and dialogue, particularly the Hunters' banter and the children, Kyle and Sadie.
- believability was an issue at times, eg. When Jay is going through his transformation, he would have known what was going on, that much had been deciphered in his time on the IBSL. What else would it be? Just came across as unrealistic.
- good action description and pacing when it occurred, although the narrator made some odd choices and didn't do so well in the more frantic sequences. Too laid back to add a sense of peril or urgency.
- some dialogue felt unnatural. Might have been better depicted as narration.

About time!

I've been scouring Audible for a new 'long read' but couldn't commit to anything. Some fantasy books are a little blasé, same old etc. I tried The Tide and am so glad I did! My credits are a finite precious resource but I'll be getting these books possibly 2 at a time. Resented having to take my headphones out as I didn't want to stop listening. If I had to have a little moan it would be that The Huntress all sounds too good to be true and a little too apocalypse ready. Too convenient also was the Ramboesque daughter who apparently has been taught everything by her father, from shooting, self defence you name it she's had a crash course! As I always found it difficult to get my teens to bring their dishes down from their rooms or do their homework without a push she is a little hard to accept. But apart from that I look forward to the rest of the series!!

new take on zombies

Would you listen to The Tide again? Why?

new author and new narrator for me. both v. good. storyline slightly different to other zombies ones..will. ow definitely buy all series and look for more fro m both.