I devoured this book. I can sometimes have trouble with abstract-like books as oftentimes there’s so much confusion I’m unable to glean any kind of feeling from them. But Saskia Nislow was able to create a kind of a hallucinatory dark fairy/folk tale with just enough horror and enchantment to keep me glued to the pages.

There were parts of the story that reminded me of Maurice Sendak’s Outside Over There and even a tiny bit of Where the Wild Things Are. And of course there were touches of changeling, kelpie and other folklore throughout. I think these little nuggets of connection helped me to invest just a little bit more into the novel, which is always helpful.

I found Saskia Nislow’s choices endlessly interesting. Like using descriptive identifying traits instead of names (The One Who Runs Away, The Crybaby, The Liar) and that they use italics when the children speak but quotation marks when the adults speak. It made me think that they had a reason for everything, even if I couldn’t figure it out lol.

As for the message of the book, that’s something I’m still thinking over tbh. It could be something as simple as children trying to navigate a complicated world on their own, especially these days. Or there could be something deeper. Either way, I already know this one requires a reread sometime soon and I’m not mad about it.

This book has left me quite stunned. I don’t really know how else to put it. I did not expect it to take the turn that it did and I think I’m still processing the entirety of the novel.

The story is essentially told in three parts, from three perspectives. A Swedish writer who’s on a stipend in Madrid for three months starts the book off. She seems fairly normal just finding her place in the world and maybe suffering a bit of burnout. But as the novel unfolds it becomes quite clear she has repressed rage, self destructive tendencies and seems to need to prove she’s worth something. She meets Mercuro in a bar and in exchange for a place to hide he’ll tell her his story. He’s an adulterer, misogynist and a pretty all around not great guy. Without giving too much away he’s trying to get his wife back on a kind of reality show called ‘Carnality’ after his affair but that goes horribly wrong and he’s now on the run because of it. And then there’s the nun Lucia, the showrunner of Carnality. A 93 year old woman who had a revelation in childhood which told her she had to “lead them through the apocalypse”. And she’s been helping people because of that, with very questionable morals.

All the characters are completely messed up, Lucia maybe the least? But none of them are what I would describe as well adjusted human beings. Even so each narrative is so compelling and unpredictable and nuts that I couldn’t help but be addicted to it. Each character also had their own distinct voice which I found impressive in a translated text. The writers voice was mostly even but you could sense the undercurrent of anger, Mercuro’s was manic and jumbled and hurried like a man scared and Lucia’s was gentle and thoughtful and straightforward like you’d imagine an older woman’s to be.

I absolutely recommend this book (though CW there is a little bit of animal cruelty and death). It’s a well plotted, well written and plain mind-bending.

Where in the hell has this book been all my life?? It was like the trifecta of all I love about horror! Physical and psychological isolation, being stuck on an island and not knowing who to trust, feeling very alone and paranoid. Folk horror, strange occurrences and very old creatures that people seem to only just be able to keep at bay. And good old beautiful revenge.

The story carries suspense from the very first page. Our main character, Mara, has woken up to find herself buried alive with no memory of how she got there or what came before. Once she punches her way out she has little choice but to rely on the locals to help her remember. However, slowly but surely, with the help of two non locals, Mara starts to become aware that what she’s been told is not the truth.

The narrative is done through multiple POVs which can sometimes detract from the pace and suspense of the story. But that was not the case with this one for me. Each one gives relevant insight into both the mystery and the characters while also holding the suspense taut.

The only teensy issues I had with the book were that a very minor character was introduced that I was sure would have a more integral purpose later on but was never mentioned again, which left me confused why she was mentioned at all. Also, I felt the ending was a little bit too quick. I thought more reckoning was in order but on the other hand I know there’s a fine line between drawn out and rushed.

Burial Tide will most definitely be filed away under one of my favorite horror novels. I definitely recommend it for those who like a mystery tied into their folk horror.

CW: Body horror, gore, violence, forced captivity