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Black Acres #1-4
Black Acres: The Complete Collection
There's No Place Like Home...
Kim and Julian Taylor are in the market for their first home, and a visit to the secluded Beacon estate finds them enamored. It's a peculiar home, rather large and in need of some renovations. The price is right however, and after a tour, they snap the house up without hesitation.
The man who sells them the house has one last detail to share before they sign on the dotted line. The previous owners of the home disappeared under mysterious circumstances nearly eight years ago and have recently been declared dead in absentia. Unperturbed by this fact, Kim and Julian set about making the home their own.
It quickly becomes clear that the two of them are not alone there, however.
This volume contains all four installments of the serialized novel Black Acres: In Absentia, The Borderland, The Amber Light and In Darkness. It also contains a brief preface by the author.
Kim and Julian Taylor are in the market for their first home, and a visit to the secluded Beacon estate finds them enamored. It's a peculiar home, rather large and in need of some renovations. The price is right however, and after a tour, they snap the house up without hesitation.
The man who sells them the house has one last detail to share before they sign on the dotted line. The previous owners of the home disappeared under mysterious circumstances nearly eight years ago and have recently been declared dead in absentia. Unperturbed by this fact, Kim and Julian set about making the home their own.
It quickly becomes clear that the two of them are not alone there, however.
This volume contains all four installments of the serialized novel Black Acres: In Absentia, The Borderland, The Amber Light and In Darkness. It also contains a brief preface by the author.
328 pages, Kindle Edition
Published July 3, 2018
480 people are currently reading
381 people want to read
About the author
Ambrose Ibsen
58 books662 followersOnce upon a time, a young Ambrose Ibsen discovered a collection of ghost stories on his father's bookshelf. He was never the same again.
Apart from horror fiction, he enjoys good coffee, brewed strong.
Apart from horror fiction, he enjoys good coffee, brewed strong.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 95 reviews
June 6, 2021
Wow! This was a spooky story!
A small backstory:
What would you do if you had the chance to buy a house that is tucked away out of sight? Would you give the house some TLC and take a chance on fixing it up?
Julian and Kim Taylor decide to do just that when they lay eyes on a house known as Beacon estate. Since it is their first home they want to put everything they can into it hoping they can fix it the way they want, but they ignore the fact that something mysterious happened to the previous owners.
The only problem is the home is not what it seems as the Taylors get settled in their new home there are "disturbances" that make them both wonder what really happened to the previous owners and as time goes on the word haunting doesn't even enter their minds as the Taylors just think the home just has it quirks, until things become "worse" than the couple wonder what has invaded their home.
Thoughts:
This book starts out slow but it builds momentum as the story progresses and the haunting of the house doesn't really get going strong till I got more into the book, but it has a dreaded atmosphere throughout the story and I just became attached to the characters the more I moved into the story.
The middle to last half of the book becomes fast paced and kept my attention span as the haunting escalated as the story just exploded with creepy and seeping horror. Five "Spooky" stars!
Highly recommend!
A small backstory:
What would you do if you had the chance to buy a house that is tucked away out of sight? Would you give the house some TLC and take a chance on fixing it up?
Julian and Kim Taylor decide to do just that when they lay eyes on a house known as Beacon estate. Since it is their first home they want to put everything they can into it hoping they can fix it the way they want, but they ignore the fact that something mysterious happened to the previous owners.
The only problem is the home is not what it seems as the Taylors get settled in their new home there are "disturbances" that make them both wonder what really happened to the previous owners and as time goes on the word haunting doesn't even enter their minds as the Taylors just think the home just has it quirks, until things become "worse" than the couple wonder what has invaded their home.
Thoughts:
This book starts out slow but it builds momentum as the story progresses and the haunting of the house doesn't really get going strong till I got more into the book, but it has a dreaded atmosphere throughout the story and I just became attached to the characters the more I moved into the story.
The middle to last half of the book becomes fast paced and kept my attention span as the haunting escalated as the story just exploded with creepy and seeping horror. Five "Spooky" stars!
Highly recommend!
April 25, 2019
* i received this audio book in exchange for a honest review*
i always get really excited when i see a new (to me) Ambrose Ibsen book. so when i saw this one, i was on board! he does haunted houses very, very well. This volume contains all four installments of the serialized novel Black Acres: In Absentia, The Borderland, The Amber Light and In Darkness.
so while i was listening, i kept waiting for a break, telling me which novel i was on. That doesn't happen. The story was good but i found it to be way too long. i think each individual novel would have been a better route for me. I didn't get attached to any of the characters. There is some great imagery and plenty of creepiness but this wasn't my favorite by this author.
i always get really excited when i see a new (to me) Ambrose Ibsen book. so when i saw this one, i was on board! he does haunted houses very, very well. This volume contains all four installments of the serialized novel Black Acres: In Absentia, The Borderland, The Amber Light and In Darkness.
so while i was listening, i kept waiting for a break, telling me which novel i was on. That doesn't happen. The story was good but i found it to be way too long. i think each individual novel would have been a better route for me. I didn't get attached to any of the characters. There is some great imagery and plenty of creepiness but this wasn't my favorite by this author.
June 30, 2019
Well to be honest it starts off weird and gets creepy and you get involved in the mystery and the freaky happenings. Then the weirdness continues and it gets spookier and you are terrified for the characters ... then the end comes and you are left with a thinker.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 27, 2019
I decided to go for the complete collection of the four novellas that make up ‘The Black Acres’. This is not one of my usual genres and I was surprised at how well it is written and how the tension and suspense is built so expertly. I was impressed, but my overall feeling was that the four connected novellas might have been much more effective had they been boiled down into one. There is a limit to the number of possible rational explanations to strange occurrences that I can accept.
June 15, 2020
Summary:
Kim and Julien are thrilled when they find a secluded house for sale in their price range. Upon moving in, they immediately renovating. After finding a couple creepy pictures and hearing strange noises throughout the house, Kim begins to hear and see strange things in the forest behind the house. An investigation into the previous owners leads her down a dark path of terrifying secrets.
By the time they discover what's really going on, it's too late for them to run away.
Personal opinion:
Yet another great book by Ambrose Ibsen! His writing style, scene setting and overall creepy plot idea come together really well in this collection of 4 short stories.
The things haunting both the house and the woods around it was a well kept secret until the ending of what would be book 3. While not being overly gory, the story did manage to get pretty freaky at times. The culprit of the terror is unique and terrifying all on it's own.
The character's reactions and seeming slow ascents into madness seemed realistic while also building suspense. Julien definitely could have made some better choices though. I also found myself liking and connecting with Kim more out of the two.
The one complaint I have that led me to only giving this book 4 stars was that not everything was explained or wrapped up as nicely as I would have preferred in the ending. Some parts were left unexplained and I would have liked to see more of the previous owner's stories. I think some flashbacks or even a possible prequel story would have been a really good idea to further explain some things and show what the previous owners had gone through while living there.
I could definitely see this being made into a movie or even as a season of American Horror Story. It's a great mix of an eerie setting, unsettling occurrences, a deranged backstory and a great ending.
Overall, this is a great book to give you chills and keep you on the edge of your seat, especially if you are planning on or currently living at an isolated country house.
I would recommend to horror fans or lovers of the creepy and unusual.
Kim and Julien are thrilled when they find a secluded house for sale in their price range. Upon moving in, they immediately renovating. After finding a couple creepy pictures and hearing strange noises throughout the house, Kim begins to hear and see strange things in the forest behind the house. An investigation into the previous owners leads her down a dark path of terrifying secrets.
By the time they discover what's really going on, it's too late for them to run away.
Personal opinion:
Yet another great book by Ambrose Ibsen! His writing style, scene setting and overall creepy plot idea come together really well in this collection of 4 short stories.
The things haunting both the house and the woods around it was a well kept secret until the ending of what would be book 3. While not being overly gory, the story did manage to get pretty freaky at times. The culprit of the terror is unique and terrifying all on it's own.
The character's reactions and seeming slow ascents into madness seemed realistic while also building suspense. Julien definitely could have made some better choices though. I also found myself liking and connecting with Kim more out of the two.
The one complaint I have that led me to only giving this book 4 stars was that not everything was explained or wrapped up as nicely as I would have preferred in the ending. Some parts were left unexplained and I would have liked to see more of the previous owner's stories. I think some flashbacks or even a possible prequel story would have been a really good idea to further explain some things and show what the previous owners had gone through while living there.
I could definitely see this being made into a movie or even as a season of American Horror Story. It's a great mix of an eerie setting, unsettling occurrences, a deranged backstory and a great ending.
Overall, this is a great book to give you chills and keep you on the edge of your seat, especially if you are planning on or currently living at an isolated country house.
I would recommend to horror fans or lovers of the creepy and unusual.
January 10, 2024
1 stars for a crap story.
I hate this book. I got about 30% in and couldn't take it anymore. I jumped to chapter 33 to see what happened there and then skipped on to the last 2 chapters to see the ending. This book was terrible. Even while trying to read those 3 chapters, I found myself reading the first and last sentences of the paragraphs to make the agony end faster.
One of the most irritating things was the author trying to come across as overly intelligent by using high vocabulary words in a very clunky manner. The words he used at times didn't flow correctly and at other times came out as overly lyrical and way too wordy. "It was almost as though his body knew on a subconscious level that these were desecrated lands never meant to be tread."
The other thing that made this a travesty of literature was how he wrote Kim and how he had Julian treat her. It was the typical whiney, crazy, paranoid woman messing everything up for the relaxed, hardworking, and "perfect" man. YUCK!
I hate this book. I got about 30% in and couldn't take it anymore. I jumped to chapter 33 to see what happened there and then skipped on to the last 2 chapters to see the ending. This book was terrible. Even while trying to read those 3 chapters, I found myself reading the first and last sentences of the paragraphs to make the agony end faster.
One of the most irritating things was the author trying to come across as overly intelligent by using high vocabulary words in a very clunky manner. The words he used at times didn't flow correctly and at other times came out as overly lyrical and way too wordy. "It was almost as though his body knew on a subconscious level that these were desecrated lands never meant to be tread."
The other thing that made this a travesty of literature was how he wrote Kim and how he had Julian treat her. It was the typical whiney, crazy, paranoid woman messing everything up for the relaxed, hardworking, and "perfect" man. YUCK!
March 21, 2019
AUDIOBOOK VERSION
This is a haunted house story. A young couple buy a rural house which stands close to a dark forest. Creepy events start happening and the story goes from there. It did come to a reasonable conclusion. I did find there was a lot of repetition in this collection, but I'm assuming this is because this audiobook is an omnibus of each of the single books in the series, therefore the author would have been recapping the plot for previous books. I thought the narrator and production were both good. Well worth a listen.
This is a haunted house story. A young couple buy a rural house which stands close to a dark forest. Creepy events start happening and the story goes from there. It did come to a reasonable conclusion. I did find there was a lot of repetition in this collection, but I'm assuming this is because this audiobook is an omnibus of each of the single books in the series, therefore the author would have been recapping the plot for previous books. I thought the narrator and production were both good. Well worth a listen.
March 30, 2019
Dumb, dumb, dumb..
So sick of books where the couple obviously don’t care about each other but the author has to insert Lin’s like...”I really do love him, I adore him, but...”
Should have taken way less time to kill them both... they were both stupid, horrid characters.
So sick of books where the couple obviously don’t care about each other but the author has to insert Lin’s like...”I really do love him, I adore him, but...”
Should have taken way less time to kill them both... they were both stupid, horrid characters.
July 26, 2024
This was appropriately weird, for a horror story. But I don't know that it was all that original. It had me conjuring images of other stories I've read and movies I've seen, rather than keeping me invested in the goings on within the text.
I'm not saying it was bad--it wasn't!
It's just not new.
I mean, how many books have begun with the "young city couple buys creepy house out in the middle of Bumfuck Egypt and then weird shit starts to happen" trope?
Thousands.
I will say this--there's a good amount of creepy stuff going on in this book, and the spooky woo-woo doesn't give you a break. I'm not easily rattled by this sort of stuff, and the book's written well enough that I don't know how I'd feel reading this in the middle of the night.
There's also a lot of twisty turns going on here, and while some of them feel entirely out of place, others had my head spinning with the revelations about what was really going on.
I think perhaps the backstory of the land and it's previous owners should have come into play much earlier on. That twist was interesting, but it felt like a major infodump at the 11th hour. Like "oh yeah by the way there's this other guy who was evil and did magic and this whole other history of the property before the current house was even built and the land's cursed! Surprise!" With only a chapter or two left in the whole story.
It left me kinda going 'wait, what?' But there wasn't really a ton of time to digest that information before the book was just... finished.
I also think this could have been a single book--the 4 novellas was just weird and unnecessary.
The ending was only okay for me. It felt cliche. It's your typical horror ending-that's-not-really-an-ending. As we see 2 more new potential homeowners checking out the house, knowing their story won't end well because we've just watched what happened to Kim and Julian.
Again. This story definitely had its moments, and the atmosphere created was creepy enough that I wouldn't want to read it in the dark, at night, alone. But it's not new or innovative in any way. And while there were twists, some of them didn't make a ton of sense, or felt out of place.
I guess I was hoping for a bit...more out of this one.
I'm not saying it was bad--it wasn't!
It's just not new.
I mean, how many books have begun with the "young city couple buys creepy house out in the middle of Bumfuck Egypt and then weird shit starts to happen" trope?
Thousands.
I will say this--there's a good amount of creepy stuff going on in this book, and the spooky woo-woo doesn't give you a break. I'm not easily rattled by this sort of stuff, and the book's written well enough that I don't know how I'd feel reading this in the middle of the night.
There's also a lot of twisty turns going on here, and while some of them feel entirely out of place, others had my head spinning with the revelations about what was really going on.
I think perhaps the backstory of the land and it's previous owners should have come into play much earlier on. That twist was interesting, but it felt like a major infodump at the 11th hour. Like "oh yeah by the way there's this other guy who was evil and did magic and this whole other history of the property before the current house was even built and the land's cursed! Surprise!" With only a chapter or two left in the whole story.
It left me kinda going 'wait, what?' But there wasn't really a ton of time to digest that information before the book was just... finished.
I also think this could have been a single book--the 4 novellas was just weird and unnecessary.
The ending was only okay for me. It felt cliche. It's your typical horror ending-that's-not-really-an-ending. As we see 2 more new potential homeowners checking out the house, knowing their story won't end well because we've just watched what happened to Kim and Julian.
Again. This story definitely had its moments, and the atmosphere created was creepy enough that I wouldn't want to read it in the dark, at night, alone. But it's not new or innovative in any way. And while there were twists, some of them didn't make a ton of sense, or felt out of place.
I guess I was hoping for a bit...more out of this one.
June 15, 2020
I found this to be a very traditional haunted house and creepy black woods horror story which provided all the usual sinister and spine-tingling chilling elements that you would come to expect from such a read. A great storyline, lots of interesting characters, including the 'house of secrets' itself, and plenty of good ideas, all intentionally designed to make you seriously think and wonder about unfolding events and circumstances. On the negative side however, I unfortunately found that several holes appeared to still exist at the end as things didn't quite come together properly due to an apparent lack of clarity regarding certain storyline features and I would also strongly recommend future readers to opt for the 'complete collection' edition rather than splitting up the story into the original 4 books that comprised the series and then reading at separate times - but good cliffhangers for the end of each book though! Overall, a well thought out 'ghosts and creepy creature' story that contained lots of highlights and delivered a very entertaining read indeed. Will be reading more from this highly talented writer. Rating: 4.2 stars.
February 10, 2019
Sit on the edge of your seat.
Look out. Don't read this if you don't like scary suspense. Mr King move over there is a new story teller in town. Oh my this was an amazing book.
Look out. Don't read this if you don't like scary suspense. Mr King move over there is a new story teller in town. Oh my this was an amazing book.
February 1, 2021
I just feel like this author struggles with endings. Every book I read feels like he's written the same ending. This one was ok, but there were some glaring inconsistencies (see spoilers). .
As far as haunted house books go, it's just ok. It's such an overdone trope that you REALLY gotta make it something special in order to wow me I guess. And this one was more focused on dream scenes than actual creepiness in the story itself until and then it just feels so overdone after not much really happening throughout the majority of the book.
As far as haunted house books go, it's just ok. It's such an overdone trope that you REALLY gotta make it something special in order to wow me I guess. And this one was more focused on dream scenes than actual creepiness in the story itself until and then it just feels so overdone after not much really happening throughout the majority of the book.
April 10, 2019
Okay, so I read a lot of weird books so it’s hard for anything to chill me. This book did the trick. It had a mixed feeling of an American Horror Story Episode mixed with Paranormal Activity. When I read the summary, I had a vague expectation of what to expect—every haunted house story seems to follow a similar arc—and while the setup of this book met that, the rest was a very pleasant surprise.
The general decline into insanity on the part of all the characters was so tastefully done that I began to question if the things they saw were really there. Each character was very physically and emotionally vivid—to the point where I hated on Julian for how cold he was to Kim. In the end, however, I was happy with how things turned out.
I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say if you’re looking for something to give you a chill, this is it. Oh, and if the story doesn’t chill you enough, the skillful narration will make sure the job gets done.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
The general decline into insanity on the part of all the characters was so tastefully done that I began to question if the things they saw were really there. Each character was very physically and emotionally vivid—to the point where I hated on Julian for how cold he was to Kim. In the end, however, I was happy with how things turned out.
I don’t want to give anything away so I’ll just say if you’re looking for something to give you a chill, this is it. Oh, and if the story doesn’t chill you enough, the skillful narration will make sure the job gets done.
This book was given to me for free at my request and I provided this voluntary review.
April 19, 2019
I'd love to give this story more than 5 stars. It's creepy factor is off the charts. A couple city dwellers buy a house in the middle of nowhere. There is nothing for miles except dead forest but the house was a good price and they were finally in a financial situation to afford a house. The husband figures with the money they save buying the house they can afford to put money into it. He's happy as a clam but the wife hates it. She never feels comfortable in it and when she starts seeing and hearing things wants nothing more than to get far away.
The pace of the story is perfect, it ramps up as the plot develops. At certain points I thought she needed to bean her husband over the head, throw him in the car and drive but she's dutiful. The character building is a big part of the charm of the story.On one hand the husband seems blind to everything but the stinking house and the wife is either going insane or something paranormal is truly happeneing to her.
It's a clever story and one I'll enjoy over again, and over again!
The pace of the story is perfect, it ramps up as the plot develops. At certain points I thought she needed to bean her husband over the head, throw him in the car and drive but she's dutiful. The character building is a big part of the charm of the story.On one hand the husband seems blind to everything but the stinking house and the wife is either going insane or something paranormal is truly happeneing to her.
It's a clever story and one I'll enjoy over again, and over again!
August 8, 2018
SCARY ! Extremley well written, I hope they dont make a movie of this. Im sure it would be ruined like so many great books that have fallen under the screen wrighters editing pen.They will only muck it up with some unneeded sex scene. the suspence in this story cannot be improved upon
extremely well written, I hope they dont make a movie of this they will only muck it up with a lot of unnecessary sex scenes. the suspense is almost unbearable and needs no improvement very tightly written . every thing is all tied up , no lose ends . Great story Mr. Ibsen , you will take your place among the great horror author s bypassing many!
extremely well written, I hope they dont make a movie of this they will only muck it up with a lot of unnecessary sex scenes. the suspense is almost unbearable and needs no improvement very tightly written . every thing is all tied up , no lose ends . Great story Mr. Ibsen , you will take your place among the great horror author s bypassing many!
July 31, 2018
Very, very creepy.
September 6, 2018
Really good story.
January 30, 2019
Doesn't make sense
Really didn't like it at all, very boring took me forever to get to the end and it was very disappointing.
Really didn't like it at all, very boring took me forever to get to the end and it was very disappointing.
May 17, 2019
I requested a copy of this audible and my review is voluntary. This is the third book I have read by Ibsen and I love his ongoing theme of haunted houses. This definitely had some creepy moments. I'm giving it 3 stars rather than 4 because it felt too long in some sections and then seemed to wrap up too quickly. The House of Long Shadows (another one of his books) keeps a more punchy and thrilling pace.
March 25, 2019
Excellent horror story! I am not new to this author or narrator. Ibsen and Hempel make a great duo for horror! Ibsen's writing is very creepy and Hempel is the perfect voice for his work! I've been wanting this set of books for a while, but glad I got them all in one. This is NOT your usual haunted house story! Loved it!!!
July 29, 2018
Rating: 4/5 (really liked it)
tl;dr: an unnerving and at times irritating story of a couple in a remote house
The Good: This is legitimately scary often enough to be called "consistent." Ibsen is pretty easily my favorite horror writer going and that says quite a bit as I share the now-popular opinion that the genre is enjoying a bit of a heyday in multiple media. The scares in this volume (I'm reviewing the four-part serial as one volume as it has now been released as an omnibus edition and I assume that will be how it's consumed henceforth) run the gamut from cheap and jumpy (e.g. someone under the stairs) to the slow and dreadful (e.g. peculiarities in the house itself, noted consistently and coldly over the course of chapters).
My absolute favorite scene mixes the two. While renovating the bathroom, the couple finds a photograph hidden in the wall. It is of the previous occupants of the house, smiling in a manner that is somewhat disquieting. On the back, it says something to the effect of 'you are in our house. we are coming back for it.' Uhhhh... I don't know about you, but that speaks to a deep dread on several levels for me. Masterful.
The Bad: The husband is a complete buffoon. I get that his reluctance to engage with his wife's fears is both a necessary plot device as well as emblematic of a broader trope in the story of trusting and supporting one's spouse. But, my goodness. This guy is a jackass. At times his dialogic responses to her abject terror border on the comical, which is unusual for Ibsen's work. A highlight of his authorship for me is compelling dialogue in a genre that is often a slapstick canned story with appropriately flat dialogue to deliver a sequence of spooks. The worst is still far above that standard, but it's still bad enough to quirk an eyebrow in the honest reader.
Overall, the story suffers from some pacing problems that may be partially attributed to its initial, serialized form. Beyond that and some quibbles with an admittedly necessary character who presents a worthy trope, I really enjoyed it. I assure you that this book will scare you.
http://aroseinmktg.com/book-reviews/ for more reviews
tl;dr: an unnerving and at times irritating story of a couple in a remote house
The Good: This is legitimately scary often enough to be called "consistent." Ibsen is pretty easily my favorite horror writer going and that says quite a bit as I share the now-popular opinion that the genre is enjoying a bit of a heyday in multiple media. The scares in this volume (I'm reviewing the four-part serial as one volume as it has now been released as an omnibus edition and I assume that will be how it's consumed henceforth) run the gamut from cheap and jumpy (e.g. someone under the stairs) to the slow and dreadful (e.g. peculiarities in the house itself, noted consistently and coldly over the course of chapters).
My absolute favorite scene mixes the two. While renovating the bathroom, the couple finds a photograph hidden in the wall. It is of the previous occupants of the house, smiling in a manner that is somewhat disquieting. On the back, it says something to the effect of 'you are in our house. we are coming back for it.' Uhhhh... I don't know about you, but that speaks to a deep dread on several levels for me. Masterful.
The Bad: The husband is a complete buffoon. I get that his reluctance to engage with his wife's fears is both a necessary plot device as well as emblematic of a broader trope in the story of trusting and supporting one's spouse. But, my goodness. This guy is a jackass. At times his dialogic responses to her abject terror border on the comical, which is unusual for Ibsen's work. A highlight of his authorship for me is compelling dialogue in a genre that is often a slapstick canned story with appropriately flat dialogue to deliver a sequence of spooks. The worst is still far above that standard, but it's still bad enough to quirk an eyebrow in the honest reader.
Overall, the story suffers from some pacing problems that may be partially attributed to its initial, serialized form. Beyond that and some quibbles with an admittedly necessary character who presents a worthy trope, I really enjoyed it. I assure you that this book will scare you.
http://aroseinmktg.com/book-reviews/ for more reviews
August 8, 2018
A House of Horrors
This was an excellent tale of horror. There were twists and turns everywhere that kept me reading even when I wanted to stop. The characters is this book are well developed. I used to live in a house much like this(not necessarily haunted) but was old and creaked and made strange noises that always made me pause and wonder. This was an excellent read and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a good fright.
This was an excellent tale of horror. There were twists and turns everywhere that kept me reading even when I wanted to stop. The characters is this book are well developed. I used to live in a house much like this(not necessarily haunted) but was old and creaked and made strange noises that always made me pause and wonder. This was an excellent read and I highly recommend it if you're looking for a good fright.
September 16, 2018
Gutclenching terror! Ibsen scores again!
Wow! I felt nauseous with dread time and again while reading this! Especially as it spiraled steadily and dreadfully toward the end. A slight hope for the characters still alive in my fast beating heart, yet knowing that with this author anything can happen. Never an "I saw that coming" author, you ride the horror coaster all the way to the end. Good or Bad for the characters, I won't tell!
Wow! I felt nauseous with dread time and again while reading this! Especially as it spiraled steadily and dreadfully toward the end. A slight hope for the characters still alive in my fast beating heart, yet knowing that with this author anything can happen. Never an "I saw that coming" author, you ride the horror coaster all the way to the end. Good or Bad for the characters, I won't tell!
July 24, 2018
Started out as interesting
It started out just fine, but no normal person would contact the seller & not tell about what she had found, especially when she had lots of unanswered questions. Also, the ending still left you in limbo, leaving you in the dark about many things. It was like dangling a carrot in front of your nose & never getting to eat it.
It started out just fine, but no normal person would contact the seller & not tell about what she had found, especially when she had lots of unanswered questions. Also, the ending still left you in limbo, leaving you in the dark about many things. It was like dangling a carrot in front of your nose & never getting to eat it.
January 31, 2019
Boring..
This book could been At least 20 chapters shorter.. So it was like reading the same part over and over. And nothing really happened until the last 3 chapters in the book. I was bored and had to force myself to keep reading. 👎👎
This book could been At least 20 chapters shorter.. So it was like reading the same part over and over. And nothing really happened until the last 3 chapters in the book. I was bored and had to force myself to keep reading. 👎👎
October 22, 2020
I have read/listened to several books by Ambrose Ibsen and always enjoy his haunted house stories. I have to say that this one wasn't my favorite, but was still pretty good.
I think part of the problem with this book was the fact that it was a compilation of 4 separate novellas that were merged together. Since these works were released at different times, there was some (necessary) repetition of parts of the story. This made the story drag in my opinion and I sped up a lot of the book to get through these parts.
The premise of the book is this: A young couple wanting to get out of the big city and move to a remote location find what they think is a great deal on a house. But, after viewing the house and making the deal, they find out that the previous owners disappeared 7 years ago without a trace.
Undaunted, they move in and start renovations. But, soon, weird things start to happen and the wife, Kim, is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. as she sees and hears things that aren't really there (or are they?). However, her husband, Julian, seems to be totally unaffected by the events.
Since I have read a lot of haunted house stories, this one didn't really offer much that was new. I also found the author's verbiage to be over the top a lot of times. Julian was an unlikable character until the very end and the couple does all of the things that you should never do in this type of situation even after they realize that things are going downhill fast.
The ending was a little unsatisfying and I would have liked to have more information on the cause of the haunting. All in all, not a bad book, but not the best by Mr. Ibsen. The narrator does his usual excellent job and is perfect for the book. I was given the chance to listen to the audiobook version of this book by the author/publisher/narrator and chose to review it.
I think part of the problem with this book was the fact that it was a compilation of 4 separate novellas that were merged together. Since these works were released at different times, there was some (necessary) repetition of parts of the story. This made the story drag in my opinion and I sped up a lot of the book to get through these parts.
The premise of the book is this: A young couple wanting to get out of the big city and move to a remote location find what they think is a great deal on a house. But, after viewing the house and making the deal, they find out that the previous owners disappeared 7 years ago without a trace.
Undaunted, they move in and start renovations. But, soon, weird things start to happen and the wife, Kim, is on the verge of a nervous breakdown. as she sees and hears things that aren't really there (or are they?). However, her husband, Julian, seems to be totally unaffected by the events.
Since I have read a lot of haunted house stories, this one didn't really offer much that was new. I also found the author's verbiage to be over the top a lot of times. Julian was an unlikable character until the very end and the couple does all of the things that you should never do in this type of situation even after they realize that things are going downhill fast.
The ending was a little unsatisfying and I would have liked to have more information on the cause of the haunting. All in all, not a bad book, but not the best by Mr. Ibsen. The narrator does his usual excellent job and is perfect for the book. I was given the chance to listen to the audiobook version of this book by the author/publisher/narrator and chose to review it.
March 18, 2019
If you like spooky then this is the book for you! The atmosphere is slowly built up in an amazing way. The story really pulls you in, although I didn't find the husband very likeable! The twists in the book keep you wanting to read more, hence why I listened to the whole thing over the space of one weekend, I was listening at every given opportunity to find out what would happen next. The narrator is excellent and I found his voice really easy to listen to with enough of a change for me to be able to differentiate between different characters. Although I enjoyed reading Kim's side of the story rather than Julian's,maybe that was because I felt more pulled to Kim and found her more likeable than her husband,who came across as bit of a know-it-all,but I feel that's what the author intended. The ending was good, maybe not quite what I thought it would be, but in keeping with the rest of the book,which was great. Love the scares and jumps that appear,although my husband doesn't like me shouting at when I get scared! I think this book will make me interested to listen and read other books by Ambrose Ibsen. I am glad I listened to this book, definitely makes me want to explore this author further,and I will also be looking at other books narrated by Joe Hempel to listen to.
Please read/listen to this book, but not alone, and not in the dark if you are as much a scaredy cat as me!
This review copy audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge via Audiobook Boom.
Please read/listen to this book, but not alone, and not in the dark if you are as much a scaredy cat as me!
This review copy audiobook was provided by the author/narrator/publisher free of charge via Audiobook Boom.
April 8, 2019
I received a free copy of this audiobook for an honest review.
I loved this story!!! This was a hard one to put down. It was an entertaining, sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat, wish-it-were-longer type of story. His scene descriptions, especially of the house, were on par. It was so easy to imagine or see what these characters were seeing and experiencing. I'm not sure how I felt about the ending, although I'm not really sure what I expected. I don't know how anyone thought this was a boring story. I've read plenty of books that were boring. For me, that equates to fast forwarding till something interesting happened. That was no the case here. This story held my attention 24/7. I would love to read more by this author.
The narrator did a great job, his voice definitely added to the story as well. The only thing that stood out in a negative way was when he said "She sounded frail..." in reality, he said, "She frounded frail." I don't know if that was how it was written in the story, but I went back several times just to confirm I wasn't hearing it wrong and I wasn't.
Questions/Comments:
What was with the main characters going to bed (twice) after being sweaty, as in there was mentioned of them taking off their sweaty clothes (ie they're dirty) before getting into bed? Yuck!
I loved this story!!! This was a hard one to put down. It was an entertaining, sitting-on-the-edge-of-my-seat, wish-it-were-longer type of story. His scene descriptions, especially of the house, were on par. It was so easy to imagine or see what these characters were seeing and experiencing. I'm not sure how I felt about the ending, although I'm not really sure what I expected. I don't know how anyone thought this was a boring story. I've read plenty of books that were boring. For me, that equates to fast forwarding till something interesting happened. That was no the case here. This story held my attention 24/7. I would love to read more by this author.
The narrator did a great job, his voice definitely added to the story as well. The only thing that stood out in a negative way was when he said "She sounded frail..." in reality, he said, "She frounded frail." I don't know if that was how it was written in the story, but I went back several times just to confirm I wasn't hearing it wrong and I wasn't.
Questions/Comments:
What was with the main characters going to bed (twice) after being sweaty, as in there was mentioned of them taking off their sweaty clothes (ie they're dirty) before getting into bed? Yuck!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
April 26, 2019
I received an Audible Code via Audiobook Boom for an honest review. What follows is my opinion and mine alone. There was no compensation for this review.Black Acres is a suspenseful horror that centers on a young couple and their new life in an estate in the country. The price was too good to pass up. The house may needed some TLC and renovations, but they were up for the challenge.And like all horrors that have an estate in its epicenter, there are ghosts.The horror aspect is actually a slow burn. You get bits and pieces of creepy moments, trying to figure out what is real and what isn't. It's not until about 75% into the book that everything makes a dramatic change and leaves you freaked out.I'm not easily scared when reading horror books. Sure, there's a moment of psychological "oh that was creepy" but nothing so bad that I keep thinking about it and wonder about the inspiration behind the book. Black Acres legitimately freaked me out. There is something far more horrifying than the ghosts in the house and I would tell you, but that is a spoiler.This is a great slow burn horror that has you thinking and once it ends, you're going to want to listen again or maybe convince someone to get the movie rights. Because, right now, I definitely wouldn't mind seeing this as a movie or horror miniseries.Final rating: 4/5
March 31, 2019
In Black Acres, we are gifted with a well-written haunted house tale. I was happy to acquire the omnibus version including all four volumes of the novel. I’ve read several excellent stories by Ibsen, both long and short, having enjoyed each one. This tale involves a young couple, Kim and Julian Taylor as they purchase their first fixer-upper. The only quirk in the sales process was that the previous owners had suddenly disappeared eight years ago, having just recently been declared dead in absentia. This fact did not overshadow Julian’s enthusiasm with the fifty-year-old home. As the story unfolds it becomes clear that the Taylor’s are not alone. The house appears to have an agenda of its own, influencing the happy couple via dreams, apparitions, and unexplained noises from the woods beyond. Our couple investigates, discovering more than they bargained for while raising their fear and stress to dangerous levels. What is the goal our homeowners are pushed to? What became of the previous owners? What will become of Kim and Julian? This audiobook was given by the author, narrator, or publisher at no cost in exchange for an unbiased review via Audiobook Boom.
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