Excellent ghost story. Very spooky

I was given this free review copy audiobook at my request and have voluntarily left this review."

Ambrose Ibsen has managed to do something that no author has done in a long time, scare me. The darkness and cavernous space of the Asylum Is very creepy and conducive to let you imagination run wild.
Well crafted story and I definitely look forward to the next one.
The narrator, Joe Hempel, did an excellent job as well. He had unique voices for each character and helped the listener to embrace the story and put them selves right into it.

14 people found this helpful

Asylum

Any additional comments?

Very interesting. This is a very fast paced good old fashion ghost story. I am going to download the next audiobook in this series when it is available.

23 people found this helpful

Great book for a night drive.

Great book. Built up fast and ended abruptly, but now I understand why. Can't wait to listen to the sequels.

9 people found this helpful

Haunting!

This is my first book I've come across by Ambrose Ibsen. I loved it! Very creepy! A pair of college students and a professor start a paranormal research organization at their school. The professor doesn't believe in that nonsense but he could use the extra cash. The first call they get leads them to an abandoned asylum only to find it wasn't abandoned. There was something waiting there. It had been patiently waiting for 28 years planning for this night.

Excellent narration by Joe Hempel! He always does a great job and knows how to properly set the mood for the story he is telling.

I will be adding Ambrose Ibsen to my list of authors I'd love to read/listen to more of. I will definitely be check out the rest of this series when it is available!

18 people found this helpful

Great start to what looks to be a brilliant series!

I’ll be honest... I’m a total chicken when it comes to ghosts and possessions. But on the recommendation of a good friend I was willing to check this story out.

I’m so glad I did! The material was handled in such a way that all of the spooky elements were there, and you felt a real danger for the characters, but I’m not going to be up with nightmares for the next 3 weeks. I was intrigued, and wanted to know who and how the person was making phone calls, and then as “the plot thickened” (as they say) and I found out the who and hinted at how, I had more questions and wanted to know more about what was happening.

Great pacing, and well timed reveals, meant that I wasn’t drudging through hours of questions with a sudden and abrupt revelatory ending; neither were all the answers dumped into my lap with so much for shadowing that I had it all figured out, and was suck waiting for the characters to catch up (I hate that).

I was given information and revelations at a delectable rate - allowed to enjoy each morsel before moving on to the next with the sumptuous speed of a fine dining, 7 course meal.

Joe Hempel did a brilliant job of conveying the MCs skeptical reluctance - his irritation with being dragged into something that seemed “a total waste of time”, but he - believably - started to wonder what the hell was happening as the inexplainable continued around him.

Joe’s cadence and measured pace kept time with the tone of the story with the perfect precision of a metronome! He neither rushed nor dragged the plot along with his narration.

I believe a large part of my ability to make it through this book was due to ‘having Joe with me’ throughout the winding plot, it’s strangely comforting to feel a trust in the voice that at points is scaring you...

I have to thank them both for opening the door to this genre for me so that I can tentatively step in and experience something I never would have been willing to before now!

8 people found this helpful

very creepy!

this is a very promising start to a new series. while not wholly original, there are enough new elements and interesting takes on genre convention to keep the story fresh. the characters are interesting and surprisingly multidimensional. The characters are also smart enough to arrive at the same conclusions as readers are likely to, which is a welcome departure from the numbskulls who seem to populate so much of supernatural horror.

6 people found this helpful

A ghost story

This is a good story. Nothing new. A cute summer read or listen. The audible recording is well done.

11 people found this helpful

Ghost story worth its salt!

I've said it before and I will say it again Ambrose Ibsen is the master of the ghost story. I have read and listened to numerous stories and he delivers shivers and he-be-jee-be's on every one. I live in Florida and made the mistake of listening to this tonight during hurricane Irma with no power, raging storm and lots and lots of strange noises. I so cannot sleep at this point. Joe Hempel delivers an impeccable narration lending the story the edge it deserves and creating that creepy crawly feeling the author intends you to have. Can't wait for the next one!!I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

11 people found this helpful

Another great Ibsen/Hempel story

What made the experience of listening to Asylum the most enjoyable?

Joe Hempel. He really does a fantastic job narrating all of his stories. He definitely adds to the tension of the plot and truly perfected his craft.

Who was your favorite character and why?

Elizabeth, she was the only character who actually has a mission. Stephen is only doing this for money as he is broke and Jake is only doing it because I assume he loves his girlfriend. Why the story centers around Stephen, he was my least favorite character. I don't mean that as a bad thing, I just personally didn't like him and wouldn't want to be his friend.

Have you listened to any of Joe Hempel’s other performances before? How does this one compare?

Absolutely and as always he does not disappoint.

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

No extreme reactions but it definitely made me want to listen to the next story. I am happy to see that there is going to be more to the story than just a simple haunted asylum.

Any additional comments?

I was voluntarily provided this free review copy audiobook by the author, narrator, or publisher.

10 people found this helpful

Creepy!

I've read a lot by this author and he never fails to deliver a creepy and thrilling story, and this one is no different.

Stephen Barlow is a professor and is hoping to become full time, but at the moment he needs money! When a student of his comes to him after class and asks him to head a new organisation that she is creating, he is hesitant because it's to do with the paranormal. But once she tells him that just by being head of it, he is entitled to 1000$, he jumps at the chance. He finds out about a place called Chaythe Asylum and arranges a tour of it with his students. Little does he know that the Asylum isn't as abandoned as he thinks!

I really liked Stephen. He is a no nonsense professor who puts aside his skepticism to help his students (well the money helps too ;)). He is used to facts but even he can tell that the Asylum isn't a friendly place. He doesn't want to go in but can't let his students go without him. He was well written and developed and I look forward to more from him.

The plot was fast paced and creepy. An Asylum is an incredibly creepy place anyway, but add in a supernatural element and you have a home run. I know I wouldn't willingly walk into an abandoned Asylum, but I do love reading about them! The ending left me wanting more!! I can't wait to find out what happens next.

In all, an incredibly creepy read. I am so looking forward to book 2!!!

Joe Hempel reads these kind of books brilliantly. He knows how to bring the creepiness alive and how to keep us on the edge of our seats!! He is a narrator that is firmly on my favourite list.

I was voluntarily provided this audiobook for free from the author, narrator, or publisher. This in no way affected nor influenced my thoughts.

18 people found this helpful