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dnemec's review
4.0
After Anastasia Koshmaroff dies, her estate is sold off to the people in her town. Unfortunately for them, her missing-and presumed deceased-husband dabbled in black magick. Many of the seemingly ordinary items are not as ordinary as one would think. Now the townsfolk have their treasures...and must deal the the consequences.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Each chapter about an enchanted item is followed up with the ongoing story of Anastasia and her husband Pavel's lives. And what lives they led - meeting Aleister Crowley and Madame Blavatsky, spending time in Paris during the height of the Jazz Age, hanging out in London at the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and escaping right before the Blitz. Both the enchanted item chapters and the life recap chapters were fascinating.
Overall, the stories were woven together perfectly. What a great debut novel.
I thoroughly enjoyed this. Each chapter about an enchanted item is followed up with the ongoing story of Anastasia and her husband Pavel's lives. And what lives they led - meeting Aleister Crowley and Madame Blavatsky, spending time in Paris during the height of the Jazz Age, hanging out in London at the Hermetic Order of the Golden Dawn and escaping right before the Blitz. Both the enchanted item chapters and the life recap chapters were fascinating.
Overall, the stories were woven together perfectly. What a great debut novel.
the_coycaterpillar_reads's review
4.0
Estate Sale was a surprising read. I don’t know what I was expecting but it certainly wasn’t this. The synopsis can only give you a guide, breadcrumbs if you will, it’s up to you to follow it and experience everything it has to offer. It’s a story at its heart about a love story. I loved the format this story took – It took the modern idea of short stories with the beating heart of a love that refuses to die. It’s a story where you feel it’s presence everywhere. It feels like a shadow constantly peering over your shoulder.
The book is split into the magicked items found at the deceased Mrs Koshmaroff’s estate. They have a power all their own – each having a devastating effect upon its new owner. The images conjured up by the author were vivid and shocking, just how I like it. I imagined their scared eyes, slack jaws, and painful ends. The reader’s time with the new owners were short but unforgettable. Each character had reasons for obtaining each item, but their end would come none the less. Nothing is as perfect as they may look.
The story between Anastasia and her husband moved me to tears. Although a relatively plain relationship, their bond and strength is plain to see. In just a few pages I realised that what they had was the real deal. It was simpler times and although their marriage started out as convenience, it was easy to see that their worlds began and ended with each other. Their story spans 100 years and they see Paris, The second world war, Aleister Crowley, The London Blitz, and the Bolshevik revolution.
Estate Sale is subtle in its horror but oh so fantastic. Is there gore and blood? Yes, you bet but it was perfect in the context of what was going on. I was moved by the narrative and the plot. Never did I think I would read a love story within a horror novel, it’s definitely a genre bender. The author has an uncanny ability to give the reader a clear picture of the story so you can make an informed opinion. This allowed us to build attachments and feelings towards characters in the strongest way possible.
Estate Sale is accomplished storytelling. Its desire soaked and richly imagined. A new take on horror and I’m totally here for it.
The book is split into the magicked items found at the deceased Mrs Koshmaroff’s estate. They have a power all their own – each having a devastating effect upon its new owner. The images conjured up by the author were vivid and shocking, just how I like it. I imagined their scared eyes, slack jaws, and painful ends. The reader’s time with the new owners were short but unforgettable. Each character had reasons for obtaining each item, but their end would come none the less. Nothing is as perfect as they may look.
The story between Anastasia and her husband moved me to tears. Although a relatively plain relationship, their bond and strength is plain to see. In just a few pages I realised that what they had was the real deal. It was simpler times and although their marriage started out as convenience, it was easy to see that their worlds began and ended with each other. Their story spans 100 years and they see Paris, The second world war, Aleister Crowley, The London Blitz, and the Bolshevik revolution.
Estate Sale is subtle in its horror but oh so fantastic. Is there gore and blood? Yes, you bet but it was perfect in the context of what was going on. I was moved by the narrative and the plot. Never did I think I would read a love story within a horror novel, it’s definitely a genre bender. The author has an uncanny ability to give the reader a clear picture of the story so you can make an informed opinion. This allowed us to build attachments and feelings towards characters in the strongest way possible.
Estate Sale is accomplished storytelling. Its desire soaked and richly imagined. A new take on horror and I’m totally here for it.
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