Auftakt by Robin Jarvis

Auftakt

Haunting gothic horror for shifting teenage minds

Written byRobin Jarvis
Narrated byPhilipp Oehme
Length17h06m
Release dateSeptember 16, 2022
LanguageGerman
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Quick Facts

AuthorRobin Jarvis
NarratorPhilipp Oehme
Runtime17h06m
PublishedSeptember 16, 2022
RatingNot yet rated
CategoriesTeen & Young Adult, Literature & Fiction, Horror, Mystery, Thriller & Suspense, Thrillers & Suspense
FormatAudiobook (Digital)
PlatformAudible

About This Audiobook

Robin Jarvis crafts a slow-burn nightmare where the real terror isn’t the monsters lurking in the shadows, but the ones already in the mirror. *Auftakt* follows a sensitive young protagonist as he navigates a decaying English boarding school overrun by something ancient and hungry—not just for flesh, but for the fragile certainties of youth. Jarvis spins gothic dread with the precision of a surgeon, stitching together psychological horror and supernatural dread so seamlessly that you’ll question which terror is real. The prose is dense with atmosphere, dense enough that some listeners might crave a lighter touch, but that density is the point: this isn’t a tale to be rushed. It’s a suffocating, immersive experience where every creaking floorboard and whispered Latin phrase feels like a deliberate strike against your nerves.

The audiobook is a masterclass in restraint, thanks to Philipp Oehme’s narration. His voice crackles with the restrained tension of a young man on the edge of understanding something terrible. He modulates between aristocratic detachment and guttural panic with unsettling ease, particularly in scenes where the protagonist’s grip on reality frays. The production wraps listeners in a soundscape of distant howls, echoing corridors, and the occasional, jarring silence—making it feel like you’re eavesdropping on a confession you weren’t meant to hear.

Tags: gothic horror audiobookyoung adult dark fantasyGerman horror narrationboarding school horrorslow-burn supernatural thriller

Why Listen to Auftakt?

  • Expert narration by Philipp Oehme brings every character and scene to life across 17h06m of immersive audio.
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Editor's Review

AudioBook Atlas

Philipp Oehme’s performance is the beating heart of this audiobook. His voice—soft as a boarding school prefect’s reprimand one moment, raw with primal fear the next—carries the weight of Jarvis’s gothic nightmare with astonishing conviction. There’s a moment early on, where he reads a Latin incantation with the cadence of a priest reciting a benediction, that sent an actual chill down my spine. It’s the kind of detail that makes me trust narrators implicitly, and Oehme delivers it often. That said, the story isn’t without its flaws. The middle act sags under the weight of its own atmosphere, trading momentum for dread. I found myself rewinding sections not because of the narration, but because the plot’s twists demanded closer attention to catch the breadcrumbs Jarvis scatters like poisoned cookies. The ending, too, is divisive: it resolves with a finality that might feel abrupt to some, like a door slamming shut on a conversation you weren’t ready to end. Still, these are minor quibbles in a tale that lingers like damp wool on the skin. By the final chapter, I was emotionally wrung out—exactly the kind of exhaustion good horror should leave you with. Oehme’s narration ensures you’ll feel every emotional punch, and Jarvis’s world will haunt your dreams long after the credits roll. If you’re hunting for a horror experience that respects your intelligence and lingers in your subconscious, *Auftakt* is a dark feast worth savoring.

Download: Auftakt

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Auftakt by Robin Jarvis is an immersive listening experience. Performed by Philipp Oehme with a runtime of 17h06m, you can start with a free trial that you can cancel at any time. The audiobook remains yours forever, even if you end the trial.