Phantoms by Michael Leon and Chrissie Anthony

Phantoms by Michael Leon and Chrissie Anthony
Publisher: Self
Genre: Paranormal, Contemporary
Length: Full (370 pgs)
Heat: Spicy
Rated: 4
Review by Rose

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I was excited to be able to read this – I love the original Phantom of the Opera by Gaston Leroux (and, of course, the musical). There are definite parallels between this contemporary version and the original. We have a young singer, Christine, who has to stand in for the star, Carlotta (who, although not ill, is so much of a diva that she refuses to come to rehearsal so she can rest her voice for the opening night). We also have Raoul who has loved Christine all her life (in the modern day version, she is in love with Raoul’s brother, who is missing). Erik is still the “phantom” but this Erik is not scarred physically. He is, however, very scarred mentally due to torture that the reader finds out about during flashbacks he experiences.

There were several minor editing issues that occasionally took me out of the story, but that probably wouldn’t bother most people. I also never really understood Erik’s motivation in wanting to take over the Opera House – but then again, he was disturbed. However, even with that, the storyline itself was so compelling I was drawn right back into the story.
The characters were well-drawn and I found myself invested in them—wanting to discover what would happen next. Of the supporting characters, one of my favorite was Madame Giraud, the psychic concierge of the theatre, who (like her counterpart Madame Giry) hears the actual Phantom.

There is a lot of action going on and some beautiful descriptions of the opera house. It was fun reading through the book and seeing the parallels between it and the original. All in all, a good addition to the Phantom genre.