In this re-imagining of Phantom of the Opera, meet a Christine Daa you’ve never seen before…Christine Daa sings with her violinist father in salons all over Paris, but she longs to practice her favorite pastime–illusions. When her beloved Papa dies during a conjurer’s show, she abandons her magic and surrenders to grief and guilt. Life as a female illusionist seems too dangerous, and she must … dangerous, and she must honor her father’s memory.
Concerned for her welfare, family friend Professor Delacroix secures an audition for her at the Op ra de Paris–the most illustrious stage in Europe. Yet Christine soon discovers the darker side of Paris opera. Rumors of murder float through the halls, and she is quickly trapped between a scheming diva and a mysterious phantom. The Angel of Music.
But is the Angel truly a spirit, or a man obsessed, stalking Christine for mysterious reasons tangled in her past?
As Christine’s fears mount, she returns to her magical arts with the encouragement of her childhood friend, Raoul. Newfound hope and romance abounds…until one fateful night at the masquerade ball. Those she cares for–Delacroix, the Angel, and even Raoul–aren’t as they seem. Now she must decide whom she trusts and which is her rightful path: singer or illusionist.
To succeed, she will risk her life in the grandest illusion of all.
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Heather Webb combines music and magic seamlessly in The Phantom’s Apprentice, weaving glittering new threads into the fabric of a classic story. Romantic, suspenseful and inventive, this novel sweeps you along to its breathless conclusion.
A couple years ago, my husband and I hiked the French Pyrenees for a month, staying in small inns and B&Bs. The best meal we had, hands down, was created by an Englishwoman. The French can be territorial about their cuisine, so I asked her how French guests responded to her meals. She explained that she never attempts classic dishes (coq a vin, beef bourguignon) but instead reinvents them so they cannot be directly compared. Clever!
I thought of this while savoring Webb’s take on Phantom of the Opera. The story is shifted far enough from the original so direct comparisons are impossible. And yet, the bones of the classic are there–the cast, the atmosphere, the drama, the mystery–and Webb uses all of it to make her story, Christine’s story, take center stage.
I was captivated by the richly drawn characters and held to the page by the swift pacing and twisty plot brimming with music, magic and romance. The settings are enchanting, the prose is smooth and ending is perfection. Brava!
The Phantom’s Apprentice by Heather Webb is a writing re-imagining/retelling story of The Phantom of the Opera and is brilliantly written. The retelling of Christine Daae’s story including all the magic, illusions, mystery, murder, romance, love, and suspense is historical fiction at its very best. As the story continues to unfold, Christine is confused and terrified and doesn’t know who, if anyone she can trust. The author’s attention to detail, history and research is to be commended. This was a different, unique type of historical fiction read for me, but one that captivated me from the very first page. I was mesmerized and on the edge of my seat biting my nails in anticipation of what would happen next. I rated this a five but this novel deserves a much higher rating.
I can’t stop thinking about this book…which also kept me up super late, wondering what was going to happen next. I loved Heather Webb’s take on this famous story, told from Christine Daaé’s point of view. It’s a magical, action-packed tale, impeccably researched and thoughtfully revamped to bring new life into the story. I loved the angle of bringing in the world of the illusionist into the novel, giving Christine the chance to turn the tables on her Angel of Music. The characters are vivid and the story races through the corridors of the Opera, taking the reader on a wonderful, wild ride.
Christine is thrilled when she’s hired as an opera singer in Paris, but yet, she secretly longs to be a magician, an untoward profession for a female in the late 1870s. Additionally, the phantom of the opera, aka the Angel of Music, longs to claim her as his own, but what about the feelings she has for her childhood crush, Raoul? Can she have it all? Love and a career? Or, will the phantom control her forever?
“Didn’t everyone hide behind a mask at one time or another?”
I found this altered version of The Phantom of the Opera to be dreamy, hazy, and enchanting just like the movie version. I enjoyed revisiting the characters from Christine’s uniquely new perspective and watching her evolve from a sad girl mourning the loss of her parents into a strong, independent woman intent on seizing the day and following her dreams. I would definitely recommend this mystical and slightly gothic read for fans of the Phantom and/or historical fiction.
Location: 1877 Paris, France and 1891 NYC