A contemporary erotic sequel that relocates the original character from Gaston Leroux’s classic novel The Phantom of the Opera to present-day Paris…
While attending an auction of music memorabilia, young soprano Christine Delacroix bids on some letters written by another young soprano, Christine Daaé, who lived during the 19th century. Here she meets the handsome Compte Rezso Esterhazy, who immediately sets out to court her. Despite his attentions, Christine becomes obsessed with the Daaé letters and her namesake’s mysterious “Angel of Music”—a masked man who lived beneath the Paris Opera House.
Seemingly immortal and frozen in time, the Phantom is condemned to life below the opera house and in the shadows…until Christine Delacroix auditions for a minor role in Faust. Convinced the Christine from his past has been returned to him, he sets out for her to have the lead female role. He visits her in her dressing room to give her singing lessons, all the while remaining hidden from view. Insanely jealous over Christine’s budding romance with the Compte, the Phantom abducts her and takes her to his underground lair, where the singing lessons continue. Only this time they are far more depraved and sexual in nature.
A debut writing collaboration from bestselling authors Mitzi Szereto and Ashley Lister!
OFFICIAL ACCOUNT Mitzi Szereto (mitziszereto.com) is an American-British author, anthology editor, and short story writer whose books encompass multiple genres, most recently in true crime, including her latest release Women Who Murder: An International Collection of Deadly True Crime Tales as well as her popular series The Best New True Crime Stories. Her work has been translated into several languages. A contribution in her anthology Getting Even: Revenge Stories received the Crime Writers’ Association Short Story Dagger “Highly Commended.” She has the added distinction of being the editor of the first anthology of erotic fiction to include a Fellow of the Royal Society of Literature. Mitzi has appeared internationally on radio and television and at major literature festivals, and has taught creative writing around the world, including universities in the UK. In addition to having produced and presented the London-based web TV channel Mitzi TV, she portrays herself in the pseudo-documentary British film, Lint: The Movie. Follow her on social media @mitziszereto.
Started well, really well. Had high hopes, sadly kinda lost the plot as it went on. Basically a rewrite of phantom but with a modern twist and a reborn Christine. The early interaction is good, nice story telling. Sadly the erotic isn't that erotic and I felt Erik s narrative is lost as soon as they go underground. I don't understand his mood swings or what he feels to make him act the way he does. He's not really a killer in this, one kill in a duel which was a point of honour so not really counting towards his murderer status . This makes me understand his character even less in this version. He wants to tempt Christine back and do better than he did before but he gets so far and then turns on her because of vague rumours, basically she's frustrated by his constant suggestions but lack of actions. Then we enter dub con, which I don't mind generally but the motives here are so unclear it makes it a little icky, also the scenes between them don't really detail enough for me. Not enough descriptions of the acts or the feelings behind them. The ending is better, I like the last lines, but can't see a re-read happening. Too shady.
I received a copy of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.
While at auction, nubile soprano Christine Delacroix finds herself enraptured by a packet of letters written by a soprano, like herself, named Christine. The letters, amusingly assigned ‘Lot 69’ – wink, wink, nudge, nudge – find their way into Christine’s eager possession. From then, Christine is akin to a sexually awakened zombie set on finding Christine Daaé’s elusive, ingenious, and dangerous, Angel of Music. For his part, the Phantom embraces Delacroix as Daaé reincarnated. He becomes fanatically obsessed with the ingénue and history, inevitably, repeats itself. Delacroix isn’t a contender for literary heroine of the year. She’s a satisfactory foil for a cast of dysfunctional characters including her two suitors, the Phantom and Compte Rezso Esterhazy. Flamboyant costumer/phantom confidant Giry is a character highlight. As a life-long Phantom fan, this book’s premise is both intriguing and unsettling. It’s a virtual re-telling or modernization of Phantom with a steamy twist. Phantom: The Immortal is a work of erotica steeped in social dysfunction. To enjoy this telling of the Phantom of the Opera, you need to be able to compartmentalize your social conscious. It’s a fantasy through and through; a sinful guilty pleasure.