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peytonelysse's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
bookswritingandmore's review against another edition
5.0
Who hasn't heard of The Phantom of the Opera? Most have but the story is always told from the Phantums point of view. The premise of this author's plot is all about Christine, the heroine in the historical tale. She takes the stage from the beginning of this novel with her talent for singing beautifully and her secret love of illusions.
I was captivated by this novel from the beginning and found it very difficult to put it down between chapters. That's really no surprise to me though as I fell in love with Heather Webb's writing in her Novel Last Christmas in Paris. I think this book blows that away though.
I also loved Christine's journey from a very young impressionable girl that his behind her father's coat tales to an independent woman who didn't want any men to decide her fate. She was breathtaking to read as she grew into her own woman.
If you love historical fiction with an classical setting, interesting characters that continue to surprise you through our the story and beautiful writing, The Phantom's Apprentice is for you.
I was captivated by this novel from the beginning and found it very difficult to put it down between chapters. That's really no surprise to me though as I fell in love with Heather Webb's writing in her Novel Last Christmas in Paris. I think this book blows that away though.
I also loved Christine's journey from a very young impressionable girl that his behind her father's coat tales to an independent woman who didn't want any men to decide her fate. She was breathtaking to read as she grew into her own woman.
If you love historical fiction with an classical setting, interesting characters that continue to surprise you through our the story and beautiful writing, The Phantom's Apprentice is for you.
hmbb99's review against another edition
4.0
As a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera, I was intrigued by Heather Webb's reimagining of the story in her book The Phantom's Apprentice. The story tells the tale from Christine Daaé's point of view, which fits perfectly in the context of the opera. You can feel the struggle Christine is facing when trying decide whether to trust the Angel of Music or whether to fear him. Christine's grief and anguish is palpable, as is her fear and her determination to figure out who she wants to be. Heather Webb has expanded on a classic tale in such a way that for me, this story has become part of the canon of the Phantom of the Opera. I will no longer think of one without the other.
100pagesaday's review against another edition
4.0
Christine Daaé has grown up traveling the country with her father performing music. Christine is an accomplished vocalist, accompanied by her father, a violinist. Christine's true passion, however, is illusions. Christine's father takes her to see an Illusionist, the Illusionist brings about a spirit and makes a prediction that someone in the audience will soon pass. That evening, the theater is set on fire. Christine is taken in by a benefactor, Madame Valerius and is encouraged to sing again for employment. Assisted by Monsieur Delacroix, Christine secures a place at the opera house. Christine is quickly identified as a featured singer and made the understudy of the diva, Carlotta. Trouble brews as Monsieur Delacroix asks for Christine's assistance in finding the opera ghost, Carlotta despises Christine's competition and the opera ghost takes Christine under his wing as her Angel of Music to train her to be the star that he believes she was meant to be. As Christine trains with the Phantom, she learns that he may not be her true Angel of Music. Christine must use her other talents to break free.
In The Phantom's Apprentice Christine takes center stage as the hero of her own story. Christine was very easy to like as she grew from humble beginnings and knew the power of hard work, dedication and friendship. Along with Christine, I enjoyed the bubbly, supportive personality of Claudette and the perfection of Raul. The Phantom is done in such a way that he is both the hero and anti-hero. His past is clearly outlined and from that, his actions border on honorable. I believe it is Christine's presence that throws his over the edge. The writing gradually builds the atmosphere of suspense as the mystery of the Phantom grows. I loved the inclusion of the illusions, they give depth to both the Phantom and Christine as well allow us to be able to delve into a fad of the age, spiritualism. As the Phantom and other characters begin to show their true colors, the danger and tension increases in the story and I found myself flying through the last quarter. I was very happy with the way Christine found to outwit the Phantom and her other pursuers as well as how Christine was able to live her life afterwards. Overall, an exciting and intriguing new look at The Phantom of the Opera.
This book was received in exchange for an honest review.
In The Phantom's Apprentice Christine takes center stage as the hero of her own story. Christine was very easy to like as she grew from humble beginnings and knew the power of hard work, dedication and friendship. Along with Christine, I enjoyed the bubbly, supportive personality of Claudette and the perfection of Raul. The Phantom is done in such a way that he is both the hero and anti-hero. His past is clearly outlined and from that, his actions border on honorable. I believe it is Christine's presence that throws his over the edge. The writing gradually builds the atmosphere of suspense as the mystery of the Phantom grows. I loved the inclusion of the illusions, they give depth to both the Phantom and Christine as well allow us to be able to delve into a fad of the age, spiritualism. As the Phantom and other characters begin to show their true colors, the danger and tension increases in the story and I found myself flying through the last quarter. I was very happy with the way Christine found to outwit the Phantom and her other pursuers as well as how Christine was able to live her life afterwards. Overall, an exciting and intriguing new look at The Phantom of the Opera.
This book was received in exchange for an honest review.
themaritimereader14's review against another edition
3.0
I am very familiar with the musical of The Phantom of the Opera but have not read the original book. I'd say this novel did a wonderful job of encompassing the story and adding to it as well. It took me awhile to get into, and made me realize that probably my favourite part of the Phantom of the Opera is the music, because other parts of it are creepy (a ghost?! a stalker crazy ghost in an old building?! ahhh). I did really like this book though and if you are a huge fan of the original story, this would be worth your time to consider.
the_sassy_bookworm's review against another edition
5.0
I love ALL things Phantom Of The Opera. I've read the original book. I've read various books based on the story. I've seen the play (numerous times). I've watched the plethora of movies and TV shows based on the book. I have worn the soundtrack out and I pretty much know every song by heart. So yea, when I saw this book up for review on NetGalley I broke a nail clicking the "request" button. And I am very glad I did because I pretty much LOVED Heather Webb's take on this classic.
~WRITING - PLOT - PACE~
The writing in this one was FANTASTIC. The pace was perfect, and I never felt the need to skim. The plot was engaging and had me hooked on the very first word. I loved the whole "illusionist" angle that the author added. As well as the whole spiritualist movement subplot. I loved the setting. It was romantic. It was suspenseful. It was just superb.
~HERO~
RAUL...I loved how the author portrayed Raul in this re-imaging. In the original, I have always found him to be a bit bland and I pretty much always wish that Christine would have stayed with the Phantom. He had a bit more personality in this book and because of that, I felt his and Christine connection more.
THE PHANTOM...yes I am putting him under the HERO section because that is usually how I view his character. In this version of the story, his character takes on a much more malevolent air. A departure from the usual tortured misunderstood soul of the original.
~HEROINE~
CHRISTINE...is the most fleshed out character in the book. In the original, she is a very naïve and easily manipulated character. That somewhat remains the same in the beginning of this one but the author does a good job of developing her character past that original naivety into a more self aware and decisive individual. I also quite liked the addition of having Christine be interested in illusion.
~SECONDARY CHARACTERS~
There were some good character additions to the original story in this one. I very much like Claudette and her friendship with Christine. Monsieur Delacroix and his hunt for the Opera ghost. Madame Valerius. These additions on top of the familiar faces we already know added some good depth to the plot and rounded out the story well.
~HEAT LEVEL~
None. It's not a romance book per se so there is no sex in it. That said, it still had a layer of romance running through it.
~ANGST LEVEL~
Low. It is somewhat angsty regarding the Phantom and his behavior. Christine and Raul's relationship got a little romance book like angsty near the end with a touch of OW drama.
~IN THE END~
I ADORED this book. It was a fabulous re-imaging of the classic. It was well written and paced. Had a well developed plot. Intriguing characters. If you are a huge Phantom Of The Opera fan like me, then I think this book would be something you would enjoy very much. Two HUGE thumbs up from yours truly.
j_ess_reads's review against another edition
3.0
I am very likely the target audience for this novel. I have read and reread Gaston Leroux’s THE PHANTOM OF THE OPERA so many times my paperback copy is practically worn out, and I probably could still recite the entire libretto of the Andrew Lloyd Webber musical after being first introduced to it about 20 years ago. That being said, I have a love-hate relationship with pastiches/retellings/fan fiction. Usually I’m glad to just spend more time in the story. But I have been, dare I say, haunted by some seriously sub-par POTO sequels. I took a chance on THE PHANTOM’S APPRENTICE.
The short version: I had fun reading it! An atmospheric romance with a bit of intrigue, this page turner is easier to navigate than the Gothic horror of the original story. I could easily see this shelved as both adult and young adult fiction.
The longer version: The purist is going to be a little rankled by inconsistencies – which there are bound to be some since the story is based on *both* versions and even those don’t coalesce spectacularly well. The true villain of the story was convenient, and I felt the book needed to be longer; the rising action and conclusion came very quickly. I appreciated that Christine Daae wasn’t simply a paper doll in this version. Her friendship with Claudette was lovely, and her character enriched by some more insight into probable motivations. (If I were to make one change, I would have loved to see how Christine, in all her illusionist training, might outwit Erik’s torture chamber to save Raoul and the Persian. That would’ve been AWESOME.)
The short version: I had fun reading it! An atmospheric romance with a bit of intrigue, this page turner is easier to navigate than the Gothic horror of the original story. I could easily see this shelved as both adult and young adult fiction.
The longer version: The purist is going to be a little rankled by inconsistencies – which there are bound to be some since the story is based on *both* versions and even those don’t coalesce spectacularly well. The true villain of the story was convenient, and I felt the book needed to be longer; the rising action and conclusion came very quickly. I appreciated that Christine Daae wasn’t simply a paper doll in this version. Her friendship with Claudette was lovely, and her character enriched by some more insight into probable motivations. (If I were to make one change, I would have loved to see how Christine, in all her illusionist training, might outwit Erik’s torture chamber to save Raoul and the Persian. That would’ve been AWESOME.)
nasselin's review against another edition
4.0
Well, this book could not have come at a better time! Tomorrow I’m going to see the “sequel” to Phantom, “Love Never Dies” at the Boston Opera House.
I was never a HUGE fan of the original, and then the movie was just okay. So I was excited for this retelling of the story from the perspective of the manipulated woman, Christine Daae. This book makes her a strong character in her own right, just trying to honor her dead father’s memory by singing in the Paris Opera. She is fantastic at it, but she longs to do something more with her life. Her mother taught her illusions from a young age, and she was fascinated by mechanical objects. She loves being on stage, but wants to become an illusionist in her own right.
The story follows the plot of the musical. She starts to be tutored by the Paris Opera Ghost, “the Phantom”. He becomes increasingly more unhinged and takes to kidnapping her. We as readers find out more about how/why he became increasingly dangerous, and why he was so obsessed with Christine. I love that she uses her smarts to try and break free from his increasingly tight stranglehold.
For fans of the musical, this book takes a deep dive into a character we don’t really know about. I enjoyed it and I think it’ll be interesting to see how the show goes tomorrow. The end of this book opens the door for more in the lives of Christine and the Phantom.
I was never a HUGE fan of the original, and then the movie was just okay. So I was excited for this retelling of the story from the perspective of the manipulated woman, Christine Daae. This book makes her a strong character in her own right, just trying to honor her dead father’s memory by singing in the Paris Opera. She is fantastic at it, but she longs to do something more with her life. Her mother taught her illusions from a young age, and she was fascinated by mechanical objects. She loves being on stage, but wants to become an illusionist in her own right.
The story follows the plot of the musical. She starts to be tutored by the Paris Opera Ghost, “the Phantom”. He becomes increasingly more unhinged and takes to kidnapping her. We as readers find out more about how/why he became increasingly dangerous, and why he was so obsessed with Christine. I love that she uses her smarts to try and break free from his increasingly tight stranglehold.
For fans of the musical, this book takes a deep dive into a character we don’t really know about. I enjoyed it and I think it’ll be interesting to see how the show goes tomorrow. The end of this book opens the door for more in the lives of Christine and the Phantom.
basicbsguide's review against another edition
4.0
This book took me back to such a fond childhood memory and had me humming the music while I read. The first time I saw The Phantom of the Opera I was 12 and it was my first ever big theatre production. I saw it in Toronto at the Pantages Theatre, which by the way is amazing. Its name has since changed to The Ed Mirvish Theatre. The show ran for more than a decade. I’m trying to remember how many times I saw the show but it was at least twice. I’ve seen many theatre productions since and this still stands out as a favorite.
This creative re-imagining of the story is brilliant. Webb introduces a spiritual movement as well as an illusionist angle that I very much enjoyed. Full disclosure: I have not read the original book but now I want to. I also haven’t seen the movie but I know it will pale in comparison as movies adaptations often do.
Christine struggles with doing what her Papa always wanted versus pursuing her dreams of becoming a master illusionist. You get a little of everything with this book. This book is full of magic, romance and mystery. Webb had me rapidly turning the pages and cheering Christine on. I loved seeing her grow into a strong woman.
This is my second book that I’ve read by Heather Webb and I want more! I first fell in love with her writing in Last Christmas in Paris, which was a favorite of mine from 2017. I highly recommend this book to any fan of The Phantom of the Opera or historical fiction.
This creative re-imagining of the story is brilliant. Webb introduces a spiritual movement as well as an illusionist angle that I very much enjoyed. Full disclosure: I have not read the original book but now I want to. I also haven’t seen the movie but I know it will pale in comparison as movies adaptations often do.
Christine struggles with doing what her Papa always wanted versus pursuing her dreams of becoming a master illusionist. You get a little of everything with this book. This book is full of magic, romance and mystery. Webb had me rapidly turning the pages and cheering Christine on. I loved seeing her grow into a strong woman.
This is my second book that I’ve read by Heather Webb and I want more! I first fell in love with her writing in Last Christmas in Paris, which was a favorite of mine from 2017. I highly recommend this book to any fan of The Phantom of the Opera or historical fiction.
linwearcamenel's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5