They Said... #3

Why book reviews are important

Book reviews are invaluable to readers and authors. Readers benefit from concise, informative reviews that don't give away plot details, while authors are able to learn from how the community is reacting and embracing their work.
We're sharing excerpts from great book reviews in this weekly blog post series.
​Enjoy!

Historical fantasy

ebook print

A dozen tumultuous years after the dramatic events at the Paris Opera House Raoul, Comte de Chagny is still haunted by the mysterious Opera Ghost – the creature of legend who held staff at the Opera House under his thrall, kidnapped Raoul’s lover and murdered his brother. In Raoul’s troubled imagination the ghosts of the past are everywhere, and strange and powerful music still calls in his dreams.
Madness, obsession and the legacy of the past weave their spell in this short, tragic tale based on the Phantom of the Opera.

The readers said

Echoes of a Song
From NN Light
Haunting, heartbreaking and a must-read!
Everyone knows what took place ten years ago in the famed Paris Opera House but Raoul, Comte de Chagny, might not have escaped with Christine in the middle of the night if he knew the consequences. His beloved Christine is dead and the Phantom of the Opera still haunts his every move. Grief-stricken, he faces the truth: she never really loved him. Can he drown the ghost taunting his every thought or will he relinquish final victory to the Phantom of the Opera?

Wow! I’m a huge fan of The Phantom of the Opera and in this short story, A. L. Butcher embodies Gaston Leroux’s voice. Haunting, is the first word that comes to mind after reading. The emotions Raoul projects as he realizes the truth of the curse is so painful, I cried as I read the last page.

If you love this classic novel and the musical brought to live by Andrew Lloyd Webber, this short story is a must-read. Highly recommend!
 
Echoes of a Song
From Convoke
Alchemy of writer and subject evokes the Phantom as never before
A. L. Butcher brings the Phantom of the Opera to life in this eight-thousand-word tale that will captivate you. Whether you are a Phantom fan or not, Raoul's memories will touch your soul. When a writer finds a perfect subject, magic happens. This is that writer for this tale. Butcher moves you from where you sit to where she wants you. In Echoes of a Song (Legacy of the Mask Tales), she triumphs. She brings us a tortured soul living past his loves in a symphony of memory and regret. Raoul, Comte de Chagny, master of Chateau Margeurite, has riches of the world but is destitute in soul. Raoul's elder brother, Phillipe has been murdered. His wife, his child, both dead. The memories that remain are destroying him. 'Accidents' at the Opera yet haunt him. This is a beautiful, mournful, and yet inspiring book, of a man living through his pain with no hope to get beyond it. And yet, when Raoul says aloud to the night: "Erik is dead," those three words summon this vivid story, this legendary creature, making the twelve years between the days of the Phantom of the Opera and now disappear.... Read this.
Universal Link https://books2read.com/Echoesofasong
 
Best fantasy 2019 on reviewer site NN Light Book Heaven!
 
Tears and Crimson Velvet
Reviewer Convoke
The Phantom of the Opera, up close and personal
No other modern writer has the affinity for the Phantom of the Opera displayed by A. L. Butcher in Tears and Crimson Velvet, from her Legacy of the Mask series. A.L. Butcher is a talented writer, and I have enjoyed all of her stories I've read, but her Phantom stories exist in another realm. And she takes you there, with deft skill and beautiful prose, time after time. Many can write, few can transport you in time and mind as Butcher does here. If you're not familiar with Butcher's work, I suggest you start here. What's happened previously is adroitly delivered in such a way that not for a second did I feel impatient: past and present merge seamlessly into a tale you'll never forget. Then you can go find the previous tales in the Legacy of the Mask series -- and I promise you, you'll want to do just that. Bravo, A.L. Butcher. When is the next Phantom story coming? I can hardly wait.

Synopsis
Madame Giry finds herself embroiled in the tragedy unfolding at the Opera house; mystery and murder stalk the corridors and, it is said, a ghost haunts the place. Giry knows the truth, for she recalls the caged man she met so many years ago. This is her story, their story.
 When murder and mystery begin at the Opera House one woman knows who is behind it, and what really lies beneath the mask. Secrets, lies and tragedy sing a powerful song in this 'might have been' tale.
 
Winner of the 2020 Best Short Story award on NNLight Book Heaven
A short, tragic tale based on characters from Phantom of the Opera.
https://books2read.com/TearsandCrimson

A.L. Butcher:
Author of fantasy, romantic fiction, and gothic style horror.

Author page