Michael Leon – författare

CHANDELIER: The legendary Phantom of the Opera reimagined.

CHANDELIER, Book Two of the PHANTOMS trilogy, returns to where Book One ended, Erik''s dramatic escape from the Garnier as Paris police attempt to arrest him. So what became of Erik and the famous divas who crossed his path? Did Erik miraculously survive, or had his terrifying reign ended in the river Seine''s murky depths as rumours claimed?

The truth remains hidden, seemingly lost in time, before a humanoid, Benny, is drawn into the Phantom''s dark world. Here, 22nd-century super-intelligence collides with 20th-century malevolence, revealing dangerous secrets in this tale of time travel, love lost, grand opera theatres and the ghosts that inhabit them. 

A century has passed since the fabled Phantom ruled the Garnier Opera House. Multiple generations of patrons have felt his wrath, including Madame D''Arenberg, referred to as Diva. Once a famous French opera singer, Diva is now a centenarian post-human (humans with technological implants), long retired from opera.

But in the year 2121 AD, Diva prepares for her final appearance at the Garnier for the opening night of Verdi''s La Traviata. Her greatest love has long passed, and she is now cared for by Peri (a human) and Dr Flynn (a humanoid). On Peri''s recommendation, Diva attends a performance by Benny, a musician who scrapes out a living as a pianist in a nightclub. Diva is affected by his unique musicianship and hires him to write a song for her final concert.

Benny is delighted with the opportunity to test his talents. However, his satisfaction turns to alarm as he is swept up in the Phantom''s world, exposed to Diva''s past enemies. Ultimately he learns deadly secrets about Diva''s tragic life but at a potentially high cost to himself. Benny runs the gauntlet, determined to solve his lifelong puzzle. What is the origin of his seemingly superhuman musicianship capabilities?

Revisit the enchanting world of the Phantom of the Opera and experience a new imagining of the most famous opera ghost in the world. This new genre-bending tale reignites the secret world, first revealed by Gaston Leroux, and updated in a trilogy incorporating 21st-century technology.

The legend lives on in Phantoms… as modern day Phantom of the Opera, Eric Destler, plots to take over and rule the Palais Garnier with La Divina, the world-famous soprano, Carlotta Caccini, as his queen.  But at every turn he is thwarted by his nemesis, the original Phantom of the Opera, now the Opera Ghost. 

Phantoms is set in the dark underground of the famous Paris Opera House and the stage above, where Guiseppi Verdi’s famous opera, Macbeth is being rehearsed, one hundred years on from the first appearance of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra in 1910.  It is about parallel worlds, where opera imitates life with potentially catastrophic results.

This is a tale about many phantoms – the real, imagined and ethereal – that haunt us all.  And about the phantoms who live in the darkest recesses of the mind, often lurking behind beautiful facades. A world where some masks can’t be seen.

“Phantoms is a fast-paced story set in the sumptuous Paris Opera House – with all its secrets and rivalries – and pays tribute to the beauty of the human voice.  Against that is the stark reality of temptation, ghosts and visions, torture and cruelty, guilt, remorse and damnation – and, in the end, salvation.”

DR KIM MURRAY