I think I was about 15 when I first saw The Phantom of the Opera film adaptation. I was immediately enchanted by the main character Erik, the music, and the dark atmosphere of the story. It’s just so heartbreakingly beautiful. Unfortunately, I was deeply disappointed when I first read the novel the musical was based on, Le fantôme de l’opéra by Gaston Leroux. Honestly, the writing is horrible. Don’t bother with it. But seeing that I’m still very much sold to the musical (and its sequel), I’m always on the look-out for new versions. Enter Sing me Forgotten by Jessica S. Olson, a gender-bent YA fantasy retelling.

Sing me Forgotten

Sing me Forgotten tells the story of Isda, a young girl who is hidden away at the opera house because the world can never learn her secret: she has the forbidden magical skill to manipulate memories when people sing.

Locked away, Isda struggles to find an outlet for her creative genius. Luckily for her, she has her guardian Cyril, the opera house’s owner, who is her link to the outside world. In return for her safety in the opera’s catacombs, she has promised him two things: to keep herself out of sight and to manipulate ticket sales by convincing the audience that the performance they just attended was absolutely amazing.

But one day, a talented young singer is hired to clean the opera. Emeric’s voice is unlike any other and Isda finds it increasingly hard to keep her promise to stay hidden. As a tentative friendship starts to blossom and evil plans come to light, Isda realises that she has no other option than to become the monster the world believes her to be.

“No one but him, heard as the outcast hears”

I quite enjoyed Sing me Forgotten. I thought the magic system was very original and a nice addition to the story. There are two main types of magic in this story: the Fendoir, who can extract memory elixir; and the Gravoir, who can alter memories. To be honest, I’m not completely sure why Fendoir magic is frowned upon but grudgingly accepted while Gravoir magic is hunted down. Both seem equally useful and potentially dangerous to me. But it makes for a good story, of course.

I’ve never read a gender-bent Phantom story before, so I was pleasantly surprised by this one. Not sure it had to be gender-bent because there didn’t seem to be any additional value to the Phantom being a girl, but, nevertheless, it was interesting to read a female variant and to experience the story through her eyes. Isda is quite similar to Erik in her genius and explosiveness. I Quite liked her, although I felt less close to her than I did to Erik. Emeric was a nice alternative for Christine, though. Christine has always annoyed me quite badly and Emeric was much more easy-to-like.

In general, I quite liked the story, although sometimes it left me thinking “that escalated rather quickly”. Especially regarding its darkness. In the musical version, the darkness is smoldering all throughout the storyline leading up to the point of no return. In this novel, it’s always there too, but less perceptible. And then suddenly, bam, you get a whole lot of angst and violence.

Definitively a recommendation for any Phantom fan: 3 out of 5 gemstones:

Age Category: Young Adult, also okay for an older audience

Trigger Warnings (click here, may contain spoilers)

Warnings for violence, self-harm, manipulation, physical and emotional abuse.

Do you want to discover more?

If my review inspired you to pick up the book, don’t hesitate to check it out at Goodreads or at the below online stores. If you decide to buy it via one of the following links, I will receive a small percentage at no extra charge for you!

Amazon.nl: Hardcover English edition

Similar to this

If you enjoyed the stage or film adaptations of The Phantom of the Opera, you might want to check out The Phantom of Manhattan by Frederick Forsyth. This novel can be considered a sequel to the original story, even though it was written by another author. More than 20 years after the end of the first part, Erik has become a wealthy entrepreneur in New York who builds a new opera house to lure the biggest opera star to his stage, Christine Daaé. I quite enjoyed this story, as well as the second musical that was loosely based on it: Love Never Dies. Hardcore Phantom fans tend to bash the sequel but honestly? It is hauntingly beautiful.

I have several other retellings of the Phantom story on my TBR list. One of them is Music of the Night by Angela J. Ford. This novel tells the story of Aria, an orphan who becomes the ward of a count with whom she makes a deal: if she learns to sing, she will not have to enter in an arranged marriage. Sounds mysterious, now doesn’t it?

In Spring 2022, Jessica S. Olson‘s second book will be published, A Forgery of Roses. This story is about another girl with a secret power: the ability to change someone’s appearance by painting them. I’m getting very similar vibes when reading the summary, mixed with a healthy dose of The Picture of Dorian Gray. I’m curious to read more!

Last but not least, if you are into gender-bent retellings, I would also recommend Scarlet by A.C. Gaughen. This series introduces us to a female Will Scarlet and brings the Robin Hood legend to live in an original way. Definitely recommended.