Article contributed by Tessa Qi
For those of you who are massive fans of The Phantom of the Opera story, both novel and musical (like me), get ready for a new gender-flipped version of the well renowned story!
Those of you who have watched the musical or at least aware of the story would be able to recall a certain phantom lurking in the crypts and sewers of the Paris Opera House. His appearance can be identified by the white mask that covers half of his scarred face. Despite his association with darkness, the phantom however has the voice of an angel (much to everyone’s surprise), he projects his dreams of singing in front of an audience onto Christine, his muse and his secret love. Olson takes this classic legend and does a gender-twist containing all the elements of magic and music, bringing it to a new level as she presents a complex girl with a hidden life and magical talents before us. Seventeen-year-old Isda has lived in the shadows her entire life, being discarded and left to drown at birth, she was found and raised in secret by Cyril, the owner of the Opera House in which she resides. Unknown to others but Cyril, Isda has a secret: she is a gravoir, someone who is able to see a person’s memories and manipulate them whilst they are singing. The mutilated face is their signature and all gravoirs are expected to be executed upon birth for fear of their powers going rogue. Like fendoirs (another type of magic inhabitant able to extract memories as an elixir) both hide underneath masks because of their facial disfigurements and are scorned by society. After being taken in by Cyril, she helps him by manipulating the audiences’ memories at the Opera House, gaining both money and popularity for him. Isda has always lived in darkness and often dreams of singing in front of the audience one day, but she knows that will never happen. She was content, for now.
That is, of course, until one day, she encountered a newly addition to the Opera House, one Emeric Rodin (aka the female version of Christine Daaé in case you haven’t noticed *wink*). Enchanted by his singing voice in which she describes it as ‘the bright fire of autumn transforming the world into a kaleidoscope of burning reds and golds’, Isda is determined to tutor him and make him a star on stage. Of course, this proves to be a more difficult task than she had anticipated. Carefully hiding her true identity from Emeric and tutoring him secretly without the notice of Cyril, Isda gradually finds herself more addicted to Emeric’s singing and his memories whilst her life also takes a surprising turn of events.
Adorned with magic and music, masquerade balls and hidden plots, Sing Me Forgotten is a lavish musical which harbours the intention of bringing the readers on a marvellous journey deep within the crypts of the Opera House. Personally, I loved the setting immensely. The Phantom of the Opera was one of the first musicals I watched when I was young, and it still remained one of my favourites to date. Upon reading the synopsis of the novel, I immediately knew it would be spectacular and sure enough, it did not disappoint!
MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD
The complexity of the characters and their development throughout the novel is very well done! With Isda, Olson portrays a complex character in which she is also the hero and the villain of the story. In other words, she might be the hero of her and Emeric’s story, but she is seen as the villain in others. One cannot help but feel pity for her after learning her abandonment when she was merely an infant and the lies that were being told to her, but her horrendous acts later on in the book puts her on the wrong side of history. There was this quote that I read which said, ‘if they want me to be a nightmare, then a nightmare I shall be’ which completely captures the transition of Isda. She wasn’t always a villain, underneath her perhaps horrendous facial features, lies a normal 17-year-old young girl desperate for love and acceptance. When she met Emeric, she found the first person who embraced her as her true self without question (Spoiler: not even Cyril did that) and he also understands her on a spiritual level. That is the kind of acceptance that she longs and desires for. Emeric is the light in her darkness and in turn, she is also his saviour. With Isda’s guidance, Emeric is able to shine on the stage, living both him and Isda’s dreams. He is such a sweet boy, nice and gentle and is exceptional at making caramel candies (can he get any cuter seriously?!). Emeric’s love for music and his compassion towards Isda is something that amazes her and the reason why she keeps dropping her guard for him. Even Cyril, who turns out to be not the gentleman that he appears to be, has his own secrets of being the way he is now (although I did wish we got more of his backstory). In the end, finally, Isda is free from her shackles. Away from manipulation and lies, she is ‘the director and the maestro of her own life’ now. She is The Opera Ghost and she will not be afraid anymore.
Another one of the many captivating features of this novel is the language descriptions used within. Olson utilises the language of music exquisitely with delightful metaphors and her words on the pages bring forth a breathtaking symphony to the readers’ ears. It is as if we are watching an Opera and as the story flows, so does the music until it comes to a crescendo, and we are all left with the aftermath of this piece of stunning work!
On a final note, if you enjoyed this remarkable story, her second novel A Forgery of Roses comes out in 2022! Yet another fantasy retake with a mixture of Stalking Jack the Ripper and A Picture of Dorian Gray (two of my favourite novels in fact despite them being completely different), her new story will take place in Victorian London, where our characters would encounter mysteries that are best left unsolved…
Sing Me Forgotten is available from Amazon, Book Depository, and other good book retailers, like your local bookstore, as of March 9th 2021.
Will you be picking up Sing Me Forgotten? Tell us in the comments below!
Synopsis | Goodreads
Isda does not exist. At least not beyond the opulent walls of the opera house.
Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house’s owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high—and that she stays out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives.
But Isda breaks Cyril’s cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she’s ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison.
Haunted by this possibility, Isda spends more and more time with Emeric, searching for answers in his music and his past. But the price of freedom is steeper than Isda could ever know. For even as she struggles with her growing feelings for Emeric, she learns that in order to take charge of her own destiny, she must become the monster the world tried to drown in the first place.
