Songs of Desideria

by Cady Lee

Everything is about to change for twenty-two-year-old Aurora Kierston. No more living in her mother’s shadow. Taking the reins on her life, she moves to Manhattan, where things start falling into place… almost too easily. When she starts receiving unsolicited and mysterious vocal lessons from a musical genius known simply as ‘The Angel’, she begins to wonder what she has gotten herself into. The only anchor keeping her from falling headfirst into a dangerous romance is an old childhood friend, who seems to show up just in time. Inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, this refreshing new take on a classic is written from Aurora’s perspective, pulling you into her heart and mind as she struggles to break free from the tight hold of grief, nostalgia, and devotion. Will she drown in a sea of desire, forever dependent on a savior? Or will she rise up and finally embrace her own light?

353 pages, Kindle Edition

Published October 26, 2025

About the author

Cady Lee has been writing for her whole life. She loves to be absorbed in fictional stories and often refers to herself as a daydream believer. Though she dabbles in poetry and short stories, her passion has always been full-length novels. She especially enjoys reinvigorating timeless classics, giving them new perspectives and bringing them back to life in a fresh, modern way.

Reviews

[Morgan W. · Rating 4 out of 5]

Excellent modern day interpretation of Phantom of the Opera

I received a free ARC of this book from the author in exchange for an honest review.

Note: possible spoilers?

I was so excited to read this modern retelling of Phantom of the Opera! I'm not usually a big fan of modern settings, but the eclectic speakeasy was an excellent choice for this tale, and it gave it a whimsical vibe. The author's voice is beautiful, containing a very professional elegance.

Something I really appreciated about this novel was that it wasn't simply a retelling; it was a unique story in its own right. It didn't strictly follow the plot of its source material, which helped to keep it fresh. However, there were plenty of nods to the various forms of Phantom. Some of my favorites:

-"opened up your mind" ("Music of the Night," anyone?)

-"Aurora, it's a vacation, not a crime." (Raoul's "it's an engagement, not a crime.")

-"It's over now. The music is fading out . . ." ("It's over now, the music of the night!")

-There also may have been references to the "magical lasso," and maybe even the Persian from the original novel?

The beginning of the novel was a little rough, but I understand how hard it can be to set the scene and still capture the reader's attention. The numerous flashbacks pulled me out of the story at first; it's really hard to implement a number of flashbacks without the reader getting a bit of whiplash (I think the Six of Crows duology is the only series I've read that successfully kept my attention with flashbacks). But this wasn't a pattern in Desideria. Once the flashbacks had explained the main character's past, we remained in the present.

The main character, Aurora, could be frustrating through a good chunk of the book. However, this was most definitely part of the story. It's not all about romance; it's about Aurora's growth and learning who she really is and what she wants. And the theme of family was woven throughout, which I enjoyed as well.

Speaking of romance, this is a very closed door romance. I actually didn't even realize something intimate had happened between two of the characters until a bit later. Personally, I appreciate that. I'm not interested in spicy romance.

All of the characters are flawed, which makes them more like real people. I wanted to slap a few of them, but I still liked them, which is how I prefer my characters.

I was a little worried at the very end that the story was going in the direction of a trope I despise... Thankfully, it did not. The ending is bittersweet but fitting.

All in all, a great debut novel. Looking forward to more by this author!

[Katee · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was selected as an ARC reader for Songs of Desideria, and I want to give an honest review. This isn’t the type of book I’d normally pick up, but I was genuinely surprised by how much I enjoyed it. Aurora’s self growth and growing confidence throughout the story were inspiring, and the chemistry between her and the Angel (Isak) was undeniable.

I never read the phantom of the opera, so I can’t go off the similarities.

That said, I did get a little frustrated with Aurora at times… especially when she kept stringing Christian along but I’m glad things cleared up by the end. There were also a few sections that felt drawn out or conversations that didn’t really add much to the story. The beginning was slow and took me a bit to get into, but once I hit the halfway point, it picked up and held my attention all the way to the end.

The ending definitely took me by surprise and made me emotional. I did not see that coming, or that there was a moment between her and Isak that was intimate. It definitely fit the dark romance genre without the spice.

Overall, Songs of Desideria turned out to be a surprisingly emotional and a refreshing read that I’m glad I gave a chance!

[BookLy · Rating 4 out of 5]

This was a beautifully written story inspired by The Phantom Of The Opera, and I enjoyed it until the ending. I’m giving it four stars because of the writing and the story, but it would have been five stars with a better ending. I like to end a book feeling good, better from reading it. But this book ended with me feeling like why did I read this beautiful story to end up making me feel unsatisfied and devastated. I know that not all stories have the ending we want, but I read to escape life and feel better and I’m usually careful about what I read because of that. This book left me feeling hollowed out.

[Hannah · Rating 5 out of 5]

I had the privilege to beta read for this book and it was an absolute delight.

If you love phantom of the opera this is a must-read!

[M. Iliad · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was magical. For anyone who loves The Phantom of the Opera and a beautiful emotional story; please please read this. I had the honor of reading this as an ARC and I just want to keep sharing this book with the world.

The characters were so involved, and each of them surprised me in refreshing and cathartic ways. They didn’t do any of the stereotypical assumptions I’d assumed they would, in a GOOD way. It’s hard to not give spoilers because I just want to yap about how much my emotions and thoughts got tangled up.

You are carried with Aurora. You fall away with her, you bend with her, you stand up with her. She’s the most relatable and honestly RAW FMC I’ve met in a while. We experience everything she does, real time, and in a heartbreakingly bittersweet way.

The musical aspect of the book is also just ✨chefs kiss✨; they’re gorgeous to read and try to make a melody to match in your head. And trust me, there is MUSIC in this. Do yourself a huge favor and read the acknowledgments for some major feels on top of feels at the end.

I am so grateful that this book exists, and truthfully, I hope everyone who sees this gives her a chance. For a debut, this book was incredible, it wrote as if Cady Lee had been writing forever.

Cady Lee herself is a gem. I got to meet her in person at an author event and she was incredibly kind and informative about her work! I highly recommend stopping by any event with her in it, she’s so fun and easy to talk to.

[UntoldOblivion · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the privilege of getting an ARC of this story and as a Phantom of the Opera fan I was excited to see how this modern take on the tale would be told, and I wasn’t disappointed! I also have to give added credit because It’s been AWHILE since a book has made literal tears fall down my face and this one got me so well done Cady Lee! 👏🏽

I think anyone can enjoy this story but POTO fans especially will have fun seeing the MANY subtle and not so subtle references that are hidden throughout the novel which I personally loved finding as I read.

Okay now for a little more in depth analysis…

This book is beautifully written with a lot of poetic phrasing. I think because of this there were just a few descriptions from the fmcs pov that I found a little long winded but still nice. I LOVE the way the songs are written it made me want to find a melody right then and there. The first half of the book went a little slower for me probably because of the plot/scenes being set which is understandable. I’ve realized too that I’m not always a huge fan of flashbacks but I have to say that although they aren’t my favorite the ones in this book did work because by the second half I felt like I was invested in the story and characters and needed to see how certain decisions and character arcs were going to play out.

I love how characters inspired by Madame Giry, Meg, Raoul, etc. were drawn out more in this story…
(I’ll let you find out which characters are which for yourself tho:)

⚠️ Possible slight spoilers below but I will try my best not to give anything away:

The FMC was very aggravating at times because of the decisions she would make and how she would think. I found myself saying “what are you doing!?” a lot of the time especially when it came to her leading certain characters on. But this being a coming of age story I had to take a step back and remind myself that the naive nature of this character that causes certain decisions and actions sets the tone for growth. I wish I saw a little more hints at her character development and new approaches to thinking as she learned a bit sooner in the story BUT it did make certain interactions between characters even more profound (even becoming some of my favorite moments) so when her development did happen it was all the more satisfying.

Now the MMC… the phantom himself! I think the author did a lovely job building his character and also figuring out ways to show his genius and humanity but also his flaws. The twists in the story (which I will not mention) by the end help shine even more light on decisions and actions made. The topic of mental health was a big subject in this novel and for good reason especially if you know a bit about the characters they are inspired by.

Songs of Desideria is an emotional rollercoaster of a debut novel and a very fun read!👏🏽

[sym · Rating 5 out of 5]

Cady Lee how dare you.

I’ve never wanted a six-hour film adaption of a book so badly.

I feel obligated to start by mentioning that this is not my usual read. More often I’m drawn to thrillers, specifically psychological thrillers full of tension, suspense, and angst. Things that make you feel nervous and like you’re losing your mind? Love that stuff. Was I expecting that from a story about a girl who moved to New York to pursue her dream to sing?
Absolutely not.

I cozied up in bed eager to have an easy read every night for a week and maybe tmi but in all honesty, I spent the entire week with my butt cheeks clenched.
There was not a single part of this book that did not have me stressed, tense, or on the verge of a tears.
That being said I laughed A LOT. The character dynamics are real and organic and the descriptions couldn’t paint a more vivid picture of who these people are. By the end it really felt like I was leaving behind friends.

Things I enjoyed about the story but didn’t expect:
————————————————————————————
- Not hating the love triangle (and I hate love triangles)

- The love and support between female characters (passes the bechdel test with flying colors)

- Complicated yet loving mother/daughter relationships

- Avoidant attachment representation

- Struggle with grief and caregiving

Overall, this is a story I wish I could read for the first time again. I finished the epilogue in hysterical laughter and tears and have now entered an insatiable reading rut.

[Leah Joanne · Rating 5 out of 5]

OK, I'm totally breaking my rule here... as an Author I decided to not leave reviews on my profile BUT Cady Lee is a wonderful friend and I have something to say.

Am I bias because she's a friend? Maybe a little, but I genuinely feel very passionate about this book. I know I could get stoned for saying this...but I'm honestly not a huge fan of Phantom of the Opera. I know, I know, blasphemy!!

However, when I read "Songs of Desideria" I finally understood the lore. Cady Lee managed to take the bones of the original story and fill in every vein, pumping it with fresh blood. I loved the feminine POV and by the end my heart ached for the MMC.

I HATED the MMC for the first half of the book, he literally made me need to close my eyes and breath before turning the next page, even more so, I HATED the FMC's reactions to him. Let me assure you, it was the good kind of hate, the kind that fueled me to keep reading. I needed to see Aurora stand up for herself and step into her own spotlight and I needed to know WHY. Why was Isak like this?

I'm not going to spoil anything, but I will tell you that Cady Lee delivered. She satisfied me in every way by the end.

If you love "Phantom of the Opera" you are truly in for a treat. This is the kind of book to sip slowly and let every verse sink in.

[Cara Berzins · Rating 5 out of 5]

There’s something mind blowing about a book based on a well-loved story shocking your socks off at the end. I never thought anything could match the intensity of the Phantom of the Opera Broadway show, but Songs of Desideria matches it AND brings more depth. Whether you love Phantom of the Opera or not, you will love this story.

[Taylor Albert · Rating 4 out of 5]

I had the privilege of getting this book before release and let me tell you...I was NOT disappointed.
I absolutely loved this book and read it in less than a week - mind you I have a full time job and two kids!
So good! Definitely add to your TBR!