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Redemption of Shadows: A New Tale of the Phantom of the Opera
One man’s mask hides a deformed face out of shame.Another man’s beautiful face masks a true monster.Time has passed since Phantom Erik’s face was revealed on stage by Christine Daaé. Most believe he’s dead, but far beneath the Paris Opera he lives in secret, alone. Free from morphine's grip, just as he's preparing to begin a private life above, fate deals an unexpected hand in the guise of a woman in need. Alone and desperate to leave an abusive marriage, classically trained pianist Caitlin Chesnier escapes to the only refuge she knows. With plans in place to start a new life, she’s able to breathe easily for the first time in years. But her husband Lucien is violent and manipulative, and he’ll stop at nothing to see that she pays for her defiance. Keeping Caitlin safe is no easy task, but along the way, Erik learns that trust, compassion, and love make more beautiful music than loneliness and solitude. Still, he knows too well that monsters are resilient. With more to lose than ever before, he must decide how to fight an evil greater than any he’s known.
348 pages, Kindle Edition
Published December 9, 2015
5 people are currently reading
37 people want to read
About the author
Cathy Conway
2 books6 followersA Southern California native and voracious reader, Cathy M. Conway's been writing stories for as long as she can remember. An avid people watcher, her stories have a romantic leaning and will contain a seed of hope.
“Redemption of Shadows” is Cathy’s debut novel.
When she’s not writing, Cathy enjoys theatre, movies, and trying new restaurants. She has a touch of wanderlust, and has a passion for dog rescue. Adopt, don’t shop!
Cathy's a mother of twins, and is an active member in her church and community. She lives in a coastal town where she enjoys long walks on the beach with her husband Bob, and dog, Riley.
Cathy M. Conway online:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/cathyco...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathymconway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathymconway
Email: cathymconway.author@gmail.com
“Redemption of Shadows” is Cathy’s debut novel.
When she’s not writing, Cathy enjoys theatre, movies, and trying new restaurants. She has a touch of wanderlust, and has a passion for dog rescue. Adopt, don’t shop!
Cathy's a mother of twins, and is an active member in her church and community. She lives in a coastal town where she enjoys long walks on the beach with her husband Bob, and dog, Riley.
Cathy M. Conway online:
Amazon Author Page: https://www.amazon.com/author/cathyco...
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/cathymconway
Twitter: https://twitter.com/cathymconway
Email: cathymconway.author@gmail.com
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Community Reviews
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
March 2, 2017
From "The Phantom's Lair" blog: https://thephantomslair.wordpress.com...
"After much prompting from fellow Phans, I finally got around to reading Redemption of Shadows. Since I’d heard nothing but good things about this book from fellow Phans, I was quite excited to read it.
As usual, my phriends were right! This book didn’t disappoint. Not only is it beautifully written, but it’s also a refreshing change from much of the typical Phan phiction that we read.
The author, Cathy M. Conway, isn’t an Erik/Christine shipper in this book. Instead, she introduces us to a new character: Caitlin. I absolutely loved Caitlin! Adored her! What can I say without giving away key plot points? I’ll say this: despite the traumatic experiences Caitlin goes through, she’s still a strong, independent woman capable of deep love.
I also love the way the author portrayed Erik in this novel. He has the perfect balance of that mysterious power that we all find so alluring and the vulnerability that makes him human rather than monster and endears him to us so much.
This continuation of the beloved tale of the Phantom of the Opera is a believable and satisfying one to say the least. I highly encourage any Phan to give it a read. I think you’ll quickly find that it’ll become one of your all-time phavorite Phantom books.
"After much prompting from fellow Phans, I finally got around to reading Redemption of Shadows. Since I’d heard nothing but good things about this book from fellow Phans, I was quite excited to read it.
As usual, my phriends were right! This book didn’t disappoint. Not only is it beautifully written, but it’s also a refreshing change from much of the typical Phan phiction that we read.
The author, Cathy M. Conway, isn’t an Erik/Christine shipper in this book. Instead, she introduces us to a new character: Caitlin. I absolutely loved Caitlin! Adored her! What can I say without giving away key plot points? I’ll say this: despite the traumatic experiences Caitlin goes through, she’s still a strong, independent woman capable of deep love.
I also love the way the author portrayed Erik in this novel. He has the perfect balance of that mysterious power that we all find so alluring and the vulnerability that makes him human rather than monster and endears him to us so much.
This continuation of the beloved tale of the Phantom of the Opera is a believable and satisfying one to say the least. I highly encourage any Phan to give it a read. I think you’ll quickly find that it’ll become one of your all-time phavorite Phantom books.
June 3, 2023
Love Eric's Transition
This is actually the 2nd time I have read "Redemption of Shadows" and I enjoyed it even more this time. After having read various versions of the "Phantom's" story I can say this is my new favorite! Seeing Eric's struggle to accept that, what he once thought was impossible, becoming reality through BOTH Eric and Caitlin's eyes touched my heart. This was a true struggle for Eric and the author did not gloss over the the numerous emotional revelations. Caitlin's history prior to meeting Eric was equally tragic. Together they both experience a "Redemption" from the shadows of their past. A true Love Story! ❤️❤️
This is actually the 2nd time I have read "Redemption of Shadows" and I enjoyed it even more this time. After having read various versions of the "Phantom's" story I can say this is my new favorite! Seeing Eric's struggle to accept that, what he once thought was impossible, becoming reality through BOTH Eric and Caitlin's eyes touched my heart. This was a true struggle for Eric and the author did not gloss over the the numerous emotional revelations. Caitlin's history prior to meeting Eric was equally tragic. Together they both experience a "Redemption" from the shadows of their past. A true Love Story! ❤️❤️
June 28, 2019
It's about time...
Such a good story for any phan. Please read. You won't be disappointed. This story is beautifully written, and expresses both Erik and Caitlin's hopes, fears, and deepest desires.
Such a good story for any phan. Please read. You won't be disappointed. This story is beautifully written, and expresses both Erik and Caitlin's hopes, fears, and deepest desires.
October 20, 2016
Amazing
Beautifully written, encompassing many different points of view. Engaging, and a brilliant, fresh take on a sequel that has, perhaps, been overdone.
Beautifully written, encompassing many different points of view. Engaging, and a brilliant, fresh take on a sequel that has, perhaps, been overdone.
June 17, 2025
A bit cloyingly sweet at the end but very good :)
February 1, 2016
From the Militant Recommender Book Review Blog:
http://militantrecommender.blogspot.com/
It is always fun to discover a new Phantom author and see what journey they have in store for our favorite characters. I recently downloaded "Redemption of Shadows" by Cathy M. Conway and started glancing at it to get an idea of what she was doing... and next thing, I was half way into it! This is a very addictive story!
The story begins with Erik recovering from a drug induced sleep, a ploy for Christine to come back and be with him at his death bed. The Persian left them alone, so, who knows what happened between them? Two days later, Amir is finally getting Erik to return to life. A life without his beloved Christine. Was it really worth it? It would have been easy to just slip into the great beyond.
But, no. Fate has other things in store for him. He returns from an outside excursion to find someone has entered his passage ways. Determined to find the intruder and possibly put an end to their snooping with his ever ready punjab lasso... he finds, instead, a limp bundle that turns out to be an unconscious, bloodied and beaten young woman. He is taken aback. Erik rescues her and nurses this mystery woman in his lair and as she slowly comes round, between doses of morphine, she claims not to know her name or who she is. What she is, to Erik, is a stunning beauty who has been terribly mistreated. How and why, he might never learn. But one thing was for certain, she was keeping him interested and giving him a new reason to live...
If you love Phantom fiction and are looking for an intriguing new take on the classic, then be sure to find your way to a copy of Ms. Conway's "Redemption of Shadows"! You will be very glad you did!
http://militantrecommender.blogspot.com/
It is always fun to discover a new Phantom author and see what journey they have in store for our favorite characters. I recently downloaded "Redemption of Shadows" by Cathy M. Conway and started glancing at it to get an idea of what she was doing... and next thing, I was half way into it! This is a very addictive story!
The story begins with Erik recovering from a drug induced sleep, a ploy for Christine to come back and be with him at his death bed. The Persian left them alone, so, who knows what happened between them? Two days later, Amir is finally getting Erik to return to life. A life without his beloved Christine. Was it really worth it? It would have been easy to just slip into the great beyond.
But, no. Fate has other things in store for him. He returns from an outside excursion to find someone has entered his passage ways. Determined to find the intruder and possibly put an end to their snooping with his ever ready punjab lasso... he finds, instead, a limp bundle that turns out to be an unconscious, bloodied and beaten young woman. He is taken aback. Erik rescues her and nurses this mystery woman in his lair and as she slowly comes round, between doses of morphine, she claims not to know her name or who she is. What she is, to Erik, is a stunning beauty who has been terribly mistreated. How and why, he might never learn. But one thing was for certain, she was keeping him interested and giving him a new reason to live...
If you love Phantom fiction and are looking for an intriguing new take on the classic, then be sure to find your way to a copy of Ms. Conway's "Redemption of Shadows"! You will be very glad you did!
June 28, 2016
This book is a sequel, or a fan fiction alternate ending to Susan Kay's Phantom. First, let me say that I've read Kay's book numerous times, and I love her Erik/Christine love story so much. It is one of my favorite books ever. So, that said, part of me really wanted to dislike this book, because I didn't want to tarnish or accept a different ending. However, Conway does a good job of creating what I will consider an alternate reality...or fantasy story...for Erik - perhaps a happy ending as opposed to such a tragic one.
I took one star off because the beginning was very confusing for me, with the flashbacks I didn't know what was going on or how much time had passed since the end of Kay's Phantom. After a couple chapters, the story righted itself, and I gave myself over to just enjoying the story.
I took one star off because the beginning was very confusing for me, with the flashbacks I didn't know what was going on or how much time had passed since the end of Kay's Phantom. After a couple chapters, the story righted itself, and I gave myself over to just enjoying the story.
June 1, 2016
My Type of Erik
As a reader of numerous Phantom novels, I found Cathy’s version to be a fabulous balance of what I prefer for my favorite story. In particular, she expounds on the complexities of Erik and develops the Persian into a delightful character. I read her novel while glancing at the turbulent Pacific at high tide. It blended with her words of Erik’s turbulent life. When the tide went out and the Pacific calmed, it blended with her words of hope for a tormented soul.
One reviewer on another site, mentioned the strange occurrence of finding Caitlin in the bowels of the Opera. Conversely, I enjoy when the author leaves explanations to the imagination of their readership. Loved the romance!
As a reader of numerous Phantom novels, I found Cathy’s version to be a fabulous balance of what I prefer for my favorite story. In particular, she expounds on the complexities of Erik and develops the Persian into a delightful character. I read her novel while glancing at the turbulent Pacific at high tide. It blended with her words of Erik’s turbulent life. When the tide went out and the Pacific calmed, it blended with her words of hope for a tormented soul.
One reviewer on another site, mentioned the strange occurrence of finding Caitlin in the bowels of the Opera. Conversely, I enjoy when the author leaves explanations to the imagination of their readership. Loved the romance!
June 11, 2016
Good Phantom twist. Caitlin (or Valerie) as Erik calls her is found by Erik beaten almost to death by her husband. Nursing her back to health, Caitlin suffers from amnesia and cannot remember who she is or how she got there. Erik begins calling her Valerie and begins to make a close connection with her. Better than most Phantom novels which feature a blind woman who can get over Erik's deformity.
April 21, 2016
A better ending for Eric
This novel gives us a better story for Eric, that his life has meaning and happiness. It shows how human he is and compassionate. I like that it has a happy ending.
This novel gives us a better story for Eric, that his life has meaning and happiness. It shows how human he is and compassionate. I like that it has a happy ending.
December 22, 2022
Redemption of Shadows is a heartfelt story with an endearing and softer side of Erik who is reluctant to love again. This was one of the first POTO novels I read, and I consider it one of the best. Hopefully the author continues to write more novels, whether phantom themed or not.
Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews