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Lazare: Gaston Leroux's Continued Investigation Concerning the Phantom of the Opera
Erik's story continues in this daring, romantic sequel to Gaston Leroux's timeless novel, The Phantom of the Opera, written in faithful imitation of Leroux's unique style. Following Christine Daae's retreat, Erik watches over the inbound trains to Gare Saint-Lazare, ever hopeful for his beloved's return. His vigil is interrupted after a mute street artist, Achille Fèvre, catches a glimpse of his masked face. Inspired, Achille paints a portrait that threatens to reveal Erik's identity to the elite of Paris, triggering a cascade of events that forges a powerful bond between the two men, who are both reluctant to believe they are worthy of love. When political strife in France induces a rampant terror of spies, Erik fears his many secrets may put his treasured Achille in danger. The Phantom must return."This queer sequel to the Leroux novel...is absolutely gorgeous and powerful." -"In this Getting to the Heart of The Phantom of the Opera" PodcastDear Reader,I must confess, I have discovered firsthand that my conclusions in my previously published work, The Phantom of the Opera, were false. Oh, the Opera ghost was real, as I first asserted; he lived and breathed in the Paris Opera House and haunted the inhabitants for many years in the precise methods I set to paper. I was false, however, in believing his ruse of the skeleton buried near a cellar with a golden ring...Now, I will relate to you the continued story of the Opera ghost, of which I have pieced together the facts with painstaking integrity and delved into the sweeping emotions of love and redemption and madness in turns.With humblest gratitude,Gaston LerouxK. E. Torwood is a pseudonym for author Katherine Forrister. Forrister is also the author of Lodestone, The Hand-Me-Down Maiden, and Curio Citizen.
293 pages, ebook
First published January 30, 2020
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Displaying 1 - 11 of 11 reviews
September 1, 2020
⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 STARS!
Lazare is, as it says, the continued investigation by Gaston Leroux on the fate of the terrible and tragic Phantom of the Opera after the events of that book. A direct sequel written in a fairly faithful rendition of Gaston's writing style in which Erik, the Phantom, wrestles with his past and falls into the path of Achille, a mute painter who becomes enthralled with him from the first moment they meet.
I will start this by saying that I am a big PotO nerd, and that I was wary of this book when I first started it but my fears were quickly assuaged by the time we reach Erik's POV the first time. Of course it is impossible to mimic a writer so completely, especially one so removed from our current time, but the emotion and the immediacy of the text were entirely familiar and it was easy to see that the author did her research. Erik's agony was visceral, his rage a physical thing, and as always, I wanted so deeply for him to feel loved. That has always been my weakness with the Phantom: He is a trickster, a murderer, a manipulator—and yet, who could he have been if he'd been offered true kindness in his life? This book delves into that beautifully.
Erik is brilliant in this. True to form, yet he is tired of murder, and wishes only to live in some semblance of peace. Of course, he uses many of his old tricks to fund his lifestyle and that is how he becomes intertwined with Achille by pure chance. Achille has lived his life as a certain type of outcast; a selective mute who sees the world through Impressionistic eyes, his beauty an outward display of the kind heart of him. To him, Erik becomes the world and their relationship was beautiful and painful in turns. It is truly all I every wanted for Erik and more, and Achille was a wonderfully fleshed out character of whom I was immediately attached.
This book made me cry and smile and laugh, so I must rate it high. And maybe that is due to my prior attachment to the story, but I adored it. This is precisely why fanfiction and outward sequels exists: to right the wrongs or to explore the "what ifs" of a previous text and that is what happened here to my absolute delight and surprise.
Lazare is, as it says, the continued investigation by Gaston Leroux on the fate of the terrible and tragic Phantom of the Opera after the events of that book. A direct sequel written in a fairly faithful rendition of Gaston's writing style in which Erik, the Phantom, wrestles with his past and falls into the path of Achille, a mute painter who becomes enthralled with him from the first moment they meet.
I will start this by saying that I am a big PotO nerd, and that I was wary of this book when I first started it but my fears were quickly assuaged by the time we reach Erik's POV the first time. Of course it is impossible to mimic a writer so completely, especially one so removed from our current time, but the emotion and the immediacy of the text were entirely familiar and it was easy to see that the author did her research. Erik's agony was visceral, his rage a physical thing, and as always, I wanted so deeply for him to feel loved. That has always been my weakness with the Phantom: He is a trickster, a murderer, a manipulator—and yet, who could he have been if he'd been offered true kindness in his life? This book delves into that beautifully.
Erik is brilliant in this. True to form, yet he is tired of murder, and wishes only to live in some semblance of peace. Of course, he uses many of his old tricks to fund his lifestyle and that is how he becomes intertwined with Achille by pure chance. Achille has lived his life as a certain type of outcast; a selective mute who sees the world through Impressionistic eyes, his beauty an outward display of the kind heart of him. To him, Erik becomes the world and their relationship was beautiful and painful in turns. It is truly all I every wanted for Erik and more, and Achille was a wonderfully fleshed out character of whom I was immediately attached.
This book made me cry and smile and laugh, so I must rate it high. And maybe that is due to my prior attachment to the story, but I adored it. This is precisely why fanfiction and outward sequels exists: to right the wrongs or to explore the "what ifs" of a previous text and that is what happened here to my absolute delight and surprise.
May 22, 2020
*I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.*
Lazare is the sequel to the classic novel The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux. The story takes place ten years after the events of the previous story with two separate plots taking place throughout.
The first plot follows Achille Fevre, a mute artist who has not spoken since the death of his mother. He is the son of the Commandant, a part of the French military. His father has been abusive to him, which has destroyed his confidence and has made him timid and shy. All of that changes one day when Achille bumps into a mysterious man while riding the train to Paris. He ultimately becomes spellbound and wants to know who this person is. An unfortunate event happens between Achille and his father, causing this stranger to rescue Achille. They strike up a friendship, with a bond starting to form. Achille’s life will never be the same.
The second plot revolves around Gare Saint-Lazare, the train station where our story mostly takes place. The owners of the station decide to launch an investigation after finding a large amount of money missing from their records. Little do they know, the clues will bring them to an event they never would have thought possible.
This story had so much going on. Unfortunately, this is not a good thing. The author decided to write the story in classic format, calling is Gaston Leroux’s continuing investigation. The story ended up reading like a current novel. I fee like this was a missed opportunity during editing. I felt like Leroux would have not written in this way so it took me out of the story.
Details were also another part I noticed as I was reading. They were thrown in weird spots about certain characters. For example, we learn something about Achille in the middle of the book. I felt the author tried to foreshadow with the meeting of the stranger and Achille, but it never would have occurred to me this was the answer. If this detail was placed as we are fleshing out the character of Achille it would have been easier to pick up on this big part of his life.
The biggest issue I had with this story had to be the romance that was in it. It felt really forced and had cringey dialogue that would never take place in real life. There pretty much was no buildup for me. One of the characters involved seemed to have courage right away, when it takes a while for someone timid to build up confidence. It also took place after a big event for our stranger; I feel like no one would make a big move after meeting an old love right away.
All in all, I really wanted to like this book but I just could not. This novel was the author’s first foray so I know this writer will grow as she continues to write. I definitely think I will try to read another book by this author in the future, but I don’t know when that will be. If you decide to read, just proceed with caution.
Lazare is the sequel to the classic novel The Phantom Of The Opera by Gaston Leroux. The story takes place ten years after the events of the previous story with two separate plots taking place throughout.
The first plot follows Achille Fevre, a mute artist who has not spoken since the death of his mother. He is the son of the Commandant, a part of the French military. His father has been abusive to him, which has destroyed his confidence and has made him timid and shy. All of that changes one day when Achille bumps into a mysterious man while riding the train to Paris. He ultimately becomes spellbound and wants to know who this person is. An unfortunate event happens between Achille and his father, causing this stranger to rescue Achille. They strike up a friendship, with a bond starting to form. Achille’s life will never be the same.
The second plot revolves around Gare Saint-Lazare, the train station where our story mostly takes place. The owners of the station decide to launch an investigation after finding a large amount of money missing from their records. Little do they know, the clues will bring them to an event they never would have thought possible.
This story had so much going on. Unfortunately, this is not a good thing. The author decided to write the story in classic format, calling is Gaston Leroux’s continuing investigation. The story ended up reading like a current novel. I fee like this was a missed opportunity during editing. I felt like Leroux would have not written in this way so it took me out of the story.
Details were also another part I noticed as I was reading. They were thrown in weird spots about certain characters. For example, we learn something about Achille in the middle of the book. I felt the author tried to foreshadow with the meeting of the stranger and Achille, but it never would have occurred to me this was the answer. If this detail was placed as we are fleshing out the character of Achille it would have been easier to pick up on this big part of his life.
The biggest issue I had with this story had to be the romance that was in it. It felt really forced and had cringey dialogue that would never take place in real life. There pretty much was no buildup for me. One of the characters involved seemed to have courage right away, when it takes a while for someone timid to build up confidence. It also took place after a big event for our stranger; I feel like no one would make a big move after meeting an old love right away.
All in all, I really wanted to like this book but I just could not. This novel was the author’s first foray so I know this writer will grow as she continues to write. I definitely think I will try to read another book by this author in the future, but I don’t know when that will be. If you decide to read, just proceed with caution.
July 9, 2020
Thank you so.much Book Sirens for offering this ARC! I had to read it! I read the original Leroux novel in college but I also was a.membrr if the cast of the 5musical Phantom, not the big Andrrw Lloyd Webber show, but just ad good and I think more true to tye original story and I enjoyed helping to bring the stoty to life! Ms Torwood had written an incredible sequel that takes us further into the story of the Opera Ghost. Her writing is incredibly good! I felt like I was there in Paris witnessing the events as they unfolded. She brought Leroux' voice to life and I could well believe he was the narrator of the tale. And introducing Achille, a sensitive street painter and mute, estranged from his father for not being a perfect son because he could not speak. It was inevitable he would be of interest to Erik ad become his friend and his next project. Erik was a realistic portrayal of a man who is brilliant yet flawed and shunned by society because he bore the sad fate of having a disfigured face. This is a story not simply about an Opera Ghost or Paris in the 19th century. It is a story about broken people who are outcasts living among the privileged and how the pressure of one man's anger can topple a part of the city he used as refuge yet despised those who controlled it.
My only disappointment was the part where Achille found Christine. To me, it was a distraction from the current story. A bit of the past which didn't serve any real purpose except ignite Erik's anger at Achille and did we really need to see Rauel again? 😊 I never liked that guy. Christine could have done better.
The last part of the book was pretty intense and a bit violent but so incredible! It would make an incredible movie!
As M Leroux said in his conclusion:
The Phantom still reigns in Paris!
I was given an ARC of Lazare: Gaston Leroux's Continued Investigation Concerning The Phantom of The Opera in exchange for my honest review
My only disappointment was the part where Achille found Christine. To me, it was a distraction from the current story. A bit of the past which didn't serve any real purpose except ignite Erik's anger at Achille and did we really need to see Rauel again? 😊 I never liked that guy. Christine could have done better.
The last part of the book was pretty intense and a bit violent but so incredible! It would make an incredible movie!
As M Leroux said in his conclusion:
The Phantom still reigns in Paris!
I was given an ARC of Lazare: Gaston Leroux's Continued Investigation Concerning The Phantom of The Opera in exchange for my honest review
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
March 18, 2020
I truly enjoyed how faithfully Ms. Torwood recreated the journalistic style and word usage of Gaston Leroux's original classic. It created a realistic tone to Erik's return from the dead -- a physical, emotional, and spiritual rebirth that stayed true to the characters that we have all loved and loved to hate for generations. The tone of wonderment and disbelief that Leroux experiences as he discovers that not only does Erik's story continue, but is linked to so many happenings in Paris that none had connected before creates a bond between reader and narrator that made me as excited to read about it as Leroux was to tell the world his findings.
Achille quickly became my favorite character. A man with such artistic talent and expressiveness but cannot communicate conventionally and is thus looked down upon by all of society, he knows how it feels to be judged by circumstances beyond your own control. He is fascinated when he first catches a glimpse of a mysterious man riding the train. His Impressionistic art style helps him catch a flash of blazing color hidden in the man's dark eyes. That flash haunts his dreams util he is able to capture it with paint on canvas. And that very work of art leads to destruction, deception, escape, and newborn love.
I did think the opening chapters were a little slow, but the pacing improves to perfection as soon as Achille lays eyes on Erik in that dark train compartment. The layers of intrigue and artifice keep the mystery of the Phantom as strong as in the original story without getting bogged down.
Recommended for fans of "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux, the works of Gail Carriger, and Neil Gaiman.
* Special Thanks to BookSirens and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. *
Achille quickly became my favorite character. A man with such artistic talent and expressiveness but cannot communicate conventionally and is thus looked down upon by all of society, he knows how it feels to be judged by circumstances beyond your own control. He is fascinated when he first catches a glimpse of a mysterious man riding the train. His Impressionistic art style helps him catch a flash of blazing color hidden in the man's dark eyes. That flash haunts his dreams util he is able to capture it with paint on canvas. And that very work of art leads to destruction, deception, escape, and newborn love.
I did think the opening chapters were a little slow, but the pacing improves to perfection as soon as Achille lays eyes on Erik in that dark train compartment. The layers of intrigue and artifice keep the mystery of the Phantom as strong as in the original story without getting bogged down.
Recommended for fans of "The Phantom of the Opera" by Gaston Leroux, the works of Gail Carriger, and Neil Gaiman.
* Special Thanks to BookSirens and the publisher for providing me with an eARC in exchange for an honest review. *
June 26, 2020
In 1910, journalist and author Gaston Leroux wrote a book titled Phantom of the Opera that might have had some basis in a character connected to the Opera Garnier. In 2020, K.E. Torwood has a speculative novel based on a concept of what Leroux might have found if he investigated beyond the end of Phantom.
The writing is dense for modern readers as it very much follows the writing style of Leroux. That said, once the reader gets into the meat and rhythm of the novel, this book draws the reader in and the continued story of Eric is charming. He's moved out of the world under the opera house and is living between a rail station and a hotel. He's been supporting himself as something of an extortionist. He meets a talented young artist who, because of a tortured childhood with an abusive father, lives as a mute. This book is the relationship between them. It is, in turns, charming and frustrating.
This novel is undoubtedly not for everyone, but it is worth the effort for those willing to put in the work.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
The writing is dense for modern readers as it very much follows the writing style of Leroux. That said, once the reader gets into the meat and rhythm of the novel, this book draws the reader in and the continued story of Eric is charming. He's moved out of the world under the opera house and is living between a rail station and a hotel. He's been supporting himself as something of an extortionist. He meets a talented young artist who, because of a tortured childhood with an abusive father, lives as a mute. This book is the relationship between them. It is, in turns, charming and frustrating.
This novel is undoubtedly not for everyone, but it is worth the effort for those willing to put in the work.
I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.
October 6, 2021
OG.
I have never cried as much reading a book as I have this one. I have Loved the Phantom of the Opera ever since I watched the movie with Claude Raines and Nelson Eddy. I also Love the stage play that Michael Crawford appeared in, although I unfortunately have never seen in person. I also read another book many years ago telling of Eric's childhood. But the title and authors name escape me. I think it too stayed that Eric and his story were True. I pray that Eric and Achilles loved their remaining years together in Peace and Happiness and that Christine remembered her Angel of Music with Love and Peace. Thank you to Mr. Leroy for his telling of The Phantom of the Opera and Achillies. May you All Rest in Peace.
I have never cried as much reading a book as I have this one. I have Loved the Phantom of the Opera ever since I watched the movie with Claude Raines and Nelson Eddy. I also Love the stage play that Michael Crawford appeared in, although I unfortunately have never seen in person. I also read another book many years ago telling of Eric's childhood. But the title and authors name escape me. I think it too stayed that Eric and his story were True. I pray that Eric and Achilles loved their remaining years together in Peace and Happiness and that Christine remembered her Angel of Music with Love and Peace. Thank you to Mr. Leroy for his telling of The Phantom of the Opera and Achillies. May you All Rest in Peace.
July 17, 2024
Outstanding!!
I was not sure at first, whether I would welcome a sequel to the phantom of the opera, but this was so well written, and so close to having been written by Gaston Leroux, I could not put it down.
Anyone who has read the original Phantom of the opera by Gaston Leroux, will find this story, very familiar, and at the same time quite different.
The authors are to be commended for their research and instincts in writing this story.
I grew to love the characters of Eric and Achilles, and to follow their love story to the end.
By all means, if you are familiar with the original phantom story, this one is a must read as well.
I was not sure at first, whether I would welcome a sequel to the phantom of the opera, but this was so well written, and so close to having been written by Gaston Leroux, I could not put it down.
Anyone who has read the original Phantom of the opera by Gaston Leroux, will find this story, very familiar, and at the same time quite different.
The authors are to be commended for their research and instincts in writing this story.
I grew to love the characters of Eric and Achilles, and to follow their love story to the end.
By all means, if you are familiar with the original phantom story, this one is a must read as well.
February 3, 2020
So I went out on a limb and got this book because it’s really close to my sons name and I loved every page. I found it extremely engaging and hard to put down. It’s packed full of action and you can’t help but to fall in love with the characters. It’s written beautifully and the author did a fabulous job bringing it all together. I believe this maybe the first book I have read by this author and I definitely plan to check out more.-Enjoy
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
I received a free copy of this book via Booksprout and am voluntarily leaving a review.
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August 8, 2020Lu enfrançais
C'est la première que je lis un Classique sans rentrer dans l'histoire. Des héros un peu niais, un fantôme dont les décisions ne sont pas compréhensibles, des personnages secondaires sans grand intérêt intérêt. Jamais vu un classique aussi mal écrit.
Dès les premières lignes, j’ai été frappé par le style de l’auteur et par ses phrases à rallonge, que j’ai trouvée assez indigestes
C'est la première que je lis un Classique sans rentrer dans l'histoire. Des héros un peu niais, un fantôme dont les décisions ne sont pas compréhensibles, des personnages secondaires sans grand intérêt intérêt. Jamais vu un classique aussi mal écrit.
Dès les premières lignes, j’ai été frappé par le style de l’auteur et par ses phrases à rallonge, que j’ai trouvée assez indigestes
August 29, 2020
I couldn't put this down
Anyone who likes the original novel, or anyone who felt absolutely awful for our poor, unhappy Erik (as I imagine most human beings would!) NEEDS to read this. It was so, SO good, and very much like something Leroux would have written. If this is intended as a "sequel", it's a darn good one. Thank you, MME Torwood, and brava!
Anyone who likes the original novel, or anyone who felt absolutely awful for our poor, unhappy Erik (as I imagine most human beings would!) NEEDS to read this. It was so, SO good, and very much like something Leroux would have written. If this is intended as a "sequel", it's a darn good one. Thank you, MME Torwood, and brava!
February 29, 2020
Triumphant rebirth of Erik and Leroux
This is a lovely sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, written in the same style as the original Gothic horror. The first person parts have a mix of gossip and lurid journalism, telling an unbelievable tale with words spilling out faster than the paper could possibly keep up with.
Erik's calmer, tamer to some degree, still self-conscious about his abysmal face. Yet the old tricks remain: he's a ventriloquist, manipulating people for his own means and survival. He's here smitten by a new artist, Archille, and gives him a voice in a different, believable fashion as they slowly fall for each other.
The writing is well done, the title and Achille's names carefully chosen. Fans of Erik finding his happily ever after, while retaining his uniqueness, will rejoice at the way this plays out. An example:
"For it was impossible for my certainty to continue when I began to find clues of a strikingly similar nature to Erik’s past deeds beyond the timeline I had established for his death. Yes, I recognized the Ghost’s touch! And why should I doubt his abilities to escape death? He had done it before, when fleeing a sentence of execution by the Shah-in-Shah of Mazenderan, when Erik and the Persian daroga had passed a corpse, half-eaten by birds, as Erik’s."
I received a copy for review purposes.
This is a lovely sequel to The Phantom of the Opera, written in the same style as the original Gothic horror. The first person parts have a mix of gossip and lurid journalism, telling an unbelievable tale with words spilling out faster than the paper could possibly keep up with.
Erik's calmer, tamer to some degree, still self-conscious about his abysmal face. Yet the old tricks remain: he's a ventriloquist, manipulating people for his own means and survival. He's here smitten by a new artist, Archille, and gives him a voice in a different, believable fashion as they slowly fall for each other.
The writing is well done, the title and Achille's names carefully chosen. Fans of Erik finding his happily ever after, while retaining his uniqueness, will rejoice at the way this plays out. An example:
"For it was impossible for my certainty to continue when I began to find clues of a strikingly similar nature to Erik’s past deeds beyond the timeline I had established for his death. Yes, I recognized the Ghost’s touch! And why should I doubt his abilities to escape death? He had done it before, when fleeing a sentence of execution by the Shah-in-Shah of Mazenderan, when Erik and the Persian daroga had passed a corpse, half-eaten by birds, as Erik’s."
I received a copy for review purposes.
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