Looking For a Good Book

Selene was orphaned as a child and subsequently taken in by the caretaker of the L’Opera du Magician. Here she is encouraged to develop her own magical talents. There is much talk that one of the students will be selected by the king to be the new king’s mage.

The selection of the new mage will be chosen through competition, each student of magic will show what they can accomplish by putting together a performance of song, dance, and magic – creating a magical, entertaining illusion.

Selene doubts her own abilities among the many talented students, but finds help (and unrequited passion) in a mysterious figure – a magician, trapped inside a mirror inside the opera.

I actually started to read this book a few months ago, but I had also just started Wild as the Stars by Kerry Chaput which, rather ironically, has extremely similar themes and story line, so I put this one away for a bit, though honestly, much of the previous mentioned book came back to me as I read this and I had to keep reminding myself which story I was currently in.

I quite enjoy the concept of magic through art (whether it’s song, dance, painting, etc) and I did like author Megan Jauregui Eccles’s magical world building here. Eccles clearly understands this world and blends the song and magic quite nicely.

The story is billed as a retelling of Phantom of the Opera. I can see it – it definitely has all the right beats and characters. But I don’t know why we need a retelling of a classic that still stands on its own. Perhaps it’s publisher hyperbole and out of the control of the author, but when I see something like that, I’m going to look for the connections and similarities, rather than simply enjoying the book,

I enjoyed the magic and the world even though I did think our protagonist was a little off the rails with her deep connection to the mysterious man in the mirror, but the general tone of the book was a bit slow for me. I didn’t feel the energy of competition, music, song, or magic, so the book was a bit of a let-down. This was very much an average read for me – entertaining enough to keep me reading, but not something I’m eager to recommend.

Looking for a good book? Sing the Night by Megan Jauregui Eccles is a fantasy of magic and music. Fans of cozy fantasy may enjoy this. I found it too similar to another book recently published, but without the energy.

I received a digital copy of this book from the publisher, though Netgalley, in exchange for an honest review.

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Sing the Night

author:  Megan Jauregui Eccles

series:  Opera Magique #1

publisher: Grand Central Publishing

ISBN: 9781538781340

hardcover, 400 pages