Sing For Me - A POTO Review Collection

Love Lives On by KThierry

Summary:

"I am made entirely of death; from my head to my feet and everything in between, I am a skeleton that plays a man."

Charlotte Sauveterre grew up on tales of the Phantom of the Opera. As long as she can remember, the Phantom was the, well, phantom of her childhood; protecting her from monsters under the bed and being her shadow when she feared for her safety. Now, it's the 50th anniversary of The Phantom of the Opera, and to celebrate, it's being performed where it had taken place; the Palais Garnier, formerly known as the Opera Populaire.

That's when things start to go wrong. The set collapses on the actress playing Christine, and more and more things are stolen - even the grand piano. Monsieur DeForet, the ill-fated Hollywood director for the Broadway play, insists that Charlotte is the one to blame. Unfortunately, the cryptic notes that Charlotte has been finding everywhere say otherwise. For in the depths of the Palais Garner, a century and a half after the cursed events that had now been turned into a musical, Charlotte discovers that the Phantom is very much real and very much alive.

Review:

Love Lives On starts with Charlotte Sauveterre, a Canadian actress, part time ballerina, and med school dropout. She's just starting to dip her toes back into the theatre pool when she gets the call - they're putting on Phantom of the Opera at the Palais Garnier in both English and French. Never for a second does Charlotte feel anything less than real in her quest to battle the play into shape for opening night. KThierry doesn't skimp on details for Charlotte's job as a stage manager, something that brings the reality and vastness of the Palais Garnier to the forefront of the story. Each and every character and event comes into play later as KThierry uses her masterful skills to weave a story that you won't be able to put down. Erik is back in all his self-conscious third-person glory, doing a wondrous job of being chaotic and irritating with notes and stolen props. Erik is bitter and biting, a perfect compliment to Charlotte's hilarious sarcasm, even when he's just a disembodied voice. The reader knows what's going on before Charlotte does, but only just, because this main character is sharply intelligent and someone you can't help but root for. If you're in the mood for a funny, serious, and intricate story, Love Lives on is the story for you.

Written by -Pingoodle-