Santi_bcn
New York City, December 2025.
Anticipation fills the air as the semifinal of the most prestigious annual vocal competition in the United States begins. Each year, the contest travels from city to city, and this season it arrives in New York, drawing unprecedented attention from the opera world.
More than 230 singers from across the country-and beyond-have competed through months of auditions and eliminatory rounds. Only seventeen remain. On this decisive Friday night, they face the final selection: just six will advance.
Those six will perform with the New York Symphony Orchestra at Carnegie Hall, before an expert audience and an international jury. The gala concert will close the competition, culminating in the awarding of prizes during a dazzling evening where careers may be born-or broken.
This novel dives into the hidden world of opera: the discipline and obsession, the pressure of competition, the nerves backstage, and the romances and rivalries that grow under the spotlight.
At the heart of the story stand two extraordinary young sopranos-Amanda Pristley and Rosalind Jackson. Both captivate the jury, both dominate the rankings, and both emerge as the undeniable stars of the competition. The jury is so overwhelmed by their talent that, unable to choose between them, it takes an unprecedented decision: the first prize is awarded to both.
The announcement shocks competitors and audience alike-and marks the beginning of a journey neither woman could have foreseen.
Following Amanda and Rosalind, the novel traces their rise through the international opera circuit, where admiration turns into rivalry, friendships reveal their true nature, and ambition casts long shadows. From New York to the great theaters of the world, readers are invited behind the curtain of spectacular productions, private battles, and dangerous dreams.
A story of music, power, illusion, and betrayal-
a journey where two queens rise, but only one crown can shine.