The Return of the Phantom

5 Stars - This story line pulled me in very nicely with great characters. Apparently it has sequels also! I hate it when a good tale ends with only one book!
S. G.

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Exactly as it should be! LOVED this book!! It gripped me from page 1 and I was sad when it ended. I’m now reading the second book in the trilogy. Season of the Witch, and am hooked again!
Amy C.
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I am obsessed with the story of the Phantom of the Opera, and craved to read more after reading the original novel nearly 100 times and seeing the movie just as many times. Your books are amazing. My copy of Return of the Phantom is now held together by duck tape. It is very loved and I have it nearly committed to memory. I love how you portrayed the characters and I love your writing style. You inspire me with your vivid description and have kindled the hopeless romantic inside of me.
Nicole in Michigan
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Beside the story being excellent and very vivid. Genius for sure how you did the two acrostics. Wow....
Santa Monica
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I'm truly thankful to have found an author who does the Phantom justice where he doesn't die and neither does Christine and they get the sequels they deserve! You have definitely done them both justice. I’m your fan always.
Bronti
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I must say I love the book and your writing style. Your writing is so vivid it gave me chill bumps. I look forward to reading the full collection. I love great writers, because from page 1 you feel that you are the fly on the wall (so I love books that can pull you into the story). Keep up the excellent work and I will work my way through each of your books. This is absolutely marvelous, conversing with the author. All the best!
Sandra
Author’s note: Many times I stop the action in a scene I'm working on, freeze the characters, and do a 360 "drop in". Gazing around the room/environment I get a feel for who is doing what and exactly how does the whole event feel. Then I focus down on a half-dozen particular points. I enjoy writing about the human condition. Life is gritty, lots of mistakes, lots of "do-overs".
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A must have for phantom fans. I wholeheartedly agree with Cleo's review. This book is a wonderful compliment to Gaston Leroux's original Phantom book. Superbly written, I didn’t want to put it down and have ordered the other two books that are in the series and can’t wait for them to arrive. As it is based around Leroux's original story and has all the darkness and mystery of the original without being overly slavish, the characters evolve in all their former glory, wonderful. The Phantom is seen in all his complex moods and characters and his more tender, vulnerable and broken side after losing Christine to the Viscount. This Erik is no lovesick sap. He is still all of the things we love about him and so much more I will say no more as the best thing you can do is buy and drink in this book. You will not be disappointed.
Serenemoon
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Intense, moving and absorbing. Having been a phantom phan for years (ALW stage version and original Gaston Le Roux novel), I recently became interested in the range of Phantom romance fiction. Having sampled and been slightly overwhelmed by the diversity of what is out there (Sadie Montgomery, Colette Gale, Susan Kay- all pretty good in their own way), I took the plunge with Etienne de Mendes based on the sample pages on Amazon. Oh Boy did I make the right choice!!! It has been a long time since I have read a book where I have had to ration myself to a chapter or two a day to preserve the whole reading experience and been genuinely distressed when i got to the end as i did not want it to finish. The intense, rich, multi-dimensional characterizations blend beautifully with a sensitive, emotionally intelligent plot development and revelations. For all those who felt that Christine should have ditched Raoul and stuck with Erik, this is the book for you. I found it certainly satisfied that particular whim in the first chapter.

I also found Etienne's writing style captivating. When I first started reading it, I initially thought the book had been translated from French due to idiosyncrasies in language and sentence structure. After a little research, I discovered the author is a Portuguese/French American, which does explain a lot.

All in all, I would rate this a cut above the rest of the phan fiction I have read, and would recommend it to anyone after a deeper, more textured and intense Romance Phantom fiction experience. (By the way, there are two further books in this series on the way - I can't wait!!)
Cleo
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The exquisite love story between Erik and Christine sparkles like a jewel in The Return of the Phantom. What a marvelous ambiance to the scenes! The ongoing air of mystery and anxiety as Christine carries on a secret love affair with her Angel of Music. The Gothic macabre air of the crypt gave me the chills and the scene where the house burns down…angst to the max. I was lost in the story and wanted it to go on forever. Then I discovered it does. I can hardly wait for my copy of The Season of the Witch to arrive. Send it quick!
Jasmine
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AMAZING! I'm going to order the others... it was that good.
Jolinda
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I recently discovered The Return of the Phantom while searching for further tales regarding this beloved character. I must say, that of all the adaptations I have read, yours is one of the finest. You have earned a new devotee to your writing as I fully intend to purchase the rest of this series. I am completely hooked and have been since reading the small excerpt provided on Amazon.com. I was so enthralled in your work last evening that four hours passed completely unnoticed. I sat down to read at 11pm and didn't look up until it was nearly time to get up for breakfast (morning comes early on a farm). Basically, the point of this note is to thank you for providing such wonderful entertainment and for giving dear Erik a soul.
Jennifer
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I got a set of your books for Christmas, from my daughter because she knows I love Phantom of the Opera. We visited a stand you had at the Carlsbad Street Fair in November and that is where we saw the books. I just finished the first one and it took me two days of almost non-stop reading. Sooo good. I am just started Book two. I have a list of people who already want to borrow my books. Thanks for your writings. I am enjoying the books so much. You are awesome.
Susan
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The truth is, or what I feel, is that you have written a most cherished book in The Return of the Phantom. You have made us love him, not tremble at his love for Christine and for life. You have written, in my mind, a far better book than Gaston Leroux ever could!!! Please hurry with the next book …
JO
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As an avid fan of "The Phantom of the Opera" in all of its forms, I love to read Phantom-based books. "The Return of the Phantom" is my favorite so far. In fact, I just completed my second reading of it today, and plan to reread it in the future. The story begins 2 years after the Phantom released Christine and Raoul from the Opera House. Many of the characters from Gaston Leroux's novel appear, including the Persian, Madame Giry, and Meg, along with some great new characters. Christine, who is trapped in an unhappy, unfulfilled marriage to Raoul, learns that Erik is still alive. She and her beloved Angel are reunited and a glorious love story and deception begins.

The characters in the story are very well-rounded, not just flat, and one-dimensional. Erik is a very complex man; the troubled, deformed genius who suffers greatly from memories a harsh childhood, life in the carnival, at the court of the Sultan in Persia, and in Paris as the Opera Ghost. Christine is a strong-willed, spirited woman, not the immature young girl of so many Phantom stories.

Although "The Return of the Phantom" is book 1 of a series, it stands alone and has a satisfying conclusion. I've found that that isn't always the case. Many books which are to be followed by sequels leave the reader with the feeling that rather than bringing the story to a close, the author either simply stopped writing or randomly chose a place to divide the series into volumes for publication.
Johnnie's Angel
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What an excellent control over detail this author has. I feel like I am in a French chateau observing living characters.
Steven P
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As a new fan of the Phantom mystique, I was delighted to find this wonderful book. Initially, I was somewhat put off with the story of Christine and Erik, after the debacle at the opera house. I wanted these characters to be honorable and was not ready to accept any dishonor. As the story unfolded, it became obvious that my first impressions were incorrect. The author very cleverly untangles a back-story which gives Erik and Christine a new depth. Not for everyone. I regard it as a successful combination of the gothic and romance genres.
Foxfire
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What an excellent read! I really liked this book. Dark romantic thoughts lay on the pages, and the artwork is beautiful. A well-written challenge for the adult reader, I so appreciated that I had to get out my dictionary a few times. Bravo!
Maurine D. in Calif.
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This is definitely the BEST Phantom spin-off I have ever read!! I've read it at least 8 times. I love how it shows Raoul to be the little spoiled, vicious brat he is, but shows the true romance between Christine and Erik (the Phantom). It does get a little too descriptive in the three of the love parts, but it is an amazing book. Trying to write a review without spoiling such a good book is so difficult. If you're a "Phan," this will be your favourite Phantom book.
fairydustpink89
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I would like to let you know that I’ve read the first book, Return of the Phantom, and my favorite characters (besides Erik) were Madame Giry, Meg, the Jewish doctor, and at the very end, the inspector and the Persian. Pretty much in that order. I was saddened when the doctor died, but of natural causes. My thoughts on that were, “Erik lost another close friend.” I felt sorry for him. The doctor could have helped him so very much to become sane. I think the scenes describing how they hid Erik did what they were supposed to do. They left me with very mixed feelings: “Wow! How did they get away with it?” and happiness that Erik finally had a family.
Lancaster
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I really do appreciate the honesty in this book. There’s a section that reminds me so much of a scene in Wuthering Heights when Heathcliff digs up Catherine's body to hold it. It’s where you describe Erik about to do more than hug a dead body. That moment in the book is heartbreaking, even though I could so easily see Erik going to such lengths because of loneliness and sexual tension. Whew...I'm trying not to think too hard about it! Please keep these stories coming and tell me when you hear that the publishers have the next book ready, I am dying to get my hands on it.
Anonymous
Author’s note: I’ve been to many wakes where people touch and kiss the corpse. This is necrophilia, but in a form that allows love and closure to exist for the living.
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I found the 1st book an enjoyable read. Not exactly that I had in mind for a continuation, but I thoroughly enjoyed it! I am about to start the 2nd book and hope to enjoy it as much as the 1st.
Yavanna
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Yah man! I’m going barefoot and dragging a sliced up sheep's carcass, leaving a blood trail to follow behind me, all around my house. I've never read a story where anybody did anything like this. What a twisted mind this author has. Definitely not the average prayer vigil and you know it had to work. Though, come to think of it, in ancient times that was a common thing to do...go sprinkle blood all over the place.
J. Floyd
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When I read your first book ‘Return’ I was just looking for a follow-up book to the movie "Phantom". Some of the books I looked into were not worth reading, and then I came upon yours. It was hard cover, a lot of pages, and it seemed interesting. I started reading, and was enjoying it, and the more I read...I just couldn't put it down. Finished it in two days. Didn't get much sleep at all. I read, ate, dressed, and worked just thinking about 'Return'. While I read 'Return' I wanted to be there, I felt I was there. I was in that book with the characters. That's where you put me and I seriously could not get out, I was that involved. Anytime I want to go there, all I have to do is pick up that book and I'm there again. The feeling and the book will never go away...they are a part of my life now, and that's where I want it to be!
Delta
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Breathtaking and Wonderfully Creative. The Return Of The Phantom, written by Etienne de Mendes, brings a new twist into the relationships of the main characters and pursues the idea that it is actually Christine and Erik, our love-struck Angel of Music, who are meant to be together. Not a "heavy" novel to read. There are some wonderful cavalier moments of levity and whimsy, demonstrating Erik's innovative ways to "disappear" yet still be in the room observing the actions of others. There exists a light-hearted way of interacting with Christine, which reflects a wonderful sense of humor. The author, an unknown in the world of literary giants, is by no means a literary midget. Not only is the writing gentle and eloquent, but it is full of creativity and imagery, which absolutely ignites one's imagination and transports the reader to each actual event, place, and time. The characters become real, and their emotions, passions and lusts take one's breath away. The intimate scenes between Erik and Christine can only be described as heart pounding. Etienne de Mendes is a brilliant wordsmith who has a talent for detail. The vivid descriptions are sheer poetry. The author has the innate ability to dig deeply into the nature of each character and describe each passion and desire with soul-touching eloquence. The novel's not-so-minor characters colorfully play a huge supportive role in helping to unravel the twists and turns of this tale of wonderment. A true friend or lover does not judge simply on one's outward appearance. He/she takes the time to discover the true nature, and, perhaps, if necessary, patiently peel, like an onion, the layers of hurt and pain away and then discover at the core, a gentle, loving heart--this is what Erik's friends found in him.
Maureen - West Chester, PA
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Basically when I went onto amazon.com I was looking for a book to read that was a spin-off to the Phantom of the Opera by GL. I was curious as to the wide variety available but ended up purchasing (albeit at a high price) this book. I loved how well plotted and dynamic the story was. It didn't just pose scenarios and expect the reader to accept it without good reason. The story was decisive and kept me on edge. I did get a bit bored at some parts but then "BAM!" something drastic would happen. I learned that I needed to be kept on my toes while reading! I felt the author did a wonderful job portraying the characters and I will absolutely buy the sequel!
Cici
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I enjoyed this story very much, and found I couldn't put it down. Yes, the story gets a bit strange at times; with Erik going off the deep end, and Christine following in his footsteps, but I found it intriguing. I would recommend it, as a fun, if dark, read.
Jeanette, Bronx, N.Y.
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I found the love story in this book tender and harrowing. The plot takes lots of twists and turns, great fun. I respect an individual author's right to create a more in depth, humanized view of the Phantom and applaud the effort. In The Return of the Phantom, Erik is mysterious, charismatic, and exasperating.
Alan
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The Return on the Phantom flowed very nicely and was a great read. Just by reading the little section posted on the websites where the book is available for purchase, I knew that I had to have it. Mendes creates an array of characters through the classic versions of Leroux. I don't think the characters are flat at all, I believe they are whole and formed. Erik's character is raw and real. Etienne's books hit on issues that most people don't even want to touch on. Erik is in control of the situations he faces with the help of Christine.
A fan in N.C.
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Listen to the angel’s music. Read the angel’s words, put so wonderfully by an authentic, genuine composer of a tale about the Phantom. The dedication and time put into this novel shows how superb Etienne de Mendes is as a writer.
J.M. McMahon, a ‘de Mendes’ phan!
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Ok, where do I get a man like your Erik? Women cry for a man this tender to come along. Please, God, let him show up at my door just once!
Julia – Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania
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A well-paced and beautifully descriptive novel. I was entertained right to the end. The reclusive Erik, our Phantom of the Opera, interacts with a number of engaging characters whose lives are altered because of their association with him. He is forceful, provocative, physically agile and anything but boring. Christine is pampered and kept by Raoul, yet acutely depressed over the lack of substance that the presence the Angel of Music added to her life. I could almost hear the music swelling in the background. At times I could actually see the colorful costumes and feel the mystery and suspense of a deeply sensual romance.
A Reader
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As a positive, Erik's history appeared to be an amalgam of versions which I thought was cleverly done. Even his deformity was an odd mixture of ALW's musical, ALW's movie and Leroux. I could also see the distinct references to Susan Kay's Phantom. de Mendes certainly did the prerequisite Phantom phiction reading beforehand, and that is a nice change. If you're looking for a typical fluffy romance, you've got your book.
Valtinen
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You wow me with your creative ability to take this wonderful story a step farther. I was both captivated and entertained throughout the entire book and I cannot wait to read Season of The Witch. I was not a Phantom fan, not until now. To me the very essence of this book is about passion...and your ability to recreate the passion between two individuals who are so far in love is just beyond me! Your description can only come from the depths of your soul and all that you have felt in your lifetime...you must have been blessed with this kind of love, for only those of us who have been blessed can reeeeealy, really understand and feel the feeling of truly wanting to be in another's skin. To literally want to take a bite out of someone, to taste their very essence is a passion explored but rarely attained in my opinion. Very few authors can ever take you there to that beautiful place. Oh don't get me wrong...they try...by using explicit sex scenes and sometimes foul language...but it is not that earth-shattering feeling you gave your readers believe me! Your descriptive language about the settings intrigued me. I felt as if I were in all the places you described. I got chills on almost every page. This book just kept getting better and better to the end! Thank you, thank you, thank you for being a truly talented and gifted writer. Keep them coming for it would be a sin for you to stop now and deprive the world of what you are capable of sharing on paper. I am sorry I did not write this sooner but circumstances prevailed. Again, thank you from one of your dearest fans.
Barb T.
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The Phantom of the Opera sequel

The Opera Ghost Returns

What happens after they leave the Paris Opera House?

The Return of the Phantom
by Etienne de Mendes