Thank you, Net Galley and the author for giving me a chance to read this book in advance, in exchange for an honest review.
As a lover of both Beauty and the Beast, and The Phantom of the Opera, I feel this novel needs a bit more help with editing to drive the plot through properly. Many passages had too much information that did not invite the reader to form a proper idea of imagery or concept of characters. While elements of folklore from what felt to be Greek mythology appeared, I felt this added way too much when this book is being marketed as a retelling of Phantom of the Opera.
It was generally hard to keep pushing through this novel and get to the ending, as there needs to be more editing and talks about the actual theme of the novel. I found myself getting more lost, and not understanding what exactly I was supposed to care about when I couldn’t even get a firm grasp of what to even like about any of the characters. I believe this novel could very well make it higher in the ranks of YA if the author and editor re-read the novel and cut out a lot of excess imagery and marketed it to a younger audience.
Sadly, this novel lost its potential and grace somewhere about a 1/4 way into it, and I can only hope the author an editor take note to please make the plot clearer and more concise (AND PLEASE KILL YOUR DARLINGS).
RATING: 2/5 STARS
(x_x)⌒☆☆
Gray's Cozy Nook 
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