I took one month off and the Phantom roundup EXPLODED. Which is GREAT news for all of us, because look at this bounty!
Angel's Mask by Jessica Mason is the fourth book in Mason's ongoing sequel series to the original, now with Christine and Erik out of Paris but being tracked down by the curious Meg Giry.
Angel's Song by Jessica Mason is the next novel immediately following, and has a fascinating set of things going on. Erik and Christine have moved to Ireland, there appear to be multiple NEW Phantoms or possibly even a gang named Phantoms harassing everyone working back at the Paris opera, and Meg and the Persian are doing a detective superhero partner-up. Someone's trying to do murders. I have no earthly idea if this is the end of this series or if it has even more incredible horizons to plumb.
Chasing the Shadow: The Phantom of the Opera Story by Katherine Christine is a nonfiction book aimed at teens that discusses the origins of the story, the history of the Garnier, and common myths or trivia tidbits about the original story.
Cruel Angel by Rebecca Kenney is a spicy romance retelling, and everyone rejoice! If you have been yelling "WHY AREN'T THEY FIXING THIS PROBLEM WITH A POLY TRIAD RELATIONSHIP" at the Phantom story's romantic tensions for what feels like decades (and I know some of you have), that is the premise of this novel!
Phantom from Sunshines Urban Novels is a modern-day erotic urban fiction retelling of the story; the Phantom character has vitiligo in the shape of the Phantom's mask (and Crawford's one blue eye!) and runs an underground empire, and, unusually for Phantom romances, he and his Christine character have been married for years at the beginning of the story.
The Phantom by Frost Fire is a period re-imagining of the original story in a more romance-novel setting - the Phantom is now named Lucien, the Christine character is Celeste, and her upper-crust love interest is Adrien, but the action still takes place at a late 1800s Opera Garnier and presumably follows the story fairly closely. I'd be most interested to find out if we actually have all the backstory elements of Christine being an orphan and the Phantom training her, or if this is, as it seems, more of a situation where the resident opera house Phantom gets interested in her when she's already a regular singer at the Garnier.
The Phantom in the Mirror by Knight Venom is a modern psychological thriller version of the story, featuring a Christine character being hypnotized by her charismatic therapist and Mysterious Horrible Secrets floating just beneath the surface.
Phantom No More: Katerina by Grace King is another in her series of sexy alternative-to-Christine stories, but there is a lot going on in this one. Mammon is one of the main characters, for one thing, which... is he here because of The Phantom of Manhattan, or is this a wacky coincidence? How does the Phantom's love interest being able to read minds affect this story? How far can these AUs drift and stay recognizable? (Please note that I am not COMPLAINING: on the contrary, I think that's super fascinating!)
The Phantom of the Christmas Play by Chad Carmack is a modern-day, small-scale adaptation featuring a community theater playhouse plagued by a Phantom that doesn't want A Christmas Carol to go on for its own mysterious reasons.
The Phantom of the Opera by Anderson Cabral is a retelling of the original story, still in its time period with the original characters, with what seems to be a focus on the performers of the opera house trying to deal with the terrifying events unfolding around them.
The Phantom of the Opera by Clark Anderson is a short little photo comic book adapting the 1925 Julian/Chaney film.
The Phantom of the Opera by Hamayuh is a multi-volume graphic novel adaptation of the original story (in Japanese) with an absolutely gorgeous detailed and brooding art style that you can see in the previews. I'll be watching out like a hawk in the hopes of an English translation someday! (The first six volumes are on Amazon, but a peek at the samples says they've just now gotten to the Apollo's Lyre scene and we'll be seeing the underground lair for the first time in this book, so I'd guess it's only about halfway out.)
The Phantom of the Opera: An Aria of Love and Madness by C.M. Harris is another period retelling, but this one is sapphic, featuring a female Phantom named Erica falling head over creepy stalking heels for ingenue singer Christine.
The Phantom of the Opera: Blood and Roses by Joseph Helsing (ha) is a gothic horror version of the original story; although all the characters remain themselves, the Garnier is long past its prime and is a crumbling wreck that may not remain open much longer, and it's ambiguous whether the Phantom is alive or actually a ghost. But I'm banking on alive, because look - a Persian reference! He's in there somewhere! (Also: yes, the cover art is clearly AI-created, and I can't stop myself from repeatedly getting the giggles over the book cover being ON the book cover. Amazing.)
The Phantom of the Opera: Resurrection by Joseph Helsing is in the same vein - another period horror retelling, this time featuring a Christine with the classic last name Destler and what seems like a much more supernatural landscape involving a curse and the Phantom appearing to be a malevolent spiritual presence. (Both Helsing novels, by the way, are part of a series, but it's a collection of books based on classic gothic novels, so only these two are Phantom-based.)
The Phantom of the Opera: Creepy Classics by Gemma Barder is a children's adaptation designed for the 2nd-4th grade bracket. I'm not sure exactly how much has been changed, but it looks like the Phantom is supposedly cursed to remain attached to the opera house and unable to leave unless management starts taking him seriously. I have no idea if it's a good introduction to the story but I DO know that you guys want to see the little character portraits in the front of the book:
Effervescent.
The Phantom: The Untold Story of the Phantom of the Opera by Megan Kircher is a CLASSIC premise I haven't seen in a couple of years - the Phantom and Raoul's older brother Philippe are one and the same! Not only that, but we're going to be following an archaeologist working in Paris a century later who in spite of the time gulf will get to be drawn into the story... this is Vintage Phantom Lit, y'all.
Phantom of the Opera... with Oral Pleasure by Pamela Dutchess-Sawyer is this list's second sapphic Phantom story, retelling the original with a Phantom named Erika and, as the title suggests, a high steamy-sex-scene content!
Sherlock Holmes and the Phantom of the Opera by Maxwell Mateosian is a new Sherlock/Phantom crossover! As with many, the Phantom has relocated to London and Holmes has been called to investigate the shenanigans going on at this "haunted" theater...
What a run of new stuff! I didn't even include a few questionable options and we're still rolling in riches. We're headed for spooky season - here's hoping the momentum keeps going!
Over the years, I’ve made portraits of some of my favorite Phantom performers. The Portrait series emulate the works of Robert Heindel which I first discovered in the “Complete Phantom of the Opera” book that were both minimalist and expressive at the same time.
1) Franc D’Ambrosio and Lisa Vroman
2) Franc D’Ambrosio
3) Brad Little
4) Anthony Crivello
5) Elizabeth Loyacano
6) Brianne Kelly Morgan
7) Hugh Panaro
8) Brent Barrett
9) Michael Lackey
10) Lisa Vroman
Tw: smut, fingering, a little dirty talk, a good time
Word Count: 3.3K
A/N: Hi I wrote another phantom blurb. Every time I watch Music of the Night, it makes me think way too much lol. How she was able to resist the charms of this man is beyond me. I am a very weak woman, apparently... Please enjoy the smutty Phantom blurb.
🥀
You’ve been asleep for hours in his bed. Wrapped in his sheets and blissfully content in the small room tucked away in the corner. He never thought he’d see the day. He feels a little guilty and ashamed that he scared you, but he would apologize the moment you woke up. He just had to show you the dress and the veil and lay out exactly what he wanted from you. All he has ever wanted is you. The moment he laid his eyes on you from the wings of the theater, he knew you were his calamity and revelry.
He sits at his piano, aimlessly hoping to distract himself from thinking of you. He has plenty of music to write, but your beautiful face creeps into his mind like a mystical fog. Your beauty is something to be seen. He swears you were dropped down from heaven for him. You shouldn’t be this perfect but somehow you are. Aphrodite could never compare to your beautiful mind, heart, and soul. You bring him peace beyond his wildest dreams.
He picks up his quill and dips the tip in the onyx ink. He tries to remember the last few notes he played and wanted to add to the score. They come back to him and he gets swept up by the music in his mind. The music he writes for you. God, he can hear your angelic voice sing these notes already. Your voice makes him have shivers run down his spine and fall more and more in love with you. Again, you are not of this world to him. Too perfect and pure for a creature like him.
Behind him, your voice rings out like a siren. He takes a deep breath in and closes his eyes, soaking up that beautiful sound.
“Hello, my darling,” he coos. He stays looking forward at his sheet music, not ready to see how you look when you first wake up. He never thought he’d get to see such a sight. You tread quietly and carefully. His heart pounds against his ribcage, waiting to feel your presence again. Instead, he gets a bigger surprise. Your hand slowly slides up his back, right along his shoulder blade, and down to his chest. Your touch paralyzes him and also lights him on fire.
“My Angel,” you breathe in his ear.
His body melts into your touch when he hears your voice like that, soft and beckoning. Your hands continue to roam over his chest and touch the part that’s exposed in the low V-neckline.
He finds himself closing his eyes and enjoying every second of this. Your hands travel up to his neck and eventually up to his face. He was sensitive about anyone looking at him for too long or getting their hands remotely too close to his mask. With you, he didn’t have that fear. You gave him the most peace.
He hears your breathing become ragged and uneven and he slowly turns to face you in his seat. Dear God, your face is more beautiful when you’re needy and groggily awake.
“What is it? You’re shaking,” he asks you, gently taking your hands in his and stilling you.
“Is this a dream?” You say in a haze, your eyes mapping every detail of his face.
“No, I’m right here. I’m real.”
“I don’t believe it,” you whisper.
He squeezes your hands a little tighter, trying to assure you. It doesn’t seem to phase you, though.
“I don’t know how else to convince you of that, my dear. I’m right here, waiting on your beck and call.”
Your eyes flutter and nod your head, your chest heaving in your nightgown. You suddenly lean down and press your lips to his in a long, sweet kiss. Now he’s convinced this is a dream. Your lips are so soft and perfect. At first, you’re a bit hesitant, not sure if this is reality. But his hands softly caress your head and try to give you comfort. Your arms wrap around his neck and he feels your body melt.
Your lips become more needy and the kisses get longer and more passionate. He begins to kiss back, feeling how much you want him. He lets his hands slowly roam down your back and to your waist, feeling the soft curve of your hips. His grip tightens slightly and he pulls you between his legs. He’s dying for more closeness. You can barely catch your breath and your hands claw at his shoulders.
He pulls away, wanting you to breathe and not get overwhelmed. Your eyes look at him in shock and with intoxication. Your beautiful gaze leaves him completely at your mercy. You can ask him anything in this world and he’d give it to you.
“My Angel, now I think I’m dreaming. What have I done to deserve this?” He asks a bit breathlessly.
“I don’t know… I just needed to feel you weren’t just some hallucination,” you pause and stare down at his hands wrapped around your waist and his spread legs.
“You look like you need to persuade yourself on the matter too…” You whimper.
His jaw clenches at that invitation and he feels every part of his body stiffen.
“Tell me when to wake up and stop if you don’t want me, okay. Promise me,” he growls.
You quickly nod your head, pressing your lips together.
“I promise.”
His heart gallops away and he breathes in slowly, trying not to get too overwhelmed. He lets his hands crumple your nightgown in his fist, feeling the smooth, supple flesh underneath. He pulls you in a bit closer, needing to put his lips on you and kisses your torso. You gasp, the feeling of his lips on your body surprises you. Your soft little sighs make him want to crumble at your feet. Your arms are wrapped around his neck again and you pepper kisses on the top of his head.
This must be what heaven is like. Blissful peace with you wrapped around him, kissing him like he’s all you have ever needed.
His fingers tremble when they graze your inner thigh, slithering higher and higher. He looks up at you expectantly, making sure you want this. You bite your bottom lip slightly and hold onto him tighter. His finger finds your slit and you’re dripping wet. He can’t help but grumble, pleased at the discovery.
You gasp as he rubs his finger back and forth, hitting your sensitive little bud. Your eyes flutter closed and let your head fall back. The sight is something to behold. He’s so in love with seeing you like this.
He adds another finger, rubbing through your wetness and your hips begin to grind against him.
“Does this feel good?” He asks.
You nod your head and whimper, fighting the pleasure coursing through you.
He just wants to hear your voice, what it sounds like when you’re being coaxed into climax.
“Tell me, let me hear you, my Angel,” he coos.
Your breath hitches in your throat and you let out this soft, whimpering cry. He can’t help crumble just watching you. The ecstasy that washes over your face with every motion of his fingers has him keening for more.
“Yes, yes I love it,” you whisper.
His body stiffens and he feels his heart beat like a drum in his chest. All he wants to do is please you. He can’t deny how he’s thought of having you in a moment like this. Having you crave him the same way he has for so long. It’s always been something he’s tried to hide from you. He tried not to look at you for too long or you might see his longing stare. He wants nothing more than to have you in his arms and kiss every inch of your skin.
His fingers continue to rub and tease at your entrance. You feel like heaven, melting in his hand and crying out for him in soft little whimpers. He’s gentle, and pushes the tip of his finger inside you. You gasp, holding onto his shoulders tightly and moaning when he moves in and out of you.
“Oh, oh my god,” you moan.
It’s like music to his ears. He loves hearing you come apart. He works you into a weak, needy mess. Your hips move and you place you knee on top of his thigh, spreading your legs apart for him. He wants to take all your clothes off and revel over your perfect skin. His other hand slowly lifts up your nightgown, where he sees your wetness covering his fingers. You look good enough to eat, perfect in every way and he is dying to have you.
He reminds himself to be patient; he has so much time with you. He doesn’t need to rush anything with you. He slowly adds another finger inside you and you nearly buckle. He has a firm grip on your hip again and stills you. You look at him with wild eyes and your chest heaving.
“You’re so wet for me. You feel so good,” he groans as his fingers keep exploring you.
You moan again and he feels you instantly flutter around his fingers. He shoots his eyes back up at you and watches your reaction very closely.
“Do you like this, my Angel? Do you like my finger begging for you to come undone?” He rasps.
Your body stiffens and you flutter around him again.
You like to hear his voice it seems…
He can’t hide the smirk that’s formed on his face with this new discovery. He begins to curl his fingers inside you and watch you lose all control.
“Yes, you’re making me feel so good. I- I feel like I’m going to-,” you struggle for words.
“I know, I know. Just fall apart my dear. I’ll catch you,” he assures you.
He discovers this part inside you that makes you roll your eyes back and moan with pleasure. Damn it he can’t get enough of this. Why do you have to be so perfect when he is far from it? He keeps pushing there and feeling your walls begin to squeeze.
“That’s it Angel, let go. You’re doing so good.”
You let out a cry that echoes amongst the lair. Your body holds onto him tighter, leaning your weight onto him as your walls squeeze around his fingers. The more he moves his hand, the more sounds from your wet core came out and made him want more of you. Your chest heaves against him as your fingers scratch at his back.
You put all your weight on him and sit on his lap, unable to hold yourself up anymore. He slowly takes his fingers out of you and you whimper at the loss of him. You both look into each other’s eyes and have just the sound of your breathing filling his ears. Your eyes search his face for something. Your face looks flushed but still gorgeous in every way.
“What is it?” He murmurs in your ear, then kisses your cheek softly.
“I want you. I want to make you feel the same way I do. I want to touch you.” You have a neediness in your tone, almost begging him to let you touch him.
His first instinct is to say no. He doesn’t want you to see him bare with nothing left to hide. You deserved better. On the other hand, he was dying to have you. Touch every inch of your body and pull you into his, making love to you like he’s dreamed.
How was he to say no to you? Your eyes silently begged for his attention and your hand softly caressed his face. He melts under your touch and all inhibitions go out the door. He kisses the palm of your hand and revels in the feeling of your skin. He trails kisses down your arm and across your chest. You let him touch you freely and moan softly when he reaches sensitive spots on your neck.
He pauses briefly and look up into your eyes again.
“I need you terribly. You don’t want me to wake up from this dream yet?” He asks.
“No please, I want you too,” you whimper.
He smiles at you and peppers kisses on your cheeks. You’re warm under his lips and the rest of your body roars with heat against him. God, he loves you so much it shouldn’t be possible. He wants to savor every moment of this with you.
He lifts you off of him momentarily while he sheds his pants. He then takes your hand and pulls you back in, needing you closer than ever. Your eyes survey him and look back up at him with flushed cheeks. Without hesitation, you straddle his hips and sit in his lap. One by one, the buttons on his shirt get undone and you push it off his frame.
He needs to feel more of your skin too. He quickly pulls your nightgown off and gets to look at your perfect skin, full breasts, and trembling legs. Your hands trace his body to memory, slowly going down his chest, to his torso, until they find his length. You stop, not sure if you should go any lower. He wanted your touch so bad, he couldn’t hide it any longer.
He takes your hand and wraps it around his length. Damn it, it felt so good. He guides you through how he likes to be touched with firm, long strokes. You watch and bite your bottom lip, becoming needier by the second. His mouth kisses and begins to suck on your breasts, leaving little purple splotches behind.
Your breathing is labored and your face is covered with pleasure as your hand keeps moving on him. He greedily takes your nipple in his mouth and sucks on it, eliciting a carnal groan from you. He had a feeling you might like it.
His cock aches for more of you and he lifts you up by the hips. You let go of his length and brace your hands on his shoulders. He looks at you to make sure you want this as badly as he does. You tremble with need and beg for him. He can’t keep you waiting any longer.
He slowly lowers you down on his length and stills. God, you feel like heaven. So warm and tight around him, you instantly flutter around the first few inches. You can’t catch your breath and look at him in shock. He nods at you, trying to get you to calm down.
“You feel so good, you’re doing so good,” he coos.
You smile and lean in to kiss him.
It’s a fiery, passionate kiss, nothing like the ones before. You were burning from the inside out and needed to get this burning desire satisfied. He kisses back with equal amounts of passion, pulling you in by the back of your head and pulling your hair slightly. You groaned in between kisses and whimpered his name. He grows even hungrier for you and just wants to taste you. His tongue flicks your bottom lip, seeing if you’d like it. It shocks you at first, not expecting him to do that. But you do it back to him and he groans heavily. He claims your mouth as his own, swirling his tongue around yours and loving the way you taste.
He pushes you down to take more of him and pulls you back up. You break the kiss with a gasp that turns into a groan.
“Oh God, please… please you felt good like that,” you groan.
His heart thumps wildly at your cries.
“Like this?” He asks, pushing you down on him again.
You let your head fall back and groan loudly.
“Yes,” you whimper.
He moves you a gradual pace taking little by little, but you love it when he’s filled you completely. You squeeze around him like this and it makes it hard not to want to finish right now. He continues to pepper your angel-like skin with his kisses as you ride him, telling him how much you love this.
Your hands beg for him to kiss you more, to have him talk to you through this, to give you more of his cock like you haven’t gotten enough of it so far. Every kiss and every motion of your hips brings him closer to climax. He’s in too much shock that this is happening with you. He can feel how your body is aching and throbbing with every thrust he’s giving you. The way you squeeze your eyes shut and have your jaw drop when he bottoms out is almost all it takes for him to finish.
Your walls flutter around him and you press your lips together, trying to hold back.
“Cum for me, let me watch you,” he says breathlessly, thrusting you faster on him.
You open your eyes and grunt, barely able to catch your breath. Your eyes meet his and he watches you crumble. Your tight walls squeeze around him and the waves of your orgasm hit you. At first, a bit gently, then, in massive thundering crashes. Your hips chase the high you’re feeling and continue to move while you climax. Every squeeze from you makes him groan like a feral animal. You feel too damn good; you have ruined him for life.
He can’t hold back any longer and comes with you, ragged and needy. He bucks his hips up into you as he pours himself into your core. You groan with him as you feel his warmth coating the inside of you. He feels like he’s not on earth with you. This couldn’t happen in real life but somehow, it’s happened to him. You slow down but keep riding him, almost in a daze that this happened. He tries to catch his breath but fails. Especially with you still moving on his sensitive length.
After a while, you’re exhausted and wrap your arms around his neck and collapse onto him. He sighs in content, feels overwhelmed and overjoyed. His nose is buried in your beautiful auburn curls, making you look more like an angel than a woman. He memorizes the scent of your hair; citrusy with a hint of rosemary. He’s loves that’s he’s gotten to be this close to you and soak up all these details he’s never known before.
“I need to wake up, my Angel,” he coos softly.
“No, I don’t want to leave you,” you protest.
He lifts you off of him and grunts at the sensation. His eyes quickly examine how you look. Perfect as ever. He kissed you too much, leaving your lips a bit red and swollen. His eyes trailed down to the inside of your thighs, where both of your arousals leaked down. He shouldn’t like seeing that as much as he did but it drove him nearly mad. He wanted to make love to you like this again and again.
“You don’t have to go anywhere, I just need you to rest now,” he declares, sweeping you off your feet and picking you up in his arms.
You squeal, surprised that he picked you up so swiftly but almost instantly nuzzle into his chest. He takes you back into the bedroom, lying you down in the middle of the bed and covering your naked body with a blanket.
“Rest, it’s late my Angel,” he tries to persuade.
You grab his wrist before he turns away.
“Don’t go, rest with me,” you beg. Those doe eyes kill him every time.
“I don’t think I can rest in this bed with you,” he says bluntly.
You stare at him, a bit shocked, but a subtle smirk forms across your lips.
It felt fitting to post another Masquerade-inspired piece today (Masquerade art renaissance!!!), given that it's the show's one-year anniversary and Hugh will be leaving us again this Sunday (for now 🤞).
Seeing Georgia and Hugh together, surrounded by so many phandom friends, was such a surreal experience. I still remember all of us stumbling out of the show after that emotionally devastating Final Lair— either crying or fanning ourselves with our programmes, trying to process what we'd just witnessed.
Georgia’s Christine had a maturity and emotional depth that completely surprised me, and it created such a fascinating dynamic with Hugh’s Phantom, who felt so deeply stunted by his childhood trauma. And that Final Lair... I honestly don't know if I have the words. Everything felt impossibly fast and impossibly slow at the same time: the way Georgia held onto Hugh as they rested their foreheads together, the way he grasped her hand so tightly in his before slowly pulling it away. I've rarely, if ever, cried at a show before— but I did that day.
I genuinely can't believe it's already been a whole year since Masquerade NYC opened in New York. I still remember sitting in an office during my internship, dreaming about seeing the show someday. A year later, l've seen Masquerade three times, each with a different Phantom and Christine pairing, and every visit has given me something new to love.
Here’s to one incredible year of Masquerade and hopefully a hundred more visits! ❤️🎭
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