Release Day Blitz: Stolen Art - Ruth Silver

 

Title: Stolen Art - Ruth Silver

Publisher: Lazy Day Publishing

Release Date: April 28, 2015

Genre: Young Adult, Sci-Fi, Romance

   

Sixteen-year-old Madeline has been living on the streets, biding her time until she's eighteen. With little to no money, she takes on a heist in hopes of making ends meet. What could possibly go wrong? Everything. Getting caught is just the beginning of Madeline's adventure as she meets Weston and discovers the secret of where she came from.   Fans of Orphan Black, The X-Files, and Fringe will fall head over heels for Stolen Art. Recommended: 15+.

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Excerpt

I rush back up the dark stairwell, shoving the key into the doorknob. It takes a minute for the lock to click and I push myself inside the apartment, securing every lock and deadbolt. I can’t stay here in Hutchinson, Kansas any longer. Pulling my phone from my purse, I text Weston. Tatiana is here. It’s not safe for me. I grab the few belongings that have any value to me, sentimental or otherwise, and shove it into my shoulder bag, including the stolen silver necklace. It has value and if I’m forced on the run, I’ll need money to survive. I know. What did Weston mean he knew Tatiana is at the bar? Had he seen her? Is he there? What do you mean, you know? I type into the phone. If he saw her, why didn’t he warn me? I can’t go down out the front door and it’s only a matter of time until she finds me just a few feet away. I grow restless waiting for an answer. The phone buzzes and displays an incoming call from Weston. "Wes, tell me you’re here." The only thing to do is hop in his car and drive into the night, far from Kansas. A female’s voice bubbles with laughter. "Oh he’s coming darling, but you should know he won’t get here in time. Amazing how easy it is to clone a phone number and steal his service. The advancements Stem Tech has made is encouraging."

     

About the Author

 

 Ruth Silver is the best-selling author of the Aberrant trilogy. With a passion for writing and a love of story-telling, Ruth is actively writing multiple series under her name as well as the pen name Ravyn Rayne. Her interests include traveling, reading, and photography. Her favorite vacation destination is Australia. Ruth currently resides in Plainfield, Illinois. 

Follow Ruth here: Blog- http://writeawaybliss.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/writeawaybliss Twitter- http://twitter.com/writeawaybliss 

  Looking for a steamier read? Check her out here: Blog- http://ravynrayne.com Facebook- http://facebook.com/ravynraynereads Twitter- http://twitter.com/blushingravyn 

   

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Blog Tour Guest Post: Seven Seeds of Summer - Chantal Gadoury + Giveaway

Seven Seeds of Summer

Chantal Gadoury

Genre: YA Paranormal Romance

Publisher: Waldorf Press

Published: March 15, 2014

Synopsis
Seven Seeds of Summer follows the story of Summer, a college art student who has grown up in a house full of Greek mythology and legends. Summer grew up with a love for the darkest of all Gods: Hades, which caused tension between her and her mother. Summer comes home to Point Judith, Rhode Island, to find a mysterious figure on their family beach. The figure comes to her with questions about a familiar myth of her childhood: of Persephone and Hades. He proceeds to tell her of a new version of the story with a different ending that Summer never knew; an ending that includes herself.

A trip to Greece leads to tragic twists, leaving Summer in the arms of the strange figure whom she had met before. He takes her on a whirlwind through the busy streets of Athens, to the lowest point of Greece where his lair awaits: The Underworld. Determined to find out the secret of herself and her piece in the story, Summer goes with him, and tries to make herself at home in his world.

Summer has to decide to follow her heart or follow the same footsteps of the mysterious woman in her past life.

Seven Seeds of Summer on Goodreads
Seven Seeds of Summer on Amazon.com

Guest Post - For The Love of Hades, by Chantal Gadoury
Have you ever read a story that just stuck with you for the longest time? It almost played like a movie over the few years that you might have thought about it? Faces seemed to etch themselves out slowly, a curve of a line, a smirk, and then finally a face? Perhaps this is how Summer started to discover “Hades” as she imagined him - or rather, “Remembered” him.

For me, the myth of “Persephone and Hades” very much played out like this. When I was 7th grade, we were reading “The Odyssey” and part of the section in our books was more “Greek Mythology.” The first story was Persephone and Hades, and I was completely enraptured by the story. It was beautifully sad, wonderfully romantic and yet, eerie and interesting. It was a story that I knew I wanted to store for later in my memory. This is why, when approaching the story of “Seven Seeds of Summer,” their story was so strong in the book.

When I decided to revisit Persephone and Hades, it was more of trying to come up with a new, fresh idea. I wanted to retell a good, “fairy tale” - but something not a lot of people were familiar with. I took a lot of different books that I loved and tried to weave them into the story and character “building blocks” of “Seven Seeds of Summer.” I was taking a Novel class in college, and wanted to try something different than to the more “modern” novels that were being written in the class. I knew that I wanted to try something at least in a some-what fairy tale world, with an edge of the modern world; thus creating Summer as the character in our time, bringing the element of the past, (Hades) to the future.

For the character of Hades - I put a lot of thought into him. I took novels and stories that I knew, people that I knew in my life, and started to map out this person who at first was going to be very dark, and more cruel; I realized quickly that he needed to have some redeeming parts to him, for others to like. He needed to appeal to not only my readers, but Summer as well. I thought it would be more interesting to have Hades feel more like a human, than this untouchable God. I wanted the audience to feel for him, to understand the conflict of being untouchable and yet relatable. While he knew his power, and knew who he was - he also knew that he felt pain as others did. He loved, just as others did. And he had a love for not only Persephone, but grew a love for Summer as well. The developing love for Summer became the struggle throughout the novel; there would be times that Summer would just insist for me to stop writing; she wanted to know if Hades really loved her or loved her because she reminded him of Persephone. It became an arch to the story, without even trying. Hades is as “Shrek” would say - an onion. He has layers, and I know that I didn’t get to tap into all the layers that creates him; there’s still an element of mystery and surprise that I’d still like to discover - hopefully in a sequel, if I can ever think of a sequel for their story.

Summer was a little easier - I found myself relating to her more than anything. I think now, looking back at “Seven Seeds,” Summer is very much a part of me. She and I have a lot of things in common, and some things - are just things I wish we had in common. We both enjoy to paint, we both love people deeply, and we’re both very stubborn and can be quite determined.

I remember hearing once, “Write what you know” and while, perhaps I don’t know everything there is to know about Greek Mythology - this story reflects on things that I’ve learned in my years of growing, not only as a writer, but a person; a hopeless romantic and a friend. Love and Friendship inspired this novel, and without it, it wouldn't be in the form for others to enjoy.

I hope that everyone who reads Seven Seeds of Summer enjoys it! I hope they fall in love with the characters and ride a long with the story.

Thank you for having me on your blog!
And enjoy!

Chantal Gadoury

Author Bio
Chantal Gadoury is young author who currently lives in a small town in Delaware with her two cats, Theo and Harper and her boyfriend, Robert. Chantal likes anything Disney, plays a mean game of Disney trivia, enjoys painting, and has a interest in British History. Chantal first started writing stories at the age of seven and continues that love of writing today. As a recent college graduate from Susquehanna University, with a degree in Creative Writing, this is her first book.

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Kyra_x

New Release: Highland Passage - J.L. Jarvis

Highland Passage by J.L. Jarvis

Publisher: Bookbinder Press

Release date: July 26, 2014

Genre: Romance, Time Travel

Synopsis:
Mackenzie Cooper has had it with romance. On her way home from another blind date arranged by her well-meaning sister, she is caught in a snowstorm. While maneuvering the twists and turns of the icy road, Mackenzie loses control of her car and crashes into the rocky hillside.

When a rugged Scotsman pulls her to safety, Mackenzie is sure she must be hallucinating. Through the storms fury, he takes her to shelter in one of the mysterious stone chambers scattered throughout Putnam County, New York. Snowbound, Mackenzie must wait out the storm with this strange, kilted man who claims to be a Highlander from eighteenth-century Scotland. By morning, she not only believes Ciaran MacRae's story but has also lost her heart just in time for him to kiss her, promise his love and then vanish.

Unable to forget him, Mackenzie returns again and again to the stone chamber, hoping to unlock the secret of Ciaran's disappearance. But if she does, she will have to decide whether her fierce feelings for Ciaran are worth abandoning all that she knows to travel through time to find her gallant Scotsman.

In addition to being available in print at major online booksellers, Highland Passage is also available as an ebook exclusively through Amazon for sale and for free as part of Amazon's new Kindle Unlimited program.

Author Bio:
J.L. lives on a mountaintop in New York. You can join her online:
Facebook - Twitter - Tumblr - Pinterest - Her Blog

Kyra_x

Review: Between The Lives - Jessica Shirvington

For as long as Sabine can remember she has lived two lives. At midnight every day, she shifts from one life to the next, replaying that day in her alternate life. One life is perfect, the other, not so much, apart from the burst of sunshine that is her little sister. She has been living - coping- with her two lives for 18 years, never telling a soul, until one day something changes; she breaks her arm, but the break doesn't cross over into her next life. Suddenly, she has the option to let one life go, the question is; should she?

This book. How can I begin to tell you about this book? It is fundamentally about life and death. It makes you think about the bigger picture and wonder about what happens when you die. Is reincarnation real? Are there parallel worlds? Should suicide ever be an option? Between The Lives covers all these difficult questions and twists the idea of suicide into something that you could understand from this perspective. It also twists the way that we see insanity, as at some points you are unsure whether the other life is really just Sabine's imagination. The story could have swung any way it wanted in that respect; it could have grounded its-self in reality or gone with the parallel lives thing. Personally, I love what Jessica Shirvington did.

The book can be hard-going. It addresses the more brutal aspects of life; mental illness, self-harm, suicide, physical abuse, and so on. At one point, I had to put the book down for ten minutes or so, because although the thoughts of suicide were not there, the act still was, and it made he horrifically uncomfortable. There is one more issue with the book; you can see the ending coming a mile off, both twists. However, that didn't necessarily blow me away any less. In fact, because I was expecting one part and hope for the other, the ending just played out really nicely for me, and was quite satisfying.

Between The Lives is a beautiful, heart-wrenching, slow-burning romance, complete with everything that makes a well-rounded book; love, loss, family, confusion, pain and pleasure. It is an emotion story that teaching us about the fleeting quality of life and tells us to embrace it while we have the chance. It is unlike anything else I have read; moving, awful to read in places, but I guarantee it will stay with me for some time.

I was utterly riveted by this book.

Between the Lives on Goodreads

Thank you, thank you, thank you Hachette Children's Books (Orchard Books) for this Advance copy, due to be published on the 7th of August.

Kyra_x

Cover Reveal: The Noru: Blue Rise - Lola StVil

The Noru: Blue Rose by Lola St.Vil 

(The Noru Series #1) 

Publication date: July 2014

Genres: Fantasy, Romance, Young Adult

How gorgeous is this?! I love the title font.

Synopsis:

After speaking to the other angels on the team, I hang up my cell and sigh. No one’s heard from Aaden in months. This bothers me not only as the leader but as his girl - well if I was his girl - which I’m not. 
Great. Now on top of being grounded, I’m sitting here acting girly and needy. Argh!!!

Screw this! I start to head downstairs to plead my case to my parents again, when something out the window catches my eye. I lean in closer to get a good look. What I see astounds me: soundlessly and without hesitation, the humans line up and jump off the roof one at a time…

The Noru: Blue Rose on Goodreads

Author Bio:

Lola was seven when she first came to this country from Port-au-Prince, Haiti. She attended Columbia College in Chicago, where her main focus was creative writing. In addition to plays, she also writes screenplays and short stories.

She has been commissioned to write for ABC, CBS and Princeton University. She won the NAACP award for her play "The Bones of Lesser Men". In addition to being nominated for LA Weekly awards. Her work has also received positive reviews from The LA Times, Variety and LA Weekly.

Author links:

http://www.lolastvil.com/

https://www.facebook.com/guardiansgirl?id=536823392999662

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5604797.Lola_St_Vil

https://twitter.com/guardiansgirl

Kyra_x

Review: The One - Kiera Kass

I finally bought it! Yaaay!

The first chapter allows you to dive straight into this book; it is simply as if you have never been away. It was like I didn't even have to try to remember The Elite, because the main twists were covered pretty nicely with 'looking back' type sentences. I hate it when a book tries to recap too much, it gets boring, so I'm really glad this didn't happen.

OK, so to recap for those of you who didn't get quite so caught up in the story as me, or for those of you who read it back in the dark ages and can't remember what just happened. America is chosen to be in the final four of The Selection, nearly screws up her chances entirely (several times) and then finally, finally, decides to stay and fight for Maxon. We found out that Maxon's dad, King Clarkson, is a complete and utter a-hole (please excuse the language, but I couldn't find a better word to describe him).

So talking about the actual story-line, the competition seems to be getting to all the girls, but now that it's just them, they all have to try extra hard to win Maxon over. America is trying, and yet somehow she goes back a step in her character arc. Yet again we see her arguing with Maxon, going over the same things she's been worried about in the first and second books, and now we have an extra issue; she wont admit to herself she actually loves the guy. I could have face-palmed, but I didn't. Strangely, these parts didn't annoy me quite as much as they did in The Elite. Maybe it is because America has matured a bit more, and maybe it's because she isn't toying around with the two boys so much. 

I loved the fact that there was a lot more dystopian type events going on here; a few attacks, a bit more subversion on America's part, sneakily doing things against the King's wishes... I thought it was all great. I noticed that it was a lot more serious though, less laugh out loud moments and more crying, or more horrible things happening.

Now for the big part: this book is the last in the series, so I really have to say something about the conclusion. You can all breathe out a sigh of relief! There are a few things you can really see coming, mostly things that have to happen to get the world back to rights. You guess what happens with Aspen eventually, but that doesn't matter because it was all so satisfying. There were a few shocking deaths thrown in there that you really don't see coming, but that just added to the whole feeling of the final chapters. I actually teared up at a death of a character who I totally detested in The Selection.. that says something for the story, doesn't it?

It was a really absorbing read, and I couldn't put it down. I couldn't stop thinking about it, actually; I just had to see what was going to happen!

The One on Goodreads

Kyra_x

Review: Fifty Shades of Grey - E.L. James

Anastasia Steele is in the midst of studying for her final exams when her friend, Kate, asks her to interview the CEO of Grey Enterprise Holdings, where she meets the intimidating and drop-dead gorgeous Christian Grey. Ana feels strangely drawn to him and soon she finds that he feels the same way, but Christian Grey has a dark past and is hiding a BDSM lifestyle behind his perfect facade. Will Ana give in and be his submissive?

This book has been lingering on my shelf for months; just after the Fifty Shades mania broke out, I borrowed all three books, but I've always found them very difficult to pick up. The issue is that everyone knows what they look like and most may assume that I am reading them for some kind of sexual gratification. Recently I decided I didn't really care any more, and that as long as I knew I was reading for pure curiosity, I could deal with the amused looks of the people on the bus.

This book surprised me; from what I had heard from others, I expected sex every few pages, but instead there was actually a rather good story-line. Yes, it was a bit of a fantasy overload for me (a normal girl being the sub/girlfriend of an extraordinarily wealthy man with no sexual boundaries? seriously?) but it was a story nonetheless. Mostly, the story consisted of the tantalising answer to the question 'why is Christian so messed up?' but there also was a slight bit of growth for Ana and a minute character arc for Christian. I was fairly stunned by the fact it even had a real plot.

Now for the sex. As many of you know, the story has quite a lot of kinky situations involved, but if we're being honest, not much of it really floated my boat. Each person is different, so you may love it, but I found myself reading the sex scenes impassively, waiting for the moments when they would actually talk about the important stuff, for example, why Christian has severe attachment issues. Speaking of which, I had a notion that this book kind of implies that you have to be messed up to like BDSM and I'd just like you to note that it's really not the case.

I am aware that this is a complete fantasy, but I was struck by how completely unrealistic the sexual encounters were in terms of the amount Anastasia was turned on by the slightest thing, the amount she came and the fact that it's pretty much physically impossible to have sex so many times in such quick succession.

Another thing that struck me about the book is the sheer repetition. Ana's thoughts were extremely repetitive, with constant iterations of ' oh my' and 'holy [insert crap, cow, shit, here]', not to mention the descriptions; 'felt it down there' and 'my sex' - do people even use that word to describe their downstairs any more?

Apparently this book was originally fan-fiction, and I can see the hints of Edward Cullen in his coppery hair and his I-don't-want-to-hurt-you-but-I-totally-do mindset. I can see some Bella in Anastasia's clumsiness and her ridiculous decisions, but apart from that this is thankfully, totally different.

I expected the ending to be all sunshine and rainbows, to square up with the rest of the fantasy, but amazingly it did something else; it actually shocked me. It had me practically leaping for joy, mouth still wide open in amazement. E.L. James knows how to keep her audience begging for more books, that's for sure.

I judged this book by it's cover, and in some ways the book surprised me, but in other ways, it really didn't. It's a half-decent novel, a beach read for women who want to totally escape from their daily lives. Though I am intrigued as to why Christian is how he is, I don't think I will be reading the other two books, given the horrific repetition in the first and the intensely frustrating way that sex seems to be the answer to avoidance of issues. No thank you. It gets a 4 out of 10.

Best Read: In bed, where no-one can catch you getting horny (if you're into this type of thing)

Fifty Shades of Grey on Goodreads

Book Blitz: The Gatekeeper - J.A. Templeton + Giveaway

The Gatekeeper by J.A. Templeton
(Otherworld Series #1)
Publication date: May 1st 2014
Genres: Fantasy, New Adult, Paranormal Romance

Synopsis:

Ever since I can remember, I've had strange dreams that always came true, and experienced terrifying powers that set me apart from everyone else.

It’s not until my eighteenth birthday do I begin to understand what those dreams mean. When my grandfather is attacked and left for dead, I am thrust into the Otherworld—a medieval-like land of beautiful immortals with amazing gifts. One of these immortals has stolen the key between the realms, and it is up to me, Brynne Davies, the next gatekeeper, to reach the key before the power struggle that exists in the Otherworld occurs on earth.

Complicating my task are the members of the Royal House of Parthas, especially the king’s brother, the handsome Murdoc, Warlord of the king’s army, and then there’s the charming Fae prince who seems to always be one step ahead of me.

Time is running out for me to find the key and close the door. If I don’t, the world I left will never be the same…because of me.

Goodreads: https://www.goodreads.com/book/show/14289574-the-gatekeeper?ac=1

Purchase:

Will be found here come release day: http://www.amazon.com/s/ref=nb_sb_noss?url=search-alias%3Daps&field-keywords=The+Gatekeeper+Templeton&rh=i%3Aaps%2Ck%3AThe+Gatekeeper+Templeton

AUTHOR BIO

I wrote my first young adult novel over ten years ago, and took a slight detour from writing YA to publish nineteen adult romances. Now, I'm following my heart and writing in the genre I've been passionate about for so long, and about characters who don't exactly fit into any specific box.
Aside from writing and reading, I'm obsessed with history, love research, traveling, and riding motorcycles with my hubby, my first and only love, who stole my heart when I was fourteen and he was eighteen (yes, he robbed the cradle). I am also a medium, which gives me a unique perspective when writing about the paranormal and characters like Riley, who can see, hear, and feel spirits.
I'm passionate about books, and I'll never tire of writing love stories.

Author links:

http://www.jatempleton.com/

https://www.facebook.com/pages/JA-Templeton/124655067647202?ref=hl

https://twitter.com/JATempleton

https://www.goodreads.com/author/show/5005267.J_A_Templeton

GIVEAWAY
To win an ebook copy of The Gatekeeper, please fill out the rafflecopter below. This giveaway is open internationally. The prize will be sent out after May 26th, as that will be the end of the Blitz.

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The Phantom of the Opera - Gaston Leroux

So you've seen the stage production and the film of this horror/romance (starring Gerard Butler, of course, though there are loads of them), but what about the book? Will it be as heart-wrenching, as terrifying or as poignant?

Well, the short answer is no, but not for lack of trying. The main reason why is that we never get the point of view of the main characters; the Phantom, Christine and Raoul. The book is set out like a history, the author directly sets out some facts and piques our interest by telling us about the disappearance of Christine Daae, the strange story of the opera ghost and the death of the Count de Chagny (not to be confused with the Viscount de Chagny, Raoul). The rest of the book comprises of diary fragments and writing from two or three other characters, not unlike Dracula, which is also comprised of diary entries and records of the events. Maybe that was how you wrote horror stories in the late 1800s/early 1900s, but it is not to everyones taste.

However, the book has some very good points. The first is that the mystery of the entire book is kept till right at the end.. what really did happen the night of Christine's disappearance? If you've never seen the film/ stage versions, you won't be disappointed. If you have, keep reading anyway, there are many changes that will keep you guessing. The shadowy Persian, for example, is a character that really stands out. He was new to me, but his history with the Phantom and his narrative were both extremely interesting. It really makes you realise the type of person the Phantom really is, as we see many sides to him.

There was one more thing that made the book lose more effect; the Phantom has a name. Now, everyone deserves a name, and the Phantom has acquired one; Erik. This now makes him a little too human to be the monster described by the Persian. He loses his mystery, and the strange charm in not knowing who exactly they are. A name gives someone attributes, a personality. The name Erik, for example, is Norse for Eternal Ruler. While this is extremely apt for the character, it gives away some idea of who he is. In the film/musical, we do not know the man at all, and can only judge him on his words and actions.

The book builds beautifully into a pacy finish, complete with torture chambers and a plot to blow up the opera house. A tiny let-down was the conclusion, but it is a let down in every version. At one point you think, how on earth will this end up happy? The way this is implemented seems, at least to me, like a bit of a cop-out. However, it does show humanity in the Phantom again, showing there are many sides to a monster, rather reminiscent of Mary Shelley's Frankenstein. At least the book ties up all the loose ends well. It answers every question you could have though of, which is something the film does not do. How does the Phantom's voice seem right close to your ear, yet nothing is there? You will find out!

All the best loved elements of the Phantom story are here; the fallen chandelier, the death of a man by the Punjab lasso, the underground lake where the Phantom lives, the secret tunnels of the opera house, the secret engagement of the two young lovers, the loss of the Prima Donna's voice.. I was very happy to see that all of these were original ideas from the book.

Although the style of the book is dated (it was originally published in 1909 after all), it still manages to pack a punch and is a very good read. This is, however, one of those rare books where the film is actually better.
It's a 7 out of 10.

Image from Wordpress

You can find 'The Phantom of the Opera' for free on Kindle.

To redirect to my post on the film version starring Gerard Butler, please click here.

Divergent - Veronica Roth

Tris lives in a world where you get to choose how you live your life. There are 5 factions - Amity, Abnegation, Candor, Erudite and Dauntless. Each citizen chooses theirs when they are 16. after that, they belong to that faction for the rest of their lives. But what happens if you don't slot neatly into one faction; what if you are divergent?

Dystopian fiction for teens is bang on trend at the moment, thanks to the huge success of 'The Hunger Games'. And this book doesn't disappoint, even for an adult reader. The plot isn't all that twisty and can be obvious to an adult reader, but the depiction of this interesting dystopian concept is excellent. The plot, at times, can be a little cliche - this genre and romance seem to go hand in hand - but overall it is a thrilling, fast-paced read. The events culminate to an unexpectedly huge crescendo, and I wonder how the next novel will fare after that. One possible question that may remain in the reader's mind is exactly how the world came into being. Hopefully, an explanation will be given to us in the sequel.

While the novel does not compete with 'The Hunger Games' in terms of technical skill, it has many features that make it well worth the read:-

The characters are believable, likeable and realistic to their world. This, I think, can be see very well in Roth's protagonist, but also in her other characters. For example Albert, another initiate, is torn between a crush on a girl and the will to survive the initiations (or risk being factionless and living on the edge of society). I think it is good that they don't act or think exactly as we do, otherwise they wouldn't feel right to the reader.

It also really makes you think about yourself as a person. If you were in this world, which faction would you belong to? Would you also be divergent? Or would you choose to be factionless? There are tests in the book that you can place yourself into and decide how you would fare in that world - your capacity for selflessness, or your deepest fears.

Overall, I give it a 9/10. Not perfect, but definitely getting there.

The second novel, Insurgent, comes out on hardback on the 1st May 2012.

The Phantom of the Opera

The story of the Phantom has been with us for a century, and yet really, none of us would know it but for the inspired tune from Andrew Lloyd Webber's musical. It is the story of a genius and a murderer, of love and hate, of an Opera house and the people within. This is truly a brilliant story, and I feel that the music is astounding and beautiful, much like the story itself.

The story is very slightly different to the stage version, but it still manages to capture the essence of it. This is probably because Andrew Lloyd Webber produces the film.  Christine Daae is only a chorus-girl when she is asked to sing in the place of La Carlotta, the Opera's primadonna. But she has a secret; ever since she came to live at the Opera, a strange angel of music has been teaching her to sing. Little does she know that her angel is really the terrifying Opera Ghost, who is best known for causing accidents with his magical lassoo. The Opera has just changed hands, and the new patron, Raoul de Chagny, could not be more thrilled when he sees Christine singing - they had been childhood sweethearts. Later Raoul goes to Christine, but she is spirited away by the Phantom. Although this seems to be a love story of sorts, beware, the Phantom isn't a lovesick puppy.

This 2004 film version stars the likes of Gerard Butler, Miranda Richardson and Minnie Driver. But it is the beautiful and enchantingly naive performance of the virtually unknown Emmy Rossum (who you may also have seen in The Day After Tomorrow and Poseidon) that makes this film something wonderful. All the actors sing the parts in this film, and Emmy is exceptional, having been singing and acting from an early age. Her voice is fantastic, and the acting is exactly what you would expect of a leading lady and she was only 16 at the time. However, the actor who really brings the Phantom to life is of course Gerard Butler, whose portrayal of emotion - from anger to utter heartbreak - leaves your emotions as contorted as the Phantom's face.

What I really like about this movie is the plot. It doesn't twist, and it doesn't have to. It is obvious and yet the emotion of the story and the truth behind what is happening to the characters is what drives you to keep watching. All the viewer really wants is an answer to their questions. You even start to care for this shady Phantom, even after you know he has killed people. I shed a tear at the thought of his heart breaking, I was so involved. And Gerard Butler does play it with some poise and a lot of emotion. Enough to make me tear up a second time at the thought of his possible demise, I have to admit.

The scenery is spectacular. At the beginning, when the black and white film turns to the past and you see the pure opulence of the theatre, it is really something to behold. The golden statues, the stairs to stage area; the grandeur of the place is wonderful. The other scenes of the dressing rooms and the secret passageways are equally as amazing. I especially liked the Phantom's lair, with it's luxurious flowers and furniture, as well as the snowy scenes in the graveyard and the rooftop, where the main character was cleverly wearing red as a dramatic contrast as well as a symbolic reference to danger and love.

One drawback to the film is a technical one; an error for the people editing the film, rather than the actors or the costume designers (nice work, by the way, the costumes were amazing too). It went from almost unheard whispers to beltingly loud music quite suddenly, which meant that I had to keep turning it up and down in turn to keep from having my eardrums blasted by that ominous organ.

All in all I would like to give this film a 9.5 out of 10, because even when I couldn't hear the words, I knew the story. This is a romance enthusiasts dream, right from beginning to end.