Beautifully haunting book! My only complaint is that it could have been longer to provide more background on this world and the magic surrounding it. The characters were vivid and well-written and the story was interesting. I cannot wait to read more!

If you are a theater kid and love a good Phantom of the Opera story line, I recommend this. While it did take me some time to get into the story, I eventually got hooked. Reading about Selene and her inner turmoil when it comes to her future and work through the competition in order to become the new mage for the King was entertaining and kept me on my toes. I highly recommend this for a good spooky season read! Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC.

Big thank you to NetGalley for the ARC!

Unfortunately I couldn't engage with the story so it took me a while to actually start it, and finishing it was a difficult task since I wasn't really feeling it.

If you are looking for a book the reminds you of phantom of the opera. This book is for you! It is dark and full of intense moments. I recommend!

After starting this book I discovered that it's no longer set to be published as originally planned.
That's a shame, because I do think the audience for it is out there.
While there were too many similarities to the source material for my tastes, I believe big fans of The Phantom of the Opera would be into this book, and I hope it finds a publisher dedicated to it.

Sadly, this was a def for me. I really wanted to love this one because I am a huge fan of the Phantom of the Opera book and musical. It's Phantom of the Opera with magic, so I should have loved it! It started off strong but then quickly petered out for me. I'll definitely be in the minority for this one and I'm sure others will love it. Thank you so much to the publisher and Netgalley for a copy of the arc in return for an honest review!

Thank you for the ARC!
This book hooked me immediately. The atmospheric setting — very Phantom of the Opera meets Parisian opera house — grabbed me from page one, and that stunning cover didn’t hurt either.

I’m also so happy that although this is technically a romance, the romantic subplot wasn’t overpowering (thank goodness). Lately, it feels like every fantasy book is a romantasy that just doesn’t work for me — but Sing the Night found a great balance.

I didn’t know there was going to be a sequel, and I’m so glad there is! The ending left me genuinely confused — not in a bad way, but in a “wait… what just happened??” way. I’m still not sure I fully understood it, but I really, really loved it, and now I can’t wait to read the next one (even though this one isn’t even out yet 😅).

The characters were another strong point for me. I really enjoyed seeing their growth throughout the story. I especially loved Victor and Dante, and even Selene — who annoyed me a bit at first — ended up growing on me a lot.

This was such a pleasant surprise and one of the most refreshing fantasies I’ve read recently.

I am all in for anything that gives off Phantom of the Opera vibes. Unfortunately, I found myself struggling to get through this. It’s not inherently bad…just amateurish enough to diminish any positive aspects. It had some interesting possibilities, but the characters all felt too shallow, one-dimensional…despite repeated inconsistencies in their personalities. The dialogue was at times weak…other times overdone. The love triangle seemed more toxic and juvenile than romantic. The last 10% of the book had a good twist, then a very mediocre “climax”, with a cliffhanger ending…set up for a sequel I personally am not interested in. Perhaps this book will get some traction with a much younger audience.

thank you net galley for the arc!
1 star unfortunately :( i didn’t relate to the story or really get into it, but the premise was interesting.

*3.5 star*. So, Sing the Night was a bit of a rollercoaster for me. I picked it up mostly for the vibes—a dark, magical opera house? Phantom of the Opera retelling? Say less. And let me tell you, it delivers on that atmosphere. The whole world feels lush and dramatic, with music-infused magic, eerie mirrors, and that moody, mysterious tone that makes you want to sink into the pages with a candle and some gothic soundtrack playing in the background.

That said, I struggled a bit at the beginning. It took me a while to feel connected to Selene or the stakes of the competition. The story felt a bit slow to start, and I kept waiting for that moment where everything would click. Thankfully, by the halfway point, I was vibing—I was invested in the magic system, the drama, and especially the strange mirror man (no spoilers, but he was very intriguing).

But even with that, something about the plot felt a little undercooked. It had all these intense elements—madness, murder, shadow magic—but I kept wishing it would dig a little deeper. And the ending? Confusing. Not necessarily in a "bad writing" way, but in a "wait, what just happened, and do I care enough to follow the next book?" kind of way. I’m torn. Part of me wants to see where it goes, and the other part feels like this should’ve left a stronger impact if it’s meant to hook me into a series.

Overall, I’d say it’s worth a read if you love magical competitions, eerie vibes, and messy ambition, but go in knowing it might not answer all your questions—and it might leave you with a few more.

Anything with phantom of the opera inspired will catch my interest as I'm sure many other do. And I definitely felt the vibes all thought the book. However the pace was a slow at moments and the magic system felt underdeveloped at times. The characters were interesting and enjoyable. Overall while the premises was interesting and decently written it didn't stand out for me. I feel like this will come down to personal preference. 3.25

Sing The Night
By: Megan Eccles
Release Date: Oct 28 2025

4/5 stars ✨
1/5 spice 🌶️

This book has so many things going for it- beautiful prose, fantastic world building, and phantom of the opera vibes. I really enjoyed the details of this book, it made me feel as though I was actually living in the opera. Also, I enjoyed the insta-love (I know that’s not everyone’s thing) between the main characters.
Two things kept me from giving it 5 stars- one was pacing. Some of the language was repetitive and it took me about 1/3rd of the way into the book to get into it fully. The second critique is that certain things were given almost no explanation (the monarchy and the magic for example). Now this is a personal viewpoint, I am just a nerd that likes to know the mechanics and politics.
Overall it was an enjoyable read, and I can see it going far. My critiques are very minor and personalized to my taste. Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Random House for the ARC.

Sing the Night
Author: Megan Jaurequi Eccles

Selene has had a difficult childhood. Her father died prematurely, which made her an orphan.

She is taken in by the caretaker of L Opéra du Magican academy. Here she is given the opportunity to develop her magical talents.

The idea is that one of the students will work in the service of the king as the new king mage.

In order to achieve this, the students must demonstrate what they are capable of through a competition. Each of them must put together an act in which they must bring their singing to life through magic and dance, creating a kind of illusion on stage.

The rivalry escalates. Selene is starting to doubt her future more and more due to a series of fateful events...

The storyline and setting remind me a lot of the movie: The Black Swan, but with opera music vibes, and there are some similarities with the book: The Night Circus by Erin Morgenstern

While reading there were a few things that struck me. One of the first things I ran into is that I don't really understand the magic system. There is magic, but the magic is partly an illusion which made me wonder what the actual function of magic in general is.

Another point is that the function of the monarchy is not clearly described by the author. The king is looking for a new mage, which makes him quite an important person in the storyline.

What also caught my attention is that a number of puns often recur in the text, which made some descriptions seem monotonous at times.

I found the entourage of the opera and the historical aspects very spectacular and vividly elaborated, which sometimes gave me the idea that I was actually present in the building myself.

I want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC.

Trigger warnings:
Violence, death, blood, mental illness, problematic family ties

As a Phantom of The Opera lover I wanted to love this book so badly. I loved the premise of this but the execution felt repetitive and the romance felt a little too insta-lovely for me. Vibes were sprawling and dark and delectable and our MC Selene had me genuinely rooting for her throughout the competition, but the mid-book slump really got to me with this one unfortunately as the same sequence of events was repeated again and again.

I really enjoyed this Phantom of the Opera inspired retelling! I loved the worldbuilding, how music is used to create magic and the dangerous side-effects it can cause when it goes wrong – as we learn what happens with Selene’s father. Selene’s ambition to win the L′Opéra du Magician and redeem her father’s legacy was compelling to read, especially when as more and more secrets and betrayals are revealed, the more winning L′Opéra du Magician seems unwise. I also really like how the author incorporated the famous love triangle from the musical/book into the story, with Selene effectively using both of her love interests to try and win the competition. I did feel that Selene’s first reaction to the mysterious ‘phantom’ was somewhat insta-lovey, but hey it’s YA! Also, the mirrors – if you know you know! I don’t really enjoy school or competition settings in fantasy books that much either, but this was still pretty good. If you enjoy stories about magical competitions, love triangles, music, and are a fan of Phantom of the Opera, I would definitely recommend this book! I’m looking forward to reading the sequel when it comes out.

Sing the Night is a sweeping, immersive fantasy that was pitched as "for fans of Phantom of the Opera" but it reads much closer to a retelling. It's very obvious the author has extensive experience in music, and while I also enjoyed the unique magic system, it seemed the music metaphors went a little to far. I also come from a musical background, so no one is more surprised than me that this didn't quite work for me, but after about 40% of the way through the book, it just felt overdone.

The world was INCREDIBLE. Very beautiful and interesting. The female main character's goals and obstacles were also clear and easy to connect with.

I did have a hard time believing Selene, the FMC, had literally been living in an opera house since she'd been a child and had never left... there wasn't even a strong reason given. She just agreed to be a prisoner in this place?

The plot had a similar holding pattern to Selene's circumstances. The book opens on the day of this massive magical competition and by 50% of the way through the book, we're still doing the competition. Though we know Selene's desires, and can foresee the slippery slope she starts to walk when she lets the ghost teach her dark magic, we just sort of...hang out there. Events happen, but the plot itself doesn't exactly move forward at a satisfying pace. Similarly, when she meets the ghost, I had A LOT of questions (some of which were answered, some not), but we see the same pattern of Selene going to him, learning something, and then doing his bidding before coming back. Except her lessons are all the same--there isn't much change in what he's teaching her. Only her inexplicable obsession with him.

Overall, the prose was STUNNING and the world was so unique, but the pacing and the lack of believability between Selene and the Ghost are what kept me from giving it 5 stars.

Darkly enchanting, musically magical, and dripping with gothic atmosphere—Sing the Night hits all the right notes. 🎼🩸🎭

I absolutely devoured this book. A spellbinding, Phantom of the Opera–inspired fantasy full of blood, beauty, betrayal, and longing—it had me hooked from the opening pages and left me desperate for a sequel after that ending. 👻🎶😱

Selene is a fierce and emotionally complex protagonist, driven by ambition, grief, and a desperate need to prove herself in the cutthroat world of L′Opéra du Magician. The magic system—woven through song—is gorgeously imaginative, and the entire story pulses with a sense of theatrical drama and creeping dread. The mysterious man in the mirror? Deliciously dark and hauntingly seductive. I was just as spellbound as Selene.

Eccles creates a world entirely her own—one where magic exacts a price, love is laced with shadows, and obsession simmers beneath the surface.

I thoroughly enjoyed this from start to finish, and I’m aching for more. If you love your fantasy atmospheric, emotionally charged, and tinged with madness and mystery, this one deserves a standing ovation. 👏✨

This is a dark, political reimagining of the Phantom of the opera. Steeped in a world of mysterious monarchies and mages, where magic is solely for entertaining and nothing more.

Children with the gift are sent off to live in an opera house run by an apathetic and harsh teacher. With the end of the Kings prize mage’s retirement, comes the opportunity that they have been waiting for since childhood. The chance to compete against their fellow students, friends, family, to become the new King’s mage.

The opera itself is run almost like a black widow style academy. Where the would be entertainers are trained, not only to be the best but allowed, to slight each other, sabotage is common even so far as between siblings.
With the outcomes being either insanity, grave injury, and even death versus the opulence, luxury, power and acclaim.

The book has a lot of intricacies, and though it has almost all the same main characters, though with different names, there are vastly different plot lines.

This book asks a lot of questions: why is magic only for entertaining, what is the true purpose of the King’s mage, what other magic is out there?

This is definitely going to be a very interesting series!

The cover is stunningggggg. However, I think that's all I enjoyed about this book. I couldn't get past the writing style. It truly just isn't for me. There is a def audience for this (mature teens?) I just couldn't get into it. The execution seems to fall a little short. I found myself frustrated with the reading rather than feeling enthralled. I enjoyed the mood and the overall themes (moody, dark). I also liked the world building and systems. As I mentioned, it just fell a little short to me. I don't see myself personally snagging the book but I am thankful for the opportunity to read it.

While the book did start off kinda slow, I found myself enjoying it a lot by the 40% mark. The concept of the magic is not new but it is an interesting take on music magic. I will say I felt like this book is more of a vibes read. If you start to ask questions I think the world starts to unravel a little or at least not make much sense. Overall I enjoyed it but certainly not for those who dissect their books. I am still slightly confused on how magic is created through dance since it is mostly discussed that it is through singing, but again, if you don’t ask questions it not a terrible read.

A short synopsis:

A young girl is gearing up for her auditions to become the King’s next Mage. Where magic is only performed through dance and/or song, too tough of a lyrical choice can send a mage into a mental break. Our main character Selene knows this too well, as her father was one to go mad.

Very loose take on the Phantom of the Opera. And I mean they’re in an opera house and they mention a ghost, but the true ghost doesn’t actually do anything to give himself this name.