The idea of a Phantom of the Opera retelling set in a Beijing opera house was fantastic. I loved the way it was interwoven with the story of Baigujing from Journey to the West (psst, publishers: more Chinese spec fic based on Journey to the West, please. It's only the number one most famous novel in China that's barely represented in the West). And I could really relate to Megan's feelings of isolation as a Chinese American suddenly living in China and struggling with the language.

If anything, I just wanted more. More about the Huihuang Opera House, more about Beijing (Peking) opera, more about this book's version of the Phantom.

Definitely recommended as a quick, spooky autumn read!

Demon song follows Megan and her mother on their journey to her mother's homeland of China, where they are escaping one of her ill-fated relationships and heading straight into another, this time albeit in a stunning and historical Chinese theatre, still running in the modern day. Megan feels trapped between her identities, her American upbringing, with her best friend who is back in the US, and everything that interests her and draws about her Chinese family and heritage.

Kelsea Yu does an incredible amount in such a short space of time. There is very little exposition but the story still feels very fleshed out and really well illustrated. There are elements where where the story is told from multiple points of view that helps to give you the background of what is going on and this is delivered very well. My only critique is that there were at times some of these details felt a little distracting. My favourite thing about this story was the characterisation. Every character really stood out from the page and it was never confusing and only ever served to add to the narrative.

This is a 4.5 potentially even a five-star read for me because the story beats, the pacing, descriptiona and themes were all really perfect for me. I will definitely also be checking out her other novella and the novel that she has coming out next year. I'm really excited to read her other work.

I really loved this atmospheric horror novella set in the Beijing Opera House! It's inspired by The Phantom of the Opera, but with a very light touch from Kelsea Yu.

Megan's mother has, yet again, left a terrible relationship. But this time, the small family of two people is stranded in China without their passports. They move into the Beijing Opera House where they're given rooms in exchange for working as cleaning staff ... although Megan suspects that the manager expects more from her mother than cleaning expertise.

At night, Megan is plagued by hyperrealistic dreams of mirrors and the masked characters of Chinese Opera. By day, she's trying to navigate her new world and her relationship with her mother. And she's made friends with the new opera star, who's offered to give her singing lessons.

The story is told in first person by Megan, but she's talking to a specific audience, and the reader won't discover who until the very end. The main plot is the mystery of what's happening to Megan: she knows, but she's also hesitant to tell you everything at once. The slow unfolding of the story makes for a tense reading experience!

You don't have to be a Phantom fan to read this, but as a reader who discovered Phantom the novel, the musical, and with other retellings at a formative time, this was even more fun. It's been added to my short list of favorite Phantom retellings!!

This objective review is based on a complimentary copy of the novella.

I loved the setting (descriptions of the opera house were phenomenal) and found Megan’s attitude and feelings to be deeply understandable (her complicated relationships with Mandarin/China as a whole and her mother really sang throughout the story).

However, so much of the story lacked tension. Megan’s compulsion to perform didn’t feel genuine to Megan, more of a device to bring her closer to a plot decision - the demon came before the song, as it were. And structuring the story as a letter (that didn’t read very much like a letter except for a handful of random sentences in second person) didn’t work for me.

I really wanted more horror moments especially, because those were awesome

Holy ambiance, Batman! Yu is a master scene-setter here, painting a horrifyingly vivid picture of the Huihuang Opera Theater and the demon who lives there. Ever sentence is just dripping with the feeling of the place. I'm a scaredy cat but I had to read this one during bright daylight, just to remind myself that I wasn't actually there with Megan. This spooky Phantom of the Opera-inspired novella is absolutely perfect fall vibes. 10/10 spooky.

Gothic horror with Chinese mythology influences? Perfectly done. A great book to pick up for a spooky fall read with relatable characters. Five stars all the way

After fleeing abuse with her Mother, Megan finds shelter in a Beijing opera house, where myth and reality blur.

I absolutely devoured this book, it was beautifully written and so easy to read. The opera house setting was fantastic and the Chinese folklore elements were blended throughout so seamlessly. I really felt for Megan as she navigated the complex relationship with her mother.

Thank you NetGalley and Titan books for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

3.5 stars.

The vibes, straightforward storyline, and the character's voice (the FMC is a teen/young adult) made this novella read a lot more YA than adult. But despite that, I still had a good time.

The historical Chinese opera house definitely gave off the perfect Gothic vibes and the building itself pretty much became another main character. I liked how we experienced its tragic past and its ghosts alongside Megan. It was like being in a literary haunted house, combining on-screen horror, tragedy, and drama.

I really liked how the author managed to flesh out the FMC's childhood and family situation in such a short book. It was developed enough so that I actually cared and was invested in the story. It felt like Megan was already my friend.

I think the best part of the novella was how the author really infused her Chinese heritage into the story. Being an immigrant myself, I could relate to how Megan felt like an outsider in her mother's homeland. Wanting to belong somewhere is a universal human feeling.

Thank you to Titan Books and NetGalley for this arc.

HAUNTING!!!

This was the first book I’ve read by the author. Cover and title is shooting! If you enjoy queer characters, unexpected endings, complex family relationships and gothic horror; then this book is for you!

This is an ARC review. I appreciate receiving this copy from NetGalley and the publisher in return for an honest review.

This book was quite short but very dark and unnerving. I loved it! The visuals in this novel literally made my skin crawl which is exactly what I wanted. I definitely can't wait for this one!

Thanks to Netgalley and the publisher for providing this eARC in exchange for an honest review.

This horror novella is an explosive exploration of the cycles of violence, in particular domestic abuse, intergenerational trauma and the importance of storytelling in all its forms!

Suffice to say, I absolutely adored this one, and highly recommend checking it out!

I am not a big horror reader, but I was drawn to the interesting premise and Gothic vibes of Demon Song. Overall, the story idea was good and the prose atmospheric. The setting was fresh and interesting, steering away from the usual haunted mansions of Gothic fiction, and that helped to maintain my interest throughout. The story was suitably spooky, drawing on Chinese mythology, but a part of me wished it had been longer. I would have liked to have gotten to know the characters better and also had a slower, deeper build-up in the events taking place as it felt just a tad rushed. However, if you are looking for a quick fantasy horror read that puts an Asian twist on Gothic literature, this book is worth checking out. I am giving it 3.5 stars, which I would round up to a four.

(This review will go live on my blog at the link below on 22 September 2025.)

A gothic Chinese Phantom of the Opera?! Yes please!! Demon Song is another incredibly intense page turner from author Kelsea Yu. I loved It's Only A Game, and this follow up does not disappoint. I felt so immersed in the story's world through Kelsea's visceral prose and ended up devouring the entire book in two sittings - it's that good!

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for the e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.