This week we look at the world of one of the characters from Chandelier. The storyline crosses two centuries, the 21st and 22nd. There is the world of Erik, the modern-day Phantom of the Opera and Benny's world one hundred years in the future.
Today we look at Erik, introduced in the first novel, Phantoms, as the head of security in the Garnier Opera house.
In the prequel, Erik Destler, a latter-day Phantom of the Opera, sets out to take over and rule the Palais Garnier, with La Divina - the Diva Carlotta Caccini, as his queen. However, he is seemingly thwarted by an ethereal presence, the original Phantom of the Opera. Most of the novel, Phantoms, is set in the famous Paris opera house, amidst the staging of Verdi's Macbeth.
Erik joins with Carlotta, the most famous Diva in Europe, to control the Garnier, terrorizing the cast and crew, even resorting to murder. In addition, they plot to remove Carlotta's understudy, Christine, a bright new star of the opera world. But ultimately, Erik betrays Carlotta and saves the rising star before fleeing the Garnier as the police close in on him with investigations about a murdered ballerina.
In Chandelier, two years have passed since Erik escaped from the French police. He fled to Como in Italy, where he undertook surgery to change his appearance and start a new life and allow him to return to re-take the Garnier. But an earlier nemesis, Philippe D'Arenberg, has other plans, leading to a deadly fight to the death, affecting all those around them, and changing the course of Christine's life.
A hundred years on, Christine, now a centenarian referred to as the Diva, is assisted by a humanoid, Benny, to prepare for her final performance, setting in place a chain of dangerous events, once again entangling her in the Phantom’s deadly web.
If you'd like to read more about Erik’s world in 2021AD, check out my novel, Phantoms.
Phantoms is a 64,000 word adult fiction that tells the story of Erik Destler, a latter day Phantom of the Opera. Erik sets out to take over and rule the Palais Garnier, with La Divina - the diva Carlotta Caccini, as his queen, but at each turn, is seemingly thwarted by his nemesis - the original Phantom of the Opera, now the Opera Ghost. Phantoms is set in that same famous Paris opera house, amidst the staging of Verdi’s Macbeth, one hundred years on from the first appearance of Le Fantôme de l'Opéra in 1910.