This was one of those twirly whirly stories that glitter and dance and if that's your thing then they are terribly good fun. I think the issue for me was that having read The Night Circus, Nights at the Circus, The Magician's Lie and a couple of others whose names have actually escaped me, it all felt a bit 'been there, done that' and so the plot felt a little predictable. This was one of those books that makes me wonder if I read too much because it feels as though there are no new stories. I definitely felt that this had been done better by other people and it left me quite underwhelmed to be plodding my way through it and that felt unfair because it's not like it was actually a bad book if you haven't read any of the others from which it takes inspiration. I will think more carefully in terms of how I request books moving forward.

There was much to enjoy here, but I found I couldn't connect with it. I'd read more from this author in the future though.

Beautiful prose within this historical fiction. I've not read anything about opera singers before, so this was a first and was an interesting introduction. The novel, I believe, it meant to be written like an operatic story, and although that is an interesting choice I don't feel that it works perfectly in this context. I definitely enjoyed the ending though as I felt a stronger connection to the characters and enjoyed this climactic final scene.

I thoroughly enjoyed this absorbing, complex and highly detailed novel. Alexander Chee obviously put a great deal of work into developing both his historical context, in France (for the most part) during the second half of the nineteenth century and the world of opera singers, melding detail and intrigue into a story which slowly builds into a well-developed, vibrantly imagined setting that the readers can practically see and taste for themselves.

Impressive, well written and enjoyable, I'd certainly recommend 'The Queen of the Night' to anyone interested in this period in history, in opera, or simply in immersing themselves in a good story. I've already used part of the text (the siege of Paris and the Communards) to stimulate discussion with older teenagers and would certainly use in an educational sense again.

However, I'm giving four stars rather than five for two reasons: firstly, despite understanding that the novel is written to follow the rhythm and developmental stages of an epic operatic tale itself, I felt that some parts of the story were on the verge of slowing the novel's pace to a point that risked losing the readers interest; secondly, I didn't really feel any emotional connection to the characters at all until approximately the last quarter of the book (though obviously the detailed plot and descriptions are all building up towards that later personal investment). Nevertheless, beautifully written work from an author I enjoy.

This is such a beautiful, all encompassing narrative rich in historical detail and lyrical prose. It tells the story of Lilliet Berne, a famous opera soprano living in Paris in the late 19th century. When she is approached to star in a new opera, she discovers that it is based on her life story and must try to discover who has betrayed her secrets. Firstly, the prose here is absolutely exquisite. Chee has a wonderful ability to infuse his words with so much richness that the decadence of the era oozes from the pages. Throughout, our protagonist remains distant from the reader and we definitely feel as though she is keeping us at arms length, as she does with so many of the characters. This is a fascinating period of history and the way in which the narrative includes many real people in amongst the fiction lends a sense of authenticity that is very welcome. I did think that the narrative was a little long and there were a couple of places where I thought the action dragged a little, but overall this is a great book and I would recommend it to anyone who liked The Crimson Petal and the White or Tipping the Velvet.
I received a free copy of this book from NetGalley in exchange for a fair and honest review.

This book was a bit of a slog. I did like it and find it interesting, however, it was definitely a dip in and out kind of book. I found the story about this opera star really enthralling but I did find that it was hard to go through the book speedily.
The storytelling was done very well but the pacing was a bit patchy. I did think that overall Chee has a good novel but there are moments that could be shredded and cut down.

Very good. Enjoyed the depth the story went into I felt immersed in the story and the characters. The writer was clearly knowledgeable about the subject matter.

It is one of those books that might be difficult to get into but once you are in you just cannot put it down.
It tells the story of a young American women who starts off as a circus performer who travels to Paris and becomes a courtesan and a famous opera singer who is known as a Falcon. A Falcon is a women who has a special voice which has to be nurtured and trained but if wrongly used can be destroyed. To some this is seen as a curse and this is what out heroine believed.
Wonderfully researched this is an amazing read.

This book book was clearly well researched and the narrative is detailed and lyrical. The problem I had with this story is that it is simply too long. I really enjoyed the beginning and wanted to love the whole thing but my interest wavered and then the second half really dragged.
With the exception of the nun section that I really loved and thought was beautifully evocative I liked but didn’t love this book.
I was given a ARC by NetGalley, all opinions are my own.

I was really looking forward to reading The Queen of the Night. I love epic historical fiction. However, for me, The Queen of the Night was just too epic.

I know that sounds completely contrary but I found the minutia of Lilliet, our protagonist’s, life altogether tedious. I feel like you were guided every which way and were unable to form your own opinions as you were led to where the writer wanted you.

For me, The Queen of the Night was the literary equivalent of a work meeting that could have been an email. Far too long.

The Queen of the Night by Alexander Chee is available now.

For more information regarding Alexander Chee (@alexanderchee.net) please visit www.alexanderchee.net.

For more information regarding Penguin (@PenguinUKBooks) please visit www.penguin.co.uk.

It took me a while to get into this book and maybe that has coloured my judgement of it, because I cannot say I particularly enjoyed it.. The narrator and heroine, Lilliet, wasn't a character who I warmed to at all, perhaps because she didn't like herself. The book is well written and the author has obviously done a lot of research but there is perhaps too much detail, which from my point of view takes something away from the actual story.

I wanted to love this book. I feel I should have loved it. On the face of it, it's right up my street. However, though it was at times beautifully written, I did not engage fully with the main character. I found myself avoiding reading altogether just so I didn't have to carry on. I gave up around the time she went to stay with nuns and then became a servant. I may go back to it but, to be honest, I felt a certain relief at starting something else. I'm sure some will love it, it's just not for me.

The idea of this novel intrigued me. I liked the historical details in and it has obviously been well researched. The story was too long. I lost interest in the main characters. If the book had been shorter I feel it would have been more enjoyable.

Clearly a well-researched book given the amount of operatic terminology and beautifully crafted descriptions of everything from the costumes to the setting of the story. It's a book I wanted to love, but for some reason just couldn't get into.

Circuses and prostitution... Again... Perhaps it’s just me, but I’ve read too many books on these topics recently (The Night Circus and The Lonely Hearts Hotel come to mind). So perhaps this book didn’t stand a chance with me due to poor timing.

But even if I’d read this one first, I’m not sure I would have stuck with it. Sadly, it’s a DNF at around 27%. Right after something daft and improbable happens.

At that point I was just lost... Or just board. The story follows a rags to riches opera star. I think. I’m not sure what it was trying to be really. I did enjoy the parts about her youth and her family life and the prostitution parts were interesting enough for a while. (The rules around the ‘registry’ were fascinating).

Perhaps if I had more of an interest (or background knowledge of) French history and opera I would have enjoyed it more, but I was rapidly losing interest in the protagonist. The way she spoke in riddles. And the idea she was cursed or blessed or had good luck or bad luck - was all very over dramatic. But I guess that’s what operas are.

The Queen of the Night is an epic tale of death, betrayal, fortune and lust that was as engrossing as it was overwhelming. The mysterious life and rise of Lilliet Berne is intriguing, dangerous and at times tragic but most of all fascinating.

Lilliet's life is made up of a series of fortunate and unfortunate events that makes it seem like she is not in control of her own destiny. I found this approach not only refreshing but also realistic for the time period. She deals with what life throws her way the best she can and while she is often manipulated by more powerful individuals I don't think it detracted from her character. Lilliet has a more quiet strength and resilience about her which I found made her very likeable. 

The level of detail in this book meant that I was a given a thoroughly in-depth insight into a world I knew nothing about, but it also made this book a lot denser than I found strictly necessary. For example the page long list of furs the Empress owned I just skipped right over and I got lost in the sometimes too detailed explanations of opera performances. I can however appreciate what the author was trying to do and some of the aspects of the book I struggled with I know a classical music lover would love.

I did find that I was at all times reading with a kind of remote detachment. I think this is because partly Lilliet Berne as a narrator is seemingly fairly emotionally detached from events herself. I think this was partly in a way to protect herself from the tragic events from her past but as the story is told through her eyes I found myself adopting the same stance. This book had high drama and tragedy and intrigue and betrayal but it felt like someone had turned the volume down. The story felt muffled, it was as if I was wearing a blanket and didn't know how cold it was outside.

*I received a digital review copy of this book from Netgalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are entirely my own*

I was so excited to be offered a free ARC of 'The Queen of the Night' in exchange for an honest review. It sounded like a beautiful story and there is no denying how unbelievably beautiful the cover is, however, I could not complete it. I tried several times to read the novel and I could not get past 10%. Unfortunately it wasn't to my taste and the longer I forced myself to continue reading the less it made sense.

I wish I could recommend this book to certain readers but from the 10% I read I don't know who it is suited to as I never got a feel of where the book was going or what it was about.

Thank you to the publisher for a free ARC in return for an honest review. Unfortunately it was not a match this time.

The best word I can use to describe this book is operatic. From the main character, to the plot, to the operas that run through the novel, reading the Queen of the Night was definitely an epic experience.
Told in a Victor Hugo-esque style, this is the story of a young woman’s journey to the most well-loved opera singer in all of France. Though we never know her real name (though she does adopt the pseudonym Lilliet Berne, among others), we travel with her from her early life as an American settler, to a circus performer, to a courtesan and then maid in the Tuileries palace… the list goes on and on. Lilliet’s comfortable life as an opera singer, however, is threatened when a writer, Georges Simonet, comes to her with a proposal: to make an opera about her life story- and so begins her journey into the past as she frantically tries to discover who it is that wants to reveal her true identity.
It’s the most densely-packed story I’ve read in some time. Alongside the twisting and turning plot, Chee’s story is vividly illustrated with period details of life in nineteenth-century Paris. From the Franco-Prussian war to life as a royal servant, his story thrums with life and with detail that makes you want to dive right into it. It feels authentic, and his love for the subject matter sings from the page- especially opera, which takes up a huge portion of the novel and to which Lilliet frequently compares her life. It’s also nice to explore an era that isn’t really given much recognition: the late nineteenth century in Paris. Reading about this, everything felt fresh and interesting. As a story, it’s absolutely immersive, and makes for some really engaging reading- I was hooked.
Lilliet is a bit more troublesome. We first meet her as an enigma, and find out more as she recounts her life: the problem is, though, her story has so many layers and identities to it I struggled to relate to her as a whole character, instead seeing her as just a kind of pawn that things happen to.
I get that this book is a tribute to opera, and indeed mimics some of the wildly unrealistic plotlines you see in the theatre- but Lilliet has very little agency in the book. She seems to be a pawn for the men who control her, from the tenor, a man who effectively purchases her, to the composer, for whom she pines for years after one encounter in a garden (who said romance was dead?). Though she does show some spirit at times, many of her actions are inconsistent with things she’s done beforehand, making her seem like an unrealistic character that I found hard to invest in, however lavish and awesome her story. Similarly, the romance was something I found quite flat, as we weren’t really given enough time with the composer (also unnamed) to find out much about him.
Despite that, the book is also populated with memorable characters. I enjoyed the appearance of Verdi, and of Pauline, the opera teacher whose name is legendary throughout all of Europe. The rivalry, too, between Empress Eugenie and the Countess of Castiglione, the Emperor’s jilted lover, was really intriguing- and something I would have liked to have learned more about.
In the end, though, this is a lyrical, moving dedication to opera. Though it’s quite a long read- and can drag sometimes- The Queen of the Night is a book that rewards patience and paints a vivid portrait of Victorian Paris. Brava!

This was an unexpected gem for me. Part historical fiction set in Belle Epoque Paris. Part mystery novel. Part spy thriller (kinda). Part historical romance. And to top it off Chee references or homages many 19th C novel and opera sources that I have a real yen for. This was marvellous with an unusually resourceful and non prima donna MC.

I really wanted to like this book - the plot and cover intrigued me, so I eagerly waited to be enthralled. Unfortunately I was extremely disappointed. The writing is beautiful and I did enjoy reading about a subject (opera) that I wouldn’t normally choose, however it became too onerous and the protagonist, for me, was not likeable at all. I also had to keep re-reading sections because the timeframes kept jumping backwards and forwards, making it extremely hard to keep up with. The ebook version omitted speech marks (I don’t know if the published version will be like this) so this also made for confusing reading.

Overall, a real shame for what could have been an amazing book.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this advanced copy.