12 must-read sci-fi and fantasy releases to escape with this March
By Lacy Baugher
March 2021 book release: Sing Me Forgotten – Jessica S. Olson
Jessica S. Olson’s debut YA fantasy is a gender-flipped take on The Phantom of the Opera, with plenty of twists and turns all its own.
Sing Me Forgotten follows the story of seventeen-year-old Isda, who lives secretly in the shadows and hidden corners of the Channe Opera House in Vaureille. Raised in secret by the opera house’s owner, Cyril Bardin, Isda helps out by using her forbidden magical powers to manipulate the memories of the audiences attending the shows.
But beings like her – known as gravoirs – are meant to be killed at birth, so Isda must stay out of sight. or risk both her own life and Cyril’s if she’s caught. And, for the most part, she keeps to this rule, until a young man named Emeric arrives, a lowly cleaning boy with a beautiful voice, who captures her imagination – and may lead her to do terrible things.
The official synopsis describes the story as follows:
"Cast into a well at birth for being one of the magical few who can manipulate memories when people sing, she was saved by Cyril, the opera house’s owner. Since that day, he has given her sanctuary from the murderous world outside. All he asks in return is that she use her power to keep ticket sales high—and that she stay out of sight. For if anyone discovers she survived, Isda and Cyril would pay with their lives. But Isda breaks Cyril’s cardinal rule when she meets Emeric Rodin, a charming boy who throws her quiet, solitary life out of balance. His voice is unlike any she’s ever heard, but the real shock comes when she finds in his memories hints of a way to finally break free of her gilded prison. Haunted by this possibility, Isda spends more and more time with Emeric, searching for answers in his music and his past. But the price of freedom is steeper than Isda could ever know. For even as she struggles with her growing feelings for Emeric, she learns that in order to take charge of her own destiny, she must become the monster the world tried to drown in the first place."
Sing Me Forgotten is available on March 9.