Once upon a time, there were three little girls who went to the Paris Opera. And they were each assigned very hazardous duties....now they work for me. My name is Erik...

Kim Newman's latest collection stitches together some previously published novellas, with some entirely new material, and the result forms a very entertaining serial novel. The premise, typically fun and off the wall Newman, is essentially a blending of The Phantom of the Opera and Charlie's Angels. I know, it sounds corny as can be, but it isn't and works extremely well. The Phantom is Charlie, with the Persian as Bosley, and the Angels, who change throughout the years (roughly 1870-1910), are taken from a range of period novels and include the likes of Christine Daae, Irene Adler, Trilby O'Ferrall, Alraune, Eliza Doolittle, and so on. As with Newman's seminal ANNO DRACULA, spotting all the literary and pop culture references is half the fun, while the clever stories themselves provide the balance. Thrilling adventure, fantasy, and horror all come together in this excellent volume. If you've enjoyed Newman's ANNO DRACULA or DIOGENES CLUB stories, you'll love this. If you haven't read Newman before, it's as good a place as any to get started. ( )

"Angels of Music," by Kim Newman, is structured as a series of novellas, each featuring different “angels of music,” who are women trained by the famed Phantom of the Opera in Paris to fight various Forces of Evil, including a vampire sect and Charles Foster Kane. Some of the “angels” are characters from Newman’s other books, particularly in his Anno Dracula series, and it’s a lot of fun to run across those characters once again. Set between the 1880s and about 1912 or so, each segment can be read as a stand-alone or integrated with each other, as there’s not much overlap between each of them; indeed, I had the sense that they were previously published novellas finally put together in one book, although I don’t think that’s actually true. Anyway, if you like your horror/dark fantasy to be based in an alternate historical reality, with some cinematically over-the-top action and a good deal of wit and humour, check this one out - along with Newman’s other novels, as he’s a most enjoyable author. Recommended! ( )