Name: armoni mayes's review of The Phantom Prince by Elizabeth Kendall
Item: The Phantom Prince
Rating: 5
Author: armoni mayes

Elizabeth Kendall

The inspiration for the five-part Amazon Original docuseries Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer Now in paperback, this updated, expanded edition of The Phantom Prince, Elizabeth Kendall's 1981 memoir detailing her six-year relationship with serial killer Ted Bundy, includes a new introduction and a new afterword by the author, never-before-seen photos, and a startling new chapter from the author's daughter, Molly, who has not previously shared her story. Bundy is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history and one of the most publicized to this day. However, very rarely do we hear from the women he left behind--the ones forgotten as mere footnotes in this tragedy. The Phantom Prince chronicles Elizabeth Kendall's intimate relationship with Ted Bundy and its eventual unraveling. As much as has been written about Bundy, it's remarkable to hear the perspective of people who shared their daily lives with him for years. This gripping account presents a remarkable examination of a charismatic personality that masked unimaginable darkness.

My Life with Ted Bundy, Updated and Expanded Edition

The Phantom Prince

Sarah Campbell

You see yourself withdrawing from people, afraid to estabish friendships, loveships (?). I have known people who, without saying a word, radiate vulnerability,. Their facial expressions say "I am afraid of you." These people invite abuse. I don't know why but they do. Is it their self-concept? By expecting to be hurt do they subtly encourage it? And if some mental switch could be thrown and tomorrow they expected to be happy and excited with each person they met, could that happen, too?

The last verse included these lines, which still haunt me: 

when we moved together loving, did we need the world's permission? 

And now I go forward, with my new mantra: Life is a gift and you still have it. Have the courage to be happy.

They won and I went off to college. I went through sorority rush and was dropped at the end of rush week. I hadn't really wanted to be a sorority girl, but I was surprised at how much it hurt. I figured it was my shyness that had done me in. When I was with my friends or with Ben, I talked constantly. I loved to laugh and make Ben and my friends laugh, but when I got around strangers, I could never think of anything to say, or I would say something really stupid and relive it for months. I turned red when I was spoken to, and the more I fought it, the redder I would get.

Elizabeth Kendall is not her real name, but she is a real person. Ted Bundy is on Death Row in a Florida prison, convicted of the murders of two young women and a twelve-year-old girl; stands convicted of an attempted kidnapping of a young woman in Utah; escaped from a Colorado prison where he was awaiting trail for murder; and is believed by some police authorities to be responsible for the death s of as many as forty young women in these and other states. Books and articles about Ted Bundy have described his charm and appeal to women, his intelligence and his promising career in politics. They have speculated about the hidden horror and the terrible mystery of what made this man a killer. No one has an answer.

My Life with Ted Bundy

Lou Butera

Ariana Morris

The inspiration for the five-part Amazon Original docuseries Ted Bundy: Falling for a Killer This updated, expanded edition of The Phantom Prince, Elizabeth Kendall’s 1981 memoir detailing her six-year relationship with serial killer Ted Bundy, includes a new introduction and a new afterword by the author, never-before-seen photos, and a startling new chapter from the author’s daughter, Molly, who has not previously shared her story. Bundy is one of the most notorious serial killers in American history and one of the most publicized to this day. However, very rarely do we hear from the women he left behind—the ones forgotten as mere footnotes in this tragedy. The Phantom Prince chronicles Elizabeth Kendall’s intimate relationship with Ted Bundy and its eventual unraveling. As much as has been written about Bundy, it’s remarkable to hear the perspective of people who shared their daily lives with him for years. This gripping account presents a remarkable examination of a charismatic personality that masked unimaginable darkness.

armoni mayes

Fantastic, brilliant, raw, and emotional. This is less a story of the murders that Ted Bundy committed and more about the emotional turmoil and anguish Liz Kendall suffered at the hands of Bundy. Of course, there was a romance and swooning stage of their relationship but it soon turned into a similarly heard before toxic relationship. Kendall is an excellent writer and knew how to captivate the audience on every page of this memoir and I truly empathize with the decisions she made throughout her relationship with Ted Bundy.

I read this one really quickly. It was compelling, but definitely hard to read about Liz’s support of Ted before she knew he was guilty, and of her refusing to cut contact with him for so long. I had to keep reminding myself that she didn’t know/she was also being manipulated. I was very glad to have her updated perspective included at the end of the book, because it definitely seemed that the original was written before she had to opportunity to work through some of her complex trauma. 

Sidney R

Lamia Hajani

I am happy to have read the updated publishing of this book, because the afterword kept me from pulling my hair out. Kendall comes off as a bit of an apologetic toward Bundy and his actions, and you find yourself getting very frustrated with some of her thought processes and actions. However, in the afterword, she addresses this, and corrects some of her writing. She was clearly naive in the first rendition and still a bit in love with Ted Bundy.

Regardless, this is a very interesting look into someone who loved a serial killer without knowing it. It's a quick read and probably worth it if you are into true crime as I am. However, if you are expecting The Stranger Beside Me: Ted Bundy: The Shocking Inside Story, you will be thoroughly disappointed.

This book was the epitome of my fears of reentering the dating scene as someone in their mid-twenties. 

I know that the possibility of finding a serial killer is low, but clearly not that low, if Elizabeth found it.

It's easy to look down on Elizabeth and say that you don't understand why she stayed so long, but I think it was entirely human and something that we all do much too often: overlook things and try so hard to get this image of our perfect future that we have wanted since childhood.

While reading, I recognized how easy it would be to ignore red flags and trying to see past the negative personality traits of someone because you care deeply and just want this perfect life that you imagined yourself having. It would've been weirder if her mind went to serial killer immediately instead of infidelity or just seeing him as stringing her along (what would've been more plausible? Definitely cheating, yet that wasn't all that was happening, obviously). But Elizabeth didn't ignore nothing, she did everything that she could possibly do, and was told that he was clear and not guilty. 

My ex was also a confusing, sometimes mean, red flag flying thief. When he said he didn't know if a relationship was for him and backed off, a day later he was then crying to me that he loved me so much. I stayed on that rollercoaster for no reason other than I cared for him, even if it wasn't in my best interest. So I understand Elizabeth in that instance. 

Elizabeth and Molly are survivors, and I'm so glad that they are here to tell their stories. I've always believed that family and loved ones of these killers are victims in their own way, because they lost the person that they believed the individual to be. It's just a sad situation all around.

This book was the epitome of my fears of reentering the dating scene as someone in their mid-twenties. 

I know that the possibility of finding a serial killer is low, but clearly not that low, if Elizabeth found it.

It's easy to look down on Elizabeth and say that you don't understand why she stayed so long, but I think it was entirely human and something that we all do much too often: overlook things and try so hard to get this image of our perfect future that we have wanted since childhood.

While reading, I recognized how easy it would be to ignore red flags and trying to see past the negative personality traits of someone because you care deeply and just want this perfect life that you imagined yourself having. It would've been weirder if her mind went to serial killer immediately instead of infidelity or just seeing him as stringing her along (what would've been more plausible? Definitely cheating, yet that wasn't all that was happening, obviously). But Elizabeth didn't ignore nothing, she did everything that she could possibly do, and was told that he was clear and not guilty. 

My ex was also a confusing, sometimes mean, red flag flying thief. When he said he didn't know if a relationship was for him and backed off, a day later he was then crying to me that he loved me so much. I stayed on that rollercoaster for no reason other than I cared for him, even if it wasn't in my best interest. So I understand Elizabeth in that instance. 

Elizabeth and Molly are survivors, and I'm so glad that they are here to tell their stories. I've always believed that family and loved ones of these killers are victims in their own way, because they lost the person that they believed the individual to be. It's just a sad situation all around.

I learned more about the crimes he committed and I got to read the story of his cruel deeds from another perspective

Ariana Morris &
The Phantom Prince by Elizabeth Kendall

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Ariana Morris &The Phantom Prince by Elizabeth Kendall

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Ariana Morris &
The Phantom Prince by Elizabeth Kendall