PHANTASMA BY KAYLIE SMITH REVIEW 💀

Thank you to @netgalley, @secondskybooks, @kaylsmoon for the eARC in return for my honest review.

“Jealousy is a sexy color on you. Almost as sexy as blood.”

Short Summary: When her mother dies, Ophelia inherits death-drive magic and an enormous debt. Circumstances become deadly, when her sister enters a competition to try to pay off the loan. Phantasma is a competition where your actions have deadly consequences. The only way for Ophelia to save her sister is to compete and face nine floors of dark, twisted challenges. But when Blackwell, the charming, arrogant phantom offers to protect and help her - Ophelia must risk breaking Phantasma’s cardinal rule - DO NOT FALL IN LOVE.

Vibes & Tropes & Representation:
💀 Necromancer x Phantom
💀 Gothic, paranormal New Orleans
💀 Forced Proximity
💀 Haunted House Competition inspired by the Nine Circles of Hell
💀 Dark, mind games, blood and terror
💀 OCD representation
💀 Adorable ghost kitty

Overall: I absolutely DEVOURED the first half in a matter of days. Then it took 3 months to finish. I blame the reading format for this delay - an audiobook option is essential for me. I also had read Caraval (an advertised as a comp for Phantasma) 2 weeks before starting this. After discovering the option to have the ebook read aloud to me, I finished the last 30% of the book in just two days.

The premise of “a young woman must enter a competitive game in search of her lost sister” initially felt a little too close to Caraval. But the dark twists and turns of the competition pleasantly surprised me - there are real, deadly consequences to Phantasma.

Phantasma was a delicious read. Ophelia, is both flawed and haunted. The Phantom, Blackwell, is both dark and seductive. Their chemistry is off the charts from the start and their bed chemistry is spicy!

I cannot wait to listen to Phantasma with the official audiobook soon. It is the perfect read for spooky season. 💀

⭐ Rating: 4.5 Stars
📚 Wicked Games Book 1

Thank you to NetGalley and Forever for the ARC in exchange for an honest review

I would recommend if you're looking for (SPOILERS)

-m/f paranormal romance
-forced proximity
-haunted house
-a deal with an almost devil
-trials
-OCD rep
-forbidden romance
-morally ambiguous LI
-you came, you called

Imaginitive, atmospheric, and on the edge of my seat I loved this book so much. As the story unfolded Ophelia was an incredible MC. With the burden of her past, continuing her fmaily's legacy, and protective of her younger sister she ends up thrust into the Phantasma a haunted house with trials similar to the circles of hell. In order to survive she makes a deal with Blackwell in order to survive.

Their chemistry was incredible as they both tried to fight (badly) their attraction and leaned on each other when they had no one else. Just swoony, every time she called and he came. I can't even pretend to describe this book well enough but the way her OCD was also interwoven into the story, how they both leaned on each other, and just the twists and turns. Pick this up and be ready to be unable to put it down.

➸ 𝖖𝖚𝖔𝖙𝖊:
"𝒚𝒐𝒖'𝒓𝒆 𝒕𝒐𝒖𝒄𝒉 𝒎𝒆𝒂𝒏𝒔 𝒇𝒖𝒄𝒌𝒊𝒏𝒈 𝒆𝒗𝒆𝒓𝒚𝒕𝒉𝒊𝒏𝒈,
𝒂𝒏𝒅 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕'𝒔 𝒘𝒉𝒚 𝒘𝒆 𝒄𝒂𝒏'𝒕 𝒄𝒓𝒐𝒔𝒔 𝒕𝒉𝒂𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒏𝒆 𝒂𝒈𝒂𝒊𝒏."

"𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒅𝒊𝒇𝒇𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒏𝒕 𝒍𝒊𝒇𝒆, 𝒊𝒏 𝒂 𝒇𝒂𝒊𝒓 𝒐𝒏𝒆, 𝑰 𝒘𝒐𝒖𝒍𝒅'𝒗𝒆 𝒌𝒆𝒑𝒕 𝒚𝒐𝒖
𝒖𝒏𝒕𝒊𝒍 𝒎𝒚 𝒆𝒕𝒆𝒓𝒏𝒂𝒍 𝒔𝒐𝒖𝒍 𝒘𝒊𝒕𝒉𝒆𝒓𝒆𝒅 𝒂𝒘𝒂𝒚 𝒕𝒐 𝒅𝒖𝒔𝒕."

➸ 𝖙𝖍𝖔𝖚𝖌𝖍𝖙𝖘:
I've been so drawn to gothic paranormal romances lately and this one was another that didn't disappoint. 🖤🥀

To start off with, as someone who has OCD - this spoke to my soul. My mother has the kind Ophelia deals with of needing to do things multiple times but, mine was an intense urge of cleanliness. And I know people joke about "oh I'm so OCD I need things neat and clean" but, no. Mine was scrubbing my body for 2 hours because I was convinced I would die from some disease if I didn't. Those urges - knowing they are all in your head but unable to escape them. Ophelia had my heart for that alone. Watching her struggle & fight through those urges, was beautiful to see.

And as a whole Ophelia was such a strong, fierce woman despite the times she felt useless or like a monster over her OCD and the voice it gave her in her mind. Physically, she wasn't the strongest but, mentally? Even when she didn't realize it, she was stronger than she thought.

Blackwell was everything a ghost mmc should be. I loved him from moment one. I loved their bickering, him sassing her, and his protective nature over her even early on. Can we also just talk about the mouth on him? 🥵

The deadly trials..always a favorite trope of mine. I loved the unique spin on this with it being in a haunted house with trials that mimic the 9 levels of Hell and I definitely was shocked by the secrets and where the ending went but, I loved how it was done. I was shookethed but, in the best way. The pacing, the characters, the romance and storyline - I loved it all. Definitely think this will be a fantastic story for Spooky Season. 🍂👻🖤

➸ 𝖙𝖗𝖔𝖕𝖊𝖘:
⋆ Forbidden Romance
⋆ Forced Proximity
⋆ FMC with OCD
⋆ Phantom x Necromancer (Danny Phantom MMC vibes)
⋆ Deadly Trials in a Haunted House
⋆ Standalone with Blood and Spice
⋆ Touch Her and Die

➸ 𝖗𝖆𝖙𝖎𝖓𝖌𝖘:
⭐: 𝟒.𝟓/𝟓
🌶️: 𝟑.𝟓/𝟓

This fed my gothic romance craving to the extreme, especially right in time for Halloween season!

A bloody, gothic feast of a debut,

Phantasma will trap you inside its twisted walls and a manor full of secrets where bargains are struck and broken, and one necromancer will contend with its deadly competition to save her sister and receive the elusive wish granted to the surviving player.

Phantasma is quite possibly my new favorite gothic romance and book from her all in one. Combining a foreboding gothic atmosphere, a competition influenced by the nine circles of hell, and a cursed bargain with a mysterious stranger, Smith casts her shining romantasy with formidable claws. Ophelia Grimm confronts the seen and the unseen, what’s real and what isn't, and Smith enmeshes this with some stellar OCD representation. Phantasma is the very definition of having your cake and eating it too, it's smart, sexy, horrifying, rageful, and somehow all of those can coexist without being contradictory. I’m completely under Kaylie Smith’s thrall and not at all upset about it.

"My body, your altar."
Holy moly this book had some of all that is good: suspense, romance, Victorian style fashion, ghouls, you name it.
Ophelia Grimm is a reluctant necromancer living with OCD. We follow her through the trials of Phantasma, a devil-operated tournament, in an attempt to save her sister and the family estate. While participating in Phantasma, she meets one of my personal favorite MMCs, Blackwell.
And what a waist-coasted delight this Phantom is. Their joint journey is so much fun to follow, from the puzzles to the banter, all the way to some of the most swoon worthy proclamations I have read in a long time.
"My soul will go to its grave with your name echoing in my mind." I MEAN COME ON!!
The writing is so heartfelt. I loved Ophelia's growth and acceptance of her full self and desires. I missed this book as soon as I finished it!

“…taking care of yourself first is not a sin.”

“Phantasma,” by Kaylie Smith

I loved this book so much!!!!! One of the best books I’ve read this year and definitely is a top favorite book of all time. I adored every second of this book. I loved how the mc has massive OCD and is super loyal to her family. I loved the entire plot of doing trials in a haunted mansion with ghosts and devils tormenting the contestants. I loved the mystery of her finding her sister, finding out why her mother was involved, and about Blackwell. I literally loved everything and would change a single thing. I bought a physical copy so fast lol. 5 out of 5 stars.

-Magic
-Mental Illness
-Ghosts, Devils
-Necromancers

Thank you for the ARC, Netgalley.

This book is my new obsession! It was just a perfect paranormal gothic romance that had every ingredient to make it a perfection. It kept a good pace, the characters were really well written and all in all it felt like a really unique story. Both Ophelia and Blackwell were very easy to fall in love with. If I could give it more than 5 stars I would.




Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for providing me with this arc.

Thank you to the publisher and netgalley for providing me with this ARC.

"Phantasma" by Kaylie Smith truly was a fun and super entertaining read. The story revolves around a competition (fight or die / similar to "The Hunger Games"), but with a gothic fantasy, romantic twist. I really appreciated the short chapters, which made it super easy to keep turning the pages, and the writing was engaging and on point.

Getting to know the characters was enjoyable, and I especially loved the relationship between the main character and her sister. The love interest came off as a bit bland for my taste, but honestly, that didn't take away from my enjoyment of the story.

The romance definitely brought some heat (maybe a bit too often during some chapters, but... it is a romantasy after all). The haunted house setting was so cool, with a cast of quirky characters to match. Overall, "Phantasma" is a quick, fast-paced read that’s perfect if you’re looking for something entertaining. I highly recommend it!

Rating: 5 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Spice Level: 🌶️🌶️🌶️
Trope:
- Dark Fantasy
- Steamy
- Spicy
- OCD Rep
- Morally grey mmc
- Devils
- Haunted Mansion

This story is essentially ACOTAR x Caraval, and as someone who loves both of those series, this was an easy 5🌟 read for me.

We follow Ophelia, a necromancer with OCD representation, who is forced to participate in a deadly game called Phantasma in order to find her missing sister. The rules of this game are simple: survive, stay alive in a literal hell of mazes and challenges, and don't fall in love.

There are nine levels in total, and in the final level, only one can survive. We meet a mysterious stranger, Blackwell, who is a ghost that she has to make a bargain with to help her survive the games until she finds her sister.

I love it—like, really love it 🥰. The games were gruesome and full of gore. We had haunted mansions and horror nightmares, but we also got plenty of spice. I love Ophelia; her character development was amazing, from the first time we met her to the end—just perfect. The OCD representation was so well executed. The romance is my favorite—Blackwell is just so flirty and sexy 🤭🤭.

Though I could see the plot twist coming from the beginning, I still loved it because we got layer upon layer of twists 🥰🥰.

Welcome to Phantasma, where the stakes are high, the dangers are real, and the only thing scarier than the monsters lurking in the shadows is the possibility of losing your heart.

WOW what a ride this was! Think of Caraval.. but a more mature, action filled story.Kayla Smith takes us on a wild, pulse-pounding ride through a haunted mansion where nothing is as it seems, and the only way out is to win a deadly game.

Ophelia is on a mission—her sister has vanished, and the only way to save her is to enter the sinister contest known as Phantasma. However not everything is what it seems, as secrets unfold and the sisterly bond threatening to break.. Ophelia must do the impossible to survive.

Phantasma isn’t an ordinary competition. It’s a labyrinth of perilous trials, filled with dark magic, treacherous rivals, a mansion that seems alive with malicious intent and the threat of death around every corner. Each of the nine challenges is more dangerous than the last, and Ophelia quickly learns that survival isn’t guaranteed, especially when the other contestants will do anything to win.

Enter Blackwell, the mysterious and dangerously charming stranger who offers Ophelia a deal: his guidance through the treacherous trials in exchange for ten years of her life. Blackwell is a walking enigma—arrogant, alluring, and maybe just a little too good to be true. Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him, but as the trials grow deadlier, she finds herself drawn to him in ways she never expected and let me tell you, the chemistry is sizzling and the spice scenes are so hot that you can’t help but root for these two.Their banter is sharp, their connection deep, and the stakes of their relationship are as high as the game they’re playing.

Smith’s writing is as atmospheric as it gets, plunging readers into a world where every twist of the corridor and flicker of candlelight could spell disaster. You can feel the tension , with each challenge pushing Ophelia closer to the edge—both physically and emotionally. And just when you think you’ve got the story figured out, Phantasma throws in another twist that leaves you breathless. I will be honest, at the beginning I did suspect that ending twist, but slowly throughout the story, I forgot about this suspicion… to then be left gobsmacked!

Smith masterfully balances the romance with the horror, creating a story that’s angsty, nerve wracking as well as heart warming.

Phantasma is a hauntingly addictive read that will keep you on the edge of your seat from start to finish. I had to finish this as soon as I started, but felt so sad when I did finish it…what am I going to do with my life now? I need more Phantasma!!! I would love to see a spin off of the other side characters, such as Sinclair.. his character had me intrigued.

With its blend of dark fantasy, romance, and nail-biting suspense, it’s perfect for fans of twisted fairy tales and gothic love stories.

Just remember the rules: stay alive and don’t fall in love. But where’s the fun in that?

I adored every second of this book! This is for sure in my top books of the year!I adored every second of this book! This is for sure in my top books of the year!

This books has everything you could ask for! Gothic vibes, haunted house with trials, a HAWT MMC who is a phantom, OCD rep, and a forbidden romance all wrapped up into one amazing book! This book gives me Caraval vibes but more dark, mysterious, and way more spice!

"Welcome to Phantasma. There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don't fall in love."

Ophelia grew up knowing her one goal in life. To continue the legacy of being a Necromancer. We learn what this entails and how Ophelia and her sister grew up in the same house but their lives are complete opposite. I love Ophelia, the way she grew leaps and bounds in the books, and her OCD rep.

When Ophelia enters this house she is immediately entranced by Blackwell. Let me tell you this man, or Phantom, is something else. He is arrogant, sarcastic, handsome, and charming all wrapped up into one. He really wrapped me around his finger with his charisma!

The ending was spot on, all the characters were amazing and I have a soft spot for Poe.

Again, I highly recommend this read to all!

5/5 stars
5/5 spice

Quote:
"One thing Blackwell had always been right about was that soft hearts did know one any good. They bled for those who didn't deserve it." "They broke over and over again. They bled for those who didn't deserve it."

Yall I was soooooooooooooooo excited to receive an arc for one of my most anticipated books of the year and let me tell you that it did not disappoint. I absolutely devoured this book and I’m trying my hardest not to reread it. Go pick this book up!!

Welcome to Phantasma where danger quite literally lurks around every corner and nothing is quite as it seems. The walls can shift, there are ghost and ghouls, and it’s hard to know who is really a friend or foe. I wasn’t quite sure what to expect when this cover caught my eye on NetGalley, but this book sucked me in with well woven elements of fantasy, romance, thriller-like twists and turns, and a touch of haunted house horror. If you enjoyed “A Court of Thorns and Roses” or the “Kingdom of the Wicked” series, you should give this a read. I couldn’t figure out how Ophelia’s story was going to unravel as she went through the nine challenges or how other characters would play into her success or downfall, and this book had me guessing over and over. I am looking forward to see what happens next in the second book of this series. Thank you to the publisher, author, and NetGalley for this arc!

This book was a perfect read to start out fall. While reading, the thing I kept on finding myself thinking over and over, was "This is just SO MUCH FUN", and that's really the perfect way to describe this book. It was dark, spooky, spicy, and just an overall fun time. I'm a sucker for a competition arc in a book, and this book delivered that in a very unique way.

This was low fantasy, set in New Orleans, with a necromancer as a main character. She enters Phantasma, a competition that travels from city to city offering up a wish to the winner if they're able to survive the terrors inside. This competition is perfectly spooky, and we also get a romance that had me giggling and kicking my feet. I just love it when a love interest is down BAD for the main character, and I love good banter.

It's important going in to know that this is a pretty graphic book, and while it's not a horror novel, it's horror adjacent. It reminded me of a cross between Serpent & the Wings of Night and the board game Betrayal at House on the Hill. If you like a darker fantasy setting with spooky and scary elements, this is the book for you.

Is it too soon to call this my favorite book of the year? Nope, because it is. As someone who has read over 300 books so far this year, I can confidently say that this book is the best book that I have read so far this year. It was so fast paced and engaging and I devoured every word of it. With all of the constant twists and turns, levels, and just overall excitement, it was a recipe for a great book. It was the perfect blend of horror, fantasy, romance, paranormal, and spice without it being overwhelming. It was just perfect. I can see myself revisiting this book for re-reads very often.

Ophelia enters a competition called "Phantasma" to attempt to find her sister and bring her home. Phantasma is a competition where many people compete in different levels based on morbid games that would sometimes end in death, or facing your biggest fears outside of the levels. No time of the day is completely safe while you are in Phantasma. However, at the end, the winner may wish for anything, and it would be granted to them.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher and the author for the advance copy to read and review.

I was intrigued to read this based on it being marketed as similar to Caraval, which I loved. This did not disappoint in the slightest.

I loved the unusual premise of ghosts, devils and necromancers. It took me a little while to get into and understand the different meanings of the characters. But as soon as we got to the Devils Manor I was hooked. The characters were well presented, with great chemistry. There was a decent amount of spice but also a great plot with the 9 challenges Ophelia has to face.

The pacing was great and had me enthralled to find out what was going to happen.

I also love the mental health representation with the OCD tendencies. As someone who suffers with intrusive thoughts I found Ophelia extremely relatable especially when she was trying to push against the inner voice.

I think this is going to be one to watch in the fantasy book genre for 2024. Perfect for Halloween season.

4.5 stars.

🥀 𝑷𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒎𝒂. 𝚃𝚑𝚎 𝙳𝚎𝚟𝚒𝚕'𝚜 𝙼𝚊𝚗𝚘𝚛. 𝙰 𝚙𝚕𝚊𝚌𝚎 𝚘𝚏𝚝𝚎𝚗 𝚜𝚙𝚘𝚔𝚎𝚗 𝚊𝚋𝚘𝚞𝚝 𝚒𝚗 𝚠𝚑𝚒𝚜𝚙𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚛𝚞𝚖𝚘𝚛𝚜 𝚊𝚗𝚍 𝚑𝚊𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚗𝚐 𝚌𝚊𝚞𝚝𝚒𝚘𝚗𝚊𝚛𝚢 𝚝𝚊𝚕𝚎𝚜 𝚒𝚗 𝚝𝚑𝚎 𝚍𝚊𝚛𝚔. 🥀

If you have been looking for the perfect fall/spooky read, 𝑷𝒉𝒂𝒏𝒕𝒂𝒔𝒎𝒂 𝒃𝒚 𝑲𝒂𝒚𝒍𝒊𝒆 𝑺𝒎𝒊𝒕𝒉 is what you’re looking for! 🖤


✨ARC REVIEW!✨

Phantasma was exactly what I was expecting - a 5⭐️ read! It was like Caraval but darker, with gothic vibes, more plot, more suspense and thrill. And it’s definitely not a YA read. The spice was 🤌🏻🔥!! I’m giving it 3 🌶️! All I’m going to say about the spice is that the transporting ability is freakin hot!

I loved how the 9 challenges reflected the 9 circles of Hell. And the challenges were designed so intricately well, that I was always kept at the edge of my seat. The clues were so fun to try and figure out. I loved how gruesome the consequences were if you didn’t pass the challenge. And the fact that Phantasma is held in a haunted gothic manor satisfied my needs for the perfect spooky read.

What’s noteworthy is the OCD rep! The author did a beautiful job at incorporating this into the story and showcasing how it affects the FMC, Ophelia. It was an eye-opener to see how much more there is to OCD than just being cleaned and organized. That there can be dark symptoms and it needs attention like any other health condition.

Speaking of the FMC. I LOVED Ophelia! I always admire a heroine who is strong-willed and witty. It really made the banter between her and the MMC, Blackwell, so much fun and entertaining. And did I mention that Blackwell is a Phantom? That’s right! And remember I mentioned transporting ability?? Yup! BLACKWELL 🥰😍🫠 but the way he makes Ophelia feel safe and not “broken” because of her condition is beyond swoon-worthy!

Definitely add this book to your TBR especially if you’re a fan of these tropes:

• dark fantasy romance
• forbidden romance
• forced proximity
• OCD rep
• Necromancer X Phantom
• haunted gothic mansion

Thank you to the author and NetGalley for the arc!! 🥰🫶🏼

I love a dark fantasy romance so this book really excited me and the fantastic characters kept me hooked.

n Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Kaylie Smith for providing me with an ARC of Phantasma! I was absolutely enthralled with this dark gothic romantasy book filled with ghosts, devils, necromancers, and a deadly game that takes you through the circles of hell.

I really enjoyed following Ophelia, partly because she is not the most likable character, but as the book goes on, you really get invested in her story and her success. I found the romance to be super steamy, and the mystery to be a fun one to unravel.

If you are a fan of Caraval, KOTW, and ACOTAR, I think you will have a lot of fun with this one!

4.5 stars. Imagine Caraval by Stephanie Garber, but instead of YA, it’s for a mature audience. It has a gothic theme with trials, magic, phantoms, and demons. The stakes are high, verging on horror instead of fantasy, and the spice is next level. I was slow falling into the book, but after a quarter of the way through I couldn’t put it down. Sleep was lost, and it was worth so it.