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.

A step away from my normal paranormal/fantasy type books. This was a darker romance with a Gothic vibe.

Take a family who make their living dealing with death magic, add in a murdered mother, a financial struggle and a mysterious but very dangerous game. One with a prize worth risking everything for. When Ophelia's sister enters the game ahead of her, Ophelia feels the need to go in after her and save her from herself (and the game).

Necromancers, deals with devils in disguise, Phantoms, secrets and amnesia like memory lapses all combine into a fantastic fantasy romance. Who can you trust in a haunted mansion when anyone could be out to get you? Who do you make a protection pact with?

I loved the world building and the FMC dealing with OCD so thoughtfully handled and really helps to tie the entire storyline together. This was definitely darker than my usual reads and there was plenty of danger and unaliving but it wasn't a straight-forward horror like story either.

Blackwell was the epitome of tall, dark and handsome with a mind with more holes than Swiss cheese! He exuded "Who did this to you" vibes and you're never really sure where he stands - he does take morally grey and runs with it!

Spicy without being over the top and a great paced romance.

Well having the hots for a ghost was not what I saw happening but I’ve been attracted to stranger so here we are 😂 this book was so good I don’t even know where to start. It’s described as caraval meets kingdom of the wicked and I got both vibes at the start, that dark witchy vibe, entering a game, sisterly love, it’s all there!! But once the game begins this is a story that stand on its own, it’s so much darker and sexier than I expected. I love the characters within phantasma, they were well thought out and described with interesting and sometimes spooky devils and ghosts. I loved Blackwell, his teasing had me giggling and kicking my feet. I adored Ophelia as an FMC, she was strong, she was fair and she took no crap. I also loved how her OCD and anxiety was portrayed, I have never suffered with OCD but the anxiety resonated with me so it was not surprising that the author based the rep on her own experience. Very well done. All in all I loved it and I can’t wait for more

Thank you to netgalley and second sky books for an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review

Holy shit! I absolutely could not put this down. What an incredible ride this was, and I still haven't stopped thinking about it. Definitely had a lot of hand-wringing, nail-biting moments.

When Ophelia and her sister Genevieve find the mother dead in their living room, Ophelia, being the eldest, inherits the family magic and, along with it, the responsibility of carrying their family legacy. But when they learn of the debt their mother was in, her sister enters Phantasma—a game that is held in a cursed manor all over the world and has been scheduled to come to New Orleans next in order to win it and clear the debt. Ophelia has no choice but to take part in it herself to save her sister.

The game contains nine levels, inspired by the nine circles of hell. The person to clear all levels and win the contest gets to have their one wish granted. Here she meets Blackwell, who makes a bargain with her to help her with the levels of the game to find her sister, in return asking her to help him look for something he needs to find within the manor.


The plot was really well paced and will keep you at the edge of your seat right till the very end. The gothic setting of Phantasma was so captivating and enthralling that you can't help but get lost in it. The curiosity to learn more about these characters, the mystery they're trying to solve, the different levels of the game, and the manor and its many secrets. I loved the concept of the nine levels of the game being inspired by the nine circles of hell. Things kept getting more intense and dangerous as they cleared more levels, and the idea and hints of every challenge were so spectacularly done. The group of people partaking in the contest were diverse, which heightened the whole experience. There were devils too, each one wicked in their own way, trying to get them to make deals.

Ophelia Grimm was an absolute delight. Firstly, I loved the fact that she was tall because I'm tall and so tired of reading about FMCs who are tiny. She was a force to be reckoned with. I loved how badass she was, not having a care in the world about what others thought of her, calling people out when needed. She was so brave, never backing away from anything the game, manor, devils, or contestants threw at her, facing every challenge head-on even as things kept getting more gruesome with each level. Though she didn't spend her time trying to form friendships or bonds in Phantasma, she definitely had to question her morals, what she was willing to do, and how far she was willing to go with each level. These conflicts were well portrayed. Being sheltered the way she had, taking part in Phantasma really made her find herself in the most unexpected place and situation. Her struggles with OCD were very well woven into her character, and it was definitely well explored when it came to the game itself and how that was something the manor used as a pushback in her challenges. With this, Ophelia not only had to fight other contestants but also her own mind that was working against her.

As Ophelia tries to find clues about her sister, she unearths some secrets and shocking revelations about her family that make her question if she truly ever knew them as well as she thought she had, leaving her feeling confused and betrayed. She starts wondering if all that she had been taught to follow was really the truth.

Blackwell had me smitten right from their first encounter. He was mysterious, charming, sexy, mischievous, flirty, sarcastic, and just loved to mess with Ophelia. There was so much that was unknown about him due to his situation, and it only made the story more compelling as the plot unfolded. I loved how he was always there to help Ophelia, even before she made the bargain. He was so protective of her and took care of her after every level in whatever way she needed him to. Watching him slowly fall for Ophelia was so beautiful and heartbreaking at the same time, given the curse and their limited time with each other. My heart definitely ached for how lonely and hopeless he had felt for so long, and Ophelia was the first one to truly want to know him.

When it comes to the relationship between Ophelia and Blackwell, it felt natural and effortless for them to get comfortable with each other from the first moment. Though Ophelia had her reservations about trusting a Phantom given all the teachings from her mother, she couldn't help finding her way to him each time. Their constant bickering and banter was amazing, giving way to flirting, which made me smile a lot. They made a pretty great team, helping each other out in their quests. However, they also feel a sense of rightness, a pull towards each other that neither could explain. This leads to their relationship going from just their bargain to gradually developing much deeper feelings. Knowing the rule about not falling in love in Phantasma, they fought really hard against these feelings. They were both willing to do whatever it took for the sake of the other, which was just so beautiful and heartwarming.

The growing tension between Ophelia and Blackwell and all the close proximity led to some amazing smut, and damnnn the skills of that phantom, dirty talking being just one of them. The way he teased and worshiped her body was something.

The game, mystery, romance, and everything about this book were all well placed, timed, and executed.

Thank you, Kaylie Smith and Netgalley, for providing me with the arc in exchange for an honest review.

Wow! This was a great book! Gothic fantasy with forbidden love and deadly competition inspired by the Nine Circles of Hell....this caught my attention and kept me invested until the end. I loved this unique Phantom and Necromancer romance taking place in a haunted mansion in New Orleans, a swoon worthy MMC, fantastic banter, a FMC with OCD, forced proximity with spice. Loved it! Would definitely recommend.

I received this ebook from NetGalley, paperback from publisher and the audiobook from NetGalley.
So I listened to the audiobook for the first half and really enjoyed the narrator. Then read the ebook for the last half while looking at the beautiful cover of the paperback.
It says it is part of a series but it felt like a standalone.
Ophelia and her sister just lost their mother and then found out about a large debt on their house. Ophelia has also inherited her mother's powers. Then her sister goes missing when she decides to enter Phantasma to pay off the debt. Ophelia goes and learns if she wants to see her sister then she has to compete in everything that is put her way. It is kind of like Hunger Games and the rule is not to fall n love.
Thanks to NetGalley and Second Sky for all the copies to review,

I can't decide if I want to give this 3 or 3.5 so I'm going with 3.5 now. I had some nitpicky comments while reading but now that I'm done it was such a wild ride and cool story. I feel like usually I have the reserve experience so I'm not 100% sure what my feeling and rating for this is. I had problems with the pacing and depth of the characters, mainly the love interest. I wanted more from Blackwell but I also understand why there wasn't. The concept of Phantasma was really cool. Smith tied together multiple different story lines and tropes and I commend her for attempting this. I can't wait for the next book. The next love interest is a devil with multiple siblings so perhaps this will be an expansive series? I'm hoping so!

I loved the concept and story. I LOVED the OCD representation, I've never read a book where the main character had OCD. I love seeing disability, disorder and chronic illness representation in books, especially fantasy. We rarely see this representation in fantasy because it would slow the character down. I liked how Ophelia's challenges weren't with magic or Phantasma levels it was really with OCD. The Shadow Voice was a good way to bring a fantasy twist on it.

I liked the idea of the characters but I think they all could have been more fleshed out. I wasn't a fan of the insta love and I would have liked to see their romance developing more. It felt a bit unequal because we couldn't see Blackwell's side and he wasn't totally himself. The ending also felt very rushed but maybe the loose ends will be tied up next book? I'm super excited to see these characters again in the sequel and for Genevieve's story.

I love the gothic setting and phantasmagoria. I appreciate how the death game was done. There wasn't necessary death in every level so the shock factor didn't wear out. It was also gory. I did get a bit confused about the levels but I'm not sure if I was reading too fast. I was unsure how the other contestants were passing the levels faster than Ophelia who had Blackwell to help her. I also couldn't figure them out, was Ophelia not smart? Was she not noticing things and therefore not describing it so that I could figure it out? Honestly if Ophelia wasn't smart enough, I do like that because she would be realistic but the plot wasn't bogged down because Blackwell helped speed it through.

Thank you to Second Sky Books, Forever and Netgalley for the eARC.

This was your typical romantasy number, nothing really special in terms of romance, but I did really enjoy the setting. I did however have a viscerally negative reaction to the cover however, which is probably why I took so long to finish. All in all, it was fun but nothing revolutionary!

EDIT: After fully processing, I am taking a star away because the fact she didn't really do anything drove me crazy. MCs always have a get out of jail card in romantasy, but it was a little too much in this one.

Come with me as I step far outside my comfort zone into a world of dark romantasy filled with demons of every kind where a sheltered necromancer battles for her life while searching for her missing sister. Oh, my, what an intense and satisfying adventure this was!

Set in spooky, sultry New Orleans, PHANTASMA is a non-stop thrill ride with surprises in every chapter. Ophelia enters a contest (Phantasma) where there can only be one winner and the price of losing is death. The contestants must complete challenges based on the nine circles of hell. Along the way she meets Blackwell, a morally gray, but charming stranger who offers to help her in exchange for a very steep price. In Phantasma the only thing more dangerous than the deadly challenges is falling in love.

Kaylie Smith has written a heart pounding dark fantasy with an interesting premise and plenty of spice. This is a perfect read (or listen) for those who like their romance hot as the weather cools down.

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio, and Second Sky/Forever for the opportunity to review an advance copy in exchange for my honest opinion.

Phantasma is more than just a book to me, it feels more like a friend. It feels more like Smith managed to take a little bit of my soul, a little bit of my heart, a little bit of me is wrapped me up in this book.

You see I have OCD. Somedays it feels like I AM my OCD. It is a demon, a devil, a monster, the bane of my existence — god, I’ve got so many awful words for it, but it is, unfortunately, my companion. I somehow exist with it on the daily. And in this book I got to see someone else exist with it too. OCD isn’t a one size fits all — it comes in many forms, so no one representation will be fully accurate but damn it was startling how similar mine and Ophelia’s was — the knocking???? Oh my god. Yes. That’s me. (Hilariously though, I have to have even numbers. Everything even. I like 4s, 6s, 8s, 12s specifically. Whereas Ophelia liked odd numbers). And Ophelia’s reason for knocking was the same as mine. It was like a gut punch. It was like being hit with a bolt of lightning. I just felt so god damn recognised with all the emotion surrounding the routines — the compulsion to do it, the anger at having to do it, the frustration, the fear, the worry, the relief, the anger and frustration at giving in, the exhaustion…

Just…thank you Kaylie Smith for this. OCD can be so isolating, so dehumanising and so humiliating that I just felt such a kinship with Ophelia. I loved the conversations she had with Blackwell and how he never tried to fix her, never tried to out logic her, never made fun of her, just loved her through it and listened to her.

I loved the whole book from the representation of OCD to the setting to the plot. I freaking loved Blackwell, he was so sassy and devious and AHHH I AM GOING TO START FANGIRLING AS I REMEMBER CERTAIN SCENES. RASCALS!!!! AND I LOVE IT!!!!

The romance between Blackwell and Ophelia was definitely my favourite thing and I’m sat here grinning and blushing remembering all their scenes and it’s made me forget what else I wanted to write about because I just have them on the brain.

The trials were exciting, tense and high stakes and I thought well paced. I liked the setting of the House with the different hauntings too. I liked Genevieve a lot and I am excited we will be getting a sequel with her, I thought she was hilarious with Blackwell and I can’t wait to see what trouble she goes and stirs up.

4.5⭐️ rounded up — I think the ending was a bit hasty and I’m a bit confused on how they wormed their way out of the final obstacle.

Loved loved loved loved this book.

Big thanks to NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever for the ARC! I went into this book kind of blind, purposefully not reading much about it since romances tend to be predictable plotwise. While there wasn't any big surprise along the way, from the start I caught myself delighted by the witchy, gothic vibe — exactly what I was craving. Phantasma is a atmospheric read for fans of fantasy romance, particularly those who enjoy morally grey stories, forbidden love, and the thrill of a deadly game, with a dash of mystery and spice.

Honestly? I discovered this book on Netgalley and mostly got it because the cover looks insanely intriguing and the title reminds me of friends of mine who have a costume design company called Phantasma. Of course, I also partly got it because the book promised me Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen. I'm very happy that Second Sky granted me a review copy and once I started I realized getting this review copy was one of the best things to happen to me this year.

This book was everything I had hoped it would be and then a lot more. It already started with the book being set in New Orleans. Although we're wandering through New Orleans for only a short while, the author does manage to bring the city to life. And although the haunted mansion travels through the world, I think there's no better place for this story, and this haunted mansion, then the city of New Orleans, where everything is possible.

Just like everything is possible in the Haunted Mansion. Just like in Caraval it's hard to know for sure what's part of the games and what's real. I like how not only the characters get slightly paranoid, but we too. Who can we trust? What horrors are being thrown at our heroine next? Can we trust the sexy and charming Blackwell? And has Genevieve really entered the games or will Ophelia never find her again? Will she survive in the first place?

Although there's a lot going on in this book, it never feels overwhelming, it never feels like one element overshadows the other and it never feels like things are either rushed or stretched out. There is more than enough delicious romance, there is a lot of danger, the trials are actually lethal and terrifying, the stakes are insanely high and then there is this bigger mystery that eventually leads to a wonderful finale.

I can't wait for my physical copy to arrive!