neither mind-blowing nor awful. it was mostly kind of whatever. but one thing that's genuinely funny to me is that his true name is blackwell. like hello? imagine a god named tommy. a fairy king named kyle. subhanallah, what happened to whimsy?

i did get what i came for (caraval), and while it was far better written (hence the extra half star), it was also far less creative, plot and worldbuilding wise. which is expected when half the trials are based on the seven deadly sins, i guess. also a very generic deal with the devil + instalove romance. she doesn't know him, he doesn't remember her, and they fall in love within three days of their first meeting, tra la la. however, going through the same trauma would probably make people closer, so they're slightly more believable than other instalove plots. and the curse and the ending do add a little more substance to their relationship. the erotica was nice enough, so people into dark fantasy romance will enjoy this, i believe.

as for the characters, they were very caraval coded indeed. ophelia is a domineering older sister and has an extremely rigid view of genevieve (and unlike tella, she's done nothing to be characterized the way ophelia thinks of her). genevieve is impulsive and independent and loves her sister, and these her only three personality traits. blackwell is the most generic romantasy mmc to walk the planet: hot, secretive, deep dark traumatic past, overconfident, good at fucking. all in all, i wasn't wowed by anyone, and i hated blackwell more than i hated julian and dante combined, especially with the twist at the end. (this is a normal occurrence for me with romantasy mmcs, so the rating is still three stars.)

thank you to netgalley for the advanced copy.

I’ve always had a morbid fascination for stories that fling humanity into fight-to-the-death scenarios as it's the perfect showcase of our species at its most spectacularly awful and occasionally best. And clearly, I’m not alone, given the massive success of Squid Game, Battle Royale, The Hunger Games, The Grace Year, The Scholomance trilogy, and even the Saw movies—not to mention several popular romantasies.

Speaking of romantasy, we all know it’s a bold move to compare an adult romantasy debut to crowd favourites—expectations go through the roof and disappointment is practically a given. But the publishers here went all in comparing Phantasma to the genre giants, so, I was bracing myself for a letdown. But Phantasma stood its ground and gave my unabashed love for ACOTAR’s under-the-mountain scenes a run for their money. Here’s why:

Firstly, while the romantasy genre often leans on familiar themes and tropes, and Phantasma feels familiar, it also innovates. We've got:

• A gothic, paranormal New Orleans
• A haunted house drenched in mind games, blood and terror
• A Necromancer FMC
• Hot ghosts
• Secrets-betrayals-lies
• Uniquely complicated family dynamics
• An endearing ghost cat
• Explorations on the afterlife, and Heaven and Hell.
• Own Voices representation for obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD)

It’s fresh and compelling, and it worked for me. Your mileage may vary depending on how you feel about religious afterlife references in your fantasy—and gore that might make Tarantino look twice.

Secondly, the OCD and anxiety representation isn't just tacked on, it’s central to the story and handled with haunting, beautiful, raw vulnerability, using dark fantasy as a vehicle.

The games, akin to the grisly thrills of Saw or Squid Game, were a standout. With nine levels of twisted challenges, each one bringing its own brand of hellish horror, I’ll keep the details under wraps. But fair trigger warning for plenty of blood and guts, and more creative ways to die than you thought possible.

Now, about the romance. I thought it was good. Who did this to you and forbidden romance vibes. It’s not a slow burn, but it also simultaneously sidesteps insta-love. I know people will want to know about the spice. Phantasma has plenty of it. The story stays centre stage, so if spice isn’t your thing, you can skim those scenes and still keep up.

• Spice level: 🌶🌶.5
• Spicy scene count: 6 spicy, 2 mild
• Bonus points for everything being 100% consensual.

Quibbles? Sure, the prose isn't flawless and some foreshadowing is a bit heavy-handed, leading to predictability, but in no way did this hinder my entertainment or enjoyment. Literature is subjective, so you may perceive differently and that's all good!

Finally, the cherry on top is that Phantasma is standalone, so you’re not signing your life away to another never-ending series. However, the author did tease that she/they hope readers will “return for more deliciously haunting adventures in this world,” so Kaylie Smith, please take my money, I'm ready for more. I ended up having such a good time reading this that it's getting 5 stars!

My heartfelt thanks to NetGalley & Second Sky/Forever for the arc in exchange for an honest review.

“So, I made myself leave you, determined to give you space for the rest of the night—and then you found me. Because it seems that’s what we do. We find each other.”
—
Rating: 4.75✨
Smut: 🌶️
—
Ophelia, a necromancer from the Grimm family line, quite literally makes a deal with the dark in an attempt to save the person who means the world to her.
What follows is a gothic love story involving an adventure that Ophelia wasn’t expecting. It’s a romance that has you rooting for the main characters, despite the odds stacked against them.

To start, this is the kind of book that is way too easy to binge. The kind that transports you to another world completely and keeps you wanting more well after it’s over.

I found myself enthralled by Phantasma and it’s gothic splendour, despite the gore and hardships faced by the characters within its walls.
Kaylie Smith’s writing was intriguing and magical, making me feel like i was miles away from the plane I was actually reading this book in.

I loved the explicit and implicit nods to mental health, explored through Ophelia’s OCD. This character’s strength and selflessness in face of the absolute darkness her mind plunges her into made her such a likeable character.
Besides the mental health rep, my favourite part was her relationship with Blackwell. It was one that helped her through her struggles but Kaylie Smith ultimately conveyed the message that Ophelia didn’t need Blackwell to fix her because she wasn’t broken. As a girlie with mental health struggles, I loved this message and I found myself feeling seen within Ophelia’s intrusive thoughts and her spiralling. Having a mans like Blackwell to reassure her that she was more than perfect was just the cherry on top.

Speaking of Blackwell, there was this tether between the two characters throughout this novel which made Blackwell, in particular, SO easy to fall in love with right away. I appreciated how the author explained this tether at the end and how perfect he was for Ophelia😩
The man was ROMANTIC even though everything was falling apart around him.

This would have been a 5 star read, if not for my confusion over one aspect of the ending of the book. I had to re read it twice and still found myself confused 😅
I also would have liked a longer epilogue & more insight into Blackwell’s father!

Overall, if you love:
🥀 Gothic Fantasy Romance
🥀 Caraval meets Squid Game-esque trials meets ACOTAR
🥀 OCD representation
🥀 Complex family dynamics

Then this one is for you♥️

Massive thank you to Kaylie Smith, Second Sky and the NerdFam for sending me this e-arc 🫶

I’ve been so excited to read this book since Kaylie talked about it on her tour for another book. When she said think of Danny Phantom but put him in a fantasy New Orleans?!? I said Bestie pls say less and give it to me.

In the beginning we meet Ophelia and Genevieve who just lost their mother. After their mother passed they start to find out about things that their mother never told them. Lucky for them their fate can be changed when Phantasma comes to town.

I thought this book was so incredibly well written. I genuinely didn’t see the ending coming at me. There we several moments I was internally kicking my feet because of certain scenes. I do think that this kind of gothic, magic vibe that we get within Phantasma was an interesting approach to the 9 circles of Hell. I loved this book and reading it was truly a wonderful experience. I CANNOT recommend this book enough. You really did feel like you were living through everything with Ophelia.

I ate this book up!!! I could not put it down if I didn't have to sleep and go to work. I would have finished this book in one day. The way the author incorporated the OCD effect on Ophelia was great. I am not affected by OCD, however, I am sure that the people who do have it can relate to it a lot. I was a big fan of Blackwell, I could picture him in my mind so clearly. Let's not forget the twist at the end, I did not see that coming and I loved it even more. Typically I can figure it out and spoil the twist for me. With this book, I had no idea I was so enchanted by everything else. I didn't even think about that being an option. I have recommended to all my friends that they should read this book. I am so going to go out and get myself a physical copy of this book for my collection. I can't wait to see what else Kaylie Smith will be writing.

My review will be on Amazon, Instagram, and Goodreads


https://www.goodreads.com/nightlyreadingnook
https://www.instagram.com/nightlyreadingnook/

Thank you Net galley for this arc,

If Neceomancers, devils, ghost and a haunted Mansion are all things you like than you need to read this book.

Ophelia is a necromancer, whose mother recently passed away, her sister is missing and she has a voice inside her head. In order to find her sister she decided to participate in Phantasma a deadly game with trials that has 9 levels. There are two rules don’t die and don’t fall in love. She meets a sexy phantom and strikes a bargain with him. As the levels get harder the more attracted she is to Blackwell.

This story was so unique, bloody, dark and I love how it is set in Louisiana. If you love dark gothic paranormal fantasy stories you will eat this one up. This is perfect for fans of Caraval who want something grown, sexy and dark.

Perfect book to read this fall.

Ophelia was now the eldest Grimm. A dead mother made her much more than an orphan.

Phantasma opens with Ophelia's mother dying in the night, causing Ophelia to hurry and perform a ceremony where she is transferred her mother's magic. Her younger sister Genevieve, has always wanted to leave their family necromancy business behind, resenting how it tied Ophelia to Grimm Manor, their home. However, Ophelia won't turn her back on centuries of family history and intends to take over the business of helping people communicate with the dead. Until bankers show up and suddenly they only have a few weeks to pay off a severely due loan their mother inexplicable took out, before they lose Grimm Manor to the bank. Ophelia senses that Genevieve knows more than she's telling and when she leaves a note saying not to worry and she'll be back in a couple weeks, Ophelia just knows Genevieve has entered Phantasma, a haunted mansion just arrived in New Orleans, and plans on entering herself to find Genevieve.

For as long as she could remember, the voice had been there, in the darkest corners of her mind, telling her to walk through certain doorways or her entire family would perish.

This started off with a really cool concept, a traveling haunted mansion run by devils where contestants can enter and try to make it through levels based on the nine Circles of Hell, where if they are the last person standing, they'll receive a Devil's Grant (basically a wish granted). There's explanation of paranormal hierarchy, with Ghosts, Apparitions, Phantoms, Devils, Specters, and the like, which I thought was going to lead to a pretty detailed structured rich world. Ophelia even enters the mansion pretty early, around 15% to get the story rolling right away. However, I kind of found a lot of the elements added to create atmosphere ended up feeling a lot like window-dressing, leaving me ultimately disappointed in the lack of depth.

The golden bauble had been in her family for generations, enchanted with a powerful magic that bound it to its wearer.

This takes place in New Orleans but as the vast majority of the story is inside the Phantasma mansion, you won't get the feel for the city. I don't remember the time period being explicitly mentioned but with Ophelia riding in carriages and a motor vehicle being a sensation, along with her dresses and male attire of vests mentioned, it seems like it's supposed to be Victorian era. But the vernacular feels pretty modern, ex. - “I fucked his best friend on the back of a float”, “Who in the unholy fuck is knocking on peoples’ doors this early in the morning?”, and “For fuck’s sake,”. I'm guessing the clothes are Victorian era to help set the Gothic tone this was mentioned as having but Gothic stories are all about atmosphere, usually a big chunk created from the restrictions of the time, and well, language plays a decent part of helping to mesh the time period with the reader and I can't say I felt the Gothic atmosphere at all, the clothes were window-dressing.

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

The romance comes in when a Phantom named Blackwell, who Ophelia actually met before entering Phantasma, makes a bargain with her, he'll help Ophelia get past the levels if she helps him find a heart and key, what he told her needed to be set free from Phantasma when they first met but can't remember saying. Blackwell has no memory of existing outside of Phantasma but picks someone every time the mansion starts it's games to try and help him get free. A locket Ophelia wears around her neck that has been passed down through generations of women in her family warms when it's around Blackwell and she takes this as sign to trust him. She's also pretty physically attracted to him. You probably can tell where this is leading and a little before the half-way point, we start to get “Good Girl” scenes. The dirty talk was there but the emotion was not for me, there just wasn't enough emotional or relationship depth developed and as such, all those physical scenes may have used the trendy hot words but they were window-dressing and I found my eyes glazing over whenever the clothes came off.

“Ophelia,” he repeated, tasting every syllable. Her name on his tongue sounded like a wicked prayer. “You are exactly the person I’ve been waiting for.”

Along with being a lifelong romance fan, I've been a lifelong horror fan, why I was so excited for this but while the levels would occasionally have some gory descriptions of deaths, window-dressing in place of any actually feelings of horror, tension, or fear. This felt more New Adult to me, in regards to maturity of characters and tone and I'd put Christopher Pike books ahead on the feeling horror scale. The levels Ophelia has to complete don't last very long and while we get to know some other contestants and devils, they're more blip on the radar secondary characters. As we raced through the trials when it's time to complete them, lingered on Ophelia wandering through the mansion trying to find what Blackwell's looking for, and hopped from physical scene to physical scene between the two, I felt the middle second half started to feel stretched out.

A deep sense of dread began to sink into her gut that being within Phantasma wasn’t going to be the thing that broke her.

The ending really rushed Ophelia's and Genevieve's plot, but delivered on answers. Ophelia learns some family secrets and what Blackwell's story really is, and while it is pretty obvious (I would say blindingly obvious and Ophelia should have realized much sooner) what the answer was to what connects and could solve Blackwell's issue, it was an enjoyable plot thread. Once Ophelia and Blackwell figure out some things, the ending again feels a bit rushed as it jumps to give readers a quick look at where things are and are headed. One element that I thought worked really well and want to mention is Ophelia's Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, since this was a paranormal book, I was wondering where this element was headed. Ophelia hears a “Shadow Voice” in her head that causes her to have to do things in threes, otherwise the voice says her family will die. The story showed how this tormented Ophelia and the struggle of how living with such a form of OCD can effect people and I thought how Ophelia battled it showed a care and respect for this aspect of her character.

While I found a lot of elements to be window-dressing and the romance didn't have the depth to deliver the emotional connection I like to feel from my romance leads, others who like a little descriptive gore without the deep emotional horror feel, trendy dirty talk scenes, and a New Adult vibe, might want to give this lighter horror and romance mash-up a try.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced copy. All opinions are my own.

4.5/5*

So turns out maybe all it takes for me to properly enjoy a romantasy is horror?

I absolutely ate this up--it's been a while since I was constantly thinking about when I could next pick up this book, and as someone who wants to love romantasy so badly but just can't seem to do so, that's a huge deal. Everything in this book comes together so well to create this eerie, gothic atmosphere; it was so smart and so fun to set this in New Orleans and play up its paranormal reputation. Even the way OCD was portrayed--and I thought this representation was particularly well done--played into the dark tone of the book. Ophelia's character arc was so strong and it was so easy to root for her without it minimizing her flaws. The romance was a lot of fun, and while I don't like insta-love (the entire story takes place over 10-ish days which, to me, is still too insta-love) this was maybe the only case where I was able to ignore my dislike of the trope and just have fun with it.

Since I have such bad luck with this subgenre and thus am not super used to it, most of the (very few!!) things that bothered me are kind of just to be expected with romantasy (ie. it could get very cheesy) and so I'm obviously not going to hold that against the book. My biggest issue with the book is that the sentence structure was a bit rough--I'm particularly sensitive to this and usually switch to audiobook when I'm enjoying a story but the structure sometimes pulls me out, but I couldn't do that here. This, too, I'm not counting against the book because this is just something I'm personally picky about and I truly think if I'd had the audiobook I would have been perfectly fine, but still noting in case anyone else is picky like me.

This was such a wonderfully read but it was unexpectedly fun! I loved this book and the audio was a blast, the narration was a treat and filled with emotion.

Phantasma is a deadly game filled with demons and monsters, where you can win a prize from the demon prince of hell himself. Ophelia Grimm enters this competition hoping to find her sister. Despite being a necromancer, she struggles at the beginning within the challenges and ends up making a bargain with a phantom, Blackwell, for his assistance in the games. The relationship fostered between Ophelia and Blackwell grows from a hesitant agreement to a mutual respect. Then finally a hunger and need for each other's body and soul. The slow burn of need and wanting between the two was what got me. I loved the romance so much.

There were some things in the middle that just was annoying (Blackwell dealing with things for her off page) I like the chaos of the haunts and the games. The spice brought it back for me to keep interested. Kaylie Smith's writing in those scenes!! WOWZA

The Shadow Voice and OCD portrayl is beyond one of my favorite things within this story. This really helped give it the eerie gothic vibe without going fully into horror and gore. There definitely were some elements that may upset some, but they are spaced well between romance and other general scenes within this gothic setting. The end was a bit expected, but honestly, I'm not mad. Just because it is expected doesn't mean it is bad - I had a blast.

💝 Haunted House Competition
💝 OCD Rep
💝 Dark elements, demons & monsters
💝 Secrets galore
💝 Necromancer/Phantom Romance
💝 🌶️🌶️ Spice

cw: horror/gore elements

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio & Forever Publishing for an ALC & eARC of <u>Phantasma</u> by Kaylie Smith

So I saw Kaylie Smith marketing this book in the early summer and KNEW I needed to get my hands on this novel. As a strong Dramione friend, it wasn't lost on me at how similar these characters looked and dark romance was just what I needed. NOLA was the perfect spooky setting and honestly so fitting considering the fall is coming up. I've never been to NOLA! But the way my parents described it, it honestly is so descriptive and matches their description to a T! Even before Ophelia enters Phantasma, considered me well spooked and invested in the mystery. Kaylie Smith did also super well minimizing the vague timeline which I think helped the mystery move along. The writing is clearly pre-modern, but this is definitely fantasy as we have always lived in a patriarchy and women/their sexuality seem more entitled than typical during that time period.

I am not new to having a competition at the center of the plot, however Phantasma contained mystery that had me hooked from the beginning. The high stakes and unknown of the competition kept me enthralled along with the writing egging me on. The challenges were unique for the typical fantasy competition. I love a good mystery, but I tend to stay away from horror; however this was a good mix and I did need to read some chapters during the day LMFAO. The challenges Ophelia and the others face made me feel like maybe they we were headed towards a HEA , but maybe we may see the FMC suffer first. Obviously I couldn't forget the SPICE! The romantic chemistry between Ophelia and Blackwell is PHENOMENAL- banter AND slow burn which led to some amazing spicy scenes I ate up immediately. Blackwell believing in female pleasure AND consent with a hint of possessiveness? Kaylie knew what she was doing. All the applause and all the snaps. The one thing I felt this book lacked was a more well rounded ending, FOR ME. Obviously mysteries always have the big reveal. Personally, I felt there was a chasm for one more challenge for the characters to go through, but the resolution happens off-page, which to be honest I would have loved to read and have a in person POV for. REGARDLESS PHENOMENAL BOOK AND PERFECT for when it arrives in time for Halloween/Fall/spooky season!

If you loved Caraval but wished it was darker with spice then this book is for you.

I enjoyed this book and it was a quick read. The gothic world that was created was a fun change and I really enjoyed the book being about the darker paranormal beings such as devils, necromancers, ghouls and ghosts.

The FMC growth in this book was great and her OCD representation was written really well.

I just found that I was lacking the emotional attachment to the characters and the story become very predictable for me.

This is still a book I would recommend to anyone looking for a dark gothic Romantasy.

I am interested to see how the author develops and will read her future books as this is a good debuting novel

Thank you Forever, Kaylie Smith and NetGalley for this ARC! All opinions are my own.

4.5 rounded up. I went into this knowing NOTHING after downloading the ARC pretty much solely because that cover slaps, but this was a hit?? The whole Monster House/haunted house energy combined with the circles of hell and challenges were really cool - it even had me forgetting about the romance for a second, which is rare because that’s usually my #1 priority. The OCD rep was also handled sensitively and written as Own Voices rep by the author, which I always appreciate.

Overall, would def recommend checking this book out on pub day!

POV: single third person

You can expect: magic, necromancer FMC, haunted house, challenge, facing fears, devils and demons, circles of hell, Gothic horror in New Orleans.

Rep: OCD, panic attack

Spice: 2.5-3/5

CW: gore, violence, death, murder

This will lure you in with its seductive whispers and spine-tingling scenes, and you'll be ready to sign up to spend the night at Phantasma. Kaylie Logan delivers a fantasy lover's dream of a book with ghouls and ghosts, sexy phantoms, an unhinged haunted house, and one hell of a twisty tale.

The characters:
The loved watching Ophelia (FMC) grow as a character over the course of this book. She goes from being this rule follower to challenge those around her at every move -- especially Blackwell, our MMC and resident Phantom of Phantasma. Blackwell, as a character, is mysterious, but with the best touches of both morally grey and cinnamon roll characters. You will easily fall his seductive words and be routing for these two.

I also really appreciated the OCD representation in this book and how it was interwoven into the story, rather than just tossed it. It made it a important detail to Ophelia's overall character development. Plus, as someone with OCD, it was just nice to see that representation in a book.

The plot:
The author keeps the plot moving and I loved how the trials from each of the Devils played out. I also loved how different pieces of story where woven into the larger story straight from the beginning (even if you don't realize it at the time). The book does build slowly until Phantasma appears on the scene and then it takes off at about 60 miles an hour and doesn't stop until you hit the end. It keeps you guessing with each page flip.

I can't wait to read more from Kaylie Smith and see where she goes next with their stories!

Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

What a wild ride! Phantasma was a fascinating, intriguing, and dangerous fast-paced gothic romance. You are transported to an alternative version of New Orleans where the paranormal and humans live among each other. I was mesmerized and hooked from the beginning.

It was my first time reading Kaylie Smith. We end up trapped inside the wall of a mysterious manor full of secrets where a deadly and bloody competition is being held. You must either survive, negotiate, forfeit, or die. I loved the idea behind the different trials of the competition. Each trial is inspired by one of the 9 circles of Hell. I loved the riddle and the story behind Phantasma.

I loved each character Kaylie created. I loved Ophelia. She is fierce, stubborn, and ready to do anything to save her sister. She also makes Blackwell beg perfectly. I love her character development. Interestingly, Phantasma aids her in escaping the pressure of her family's Necromancer past. OMG, Blackwell’s character was devilishly handsome and mysterious. He is now one of my favorite morally gray MMCs. I loved when he said, «Who did this to you? ». I loved that Ophelia (Necromancer) and Blackwell (Phantom) make an unexpected duo. I loved how their relationship developed. Some scenes were really hot between them. I never thought I would be turned on during a scene with a rain of blood.

It was a well-crafted book where the romance/spice and the plot were well-balanced. It made me laugh, squeal and cry. I still think about it after closing the page. It is one of my favorites of the year.

You will find in this book:

⚔️Trials inspired by The Nine Circles of Hell
🖤Phantom/Necromancer Romance
✨Fantasy Version of New Orleans
👻Haunted House Competition
🫠”I want to taste your sins.”
🚫Forbidden Romance
🪢Forces Proximity
✨FMC with OCD
😏"Good Girl“
🌶️Spice

Thank you to the author and Netgalley for this eARC in exchange of an honest review.

Thank you to the Netgalley and to the author for allowing me access to this book as an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

« October 23: Phantasma, the Devil’s Manor, arrives in New Orleans. »

« Lastly, and perhaps most important of all - fall in love within Phantasma at your own risk. »

« I told you before that nothing would ever stop me from getting to you if you needed me, and that will remain forevermore. I would tear the universe apart at its seams if I must. »

Rating: 4 ⭐️
Genre: Gothic Dark Paranormal Fantasy Romance
Format: ARC Ebook
Pages: 462
Spice: 3 🌶️
POV: Third POV
S/S: First in a series
Check trigger warnings for any book

So addicting both in the plot and characters.

The New Orleans lore in this book was so interesting to read about, the degrees of paranormal beings, their roles, and their threats. The atmosphere was so spooky and done so well, I felt the mood constantly.

Ophelia is a very intricate character. She deals with the pressure of her family’s expectations to uphold the Grimm legacy, whilst wanting to live her own life somehow and battling her inner demons. We see her deal with something similar to OCD throughout her life, the book, and the trials.

The plot was so addicting! A Devil’s Manor that offers you a single life-altering wish when you beat every level? Run by devils who torture you just for the hell of it? The level’s challenge themselves were so intriguing, I felt as though I was there.

Now, Mister Blackwell. I will be yours any day of the week, I’ll make any blood bargain with you. PLEASE GIVE ME A CHANCE!!! You’re offering me a handsome stranger with powers? Mmmhh yummy.

I loved their relationship, the evolution, the banter, the tender moments, the support they gave each other, and of course, the smut.

The other participants were also well-written, as they all brought something to the competition.

I will say that I did guess the twist of the book but I wasn’t disappointed when I read it because it had lore behind it.

I can’t wait to see book 2, which I’m guessing will follow another Grimm family member and another Phantasma resident…?

Quotes (MAY CONTAIN SPOILERS!!!!):

« To those who’ve had to claw their way out of the dark and still choose to be a light in this world »

« The Devil had a wicked mouth and a voice as smooth as bourbon. »

« Ophelia was now the eldest Grimm. A dead mother made her much more than an orphan. »

« This time, the flames were a silvery blue. Grimm Blue. »

« Having any sort of power was as foreign to Ophelia as the prospect of adventure or romance. »

« Well, he clearly doesn’t have a brain if he threw away his opportunity with you. »

« The first was that if the dark looks at you, you never look back. That was a surefire way to be caught by a Devil. »

« Souls that are dead cannot cross roses of red. »

« A house of Devils is no place for an angel like you. »

« A heart and a key would set me free, » it said. « But you should hope we do not meet again, angel. »

« Oh, bite me, » she deadpanned. His smirk grew wider. « Is that an invitation? »

« What would it be like to have someone so enraptured with you that they forgot eberything else around them? »

« I don’t care if you’re already dead. I’m going to kill you again. » « Is this your attempt at flirting, angel? »

« I need you to know if you were to ever let me touch you, in any way, the moment you wanted to stop - I would. No hesitation. »

« Your face might be able to be replicated, but your ego can’t. »

« You came. » « You called. »

« There’s no article of clothing I don’t know how to take off efficiently. »

« I will never beg for anything, » she said. He grinned. « Famous last words. »

« next time your mind tries to convince you otherwise, remember this: there is nothing about you that I find undesirable. Okay? »

« As much as it pains me to say this, » Blackwell’s voice rang out, « keep your clothes on, angel. »

« I want to know everything. I want to see all the darkest corners of your mind. »

« You can do anything you want, angel. I’d let you drag me to the depths of Hell right now if that would please you. »

« God, » she exclaimed at the sight. Blackwell smirked. « I could get used to that name, I suppose. »

« Men are always useless. »

« I think you might be the closest to heaven I’ll ever get, » he whispered.

Blackwell was the one to speak first. «  I fell less alone with you, too. »

« I say this sincerely. You need an exorcism. »

« If there were ever a divine entity I’d worship, » he murmured, « it’d be you. » « My body, your altar. »

« In a different life, in a fair one, I would’ve kept you until my eternal soul withered away to dust, » he vowed to her.

« You’re a menace. » « Only to you. » She grinned, smug. « And it’d better stay that way, » he told her.

« I never want another soul to touch you like this. Only me. »

« In all the darkness, in all the loneliness, you have been my one source of light, » he lamented as she began to come undone. « My soul will go to its grave with your name echoing in my mind. »

« The matter of my soul will always have your name etched into it. »

« Devil. » « Angel, » he drawled. She kiss him then, long and slow, reveling in the little piece of heaven she saved from the dark depths of Hell.

Leena - Leena.reader review - @leena.reader on tiktok and instagram

I went into this with low expectations as I didn’t know what to think of the premise, but let me just say that this story delighted me in every possible way. It had an eerie setting, likeable main characters and awesome intense scenes.

The OCD representation is something I rarely see in books and I was amazed at how well it was portrayed. I loved all the nightmarish creatures, but especially the Ghouls- they were so creepy in the best way.

Phantasma made me fall in love with it from the very first chapter. Make sure you add this to your TBR as it comes out on September 3rd.

P.S: I love Poe.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Wow wow wow! I’ve hooked from the moment I read the synopsis of this book, and I’m really glad I read as the whole story is amazingly wholesome!

I’ve listened to the audiobook first (narrated by Laura Horowitz) before got the copy in ebook, gotta say that I truly enjoy the audiobook form and indeed needed the copy in ebook and would love to get the physical copy when it came out later! The narrator for the audiobook version did such an amazing job in telling the whole story as she did different tones for different characters, able to capture and make the vibes of each scenes coming alive and entertaining as well as touching our hearts & emotions throughout the entire narration creatively, not to mention she managed to make every characters alive in her narration, it feels like we’re in the same journey as theirs indeed. I will definitely wanna listen to any of her narration again, she’s truly amazing to be listened to!

As for the book, it got me giggle, giddy, suspense, feels warmth, and everything. Definitely got my full attention from the start. I love the writing as much as the plot growth, as each chapters got me sinking in deep with everything that’s been happening as in like I was there with them. The author got the plot line up brilliantly, never a dull moment at all throughout reading the whole story. As we’ve been busy with some things that going on in this story, we’ve been served with wickedly delightful adventures from the games and that haunted mansion, as well as family & relationships issues / drama, even some great twist towards the end. Lovely ending as well and I felt full in such a great way the moment it (this story) ends. Truly satisfying read. She even has executed all the tropes exquisitely in this book within the whole story. The tropes in this dark fantasy includes :-

🖤 forced proximity
🖤 forbidden romance
🖤 gothic + horror mansion
🖤 who did this to you
🖤 paranormal beings - phantom x necromancer
🖤 trials inspired by the nine circle of hell
🖤 morally grey love interest

Love all the characters too, especially our FMC & MMC - the first moment those two met, I was kicking my feet, gasping and knowing in my heart that he’s the one. Indeed Blackwell got the book boyfriend spot right away. I can’t help but imagining him looking like shorter & leaner version of Rowan Whitethorn based from the description of him in this book, and lord knows how I love Rowan haha. I love the pairing of both Blackwell (mmc) & Ophelia (fmc) as I can feel their connection, and love their humorous banter as much as addictive to their partnership. Each characters got their own strengths and love that for them.

Overall, I truly enjoyed both audiobook & ebook form of this Phantasma, and totally recommend it in any form you guys can get! Grateful that I got the arc for both form, and will definitely want the physical book as trophy too since this book is amazing, truly loves it! From my whole reading & listening, my brain can happily conjure a movie like for the whole story, and it definitely are epic! I hope I can watch it into real movie some day! Thank you so much for both arc and will looking forward to read more books from the same author as well as the same narrator! 👏🏻👏🏻👏🏻🖤🖤🖤

This is easily a top read for me this year.

I sailed through this so quickly! Ticked all my romantasy boxes. The gothic, spooky-vibes were great, the spice, the games, the supernatural beings, and Blackwell. Blackwell, Blackwell, BLACKWELL! This is the perfect spooky season read. I really had a good time reading this, and I love when a book makes me feel that way.

thank you net galley and the publisher for giving me access to this arc

just wow. this book truly ticked everything off my list. romance, fantasy, hot ghost mc, cute cat that’s always following the fmc around.

the representation of OCD in this book was truly done is such a beautiful way and it is important to the book. it’s not something that the author threw in there just to have it there.

please please please read if you were into danny phantom when you were younger, because that’s all i could think of when i thought of blackwell.

also, does anyone know where i can get my own blackwell?

The perfect autumn read. It's dark and spooky and romantic. The romance felt stronger than the fantasy elements, usually I like it better the other way around but despite that I really enjoyed this one!