This book was such a cool concept that left you totally in the dark about what each trial was going to hold. Each level of hell had so many interpretations and so many ways it could have played out.
I wish we had gotten to see a bit more of each level and the fears everyone had to give up to enter into the challenge but what we did get to see was very well executed.
I’ve loved her YA writing and that stands true to her NA writing. Just enough smut with a thriller/horror plot to have me eating it up.

Short Synopsis:
Ophelia enters Phantasma - a deadly contest inside a haunted house - to save her sister and her family home. She’s faces challenge after challenge with the help of Blackwell, a phantom and a deal they’ve struck.

My Thoughts:
The premise is super fun - definitely heavy Caraval vibes with paranormal romance and totally my kinda vibes. It’s perfect for fall spooky vibes.

As a big fantasy reader, I was hoping for more character development and rich backstory + world building though. Instead we got a lot of unnecessary spice. And some of the choices the characters made had me making this face: 🥴

The narrator, Laura Horowitz, was phenomenal though. I’ve been following her for awhile as she posts funny reels, and she killed it.

What You’ll Find:
🥀 Caraval meets Rhaspodic vibes
🥀Forbidden love
🥀Forced proximity
🥀Phantom/Necromancer
🥀Haunted House
🥀Gothic fantasy
🥀OCD rep

Thanks to Second Sky Books for the advance copy of this book!

PHANTASMA is a dark fantasy romance with a gothic mansion, forbidden romance with a morally grey MMC, necromancy, ghosts, bargains, OCD representation, and trials based on the nine circles of hell. Note that it's dark FANTASY and not dark ROMANCE, so there are some horror elements strewn throughout related to the magic system and trials. A lot of these elements are very much favorites of mine and this book reminded me a lot of CARAVAL x RHAPSODIC. That being said, I did think this was lacking quite a bit of depth. I really didn't feel the connection between Ophelia and Blackwell and thought there was too much of a reliance on spice, making this more of a "fine" read for me.

4.75 ⭐️s. I am so grateful to have gotten both the e-arc and advanced listener copies of Phantasma. This gave me Kingdom of the Wicked vibes, and I was absolutely here for it.

I’ve seen TikTok’s of @laura_horowitz_narrator and was so excited to have my first audiobook with her narrating. It was amazing to say the least. I immediately purchased Worthy of Fate because she narrated it also.

Ophelia’s mother has died, and now she must take over the family business as a necromancer. When her sister goes missing, she must put the Grimm house and the horrible debt behind to find her. She learns that her sister has entered Phantasma. Ophelia must now enter the deadly contest for the one wish she must have granted. Save her sister. In order to win Phantasma, she must make a bargain. Blackwell is a phantom and claims he can help her but Ophelia must give something in return. 10 years of her life. She shouldn’t trust him but there’s something that keeps drawing her to him. Read to find out if Ophelia finds her sister, discover more about Blackwell, and whether or not she lives through Phantasma.

Thank you to @netgalley @kaylsmoon @bookouture @secondskybooks for the advanced listener and reader copy of Phantasma.
#netgalley #phantasma #kayliesmithauthor #audiobook #advancedreaderscopy #advancedlistenercopy #bookstagram

"Every single second I've spent with you has reminded me what it's like to be alive. And I would trade every other soul in the world if it meant I would get to keep you forever."

This book was kind of like Caraval but paranormal and dark (and more enjoyable...) 🎪

It managed to stay fun and interesting all throughout the trials (or levels), which in themselves were really creative. The other contestants and devils played their part and had their own personalities so nothing felt like it was added just for the plot.

The smut was super good 🙌 and the jealousy too ☺️ I liked their relationship and how it evolved, it almost makes you forget it all happens in like two weeks (I still found it a bit too intense and unrealistic sometimes but oh well)

Finally a last word for the OCD representation which felt incredibly real. I don't suffer from it myself but from reading the author's note I deeply feel for anyone who does. It made Ophelia's character so much stronger and helps the reader understand her imo

[Review posted on Goodreads and a short one on Instagram]

Phantasma will trap you inside its twisted walls and a manor full of secrets, where bargains with the devil might be the only way to survive. A necromancer joins a deadly competition to save her sister, where the rules are clear:

“Welcome to Phantasma. There are only two rules to the game: Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.”

This is one of the first books by Kaylie Smith that I’ve read, and the story was captivating, with lovable characters, especially Blackwell, the charming, egotistical, unapologetically flirty, and sarcastic man.

“He grasped her face in his hands: ‘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.” This line made me want to cry in a corner.

Ophelia Grimm confronts both the seen and the unseen, unraveling secrets about her family. Her character development is strong, sassy, funny, and determined to save her sister.

Ophie & Vivi - I adored them. Two sisters: one who pushed too hard, and one who had gone unnoticed. Their bond is unbreakable, each trying to save the other.

Blackwell & Ophelia - their dynamic is incredible. They reminded me of grumpy -sunshine couples, often at each other's throats yet always drawn to each other

“I don’t believe in coincidences. You claim you weren’t supposed to be out that night. But you were. And you found me.”

If you enjoy dark fantasy romance, forbidden love, forced proximity, phantom x necromancer dynamics, trials inspired by the nine circles of hell, and haunted/gothic mansions, this book is for you.

PHANTASMA by Kaylie Smith

“Soft hearts don’t survive here.” “What kind of hearts do?” He leaned down until their eyes were level. “Hearts with teeth.”

Ophelia enters Phantasma , a deadly contest within a haunted mansion, to save her sister, but as she faces nine lethal challenges, she must navigate both the treacherous game and a dangerously tempting alliance with a mysterious phantom.

Kaylie Smith’s adult debut novel offers a thrilling dive into the darkly enchanting world of Phantasma , where every twist of a corridor could lead to either salvation or doom. Set against the backdrop of a gothic, horror-filled manor, the story immerses readers in a realm where danger and desire are intricately woven together.
From the very beginning, the book captures the imagination with its richly crafted environment— Phantasma is a labyrinthine mansion filled with lavish ballrooms, eerie creatures, and an ever-present sense of dread. The setting is not merely a backdrop but a character in its own right, evoking the haunting elegance of classic gothic novels and films.
The tension between the sisters, Ophelia and Genevieve, adds an emotional depth to the narrative. Their relationship, marked by secrets and misguided attempts at protection, is as compelling as the deadly game they are ensnared in. Smith masterfully explores the complex dynamics of sibling love and sacrifice, making their choices resonate long after the final page.
Romance is a key element of the novel, and the chemistry between Ophelia and the enigmatic Blackwell is both electric and perilous. Their interactions are charged with a tantalizing mix of attraction and distrust, elevating the stakes as Ophelia navigates the treacherous trials ahead. The intimate moments are handled with care, adding spice without overshadowing the story’s darker themes.
One of the standout aspects of Phantasma is its inventive magic system, which feels fresh and original. Although there were moments where more detailed explanations about the creatures would have been welcome, the mystery surrounding them only adds to the intrigue. The trials that Ophelia faces, each representing a different circle of Hell, are particularly well-conceived, providing a structured yet unpredictable progression that keeps the reader hooked.
Smith also deserves praise for her sensitive portrayal of OCD and intrusive thoughts, which are seamlessly integrated into Ophelia’s character. This representation adds a layer of authenticity and relatability to the story, making Ophelia’s journey all the more poignant.
The plot twist near the end is a masterstroke, carefully foreshadowed but still surprising enough to leave a lasting impact. It’s one of those moments that makes you want to revisit earlier chapters to catch the subtle hints you might have missed.
Ultimately, I would describe Phantasma as Caraval on steroids with a side of hellish delightfulness. It’s a solid entry in the adult romantasy genre, offering both heart-pounding action and emotional depth. I’ll be eagerly watching to see what Kaylie Smith delivers next.


Instagram: @librisinetenebris

Rating: 4.75 stars
Spice: 🌶️🌶️🌶️

Tropes:
🕯️Forced proximity
🕯️Forbidden romance
🕯️Ghost/Necromancer
🕯️Mutual pining
🕯️Cinnamon roll MMC for his FMC
🕯️“Who did this to you?”
🕯️“Touch him/her and die”
🕯️Trials/Battle Royale
🕯️Haunted Mansion
🕯️Gothic New Orleans
🕯️Disability (OCD) representation

“To those who’ve had to claw their way out of the dark and still choose to be a light in this world—I’m proud of you.”

Y’all. This BOOK. This is everything I wanted Quicksilver to be—not that there’s anything wrong with that book, but the hype was just insane and it left me so disappointed. This book just hits. It’s like a cross between The Temptation of Magic (also a great book), Hunger Games, and A Court of Thorns and Roses, and yet it manages to be entirely its own thing. This is gonna stay with me for a minute.

We find Ophelia Grimm the night she finds her mother mysteriously dead on their living room floor in their gothic mansion in New Orleans. She’s always known she would one day have to inherit the necromancer magic that flows through the Grimm family line when her mother passed, but she hadn’t planned on it being so soon. Still, she does her duty and accepts the magic, turning her “cerulean-blue” eyes so ice-blue they are almost colorless. She also inherits, to her shock, a heap of debts her mother hadn’t told her about. To try and save their family home, Ophelia’s younger sister, Genevieve, decides to enlist herself in a trial competition called Phantasma, because the winner is granted any boon by the Prince of Devils. Ophelia chases after her sister and enlists in the same competition, planning to try and convince Genevieve to leave with her, but they’re put into separate groups and cannot meet until after they survive the seventh trial. Whilst there, Ophelia repeatedly finds herself bumping into a phantom called Blackwell, a mysterious person not enslaved by the mansion and yet not free to leave it either. They strike a deal: Blackwell will help her survive and win the trials, if Ophelia will help free him from Phantasma. If she fails, Blackwell will instead steal ten years from her lifespan.

On the surface, this book already had a lot going for it in my opinion. Gothic horror vibes, Old New Orleans, battle royale, disability representation? It sounded awesome. And it completely lives up to that expectation.

The thing was, she didn’t need Blackwell to always be her savior, but it was beginning to dawn on her that he had become her safe haven—someone who made the Shadow Voice go silent whenever he was around. And despite her injuries, and the fact that she was about to be incinerated, she didn’t want him to come save her in this moment. She wanted him to come make sure the Shadow Voice didn’t get away.

Ophelia is the kind of heroine I love reading about. I’m so sick of the badass-with-a-bad-attitude stabby FMCs that have flooded this genre lately. But even if Ophelia isn’t that, she’s also not weak or passive, or different because she’s ~not like other girls~. She’s already used to fighting her own battles every damn day against the horror of true OCD, so when she enters the mansion of Phantasma, she’s almost not sure what are figments of her own imagination and what are real terrors dragged up by the game. She’s lonely, isolated by her mother’s upbringing and her own inherent desire to hide her differences, but she’s not desperate for companionship. She’s funny and smart, and grows to be so damn strong that you can’t help rooting for her.

“In all the darkness, in all the loneliness, you have been my one source of light. My soul will go its grave with your name echoing in my mind.”

Blackwell is just about the best of every book boyfriend rolled into one. He’s funny, he’s full of himself, he’s completely enamored with Ophelia. He’s got his own tragic backstory to work through, but as the book progresses, he becomes more focused on making sure Ophelia and her sister survive even if it costs him his freedom.

“He and Blackwell are sworn enemies.”
“And you kissed them both? I would’ve never pegged you for such a drama queen, Ophie. Though, I sort of get it, the jealousy thing is even hotter than the men. Honestly, I’ve never been prouder.”

Genevieve is a fucking riot. I loved every scene with her in it. She’s the perfect supportive-but-won’t-take-your-shit younger sister, and she’s so real for that. Her relationship with Ophelia is beautiful.

The banter between Blackwell and Ophelia is always spot on, it never crosses that line into annoying or repetitive or juvenile that some romantasy books these days fail to toe. The spicy scenes, while not very numerous or particularly spicy, also thankfully never fall into cringe territory. The trials, even though there are nine of them, each modeled after the Nine Circles of Hell, don’t really ever get repetitive or drawn-out. Each are quite short, and yet the stakes just keep ratcheting up with each one. The downtime between each one was well-appreciated and felt well-earned for the characters, though sometimes dragged the pace a touch.

Issues with the story, after all these glowing commendations? Really, none. How often do I say that?? Sure, I still have no idea when/what world this story is really supposed to be taking place in. We know it’s sort of gothic New Orleans, there’s mentions of the women wearing long dresses and corsets, and carriages; but then there’s also talk of cars, V-necks plunging past belly buttons, and women with explicit sexual freedom. So it falls very much into a sort of ACOTAR-type world, where it’s loosely based on old New Orleans, but also just not. We’re left to fill in that blank on our own, but it’s such a minor thing when the rest of the world feels fairly well fleshed out. And yeah, one of the villains Cade was a bit juvenile in that he seemed to loathe Ophelia from the get-go with almost no reason, but again, could be forgive given the genres. Same goes for the speed at which our MCs fall in love. It’s not insta-love by any means, but one week? Meh. I’ll allow it. The great writing made it believable. The “twist” at the end was very easily predictable, but was executed in such a wonderful way that I don’t even care.

So yeah. Excellent, excellent book. I had a great time devouring this one in about three hours. I’m just left wanting so much more, I’m not ready to be done with these characters!!!

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever for providing me this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

This was a 19th century death game delight. The creepy gothic atmosphere was immaculate. It's so hard to hit that sweet spot of spooky and gorey with romance for me and this book was *perfect*.

Ophelia was a great female lead who didn't pretend she could handle everything by herself but was very capable of handling ALOT by herself and I admired her for that. The OCD was very relatable as well and I loved how it was written throughout the story. And she's TALL. And cold. Her attitude with the other contestants was my favourite. Someone died? Not her problem. Her wit and sarcasm know no bounds. Love her.

And Blackwell? What a beautiful witty gentleman. The white hair, emerald eyes and green dress suit combo is *chef's kiss*. And he comes with Poe, the ghost cat. Perfect.

The romance has all the green flags and witty banter with the best sexual tension, oof.

I would have loved to see more of the challenges and other contestants inside and out of them! Everyone's conclusion to the competition would have had more impact. And a chapter or two from Genevieve's pov would have been amazing.

The ending was a little predictable but wonderful and I am absolutely buying this book when it releases!!

DNF 10% in.

Thank you to Second Sky and Netgalley for providing me with an ARC and ALC.

I was intrigued by this one as I adore dark romantasy books but this one didn’t work for me. It was reading really young to me and I kept thinking the FMC was a teenager when she was 23 and when I know this book has spice it was going to be weird for me. The magic system was so vague already and while sometimes I like to not know completely what is happening I need to be engaged in the story some other way and that wasn’t happening. It was too slow while not giving me anything I got interested in. I then looked at some reviews to see if I should push through a bit more and learned it was instalust as well which when I can’t stop thinking these characters are teenagers isn’t going to go well. Overall for me it read young and it didn’t work for me.

Mini Book Review
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

Tropes and Thoughts
📚New to me author
📚Paranormal romance
📚Deal with the devil
📚Horror house- each level a deadly sin becomes realized- each time a game or riddle must be solved to Move forward - this was brilliantly done! Reminded me of Hell raiser
📚Curse/ Family secrets
📚Death/ Fear are powerful motivators
📚Survival comes at a price
📚Hunger games horror meets reality TV
💜Loved the twist at the end, I saw it coming but I like how the author played it out
💜 loved all the secondary characters- shades, demons, ghouls etc- they each had a role to play within the house and their personalities matched their Sin perfectly


Overall
Highly binge able faced paced freaky fun!!

Thanks to @netgalley and @readforeverpub @secondsky for my digital copy in return for an honest review. Opinions expressed are my own.

3.25 stars

Fair warning, this review is really nitpicky. This is just who I am in my soul, a nitpicker. I pick nits, which is kind of gross when you think about it.

"A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists"

I haven't read Caraval, but this is nothing like ACOTAR. The romance is only semi steamy, like a fine mist of steam. The OCD rep was nice to see. It wasn't perfect for me, but I'm not going to pick that nit. My jaw didn't really drop unless you count being aghast at the ridiculous overuse (and often incorrect or technically correct but no one fucking uses it like that use) of the word insidious.

Ophelia is a necromancer from a family of necromancers. Well, she's not really a necromancer until she inherits her mother's powers, she doesn't actually do any necromancy in this book. She is able to see spirits and interact with them and a few other parlour tricks, but this book was not heavy on the necromancy.

She ends up entering some kind of game wherein there are a whole bunch of people at the start and they are slowly eliminated until just one is left to win. It's meant to be dark, and the theme is indeed dark, but it isn't terribly gory or scary or anything. I hate gore and horror and didn't bat an eye at this book. It's really mild and tame, so if you're stoked for some kind of jump scare horror situation, look elsewhere.

In the game she meets a phantom who is her romantic interest. I found the romance to be a bit meh.

The story was good enough if a bit predictable and kind of monotonous in terms of the vibe if that makes any sense. It was kind of delivered in sepia tones for me. I didn't hate reading it aside from the 21 uses of insidious.

Here are my assorted, and mostly quite petty, kvetchings (please keep in mind this is an ARC so shit can change):

"The scent of iron and salt was pungent."
Salt doesn't have a smell.

"Closing her eyes, Ophelia whispered the words of the spell she had recited every night like an unholy prayer since she had learned to speak."
Oh? Since she had learned to speak? Since she had learned to say mama? I know it's stupid but it irritates me.

"A moment later, the locket pulsed again, syncopating to the thrum within her own chest."
syn·co·pate
/ˈsiNGkəˌpāt/
verb
verb: syncopate; 3rd person present: syncopates; past tense: syncopated; past participle: syncopated; gerund or present participle: syncopating
1.
displace the beats or accents in (music or a rhythm) so that strong beats become weak and vice versa.
"soloists maintain the absolute freedom to syncopate the rhythm or break free from the beat entirely"
2.
shorten (a word) by dropping sounds or letters in the middle, as in symbology for symbolology, or Gloster for Gloucester.

Synchronizing.

"The simple cream dress their mother had been wearing the night before was long gone, now replaced with an intricate black chiffon gown that made their mother's already fair complexion look even more pallid."

That is once sentence. You don't need to say their mother twice. No one is going to be confused here.

"'Where did you meet them?' Ophelia pressed.
Genevieve's eyes slid to her sister with mirth. 'Nowhere insidious, if that's what you're wondering.'"

I am tempted to copy/paste like 10 different dictionary definitions of insidious. I cannot stress enough how much irritation this word has caused me. I was surprised to note that a few of the sources indicate that insidious can mean "intended to entrap or beguile; stealthily treacherous or deceitful; stealthy, subtle, cunning, or treacherous; awaiting a chance to entrap : treacherous; harmful but enticing : seductive; treacherous; crafty" Today, or rather a few days ago, I learned.

All of the definitions I came across listed insidious as meaning something (generally bad) that happens slowly and without notice.

There are 21 uses of insidious in this book. None of them are used in the most widely accepted definition. Most of them barely fit the far lesser used definitions. Generally speaking, in my opinion, you cannot use a word like insidious 21 fucking times in your book, sometimes twice on the same page. It's distracting. Using it just barely on the very edge of properly makes it worse. I've never seen insidious used like this before. I'm slightly torn because it's not 100% wrong, yet... I frowned at least 21 times reading this book specifically because of this single fucking word.

Similarly, I must bitch about the use of deadpan. While deadpan may be defined as:
dead·​pan ˈded-ˌpan
Synonyms of deadpan
: marked by an impassive matter-of-fact manner, style, or expression
a deadpan comedy

I have never seen it used simply to describe dialogue delivered with a straight face. Not funny dialogue. Just dialogue. Deadpan to me is a manner in which one would deliver a joke.

"'Would you like some? It looks like you might need it.'
'No,' she deadpanned."

"'My family has a debt against our home. I need money to pay it off.'
'I'm a Ghost,' he deadpanned. "I don't have access to mortal currencies.'" <-- this one sort of works, kind of.

"'Oh, bite me," she deadpanned."

"'It means that because you selected Bloodlust as your vice, you have to drink someone's blood and let them drink yours,' he deadpanned."

"'He was trying to kill you,' he deadpanned."

"'I can't say that I do,' Blackwell deadpanned."

"'My father is a spiteful man.'
'I'm sure,' she deadpanned."

Deadpanned was only used 7 times in this book, but it felt like it was used 100 times. Much like insidious, this is not a word you should use more than 3 times in a single book, in my most humble opinion.

"'Did you think taking her away was your only punishment? That part was much too easy to be any fun,' his father carped."

carp2
/kärp/
verb
past tense: carped; past participle: carped
complain or find fault continually about trivial matters.

He said it once, and it wasn't trivial ffs.

Anyways, I'm sure a lot of people will like this. My enjoyment, however, was insidiously hampered, she deadpanned.

Wow wow wow!!! This book was incredible! 5 stars!

The main character was so relatable, I loved her spunk! And anyone who understands obsessive thoughts and compulsions will feel so seen.

The male main character was scrumptious! Totally melted. And the trials were so unique and interesting. The plot had some major twists and kept me on the edge, for sure. I love this book! Recommending it to everyone!

Phantasma is a storyline I haven’t come across before.

Haunted house + trials + family secrets + paranormal + magic + romance = a moderately paced book that is easy to get into. Even if that all sounds like a lot going on, Kaylie Smith blends it all together.

Ophelia is a likable FMC and Blackwell a very desirable love interest.

Phantasma ends clean without a cliffhanger so I will assume it will be a standalone book.

🌶️🌶️Low to moderate spice
🔪🔪🔪Moderate gore
🌎Limited world building as the majority of Phantasma is within the Phantasma house

It is written in present tense.
I would have given 5 stars if the suspense scenes were more suspenseful and for longer time periods. The trials and haunts all wrapped up pretty quick.

This fed my gothic romance craving to the extreme! It was dark, fun and just the right amount of spice. I'm thankful for getting the ARC because of this being a newer indie author, which made me a little bit nervous to read, but i am certainly glad i did! You knocked this out of the park Kaylie Smith!

Synopsis:

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion full of demons & temptations, and claim its prize—a single wish. Ophelia will face 9 challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals. Just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious and charming stranger, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is 10 years of her life. She shouldn't trust him but feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer. Her life is on the line.

Review:

I read this book in one sitting. I am not typically a fantasy reader but have been dipping my toes in the romantasy world with mixed results... but this book had me from the very first chapter with its' otherworldly characters and setting. The suspense as Ophelia went through the challenges as well as the development of the relationship between her and Blackwell kept me on the edge of my seat. There wasn't too much world building and we got straight into the story, which I think is one of the reasons this one was a win for me. Love, love, LOVED this book. Recommend to anyone who is interested in romantasy!

Thank you Forever for my digital ARC!

Ghostly Gothic Vibes ✔️ October in New Orleans ✔️ Magical Trials ✔️ Handsome Devils ✔️

Be prepared when entering the deadly Phantasma manor, you never know which devil you’ll make a deal with. Ophelia Grimm definitely wasn’t prepared for the trials and tribulations of Phantasma. The night before entering Phantasma, Ophelia’s mother passed away unexpectedly leaving everything to fall to her. Now the head Necromancer in New Orleans, Ophelia has to find her place between what her mother wanted for her and what she wants for herself. That is until Ophelia learns her sister entered Phantasma.. the game that offers the winner a granted wish from the Prince of the Devils. Once you enter Phantasma, the games begin.. but remember the cardinal rule: Never fall in love during Phantasma.

I enjoyed my time reading this so much that I never wanted it to end. The vibes were immaculate for the fall with the Ghost, Gothic manors, and eeriness of New Orleans. I really recommend reading this in October. Phantasma has everything you’d want for the perfect fall/spooky vibes.

There was OCD and Anxiety representation from our FMC. The portrayal was spot on, especially after reading the Authors Note at the end. As someone who has chronic anxiety and a mother with OCD, the representation made me feel seen and the FMC relatable. There were times it was hard reading her thoughts because they were so accurate.

The banter between Ophelia and our MMC had me giggling kicking my feet, it was so good!! The back and forth they constantly had made this read fly by so fast. The MMC gave Roman Kitt from Divine Rivals vibes but more devilish, the things that come out of this phantoms mouth!! 😮‍💨 The spice in the book wasn’t cringy as well and was added at the right times but not over done too. There was a cute cat companion, Poe, which was such an unexpected delight!

The trials were dark, gory, and everything you expect from a devil run game. If you read the Caraval series and wanted an adult version than this is it!! This is a great dark romance fantasy with all the fall vibes. I recommend checking this out even if you are slightly interested because you will be amazed!

Be warned though: Never fall in love during Phantasma

‼️CONTENT WARNINGS‼️
⚠️Mild spoilers⚠️
🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫🚫



About 75% into the book, Ophelia kisses another man because she doesn’t accept her feelings for the MMC. They didn’t go any further than touching but still unnecessary in my opinion. It added nothing to the story and made me disgusted reading that scene. I wish that scene never happened because it really did take away from my enjoyment of the book. The unnecessary drama really disappointed me because I was so into our FMC and MMC being together.. be warned if you don’t like this sort of thing in your reads..

Topes:
OCD/Anxiety rep
Magic
Who did this to you?
Paranormal beings
Deadly Trials

5.0
Gothic romance at its best. I’ve loved the creeping hauntedness of New Orleans ever since I read Interview with the Vampire. Love that this book was set in an alternate NOLA. Full of ghosts and other paranormal humans and non-humans.

Ophelia and her sister Genevieve lose their mother, get into a squabble, and enter a deadly concert in quick succession. But once Ophelia joins, the horrors are more than she expects and her intrusive thoughts do not help make it easier. She meets a ghost, Blackwell, and tries to make it through the 9 trials.

Ophelia is a complex character. She has a dee bond with her sister, but also feels the odd one out in her family. I liked how much she grew into her own person instead of the mold she felt her mother forced her into.

The romance is spicy but adds to the plot instead of replacing it. Without spoilers, it’s scorching hot at times. But all consensual and somehow sane.

Thanks to the author and Second Sky for the advance copy of this wonderful book.

I am not even sure how to give a review of this book as it made no sense to me. All I know is it is marketed as Caraval meets ACOTAR and maybe Hunger Games??? I don't know...I know I was intrigued with the main character being described as a character from the ACOTAR series, but I did not see that at all. And I apologize for this, but the MMC's name could have been better. Screaming "Blackwell" during a sex scene was so cringy. Speaking of the spicy times; those seemed so random. Don't mind the people trying to kill us, lets have sex and then deal with it. IDK, I definitely didn't "get" the plot.

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book.

Such a delightful fantasy read. Phantasma reminded me strongly of Caraval, adult version; enchanted place, family secrets, two different sisters, eerie atmosphere, illusions. With a little bit of bloody elements. The story takes place most of the time at the enchanted mansion, yet it’s not stifling. Witnessing trials based on the Nine circles of Hell while also searching for something else, it’s mid-spaced which helped with that sentiment. I liked the OCD representation, it was the first time I’ve read it depicted that way and it felt genuine. The writing style was compelling, it added to the eerie atmosphere and the magical aspect of Phantasma. I had a good time reading it and I’ll gladly read anything else the author comes up with.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.25 /5