Gothic fantasy with a necromancer MC who also struggles with OCD and intrusive thoughts? I mean, how could I NOT love it?!

Spoiler alert--I did, in fact, love it.

The way Ophelia's OCD/intrusive thoughts was handled was just...A+. The journey she takes to come to terms with and accept her "inner voice" as part of her is just absolutely incredibly done. She's not treated as someone who needs to be "cured" or treated differently, and her journey of self-acceptance was amazing.

The trials based on different cardinal sins/layers of hell was SUCH a cool take on trials, and I loved how different they were. My only complaint is that they were too short (I wanted SO MUCH more of them because of how interesting they are). But then this book would have been 1600 pages, and I'm probably the only person who would have wanted that. The stakes started high, got higher, and ended with a bang--just as any good trials based story should be.

I did see the ending coming a million miles away, but it definitely didn't take away from the journey to get there. And it wasn't so obviously done that I was screaming at Ophelia to get it together/figure things out--she definitely had a lot on her plate, and I can't blame her for not thinking ahead that far with her life on the line every single second.

Her sister, Genevive, was....fine....as a character. Given that she's the reason Ophelia enters Phantasma in the first place, I feel like scenes with her should have carried more weight than they did--she feels like a plot device more than a character. But I also don't think it really impacts the story, and I didn't really care about it/think of it until after I had finished and was contemplating her character. I'd love a novella or follow-up of what Genevive was doing while Ophelia was trying to survive Phantasma!

And Blackwell....well. A+. Great phantom, no notes. No spoilers here, but he's definitely a worthy demony MMC.

If you're a fan of Keri Lake, you'll definitely like this one! I can't wait to read more from Kaylie!

💀ARC REVIEW💀

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
Gothic Paranormal Romance

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
Releases: September 3rd

💀THOUGHTS💀
Honestly, I was already in love with this when I heard that it was Caraval but dark and gothic. The world and atmosphere was creepy, spooky and mysterious. I thought all of the main characters were pretty fleshed out. Each had their own internal struggles.

I loved everyone. Ophelia and Blackwell were amazing together! Even though I saw the twist at the end, I still absolutely loved it. As the eldest sister in my own family and someone who struggles with their own "Shadow Voice", I related to Ophelia a lot. I think the author did an incredible job of showing what it's like to have burdens from both places on your shoulders, while also acknowledging that it IS okay to ask for help.

I was so worried that Genevieve wouldn't be the little sister I wanted her to be! I was so mad and frustrated with her at the beginning of the book, but by the time they are reunited I'm in love with her and can understand why she did what she did.

This book brought out SO many feelings and I love it. I can't wait to read more of Kaylie's books🖤

Thank you so much @netgalley and @kaylsmoon for the eARC!

💀FAVORITE QUOTES💀
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.

“Besides, if all of my inner demons were destroyed, there wouldn’t be much left of me.”

“In a different life, in a fair one, I would’ve kept you until my eternal soul withered away to dust.”

-
#phantasma #kayliesmith #netgalley #netgalleyreview #bookreview #arcread #arcreview #gothicromantasy #gothicromance #gothic #paranormalreads #paranormalromance #spicybooksofinstagram #spicybooks

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.

This was such a fun read!! I am a complete sucker for books related to Hell & devils, and Phantasma is no exception. I had no idea Ophelia’s trials would be based on sins when I read the description, so between the gothic vibes and that wonderful surprise, this was one of my favorite reads of the summer even though it made me feel like I was in the midst of spooky season 🖤 I think this is actually the perfect book to kick off your fall/spooky TBR because the gothic vibes are spot on!

I really enjoyed the writing, the romance, the banter - but most of all, I am endlessly grateful for the representation of OCD in this story. There are two people in my life who I love dearly, and a few kids I worked with when I was a therapist, who experience these symptoms of OCD, and I know their minds can be such a lonely, scary place to be at times. And I know the representation in this book is probably a quarter of this authors true experience/thought content, and for that I’d like to just say - I see you 🖤 Thank you for including this representation - for those who may feel less alone after reading, and those that might need a little education on what OCD can look like.

This really is the perfect spooky read for Autumn/Halloween!!!
First of all I really liked the concept similar to Caraval but in a very spooky and gore way. The gothic vibes were unmatched and I was very pleasantly surprised to read some very descriptive gore scenes (be aware). Concerning the romance it was great maybe a bit too much smut for my personal liking, I like when the smut is here for a greater purpose than just to add smut but it’s a dark romance so it’s not surprising. The plot twist was to be expected but it still thrilled me to see.
Overall it really is the perfect Halloween reading if you loved Caraval and want to get spooked !

This was FANTASTIC- perfect spooky season read!

Phantasma was an absolutely addicting story! After losing her mother our FMC Ophelia inherits her necromancy powers and a special locket she can never take off. The family unfortunately also inherits her mother's debt and Ophelia's sister runs away to a legendary game called Phantasma with hopes of winning to free their family.

Ophelia follows her to it and enters herself to stop her sister from making a huge mistake. People who enter don't always come back out, and those who do are never the same. There are very few rules in Phantasma, the biggest being don't fall in love. In Phantasma, the competitor has to go through trials based on the 9 layers of hell, while facing all manner of deadly sins. But the prize being a wish granted from the prince of devils makes it all worth it.

It has a bit of the same ambiance as Kingdom of the Feared (not wicked) and a bunch of spice. It's dark and gruesome with a sizzling romance I couldn't get enough of!

I binged Phantasma and loved every moment! It’s the perfect spooky, gothic, dark fantasy to dive into this fall. And it’s spicy 🌶️🌶️🌶️. Did I mention the ghost cat? The FMC has OCD and the terrorizing reality of living with it every day is portrayed so well. I loved Ophelia and Blackwell’s sizzling and at times heartbreaking story so much. I’m hoping we get more stories in this world!

I knew from the first page that this book was going to be special. If I could give more than 5 stars I would. The plot was so detailed and perfectly written out. I didn’t even see the plot twist coming!

The hunger games meets rose red meets supernatural and make it spicy.

It’s spicy and gory, but so fast paced it will keep you on the edge of your seat. The mental health rep (OCD) in this story is one of the best I have ever read. Ophelia overcomes many obstacles, physical, mental, and emotional, to reach her HEA. The premise of Phantasma is that the contestant has to overcome their biggest fears, and we learn that Ophelia has many to choose from on her journey.

The banter between the MCs is 🔥🔥🔥. I literally LOLed multiple times, causing strange looks from my family. But that didn’t stop me from squealing and kicking my feet like a little girl when these two finally gave in to the chemistry.

The MMC has ruined me for all fictional men. Morally grey, light hair, with a wicked mouth who hates everyone but her.

If you love spicy paranormal romance, with a splash of trials, overcoming, and haunted house, you’ll love this one!

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

Dark, bloody, and sexy, this book had me in a chokehold! That first scene gripped me hard and never let go, not that I wanted it to.

What I loved:
Characters – Phantasma follows Ophelia, our witty and strong-willed necromancer FMC, as she enters a deadly contest to try and save her sister. I loved the anxiety and OCD representation and how it wasn’t something just thrown in there, it was a very important part of Ophelia’s character. The author handled the topic realistically and with care. Ophelia was an easy character to connect with and I found her to be incredibly relatable. The mysterious MMC Blackwell was everything I could have asked for. How could anyone not want to make a blood bargain with that sexy ghost man? He’s charming and his witty banter with Ophelia was so good. Not to mention the Danny Phantom vibes? He’s definitely going on my list of lovable shadowy book boyfriends. The relationship wasn’t slow burn, but it did have a delicious tension at the beginning that made their coming together so satisfying. I loved every single one of their interactions. Especially the spicy ones and boy were there plenty of those! I didn’t care much about the other contestants, except one and I was not sad to see them get what they deserved. The other devilish characters were fun and added a lot of entertaining banter.

Setting – Kaylie Smith nailed the creepy haunted mansion atmosphere. There were some gruesome and terrifying haunts. I loved how the house preys on the competitors fears and makes them confront their worst nightmares. The descriptions make you feel immersed in the world. There's always some sort of constant danger which adds to the underlying eeriness.

What didn’t work for me:
Plot – While I enjoyed how fast paced the story was, I felt like the plot got a bit lost in the sauce. By the halfway point I’d basically forgotten why Ophelia was in Phantasma to begin with. She was supposed to be searching for her sister and other things, but it felt like she would get sidetracked every five seconds. Much of the plot was also predictable. I didn’t mind this as much because the magic, worldbuilding and paranormal aspect were so interesting. As far as the competition goes, I wish there had been more to the challenges. They were over with rather quickly and left much to be desired. What we did see of the nine challenges was fun and bloody, I loved how each one revolved around one of the nine circles of Hell.

Overall, I had a blast with this dark romantasy and I can’t wait to see what Kaylie Smith has in store for us next!

Thank you so much to Forever for providing an eARC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I'm a huge fan of the Romantasy genre, so when I saw this on Netgalley and read the description I just had to request! It checks all my favorite boxes, and I’m thrilled to say it didn't disappoint! it’s an absolute must-read for fall and Halloween and is easily my top pick of the year so far. Usually, the details of a book slip my mind right after I finish it, but I know this is one I'll remember for a long time! I will definitely reread this one too!

The plot centers on Ophelia, who must navigate Phantasma, a contest, to gain a wish to find her missing sister. During the trials, she meets Blackwell, a resident of the mansion who offers a deal to help her through. The chemistry between the characters, especially between Ophelia and Blackwell, is fantastic and adds so much depth to the story.

The world-building, banter and spice made this an addicting read! I just love it and will be recommending it to others and sharing on my instagram for release week!

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky and Forever publishing for the opportunity to read this ARC!

What do you mean it's over?? This book was amazing. The ambiance, the banter, the perils, the romance! The SPICE?! Are you kidding me. I am unwell. Everything about this book is superb. It's got all the spooky vibes of crimson peak plus spice that makes you want to kick your feet and squeal in delight. Blackwell is a swoon worth main male character and Ophelia is an amazing counter part. I loved how they spoke to one another, barbs laced with affection. I loved the magic system, the lore and the trials based on sins. The plot twist at the end had me completely blindsided. My only complaint is that there wasn't more to read.

Thank you to the author and netgalley for the gifted copy in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to Net Galley and Second Sky for the ARC. I really liked the concept but I was too annoyed by the sister and the love interest and also I really did not like the romance.

Hot ghosts
dark adult fantasy
trails and competition

This is a great spooky read and would be fun to read in October!

Overall I mostly enjoyed this paranormal romance novel. The concept and plot were great, but I think the execution could have been improved. I really enjoyed the characters, particularly the banter between them and their character development. I also loved the huge plot twist and absolutely did not see it coming (but in hindsight I probably should have). However, I thought the different trials in Phantasma were brushed over compared to the rest of the plot, leading to poor pacing of the book.

I loved the banter and conversation between characters, but one minor issue I had was the major overuse of the word “quipped”.

I also thought Ophelia’s motivation to enter Phantasma because of her sister Genevieve was implausible since she knew they wouldn’t cross paths until round eight (allowing plenty of time for Genevieve to either die or forfeit before then) and since she was not even completely sure that Genevieve entered Phantasma in the first place.

Additionally, I thought the romance between Ophelia and Blackwell was confusing and I was never sure if they were actually in love.

Ultimately, an entertaining paranormal romance, with less-than-perfect pacing and writing, but an intriguing plot.

If you are looking for a dark fantasy, hot ghosts, gothic ballgowns, haunting romance, bloody trials, Phantasma is for you!

This is a romantasy, but with paranormal beings (ghosts, spectres, gouls, devils), set in the magic city of New Orleans.
We follow Ophelia, a badass necromancer FMC, forced to engage herself in a kind of paranormal "hunger games", happening in an haunting mansion, to save her sister. The house is full of twisted games, dark secrets, hauntings, other competitors and 9 challenges Ophelia will need to go through,

The hot and sexy MMC, Blackwell, is a special resident of the mansion, and Ophelia and him will have to team together, for various reasons. Obvisouly, a hopeless romance will settle between them, slow burn mode, but I enjoyed it because it brought sweetness to the story....and smut! The banter was great, Ophelia has quite a mouth!

The writing of Kaylie Smith is fluid, not redondant. She suceeded in bringing the topics of obsessive compulsive disorders in a delicate way, and it was interesting to see how Ophelia dealt with it. This is a subject I do not read often.

And finally, special mention to Poe, the ghost cat!

Adult fantasy. Magic, necromancer, a competition for your greatest desire or instead mught kill you, ghosts and devils, romance and quite a bit more, are found in a fast paced story. If you liked Caraval, and you also like some horror (not too explicit), then I’m sure like me you will enjoy Phantasma too. Thank you to Second Sky/Forever and NetGalley for the ARC. The views expressed are all mine, freely given.

DNF at 10%


I was SO excited to read this book. Everything about the premise sounded right up my alley. But once I started reading, I unfortunately just couldn’t get into the story. I never really felt connected to the characters, which is a big thing for me. Also, I don’t love the dialogue—at times, the way the characters spoke just didn’t feel natural to me.

It’s important to note that I attempted to read an ARC, so the things I didn’t like may improve in the final version. Regardless, I’m sure this dark romantasy will find its audience once it’s published. (And I seem to be in the minority in terms of not enjoying this book, which is a good sign for those who are interested in reading this novel.)


Thank you to NetGalley for the opportunity to read this book.

This book is my top book of the year so far! I am someone who normally does not remember what I read as soon as I close the book but with this book, I can tell someone the whole plot still...and it's been a couple weeks since I read it. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a contest with 9 trials, to try to get a wish to rescue her sister who has gone missing. While at the trials she meets Blackwell, a resident of the mansion, who wants to make a bargain with her to help her survive. The world building is amazing and as someone who struggles with visualizing books in their head, I felt like I was in the mansion and the trials. Kaylie does fantastic at being detailed during world build and not being monotonous. There is also amazing OCD representation, and it is done so well. I can't wait until this book is released and all my friends can read it.

**ARC REVIEW**

Phantasma was a wonderfully executed paranormal, mysterious romance. I found the imagery to be haunting and alluring, always making me want more.
Our main characters Ophelia and Blackwell meet before Phantasma begins and you feel their chemistry right away. It was interesting to see that something was different about Ophelia, separating her from the other contestants that entered Phantasma. I loved her strong and determined personality, especially when it comes to the people she loves. Blackwell was different than I was expecting. I loved him, how sweet he was to Ophelia. (not to mention the mouth on that man). I was intrigued by him, his story and his past, the reason he found himself in such a bad situation. I loved the chemistry and connection between him and Ophelia, and how you could tell it was something so different for the both of them. The romance in Phantasma was amazing and such an added bonus. The plot of this story really moved on its own and I found myself always wondering what was going to happen next.

THE PLOT TWIST AT THE END??? I was genuinely shocked and was not expecting it at all. Although, once explained, it made so much sense. The last couple chapters had me crying a little if I’m being honest. I definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves spooky romances. I kinda feel like it’s a paranormal Hunger Games almost.

Thank you so much to Net Galley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!!

Happy reading!!

This book was amazing!! I loved the female and male main character. It was like a perfect spooky mix between acotar and caraval but with its own twist. if you like gothic romantasy, this it the way to go!