God, I am never going to recover from this book; I just know that the book hangover to come is absolutely going to ruin me— like I am unwell; just thinking about good this is! I went to sleep after finishing it and I woke up thinking about Blackwell and the ending— please, please bury with this book because I fear, I am in love with the Devil/Phantom and I'm never going to shut up about it.

A gothic romantasy I'll take 14 of those, right now, because I'm addicted!

The first few chapters really had me feeling uncertain, because I wasn't quite sure if I was following the story, but I’m so glad that my curiosity got the better of me, because things started to pick up when Phantasma, a deadly game that plays on your worst fears, with the promise of your most desired wish coming true was introduced.

I can't even begin to put into words the roller coaster of this book; the tension, the twists and turns that literally had me holding my breath until the VERY last page— like I was so close to thinking that this wasn't going to be a HEA, and in fairness, I think how it ended was left quite open, so can only hope that there is another book to follow.

I really loved Ophelia, she started off being quite sheltered and meek, but she really came into herself once she entered Phantasma. The OCD and anxiety representation was phenomenal, for that alone, I'd give it all the stars.

Blackwell: he had no business being as funny as he was, especially with his charming arrogance and quick wit, when it came to Ophelia. Never would I have thought I'd be here obsessing over a ghost, but here we are. I'm not mad about it, because Casper the friendly ghost was always my favourite movie to watch growing up! I just knew that there was more to Blackwell than he let Ophelia believe, but never couldn’t quite put my finger on it, and I would have never of predicted just how connected he was to Phantasma. The tension between them both was so criminally good; I didn't want for it to end, and she brought him to his knees, literally and figuratively, god I am never going to recover from it, I swear.

I'd like to thank Second Sky/Forever, Net Galley and Kaylie Smith eternally for the e-ARC, this is my honest review.

Tropes

Forbidden romance
Forced proximity
Mental illness rep (Anxiety/OCD)
Gothic vibes
Paranormal romance: witches, ghosts, devils
Touch her and die vibes
Dark Fantasy
Phantom MMC
Necromancer FMC
"good girl"

Thank you Second Sky and Netgalley for this eARC, these opinions are my own! What a thriller! In order to save her sister Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a game in which she’ll face nine challenges that become more and not dangerous. Her competitors will stop at nothing to win. Because, you see, the prize is a single wish. When Ophelia meets a mysterious stranger who offers her a deal, can she trust him? Blackwell, the man, is attractive and doesn’t seem dangerous. But things can be misleading. The rules of the game state to stay alive and not to fall in love. Could her connection to Blackwell be her downfall? Or will she win and be granted her wish? A thrill ride from start to finish that I couldn’t put down! If you like horror and gore mixed with a little romance and spice you’ll love this! Kaylie Smith creates a dark and creepy atmosphere that will be you into the games and on the edge of your seat! Highly recommend!

Thank you Second Sky/Forever for sending me an arc through NetGalley in exchange for an honest opinion.

I'm OBSESSED with this book and it'll forever live in my mind rent free.

As someone with OCD, I can't tell you how much this book means to me. Ever since I was a child, I had thoughts in my head that'd tell me to do something in a specific way, to reach somewhere within a time limit, to count everything I saw, to sort things a certain way… or something bad would happen. It's gotten much better in my adult life, but I could perfectly relate to Ophelia, so thank you, Kaylie, for being vulnerable and sharing your experience with OCD through this book.

I loved the concept of Phantasma and that it was inspired by the nine circles of hell. The choice of supernatural beings and magic and the gothic vibes were amazing – I've never read something like that before. The pacing was perfect. While the 9 levels of Phantasma kept me on my toes, I also liked the slow and vulnerable moments between Ophelia and Blackwell. Blackwell was a great and unique mmc. Don't get me wrong, I do like a dark-haired shadow daddy, but having Blackwell as mmc was refreshing. Ophelia's character development was amazing. I loved how strong she became and learned to face her demons. The spice level was 2.5-3, which was just the right amount for me. Even though I predicted the plot twist, the ending still managed to surprise me and was very well thought out.

Overall. it was a dark, sensual, bloody, fascinating, intriguing and entertaining story you need to read if you like romantasy.

Oh hey it’s meeeeeee I’m reading this for work! Aaaaaaand there's a character limit on reviews here are some more words

Despite the promising setup, I didn’t enjoy it as much as expected. If this book weren’t an ARC, would probably have considered DNFing it. At first, I thought it was because I needed time to get through the beginning but actually the boredom lingered during quite a big part book. But wanting to write a proper review, I forced myself to continue, and I am actually glad I did. I did enjoy though most of the time the dynamics between Ophelia and Blackwell, a mysterious stranger who offers her a risky bargain. Their interactions and banter made the book more enjoyable to me.
The end of the book is where Phantasma truly shines. I found it well-crafted, making the earlier boredom worth enduring.
I was surprised by the amount of spicy scenes in the book. I had expected just one or two, but there were more than anticipated but they don’t dominate the plot. They could be removed without detracting from the storyline.

Overall, Phantasma has a lot of elements that should have made it a compelling read for me. Trials, romance, high stakes… But I found myself lacking interest. I do understand though why a lot of people would like this book. I truly loved the ending and would give this book 3,5 stars (the rating might seem high because of what I said, but expect from the boredom, I don't really have anything else to complain about and I was really hooked whilereading the ending).

If the author writes another book in this universe, I would probably read it. There’s enough promise in the world-building and characters to pique my interest for a potential continuation.

One word - A-MA-ZING! I’ve read loads of books based on concept of nine levels of hell but this one just stunned me. First of all, the chemistry between the characters is chefs kiss, this shadow daddy will not disappoint you. Second of all, the world building in this book is just so exquisite that you just submerge yourself in it, believe it and loose yourself there. I love loved loved the fact that it’s seems to be a stand-alone because it was just the right amount of everything and you’re satisfied with how it ended. Highly recommend!

This book felt like a dark version of caraval in Some ways and I absolutely loved caraval. This book had the perfect gothic vibes. I enjoyed the characters. Blackwell and Ophelia were amazing. The game was perfectly thought out and written. I would love to read more from this world and I can’t wait to see what Kaylie has next!

I'm not into a dark fantasy, but I was looking for anything that would pique my interest. This was not a book I particularly enjoyed. The plot is becoming increasingly muddled, and the fl goal is uncertain.⠀
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The concept is intriguing; it reminds me of Caraval mixed with the Hunger Games. So Ophelia attends a tournament in a demon castle to find her sister, who has mysteriously vanished. Throughout the competition, she faces challenges that remind me of Harry Potter like a gigantic snake appears, followed by a sword, which she stabs lol ⠀
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I found it difficult to connect with the characters, and despite my best efforts, I was unable to finish the book. I was already annoyed with the plot and main characters. Why was Ophelia so convinced that her sister would take part in the tournament from the start? Why doesn't she look for her friends' places first? Blackwell then asked Ophelia what she desired if she won. Rather than asking for her sister's return, she asked that their family bills be handled 😅🤣⠀
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However, I'd want to thank Netgalley and the publisher for providing the ARC. This book was not for me, but I will keep reading dark fantasy in the hopes of finding one for me.

This book was disappointing to me. I thought it would be a better written book but it really wasn't. I would not recommend this book unless you really want a wattpad fantasy read.

This had EVERYTHING I was looking for in a spooky read. This was a gothic, BLOODY VALENTINE masterpiece! This had EVERYTHING I was looking for in a spooky read--a phantom love interest, trials (to the death) based on the seven levels of Hell, necromancer magic, mystery, and a haunted house with a personality and history of its own.

"A house run by Devils is no place for an angel like you."

I had so much fun reading this, and think it would be perfect for readers who are looking for a spooky, spicy romp with a charming enigmatic love interest (Blackwell, who did I mention is a ghost?!) and a loyal, responsible heroine (Ophelia) who would do anything for her sister. On a more serious note, I really appreciate that the author wrote a main character who struggled with OCD (and it wasn't something that is miraculously fixed). As someone who has OCD, even though it's expressed differently, it was honestly so validating to read a character who had her own struggles with compulsions. There is so much potential for spin-offs, and I can't wait to devour them all...

"I want to taste your sins."

Thank you to NetGalley and the author for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was A RIDE AND A HALF, or a hoot and a half as they may say in Texas. I had a great time with this story and I hope to see more from Kaylie Smith in the future!

Ophelia is a necromancer and she enters the mysterious Phantasma competition to track down her sister. Phantasma is a series of mysterious challenges based on vices. It's gory and there are interfering ghosts messing with the contestants. Ophelia meets Blackwell, a sexy ghost with a memory issue, who begins to help her through the competition in exchange for her help looking for a key he needs.

As an OCD girlie, I appreciated the way Ophelia's OCD was represented and handled.

It was a unique, fun book and I'd definitely read more if this became a series

Firstly, i would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this book before it's release date!

I think most of the things that troubled me about this book is more related with connection than anything. For example, I really thought that the plot was good and somehow creative but the whole reading just didn't click for me. I was expecting to be more immersed into the world but this story really didn't amuse me, and the same goes to the characters.

I usually like characters with Ophelia's kind of personality, too responsible and somehow being a little rude/grumpy sometimes but i don't know how to put into words how she was upsetting me and how i was struggling to feel something about her (when she wasn't annoying me) but i felt nothing. Her sister also was some of the biggest issues in this book (even in if her scenes in Phantasma are minimal) but I'm not surprised at all since i hate the typical younger sister stereotype which traits are being immature and act without a second thought, actions which most of the time weighs on the FMC's life. The love interest was also a big NO for me since i felt very aloof towards him.

The romance didn't give me a single spark and was a little disappointing, specially because I felt that was more lust than anything.

Despite all my words the book is not bad, I just think that it wasn't made for me. But I'm sure will be a wonderful experience for a bunch of people.

Two and a half stars.

thank you to netgalley, the publisher and the authir for this arc.

3 stars.

i struggled to finish this book, and i honestly don't know why. maybe it was just a wrong time situation, because i feel like i could have liked this better than i did. it was just so hard to pick up again for me, unfortunately.

this book is a standalone, which is why things go fast, and i've come to realize that maybe standalones just aren't for me—i've said this before, i need the slow burn. the pining. the romance in this moved way too quickly for my personal taste, and i think that's mainly why i didn't love this. because this novel could not function without the romance aspect, as it's literally a key element. and it's a key element i didn't completely enjoy.

what i DID like, however, was the setting. the haunting, gothic scenery of the manor, the darkness behind everything, the spookiness. this was like caraval, but adult, and a little darker. and damn, i should've loved this.

The premise of Phatasma sounded so interesting. I was imagining Caraval but with spice. While there is some level of magic that I found interesting - I wasn't entirely consumed with the story. Yes, there were spicy scenes but I didn't feel the connection between the main characters like I wanted to.

📚 𝔸ℝℂ ℝ𝕖𝕧𝕚𝕖𝕨 📚
𝙋𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙩𝙖𝙨𝙢𝙖 by Kaylie Smith
𝙍𝙚𝙡𝙚𝙖𝙨𝙚 𝘿𝙖𝙩𝙚: 9/3/24
𝙂𝙚𝙣𝙧𝙚: Dark Paranormal Romance
𝙎𝙥𝙞𝙘𝙚: Several open door explicit scenes
𝙏𝙧𝙤𝙥𝙚𝙨/𝙬𝙝𝙖𝙩 𝙩𝙤 𝙚𝙭𝙥𝙚𝙘𝙩:
🩸 Deadly competitions inspired by the nine circles of hell
🩸 Forced proximity
🩸 Morally grey MMC
🩸 OCD/anxiety rep
🩸 Forbidden romance
🩸 Drug use and misuse
🩸 Secrets and lies
🩸 A lot of unaliving
🩸 "Who did this to you"
🩸 "Good girl"
🩸 Standalone with HEA
I fell in love with the writing style right away and how effortlessly the humor was injected into some tragic beginnings and throughout the book. Ophelia is thrust into a role from the start that she had expected all along while her sister Genevieve rejected the notion of their family heritage. We are introduced into this world quickly but it felt like we already knew what we needed to know. The world building and character development was done just right without lagging or deterring from the story. Once you entered the house, named Phantasma, you left everything at the door and were shoved into a dangerous world of terror and deadly competitions. Ophelia finds Blackwell, a phantom who lives in the house, upon exploring and the two become an inseparable, though sometimes unwilling, pair. Their relationship had frustrating aspects and sometimes I questioned Ophelia's actions but that was intentional so you could see the full spectrum of her thinking and how the house can warp your mind. I enjoyed how mental health rep was portrayed with Ophelia's OCD and how it affected her throughout the duration of the book. The pace was continual events and actions as you jumped from one competition to the next. My eyes were glued to the page as I couldn't devour everything fast enough once secrets started unraveling. The twists and turns throughout will keep your jaw dropped and that last third was intense. This was my first book by Kaylie Smith and I cannot wait to see what else she will write.

“Being too compassionate in a place like this is a mistake,” he warned. “Soft hearts don’t survive here.”
“What kinds of hearts do?”
He leaned down until their eyes were level. “Hearts with teeth.” He reached out and gently gripped her chin in his hand, rubbing the pad of his thumb across her full, bottom lip.
She was frozen in place.
“C’mon, angel, show me your teeth.”

She lunged. Tackling him to ground, she wrapped her hands around his throat, determined to cause as much harm as she could while he was still solid.
“I don’t care if you’re already dead,” she hissed. “I’m going to kill you again.”
“Is this your attempt at flirting, angel?” he choked out despite the pressure she was putting on his neck.
Her lip curled up in disgust. “Both of my hands are wrapped around your throat!”
“That doesn’t make it any clearer,” he responded.

Three and a half
I thought the idea of a woman trying to save her sister by entering a haunted mansion sounded fun . It turned out to be a somewhat mixed read for me though as sadly I didn't particularly like Orphelia and to be blunt the whole idea of their mother being suddenly dead took a while to get explained so that somewhat confounded me. The concept of different levels with trials certainly caught my interest and the various devils, ghosts etc added to the fun. However I just wasn't wowed by the romance so sadly that affects my overall enjoyment. The cover art is lovely and I'm sure many will really enjoy this book but alas not my perfect read.
This voluntary take is of a copy I requested from Netgalley and my thoughts and comments are honest and I believe fair

This felt a little like Caraval, but it's older. gothic sibling filled with horror and a lot of sex. Smith didn't pull her punches when it came to what went down in this book and I kind of love that. The pacing was decent. Personally, I think the trials were handled too quickly and everything that happened in-between bordered on dragging a little. The intrigue was also really good. I have a couple of theories throughout of what was going to happen at the end and was mostly off, which I really enjoy in a book. I hate when the plot is too obvious.

The characters were also well written and the dialogue was really funny at times. I really liked Ophelia and how she took no shit from those around her.

I really do think it you enjoyed Caraval and Hotel Magnifique and want the same vibe but steamier and with a lot more gore, you'll really enjoy this. Especially during fall/Halloween time!

I truly enjoyed this book. It is like a dark romance version of Caraval. Very Gothic and dark. An unconventional love story with a major twist. It has spice 🌶🌶 and humor as well. A very unique story for those of us who like to play in the dark 🖤

I loved this book honestly so much. I loved Kaylie Smith's other series (which I believe is YA), but her first adult book is just fantastic.
Perfect gothic vibes... I adored the characters. Blackwell and Ophelia are just everything. The game were written perfectly, and were at times horrifying.
I'd love more in this world. But I really wait to see what adult stories we get from Kaylie in the future!