Dark, fun, and spicy! This book was intense and delicious and I absolutely ate it up. There's high stakes, forbidden love, OCD representation, and a steamy romance. Highly recommend! Thank you Netgalley for the ARC!

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

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

"You came."
"You called," he answered.

“Fall in love within Phantasma at your own risk.”

This book was PERFECT !!! Exactly what I wanted and then some !!! A dark fantasy romance book perfect for fans of Caraval but with the Devil and demons and ghosts and Phantoms and a twisted, dangerous game where you truly have to be mindful about the deal you make. Ophelia our fmc is wonderful and so relatable and she is the perfect representation of that firstborn girl who is trying too look after her sister, even following her into a terrible and dangerous maze like Phantasma (so much like Scarlett and Donatella Dragna is Caraval). This book was magic, was hell, was darkness, was light, was mental health rep but in a magical way. It was family, sisterhood and love. It was enemies to allies to lovers. It was forced proximity, forbidden romance (because you can’t fall in love while in the game) and it was also “who did this to you”, and “you came, you called” … some absolutely wonderful trope. It was badass female main character and shadow daddy male main character. It had all the best vibes a book in this genre can give you. I felt absolutely hooked from the very first moment and I read it in one sitting because I could not put it down!!! Was the final plot twist unexpected? I could have figure it out … but I did gasp when I read it!!! Too much was I into the story that I was living it through Ophelia’s eyes so to me … it was all incredibly new and confusing and frustrating and sexy and complicated. In one word … it was perfect !!! I cannot wait for this book to be out !!! I need a physical copy !!!

"You don't need to fix yourself. You're not broken.
But it's okay to get outside help if it gets too loud."

“There is nothing I have seen yet that has made me look away. No atrocity you could commit to make me not want you like this. No matter how forbidden." He seared a kiss into the sensitive spot at the end of his trail. "I want to know everything. I want to see all the darkest corners of your mind." He tilted his face up to whisper his next words right into her ear. "I want to taste your sins."

"In a different life, in a fair one, I would've kept you until my eternal soul withered away to dust,"

Amazingly gripping!

I'm such a fan of trials and I just had to bite into Phantasma. With part mystery and part sweeping gothic romance, Phantasma intrigued me and held my attention untill the end.

I was a little bit more interested in Blackwell than I was in Ophelia, after all she remembered and he did not. It also made me wonder who's there to trust, what was a lie and what was the truth, and who was there to stir up trouble.

I absolutely loved this gothic fantasy with a dash of paranormal!

Wow! An epic adventure into the dark world of Phantasma, where all your worst fears come true for the chance to win your deepest fantasy.

This book started slow, building characters and the supernatural beings and goings in the setting of New Orleans where this year, the infamous haunted challenge of Phantasma has popped up in place of the Cathedral.
However, it wasn't slow for long! Once we enter into the world of the trials and hauntings, things get started at an alarming pace.
There is a mystery to solve, other participants to beat, and a sister to find alongside the death-defying levels and trying to avoid the ultimate sin - falling in love in this dark romantasy masterpiece.

Thank you to the publisher for allowing me to read an advance copy of this book. This is an author I will definitely be looking out for in the future.

This book is dark, funny, and a little spicy. This was my fiist read by Kaylie Smith, but it will not be my last.
This book was a rode! You get lured in by phantasma, and told all your wishes will cone true. Only catch, you can't fall in love ans must stay alone. One lesson to learn is In Pbantasma, things aren't always what rhey seem

5✨✨✨ This is probably one of my favourite reads of the year.. I just couldn’t get enough of this story.. I am still thinking about it after weeks of finishing it.. I need there to be another 3 books of this world and story.

Thank you NetgGalley for this gem✨⭐️

this was dark, romantic, unique, fast-paced, and SO SO good!! seriously. the new orleans, vampy aesthetic was just incredible and i loved how each character was so unique and interesting, and they all added something to the story. the plot is really the drawing point here though - does it have elements of things that have been done before? sure. but this is also just a really unique story. if you like magic, games, and men who are absolutely whipped then this is the book for you.

Absolutely captivating! A dark, gothic paranormal fantasy romance set in New Orleans. This book kept me entertained from the first page to the last. Strong FMC with representation of OCD, a devastatingly handsome FMC with a delicious mouth, deadly games, a haunted house of horrors, plot twist, great spice, and an hea! I’m pretty sure this book has every single one of my favorite micro tropes as well. The only thing I disliked was the overuse of some descriptive words. Not a deal breaker just something I did notice.

Caraval meets gothic paranormal romance. Contestants must face their greatest fear and fight to the death for the ultimate prize of a wish. Phantasma is a game of pleasure, pain, and fear. One rule is to not fall in love, for love only leads to ruin.

Ever wondered what it would be like if Caraval collided with The Haunted Mansion?

Well look no further than Phantasma, a thrilling dark paranormal romance that will set your heart racing for more than one reason.

After the death of their mother Ophelia and Genevieve are faced with losing their family home to the bank. Genevieve acts rashly and runs away to try and win Phantasma a deadly game run by devil's, ghosts and phantoms. Win and you can request your hearts wish, but losing is far more likely and deadly. Ophelia follows her sister through the depths of hell while she tries to not break Phantasmas cardinal rule - don't lose your heart.

Read this if you love-

• Spice
• Handsome devil's
• Dangerous contests
• Sisterly love
• All is not what it seems
• Mischievous cats
• Morally grey characters
• Hurt her and die

ARC Review-

This book reminded me of the Night Circus mixed with ACOTAR mixed with Kingdom of the Wicked and I LOVED it. Set in a gothic, New Orleans, necromancer Ophelia battles her inner demons while facing actual demons in order to save her sister and her family’s legacy. While taking part in a series of trials inside a haunted manor, she meets an infuriatingly attractive, cocky, persistent Phantom who offers her a deal in which he would help her through the trials, and in exchange she would help him find the key to his freedom. Chaos, romance, and plot twist ensue as these two beings navigate their new partnership in the House of Phantasma.

I loved everything about this book. The setting was enthralling, the OCD rep was very well written and beautifully heartbreaking to follow, the strangers to reluctant allies to lovers was fantastic. I definitely can’t recommend this book enough and I really like that it was a standalone. I don’t often find romantasy books that are standalone so I am very happy about this discovery and that everything was tied up at the end. If the author decides to continue the series as an interconnected standalone series, I would be very interested in reading more about Sinclair and his journey, given what we learned about him towards the end of the book.

Overall, I totally recommend picking this book up as soon as you can. I really believe it will be the next big romantasy craze once it releases officially!

Thank you NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever publishing for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

I enjoyed this book a lot. This is one of those books where the characters will stick with me for a while, living in my head rent free. I love that the male main character is a ghost, we really need more books with those, they're always so unique. The dark, gothic vibes overall were also amazing.

I love slow burn, and this book wasn't, but I can't really complain with the great smut-to-story ratio it had. There were quite a few steamy scenes, but not so close to each other that it felt too much. I would definitely recommend this to people who like to have a little more smut in their romance books, while still focusing on the story too.

The story was exciting and never got boring, nor too high-stress. Great balance there, too. My only complaint there is that the ending wrapped up real fast. There are still some questions left unanswered, though no pressing ones, so I assume that's for a reason - hopefully some of the other characters will be getting books too. There are so many interesting characters where we only got a glimpse of the story. I also have to mention that the main character here was super interesting though!

Overall, I really liked this book and can't wait to read more of the author in the future.

Thank you NetGalley and Kaylie Smith for providing the ARC in exchange for a honest review!

5⭐️ Oh my gosh this book was everything! This is a dark gothic fantasy with some elements of romance as well. The setting takes place at a magical house where a competition called Phantasma occurs, and the house travels around the world for anyone to enter the game. This book specifically follows Ophelia and her journey with Phantasma. This book had twists and turns that made me just want to keep reading! With the competition there are different levels and each level corresponds with something specific. I found reading about the different challenges so interesting and I really enjoyed how they kept me guessing. The banter in this book was so good as well. This book had magic within the house but also magical being as well. If you liked the book Caraval this is similar to that but a bit more dark and twisted and so entertaining! This book was everything I was looking for!

Thank you NetGalley, the author, and the publishers for this eARC for my honest opinion.

*♡Thank you to NetGalley and Kaylie Smith for the ARC of this book in exchange for my honest opinion♡*

4.75⭐😈
Wow, this book, I could not put it down!!
A dark, gothic, spicy Caraval which did not fail to disappoint! A morally grey MMC and a determined, fiesty FMC discovering who she is without her mother while competing in a deadly contest run by devils to find her sister. The only rules, stay alive and dont fall in love.

I loved the chemistry between Ophelia and Blackwell, the tension and the heat made it gloriously satisfying to read their relationship develop. I cannot wait for fanart!

The story keeps you guessing all the way through and I gasped more than once at the twists and turns it took. The challenges Ophelia must face to win Phantasma are a good and refreshing mix of phycological trials with gory results.

The OCD representation through Ophelia seems well thought out and tastefully executed. It doesnt overide the overall story, but adds a depth which makes the character all the more interesting.

Would definitely recommend Phantasma, it will not disappoint 😈🥰

Okay wow! This book absolutely took my breath away. First of all, the depiction of New Orleans in this story was absolutely spot on. Kaylie Smith put her whole heart into this book. This was an absolute dream to read. This was a prime example of gothic fantasy done right. This was a perfect mixture of Caraval and Kingdom of the Wicked which really sold me. I also really love the mental health representation the author presents us with. Our main character Ophelia struggles with OCD and even anxiety as well. It’s amazing to see how resilient she is as she faces both the internal trials of her mental health, as well as the external trials of Phantasma.
Phantasma is the gothic, Haunted Mansion style sibling of Caraval in my eyes. You have daring contestants, high stakes, mystery, and even a dark and witty male love interest. Blackwell was definitely written for those who grew up with a crush on Danny Phantom and grew up obsessed with dark fantasy books. I highly HIGHLY recommend this read. Especially if you are looking for a book to read this spooky season!

Nothing bad to say about this one! Absolutely dark and magical. A fast paced read that I honestly could not put down. I had my own thoughts over how this read would end but with some twists, the ending was not what I expected, which I loved! There was some spice, magic and a main character who is very determined. Highly recommend!

Thank you to netgalley and publisher for the opportunity to advance read.

This book felt familiar and yet fresh.

When a book boasts a deadly game, I want my anxiety about the characters to be as high as the stakes and this did not disappoint. While I had an idea where this book was going, it did not take away from the storyline at all. I loved how chapter by chapter new information was revealed and things started to come together more and more.

Ophelia as a main character was relatable and I found her strength through her insecurities and mental health struggles to be relatable. And Blackwell, well, he is that morally gray stranger we all would make a bargain with in a heartbeat.

Overall, one of my favorite Romantasy books I have read, and I will definitely be recommending it to everyone.

This is like Caraval's older, more mature big sister 😂🖤 I really enjoyed it, Ophelia is a great character. It's fast paced, spicy, kept me guessing at every turn!

Thank you Second Sky/ Forever and Netgalley for the e-arc of Phantasma

4.5 ⭐️

Overall I really enjoyed this book. I thought the plot was great and it kept my attention. As soon as the fmc entered Phantasma and the storyline really started developing, I was hooked. Also while I had some predictions on the twist at the end, there was no way to figure out all of it, which made it even better. I highly recommend this book.

This was super fun! I was a little nervous going in, since this is a newer indie author with her first adult novel. I went in with no expectations and was pleasantly surprised with how much I liked this.

The beginning was a little rough, but the plot quickly developed into something fast-paced with nonstop action. Although, I do think the word “macabre” was slightly overused- I think it showed up at least 15 times. The ending also felt a bit rushed, but tied everything up nicely. Though, I did have some leftover questions about specific aspects in the novel.

Phantasma is a haunted house the mysteriously appears in different cities as a competition mimicking the nine circles of hell. If you survive all nine circles, a devil’s grant is gifted to the winner- your wish is their command with no strings attached. Ophelia enters the competition after her sister disappears, thinking that this is the only place she could have gone. Ophelia experiences a real type of hell in this house and discovers truths that have been hidden for centuries. Will she find her sister and save her family from debt? Or will she succumb to the devils and their bargains?

Devils, demons, phantoms, necromancers- this book has it all! To boot there’s an awesome love story that makes this the ultimate romantasy.

Mental health is also acknowledged in this book. Ophelia suffers from OCD manifesting as malignant voices in her head compelling her to do things. I thought this was well done and an important lesson to readers.

Overall, 4 out of 5 stars and would recommend when it comes out September 3rd.