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!

Thank you NetGalley for this ARC.

I’ve never read a paranormal book that I’ve really enjoyed until this one. I really liked Blackwell’s character, and I enjoyed his sense of humour. The story was unique and I haven’t read anything like it.

It incorporated many great tropes:
✨Forbidden love
✨Dangerous trials
✨Strong FMC
✨ Spice 🌶️🌶️.5

The pacing in the book was good, and the ending warmed my heart. Overall a very entertaining read!

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith immerses readers in a thrilling and perilous journey through the haunting corridors of a deadly contest. When Ophelia's sister vanishes, she plunges into Phantasma—a malevolent mansion where contestants vie for a wish by surviving nine treacherous challenges. Smith weaves a spellbinding tale filled with intricate twists and eerie encounters as Ophelia navigates the house's ever-shifting landscape of monsters and mysteries. The arrival of enigmatic guide Blackwell adds layers of intrigue, his offer of assistance laced with unsettling demands. As Ophelia battles for survival, she grapples with trust, temptation, and the haunting allure of a perilous bargain. Phantasma is a gripping blend of suspense and romance, sure to captivate fans of dark fantasy and supernatural thrillers alike.

Thank you to the author, Netgalley and the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review.

I absolutely loved this book! It was so exciting and had such a unique storyline that I’ve never read before!! The characters were amazing and very well developed. I went in an amazing roller coaster ride with this story and it didn’t let up until the very last page!! I loved the challenges and the haunted mansion and all the Gothic vibes in the story! I would highly recommend this book if you enjoy Dark Romance with Fantasy . I will be reading more from this author!!

This story is a spicy gothic Caraval where the competition is based on the nine levels of hell. The characters were well developed and the overarching plot was, for the most part, well done. There was a steady pace of action and the mystery unfurled in a satisfying manner. The main issue I have is the ending. The execution felt clunky, rushed, and as if all the plotline strings didn't fully tie together. Overall, this is a fine story. Those who enjoyed the Caraval series and have a healthy suspension of belief and/or are just here for the vibes will enjoy this.

Thanks to Netgalley for the eARC!

“Death she was familiar with. Living would be the real challenge.”

OMG THIS BOOK!!! This is THE perfect witchy, gothic slightly horror book for halloween/october! But honestly, it read like a dream on the beach as well.

I’m truly obsessed with this book, I devoured it in two days as a matter of fact.

Phantasma is a Devil’s competition that takes place in this beautiful gothic mansion in New Orleans every once in a while. Ophelia Grimm is a Necromancer who’s only recently come into her role and her powers.
However, a dire situation regarding her family legacy and her sister’s well being, pushes her to do something she never would have done: entering Phantasma.

Making deals with devils or other paranormal beings is one of the many things her mother tought her not to do. However, that’s precisely what Ophelia needs to do if she wishes to find her sister and finish Phantasma in one piece.

And here enters ✨Blackwell✨. I think the best way to introduce his character is by quoting him directly:

“Incredible,” Blackwell echoed. “The audacity of men worth less than dirt.” but also: “Oh, bite me,” she deadpanned. His smirk grew wider. “Is that an invitation?”

He’s a new bookboyfriend for sure. I mean his wit, and brazen personality already had me but when he answered with “You called.” when Ophelia asked why he came or when he asked “who did this to you?” I was a goner.

However, funny and endearing and hot their relationship is, ultimately the most beautiful thing in this story is Ophelia’s arc.

“You have always contained your own worst enemy.”

I related to Ophelia on a spiritual level. The way she struggled with her family’s expectations of her, the burden of upholding her family legacy while trying to be true to herself and finding her place in the world was emotional to say the least.
Ophelia has OCD and while I’ve never had any personal experience with it, direct or indirect, I feel like it’s a representation that speaks true.

Metaphorically, it’s the embodiment of her fears and her self sabotaging. While I’m in way trying to belittling a serious subject such as OCD and mental illnesses, I do feel like the moral of the story is that sometimes we’re our own biggest enemy.

Ophelia had to struggle through many hardships and horrendous challenges to overcome the fear of living and finally acknowledging who she was and what she wanted to do in her life independently of other’s opinions. While our experiences don’t have sexy devils and paranormal beings I feel like it’s a lesson we should heed.

It’s a story full of action and plot twists and I truly truly enjoyed it.

In here you can find:
-gothic vibes
- paranormal beings
- forbidden love
- human x ghost
- sisterly love
- older daughter on the verge of a burnout
- horror vibes and competition
- riddles and plot twists
- who did this to you?
- you came? you called
- smoldering devotion
- 🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️

This was a lot of fun! I loved the atmosphere, I liked the writing and I love deadly games, especially when it's not just people-trying-to-kill-each-other and actually has some different dynamics. I would be excited and curious to see what the next level would be like.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for access to the e-arc

I was super stoked for this release, however it was such a massive letdown. I was so excited too like i pre-ordered this book.... i've never cancelled a pre-order so fast. The plot was interesting, i'll give it that, and i loved the idea of a deadly trial based competition themed around the nine circles of hHell. The pacing was well timed, the actual competition was horrible (in a good way like how horror movies are entertaining) and the mystery surrounding the main character's missing sister kept me interested. So plot, pacing, atmosphere all good!

So if i liked all that what could possibly be so bad as to give this book only 2 stars. The main characters 🙂 and how their "romance" and story progressed. It's instalove (3-7 days is apparently how long it takes to find true love) and I cannot stand it when a woman is a bitch to other women for no reason but an angel baby to her ✨man✨ literally makes me wanna puke. anyways....

Ophelia is overall a weak character. For being in her early twenties, she is incredibly immature, constantly blaming her younger sister for HER OWN CHOICES. I won't go into too much detail for spoilers but she is jealous of her sister for making choices in her own best interest that make her happy, when Ophelia had every chance to make those same choices but didn't. How are you gonna be made at someone else for your own decisions? Girl... whatever.

Worse is that Ophelia is so "not like other girls" in a way that is completely unjustified. She is needlessly rude to her female side characters that offers nothing to plot or her character development. Girl had a vengeance against Lucy for no other reason then they both were women and in the same room. I was hoping at some point it would be explained that Lucy deserved the hate from Ophelia but girl was innocent and her biggest crime was asking how Ophelia was feeling that day. Like justice for my girl Lucy damn.

In the next scene however after Ophelia got being a bitch to Lucy out of her system, she is all sweet and innocent whenever speaking with her love interest. I was so over her so incredibly fast. Blackwell (the love interest) gets creep of the year award. Everything was a sexual innuendo whether it fit the moment or not, and he was no help at all most of the time. The romance between them was especially heinous. You have this girl going through the most traumatic experiences possibly, literally witnessing the people around her dying in the worst ways imaginable, and the very next scene, before she's had a moment to process that trauma, is smut. There is no discussion about how to cope with experiencing that, there is no reflection on what just happened, there is no internal process of recovering. It's witness trauma right to having have sex. it's not even sex as part of a trauma response because of how disjointed the cutaway to the smut is. I get this is dark romantasy but like???? can we be serious for one moment?? like can we have a 5 minute debrief about x, y, and z being crushed/burned/split in half before he goes down on her? just a thought.

This is the part with spoilers so beware

Ophelia is OCD, and experiences pretty intense intrusive thought, and that is a pretty significant aspect to her character. BUT it is not so significant to her character because Blackwell cures it at the end, so all is fine and good again. im over it oh my god. also i took a star off for the "you're the devil and i'm your angel" bullshit that was pulled at the end. don't recommend. literally grab me a bucket im about to vomit.

this book made me feel so many things. The beginning had me fully hooked, and I love romantasy and dark romance, so combining this two were too much. It absolutely works though, and MMC was dark as hell, but was trying to care for the FMC in his own way. My heart has been stolen by this man.

I decided to travel outside of my reading comfort zone when I requested this. I have only read a few titles in the dark romance genre, but Kaylie Smith has me positively dying for more. Ophelia was an incredible FMC, the mansion, the competition, the ghosts, the romance... Holy Hannah this book had everything, and it was brilliant. I highly recommend!

I enjoyed this book and was looking forward to see how it all played out. Unfortunately I felt it was boring in places. And predictable. Although over all it was enjoyable!

"Welcome to Phantasma. there are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. Don't fall in love."

Phantasma is the perfect southern gothic romantasy where your wildest fantasies and terrifying nightmares become intertwined.

Phantasma is a deadly maze of desires, temptations, demons and death. If you survive the 9 trials of Phantasma, you claim its prize of a single wish.

The main character, Ophelia, enters Phantasma in hopes of finding her recently missing sister. With each challenge more dangerous than the last, Ophelia is given a choice to enter into a bargain with a mysterious stranger. The bargain? Help Ophelia survive the trials in exchange for 10 years of her life.

Themes:🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
- Forbidden romance
- Phantom x Necromancer
- Trails inspired by the 9 levels of Hell
- Haunted, gothic mansion
- OCD representation
- Set in a magical fantasy New Orleans
- Spice and blood
- Secrets and lies
- Horror elements
- Badass FMC

Favorite quotes:🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀🥀
"You are the closest thing I will ever get to experience heaven, and I'm not ready to let go."
"I want to taste your sins."
"If there were ever a divine entity I'd worship, it'd be you."

I went through an entire rollercoaster of emotions while reading this book! I couldn't put it down and stayed up until 4am to finish it.

Chapter 50 had me SHOOK! I was so engrossed in the story, I didn't even see the twists coming.

I also want to shoutout and acknowledge the author's note at the end of the book, bringing awareness to the struggles of living with Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD) and shedding light on common misconceptions.

This was my first read from author Kaylie Smith and it will definitely not be my last.

Thank you to #NetGalley for the opportunity to read the ARC for #Phantasma

This is one of my favorite books I have ever read in my life. Every single thing about it had me so interested to know what would happen. One of the coolest plots ever, its like if the Caraval series was set in Hell and its Adult instead of YA.

The book is set in New Orleans, and Phantasma just came to town. Phantasma is a haunted mansion where contestants enter to receive a single wish from the Prince of Devils. Our main FMC Ophelia, has to follow her sister into the competition once she realizes she's gone missing. They have to save their families estate and this is the only way to do it. As a necromancer, Ophie has her advantages in being able to speak with and see the dead. When she finds a Phantom, Blackwell, he seems to be her key in keeping her safe until she finds her sister. The only catch is she has to bargain 10 years of her life for it unless she finds the key that will release Blackwell from the mansion.

The trials are BRUTAL!!!!!!! Cade got everything that was coming to him.

BLACKWELL !!!!!!!!!!!!!! Please, he really did satisfy all my Danny Phantom fantasies. Everything he said had me on my knees in love. Like yeah no wonder Ophelia folded for him, so would I! Their relationship through the book is soooooo hot. But also so real and delicate. I love them together so so much.

THE TWIST AT THE END WAS UNREAL!!!!!!!!! One of the best plot twists that I didn't see coming. And there was a HEA?!??! I mean kinda hehe.

Seriously I loved every single second of this and HIGHLY recommend. Please read trigger warnings before as this does have detailed descriptions of battling with OCD, murder, and speaking with the dead.

THANK YOU NETGALLEY FOR THE FREE ARC!!!!!!!!!

ARC Review:

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is a seductive fantasy romance book. This was such a fun read. It felt like a spicy gothic Caraval. The plot of this book was so entertaining and I really liked the characters. I thought this book was very well paced. I loved that the trials were based on the nine circles of Hell. I liked the gothic and horror spin. There was always something happening so I was never bored. I was on the edge of my seat this entire book!

Phantasma is a gothic magical tournament with trials inspired by the nine circles of hell. This book follows Ophelia as she enters Phantasma to find her missing sister, Genevieve. While in Phantasma she meets a mysterious phantom named Blackwell and makes a bargain with him. Ophelia was a super interesting FMC! I loved her. She was funny and determined. Blackwell was also a great character! He was so mysterious that I was instantly intrigued by him. Him and Ophelia complimented each other really well and such great chemistry. I really enjoyed this book. The world and magic was easy to understand. The more I learned things throughout the story the more I needed to know more. I really recommend reading this book if you want a gothic romantasy!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

HAPPY READING