⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐/5
𝘗𝘩𝘢𝘯𝘵𝘢𝘴𝘮𝘢
𝘉𝘺 𝘒𝘢𝘺𝘭𝘪𝘦 𝘚𝘮𝘪𝘵𝘩

THIS. has me in a chokehold! I wasn't sure exactly if this would be my type of story to read as I've been exploring different genres within romantasy. Boy, I was so happy to have read this and I really, really, really enjoyed this book!

There is just so much packed into this story.

Banter - ✅
Lovers - ✅
Spice - ✅✅🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️
Ghosts/D3m0ns/Phantom - ✅
Survival Games - ✅
Magic - ✅

Whatever you do, do NOT fall in love, or else you'll be cursed.

This. Book. Was. PHENOMENAL. 💀
It’s absolutely everything I crave in a dark, Gothic, borderline horror romance. It was gory, deranged, suspenseful as hell, and filled with luscious, toe curling spice. And if you love deadly magical trials, and sentient manors (which I very much do), you will absolutely DEVOUR this!!
Plus It takes place in New Orleans, and is filled with dark magic, devils, ghosts, ghouls, phantoms- you name it. It’s really the perfect book to dive into as we head into spooky season.
This wrapped up with an HEA, but set the stage for book 2, which will be about a different couple. Absolutely feral for the next installment!

The way I devoured this book!
I've been obsessed with the cover since I first saw it. Getting this ARC was one of the best moments I ever had as a reader.
I absolutely loved the writing and the setting. Loved plot line and how good Kaylie developed it. The house, the challenges... It was like seeing a movie.

I'm genuinely obsessed with this book cause not only I loved the plot development as I loved the character development. And don't get me started on the banter and sassy comments from Blackwell. I was marking everything he was saying.... That devil and his mouth... 👀

I wasn't shocked with the big revelation at the end cause it was one of my theories.... But I realized the revelation wasn't the point when I was reading it and all I could think about was their connection along the book and everything they went through, possível being for nothing... 🤡 But Ophelia realized what she was looking for and saved my hearth. 😅

Brilliantly executed 🫶🏻

I absolutely Loved Phantasma, by Kaylie Smith! New Orleans gothic, magic, horror with a side of spicy angst, what more could you want. This story is well written with great characters that held me captive from the first page.

Thank you Netgalley and Second Sky/Forever for the arc in exchange for an honest review!

⚠️ TWs: explicit sexual content, scenes with elements of horror, intrusive thoughts, compulsive tics. Find the complete list on the author's website!

This was sooo good!! Tbh when I started it I was expecting a basic adult dark romantasy not unlike the currently trending ones, but this was something different and yet everything I wanted at the same time . Also, I GUESSED THE TWIST!!!!! YAY ME⁉️⁉️

Phantasma is an electrifying adult dark romantasy debut that had me gasping with every twist. The trials were so well thought out and completely unique from anything I've read! They genuinely had me on the edge of my seat. And the setting??? It was like something from a Gothic dream ✨

"You came?"
"You called."

🌹 adult dark romantasy
🌹 a haunted Gothic manor
🌹 necromancer fmc
🌹 OCD representation
🌹 a handsome white-haired phantom
🌹 sisterly bonds
🌹 deadly trials based on the 9 circles of hell
🌹 deals with the Devils

~~~~~~~~~~

Set in New Orleans, where magic is everywhere and Devils roam the night, a travelling competition—Phantasma—has just arrived. Still recovering from her mother's death, Ophelia Grimm finds herself taking part in it to save her impulsive sister, Genevieve. As the last necromancer in her family, Ophelia bargains with a hot Phantom named Blackwell—to free him from Phantasma if he will help her survive all nine trials.

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

The vibes are similar to Caraval and Kingdom of the Wicked!! I really really loved the trials so much and the lore???? The concept of it??? It's just so unique and beautiful and a blast to read. And the ANGST😩 the ROMANCE🤭 though it felt a bit insta-lusty, by the end I was so in love with the characters that I honestly didn't care 🤷‍♀️

~~~~~~~~~~

~ Ophelia: oh my poor darling Ophie 🥺 I loved how the OCD representation was integral to both her character and the plot. She faced so many trials both inside and outside of Phantasma, and as a fellow older sister, I SEE HER. Her character development was also peak! She truly became what I would say the best version of herself in the end and was not afraid to stand up to anyone in her way (bloodthirsty fmcs are the best, sue me)
~ Blackwell: though we don't get much of his backstory for most of the book, I adore how caring and selfless he is with Ophelia. He's like the light to her inner darkness, and the words he says??? His confessions??? Truly a dream ✨

~~~~~~~~~~

Though the start was a bit slow and the prose had a few inconsistencies, I think the intriguing plot, gruesome descriptions and hilarious banter more than made up for it 😌 I do wish that some parts of the plot were delved into more, such as maybe Ophelia using her full necromancer powers more or how The Other Side works. However, I still greatly enjoyed this book and will definitely be recommending it to all my dark romantasy lovers!!! This was my first Kaylie Smith book, but definitely not my last 🤞😌

Okay I was definitely not expecting loving this book so much and no offense it really surprised me, I made a proper review on my page but I loved the story, definitely not usual it was quite mystic and dark with necromancy.. gothic vibes which was really surprising and Ophelia well that woman really knows what she wants

Thank you to NetGalley and Second Sky/Forever Publishing for providing the ARC.

This book is everything that I didn't get from Caraval and then some.

First off, Ophelia is a very interesting character. She cares for her sister, but is constantly finding herself frustrated with her. And when she enters herself into Phantasma, she comes into her own a lot more. Her journey may have started out as a way to rescue her sister, but it turned into something much more exciting and rewarding along the way.

And Blackwell was just as sinfully delicious as the lead male in this story. He is charming and charismatic despite the fact that his memory is a bit wonky. And he has a jealous and possessive streak a mile wide. But he doesn't make it easy to ignore his swagger and you find yourself swooning just as much as Ophelia pretends she doesn't.

Excellent book with just enough stakes to keep it interesting and a romance that is almost too hot to handle. I really enjoyed this one.

If you want a book with the thrilling, competitive feel of Caraval but with a spooky, haunting vibe, then definitely look no further than this new addictive read!

Right from the beginning, with the New Orleans almost Victorian setting, the dark magic, and the mysterious, suspenseful quality of the story, I was immediately sucked in.

At times, it reminded me of The Vampire Diaries and Kingdom of the Wicked, and I was just loving the haunted house nature of the competition. Plus, the Danny Phantom-esque love interest!! Whew, he definitely swept me off my feet. (And the little ghost cat had me DYING!! I adored the name Poe and immediately fell in love.)

The romance was the perfect balance of spicy (whew!) and sweet! And it made me so happy to return to my comfort gothic fantasy genre.

*Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for sending me an eARC in exchange for an honest review.*

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️/5
🌶️🌶️.5/5

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is a beautifully written seductive fantasy story with OCD and anxiety representation.

I absolutely LOVED Phantasma! I haven't finished the Caraval series but I did read the first book and Phantasma definitely gives off a dark and steamy version of Caraval! It also gives Kingdom of the Wicked vibes as well! Literally absolutely enjoyed reading this book.

I loved the characters and I loved the development that we see with our girl Ophelia and her OCD.

Just in time for fall, this is the perfect book to read during spooky season! The writing was very easy to follow and the story flowed very smoothly!

I also saw on Amazon that there's going to be a second book but it follows Ophelia's sister, Genevieve! Very excited for it!

content:
🥀Forbidden Romance
💀Forced Proximity
🥀"Good girl"
💀Fantasy Version of New Orleans
🥀The Nine Circles of Hell Inspired Trials
💀MC with OCD
🥀Haunted House Competition
💀Phantom/Necromancer Romance
🥀Love Interest with Danny Phantom Vibes
💀Touch Her & Die
🥀Who did this to you?

Atmospheric, suspenseful and spicy!!

I devoured Phantasma, the trials were interesting, the riddles gave similar vibes to One Dark Window, the MMC was layered and sympathetic… AND THERES A GHOST CAT! (WHO IS NAMED POE!)

I felt the plot was fairly face paced, largely due to this dark trials. It was easy to follow, yet had some great flashbacks to provide context and add depth to multiple characters.

I loved the setting, it was absolutely 5 stars. I would read more about this “Phantasma” if prequels or sequels came out. The world is much like our own, but darker; however the haunted mansion?! Again, I’d buy all the books to go back there.

I did enjoy both MMC and FMC! I felt Ophelia had inconsistent moments of maturity (she felt a bit too juvenile at times). And, this is absolutely a person preference, so I do not want to doc Smith for this- but I felt that there were too many high intensity scenes, or traumatic scenes, that were stunted emotionally because they would quickly jump into a spicy scene. So it gave the same feeling as not as ‘mature’, made it a little less believable. However, this is coming from someone who doesn’t traditionally read any ‘smut’. This was certainly a spicy book! And I thought those scenes were handled maturely.

I also felt Smith did a great job at exploring OCD in this gothic romance setting. I appreciated the epilogue where she not only contextualized and educated, she also provided her experiences. Another reason why writing is such a great creative outlet! As someone who has had serious bouts of hypochondria and death anxiety- it is so nice to see OCD portrayed as more than someone who is tidy…

4.5 ⭐️


Thank you Nerdfam, Netgalley and Bookouture for the ARC 🙌❤️

This was a bit of a slow read for me which I'm blaming entirely on it being the summer holidays and being a mother.

I loved the characters and their interactions. I would have liked to see more of Luci and would love to see standalones surrounding Ophelia's mother and of Blackwell's past.

I figured out the twist fairly early but that's more down to me questioning everything when I read.

There is a great deal of spice in this book that is graphically detailed so I wouldn't recommend this to a younger audience.

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.