I absolutely Loved Phantasma, by Kaylie Smith! I was lucky to be able to read the book prior to listening to the audio book, so I had high expectations, because the book was so good. Well the audio book did not disappoint! The voice acting was excellent bringing this New Orleans, gothic horror to life.

This book is very Caraval meets Kingdom of the Wicked, both series I absolutely adore.
I did not see the ACOTAR correlation. More Hunger Games, honestly.
Ophelia is my spirit animal. She is anti-social and doesn't fake niceties. She really grew in to herself throughout the book, and it was beautiful to see. She has OCD which manifests through intrusive thoughts by a shadow voice who compels her to do things she otherwise wouldn't. I enjoyed that part of the story, and how, as she began to understand herself more, the voice began to dim. It never went away, and her tendencies didn't either, but their intensity did.
Blackwell has many talents involving his tongue, and that's all I'll say on the matter.

“If there were ever a divine entity I’d worship,” he murmured, “it’d be you.”
“My body, your altar,” she offered.

I do wish Ophelia and Blackwell had not immediately fallen in to bed together. The first time, after the acid rain, seemed out of place. But I've never been in that position, so maybe it can be chalked up to adrenaline overload.
THERE IS A GHOST CAT THAT I WANT TO PET MORE THAN ANYTHING.
I was expecting the big reveal from fairly early on. I wish it had been done a bit more dramatically. I don't wanna say more as I don't want to give away spoilers. But as soon as the reveal happened, I stopped the book and instantly came up with other ways it should have gone down.
There are a few other twists sprinkled throughout the book which were done well.
The ending did seem rather rushed. I wish we could've had more after she made her final bargain.
I didn't like that most things were explained away with magic. Or how Ophelia didn't have as many haunts because of Blackwell. Going through the haunts might have helped her get stronger faster. Or they could've used them as a magic training exercise. They seemed to be an afterthought by the end.
I was left with questions in the end, some things that weren't fleshed out or clarified.

Overall, I very much enjoyed the book. I would definitely be interested in a sequel about her sister. Or more Ophelia and Blackwell.

🎧Audiobook Review🎧

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I want to thank NetGalley for approving me for an ARC of this book.

⚔️Trials
❤️‍🔥Slow Burn
💀Gothic
😈Demons

As a standalone, debut novel, this book gave me all the romantasy vibes I was looking for. The unique trials and slow burn between our MCs captivated and intrigued me. Laura Horowitz is a fantastic narrator, her ability to provide each character with a distinctive voice is second to none and I can't wait to listen to more books with her narration. I'm excited to see what Kaylie Smith writes next.

⭐⭐⭐⭐✨

4.5/5

This book reminds me of a dark version of Caraval. It has the same general plot: the FMC must join a game in order to find her sister, and the winner of the game will receive a wish. Although the same premise, this version is darker and sexier. While Caraval reads as Young Adult, Phantasma is definitely adult. Spicy sex scenes, bloody deaths, and run-ins with demons & ghosts will keep readers on their toes. Highly recommend to romantasy lovers.

Thank you NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for sending this book for review consideration. All opinions are my own.

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!

Also highly recommend the audio narrated by @laura_horowitz_narrator because everything she speaks turns to gold.

5 Stars
This was basically Caraval meets Saw meets Beetlejuice but make it a spicy romance and I loved it. I was screaming internally for Ophelia and Blackwell to get together from the start and I was not disappointed with where their story went (and that ending?! I'm obsessed with these 2). This world was so much fun and the game scenes were probably my favourite (and unlike Caraval, there are real-life consequences in this game). I'm a sucker for character growth so obviously I was rooting for Ophelia and her growth with each level she conquered. There is just so much to love about this book - definitely adding it to my favorites (now to just find a special edition copy of this book for my collection...)!

Thank you NetGalley, Bookouture Audio and Second Sky Books for the ARC!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️✨️
🌶🌶🌶

♡ Magical Competition
♡ High Stakes
♡ "Good Girl."
♡ Forced Proximity
♡ Gothic Fantasy

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

I almost opted out of this one because I feared that it would be too similar to Caraval. While there are a few similar themes, put that thought from your mind, and give this book a chance because it absolutely deserves to be held on its own.

First, Ophelia has inherited the abilities of necromancy from her late mother, giving her a unique connection to the supernatural. Second, our MMC is a ghost. Yep, you heard me. Casper the sexy, panty-dropping ghost. Only, think more "older Danny Phantom" than "doe-eyed Casper."

The darkly gothic atmosphere entwines with the Dante's Inferno style of deadly games, each more gruesome than the last. But falling in love? That's the worst thing that can happen in Phantasma. Silver-tongued ghosts with a bl00d k!nk don't make it any easier.

Don't make deals with devils. Don't fall in love. Make it to level 9 alive.

Laura Horowitz unsurprisingly gave a phenomenal performance in this single narration style audiobook. The passion and enthusiasm that bleeds into her voice kept me believing I was right there in Phantasma, too.

Thank you to NetGalley for the ALC!

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio & Kaylie Smith for the audio galley of Phantasma in exchange for an honest review.

I was THRILLED to get to listen to this one early & I absolutely LOVED it!

I am a sucker for any book that contains a game/competition with supernatural & paranormal elements intertwined. I was NOT disappointed!

I was hooked before I even hit play & am ready to listen to it again!

First, the setting of Phantasma was phenomenal. The author did a great job with her vivid imagery & really giving us that atmospheric feel with the gothic haunted mansion full of twists & turns.

She also wrote each & every character with great detail & depth. I was captivated by every single one of them - the good, the bad & the ugly.

And HOLY HELL - I was ALL IN for the romance between Ophelia & Blackwell. Their chemistry & angst was so satisfying.

As with any story of this nature with a competition being involved, not everyone is going to leave Phantasma alive & we get a front row seat to how each character is eliminated. It's definitely not all pretty.

I now have A Ruinous Fate and A Reckless Oath on my TBR & can't wait to see what Kaylie Smith comes out with next!

Full 5 Stars!

Absolutely loved this. So easy to get into. If you like deadly trials, romantasy and who did this to you vibes then you'll definitely enjoy this. Can't wait to see what else Kaylie Smith writes.

Despite the fact that so many fantasy romance authors are doing game style fantasy competitions this year - this one felt super unique. I loved the ghost part - it reminded me of an adult Casper. There was enough darkness to keep me intrigued, the spice was hot and not overdone, and the challenges were different than anything I've read before. Super fun read and the audio was fantastic. I'll always wish for duet narration but since it's single POV this made more sense. I absolutely will read more by this author.

If you are looking for a spicy book about banging a demon (and I guess trying to save your sister) then may I suggest you pick up Phantasma when it comes out? If you need more motivation, there is a ghost cat, too.

Seriously though, I had a great time with this. I loved the competition—it reminded me a lot of Caraval but with a higher body count—and was always intrigued to see what deadly trial Ophelia was going to have to face next.

I’d enjoyed Smith’s YA series, so when I saw she was releasing an adult romantasy I was immediately intrigued. I was so excited to be approved for an audio ARC on NetGalley. The narrator did a fantastic job bringing the story to life.

I went into this not know a thing and Oh My Gosh I really liked this listen! I always like a book that has trials or games and this one provided one that incorporated the 7 levels of hell as a quest to find her sister! I will definitely be looking for more from this author.

First things first I've got to say I loved Laura Horowitz narration of this book. She really captured the different characters & her Blackwell was spot on.

I loved the premise behind this one, the trials, challenges & dangers throughout. I also loved the way we got to know Ophelia better the longer the competition went on, the relationships that developed including the one with herself, & of course the spice.

My only criticisms are small, the speed with which it all came to head & I'd have loved a little more of the backstory, because it was intriguing. However, I still got completely lost in this one & it was really easy to picture the scenes that Kaylie was setting. I'd definitely read more from this author.

Thank you Net galley for this arc,

If Neceomancers, devils, ghost and a haunted Mansion are all things you like than you need to read this book.

Ophelia is a necromancer, whose mother recently passed away, her sister is missing and she has a voice inside her head. In order to find her sister she decided to participate in Phantasma a deadly game with trials that has 9 levels. There are two rules don’t die and don’t fall in love. She meets a sexy phantom and strikes a bargain with him. As the levels get harder the more attracted she is to Blackwell.

This story was so unique, bloody, dark and I love how it is set in Louisiana. If you love dark gothic paranormal fantasy stories you will eat this one up. This is perfect for fans of Caraval who want something grown, sexy and dark.

I also got a chance to listen to the audiobook and it was truly perfect. Will be adding the narrator to my list of must listen to narrators.
Perfect book to read this fall.

★★★★★

If The Hunger Games had a child with a haunted house, Phantasma would be the result! This book was an absolute thrill from start to finish.

The narration was outstanding—so good that the narrator deserves an award. Her performance really elevated the story, making it even more gripping.

Phantasma is quirky, spicy, and impossible to put down. I didn’t even want to get out of the car when I got home! It’s a must-read if you’re looking for a fated love story in the fantasy genre out side the usual fae stories, truly unique and captivating.

This was such a wonderfully read but it was unexpectedly fun! I loved this book and the audio was a blast, the narration was a treat and filled with emotion.

Phantasma is a deadly game filled with demons and monsters, where you can win a prize from the demon prince of hell himself. Ophelia Grimm enters this competition hoping to find her sister. Despite being a necromancer, she struggles at the beginning within the challenges and ends up making a bargain with a phantom, Blackwell, for his assistance in the games. The relationship fostered between Ophelia and Blackwell grows from a hesitant agreement to a mutual respect. Then finally a hunger and need for each other's body and soul. The slow burn of need and wanting between the two was what got me. I loved the romance so much.

There were some things in the middle that just was annoying (Blackwell dealing with things for her off page) I like the chaos of the haunts and the games. The spice brought it back for me to keep interested. Kaylie Smith's writing in those scenes!! WOWZA

The Shadow Voice and OCD portrayl is beyond one of my favorite things within this story. This really helped give it the eerie gothic vibe without going fully into horror and gore. There definitely were some elements that may upset some, but they are spaced well between romance and other general scenes within this gothic setting. The end was a bit expected, but honestly, I'm not mad. Just because it is expected doesn't mean it is bad - I had a blast.

💝 Haunted House Competition
💝 OCD Rep
💝 Dark elements, demons & monsters
💝 Secrets galore
💝 Necromancer/Phantom Romance
💝 🌶️🌶️ Spice

cw: horror/gore elements

Thank you to NetGalley, Bookouture Audio & Forever Publishing for an ALC & eARC of <u>Phantasma</u> by Kaylie Smith

If I could give this book more stars I would! Kaylie Smith really debuted with a cracker of a book.

From the start the book is full of intrigue, and as it travels along the action, drama, suspense and romance just hits so well. I was on the edge of my seat the whole time waiting to see how the story developed, to see if Ophelia found her sister and if Blackwell would be freed from his endless imprisonment. The characters motivations were really well fleshed out and I was really rooting for them both, I also loved reading how the main characters interacted with the side characters, it was so fun to see different sides of them outside of the main relationship. Ophelia was also such a strong character, watching her grow throughout the competition was such a joy, it was also great to see OCD representation!

I absolutely looooved Ophelia and Blackwell together, the chemistry was explosive between these two and had me smiling, giggling and kicking my feet (as much as I could listening to an audiobook while driving).

The eerie, gothic vibes of Phantasma and the heart stopping challenges were some of my favourite parts of the book, I was always waiting for the next twist and to find out what the challenges would entail and I was never disappointed.

I consumed this book via audio, and I really enjoyed the narrator Laura Horowitz and her story telling skills, it really drew me into the story and made me not want to leave!

Thank you to NetGalley and Bookouture Audio for providing me with an audiobook ARC in return for an honest review.

To say this book had me gasping is an understatement. The story was fantastic, the spicy scenes were well written and the reveal of Blackwell's past had me having to stop the audio book, rewind and relisten to it a second time because it was just so good.

Netgalley ALC

I'm going to come right out and say it, I picked this book purely because of the cover. I absolutely love skulls and this cover just spoke to me.
This is the first book by this author I have read, but it wont be my last. I had no idea what to expect from Phantasma, I didn't read the blurb before diving in.
A deadly game of survival, with enemies to lovers, dark fantasy, with spicy scenes. What' not to love?
I loved the world that this was set it, the stakes where high for everyone involved and it was a kind of you trust no one and only rely on yourself. But Ophelia struggles at the beginning and makes a deal with Blackwell. Ophelia is a likeable character, strong, protective of family.
Blackwell is a charming, attractive, and seemingly harmless character. He's easy to like and want to get to know more about.
I loved the twists and turns that this story held, you never knew who to trust or what to trust. Nothing was as it seems.
This story was addictive from start to finish.

I enjoyed the narration by Laura Horowitz, I don't think I've listened to her narrate a book before, but would definitely look out for her narrations in the future.

What a wonderful and Phantastic world. This book focuses on two sisters, one goes missing and one has to go play a deadly game to find her. Enter Phantasma, where your worst nightmares come alive, and plays tricks on you.

I enjoyed the character driven storyline, and the third person POV, the gothic paranormal story set in New Orleans, necromancer FMC, explorations of heaven and hell, OCD and anxiety representation, forbidden romance, and a mysterious phantom MMC.

I thought this was a beautiful clash of Caraval and Haunted Mansion with a bit more spice, and hell-ish spirits. The plot twist was interesting and I was thoroughly surprised that this was a standalone book! I was really hoping that this was a series.

Blackwell and Ophelia are the IT couple when it comes to gothic romances.

Thank you Kaylie Smith, Bookouture Audio and, NetGalley for the ALC. The narrator, Laura Horowitz, read the book beautifully!