✨️💚✨️Audio Book Review✨️💚✨️

Book: Phantasma
Author: Kaylie Smith
Rating: 5 stars 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟

Holy crap balls.

This book was absolutely amazing!

When I first picked it up, I was instantly hooked and intrigued with the idea of a horror squid games style contest.

Throw in a shadow daddy MMC?

Sold. Love it. Need a physical copy for my trophy shelf.

This book had so many twists and turns, you couldn't trust anyone, and I was always sitting at the edge of my seat not knowing what was going to happen next.

The spice was absolutely wild too. Just overall such a well written and intense book!

You get:
• Dark Romantasy
• Horror/Gore
• Paranormal
• Puzzles/Tests
• Shadow Daddy MMC
• Necromancer FMC
• Sacrifice

I highly suggest this one! Available on KU, ebook, paperback, and audiobook on September 3rd!

This book is a very clear 5 out of 5, a 10 out of 10 for me
I realized this very quickly, I hadn't even finished the book yet.
I was lucky enough to listen to this book as an audiobook and i can only say that i am thrilled with this book.
I had so much fun with it and the characters and was 100% drawn into the story of Ophelia.

The grothic setting of New Orleans had me hooked from the first second. As it went on and the story picked up more and more I couldn't stop listening.
The individual competitions were exciting, varied and I was so curious to see what would happen each time. The search that took place outside the competitions also added to the suspense. The romance between Ophelia and Blackwell is 🥵🌶️🌶️ I can hardly put it into words, it was perfect. The banter and the overall character interaction suited both the individual characters and the setting as a whole.
I think the mix of plot, romance and spice in this book was very well distributed and I never had the feeling that there was too much or too little of either.

Another feature that I found very interesting was that Ophelia has OCD. In my opinion, this is done very respectfully and honestly and the effects of such a disorder are well revealed. (Disclaimer: I'm not an expert and don't know anything about OCD personally, I just have some general knowledge)
It's something different from what you're used to and I find that very refreshing.

The narrator Laura Horowitz did a wonderful job bringing this book to life. Her talent for giving each character their individual voice is what made this book so phenomenal. I am deeply impressed by her work.

This was a great first novel for new author. I love books where the MC is in some sort of trial or competition for their lives. This one was very "edge of your seat" when it got past the introductory/informative chapters. I'm not the biggest gothic style reader, however this was entertaining for sure and really kept my attention. Ophelia struggled with her mental health throughout the book and it was very interesting to see how the author chose to portray her experience. The narration was great. The twist at the end was great. All in all, the book was amazing and I'm so happy I was given the chance to check it out.

Thanks NetGalley for the ALC!

This book was so many things that I didn’t know that I needed to come together. Fantasy but set in a mostly modern (I think turn of the century) version of our world.

I will fully admit that I was able to guess the way that it would end about halfway through the book, but that was because all of the breadcrumbs to get you there were so skillfully scattered.

The novel combines trials, forbidden romance, a realistic non-idealized depiction of neurodivergence (FMC with OCD), A+ banter, and a wonderful Gothic aesthetic to create a beautiful capital R Romantic fever dream.

Anyone who reads the novel should walk away, thinking about for what they might be willing to bargain their soul to a devil.

Laura Horowitz 100% delivers as the narrator, giving life to every character through her various accents and great inflection. Added another great level of inversion to the story.

I already knew I was going to love the actual content so I was excited to read this romantasy all over again. Content wise this is the true definition of romantasy: equal weight to the plot and the romance and I was so impressed at having so much plot with the competition and trials with still a satisfying romance all within a standalone.

The narration was great. I felt Laura did a good job without overacting expressing the moodiness of the gothic mansion and honestly of the FMC. It's also very much 2x speed friendly. Thank you to Bookouture Audio for the ALC!

Okay the book - amazing. But the book with this audio. AMAZING. The narration was perfect and added so much depth of emotion to the story that, while I usually prefer reading, I listened to book for hours on end. While it was not dual narration, the narrators voices for the characters were distinct enough that it felt very easy to mentally imagine the different characters speaking and added so much to the story itself. I adored this book and this audio and would highly recommend it!

I really enjoyed this audiobook, it held my attention from the start! The narrator was great and easy to listen to! The story was full of mystery, dark magic, horrific games and intriguing characters! I really enjoyed to chemistry between Ophelia and Blackwell, and the amount of spice they was just right! Not too much to take over of the story, but just enough! I look forward to reading more books from the author!

I really enjoyed this audiobook, It held my attention from the start! The narrator was great and easy to listen to! The story was full of mystery, dark magic, horrific games and intriguing characters! I really enjoyed to chemistry between Ophelia and Blackwell, and the spiciness was just right! Not too much to take over of the story, but just enough! I look forward to reading more books from the author!

A gothic romantasy with family secrets, trials and a hot phantom. This for me is a 3.5 star read - strong on spice, interesting premise and I didn't see the twist coming!

That being said, for me personally there was something missing (maybe character development?) and I would SO not forgive the betrayals that easily. Like she was just ok with it?

The blurb says it's for Carissa Broadbent and SJM fans - I think if that's what you went in expecting you'd be disappointed. It doesn't quite have the same depth/world/character building - possibly because it's a standalone rather than a series - don't get me wrong, I was entertained, but for me it's not quite in that same bracket.

5/5 ⭐ WHERE DO I BEGIN? this paranormal dark gothic romance has my heart forever & we need book 2!!

Kaylie.. how dare you leave us on such a cliffhanger! (Plus a thousand thank you's for giving me the opportunity to not only read the ARC, but listen to it too!)

I absolutely devoured this book & audiobook. From the beginning I loved the characters, Ophelia ofc being my favorite. It reminded me of Adams family themed hunger games a little!

When Ophelia meets Blackwell I had no idea that the relationship would develop the way it did - plenty of spice and full of passionate, intense moments that had me on the edge of my seat the entire time, I was hanging onto every word that came out of that man's mouth.

Phantasma is such a great enemies to lovers romantasy - I was completely taken back with the ending & unable to control my emotions. I was sobbing!!

The side characters and levels throughout the game were written perfectly. A mixture of frustration, pain and anger throughout the 9 days..
It was a complete rollercoaster!

The backstory which we find out was just a full 360 from what I expected to have happened, insane.

You could never predict anything in this book!
👏🏻 Kaylie Smith, I will be reading each and every one of your books that you publish & recommend to everyone I know!

If you love gothic romances full of vampires, ghouls, ghosts and creatures from the dark, deals with the devil, haunted houses, dangerous trials - all intertwined within a beautiful and epic romance? Then Phantasma is for you!

Oh & we need exclusive editions in the UK, that would make my year🖤

I could go on forever about Phantasma, but I'm trying to not give away any spoilers... 👀

A beautifully written, gothic romance, set in New Orleans (which I LOVED), magical games to the death (yes please), a strong MFC (fav) and a ghost love interest (it worked, don't judge me for loving it). Ophelia enters the gothic, demonic world of Phantasma after her sister goes missing, and Blackwood (the brooding ghost) strikes up a deal to help her find her sister; he'll help her win the games and find her sister, and she'll help set him free from Phantasma.
This book was filled with twists and turns and I was hooked. It was fast faced, fun, filled with magic and romance. Absolutely loved it.

When her sister disappears, Ophelia learns that she has entered into a deadly competition called Phantasma. In order to save her sister Ophelia enters the competition, but not everything is as it seems. Making a deal with a phantom, Ophelia works to win each of the dangerous trials. But as the trials get harder and secrets are revealed, Ophelia will have to decide what she is willing to lose to win it all.

I flew through this book and I absolutely loved this narration! The story was so fun and creative and I loved Blackwell! I couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next and the ending did not disappoint. I wish there would have been more at the end, but overall I loved every bit of this book. I highly recommend this book and I can't wait to see more from Kaylie Smith.

this is everything I want from a gothic romance, it’s got tension galore, a ghost lover and spooky vibes for days. Perfect amount of spice too! I’m not sure if it’s a standalone or not but there is definitely potential for a sequel which I’ll definitely read! Will be great to read in autumn.

Narrator: 5/5
Rating: 4.5/5 rounded up
Spicy: 4/5 (Personally some may find it more or less)

The twist in this book made me wish I could go back and listen to it all over again. You see one part coming. It's so obvious feeling but then it twists and you are like DID THAT JUST HAPPEN? I highly recommend this book. It was such a good time and flowed so well. Seriously, just go get the audiobook. You will not regret it. Or maybe you will, but I did not.

I simply cannot say enough good things about this book. It had everything I wanted and more. Ghosts, phantoms, ghouls, a ghost cat, deadly games and riddles, apparitions, romance, spice, and so much more. I loved the dark and eerie setting in New Orleans and the tie to dark magic, devils, vampires and necromancy. The twists and turns were ones that I never saw coming and when I placed myself in Ophelia's shoes (the FMC) I knew I would have been doomed in these deadly games. I want, no need, more stories in this world and with these characters! The banter between Blackwell and Ophelia (phantom and FMC) was perfect. There was tension and funny moments and the spice was SPICY! PHEW! I cannot recommend this book enough. It is the perfect book for dark romantasy lovers who want a book that keeps them on the edge of their seat with what will happen next and/or who will come looking for Ophelia next!

This was Caraval for all the dark romance girlies and I’m officially obsessed with these characters. The beginning felt a little slow to me, but once Phantasma kicked in, I couldn’t catch my breath. The peril Ophelia found herself facing again and again ratcheted up the tension and the evolution of her relationship with Blackwell made me vibrate with suppressed emotion. I think I did squeal a time of two. The imagery was so vivid that it made it easy to imagine moving around in the haunted mansion. I also found Ophelia to be relatable in her vulnerabilities and really appreciated the way that her character was written. Once the action really kicked in and Ophelia began moving through the levels, it became impossible for me to put this book down. The plot increased its tempo and remained perfectly paced to keep my attention. Then there was the Phantom. Blackwell might very well be a new favorite book boyfriend for me because the way he spoke to and dominated Ophelia made me feel things few books have. Their interactions frustrated me to no end, then drew me back like a moth to the flame. The ending of Phantasma was exactly what I wanted from a story like this one and I will be shouting about this book from the rooftops. Ophelia and Blackwell deserve all the hype and I intend to give it to them. The narrators also did an amazing job with expressing the emotions throughout the story. The shadow voice within Ophelia was heart-stopping and really facilitated the feelings of danger and fear that had dominated her life. I couldn’t have imagined a better audio experience.

Thank you Kaylie Smith and Second Sky/Forever for the ARC audiobook

The only way I can describe this book is that I can 100% visualise it as a season of American Horror Story and that is absolutely high praise.

What I loved about this book:
- The sisterly bond between Ophelia and her little sister Genevieve (I think that's how you spell it but as an audiobook reader.. I don't know 🤣)
- The constant internal conflict Ophelia faces feels real and relatable
- A fresh take on the trials aspect. It actually felt high-stakes throughout
- The beautiful and respectful representation of OCD and how is feels to live with it both internally and externally. I loved seeing how it manifests in Ophelia's life and how people respond to it
- The visual feast that are the trials of Phantasma; the way Kaylie writes is as if she is painting a visual scene
- DO NOT GET ME STARTED ON HOW IN LOVE I AM WITH BLACKWELL OMG. He sets a new standard of men!
- The CONSENT in all the spicy scenes (and omg the spicy scenes were 🥵🔥💯)
- I 1000% need a short story of Blackwell and YOU KNOW WHO... their origins and that story.. I NEED IT
- I'm disappointed in myself that it took me so long to realise it was the one and only Laura Horowitz performing this book. She is one of the BEST female narrators and brought a layer of seductiveness to this book that I can't really describe! 10/10 performance!

What I didn't like:
- Taking turns to end things. I'm not a fan of the "breaking-up because we shouldn't be together" trope and it happened twice I think?
- That's it, that's the only thing I didn't like.


Honestly, Kaylie is an insta-buy author for me now. I love her writing voice and how it always feels like I'm watching a vivid movie inside my head (which I often struggle with when reading).

Phantasma was absolutely incredible! I was immediately enthralled and stayed hooked throughout the entirety of the story. To add some context, I don't often listen to audiobooks since I tend to become easily distracted by other things while listening and they often seem a bit slow to me. Not Phantasma, though. Kaylie Smith's writing combined with Laura Horowitz's narration was absolute perfection.

Phantasma is dazzling but deadly, reminding me very much of Caraval and Throne of the Fallen, albeit with darker themes. Surrounded with mystery and intrigue, the world of Phantasma drew me in with its rich descriptions and lush, magical vibes. I love a good alternative reality fantasy and the setting of an alternate New Orleans - home of necromancers, demons, and more - hit the spot.

In terms of the characters, I loved Ophelia. From the jump, she had a chip on her shoulder and I loved watching as she went through the trials of Phantasma while simultaneously going through her own mental trials to battle the invasive voices within her head. I don't have personal experience with OCD, so I can't speak very well to the authenticity of the representation of Ophelia's OCD, however it certainly was a core part of Ophelia's story and its effects on her were definitely portrayed through her internal struggles. Blackwell, on the other hand, was a classic tortured hero type with a fantastical twist and it was so easy to fall in love with him as he fell for Ophelia. I loved Blackwell from the moment he and Ophelia met and, though he was often shrouded in mystery as the story is from Ophelia's POV, I was (and still am) intrigued to discover more about him. And all of the other characters, from Ophelia's mother and sister, to Blackwell's... associates... to those that Ophelia meets in Phantasma. are all so distinctive and I felt so much empathy and hope - as well as disdain and hatred - for the supportive characters.

Phastasma was my introduction to Kaylie Smith's books and I will be reading through their backlist as I eagerly wait for the next book!

Audio Review Thank you to netgalley!
4.5 Stars

Gothic Setting
Necromance FML
Set in New Orleans(Helllllllo I loved this so much)
Trials
Tall FMC (this is important to me okay, we love a 5'11 queen)
Dramonie coded (Look at the authors insta fanart, ugh Blackwell is everything)
Spicy!!!

I really liked this but I felt like Ophelia was a bit wishy washy when it came to Blackwell and it was pretty annoying at some points. But otherwise this was such a good read. I can't wait to preorder so that I can have a physical edition to tab. Also there is amazing art for preorder goodies that I need asap. I loved this gothic setting and the trials are so different then any other book with this trope. There is also this one haunting scene that was soooo good and spicyyyyyy. Lives rent free in my brain.

This book was so good! I absolutely loved it! Thank you so much NetGalley for the ARC of the audio. This book is definitely a new favorite of mine! This book follows Ophelia Grimm's journey in Phantasma. Phantasma is a competition of mazes and puzzles put together by Devils with the winner being allowed a single wish. Ophelia's mom has recently passed leaving Ophelia and her sister in major debt and her sister wants to fix it for them so she runs away and joins the competition to save their house and get out of debt. Ophelia worried for her sister joins the competition to save her. Ophelia in the competition meets a phantom named Blackwell who will help her survive and find her sister if she helps free him from being trapped at Phantasma. They work together to get through each trial together. Their slowburn romance and banter as they work together to save and protect each other was perfect! I adored their relationship! This book is super addictive and has so many good twists and turns especially the ending that I did not see coming! I absolutely would recommend this book! I also loved the narrator for the audiobook, it was so well done and would recommend the audiobook version as well! Thanks again for the ARC!