Thank you to Kaylie Smith & NetGalley for the opportunity to read this arc!

it was absolutely incredible, if you loved ‘Once upon a broken heart/ Caraval’ & ‘The Serpent & the wings of night’ you’ll really love this!

It was darker than OUABH & Blackwell was just perfect 🥲 the twist at the end of this…there’s so much detail and you discover something new not long after the last thing, I really enjoyed this book & I’ll be looking at Kaylie’s other titles too!

An awesome dark fantasy novel. Ghosts, phantoms and spectres abound in this novel. If you love fantasy, gore and hot romance then this is the book for you. I loved the interaction between the main characters and the compassionate way OCD was treated. A great read.

The most addictive romantasy I have read in a long time.
I had to pick myself off the floor after finishing this book and just staring at the wall for a bit. This book is SO good.
Dark!, seductive, exciting, paranormal PERFECTION. This was the best kind of genre-bender for me - what I'd call a blend of fantasy, paranormal romance and horror. Nothing is exactly what it seems in Phantasma.
I'm predicting this will be a breakout romantasy this Fall, because the vibes are SPOOKY, dark perfection.
The author dropped the twistiest of plot twists at 90% in this book, and after picking my jaw up off the floor I was GIDDY with the new development. The plot of the book is neatly wrapped at the end of the book while leaving openings for a future series (fingers crossed!).
The mysterious, dangerous MMC with a heart of gold was lovely. The SPICE was dangerously hot. But this is my favorite FMC I've read in a very long time. Her character arc is truly brought to fruition, I loved seeing her go from timid, living in the shadows to coming into her power and beating back her inner demons, while surrounded by literal demons. Most importantly, the representation and personification of OCD in this book were deeply meaningful to me and one of the most powerful parts of this story. It blended perfectly with the haunted house vibes while demonstrating the sometimes debilitating nature of OCD. A huge thank you to the author for putting this out there.

What more can I say - I am SO grateful for the opportunity to read this ARC and NEED a copy for my shelves. Will be shouting from the rooftops for everyone to READ THIS RIGHT NOW.

I absolutely loved this book. A dark romance based on the circles of hell/sins of man, portrayed as game levels in a possessed manor, with the ultimate prize; a wish granted by the prince of devils himself. We follow our main character, Ophelia, who finds herself forced into joining phantasma, in search of her sister. There’s deals with phantoms, meddlesome devils & and house working against her. There is forbidden love, in a house that is absolutely not okay with any love, ever. There is betrayals, and secrets, and lies. There is death, and mental health awareness & representation (OCD) + plenty of spice. I put all the pieces of the puzzle together at about 83%, and was correct on the outcome, but I still really enjoyed it & think it wrapped up the story nicely. Have already begun recommending to friends!

Thank you SO much to NetGalley and the author for this ARC🥀

I don’t even know where to start. I loved this story and was hooked from the very beginning! I love a good book about necromancers and magic practicing, and this did not disappoint! I loved the competition aspect of the story and mixed with paranormal shenanigans just kept me so engaged. BLACKWELL!!🫶🏻

Phantasma is an insanely addictive read full of magic, gore and spice. A must-have read for any dark romance lover and the perfect pick for spooky season.

Set in the heart of New Orleans, in a haunted gothic manor, Phantasma is a series of trials based around each of the nine circles of hell with the ultimate prize of a Devil's Grant. Ophelia Grimm, a necromancer, enters to save her sister. With the help of a phantom, Blackwell, she navigates each obstacle whilst learning to control her own magic. But things aren't as they seem within the walls of Phantasma and secrets don't stay hidden...

I loved this book! Quite fittingly, I read the majority of it late into the night, unable to tear myself away from it's pages and the high stakes of the game. Ophelia is a great FMC and I loved seeing her becoming more confident in herself and her magic with each level and it was great to see OCD representation woven into her character. Blackwell is the hottest ghost about! The banter between him and Ophelia was electric! The chemistry off the charts, especially when his heart doesn't even beat. And dear devils, the spice!! Including a very hot blood shower scene 🥵

If you love a haunted house, deals with devils, deadly trials, blood and gore, sexy as sin spice and a (ph)anastically fuckable phantom then you need to enter the doors of Phantasma.

Thank you to Second Sky Books and NetGalley for the chance to read this stunning dark romance book 🩸👹✨

*OCD rep* horror lite* trials* ghosts, devils, phantoms* 🌶️ 🌶️ spicy * deal with a devil* necromancer * haunted mansion *set in N’awlins

Did you enjoy Caraval but wished it had ANY spice? Do you like the concept of haunted mansions and the nine circles of hell as trials for the main character to work through.

Enter Phantasma.

The spicy romance doesn’t kick in for awhile but once it does it’s nearly every other chapter. The spookiness is spookin. The gore is gory. The horror is hitting. I don’t even typically read horror so this is probably horror lite for those that get into the darker stuff.

Overall, there was decent balance between plot and spice. The banter was good between the FMC and love interest.

Only downside was that I did find the ending somewhat predictable around halfway through. Otherwise I truly enjoyed this book and for a breakout author it was pretty solid and fun to read.

I received an eARC of this book through NetGalley for an honest review.

I loved this book! It was spooky and sweet, gory and intriguing and Ophelia and Blackwell were an absolute delight.

I loved Phantasma’s setting as a gothic haunted house with terrifying trials. It set the stakes high and I was concerned who would make it out of trial and honestly hoping some wouldn’t 😅

The plot was full of mysteries, why Phantasma exists, who runs it? Where’d all these Devils come from and why are they all so attractive?? Will there really be a winner, or is it a game within a game? I was left guessing the whole time with tiny reveals and breadcrumbs along the way that led to a very satisfying end ❤️‍🔥

Ophelia was such a relatable character (I mean apart from the necromancy 😂) but seeing the inside of an OCD brain bought a real human aspect to her character. Blackwell was everything, I love him, he’s everything you need.

Go on, face your fears and lose yourself in to Phantasma’s gothic fantasy world 🥀

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.

ARC Book Review!

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith


4.5 / 5⭐️

4 / 5 🔥


HOLYYYYY SHIT! 🤯

This books vibes immediately hooked me! It gives the feeling of the originals in a new Orleans mixed with caraval but better!

When I read caraval I was a bit confused by the order of things however Kaylie Smith has completely irradiated that issue by fully outlining phantasma before our FMC enters.
Each of the levels are well thought out and creatively moves the story forward.

The story reads very YA with a few snippets of excellently executed smut scenes. I personally would describe it as more of a gothic romance than a dark romance. Although there were themes of BDSM, captivity, and violence they all read pretty light (more of a touch on them) then previous dark romances I have read. This may be a good trial book for someone who’s interested in dark romances but isn’t sure if they can handle a heavier novel.

The twist at the end had my jaw dropping! I did not see it coming in the slightest. This is without a doubt one of the best books I’ve read this year!

This book is for you if you like :

Paranormal beings
Magic contest
OCD rep

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#book #bookstagram #booklover
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Thank you to Second Sky/Forever and NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for an honest review!

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is an amazing new romantasy that is sure to become to next, big bestseller. The story revolves around Ophelia, who, on a missing to save her sister, enters a mysterious and magical contest inside a mansion named Phantasma, She must go through deadly trials in order to win the ultimate prize: a wish for anything in the world. Along the way, she will have to deal with backstabbing competitors, Devils who try to trick her into failing, and one very handsome man named Blackwell who offers her a proposal that she can't refuse. Will Ophelia succeed in winning the competition and saving her sister, or will she succumb to the Devils and dangers of Phantasma?

Here is a beautiful excerpt from Chapter 1:

"Moonlight glinted off the gilded locket clasped around the corpse’s cold neck.
Ophelia Grimm unfastened her mother’s heart-shaped necklace with fervor before stepping clear of the spell circle and reaching beneath her loose, umber curls to secure the familiar bauble around her own throat. A shiver ran down her spine when the chilled metal settled against her skin, and her flesh prickled beneath it.
Ophelia sank to her knees on the left of her mother’s pale corpse, her sister, Genevieve, watching a few feet away in rapt silence. Tightening her grip around the silver blade in her hand, Ophelia pressed its sharp tip into the soft, ivory flesh of her inner arm. The slice was deep but precise, drawing enough blood that it dripped and pooled onto the ground before her and dyed the delicate white material of her nightgown a macabre shade of vermilion."

Overall, Phantasma is an amazing new standalone romantasy that will appeal to fans of Cavaral and Death Note. One highlight is just how overall amazing the concept was! When I read the description of the book, I knew that this book had the potential of being the next big thing, and after reading it, I'm so happy with how well-executed the story was. I love stories that are located in haunted mansions, and when you add in magic and mysteries, the story becomes so good. I could not put this book down. I had to keep reading until I finally reached the end.

Another highlight of this book is how beautiful the writing is. The prose was truly well-done, and I felt like I was transported into the world of the book, with all of its dangers and desires. One final highlight of this book is how action-packed it was. I was on the edge of my seats as I read about how Ophelia survived each of the perilous trials. Also, the ending was simply mind-blowing. My jaw dropped to the floor. That's how good it was. If the author writes any more books in the future, I will definitely add them to my TBR list. If you're intrigued by the excerpt above, or if you're a fan of romantasy in general, I highly recommend that you check out this book when it comes out in September!

THIS BOOK IS SO GOOD.

I finished this and then immediately told everyone I knew who would be interested to read this book, I need someone to talk about it with. To write a romantasy that has worldbuilding and competition, internal and external conflict, and equal weight to the romance all in a single standalone?! Impressive work by this author (this is a first for me by her).

The FMC's mother dies suddenly making her the new head of household and her inheriting their family magic. Her and her sister are super close but maybe not as close as Ophelia thought because her sister enters a competition for an ultimate wish granted from a demon without telling her. So Ophelia joins in an effort to find her.

The setting is so eerie in a gothic mansion with the intent to expose your worst fears to you around every corner. There are rounds of challenges as the competition thins and Ophelia is stuck in a cohort without her sister. Some competitors make deals with greedy demons who assist with the competition and the stakes are so high. That's where Ophelia meets the MMC, a phantom with no memories trapped in the house and they absolutely canNOT fall in love (hehe).

I know this has CW for horror and gore, etc. If you've read the likes of Fourth Wing or the serpent and the wings of night it's comparable in that this is an adult fantasy where yes people die on page, I didn't find it gratuitous. CW for OCD including intrusive thoughts.

This has so many twists and turns and the last 20% was just so excellent. Thank you to Forever for the eARC!

"You came"
"You called"

Blackwell is i think everything you want in a morally grey character. i loved the banter between him and ophelia. I thought that theit love story was believable. i liked how we werent just thrown into it. i also appreciated that the trials werent rushed. i felt like each one really got a good description which i was worried they wouldnt.

i think she also did a good job talking about OCD and how it was written about in the book made the story better.

the beginning was a little slow for me to get into but once we hit the first trial i finished this book in 1 day. A great read! would definitley recommend

I know it is said a lot, but there is something about a book that yanks you right out of a reading slump that just showcases how magical that book is. Phantasma was one of those books for me. I would say it is very similar to Caraval in theme, being that there is this magical event with different tests and it’s full of surprises. Phantasma is also similar in that the main character gets involved in things that are technical outside of the event itself and related to the production as a whole. That being said - I loved that Phantasma offered a more grown up version of this type of vibe with some spookier elements. The trials based off the rings of hell were interesting, and the romantic element was *chefs kiss*. So much tension, and push and pull. I had a hard time putting this book down, because every chapter was so engaging.

When the description of this book says its similar to Caraval & The Hunger Games it really means it. Sprinkle in some dark fantasy and an adult setting and thats basically the first book in the series. That being said, it isn't the most original storyline ever and can be predictable at times. But as long as that's not an issue for you this book definitely fulfills on the dark, epic supernatural storytelling.

Ophelia is the main character and I found her way more likable and relatable then either of the sisters from the Caraval series. I cannot wait for the next book to come out. I would reread this one, especially with a audiobook pairing. I would also recommend it to anyone who likes dark romance.

⭐⭐⭐⭐.5 of 5 overall (rounded up)
🌶🌶 of 5 for spice

3.25 ⭐️ I didn't love it as much as I thought I would but it was still good. The idea is super cool (think about Caraval but with ghosts) but >for me< the main problem was Ophelia, ughhh I couldn't like her at all (and I tried!!!) ((a lot!!!!)). The rest of the book was very good but she completely ruined the experience for me. In return, Blackwell was EVERYTHING!!! Seriously, he would easily be in my top 5 book boyfriends. The plot was ok, a little predictable so it didn't make my rating go up but it was ok.

I love a good dark fantasy and this didn’t let me down. I had a fantastic time reading this! Definitely enjoyed the flow of this book and felt that it was very thought out.

4⭐️

Phantasma, by indie author Kaylie Smith, is a dark fantasy that kept me on the edge of my seat from start to finish. The story revolves around a deadly game where survival is paramount, and falling in love is forbidden. Ophelia’s sister goes missing, prompting her to enter Phantasma—a sinister maze with nine treacherous challenges. Contestants must battle monsters, outwit rivals, and even make deals with the devil to win. Ophelia faces an offer from Blackwell, a charming yet potentially dangerous figure, who promises to help her if she calls his name three times, in exchange for ten years of her life.

This book was a thrilling read, especially for a debut adult novel from a newer indie author. Initially, I was cautious but ended up pleasantly surprised by the fast-paced, action-packed plot. Despite a rough start and an overuse of the word “macabre,” the story quickly captivated me. The ending felt a bit rushed, leaving some unanswered questions, but it neatly tied up the main plot.

Phantasma is not just a game; it’s a haunted house that appears in different cities, mimicking the nine circles of hell. The winner, if they survive, gets their wish granted by a devil. Ophelia’s quest to find her sister leads her through a hellish experience where she uncovers long-hidden truths. Will she save her sister and her family from debt, or fall victim to the devils and their bargains?

The book features devils, demons, phantoms, necromancers, and a compelling love story, making it a captivating romantasy. It also thoughtfully addresses mental health, depicting Ophelia’s struggle with OCD and intrusive thoughts, adding depth to her character.

Overall, I’d give this book 4 out of 5 stars and recommend it when it releases on September 3rd. It’s a promising start to a series that I look forward to following.

I had the best time reading this oh my god!!!!
This is such a great book to read if you want something like caraval but 18+
The story was very thought out and the characters were so so good and had perfect chemestry

Thank you Netgalley and the publsiher for the arc

3.5 stars.

The story follows contestants of Phantasma - a competition where you're locked in a haunted house and must pass 9 trials (nine circles of hell). The winner gets a wish of their choice granted...
Ophelia enters the game claiming to search for her sister, although she isn't even sure if her sister is there... this might have been fine if the rest of the book echoed this... Unfortunately for me, it did not. I had hoped for a twist... but besides all the gory deaths and spice, I found myself bored. As we all know, instalust/instalove isn't for me, and I just feel like that's kind of all we got... the family subplot and Ophelia's attempts to help Blackwell added some depth to the story.

I did love the gothic/haunted house vibes and the darker themes, and it was fun to read this type of darker twist on the overdone trial genre. It was just REALLY similar to Caraval for me, in a way that was a little too obvious.

Thank you, NetGalley, for the ARC. All thoughts are my own!