Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don't fall in love.
When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.
The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don’t overtake her first.
When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.
Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.
When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.
The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win... if her fears don’t overtake her first.
When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.
Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.
Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games #1)
Author: Kaylie Smith
Publisher: Forever
Publication Date: September 3. 2024
Review:
I'm so hesitant these days to read hyped books or books that end up on TikTok. More often than not I'm disappointed with the writing, the characters, or even just the story in general. This book, though. This book was worth every bit of hype I have heard about it. This was so much more entertaining than I could have imagined it would be.
Imagine a world where paranormal beings such as necromancer's and devils exist. This is that world. Set in the lush and magical landscape of New Orleans, the story follows Ophelia, a necromancer who has inherited her gifts from her recently departed mother and who must save her sister from certain ruin.
There so much I could say about this book but I don't want to give the story away. I will say that Smith builds a rich, immersive world where people compete for a chance to earn the devil's favor. The games they play are deadly and the price of staying alive steals them of their humanity as the contestants move through a house full of supernatural beings who want nothing but to see them suffer. It pits the contestants against each other for the pleasure of the devils. Think Hunger Games with magic and surreal landscapes.
Ophelia is not a character I thought I'd grow to love. At first glance, she is all "oh wo is me" because she has been groomed to carry on her family legacy while her sister was able to lead a more normal life with friends and parties and fun. She hides herself from everyone and is completely closed off. But you do see the love she has for her family, her sister and mother, from the start. So there was always hope for me she would open up and bloom. And she did. She went from a bit of a timid flower to this powerful person who was willing to fight to keep what makes her happy. The inclusion of her Obsessive Compulsive Disorder makes her that much more interesting and Smith handled this part of Ophelia's personality with care and understanding. The mental health of this character becomes paramount to how she progresses through the competition.
Blackwell, well, he's a being on a totally different plane. And I mean that since he's a Phantom. I was enchanted by him from the very start and knew I would only grow to love him more as the story progressed. I loved how he never lost sight of exactly what he wanted and how he chose to immediately protect Ophelia. Of course there were times I wasn't sure he was trustworthy. But I love me some morally gray characters and he fit that bill well.
The slow burn forbidden romance hit all the right spots for me. I loved the chemistry between Ophelia and Blackwell. It was magnetic and explosive and it wasn't insta-love, which I appreciate. But you definitely feel their pull to each other from the very beginning of the story. Smith also does the spice in this book very well. It wasn't over the top and the complete center of the story.
The pacing of the book is fast. Set inside a fantastical mansion where things are never quite what they seem. Smith creates a world where paranormal beings are the norm and no one is surprised to meet something otherworldy. New Orleans, with it's rich history of spirits and mystery, was a great backdrop for this story. It added a wealth of gothic ambience. Add in the seven deadly sins as the themes of the trials and you've got yourself a story that is captivating. There are many twists and turns throughout the story that are unexpected and keep it moving forward and keep the reader wanting more. The ending as not what I expected at all, though I had my suspicions things were not quite as they seemed.
This is my first dark fantasy romance that I can remember reading and it hit all the good spots with how the world was built, how the romance progressed, and just that right amount of horror and suspense that kept me wondering what would happen and how things could possible end up right at the end. Smith has created a unique concept that drew me in and made me want more. I'm excited to read Genevieve's story and see where Smith could possibly take it!
Author:
Kaylie Smith is a writer and lover of all things magical and fantasy. She grew up in Louisiana where she frequently haunted bookstores and practiced her writing craft. After getting her BFA, she decided to fully pursue her dream of being an author and writing books in the romantasy genre. Her first series, the HEARTLESS FATES trilogy published from Disney Hyperion and her adult romance debut, PHANTASMA, is out September 2024. When she isn’t writing or reading, she can be found at home with her Australian Shepherds, talking to ghosts, or dusting her growing collection of knitted frogs.
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