Holy Hell, this is a bloody good book!!! I loved Kaylie Smith’s writing, the vivid and detailed descriptions, the world building, the fabulous group of characters, the gothic vibe, the steamy scenes, and the element of danger. I am usually hit or miss with books in the fantasy genre, but Phantasma cast it’s spell on me. I was addicted to this book and the characters from the very first page.
Phantasma is a game held inside a haunted mansion. As with all games there are rules and in Phantasma, not following the rules can have deadly consequences. But don’t worry, the rules are simple enough: stay alive and don’t fall in love. If you can make it to the end, you win a prize! The prize – you get to make a wish! It had better be a good one!
When Ophelia’s sister goes missing, Ophelia, a necromancer, enters Phantasma to find her. Once in Phantasma, Ophelia must complete 9 levels (like the 9 circles of hell), each one more dangerous and deadly than the last. The contestants will be up against each other, demons, various temptations, and deadly challenges. There will be only one winner. It is not for the faint of heart!
Blackwell, a mysterious, charismatic, sexy and handsome man/ghost/? offers her a bargain, Ophelia decides to take him up on it. But everything is not as it seems in Phantasma!
I had the pleasure of having both the physical book and the audiobook which made for pure bliss. Laura Horowitz, the narrator of the audiobook, did an amazing job. Seriously she nailed it! It was pure listening bliss. I highly recommend the audiobook if you enjoy listening to books. I am so happy that I decided to take a chance on this book, and it paid off big time! I absolutely loved this dark, fantasy romance!
The characters are fantastic, as were their names. Plus, there is some great dialogue and banter in this book. Some characters are likeable, some are creepy, some sinister, some are vile, and some grew on me like a weed. Plus, Phantasma has a devilishly wonderful gothic vibe to it.
Addictive, sexy, sinister, fun, entertaining and hard to put down!
Highly Recommend this devilishly delightful book!
Thank you to Second Sky/Forever, Bookouture Audio | Second Sky Books and NetGalley who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review. All the thoughts and opinions are my own.