Though I have been a bit busy lately, my love for gothic fantasy led me to Phantasma by Kaylie Smith, a selection I'm pleased with as it turned out to be a welcome distraction from my hectic schedule. The blurb promises a story about deadly trials and games set in a haunted house. I think this book would make a fine Fall/Halloween read.
Set in New Orleans, the story follows two sisters, Ophelia and Genevieve, after the death of their mother. She was a powerful necromancer and by their magical laws, her gift must pass to her eldest daughter, Ophelia.
This young lady not only inherits the necromancy magic but also a lot of debt that could lead them to losing their home to the loan bank within a month. To help the situation and take the burden off her sister's shoulders, Genevieve enters a deadly competition called Phantasma. When Ophelia discovers, she immediately joins the competition too.
During the games, she meets a handsome, dark stranger who offers to help her win the competition in exchange for a steep price. Will she accept the bargain to save herself and her sister?
Genres: Gothic Fantasy, Romantasy, Fiction
Publication: September 2024
Pages: 497
Review And Rating
Other than knowing that this fantasy romance is centered around deadly games, I went into it completely blind. The idea of the games and the adventure that follows was enough to hold my attention and keep me reading. The plot is not bad, kind of okay-ish in my opinion. I understand from some readers that its similar to Caraval by Stephanie Garber but since I've not read the book mentioned, I'm not certain about their similarities.
I enjoyed reading this book a lot because it was a welcomed distraction and the author's prose style is smooth and captures the settings very well. I felt like I was in New Orleans with the characters in this story. From the first chapter that details the mother's death and Ophelia's pressure to continue the family legacy, I was drawn into the tale. The trials and games were deadly and gripping. I cheered for some of the characters while I loathed some of them (the villains, of course) and wanted them to fail.
The trials were action-packed. Though some of the plot twists were predictable for me, I didn't mind how the story turned out. The lead characters, Ophelia and Blackwell, were interesting and well developed to fit the plot.
The romance was sweet and a little spicy though not believable in my opinion. How can two people in a deadly game fall in love within a week? Unreal, I know, because the stakes are high, adrenaline is pumping and emotions are all over. But this author made us believe it was possible and for fantasy sake, I went along and ate up the story.
This story is well paced all through and then rushed at the end. The author jam-packed so much information and reveals in the last two chapters that it was almost disappointing. Also, I would have loved to know more about the other characters, especially the contestants in the games. I wish the author had developed them more beyond simply participating and vanishing from the story. Still, I'd say there's no dull moment in this book.
The worldbuilding is well-written and immersive; a moody world steeped in a lore of devils, demons, ghosts and scary creatures but most interestingly, a game that depicts the greatest fears of the participants. It was intriguing to see how Ophelia navigated her inner fears which I later learned was OCD related.
Rating this book, I'll give it 4 stars out of 5. It's a fun and worthwhile read. The author's writing style is admirable and this book is one I'd recommend to readers just delving into the gothic fantasy genre.
Image generated with Chatgpt using the e-book cover
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