Dark Fantasy Romance – LairOfBooks

Title: Phantasma (Wicked Games #1)

Author: Kaylie Smith

Pub. Date: September 3rd 2024

Genre: Fantasy Romance/Paranormal

Format: eARC

Publisher: Forever

Pages: 497

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☆☆ARC PROVIDED BY PUBLISHER IN EXCHANGE FOR AN HONEST REVIEW☆☆

╰☆☆ “𝙸𝚗 𝚊 𝚍𝚒𝚏𝚏𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚗𝚝 𝚕𝚒𝚏𝚎, 𝚒𝚗 𝚊 𝚏𝚊𝚒𝚛 𝚘𝚗𝚎, 𝙸 𝚠𝚘𝚞𝚕𝚍’𝚟𝚎 𝚔𝚎𝚙𝚝 𝚢𝚘𝚞 𝚞𝚗𝚝𝚒𝚕 𝚖𝚢 𝚎𝚝𝚎𝚛𝚗𝚊𝚕 𝚜𝚘𝚞𝚕 𝚠𝚒𝚝𝚑𝚎𝚛𝚎𝚍 𝚊𝚠𝚊𝚢 𝚝𝚘 𝚍𝚞𝚜𝚝” ☆☆╮

The opening scene in Phantasma introduces us to Necromancer Ophelia Grimm and her sister as they’ve just discovered the body of their deceased mother. Ophelia realizes this now makes her the head of their manor and their home run family business with all things related to the dead. She’s been trained and prepared for this role by her mother since she was a very little girl and now the day has come where she must take over. Before she can get any of their matters in order however, her sister disappears without a word of her whereabouts. Ophelia searches for answers and while doing so discovers the debt the manor has incurred and that they may be losing the manor very soon. She has now inherited her family’s death magic as well as the financial burden of the manor that has been left behind. Her sister Genevieve Grimm has left the manor it seems to enter a competition that may give them the opportunity to win the cash needed to save their manor. Phantasma is a competition set inside a Gothic haunted manor made up of nine floors each with a challenge designed to fatally take out those who sign up. Only one will make it out alive and to that person, a wish will be granted. Demons, Ghouls, Poltergeists, and Phantoms are only some of the entities the contestants will come across as they race to beat each other to the prize. These challenges are NOT for the feint of heart, they tap into your deepest darkest fears and then use them against you. Ophelia’s entrance into Phantasma doesn’t go unnoticed by the ghosts of the manor, she is an enigma they will go after if only to see what makes her different.

The TiK Tok Girlies got this one right Book Lovers! OBSESSED is putting it lightly, I am sitting here counting down the days until April 8th for the release of ENCHANTRA! all other books will be paused while I dive back into the world of all things the Grimm sisters. If you’re looking for a read that will suck you right in and make you a front row spectator to a high stakes adrenaline inducing competition, then treat yourself to the experience that is this book! Hella descriptive, I found myself squirming at some of the deaths and yet still anticipating the next challenge…not sure what that says about me. Atmosphere is a 10/10, characters 10/10, plot and intrigue also are a 10/10. What I wasn’t expecting? the OCD representation to also be 10/10, as a person with OCD I have never read any character experience thoughts/compulsions I’ve also had. I had one of those moments while reading where I just nodded and smiled at feeling seen. Anyways, if you’re here to find out about the romance and spice levels fret not! Ophelia and Blackwell will have you asking yourself if a paranormal tryst is what’s missing in your life. The spice is a 10/10 between these two who found a minute between challenges and in spare rooms to get it on. Phantasma was a 5 star read for me and I just can’t wait to get my hands on Enchantra to see what Genevieve gets up to in her story arc.

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