Phantasma

Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

I absolutely loved this book! From the dark gothic atmosphere to the supernatural elements, the romance and the deadly trials, Phantasma had so many things I enjoy in a story.

Ophelia was a brilliant main character. I loved her personality, her necromancy and the way she handled everything thrown at her. The trials were one of my favourite parts because there was always something new happening, which kept the story interesting and stopped me from losing interest.

And then there’s Blackwell! 🖤 I loved his character, his confidence, his humour and his relationship with Ophelia. Although I did spend part of the book worrying that he was manipulating her and that everything was going to turn out to be one massive trick!

The funniest thing is that I actually predicted one of the biggest twists on page one. When I saw the hierarchy of Hell, I immediately told my partner that I bet Ophelia would fall in love with the Prince of Hell. Then Blackwell appeared, and I completely abandoned that theory. So when his true identity was revealed, I couldn’t believe I’d been right all along! 😂

There were a couple of things I wasn’t particularly keen on. Sinclair wasn’t a character I liked, his illusion felt slower than the rest of the story, and I didn’t think the later intimate scene between him and Ophelia was necessary. The Lust trial also wasn’t one of my favourites.

But none of that took away from how much I enjoyed the book overall. I loved the dark, gothic setting, the psychological elements and the way the trials kept pushing Ophelia further.

And that ending! After everything Ophelia and Blackwell had been through, I needed them to have a happy ending. I would have been absolutely furious otherwise! 😂 Thankfully, it was the satisfying conclusion I’d been hoping for.

An easy five stars from me. I’m genuinely going to miss these characters and the world of Phantasma! 🖤