Book Review: Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

I decided to read this book after seeing it pop up in several book-related posts on FaceBook and BookTok. If you’ve been following my reviews for a while, you know I gravitate toward the Fantasy genre, often, so this book piqued my interest.

I knew nothing about the book other than it was a dark fantasy romance (I have gone down a dark romance of all genres rabbit hole recently, and whoa!).

The story takes place in what I am guessing is early in the 1900s in New Orleans, though the author doesn’t outrightly specify the year. After the death of their mother (this isn’t really a spoiler because the book opens with her death), The FMC, Ophelia, inherits the family business, but before she can get a grip on her new reality,  she and her sister find themselves in a difficult situation that threatens completely upend their lives.

In their desperation, they find themselves as participants in a diabolical competition where there can only be one winner. Many who participate find death waiting for them, but the lucky winner gets a favor from the devil himself.

In addition to some dark romance, this story explores themes like mental illness, facing one’s deepest fears, and risking everything to help the ones you love. Filled with paranormal entities that would keep many up at night (including ghosts, demons, and oversized arachnids, to name a few), Phantasma will delight those who enjoy fantasy mixed with the real world.

For me, the story started slower than I would have liked. I usually don’t mind a slow burn, but I found myself getting impatient in the beginning. I wasn’t “hooked” right away like I prefer to be. The premise of the story was entertaining though, and I fell in love with the characters. The author’s writing style made it easy for me to picture everything in my mind’s eye and immerse myself in the story.

As far as the romance goes, I was a little uncertain at first. To be honest, when the author first introduced the MMC, I had to pause and question what I was getting myself into, but there was enough intrigue to keep me reading and I’m so glad I did. As a reader, the connection between the FMC and MMC was tangible and the banter between the two was excellent.

Overall, the romance was milder compared to some of the books I’ve read lately, but I enjoyed it all the same. I am so looking forward to reading the next book in this series!