Monday, 4 November 2024

REVIEW - Phantasma (Wicked Games #1) by Kaylie Smith

The Book
Release Date: 3 September 2024

Welcome to Phantasma.

There are only two rules to the game. Stay alive. And don’t fall in love.

When Ophelia’s sister disappears, there is only one way to save her. Ophelia must enter Phantasma, a deadly contest inside a haunted mansion, and claim its prize—a single wish.

Phantasma is a maze of twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, of demons and temptations. Ophelia will face nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last. There can only be one winner, and the other contestants will stop at nothing to eliminate their rivals.

Every day the house creates new monsters. But just as Ophelia’s fears threaten to overwhelm her, a mysterious stranger offers her a bargain.

Charming, arrogant and infuriatingly attractive, Blackwell claims he can guide her through the lethal trials ahead. All he asks in return is ten years of her life.

Ophelia knows she shouldn’t trust him. Blackwell doesn’t seem dangerous, but appearances can be deceptive. Worse still, she feels a dark and irresistible attraction drawing them closer and closer.

Her life is on the line. But in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart…

A Court of Thorns and Roses meets Caraval in this seductive fantasy adventure. With steamy romance, a sexy morally gray love interest, OCD rep and jaw-dropping twists, Phantasma is perfect for fans of Rebecca Yarros, Nisha J. Tuli and Carissa Broadbent.

My Review     5 STARS
I really enjoyed this book, but I could not see any similarity to ACOTAR within the story line.

This a a dark romance with a morally grey MMC and a FMC who gets a little greyer as she goes along the book and she competes in trials that test her.

Loved the OCD aspect of the FMC.  A side of things we usually do not get given with such careful writing that you can see that the writer knows about it herself.

Blackwell was certainly a darker character and I really enjoyed him and the relationship that he forged with Opelia.

Ophelia is a strong  character with her own flaws, but she knew that she had to fight for her sister and many times , for her own life.  

I saw one aspect of the ending fairly quickly, but there was certainly one or two things that I had not seen coming.

I look forward to Genevieve's story and what lies in the darkness for her.

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