PHANTASMA | Litsy

nitalibrarian

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

I'm starting Phantasma today.💀

TheSpineView Can't wait to hear your thoughts. It was my #BOTM choice too. I haven't read yet. 4h

13 likes1 comment

guinsgirlreads

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

pick

Another one that I absolutely loved and now have to wait until April for the next one 😩! OCD is real in this one. Great characters (good and evil), and a few jaw-droppers thrown in.

Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks Love this cover 💀❤️ 1d

guinsgirlreads @Alwaysbeenaloverofbooks I know right!? 🤩 1d

20 likes2 comments

guinsgirlreads

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

wanderinglynn What a great dedication. 💜 1d

17 likes1 comment

GerardtheBookworm

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

pick

Take a fanfic of Gaston Laroux's The Phantom of the Opera and mix in Dante's Divine Comedy and you have a spicy dark romantasy that is an epic brain candy. A New Orleans magic user investigates the murder of her mother and the disappearance of her sister in the deadly supernatural contest known as Phantasma. As she endures Hunger/Squid Games challenges, she gains the aid of a mysterious stranger who awakens her sexuality and power.

12 likes

LittlebearReads

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

pick

This one was a pleasant surprise! I got it from BOTM because it looked the most like a quick, mindless, read, and it is. What I didn‘t expect, though, was the very self-aware own voices OCD representation and the genuinely compelling plot.

8 likes

DestinyMorna

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

pick

Wow! This was my September #BOTM pick and I loved it! 5 stars- I couldn‘t stop reading about Ophelia and her sister Genevieve as they enter a devils competition called Phantasma. 9 levels of games with deadly consequences and a charming stranger who makes Ophelia a bargain she can‘t turn down.

6 likes

ladym30

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

Book mail!!❤️

Gissy I picked that one too😃love that cover😍 6d

ladym30 @Gissy I know, it is hard to resist!❤️ 6d

24 likes2 comments

OutsmartYourShelf

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

pick

Soon after the unexpected death of their mother, necromancer Ophelia Grimm‘s sister disappears & to save her, Ophelia must enter & win Phantasma, a deadly contest held inside a haunted mansion. Nine levels of the players' worst fears have to faced alongside deadly temptations offered by the resident devils. Ophelia is offered help by a Phantom named Blackwell - he will help her pass the trials if she will help him escape from Phantasma for good.

OutsmartYourShelf Great concept - I absolutely loved the idea of the creepy mansion & the trials being linked to the seven deadly sins. I also liked the descriptions of the fashion although I'm not sure what time this is set as the clothes suggested 19th century, but the language & behaviour seemed more modern. I didn't like that the trials soon became a backdrop to the romance & feel there should have been a better balance. 1w

OutsmartYourShelf For me, there wasn't enough build-up to feel the chemistry between Ophelia & Blackwell, it was very much instalove, or I should say, instalust. Now, a well-written spicy scene can complement a romance plot but for me this was too much. After the third or fourth very graphic sex scene, it all became just a bit tedious. I felt like the kid in 'The Princess Bride' complaining “They're kissing again!“ 1w

OutsmartYourShelf I just wanted to get back to the trials but then it all just fizzles out with no real “ta-da“ ending & the twist was obvious to me from the start.

The author can write & the trials plot could have been perfection, but I felt short-changed with how it took such a backseat to the romance. I seem to be an outlier though & most readers really enjoyed the book so if you don't mind spicy scenes then don't let me put you off. 1w

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OutsmartYourShelf It just sneaks in as a Pick as I really liked the concept & the cover. 3.5🌟

My thanks to #NetGalley & publishers, Second Sky/Forever, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Full Review: https://www.goodreads.com/review/show/6496730407
Read 1st - 4th Sept 2024

#ReadAway2024 @Andrew65 @DieAReader @GHABI4ROSES 1w

DieAReader Sry to hear it fell flat🙁 Hopefully ur next read is so much better🤓 1w

marleed I decided this summer that I like romance books and fantasy books and even some spice - but spicy romantacy is just not my thing. And for me I think that more in a fantasy than any other spicy romance, In fantasy I almost feel like I‘m reading porn that gives me the ick. No judgement there but not my preferred reading material. 1w

OutsmartYourShelf @marleed It's not my preferred genre either but I liked the sound of the premise (which turned out to be good but could have been better). They're not romantasy but I like the JD Robb 'In Death' books precisely because, whilst there are a couple of spicy scenes in each book, they don't overpower the main plot. This book was spice at the expense of the plot. 1w

marleed @OutsmartYourShelf I think that‘s the key to when the pointy tips of stars rapidly fall of my liking of a book - when spice consumes plot. 1w

30 likes1 stack add8 comments

nitalibrarian

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

September #BookSpinBingo board is all set.😍

TheAromaofBooks

TheAromaofBooks Woohoo!! Looks fantastic!! 1w

20 likes1 comment

guinsgirlreads

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

BOTM hasn‘t impressed me recently, until September!

SilversReviews Which was September‘s book? I honestly wasn‘t impressed with THE NIGHT WE LOST HIM. 2w

guinsgirlreads @SilversReviews the night we lost him was my add-on, the rest were picks. And that‘s disheartening, because I really liked The last thing he told me! 😚 2w

SilversReviews @guinsgirlreads It was confusing and just not interesting for me. 2w

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guinsgirlreads @SilversReviews I don‘t like confusing ones either 2w

Avanders You already got yours!! I‘m eagerly awaiting mine 😁{Mr Burns hands} 2w

guinsgirlreads @Avanders 😁 Same state, so they never take long 😊 2w

Avanders So nice 😄♥️ 2w

24 likes7 comments

brittanyreads

PHANTASMA: A Dark Fantasy Romance | KAYLIE. SMITH

It was a box filler month! These all sound so great!
Phantasma was one of my most anticipated reads of 2024..so HOORAY! 🎊
#botm

Sace Glad I‘m not the only one with a full box. 😂 2w

brittanyreads I'm surprised at how many I chose this month! The last two months I've almost skipped and have considered cancelling my membership! @Sace Very happy to see several that I was interested in this time! 😁 2w

41 likes2 comments