My rating: 5/5 stars
Until now, this book has been my favorite from 2025, and there is no doubt about it!!! I loved every second I’ve spent reading it and it was an emotional roller-coaster, with action, drama, and loooots of romantic scenes. I loved the way it made me feel and certainly, Kaylie won herself another fan. Her characters managed to win my heart completely and I am so in love with them, I still try to calm by nerves when thinking about them.
Phantasma is a place where you will find your end. It’s lethal, seeking your biggest fears and using them against you. If you win, you will be granted a wish, but you will have to pass 9 levels and the odds will never be in your favor. Ophelia and Genevieve are 2 sisters who are left abruptly without their mother and must learn how to take care of themselves. Ophelia, being the oldest, inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt from their home, therefore the situation for her is not ideal. She has a legacy to respect, and she must take on the role of her mother and as a Necromancer, help other people find peace or connect with their loved ones in the afterlife. But, there is a conflict there and Ophelia will need to choose a path – follow her legacy, or follow her heart.
Before I tell you all about the plot, I need to tell you that the book begins with an Index of all the creatures and categories of beings, for you to know and understand all these categories, beginning with the King of Devils.
When Genevieve goes missing, Ophelia learns that she went to take part in Phantasma, therefore she will enter this competition and hope she will survive and take her sister out of there. What Ophelia doesn’t know is that the competition is brutal and that the mansion has a life of itself, which will surely not let her win and grant her the wish from the Devil. Also, in Phantasma falling in love is forbidden, and if you do so, you will be cursed. Scary, isn’t it?
In Phantasma, Ophelia will meet her competitors, but also lots of supernatural creatures. Among them will be Blackwell, a Ghost who offered her a mutual deal, a deal she needs to accept in order to finish this competition alive and find her sister. So, we will witness 9 trials which will extend in like 1 week, where Ophelia will have a lot to face and she will develop in a fantastic way as a person, but also as a magical being.
I absolutely adored Blackwell and even though I knew he was hiding something, I loved him and loved his personality. He reminded me of Roth from Jennifer L. Armentrout, being so smart, so witty and so charming. His banter with Ophelia, their connection, and lust were so palpable that it made me forget we were talking of such a short timeline, where theoretically, a love relationship is impossible. They managed to break those barriers really quickly.
The trials took a toll on Ophelia but they made her stronger, developed her magic, and made her more aware of her qualities. But she didn’t do it herself, it was Blackwell who pushed her to fight, to make her magic stronger, and to learn what she really wants and what she really needs. Their romantic scenes were exquisite, driven by lust and after a short time, by LOVE. Even though it felt rushed, I loved their connection and their attraction. Blackwell entered my list of book boyfriends because his style won me over completely. Not to mention that the period for this plot is the late 1800s, so we are talking about certain manners and ways of dressing, which I ADORE.
The end was amazing for me, it blew my mind and it made my heart shatter in a million pieces. I found it original but also very dramatic and well-written, that I couldn’t finish it fast enough in order to understand the conclusion and see where my favorite characters would go.
Even though Genevieve was not my favorite, I am very excited to read her story, because she was funny and spoke her mind, which is really hard to forget. Being that different from Ophelia I believe it will give the second book a totally different vibe than Phantasma, but I will surely miss Blackwell. 😦
Ramonisme 