Review by Ronny
Series Name: Wicked Games, # 1
Phantasma is an addictive and steamy paranormal romance that I could not put down.
Favourite Quote:
“Ophelia,” he repeated, tasting every syllable. Her name on his tongue sounded like a wicked prayer. “ You are exactly the person I’ve been waiting for.”
Book Synopsis:
When Ophelia and her sister discovers their mother brutally murdered, there is no time to grieve: Ophelia has inherited both her powerful death-driven magic and enormous debt on their home. Circumstances go from dire to deadly, however, when Ophelia’s sister decides to pay off the loan by entering Phantasma—a competition where most contestants don’t make it out alive and the winner is granted a single wish.
The only way to save her sister is to compete. But Phantasma is a cursed manor, with twisting corridors and lavish ballrooms, and filled with enticing demons and fatal temptations. Ophelia will need to face nine floors of challenges to win… if her fears don’t overtake her first.
When a charming, arrogant stranger claims he can protect and guide Ophelia, she knows she shouldn’t trust him. While Blackwell may not seem dangerous, appearances can be deceptive. But with her sister’s life on the line, Ophelia can’t afford to turn him away. She just needs to ignore the overwhelming, dark attraction drawing them closer and closer together.
Because in Phantasma, the only thing deadlier than losing the game is losing your heart.
Review:
This book destroyed me in the most glorious way. Kayleigh was the one who recommended Phantasma to me. She said I needed to read this book because she spent the better part of the night reading it and needed someone to talk about this book with. I knew it must be good if Kayleigh was obsessed with it, so I ran to the bookstore, picked it up, and spent the rest of the day reading it and then re-reading it the next day. I’ve read it for a third time, trying to figure out what the heck makes this book so addictive, and I honestly can’t quite figure out what it is. I’ve just come to the conclusion that everything about this book hits every one of my buttons in the best possible way.
One complaint I have seen online is that this book is being advertised as a dark horror romance, and readers are disappointed that it’s not a horror story. And I would agree to a certain extent with that complaint. I would consider this book to be pop horror and slightly dark romance. Think of those teen horror flicks that you may have watched that try to be scary but really aren’t. This book isn’t scary, but it’s a bit gruesome. There are people, demons, and other beings trying to kill each other for the big prize. So, that means there is blood and violence on the pages of this book. I also wouldn’t consider this book to be a dark romance. If anything, it’s like dipping your baby toe into the sub-genre of dark romance. It’s a good way to see if you are ready or if you would like to maybe step further into the dark romance world. Now, that being said, I enjoyed this book. I loved its horror-ish and dark-ish elements. I am a huge fan of pop horror movies, which is probably why I devoured the horror elements of this book. I loved exploring this creepy, deadly, twisted house with Ophelia and Blackwell. The unknown dangers that lurked around every corner made for an entertaining read.
The overall story is very different from other books that I have read, and I think this uniqueness was one of the things that just made this book so addictive for me. I liked the story; it had a lot of twists and turns, and because this was a competition, you really didn’t know who you could trust. The pacing ebbs and flows at just the perfect pace. You have moments of heightened action or emotions, followed by quieter and, at times, lustier moments. Everything felt well-balanced and made for a great reading experience. Oh, by the way, the last little portion of the book will have you on the edge of your seat, so prepare yourself.
Ophelia is an interesting and very different heroine. When we first meet Ophelia, we become aware of the fact that she hears this dark and sinister voice in her head, which forces her to act in a certain manner. You come to realize that Ophelia has OCD, and this dark voice is a mental illness that she has to live with. Ophelia believes she is a monster because of this voice and lives in fear that she will be forced to do terrible things one day. I thought it was an interesting way to shed light on how horrible and debilitating living with OCD can be. At this book’s beginning, Ophelia has inherited her mother’s powers. She realizes that her family home is in jeopardy of being taken away due to a mountain of unpaid debts. You can feel the crushing weight of responsibility that Ophelia feels, and things become even more complicated when her sisters join the Phatasma games. As Ophelia competes in the games and tries to find her sister, we get to watch her accept who she is and learn to embrace all the qualities she tried to push away.
The romance in this story is delicious and addictive. There is just something about the chemistry between Ophelia and Blackwell that just feels so damn right. Blackwell is this mysterious being that has that cocky swagger that can quickly turn into touch her and die vibe. His character kind of reminds me of Casteel from the Blood and Ash series and Rhysand from A Court of Thorns and Roses series. You know he is hiding something and probably has his own agenda, but none of that matters when he gives the heroine a nickname and acts in a smouldering and heart-racing manner when he is around her. Not only does Blackwell remind me of the heroes from the books I mentioned above, but the chemistry and relationship between him and Ophelia also feel similar to the relationship between the MCs in those series, which may be why I love this book so much. This is a spicy romance, but it’s not over-the-top spicy. It was, in all honesty, just the right amount of spice for the story.
If you are looking for your next Romantasy read, I would highly recommend giving Phantasma a try.
