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Phantasma

Kaylie Smith

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A gorgeous trade paperback edition with custom gold foiling on the cover! Caraval meets Throne of the Fallen in this spicy dark romantasy where a necromancer needs help from a dangerous phantom to win a deadly competition, only to find their partnership puts her at risk of breaking the game’s most vital rule: don’t fall in love.

“ PHANTASMA is the decadent feast that every romantasy lover dreams of. Dark magic, fraught danger, exhilarating trials and a simmering-hot romance abound!” —Sophie Kim, #1 Sunday Times bestselling author of The God and the Gumiho

When Ophelia and her sister discover 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 . . .

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Posts about this title from chronicallybookish

chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Aug 11 2025

6-5-4-3-2-1 stars

6-5-4-3-2-1

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#bookstagram #books #sixstarbooks #fivestarbooks #fourstarbooks #threestarbooks #twostarbooks #onestarbooks #fantasybooks #fantasybookstagram #romancebooks #romancebookstagram

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chronicallybookish\ \ Kaley\ \ • Aug 11 2025

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Discotopia | Diverse Books\ \ Disco (he/they)\ \ • May 28 2025

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Hi there party people and disco dancers!\ \ May is almost over, so I wanted to get my Mental Health Awareness recs in before we start focusing on Pride.\ \ I wanted to highlight some books that have really stuck with me in recent years, as great rep for various mental health issues.\ \ Depression :\ \ The Saint of Heartbreak by Morgan Dante\ \ \ \ This is one of the best books I’ve read so far this year! Judas is sent to hell after betraying Jesus and is taken in by Lucifer. As Judas suffers from centuries of guilt and shame, the two slowly fall for each other. It’s tender, gorgeous and gut-wrenching, and I thought the depression was written honestly and beautifully.\ \ Anxiety:\ \ A Little Luck by JA Collignon\ \ \ \ In this sapphic cosy fantasy, a bard with anxiety falls for a retired thief as they plan a village festival together. I particularly loved the fact that the bard’s siblings also suffered from anxiety, and there was a lot of understanding and support.\ \ Addiction:\ \ The Final Strife by Saara el-Arifi\ \ \ \ This is book 1 in an incredible queer fantasy series inspired by African and Arabian mythology, set in a world where the colour of your blood determines your status. The MC has a drug addiction, and struggles throughout the series. I like that there was no magical cure, but the addiction storyline also didn’t get too overly dark. It was treated sensitively and added a lot to the character.\ \ Grief\ \ Where the Rhythm Takes You by Sarah Dass\ \ \ \ This is a wonderful YA Persuasion retelling set in Tobago. A teenage girl mourning the loss of her mother is working in her family resort when her ex comes to stay. The grief isn’t a central theme, but there are some beautiful and very real moments where it crops up almost out of nowhere. There’s also a connection between music and memory that felt very true and tender. \ \ PTSD\ \ Into the Light by Mark Oshiro\ \ \ \ A homeless, drifting queer Latino teenage boy tries to survive on the road, running from his experiences in a scary cult. This is a really emotional book that focuses on the MCs hopes, dreams and ever-constant fears. While the PTSD is not named, there is a mystery that unfolds regarding his past experiences at the cult, and his response to those memories throughout the book are intense, honest and very well written.\ \ OCD\ \ Phantasma by Kaylie Smith\ \ \ \ This is a dark romantasy that I absolutely adored, about a medium with a dark force inside her, who follows her sister into a mysterious demon-filled mansion to take part in deadly magical games. The dark force is a representation of OCD, which the author has. This was my first time reading a fantasy version of this condition and it gave me an insight into how intense and debilitating it can be.\ \ If you have your own fave recs, please do drop them in the comments!\ \ Much love,\ \ Disco\ \ Join for free or login

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