Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1) in Shadow keepers

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Phantasma (Wicked Games, #1)

Kaylie Smith

Start date: January 1, 2025

Finish date: January 31, 2025

Discussion: monthly read together

Discussion leader: arwen

Why we're reading this: shadow keepers, this month we鈥檙e reading a darker fantasy romance with games and trials, join if you dare…more
[close] shadow keepers, this month we鈥檙e reading a darker fantasy romance with games and trials, join if you dare and I hope your not afraid of ghosts鈥�

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What Members Thought

Dec 10, 2024 鈥⑩伜藲*鉁�*藲鈦衡€� Lily the Lilac 鈥⑩伜藲*鉁�*藲鈦衡€� rated it it was amazing

Shelves: faves, continuing-series

6猸�!

I typically don't make impulse buys. No, I'll sit and think about a book for a week, maybe even two before I decide to go and purchase it. But this was an exception. It jumped out from the shelf, with so many things I liked on the cover: roses, a skull, gold... needless to say, I bought it a mere three days later. The first chapter showed so much promise, and when the book kicked into gear, I began to wonder "Might this be a five-star read?". And let me tell you...

It didn't disappoint.

Phanta 6猸�!

I typically don't make impulse buys. No, I'll sit and think about a book for a week, maybe even two before I decide to go and purchase it. But this was an exception. It jumped out from the shelf, with so many things I liked on the cover: roses, a skull, gold... needless to say, I bought it a mere three days later. The first chapter showed so much promise, and when the book kicked into gear, I began to wonder "Might this be a five-star read?". And let me tell you...

It didn't disappoint.

Phantasma was a lush, spectacular book that couldn't have nailed it's gothic aesthetic more perfectly. Really, a gem like this doesn't come about that often!

First off, the story was extravagant! An evil game? A magic mansion? Supernatural creatures? Sign me up! But while good in their own ways, all those features come together to create an atmospheric, gothic masterpiece. The writing was filled with so many descriptors, not forgetting any of your senses as it draws you into the world of a re-imagined, old New Orleans, and mainly, the manor where the game takes place. I know too many adjectives can make some people draw back, but I think Phantasma finds a nice middle zone, telling you enough without taking away the fun of imagining small details. This also applies to the steamy scenes, of course, so be ready for some bouts of passion! (I'd say it gets a 3 on the chili pepper scale).

Ophelia was an enjoyable main character, the story being told through her third-person perspective. In the beginning of Phantasma, we see Ophelia inherit her mother's powers of necromancy, a tradition passed down through her family. Genevieve, Ophelia's younger sister who wants them to travel the world together, feels as if Ophelia's tying herself down by doing this, not considering what she herself wants. They have a small fight, but when Ophelia comes home, she makes a shocking discovery: Genevieve is missing, and all signs point to her having entered Phantasma, a deadly game where the winner is granted one wish.

From here on out, the book was captivating, making you flip each page to see what happens next! (And the ending, just... wow. That's all I'll say). If I could single out some things I loved, I'd say the range of paranormal creatures was definitely one. (Devils, demons, wraiths, shapeshifters, necromancers, specters, vampires, multiple types of ghosts, and more!) The gothic touches across all domains were also amazing, but best of all? The characters. Ophelia, Blackwell, Sinclair, Jasper, Cade, Luci, they all stand out and bring the story to life.

And can I just fangirl about Blackwell for a moment? The man (or phantom, rather) was my favorite character as soon as he showed up. He's that classic smirky, teasing, slightly arrogant MMC, but there was something... refreshing about him. He doesn't feel like any other romantic lead I've seen. The best way I could put it is that he retains those somewhat sassy, classic traits, but he has much gentler edges, like owning a ghost cat and the general way he acts. (I get tired with the dominant, stoic, no-nonsense guys).

On a final note, Phantasma was an excellent read, one I'm glad I bought so quickly. My one complaint would be that the mystery could've been spread out better, but compared to all the positives, it's a small tarnish on a book of pure gold. Also, Ophelia has OCD, and I was glad to see the representation. You go, girl! I can hardly wait for the sequel, and if you have any doubts about this book, let me settle them with this sentence: Phantasma is absolutely worth a read. ...more

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Jan 10, 2025 Emi Porter rated it it was ok · review of another edition

Shelves: 2-stars

Okay, I am not gunna say I didn't enjoy this book, because I did. Took me a while to get in to and did get to a point where I was thinking about DNFing... but kept reading... well 30% went to finished very quicky.
End of chapter 50! Blew my mind! If you know, you know... I don't know why I didn't see it coming because I should have, but I didn't!
BUT THE ENDING! I felt so defeated!
I don't even want to read the second book if that's how she's going to end book!
Literally fuming! Not how I wanted th ...more

1 like · Like · see review

Apr 22, 2025 Nadditive rated it it was amazing

This review has been hidden because it contains spoilers. To view it, click here. Hunger Games meets The Haunted Mansion!

I came across this book on Booktok, so initially, I was a little sceptical. I was readying myself for another overhyped, cliche pile of nonsense. Phantasma, however, was leaps and bounds better than I was expecting; this is a title worth the hype!

Pleasantly surprising and full of whimsy and woe, this tale is delightfully crafted with a beautiful gothic tone throughout. The use of vocabulary and the descriptions of the manor, the characters and the scenarios Hunger Games meets The Haunted Mansion!

I came across this book on Booktok, so initially, I was a little sceptical. I was readying myself for another overhyped, cliche pile of nonsense. Phantasma, however, was leaps and bounds better than I was expecting; this is a title worth the hype!

Pleasantly surprising and full of whimsy and woe, this tale is delightfully crafted with a beautiful gothic tone throughout. The use of vocabulary and the descriptions of the manor, the characters and the scenarios are articulately sumptuous, painting an extremely vivid picture for the reader to relish. Linear and nicely paced, I never once found myself bored whilst reading.

Our young and naive protagonist, Ophelia, resonated with me more than I anticipated. A haunted young necromancer burdened by both the expectations of her overbearing mother and also the Shadow Voice that plagues her daily, this girl is not infallible nor is she a weak damsel in distress. She is the perfect blend of frail and fierce, flawed and intelligent, soft and strong. I really liked her characterisation, and appreciated how she didn鈥檛 give up even when the going got tough.

I also appreciated the nods to Shakespeare; Ophelia, like her namesake, has a somewhat shaky grasp on her sanity and also has an unfortunate propensity to endanger herself around water. The author is clearly a lover of the classics, as evidenced by the subtle references to both gothic literature and Shakespearean lore.

Blackwell was also extremely likeable; the mouth on this ghost! His licentiousness is portrayed well, however; Blackwell never crosses the line from 鈥渟exy鈥� into 鈥渟leazy鈥�, for which, I was very thankful. Poor Ophelia never stood a chance against such a charmer. Tragic and beautiful, with a mouth like the Devil - I was utterly bewitched by Blackwell right from the very beginning.

The trials are also extremely vivid and well depicted; the horror Ophelia endures, all for the love of her sister, made me shiver on more than one occasion. The most memorable trial for me was the gilded cages above the lake of lava; imaginative and harrowing in equal measure! The parallels to Dante鈥檚 Inferno was particularly gratifying; the narrative is somewhat allegorical without becoming preachy. This book was clearly a labour of love, with lots of effort expended on the narrative.

My only gripe is that the ending was a little rushed; I anticipated the 鈥渢wist鈥� and thought it could have been fleshed out a little more - I suspect we will discover more in the sequel. The exposition chapter exposing Blackwell鈥檚 past was anticlimactic after such momentous build up; the conclusion was not nearly as well planned as the rest of the novel, which was a shame!

I look forward to Enchantra! ...more

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Nov 26, 2024 Iisa Smeds marked it as to-read