A review by kell_x
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith

5.0

Ohh, what a ride!

Phantasma was everything I nedded to read right now, and didn't even new what I was missing. 

This amazing paranormal romance has a little bit of everything we need, from romance, friendship, sisterhood love, mystery, suspense, action, some horror, spicyness. All in a very well constructed story and world building, with characters that suck you right inn and you can't leave the book until you finish it a couple of hours later. I binged it compulsively.

I loved both main characters. Ophelia is a strong and fierce  woman, that doen't even recognize her own strength until she is forced to enter Phantasma looking for her sister. After her mother's passing she is all she has and she will not give up on her. 

While in this journey through the games and rules, she meets Blackwell, and starts to have several feelings for him: doubts, attraction, lust, frieendship and then, even if she can't admit it.. love? But love is forbidden in Phantasma, and she can't let herself feel. So she ties to believe it's just lust. 

Blackwell is a phantom stuck in Phantasma and in every game tries to get help to break his inprisonement. He starts to help Ophelia and goes trough all the same emotions. It is quite funny to see the jealousy a few times..

We spend a lot of time wondering what and how can they break this curse due to the game, and rooting for them to find clues and for them to give into each other. We want her to win, but at the same time don't want the games to end so the story would continue.

The games have several gore moments, so beware of blood and violence and some horror in the descriptions. Those games were surely interesting and creative. 

I think if you enjoyed Caraval and The hunger games combined, with a very good amount of amazing spice, you have this perfectly good book layed out for you!