Kaylie Smith returns with Enchantra, the fiery second installment in her Wicked Games series, following the wildly imaginative and darkly seductive Phantasma. Where the first book unwrapped layers of gothic horror and forbidden desire within a haunted manor’s deadly trials, Enchantra swaps the cold corridors of Phantasma for a lush yet cursed Italian estate drenched in glamour, secrets, and supernatural peril. But don’t let the romantic backdrop fool you—this sequel raises the stakes with an enemies-to-lovers arc that is as tantalizing as it is treacherous, immersing readers in a game where losing isn’t just defeat—it’s damnation.
Balancing the fantastical elements of necromancy, demonic hierarchies, and enchantments with a sharp focus on identity, power, and trust, Smith crafts another richly atmospheric narrative. With her signature prose—poetic, mischievous, and emotionally resonant—she deepens the lore of the Grimm family while introducing a cast of characters who blur the lines between ally and adversary.
Plot Overview: Crows, Curses, and Courting Death
Enchantra by Kaylie Smith follows Genevieve Grimm—rebellious, impulsive, and endlessly curious—as she steps out of her sister Ophelia’s shadow and into a trap disguised as an invitation. When a mysterious friend of her late mother’s offers her an escape to an Italian estate called Enchantra, she jumps at the chance for reinvention. But she quickly finds herself caught in a supernatural game that echoes the sinister competition in Phantasma, this time masquerading as a deadly version of hide-and-seek, where players who lose don’t die… they vanish into Hell until the next game begins.
Genevieve, who harbors spectral powers of her own, finds an unlikely partner in Rowin Silver, a shadow-wielding phantom who oozes menace and allure in equal measure. Together, they enter the game under the guise of lovers, even as distrust simmers beneath their flirtation. As the game unfolds within a maze of literal and emotional labyrinths, Genevieve must decide who she can trust—Rowin, herself, or the family secrets that have followed her across continents.
Main Character Analysis: Genevieve Grimm’s Glorious Transformation
Smith achieves something quite rare with Genevieve’s arc—she lets her heroine be complex without apology. Where Ophelia in Phantasma was pragmatic and intensely focused, Genevieve is impetuous, theatrical, and emotionally unfiltered. But what at first seems like recklessness evolves into resilience. She’s not the sidekick anymore—she’s the storm.
Genevieve begins Enchantra craving escape from expectations and grief, still reeling from the events of Phantasma and haunted by her former lover, Farrow. Through her misadventures—cursed berries, cryptic invitations, hostile hosts—she’s forced to reckon with her own powers as a Specter and the burdens of inheritance. Her spectral magic is more than a party trick; it becomes a metaphor for her blurry place in the world, and the novel’s emotional anchor.
Her chemistry with Rowin is undeniably the heart of the book. Smith doesn’t shy away from the sharp edges in their dynamic—Rowin’s ruthlessness and Genevieve’s pride clash spectacularly—but she also reveals how their growing respect is forged in the crucible of shared danger. Their connection is laced with tension, banter, and vulnerability, all delivered with gothic grandeur.
Writing Style: Velvet Dagger Prose
Kaylie Smith’s prose is both lush and lethal—much like the estate of Enchantra itself. She writes with a sensory richness that makes every detail glimmer or rot, depending on her intent. The velvet gowns shimmer. The shadows breathe. The marble drips blood. This duality—beauty wrapped around menace—is what makes her writing sing in the romantasy genre.
Where Phantasma was drenched in dread, Enchantra takes a slightly more playful, though no less dangerous, tone. Smith leans into baroque imagery, echoing the decadence of 19th-century gothic novels, but gives it a contemporary sharpness through fast-paced dialogue and emotionally grounded character arcs.
Themes: Inheritance, Identity, and Illusion
- Family and Legacy: At the heart of Enchantra by Kaylie Smith lies a compelling exploration of familial ghosts—both literal and figurative. Genevieve is not just running from her sister’s legacy or her mother’s secrets; she’s running from who she has been told she must be. The matching lockets, cryptic letters, and maternal absence form a narrative of intergenerational tension that’s far more profound than the surface-level fantasy elements might suggest.
- Power and Consent: The cursed game at Enchantra is not just a deadly pastime; it’s a reflection of power imbalance, coercion, and survival. Consent in magic, in relationships, and in legacy is a recurring motif. Who gets to choose their destiny? And at what cost?
- Love as Performance: With its fake-dating trope set against a literal performance of life and death, Enchantra probes the boundaries between performance and authenticity in relationships. Genevieve and Rowin’s alliance is a mask—but one that reveals far more than it hides.
- Monstrosity and Humanity: Smith blurs the lines between monster and man, both through the paranormal hierarchy she so cleverly establishes and through emotional ambiguity. Are the demons more humane than the humans? What parts of ourselves do we call monstrous simply because others fear them?
The Setting: Enchantra as a Living Labyrinth
The estate of Enchantra deserves its own paragraph. A character in its own right, the estate pulses with enchantments, malevolent history, and gothic elegance. From silver gates draped in thorned vines and demonberries to snow-dusted courtyards and decadent ballrooms layered with mirrors and lies, the setting is intoxicating.
The maze—both literal and metaphorical—functions as a narrative device to trap, disorient, and test the characters. This sense of being watched, of walking a tightrope between glamour and danger, mimics Genevieve’s internal struggle and the reader’s journey alike. Smith’s worldbuilding here is immersive, never overwhelming, and always purposeful.
Strengths of the Novel
- Atmospheric Gothic Romance: Think Crimson Peak meets Throne of the Fallen. Every detail oozes ambiance.
- Sharp-Witted Dialogue: The banter between Genevieve and Rowin is clever, cutting, and packed with emotional depth.
- Layered Lore: Smith deepens the mythology of the Wicked Games universe with a rich hierarchy of paranormal beings and inventive magical systems.
- Character Complexity: No one is who they first appear to be, and that includes the protagonist.
- Found Family & Sibling Dynamics: Ellin and Sevin are standout side characters, and their sibling friction is equal parts hilarious and sinister.
Where the Shadows Falter: Critical Observations
While Enchantra by Kaylie Smith is wildly engaging, it’s not without imperfections:
- Pacing in Early Chapters: The initial chapters linger a bit too long on atmospheric buildup before launching into the action. Readers who prefer tighter pacing might feel impatient during Genevieve’s early exploration of Enchantra.
- Rowin’s Reveal Feels Rushed: His backstory and motivations could’ve benefited from deeper, slower unpacking. Some of the emotional payoff feels slightly undercooked compared to the sizzling tension built in their dynamic.
- The Rules of the Game: While the stakes are high and the danger real, the rules of the game itself are at times vaguely sketched. Clarifying its mechanics would heighten the suspense further.
- Magic System Complexity: Some readers might find the ghost-specter-wraith-devil-demon distinctions a bit too granular without enough narrative anchoring early on.
Comparison with Phantasma and Similar Titles
Where Phantasma was claustrophobic and ritualistic, Enchantra is expansive and theatrical. Both books center deadly games, sisterhood, and dark romance, but Enchantra leans more into the seduction of illusion and the psychological cost of performance. While Ophelia’s story had a haunted precision, Genevieve’s tale is a storm of secrets and subversion.
Readers who enjoyed Caraval by Stephanie Garber, A Court of Thorns and Roses by Sarah J. Maas, or The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake will feel right at home in Smith’s Wicked Games universe. There’s a similar blend of lavish settings, twisted loyalties, magical peril, and morally complicated romances.
My Final Verdict: Worth the Price of the Game?
Absolutely. Enchantra by Kaylie Smith is a heady, gorgeously written fantasy that builds on its predecessor while standing confidently on its own. With compelling character growth, enchanting prose, and a romance that smolders through shadow and spite, it’s a gem for lovers of gothic romantasy and supernatural games.
It’s not a book you merely read. It’s a world you fall into—and then question whether you want to leave.
