Kaylie Smith’s Phantasma, the first installment in the Wicked Games series, arrives with all the flair of a midnight spell—unfurling slowly, seductively, and laced with shadows that linger. A dark romantasy that will resonate with fans of Caraval and Throne of the Fallen, this novel conjures a world where death dances with desire, and the most dangerous game is not surviving Phantasma’s trials—but falling in love.
With themes of grief, legacy, obsessive-compulsive disorder (OCD), and forbidden romance braided into its gothic narrative, Phantasma is both haunting and heartfelt. Smith’s voice is richly atmospheric, adapting classic gothic motifs into a modern romantic fantasy that is as emotionally intense as it is darkly seductive.
The Dead Don’t Rest in Grimm Manor
Plot Overview: A Game of Survival, a Romance of Ruin
Ophelia Grimm never expected to inherit her mother’s necromantic powers—or her debt. Following her mother’s sudden death, Ophelia is thrust into a crumbling world of magic, ghosts, and a looming threat of foreclosure over their ancestral home, Grimm Manor. To protect her younger sister Genevieve and their legacy, Ophelia enters Phantasma, a legendary, perilous competition hosted in a cursed manor where contestants face nine deadly floors of trials in hopes of winning one impossible reward: a single wish.
But nothing in Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is as it seems.
Each level is more twisted than the last—phantoms lurk, illusions deceive, and temptations seduce. And in the shadows stands Blackwell, a mysterious, silver-tongued phantom with an agenda of his own. To survive, Ophelia must rely on him—but trusting him could cost her everything. Because in Phantasma, the game’s deadliest rule is this: don’t fall in love.
Ophelia Grimm: A Haunting Protagonist
Smith gifts us with a heroine who is painfully human and beautifully flawed. Ophelia’s struggle with OCD, manifesting in compulsive rituals and intrusive thoughts, is portrayed with nuance and empathy. Rather than sensationalizing her condition, Smith weaves it into Ophelia’s identity—making her resilience all the more admirable.
Her grief, sense of duty, and obsessive need for control contrast sharply with the chaos of the world she inhabits. Ophelia is not just a chosen one—she’s a survivor navigating trauma, desire, and dark enchantment with the weight of her family’s legacy on her shoulders.
Through her eyes, Phantasma becomes a hall of mirrors: one reflecting not only fear and magic but also resilience and reluctant vulnerability.
Blackwell: The Phantom of Temptation
Enter Blackwell—a phantom with charm sharper than his wit and secrets deeper than the manor’s shadows. Their chemistry crackles from their first interaction, but Smith resists the easy route of insta-love. Instead, she builds a slow-burn romance steeped in danger, wit, and tension.
Blackwell is not a knight in shining armor—he’s an enigma with his own haunting past. The push-and-pull between him and Ophelia is deliciously fraught with mistrust, longing, and inevitable betrayal. He’s the kind of character who smiles with secrets between his teeth, and readers will likely find themselves as torn as Ophelia between suspicion and seduction.
A World Built on Whispers and Wounds
Setting the Stage: New Orleans & The Manor
Set against a darkly reimagined New Orleans teeming with necromancers, devils, apparitions, and whispers of Hell’s Nine Circles, the backdrop of Phantasma is intoxicating. The city’s sultry decay and mystic undercurrents bleed into every page, while Grimm Manor is a character in itself—creaking with ghosts, secrets, and inherited sorrow.
Once inside Phantasma, the setting transforms into a gothic fever dream. Think velvet-clad corridors, ballroom illusions, and trials that prey on your fears. Smith leans fully into gothic aesthetics—mirrored halls, whispered riddles, flickering candlelight, and blood as currency. The result is an immersive experience that is both sinister and sublime.
Crafting the Wicked: Kaylie Smith’s Writing Style
Smith writes with theatricality and poetic darkness. Her prose oscillates between lyrical introspection and razor-sharp dialogue, capturing both the fantastical and the psychological in lush detail. She excels at tone: whether it’s the whisper of an old curse or the sting of a sisterly betrayal, each scene is soaked in mood and meaning.
A few standout aspects of her writing include:
- Sensory-rich descriptions: You don’t just read Phantasma by Kaylie Smith; you feel it—dust on your tongue, velvet against your skin, the electric charge of magic in the air.
- Rhythmic pacing: The novel flows with a deliberate cadence, like a spell building to its crescendo. It allows for breathless pauses and heart-pounding suspense in equal measure.
- Emotional depth: From grief and rage to lust and guilt, the characters’ emotions are raw, real, and often overwhelming.
Themes That Haunt and Heal
Death, Legacy, and Love in a Gothic Frame
At its core, Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is about survival—of the self, of family, and of one’s identity amid chaos. Kaylie Smith explores:
- Grief and Mental Health: Ophelia’s OCD is not a footnote; it’s an essential part of her experience. Her compulsions are exacerbated by grief, creating an emotional landscape that’s authentic and painful.
- Family and Responsibility: The Grimm legacy is both gift and burden. Ophelia’s dynamic with Genevieve is heartfelt and complex, navigating sisterhood through love, guilt, and sacrifice.
- Power and Consent: The trials within Phantasma raise questions about control, desire, and autonomy. Every deal made has a cost—especially those involving Blackwell.
- Forbidden Love: The romance defies rules and reason. Smith wields this trope well, never allowing the passion to override the stakes or the individual agency of her characters.
The Flaws in the Mirror: Room for Growth
While Phantasma by Kaylie Smith is undeniably captivating, it’s not without its shadows:
- Exposition-Heavy Opening: The first few chapters, though atmospheric, lean heavily on worldbuilding through internal monologue and could benefit from a brisker pace.
- Side Characters Underdeveloped: Outside Ophelia and Blackwell, many secondary characters—especially fellow competitors—feel underexplored. A deeper dive into their arcs would enrich the emotional stakes.
- Repetition in Prose: Smith’s lyrical style occasionally falls into redundancy. Certain phrases and motifs (e.g., references to eyes, heartbeats, blood) recur more than necessary, slightly weakening their impact.
Still, these are minor quibbles in the grand scheme. Smith balances gothic grandeur with emotional sincerity—a rare feat.
Why Phantasma Deserves Your Attention
- A fresh take on dark romantasy that’s more than just aesthetics.
- A neurodivergent heroine navigating a world that mirrors her internal chaos.
- Enemies-to-lovers tension that simmers rather than explodes.
- Layers of magic, madness, and mystery that leave you questioning what’s real.
- And that ending? It’s not just a cliffhanger—it’s a trapdoor to Enchantra.
Comparable Titles for Your TBR
If you loved Phantasma by Kaylie Smith, you might also enjoy:
- One Dark Window by Rachel Gillig – another gothic romantasy with a cursed heroine and lyrical prose.
- Kingdom of the Wicked by Kerri Maniscalco – dark deals, demons, and forbidden passion.
- House of Hollow by Krystal Sutherland – for its eerie blend of familial bonds and gothic horror.
- Belladonna by Adalyn Grace – a heroine who flirts with Death itself.
Final Verdict: A Wicked Debut That Casts Its Spell
Kaylie Smith’s Phantasma is a dark feast for fans of romantasy, gothic horror, and magical competitions. It balances heartache with heat, shadows with seduction, and grief with grim magic. With an ending that promises even darker enchantments to come, Phantasma leaves readers breathless and hungry for Enchantra.
Whether you’re here for the ghosts, the games, or the phantom in the shadows—Phantasma will ensnare you.
- Recommended for: Readers who crave dark fantasy with a romantic twist, love morally gray characters, and want their fiction to make their heart race and their soul ache.
