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5/5

When Ophelia and her sister discovers 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.

Good reads page

Oh my lord, this book made me feel so many things.

I had so much rage and worry for the characters that it was chocking me from my mind out. I loved every second of this story. There was not a single page in which I was bored or where it felt slow.

Every single second of this read was enjoyable!

I loved the gothic atmosphere; it fed a need I didn’t know I had. I didn't know I liked these gothic reads as much as I did, and I think I found my favorite location for stories to unfold.

Since the very beginning, being introduced to New Orleans and how the paranormal meets the normal is amazing. New Orleans has always been at the top of my list of places to visit, and after I read this, I want to go even more. I want to do a lot of ghost tours so I can see the inside of the houses and see the charm of the Victorian era mixed with the Gothic ambiance the city offers.

I fell in love with the characters since the start; Ophelia, Genevieve, and Blackwell are well made, complex, and full at the same time. They made sense, and they matched each other perfectly.

The type of love shown in this story is not for everyone, but it is for me. I love the never-leaving, eternal love... Maybe a little toxic, but that makes the spice even better!!!!

The spice was more than I thought; IT was very descriptive and enjoyable, and I suddenly found myself gasping for air from some of these scenes.

I recommend this book if you love the gothic, the paronmal, the outcast, and the extra spice. It's not for everyone, but I know that if you like all of the above, you will enjoy every single word on Phanstamas’s pages.

I am definitely buying the physical copy and getting the new book when it comes out!

Jesus Christ

What a whirlwind of emotions this book has brought me.

I don’t even know where to begin, i’m still in the haze of just finishing it and not really processing what i just read haha.

i’m going to try to split the review in sections to make it easier for me to untangle my thoughts.

Beginning:

The start was strong, with Tessie dying out of the blue and Ophelia and Genevieve set to figure out life by themselves, which was terrifying.

Reading about how Ophelia had to pass her mother's magic on to her and reading about her changes in the process had me shaking to my core. I could feel the fear in both of them, and it made the book addicting right from the beginning.

We are introduced to the shadow voice very early on, and even though I could tell it was OCD, I liked how it was portrayed as the shadow voice, an entity on its own that consumed Ophelia. It shows how truly scarring having OCD could be, and even in life-or-death situations, it could make it all a million times worse.

The bond between genevive and ophelia has been shown to be very strong since the very beginning, which makes the ending even more powerful. After they talk and Genenive tells her sister how much she did to protect her and how grateful she was for all the sacrifices she made for her, but also ophelia being shook by seeing her sister keep so many secrets to avoid her feeling bad gave me a whirlwind of emotions.

Phanstama’s Challenges:

I loved how the challenges were made. I love the resemblance to the 9 levels of hell. It gave it an extra shot of being scary and macbre. Evey level took more of the contestants sanity, but in ophelia's case, it gave her the sanity she had lost through the years. Everything about the games was addicting to read. The author did such a good job describing it all and how interesting they were!

My favorite level was the last one, the one in which she had to choose her sister out of the copies, but she knew none of them were hers. It proves the true connection they had and how much she saw and valued humanity.

Im glas genavive got out when she did because im sure things would have not turned out the way they did if she had not forfeited.

What a plot twist when she realized it was her father, the one who murded her mother. I can't believe the insane plot twist. He did it out of love, but since it's been so long since he last saw her, he couldn't tell it was all an illusion, and he failed, killing his love in the process.

The other contestants added a new level of craziness to the story, each of them hungry for that wish, all of them ready to risk their lives or murder if they needed to. It felt like a hunger game on steroids. Nothing was stopping them back, not even saving their own sanity.

Blackwell:

He created a new standard for MMC in romantasy, what a gentleman, so protective, so careful, so sensitive,

He knew the right spots and the right words.

He is one of those, never-ending, eternal lovers. It might be overbearing and a bit toxic, but I love that type of man in books. A true lover and protector. I love them being so strong and predator-ish, but also ophelia being super strong and magical too; there is no damisel in distress; she just wants a little help, and he is happy to do so.

WHAT A PLOTWIST!!!!! I had a feeling that he wasn’t being fully truthful, but he did redeem himself in the end.

Ophelia:

I just want to hug her. I feel so bad for her, but I’m glad she is so strong and found her other half, even if it was one she was taught to avoid at all costs.

Her strength is incredible; she was a compelling character. I feel she didn't go crazy because she was already super unhinged and living in her own fears. She is a nightmare dressed in silk; her mind is so dark it made the prince of hell far for her. That shouldn’t be taken lightly because she is dark, very dark.

The devils:

sneaky little rats, I love them.

they were gross, hot and unhinged, just how a book devil should be

The ending:

im so happy for them, i feel statisfide and fullfilled with that ending.

a happy enternity after!!

I hope i can see more of them in the second book but i cant wait for genevive love stories

Favorite Quotes