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A review by blewballoon
Phantasma by Kaylie Smith
adventurous
dark
emotional
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
5 stars for how much fun I had while reading this, and how it gave me pretty much everything I wanted—or more specifically, everything the 13 year old goth girl inside me wanted. Adolescent me would be thrilled to know that her adult self would get to read a published horror romance with a character who is basically Danny Phantom. Sure, some of the writing was clumsy and I found a few typos, but that didn't take away from my enjoyment. What time period does this take place? Don't care, the fashion rules are pure vibes. I thought the Phantasma trials were exciting, I had fun seeing how each sin was challenged. I found the characters interesting and compelling, even the side characters all felt like they had their own story even if we only got a few scenes with them. The spicy scenes are excessive, but I didn't actually mind and the romance worked for me. Despite the layer of horror over everything, there was also tenderness and care between Blackwell and Ophelia, as well as between Ophelia and her sister. This book embraced all the cliches and leaned hard into the goth horror aesthetic, and that was combined perfectly with lovable characters. I had a blast. I Would recommend to anyone who loves spooky stuff and spicy romantasy.
Graphic: Death, Gore, Sexual content, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail
Moderate: Body horror, Violence, Grief, Death of parent, and Murder
Minor: Misogyny and Vomit