Phantasma: The Darkness Behind the Magic

Kaylie Smith’s Phantasma is a dark fantasy romance novel that follows Ophelia Grimm, a necromancer who can communicate with and raise the dead. From a young age she has been training under her mother’s tutelage, honing her skills and preparing to take up the family business. However, when her mother suddenly dies, Ophelia is unable to properly grieve upon the discovery that her childhood home, Grimm Manor, is in danger of being sold off due to enormous debts she had no knowledge of. Unfortunately, the situation turns even more dire when her younger sister Genevieve enters Phantasma, a competition where participants have the chance of getting one wish granted–hers being to save Grimm Manor–if they can survive nine increasingly deadly challenges. Phantasma is said to be run by Devils, wicked magical creatures that are similar to demons. Every year it takes place at a different location, which is only made known after the contest starts.  Feeling desperate, Ophelia joins Phantasma as well and meets a ghost who she makes a risky deal with in hopes of finding her sister before it’s too late.

I was instantly hooked by Phantasma. We see the story through Ophelia’s perspective as she goes over details of her hometown, New Orleans, to the grief clouding her heart in the wake of her mother’s passing.

Set in the 1900s, Smith is able to link the characters and the plot so seamlessly that there are no gaps in the story. Every clue guided me to finding the answer to a bigger mystery, and every character interaction had a deep or personal meaning behind it. Throughout Phantasma, the characters get to grow, to learn to let go of their fear, and to face it head on, but also develop a sense of kinship with each other, particularly between the central characters Ophelia and Blackwell.

We discover early the novel that Ophelia is plagued by the Shadow Voice, a dark and malicious voice that forces her to act in specific ways. At first, it seemed to be a separate entity whispering sinister thoughts into her mind, but it is later revealed to be obsessive compulsive disorder (OCD). The Shadow Voice has been slowly wearing away at her identity and gnawing at her sanity, forcing her to retreat into a protective shell and to be terrified of opening up to others. Despite all this, she is shown to be a deeply caring person who is willing to sacrifice herself for her sister and brave unimaginable dangers, all while retaining her kindness and being reluctant to resort to violence despite other contestants stopping at nothing to win.

Another important character in Phantasma is Blackwell, who is a Phantom–a powerful ghost that can manifest with a physical body and holds mysterious powers. When he meets Ophelia, Blackwell is immediately intrigued. He is impressed by her quiet strength and fierceness, drawn in by her unrelenting compassion towards other contestants. Blackwell reveals to Ophelia that he has been stuck in Phantasma for centuries searching for a way to free himself but is unable to find the key to his freedom. At first glance, Blackwell comes off as a very flippant person, often arrogant and careless, but as the story progresses there is a change in his attitude. Readers discover that he is a caring person, constantly looking out for Ophelia, encouraging her to push herself and being there for her when the Shadow Voice becomes too strong. Readers start to see how deeply he values his growing bond with Ophelia and how he goes from solely wanting to be freed of Phantasma to protecting her no matter the cost. I loved seeing them grow closer and ultimately discover their feelings for each other. In the stark reality of Phantasma, where all contestants are forced to face their fears, Blackwell and Ophelia’s quiet moments brought some lightheartedness into the novel.

Phantasma is one of those novels that has so many twists and turns you can’t help but be sucked right in. Not only were the challenges varying in difficulty, they also became increasingly captivating, involving danger and magic to create a frantic atmosphere that had me gripping the book.

Each level had clues and puzzles to solve that were so engaging I felt like I was part of the contest, working alongside Ophelia to pass each level. I felt invigorated and full of adrenaline, and this feeling only increased as I read more. However, what I appreciated the most about Phantasma was the writing. Smith’s prose was eloquent, clear and concise, but also illustrative in a way that I felt deeply touched. During a particularly heated moment in Phantasma, Blackwell admits to Ophelia that she is “the only thing that’s ever made me feel even a semblance of hope in this eternity of Hell…you are the closest thing I will ever get to experiencing heaven” (Smith 391). This is my favourite quote because it conveys so much of Blackwell’s feelings and exposes him in a way that renders him vulnerable as well as relatable to the reader. 

Beyond the fantastical aspect to it, Phantasma is a tale of resilience, of fighting through the challenges in life, conquering the darkness within, and staying true to yourself no matter what. This novel had me hooked from the start, where every page demanded my attention and every challenge left me feeling exhilarated, to the point where I can only describe Phantasma as an exceptional reading experience.