literary gluttony

Rating: 4 Stars
Dish Type: Poisoned cherry cordial — dangerously sweet, decadently dark, and leaves a lingering ache.

Phantasma is what happens when The Hunger Games waltzes with Crimson Peak and makes eyes at The Cruel Prince. This YA fantasy drips with gothic glamor and teeth-bared tension, set inside a haunted mansion that’s as much predator as setting.

When Ophelia’s sister vanishes, the only way to save her is to enter the Phantasma—a deadly, wish-granting contest of nine trials, each more treacherous than the last. The prize? A single wish. The cost? Possibly everything. What unfolds is a twisted, high-stakes maze of blood, bargains, and ballgowns, where the monsters aren’t just lurking in the shadows… they’re dancing in the candlelight.

The mansion itself is an absolute feast—opulent and shifting, a labyrinth of illusions and horrors. Every room is a trap. Every hallway hides a secret. The atmosphere? Chef’s kiss. Laced with dread, dripping in magic, and spiced with temptation.

And then there’s Blackwell—Ophelia’s guide through the carnage, who offers his help for the low, low price of ten years of her life. He’s maddening, magnetic, and maddeningly magnetic. Their chemistry is a slow-burning fuse that winds tighter with every encounter, and the tension crackles even in silence. If you like your love interests morally ambiguous and infuriatingly hot, you’re going to want a second helping.

Pacing stumbles a bit in the middle—some trials blur together, and side characters don’t get quite the spotlight they deserve—but the emotional arc stays sharp. Ophelia’s strength is in her vulnerability, her loyalty, her willingness to bleed for the ones she loves. And even when the house tries to unravel her, she holds the thread.

🥄 Devour or Nibble?

Devour. This one begs to be devoured in a single, sleepless sitting. Just be warned: the house always wants something in return.