Series: Wicked Games #1
Author: Kaylie Smith
Publisher: Forever
Released: September 3, 2024
Received: Own (BOTM)
Find it on Storygraph | More Fantasy | Fantasy Romance | BOTM
Book Summary:
Ophelia’s mother dropped dead with no morning, but she and her sister have no time to grieve. There’s magic to master and debts to handle. Unfortunately, they only have so many options for the latter.
The timing of events was unfortunate, as Ophelia’s sister raced off into a deadly magical game in hopes of getting enough money to pay off the debt. Naturally, Ophelia followed her into this hell.
My Review:
While I am behind on reading Phantasma, you better believe I snatched this book off the virtual BOTM shelves the second I heard about it. Magical games and a main character with OCD? Be still my heart.
Ophelia’s worldview and voice are unique and compelling. Her portrayal of anxiety and OCD won’t apply to everyone, as I strongly believe we all experience these things differently. However, I still appreciate the attempt to bring this conversation to the forefront.
The magical games were admittedly a lot of fun; if a bit graphic at times. The riddles beforehand added an extra edge, making them almost feel like a magical maze. Picture the events of Caraval – that’s the closest I can describe it.
As for the romantic plot, I’ll admit it wasn’t my favorite. I liked both characters, okay, but their romance felt a little too instant-love-y for me. Considering one of the rules of Phantasma is not to fall in love (a repeating theme), I expected more resistance here. Almost something more akin to enemies-to-lovers.
I am thrilled that there will be more to this series. Best of all, it looks like we’ll be swapping to Ophelia’s sister, Genevieve! She felt borderline voiceless in this book (since she was gone for most of it), which is pretty exciting
Highlights:
- Fantasy Romance
- Necromancer Lead
- Deadly Magical Games
- Ghost Cat
- Anxiety Rep
Trigger Warnings:
- Gore & Violence
- Obsessive Behaviors Portrayed and Personified
Like what you see? Leave a tip!
Quirky Cat’s Fat Stacks | Quirky Cat’s Comics | Monkeys Fighting Robots | CBR | Storygraph | Bookhype | Bookstagram | Tumblr | Reedsy | Storylace
Quirky Cat's Fat Stacks 
Leave a comment