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Phantasma: A Gothic Paranormal Adventure in New Orleans

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The World

The world inside Phantasma is a paranormal place; it’s dark and creepy but in a good way. The world is Earth-like and set in a gothic version of New Orleans. It gives off an old-timey vibe with its use of corsets and full suit sets in its fashion, not to mention the use of ‘Manors’ and important family names. The actual setting of Phantasma is the Phantasma manor itself. A supernatural Manor that comes and goes, changing its location after each of its residents/contestants finishes playing its dark game. This book does not have a map like many Romantasy reads. Still, it does include an essential overview of species that I encourage you to study if you are unfamiliar with the paranormal world. This book’s supernatural and ghostly aspect really sets Phantasma apart from the others in its genre and does it well.

The Beginning

Phantasma instantly grabs your attention as two sisters bustle around to do their family rituals after their mother’s surprising death, but what really draws the reader in is the accurate description of OCD tendencies and that little internal voice that urges you to do unspeakable things in the back of your head. We all have those intrusive thoughts and do our best to ignore them and never voice them. This book took that voice and, well… gave it a voice. You don’t have to worry about the world-building taking forever and a day in this book. You learn everything you need to within the first ten chapters, so you spend less than half the book trying to understand who’s who and what’s what, like in many fantasy books. That may sometimes be enjoyable, but if you are ready for a break from the heavily themed worlds, Phantasma is a good pick.

The Characters

The main character in Phantasma is Ophelia Grimm, a Yong woman who struggles with her internal demons and with the pressures of the expectations of taking over the family’s magical abilities and duties. Ophelia is one of the most unique main female leads I have encountered in the book world in a long time. Her blatant OCD and her intrusive thoughts having their own evil presence made her relatable. In this crazy world that we live in, who doesn’t struggle with their intrusive thoughts? For the love interest, we have a phantom named Blackwell, and boy is their tryst spicey and addicting. Everything that I expected for having an affair with a supernatural being of the ghost variety who can change their corporeal form in a second’s notice ;). These two main characters, necromancers, and phantom, make for a very entertaining and spicey read.

The Plot

Phantasmas plot is fast-paced and easy to follow. That doesn’t mean it’s easy to guess the ending, though. In fact, I usually pride myself on seeing the ending of a book from a mile away…the curse of the avid reader…but I wasn’t able to see this one. There is a classic Romeo and Juliet troupe with forbidden love, and the plot is very linear. You go from one level of the game to the next, and each level is more deadly than the next, kept interesting by the author’s unique use of the deadly sins and paranormal beings.

The Resolution

The end of Phantasma left me with all the warm and fuzzy feelings. It was incredibly satisfying and left just enough room to suggest a story continuation—but from the sister’s point of view.
Phantasma was a refreshing, unique, spicey, and incredibly enjoyable read. I am looking forward to reading about Genavie’s chance of adventure and love in Enchantra in April 2025.

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A Gripping Viking Tale: Blood, Betrayal, and Discovery

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The World

As a reader who loves maps, I was happy to see that there is indeed a map at the beginning of this book that tells you all of the essential places and shows you the path of the road of bones … and honestly, that’s all you really need to know … in this book. There may be a more descriptive one in the sequel because our beloved Bloodaxe crew will have many more adventures coming for them. There is also a pronunciation guide at the back of the book with a glossary. I highly recommend that you mark these pages before you begin your reading, especially if you’ve never read any Viking tales before. The names can look daunting. XD. Not to mention, all the new creatures are only in Viking lore. Don’t worry; these pages have no spoilers, unlike a few books I’ve read where you find the glossary or a family tree, which reveals the ‘true identity’ of the main character and spoils the surprise. This was not my first Viking lore read, but it was my first with so much magic involved and all of the different supernatural creatures. I have never heard of any of these creatures before. It was refreshing to delve into a world so rich in mythology and a bit terrifying to encounter these new creatures. I will never look at deer the same way again.

The Beginning

The beginning drew me in with its brutality, honestly. I knew this book was about Vikings, but I forgot how brutal the Viking world was. If you don’t like books with buckets of blood and gore, then put this one back and try again. So much blood … and crows and eyeballs … give me more. The world-building in this book took the entire book to get the whole picture, but it is the first in a series and a fantasy one, so we have to expect a decent amount of world-building. The critical thing to note is that even though there was all this world-building, I was always energized and energized. It never dragged; something was always going on, whether it was being attacked and an intense battle or a sexing Viking chopping work and witty banter between comrades.

The Characters

The main character in this book is Silla. The author does an outstanding job of only telling us what we need to know when we need to know it, so we spend the entire book trying to figure out who Silla is right along with her friend in the Bloodaxe crew. And the crew? Amazing sub-characters. I adore every single one of them. The betrayal that you’d never guess, the earth-shattering revelations, and the friendships that are made in this crew are something that I found refreshing. Yes, the author did jump from one character’s point of view to another, but she did it in a way that wasn’t hard to follow, and it all made sense. There wasn’t a single character that I felt that internal groan when it was their turn for a POV. The love aspect? Sexy and spicey…just how I like them. I don’t want to spoil it and tell you who it is. Read it if you like a scruffy, muscular man who could throw you over his shoulder, battle your enemies, and not break a sweat.

The Plot:

The beginning of the book starts at a steady pace—not too fast, but not too slow, either. However, once you reach part two, be prepared to finish the book in one sitting, even if it means staying up late on a work night, which I may have done. The plot is creatively written, keeping you engaged and wondering what will happen next. I could not figure out the ending during my read, especially regarding the identity of the traveling murderer. What a reveal! The revelation of Sillas’s true character was minor compared to that. A large group is involved in the story, but I don’t want to say too much, as it would give too much away. I will refer to it as a seemingly weak young woman who discovers her strength and takes over the world! It is a seemingly weak young woman who learns her strength and takes over the world!

The Resolution:

Was the resolution satisfying? It was, in the way that the first book in a series often is, featuring incredible last-second reveals and open endings. I wouldn’t say it concludes with a cliffhanger, but it certainly left me eager to add the second book to my shopping cart as soon as I finished it. I thoroughly enjoyed this book, and I wouldn’t change a thing about it. From the creepy creatures to the bloody battlefields and the challenging names, I loved every moment of it.

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The Stars Are Dying: A Tale of Love and Darkness

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The World

At the start of the book, there’s a breathtaking map, complementing the book’s exquisite beauty. A character and pronunciation guide is conveniently located at the end, which you can safely review before diving in, without any spoilers regarding characters or plot. The narrative is rich with supernatural elements, teeming with fae, vampires, and celestial beings, all encapsulated in a quintessential battle between good and evil. It posits a theory where death transforms you into a star, yet these stars are extinguished by an ongoing celestial war.

The Beginning

The start of the book failed to captivate me until the introduction of Nyte, the lead male character. His entrance exuded a vibe reminiscent of ‘The Guild’ series, featuring a woman who is captive yet somewhat complicit. This trope isn’t one I particularly enjoy, so progressing through the book required some effort on my part.

The Characters

My favorite character in the book wasn’t even a main character; her name is Cassia. She’s a strong, willful woman who is incredibly humble and kind, despite coming from a very affluent family. The main protagonist, Astrea, failed to resonate with me. Unlike the formidable women I’m used to reading about, she doesn’t stand up for herself. Instead, she’s portrayed as a pitiable woman trapped in captivity, uncertain of how to free herself or if she even wants to. The main male character, Nyte, resembles Rhysand in that he’s a master of shadows who speaks his mind. The key difference is that while Rhysand was cast as the antagonist, Nyte openly admits he’s the villain. The narrative conveys a sense of innocence being obliterated by darkness.

The Plot

Working through this book was a challenge for me. The predictability of the plot diminished my enjoyment significantly. Additionally, I found it difficult to empathize with the female protagonist. Despite anticipating her moment of self-assertion, she only occasionally stood up for herself and ultimately succumbed to the male lead, whom I also found unlikable due to his manipulative and possessive nature. When the plot is foreseeable and the connection with the main characters is lacking, it makes for a difficult read.

The Resolution

Indeed, the ending was quite predictable. Being the first in a series, it concluded on a cliffhanger, leaving readers guessing the author’s direction. Overall, the book was underwhelming. It left me desiring more: more empowerment for female characters, more sexual tension, and a male lead who doesn’t drive the female protagonist to the brink of insanity. This is the first book I’ve critiqued where the cover was more appealing and fulfilling than the story itself.

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An Action-Packed Fantasy: Quicksilver Review

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About the Author

Callie Hart is a self-published author, that is, until her worldwide bestseller Quicksilver. Quicksilver took the world by storm. The publishing companies just had to have it and entered a full-on bidding war. Harts specialty is in dark romance with series like The Blood and Roses and Dead mans ink. With Quicksilver under her belt we can expect great things from Callie Hart. Check out more of Callie Harts books on her website at Callie Hart – USA TODAY Bestselling Author of Dark and Contemporary Romance .

Synopsis

Quicksilver by Callie Hart follows a young woman’s journey through different worlds. Her mission is to save her friends and family. Nothing is more critical to Saeris Fane than her family. She would do anything to save them. She would even enter into a binding deal with a deadly fae warrior. Saeris must forget everything she thought she knew to save her world and all others.

The World

The world within Quicksilver is boundless. Its full extent is, more to be explored in the sequel. Hart masterfully describes this world, allowing readers to envision the scorching desert of Zilvaren and the wintry battlefield in Yvelia. map and pronunciation guide are conveniently placed at the beginning of the book to help follow the heroine’s journey. Unfortunately, not enough books include such aids. It took me quite some time to pronounce Choal from Throne of Glass correctly. The book resembles ACOTAR (A Court of Thorns and Roses), but the quicksilver and the heroine truly set it apart.

The Beginning

The thing that first drew me into this book was the heroine herself. She was just so fearlessly herself. No matter what, she remained strong and independent. She was willing to do anything for her family. Heck, she nearly died for them within the first 50 pages. Right off the bat, Saeris Fane is a badass, strong, and takes no shit. The world-building didn’t take that long. You learn more throughout the book because this is the first one in a series. Still, you know all you need to know within the first 100 pages.

The Characters

The main character is Saeris Fane. She is a young woman who has spent her life battling the desert. She fights for food and water for herself and her brother. Then there is KingFisher, a Fae warrior. He doesn’t quite have all of his crayons in his box because of the sacrifices he made for his people.

The Plot

The plot in this book is action-packed. Every moment was engaging. I never felt like saying, okay, come on, let’s get to the good stuff. There was always something happening. It could be an escape plan or explosions in the forge. Sometimes, it was comedic bickering or spice and battle scenes….what ACOTAR could have been if you made the first book into a prologue.

The Resolution

Cliffhanger? yes. Satisfying? Also, yes. Intense, oh hell yes. I loved the heck out of this book, and I am looking forward to the sequel. I have already pre-ordered my copy of the sequel. PICK IT UP!