Quick Take
- Narration: Alessandra Eleonori narrates the Italian edition of this gothic competition romance. Her performance is praised in Italian-language reviews, suggesting she is well-matched to the atmospheric material.
- Themes: Deadly competition and survival, forbidden supernatural attraction, sisterly love as motivation
- Mood: Gothic and atmospheric, with ballrooms and haunted corridors and a bargain with consequences
- Verdict: Note: this listing is the Italian-language edition. English-language listeners should confirm edition availability before purchasing. The gothic premise is compelling and the supernatural romance earns strong enthusiasm from Italian readers.
I should be transparent about something before writing this review: the version of Phantasma listed here, narrated by Alessandra Eleonori, is the Italian-language edition. The reviews provided are in Italian, the synopsis is in Italian, and listeners who want the original Kaylie Smith novel in English will need to verify they are purchasing the correct edition. What follows is a review written for Italian-language readers and for English-language listeners who are aware of what they are getting.
The premise that Kaylie Smith constructs for Phantasma is one with genuine genre appeal. Ophelia enters a deadly competition called Phantasma, held within a haunted manor, not for ambition or glory but to win the single wish being offered as a prize. Her sister has disappeared, and the competition is the only means of getting her back. This sibling motivation is a strong foundation for a gothic romance, giving Ophelia’s survival stakes an emotional weight that pure competition premises sometimes lack. She must survive nine challenges, each more dangerous than the last, while navigating other ruthless competitors and the temptations of ballrooms populated by seductive demons.
The Pact with Blackwell
The supernatural love interest is Blackwell, identified in the synopsis as a Fantasma, a phantom who is charming, arrogant, and strikingly attractive. He offers Ophelia a deal: he will guide her through the deadly challenges in exchange for ten years of her life. The terms of this bargain give the romance its structural tension. Ophelia knows she should not trust him. She trusts him anyway, partly from lack of alternatives and partly from the dark and irresistible attraction that keeps drawing her closer. Smith is working in well-established gothic romance territory here, the supernatural guide, the forbidden desire, the price extracted for salvation, but the competition structure gives the familiar beats a forward momentum that the genre does not always have.
One Italian reviewer called the book pure entertainment with perfect premises, while noting some disappointment at the overall execution relative to their expectations. Another simply described loving the characters of Ophelia and Blackwell and wanting a physical copy for their shelves. The split in response, between readers who found the execution fully satisfying and those who felt the premise exceeded what the story delivered, is worth noting for potential listeners setting their expectations.
Alessandra Eleonori and the Gothic Register
The gothic competition romance is a format that benefits enormously from narration that can sustain atmosphere across long passages of description and menace. At thirteen hours and fourteen minutes, this is not a short listen, and the haunted manor setting requires a narrator who can differentiate between the threat of the challenges, the glamour of the ballrooms, and the charged quiet of Ophelia’s growing attachment to Blackwell. Based on the enthusiastic Italian-language reviews, Eleonori handles these registers effectively. For native Italian speakers or for advanced language learners, the narration appears to add genuine atmosphere to what is already an atmospheric text.
For English-Language Listeners
Kaylie Smith is an American author and Phantasma was published in English before its Italian translation. English-language readers curious about this title should search for the original edition rather than this listing. For Italian-language readers, the praise from reviewers who found the book worthy of physical ownership suggests this is a production with real merit. The gothic competition romance subgenre has a dedicated audience, and Smith’s premise, nine challenges, a phantom guide, a sister to rescue, sits comfortably within what that audience is looking for while adding enough specific detail to feel distinct.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is this listing the Italian or English edition of Phantasma?
This listing is the Italian-language edition narrated by Alessandra Eleonori. English-language listeners should confirm they are purchasing the correct edition, as Kaylie Smith’s original text was written in English.
Do I need to have read any previous books by Kaylie Smith before starting Phantasma?
Based on the synopsis, Phantasma appears to be a standalone gothic romance rather than part of a series requiring prior context. All necessary world-building and character introduction occurs within this book.
How does the competition structure interact with the romance, and which element is more central to the story?
Smith weaves them together: the competition is the setting and the source of danger, while Blackwell the phantom guide is the romantic element. The nine challenges create forward momentum and the romance develops within and around them, making them interdependent rather than separate threads.
Is the pact element, giving up ten years of life, resolved within this book or does it carry across a series?
The synopsis suggests this is a standalone, and the romantic resolution between Ophelia and Blackwell appears to occur within this book. The consequences of the ten-year bargain are part of the central dramatic tension rather than a sequel hook.
