58 pages • 1 hour read
Kaylie SmithPhantasma
Kaylie SmithFiction | Novel | Adult | Published in 2024A modern alternative to SparkNotes and CliffsNotes, SuperSummary offers high-quality Study Guides with detailed chapter summaries and analysis of major themes, characters, and more.
Background
Literary Context: Romantasy
Romantasy is a subgenre of both the romance and fantasy genres that blends key elements of both, just as the word is a portmanteau of romance and fantasy. Romantasy as a genre has risen in popularity in tandem with the growing influence of the BookTok community on the social media app TikTok. Readers gather on TikTok to share book recommendations, book reviews, and book hauls, as well as to form communities based on literary interests. As BookTok popularized the romantasy genre, tropes within the genre became more standardized. Some of these tropes include enemies-to-lovers romances, forced proximity romances, and the idea of forbidden love. Each of these tropes makes an appearance in Kaylie Smith’s romantasy novel Phantasma. Ophelia Grimm and Blackwell start in an adversarial relationship, as Ophelia does not trust Blackwell and the blood bargain he offers. They later begin a romantic relationship despite this antagonistic beginning, adhering to the enemies-to-lovers trope. With the blood bargain, they also must remain physically close to each other, illustrating Smith’s use of the forced proximity trope. Phantasma curses any who fall in love during the competition, so their romance is also forbidden, illustrating another common romantasy trope.
Another trope Smith engages with is the use of a deadly competition as a plot vehicle, a trope widely popularized by Stephanie Garber’s series Caraval. Ophelia must win Phantasma to obtain the Devil’s Grant, just like the contestants of Caraval must compete to obtain a magic wish. In addition, both series feature a close bond between sisters that is complicated by secrets, as Genevieve enters Phantasma without Ophelia’s knowledge just like Tella plans to enter Caraval without Scarlett’s knowledge. Magic features heavily in both series, though Smith takes the magic element a step further by giving her protagonist magical abilities, as Ophelia is both a Necromancer and a Specter.
Phantasma was nominated for the “Readers’ Favorite Romantasy” book in the 2024 Goodreads Choice Awards, competing against romantasy giants like Sarah J. Maas (nominated for her third Crescent City novel House of Flame and Shadow) and Jennifer L. Armentrout (nominated for her fourth Flesh and Fire novel Born of Blood and Ash).
Medical Context: Obsessive Compulsive Disorder (OCD)
Obsessive Compulsive Disorder, or OCD, is a “long-lasting disorder in which a person experiences uncontrollable and recurring thoughts (obsessions), engages in repetitive behaviors (compulsions), or both” (“Obsessive-Compulsive Disorder.” National Institute of Mental Health). Phantasma’s protagonist Ophelia Grimm lives with OCD. Her OCD manifests in the appearance of the Shadow Voice, an entity that dwells in Ophelia’s mind and tells her that horrible things will happen to both her and the people she loves if she does not follow its commands, which usually involve repetitive behaviors like knocking three times on specific surfaces. The voice also imposes intrusive thoughts on her—often thoughts of accidentally or intentionally harming herself or others.
The Shadow Voice shapes Ophelia’s perception of herself. She sees her need to appease the Shadow Voice’s commands—such as the frequent command to knock three times on various surfaces—as embarrassing, a flaw within herself instead of a symptom of OCD. She worries what others will think of her because of her compulsions, which illustrates the depth of the negative impact of the stigma surrounding mental health conditions. Ophelia’s eyes are a vibrant and nearly ghostly blue—a trait she shares with other members of her family—and she’s the heir to a powerful line of necromancers, both things that make her stand out in the world. However, she instead worries that what people will notice about her is her compulsive tic of knocking on floors and walls three times. Her intrusive thoughts about harming herself and others also contribute to her negative self-perception, as she thinks the thoughts mean she truly wants to hurt others instead of being a symptom of OCD.
Throughout Phantasma, Ophelia learns to live with her OCD. After the confrontation with the physical embodiment of the Shadow Voice, Ophelia allows herself to be vulnerable about the Shadow Voice with Blackwell and to share about her experiences with OCD. In letting herself be emotionally open, she pushes past the stigma of silence that too often accompanies mental health conditions and takes away some of the Shadow Voice’s power in her life.
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