Phantasma

Discuss Smith’s use of the two manors (Grimm Manor and the Devil’s Manor) as the setting for the novel. To what degree are the houses treated as characters in their own right? To what degree are they foils for one another? What competing values do the two houses represent? How do they impact the characters and plot?

What role does Phantasma play in shaping the trajectory of the romantasy genre? How does it move the genre in new directions? What debts does it owe to its predecessors, such as Stephanie Garber’s Caraval?

Explore how trust and betrayal play a role in the key relationships in Phantasma (Ophelia and Blackwell, Ophelia and Genevieve, Ophelia and Tessie).

Examine the thematic intersection between the ideas surrounding legacy and family bonds. What impact does the idea of family have on the idea of legacy? Is it possible to shape a legacy independent of familial expectations? Use textual evidence to support your argument.

Research popular romantasy tropes. What tropes does Smith utilize? What tropes does she subvert?

Discuss the importance of the challenges in the narrative. What role do they play in Ophelia’s character development?

The Nine Circles of Hell have become a cultural trope independent of their origin in Dante Alighieri’s Inferno. How does Smith update this centuries-old trope for a modern context? Examine how Smith crafts her own version of this Hell, both in Phantasma and on the Other Side.

How does Smith set up Genevieve to be the protagonist in the second book in the series, Enchantra? What aspects of her character development hint toward problems to be addressed in a second installment?