Content Warning: death, violence, self harm, gore

+ If you want demons and witches and females trying to fight the men who are killing them – you will want to read this book. I actually had to process this book in my mind for a bit before writing what I thought about it. The Invocations is outright, in your face, blood, gore, dark, not some glamorous wholesome kind of witchcraft. No, this one has witchcraft that comes with lots of blood and old languages. It is gritty, it is scary but shows how desperate these women seeking these invocations are to have power against the men hunting them. I thought the themes of feminism was great – loved that only women can have magic. 

+ There are three characters: Emer, Jude, and Zara and I thought they were pretty cool trio with very different personalities. Jude brings the humor which I loved since this book is so dark in themes and gory in some scenes. Zara is someone grieving her sister and wants to bring her back to life so she can apologize. Emer is a witch who has had quite a life – she’s so fascinating and scary with her power. I love how the three of them meet and start to bond over finding this killer. They are all tied to the murders in some way. There is also a little romance brewing but it’s not something that is the focus of the story.

+ This is a murder mystery or serial killer mystery and I did like the twist at the end. And what an ending it was – my eyes were wide open for most of the climatic ending! It was disgusting and gory but I couldn’t look away, so to speak!

+ I did find the second half of the book more exciting than the first, maybe because that’s when Tabatha is getting close to figuring things out and a bunch of wild things happen that I did not expect! I liked the twist.

~ The beginning was slower than the second half but it was introducing three characters and tying them together. But once they meet the story really gets rolling! 

~ It is dark, there is self harm, lots of blood, cutting skin. Lots of gruesome deaths. 

My Thoughts:

This book was like, “you want demons and witches? I’ll give you demons and witches.” This is a dark story about women, men, demons, witches and power. There is a lot of blood and gore but also a sort of happy ending. I loved that the story didn’t shy away from the gore – even though I don’t usually read gory books in general. I wish this was released near Halloween because this is the perfect dark, witchy read for Fall! I look forward to reading more from this author, she’s becoming one of my must-read authors!

Thank you Netgalley for the ARC of this book!

Krystal Sutherland, the mind behind "House of Hollow," once again demonstrates her mastery of storytelling and vivid detail in "The Invocations." As a fan of her previous work, my expectations were high, and Sutherland not only met but exceeded them.

In "The Invocations," Sutherland introduces a trio of distinct young women, each with her own set of unique qualities. Emer, wielding magical powers and combat skills; Jude, the snarky and sarcastic queen radiating boldness, amusement, cunningness, and charm; and Zara (affectionately called Jones by Jude), the nerdy, quirky brain of the group with a big heart ready to protect her loved ones and face extreme challenges. These characters converge in unexpected circumstances to thwart a serial killer targeting women who made pacts with a cursewriter for special talents.

The plot was quite intricate with three different POVs that allow the reader to peek into the minds of 3 very different women. I definitely appreciated the blend of strategy and spunk from the different characters. I especially enjoyed Jude’s characterization while Zara felt a little flat. The girl power at the forefront of the narrative is both empowering and refreshing. The idea that only women can bargain with demons for power because even the demons can’t trust men adds a unique layer to the tale. I did find the plot to be a little slow at the beginning and some of Jude’s dialogue to be unrealistic, but the book definitely picks up in the second half. While some characters may initially seem flat, they gradually become more fleshed out, drawing you deeper into the story.

This book definitely won’t be for everyone. If you aren’t a fan of descriptive, graphic imagery (the imagery of Jude’s leg wound was too much for me, and it kept being repeated throughout the book), you may want to skip this novel. I will say that even though the writing might be too descriptive/gruesome, it definitely fits with the story.

I recieved an e-arc through NetGalley. This is my honest opinion and thankful for the opportunity to read the book ahead of time.

I was not the target audience for this book. I enjoy ya books as a mid 30 year old reading books. But this book although dark reads more juvenile than most I have read. Even though the characters are older 17-19 it has way to many modern specific references that turned me off from the atmosphere the author was trying to create. The writing is very direct and I think it's suppose to help with how precise and rigid the story is going to be but I was not a fan. I personally would give this book like a 2 but like I said it was not targeted for me so I'll rate it a 3. I hope it finds who it's suppose to be targeted!

This book was so cool! At first I was a bit confused by the three different characters we followed, but when I got to know them I loved them. I loved how different they all were, and they each had their own story to tell. The plot was very interesting. I'm not usually drawn towards witch stories, but I felt like this one was very different than any I have read before. I really enjoyed Krystal Sutherland's writing as well.

Murder, magic, and the macabre. I loved this one so so much! House of Hollow was one of my favorite reads, so I was super excited to see a new one for Krystal Sutherland and she did not disappoint. The Invocations was beautifully weird and gross. Highly recommend!

Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for this ARC! I really enjoyed this book. It’s definitely a dark and gruesome one, so if you have a weak stomach this is NOT the book for you haha. The characters were wonderful, the storyline was very unique and spooky and just all around awesome. I’d definitely recommend this book!!!

A worthy book, though not one that'd make my favorites list. the cover is fantastic, and the plot is great. i just felt a bit disconnected from the pov chars. thanks for the arc

4.5 out of 5 stars

Rep: Lesbian MC with chronic pain, sapphic MC, sapphic South Asian side character, Black side character

Content warnings: Body horror (like, a lot), mentioned assault, stalking, home invasion, violence against women, serial murders of women, self harm for magical purposes, domestic violence, religious persecution, death, grief, underage drinking, vomit/blood/excrement, menstruation, fire, mentioned drug use, brief mentions of COVID, brief mentions of dead/injured birds and insects

What a ride! I wasn't completely sold at the beginning -- Zara came across as kind of a pick-me girl during her first chapter or two -- but it sucked me in very quickly. This was my first Krystal Sutherland book, but definitely won't be my last! I adore the way she builds atmosphere.

It's an extremely heavy novel thematically (PLEASE mind the trigger warnings), but so very necessary. And despite that, there's still quite a bit of humor and queer joy. Watching the couple that eventually gets together engage in some good ol' pining had me giggling and kicking my feet.

Also, I LOVE the dedication ("to all the angry girls"). While I no longer identify as a girl, I spent more than two decades of my life being told I couldn't be angry because that isn't what good Christian girls do. I'll likely always feel a connection to feminine rage and I thoroughly enjoy when authors lean into that theme.

All in all, this is an amazing work of horror that I will absolutely be promoting at my library.

**HUGE thank you to Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books for granting me an eARC through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review!**

A beautiful and gripping story that I am thankful to have read. But the characters need more development. Thank you Netgalley for giving me this ARC

Five, blood-soaked, necrotic, hard-won stars.

Wow, all I can honestly say after finishing this book is that I LOVED it. It was simply stunning in all its black magic-necromancy- “good-for-her” glory. This novel is dark and unflinching. It was a lot more horrific than I thought it was going to be. And While I am sad to say that I have not read House of Hollow yet, it skyrocketed up the list of books I am going to be reading soon. Krystal Sutherland is going to be one of my auto-buy authors, I can feel it.

I think this novel was made for me, with the exceptionally dark elements, the strength of the female characters and the underlying message of the novel, it was a fast and enjoyable read. I think this novel is coming at a very interesting time as well, with the Barbie Movie making waves, and really speaking out to what it means to be a woman in a man’s world. The incredible thing about this novel, while the magic is black and gruesome. There are elements that are simply horrifying. All these women took on these curses to just protect themselves from the ministrations of men. Women harnessed all this power at their fingertips just to simply survive –and are painted as evil, vile horrible creatures. Creatures to be purified and corrected by men. When all they are seeking is to not be molested, to not be beaten, asking for power in exchange to help another person. And what happens as soon as men realize women are doing this – they murder them. They try to steal the women’s power to lord over others, to elevate self, while all the while screaming that the women, they killed were evil, it was justified. I thought there was an extremely powerful message in this novel, and I loved every second of it.

I adored Jude and Emer, (Zara had to grow on me if I’m honest), And while I figured early on who the killer was, there were plenty of other surprises ahead that I did not see coming. I’m going to be thinking about this book for a very long time.


>>>>>

"Abby Gallagher had been fifteen years old when she found Emer and asked her for an invocation that would allow her hands to melt through flesh. There had been an abusive uncle, parents who refused to believe her story, and a younger sister she wanted to protect. So, Abby had decided to take the matter into her own hands. Literally."

"Abby had sent a news article some weeks later about a man named Greg Gallagher whose genitals had melted off in horrific and mysterious circumstances. The journalists theorized about spontaneous human combustion. Little did they know."

"There had been fighting in the Gallagher family. Abby had dropped out of school, could not hold down a job, drank in secret and then no longer bothered to hide it. The family was out of town for the week, visiting relatives. They left their eldest daughter at home alone because she refused to join them. They said her depression prevented her from leaving the house much. Emer is doubly sad for this. That the power she gave her was not enough to change what had already happened. That becoming the hero of your own story does not always mean you get a happy ending."

There is a visceral quality to Sutherland's words, in the way they pull you in and keep you hooked throughout the entirety of a story, unable to look away though other real life priorities may call to you. Jude, Emer, and Zara have very distinct personalities and it was fun to see how they played off of each other throughout the story.
I do feel like the girls were given pretty young ages given the way they acted and moved about in the world, but other times their adolescence was perfectly characterized. The concept of witches acquiring magic by tethering beings that eat their very souls was so interesting to me, I wish there had been more plot dedicated to explaining the history of how that came to be.
Overall, the dark tale of these 3 girls pulled me in and had me riveted until the very end.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for a eARC of this book!

An amazing book by Krystal Sutherland. Many of my friends have also extremely enjoyed this book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley

“You have never been alone” Bael
“I didn’t come this far to come this far.” Zara
“Look they have come for you. They always come for you.” Bael

I don’t believe I’ve ever loved a demon, ever, until Bael. This book is about three girls who have decided to find a serial killer in London.
A girl who’s took magic into her own hands (did not go so well), another whose sister is a victim of the killer, and a witch with vengeance.
The story had the perfect amount of suspense, action, and gore with just the right amount of humor. Sutherland can write a great young adult horror story.

The writing was not my cup of tea. It felt choppy and a little disjointed and it was honestly slower than anything I’ve read in a long time. I will not be picking it back up nor will I be reading anything else by this author.

A massive thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review!! I really enjoyed this book; definitely something I will tell my friends about!

I was really anticipating this book and had high hopes. I tried to pick it up three different times and I just had a hard time getting through it. I think it had to do with the formatting of arc and the missing letters. The story was good, but the three different voices seemed to be blended together. Just be aware of the trigger warnings. It did not read like a YA book. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the e-arc of this.
3/5 stars

After reading “house of hollow” by Sutherland I knew she would become an auto read/buy. I do have to say that “The invocation” did grab my interest a little fast than house of hollow. I couldn’t put this book down, and even when I had to (for sleep) I couldn’t stop thinking about it, I woke up ready to start reading again. If it wasn’t for work I would have finished it way faster.

I loved the story and message, I loved all the characters. My favorite was Jude wolf. She was funny and had a fiery personality. It’s told in 3 pov and I believe this was in third person omniscient (although I can be wrong)

The ending was something I was not expecting, when the truth is finally being found out I was in complete shock. It was a plot twister for sure. I feel like this would make a great doulogy, not becuase the ending was unfinished but becuase the world building and storyline can do with a sequel. I want some more of Jude, Emer and Zara. Without spoiling Emer story is just beginning and I would like to have a follow up.

3.5 stars

Totally gruesome vibes

Women dying left and right and who better to save them than 3 witches.

I did like the story i did feel that it dragged out a little to long for my liking. I found some parts to be really predictable but over all an enjoyable easy read

I recommend it to lovers of horror books

Obsessed! Love this raging feminist witchy book. It was very fast paced. Sometimes a bit predictable but didn’t mind.
“You’re a goddamn vegan influencer!” This line made me laugh. Loved the bit of humor throw in.

Thanks NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the ARC

Serial killers. An original magic system and demons. Necromancy. This book has it all. The three main characters are all smart and powerful women in their own right. Jude comes in with the wit and sarcasm while Emer is strong and serious and Zara is thoughtful and intelligent. Their lives are woven together when they try to catch a killer and release a curse.

The pacing is good I never was bored and constantly was intrigued as the story unfolded. The magic system was new and captivated my attention. Couldn’t stop reading once I started