Thank you so much to NetGalley & Penguin Young Readers Group for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This book was a lot of fun - I really enjoyed the multiple POVs of our three main characters Emer, Zara, and Jude. All three ladies have quite different backgrounds and motivations: Emer is a witch whose family was killed by witch hunters when she was just a child and she helps women become more powerful using her magic, Zara lost her sister last year and will do anything to get justice, and Jude is the daughter of a wealthy and well-known man yet was cast away after a bad curse. The three join cahoots to track down the serial killer / The London Ripper who has left a trail of dead women, several of whom have gone to Emer for help.

I had a hard time getting into it at first as it's very much set in present day so there's lots of modern references like Instagram, Reddit, OnlyFans, Enola Holmes, GoodReads, etc, but after I got over that it was a lot of fun following these three ladies through their various adventures to find the killer. The ending definitely was surprising to me!

I would absolutely recommend this read to fantasy witch lovers who like a good murder mystery filled with laughs - it's very amusing and the multiple POVS are terrific. There isn't much for romance but there's some teasing throughout - all three ladies are lesbians and there's a lot of GIRL POWER and undertones of female empowerment throughout the piece. There's even mention of how only girls can have magic, which includes trans women because magic is recognized through the soul not the body

I don't know if Sutherland can write fast enough for me. I absolutely adored House of Hollow and was literally beside myself when I got the approval for this novel. I love her take on horror and I think there is a dearth of really good YA horror. She strikes the perfect balance between mystery, fear, curiosity, and wit.. Zara, Jude, and Emer continue the trend of this author writing absolutely bad you know what strong female characters. I could not have been more delighted to dig into this. This novel, compared to her first, is a bit more dark, with a bit more violence, but ultimately is even better. Cannot wait to get a physical copy in my hands.

I knew from the dedication "For the angry girls" that this was gonna be good. And overall this is an excellent YA entry to the "female rage" category of books.

Vibes:
This is definitely channeling a little bit of The Craft here, with the girls coming together from different walks of life and forming their own little coven of sorts. It's definitely a modern setting but it's a foggy night and you're walking by yourself and the streetlights are flickering just enough that you can't help but be a little spooked (even if you don't want to admit it), or you're crashing a derelict hideout with your friends and everyone's acting just a little cooler and tougher than they actually are.

The Writing:
The thing that stood out to me the most in House of Hollow was how atmospheric the writing was-- very woodsy but mouldering and full of sour decay. I think that this book could still be atmospheric, but it's much lighter in this department than its predecessor.

I think that the multiple POVs are used to good effect, and while I normally dislike present tense I found that it didn't bother me at all here, so she did an excellent job using it for the story.

Plot:
I'm not gonna pretend I'm a genius for fully figuring out the plot and twists of the YA story, it's not for me as an adult and I've encountered similar stories before. But I really think that teenage-me would've eaten this up. And I do think this book had something to say that is ultimately a little blunt and obvious for me, but I think would be empowering and appreciated for the target audience.

Personal Pet Peeve:
I always feel just a little uncomfy when books are set in our world and refer to real people in history, but alter them ever so slightly by the world's magic. So when a history lesson on Elizabeth Bathory is incorporated as an example of someone possessed by a demon and that's why she committed all the murder she did... I like that it can help introduce a new reader to real history. But I don't like wiping away her real culpability. The history might be more ancient and built up in myth, but it's still real people's lives who were affected. I feel just as outraged when franchises try to lean into the mysticism surrounding the Holocaust. So I just personally do not like this being included in books, ymmv. It doesn't affect the overall plot or characters or anything.

Overall:
In the end I think this was a fun, sapphic, witchy book that accomplishes what it set out to. It's full of female rage and eat-the-rich vibes but very appropriately aimed at a teen audience. There were some genuinely good scenes that will live rent free in my head. Bael!

This book! I mean, the witchy vibes mixed in with the very real idea of how witchcraft and its bloody history have deep roots in the fear of powerful and intelligent women. This whole vibe mixed with a modern-day setting, three great characters that personally I just loved, and the fight against witch hunters and all that stands for made for the best read. (Once, again, that's my opinion, I have no idea of the author's intentions.)

This just resonated with me, and I also think this specific time period for me created the ideal reception of this story. Which, btw, can there please be a sequel?

The three main characters have some things in common, and some other things about them that make each girl very unique, for better or worse. Jude is the daughter of a well-known multimillionaire but has been shunned from her family after a bad curse. Her family, however, believes her absence is due to drug use, and it sometimes seems that could be the case with Judes' irredeemably charismatic and yet incredibly aggravating attitude. Zara used to be the best student in her high school, but now is failing her classes while being caught shoplifting books on the supernatural in her search on how to resurrect her murdered sister, Savannah Emer is possibly my favorite character, but it's really impossible for me to choose, She is living day by day pretending to be a student at Oxford. She furiously exercises, toning her body into a machine, while also endlessly increasing her knowledge at the library. I'm not going into much detail here because I love going into books blind and being surprised by every reveal, no matter how early. But, suffice to say, there is more to Emer than this seemingly simple existence.

Wow, I haven't carried on about just characters like this in a review for a while now. Like I said, I really went in with an open mind like I try to do with many things, and I think being open to learning more about these characters and drifting with the magnetic storytelling really helped me enjoy this from beginning to end.

Highly recommend!

Out January 30, 2023!

Thank you, Netgalley and Publisher, for this Arc!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC of this book.

I read a sample on BookishFirst and was immediately drawn in. The premise of the story is that only women are allowed magic. In order to get it, they need a curse writer to write an invocation that is seared into their skin. Each invocation trades a piece of your soul to a demon who gives you the power you've requested.

The story is told from three very different points of view. Emer is a curse writer and comes from a long line of witches. Sadly, her coven was murdered by witch hunters and she's been in hiding ever since. Zara's mother abandoned her and her sister when they were young and then her sister was murdered leaving Zara alone and searching for her killer. She's decided to turn to necromancy in the hopes of bringing her back. Jude is your quintessential spoiled rich girl who dabbled with the occult and managed to curse herself. She's been hunting for a witch ever since to break her curse. When witches start getting murdered, their paths cross and our story really begins.

Part murder mystery, part supernatural tale, part allegory on how men always try to break down women when they come into their own power, this was one of my five star. reads of the year. I couldn't put it down and I know that I will be thinking about this story for a long time.

Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for the ARC!

Fans of house of hollows - I can NOT decide if I like this more or not. It’s so good! The dark vibes are there, with a bit of gore and creepiness. The main character we follow keeps it interesting at all times. This is a YA book but it didn’t read like a YA book! I recommend picking up if you want to take an eerie book to escape to, or for fans of VE Schwabs YA ❤️

“The Invocations” by Krystal Sutherland is about three girls and a killer. Emer, who is a witch who sacrifices parts of her soul (invocations) to women in need. Jude, who is suffering from a spell gone wrong curse and is in need to a witch. Zara, who is trying to find her sister’s killer and has been trying to find a witch in order to do that. A killer is on the loose and is killing Emer’s clients and Emer wants to know why. The girls strike a deal to work together so they all can get what they want.

The book is good, I love the idea of girls having to stand on their own and doing what needs to be done. They rely on each other instead of male characters which is nice. I don’t like multi POV’s books very much though because it become a little too chaotic at parts. The book also has chunks of boring parts. It is a good book though; I gave it a 3 out of 5 stars.

-Multi POV
-Magic
-Murder

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
Pub date: January 30, 2024

When Zara’s sister is murdered, it’s more than she can bear. Raised by a woman who saw the potential in her, Zara knows that there’s more to the natural world than most people can see.

Jude is a rich girl, by anyone’s standards, but falling in line with the rest of her siblings by countless other mothers, has never been easy. When she dabbles in magic and accidently binds a demon to her, it begins to slowly eat her from the inside out. Cast out from the family home, she lives with the knowledge that everything around her is dying along with the decrepit state of her soul.

Emer Bryne was raised with witches until the witch finders came and slaughtered them all. Emer, raised by her cousin in hiding, makes spells that steal a part of the soul. But the women she sells them to are willing to pay that price for the power it gives them.

When these three women meet, it’ll set them on the path of a murderer. Someone who knows Emer’s work and will stop at nothing to have it for themselves. Each woman has a reason to stop this killer but together, they form a trio that could be unstoppable.

Sutherland incorporates the power of sisterhood with an unlikely trio while building a magical world where anything is possible and proving that blood doesn't always make you family. Each character’s unique personality stood out yet worked brilliantly with the others.

Suspenseful, thrilling, and magical!

My thanks to Penguin Teen for this gifted copy!

A deliciously gory feminist suspense.

This story brings Zara, Jude, and Emer together. Each has a connection to the demon world. Jude accidentally attached herself to a demon and is slowly rotting away. Zara wants to bring her murdered sister back from the dead so she can set things right. Emer is a witch who writes invocations, basically tethering oneself to a demon, for women who want the power a demon can bring. When Emer's former clients begin showing up murdered throughout London, with their invocations cut out, they join forces to track down the killer.

I do not usually enjoy gory, fantastical books, but this one enthralled me. I enjoyed the world building and the writer does a great job of describing the scenes, gore and all. I also appreciated the little tidbits she threw about women, men, and power.

Zara believes in magic and hates feeling powerless. She is determined to bring her sister who was murdered back from the dead.

Jude is the daughter of a billionaire, but also cursed. After a deal with a demon goes wrong, Jude isn’t sure she is going to live much longer.

Emer might have the solution to both Zara and Jude’s predicaments. She’s the daughter of a witch, although she has a dark past of her own.

As the three team up to stop a killer, they must act fast or they’ll end up the next victims.

The cover for this book captivated me and made me want to pick this book up. I read the blurb and was also intrigued so I was pretty excited going in. This one started slow, and I really struggled to connect with the characters. Because the majority of reviews were so good, I kept reading despite being bored, and I am glad I stuck out the lackluster beginning. Once things started rolling, I really got into the witches and the magic and of course, demons. The characters also really started to shine, and they ended up being really developed and rounded. I loved all the different backgrounds that they had; it was a lot of fun. I also am not usually a fan of gore, but it worked in this book, and I was okay with it. I think that I would have enjoyed this one a whole lot more had more care been given to the pacing, and it been more even throughout the book.

Thank you so much to Penguin Young Readers Group – Nancy Paulsen Books and Netgalley @Netgalley for this e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

E-arc provided by netgalley

While I enjoyed House Of Hollow better than this one, I still liked this, supernatural thrillers can be a little confusing for me and I do think this one was a bit confusing in places but overall I enjoyed the story and I think it has some important things to say

The Invocations was absolutely worth the wait. I loved Sutherland's House of Hollow and again Sutherland creates a haunting atmospheric spooky book. What I loved most was Sutherland's ability to create three distinct characters who come together in their varrying goals. The body horror was unexpected but I felt it added deeply to story without being overwhelming.

Krystal Sutherland does it again! The House of Hollow is one of my favorite Horror novels ever so I was so excited to get an ARC of her next novel! This story is so unique and I loved the aspect of true crime and sleuthing that was wrapped up into this horror novel as well. Sutherland explains creepy and scary things so well that has me keeping my lights on while reading! I loved the triple POV in this book and getting to know all three of these characters and it made the twists and turns at the end hit even harder as your switching between what's happening between these three girls. I thought I had the mystery figured out at the 60% mark of the book was pleasantly surprised that I was wrong and shocked by the ending! The magic and horror and mystery was blended together so well in this genre-bending story. I was so interested in these characters by the end I would love to see a sequel set like ten years in the future to see where they all end up! The only thing keeping me from rating this a five stars was the first 35% of this book dragged a little bit and that was no problem for me because I knew it would be worth it but I could see it losing a lot of people early on. I also would've loved a longer wrap-up at the end it felt a tad bit rushed, but those are both very minor cons for me. Krystal Sutherland is one of few auto-buy authors for me and can't wait to see what she comes up with next!

The Invocations is a wonderfully gory jewel of a book. It uses witcraft—and witches as a population—in both traditional and original ways. Ultimately, The Invocations is an exploration of female power and the men who seek to destroy it. A wonderfully flesh-out cast of characters makes the book absolutely bewitching.

After the murder of her sister, Zara Jones, is looking for a way to bring her back. She will do whatever it takes including bargaining with her soul. Jude Wolf is a disappointment to her billionaire father and family who believe her to be a drug addict. In reality her illness is due to a deal she made with a demon that went horribly wrong. She is looking for a witch who had the ability to reverse her curse and set her free. Emer Byrne is a very skilled witch with a tragic past. She helps women in desperate situations gain the power they need for a price. These three women’s paths will converge marking them as threats for a supernatural serial killer. They will have to work together to catch the killer before he becomes unstoppable.

The Invocations is an exciting new witchy thriller that follows three young women whose paths cross and in doing so become targets for a supernatural serial killer. I was so excited to read this novel and it did not disappoint. I loved the characters, the plot was exciting and unique, and the ending was not what I expected. I will say there was quite a bit of disturbing content (descriptions of wounds, body mutilation, rotting corpses, etc,) so be prepared if gore bothers you. This was exactly the book I needed in my fall reading list and I enjoyed it so much I would love to see a return for these characters in a future novel. A must read for 2024!

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland is a dark, YA horror/thriller that follows three young women as they try to solve a murder mystery. Witches and demons and magic galore, this atmospheric read kept me up way too late turning pages!

While I enjoyed House of Hollow by this author, I didn’t love it. I never really totally believed the characters and that took me out of the story. This book had characters I really enjoyed learning about. I loved how all three main characters were very different and had different goals but seemed to come together very well. While this is mostly a murder mystery, there are lots of creepy moments involving the magic of this world and even some body horror.

This book is very much a “feminine rage” book in a way that isn’t too over the top but really makes you think about things. There is also the barest sprinkle of a romance that I really enjoyed. This book absolutely did not need a romance so I appreciated how very subtle it was. Also, the bits of humor in here added a much needed levity to this very dark story.

If you enjoyed House of Hollow, I think you would like this. If you didn’t enjoy House of Hollow but wanted to, I think you would like this. I had a great time reading and can’t wait to own a physical copy when it comes out!

This is BETTER THAN WHAT I EXPECTED.

After reading and enjoying House of Hollow last year, I was so excited when I heard that the author is releasing a new book and thank you Penguin Teen for giving me access to an early e-galley.

The Invocations is Krystal Sutherland's sophomore YA mystery novel and this falls under the serial killer category.

Starting with what I liked about this book is how atmospheric it is. Everytime I read a dark or gothic book, I always check if the narration is able to support the vibe that the storyline is imposing and in The Invocations, Krystal successfully interconnect the voice and building of the setting with how violent and gruesome the events are.

Aside from that, I also loved the commentary about patriarchy and the message about women empowerment. It may not be an in-your-face commentary but I love to see significant stands like this in novel that I read.

And lastly, the overall package is just too SCARY to not give a five star rating!! Love the vibe, the impact, and well this one was wrapped up.

The first third of the book was decent, but at about the 30% mark I lost interest in this. There are also so many typos and spelling errors in the eBook ARC. There are almost no words that have "ft" or "ff" for no apparent reason? I will have to wait until the physical copy comes out, because I just can't do it anymore. I think I will enjoy the rest when all the words are present!

Fans of house of hollow will love this. it has the same dark/creepy vibes. Witty, dark and sapphic. The beginning dragged slightly but as soon as I really gave it a chance I couldn’t put it down.

I will say this one is a bit more graphic with the gore, some scenes I needed to skim because I’m weak.

Thanks to NetGalley and Penguin for the ARC!

Up until 60% mark the book was quite engrossing. The atmosphere was lovely. The set up was interesting. The three POVs were great in their own ways. All three protagonists being 17 was too convenient somehow (to me it would have made more sense if they were at least a few years apart). They also really didn’t sound or act like 17-year-olds, but I’ll chalk it up to them having had complicated lives and having to grow up quickly, although I think it’s a stretch.

But at around 60% mark they started doing stupid stuff, which somehow did not turn out too poorly, but was really dumb nonetheless. I guess this is where the fact that they are 17-year-olds comes in.

Jones was not a character I liked at all. Jude was well-written, but Emer was by far my favorite. No other character got any decent character development, apart from maybe Jude’s father, but to be fair, this is a book about female rage, so male characters aren’t meant to be afforded that kind of a favor.

I loved the main twist in House of Hollow - it was exquisite. As for the two main twists in this book – sadly they weren’t that successful. The main one was a bit gimmicky: basically, if you know (i.e. have required knowledge from outside the book world), you know immediately, and if you don’t you can’t figure it out unless you just guess. The second twist was just very predictable.

With all these faults, I still quite liked the ending. Last battle, the stuff that comes after. 3.5 stars rounded up.