**4.5-stars**

Jude Wolf is the daughter of a billionaire. You'd think she's a girl that has everything, but worries. Sadly, you'd be wrong. Jude has a serious issue that is literally eating her alive. Dabbling in the occult at the age of 15, Jude cursed herself and now her soul is slowly turning necrotic. After every remedy she's tried has failed, she's been looking for someone to help her purge this blasted curse.

Zara Jones lost her beloved sister, Savannah, to the hands of a vicious serial killer. Savannah was the only person she trusted and now that she's gone, Zara would do anything to bring her back, including turn to occult methods. Zara feels if she could bring her back, Savannah could identify her killer and he could be brought to justice.

Two girls on a desperate hunt for someone with the abilities to help them, happen by chance upon one another. Instant attraction and a kinship of need follows. The girls see a potential ally in Emer Byrne, a witch with a tragic past, who sells spells to women looking to escape desperate situations. Emer has a lot of knowledge and power, two things that Jude and Zara hopelessly seek.

They notice women being murdered at an alarming rate in their city of London and after some thought, it seems they all have one thing in common: connections to Emer. Now Emer, Zara and Jude must team up and figure out the identity of the serial killer before any of them end up next on his list.

I didn't have any expectations when I picked up The Invocations. Although I have <i>House of Hollow</i> by Krystal Sutherland, and have heard incredible things about it, I haven't picked it up yet. I'm so impressed with how this played out. I loved the combination of the intriguing murder mystery mixed with all the vivid occult elements. The character work was fantastic and I truly hope this isn't the last we see of these characters.

I was hooked into this story very quickly. Initially, we are just learning about Jude and Zara. I loved meeting both of them and Sutherland made their personal stories so believable and compelling. I was interested to see how their paths were going to intersect and what would keep them together. I think they way Sutherland drew out this process and then their meeting, it was so impactful.

Once Emer comes in, I loved how they all needed to band together to work towards a common purpose. Even though they were very distinct individuals, with different end goals, it made sense for them to combine their efforts to achieve everything they wanted.

I found Sutherland's writing to be highly readable. The setting was incredibly atmospheric. I loved how 'our world' it felt, with a touch of dark magic and stellar witchy vibes.

Additionally, I felt like the occult elements were amazing. The concepts were captivating and well thought out. I also feel like this will be accessible to a broad audience, easily enjoyed by Readers of all ages. The feminist themes were also well presented and in this case, well received. I'm looking forward to reading more from Sutherland. I would definitely recommend this to anyone who thinks the synopsis sounds interesting. It delivers what is promised.

Thank you to the publisher, Nancy Paulsen Books, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I cannot wait to see what Sutherland creates next!

An engaging read that I thoroughly enjoyed! Gritty with incredible world building. Highly recommend and will purchase several physical and digital copies for library collections. Thank you!!

This was a really enjoyable blend of paranormal horror and gothic fantasy with a tiny (but sapphic!) romantic subplot! There are witches, demons, and a healthy dose of feminine rage.

One of my favorite parts of this book was the dark and grungy take on the price of witchcraft. I LOVE it when authors build a world that demands a give-and-take relationship with magic. A lot of this story is really built around the cost of power and the question of whether revenge is worth the sacrifice. These characters are so flawed and different from each other and are kind of thrust together but all have these themes in common. Having multiple POVs really helped the mystery part of this book feel suspenseful and fast-paced, The ending was a little predictable but I was hooked almost from start to finish. 🖤

Three young women are dealing with the real-life consequences of magic gone wrong. Emer is the last witch from a coven where all of the women were mysteriously killed. Zara has a sister she is desperate to bring back from the dead for one last conversation and is learning all kind of magic in the hopes that she figures out how to do it. Jude had an invocation go terribly wrong and suffers everyday. They find each other when they stumble upon a serial killer who is targeting women who have been involved in magic.

I thoroughly enjoyed this book. I was immediately drawn into Emer's story, (I thought she was instantly fascinating) and couldn't wait to get back to her. Meeting Zara and Jude was like finding old friends I didn't know I'd lost. All three girls have troubles, some more than others, but they come to depend on each other for friendship, support, and spell-casting expertise. I loved the writing, I loved the story and the characters, and how they all acted exactly how they probably would have in real life. They felt authentic and well-rounded.

I wish there were more witchy books when I was a teen because I would have gobbled them all up so fast. It's just as fun being in my early 30s and getting to recommend these books to teens who don't know how lucky they are to have so many fun books to choose from.

There is a lot of gore and death in this book. The magic can be gross. If that kind of thing bothers you, this definitely isn't your book. But if you don't mind it, it's so much fun.

I cannot even begin to express how overly obsessed I am with this book and now Krystal Sutherland!

I went in with little to no expectations. Maybe even lower expectations, since the genre isn’t my typical scene and it being YA. Which is always a major hit or miss for me!

Sutherland did this genre of witchy thriller/horror so brilliantly! The plot was creative and felt original. I love the 3 POV’s that slowly came together. Each one unique but all three girls felt like they were always supposed to be linked. The writing was atmospheric while not being too overly descriptive in the horror parts of the book.

I loved the found family ties, the strong female leads, the implications of the century & now modern witch hunt. I was absolutely shocked and thrilled with that ending!!

All in all, it’s a 10 for me. Snaps for Sutherland because she’s has a new groupie.

Krystal Sutherland blew me away with House of Hollow and whattaya know - she's done it again. this book was SOOOO creepy and suspenseful and witchy and it really scratched that feminist, sisterly found family, haunted, speculative fiction itch that i so often have. from the prologue, i was on edge and eager to see what happened next. and don't even get me started on the girls - let me join your friend group PLEEEEEASE.

When Krystal Sutherland dedicated this to the angry girls, she meant it. I have not often felt as in touch with my absolute rage at the state of things as I did reading this book. Women deserve so, so much more, and I would have been covered in invocations if they existed. Beautifully done, thank you for this.

I was blown away by The Invocations and the bond that these girls have formed! The magic was deliciously dangerous the mystery unfolding layers by layers in this dark witchy read! Absolutely captivating, offers a great mystery and beautiful relationship development between three girls who were strangers at first, but found each other's company life-saving. Quite literally.

Thank you Penguinteen for the e-arc, I am obessed!

So I know I said Book of Thorns by Hester Fox had terrible formatting on the ebook ARC but this one was *drastically* worse. Like double letters completely missing, words borderline unreadable, and it should not have been that hard to even try to get ten pages into a Krystal Sutherland book (I rated House of Hollow five stars). I don't know who the culprit actually was.

OMG! This was so good! Any book by Krystal Sutherland will be a must read from here on out! I enjoyed all three female leads, the grotesque descriptions, and the look into witchcraft and necromancy in The Invocations. Jude, Zara, and Emer are thrust together to defeat a a serial killer preying on females who have used witches to get invocations. The writing is very descriptive and gross at times, but not as bad as House of Hollow to me (I still loved HOH though). It screams girl power as the trio delve into the crime and form a bond to find the killer and boy is there a twist in that part too. One of my favorites this year, so definitely a good one to finish out the year on.

I enjoyed this read and definitely recommend if you like Feminist, witchy vibes!!

This book is filled with good things: female rage, witchy atmosphere, demons, a serial killer murder mystery, cults, fighting the patriarchy, a hint of sweet sapphic romance, and a splash of academia for good measure. It follows an unlikely trio of girls: Jude, in chronic pain from a demonic ritual gone wrong and seeking a witch to cure her necrotic soul; Zara, newly obsessed with necromancy and seeking a witch to revive her dead sister; and Emer, a witch waiting to avenge her family while quietly granting magical aid to women who need it. The three find their lives entangled when women start turning up dead--all of whom were Emer's former clients.

Simply put, I loved this book. The writing shifted effortlessly between the hilarious slang and sarcasm of teenage girls and the pointed, haunting narration of a world much like our own, where even magic can't stop the evils of men. All three main characters were clearly rendered, their voices distinct, and their dynamics--tensions and soft spots alike--were plenty nuanced. (While we're at it, shoutout to the iconic side characters, the flinty Detective Chopra and the fascinating multifaceted demon Bale!) It's light on the romance, but what little there is, is sweet and feels organic to the story--just the way I like it. The plot's many components cohered into a smooth whole, united thematically and tying everything up nicely by the end (which was a heck of a wild ride--so many twists in the last quarter of the book!). And, most importantly, the VIBES. This is what Sutherland excels at most: creating a perfectly dark, magical, eerie atmosphere, full of witches and girls who refuse to go quietly into the night. Definitely put this on your 2024 TBR!

This book was fun and creepy and I couldn’t put it down. The book was so atmospheric and gave a new spin to a serial killer story. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next and this book will stay with me for a long time.

Dark and atmospheric, full of witchiness and chaos. I adored this book.

This story grips you with the details and the bloodiness f the story. It sets the stage for a dark reckoning as the stories and loves of these three girls converge, Full od devils for human and supernatural this is a book full of women revenge and violence

You will get lost in the descriptive nature and compelling storytelling.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for this arc

Krystal Sutherland's writing is so beautifully lyrical that it immediately drew me into this book. The foggy atmosphere of a Halloween night drew me in further, and I loved getting to know the three female protagonists of the novel, all of whom have been made strong by sad circumstances. It was fun following along on their journey as they tried to uncover and stop a supernatural serial killer. The book would have been perfect for me if it hadn't been so long that it started to feel a little drawn out at times. Still, I would read anything Krystal Sutherland writes and can't wait to see what she does next!

The Invocations is my first read by this author, but it certainly won’t be my last.

Zara wants to bring her beloved sister back from the grave. She regrets the last words she spoke to Savannah were bitter and unkind. As a novice witch, Jude’s deal with a demon resulted in tragic consequences that she’s desperate to correct. Both girls are fortunate to come across Emer, who comes from a family of witches and potentially possesses the powers to help them.

With three POVs, distinct characterization is a must, and this author masters that aspect. Zara seeks knowledge in books and is generally more trusting of them than people. Jude believes her charm and wit will get her what she needs – if those fail she’ll use her wealth. After being on her own since the age of seven, Emer is fiercely independent and doesn’t allow anyone to get close. Put the three of them on a path to discover the identity of a serial killer, and they make a formidable team. What they don’t initially understand is the amount of power the killer commands. Saying it’s a dangerous, life-threatening mission is an understatement.

Maybe I was slow to put it together, but the identity of the killer was a mystery to me until nearly the end. It doesn’t happen often, and I liked it. Over the course of the story, Zara, Jude, and Emer become friends (and a little more with two of them) and a kind of family – which each of them desperately needs. Jude comes from a large family but she’s estranged from most of them. You’ll realize why after meeting them. Emer’s family was killed by witch hunters when she was a child. Zara’s last remaining family is an uncle barely more than ten years her senior, and he’s not a good guy. My heart went out to each of them.

This is a dark and occasionally gory story that’s also full of action and witty banter. It held my interest from the first page, but after a certain point I couldn’t put it down. Recommended for readers who enjoy strong female protagonists, a found family trope, and sinister paranormal mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was creepy, eerie, and disgusting...and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the creativity behind the main ideas of the story, the setting, the characters, all of it. At first I didn't think it was going to be my favorite, but by the end I didn't want to finish because I was enjoying it so much.

I plan to keep a copy in my classroom library.

I think overall this was a really interesting approach to a story about teenage witches. I really enjoy the history built in, but I had a hard time with the main characters. I would love to see them a little more consistent page to page? Overall not a bad read and I would certainly read this author again. Thank you to the author and publisher for my digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have had House of Hollow sitting on my shelf for *well over a year* now, and despite feeling feral over it every time I see it on the shelf, I have yet to read it. But when I saw the description for The Invocations, I knew I *had* to get my grubby little hands on it. The vibes? Dark academia with a touch (read: wondrously heaping helping) of female rage. The characters? Snarky, inquisitive, and stronger than the world has ever given them credit for, like every woman out there. The plot? Spooky, tense, and so, so fun to unravel alongside our three final girls.

After the death of her family and years either in hiding or on the run, Emer Byrne has made quite the reputation for herself in London as a curse writer. Which is exactly what sets her on the path to collide with Zara Jones--a young woman desperate to solve the murder of her sister and necromance her back from the grave--and Jude Wolf--the disgraced socialite daughter of a billionaire who disappeared from the spotlight after multiple deals-with-demons-gone-wrong. While each girl holds all of her cards close to her chest at first, it quickly becomes clear that they're all going to have to open up and rely on one another in a lot of massive ways if they want to figure out who is killing so many young women--witches--around London and stop them once and for all.

London, say hello to your favorite new coven of badass, justice-seeking witches.

The invocations was gritty, violent, and such a beautiful, viscerally frustrating portrayal of what it's like to be a woman in a world that has always belonged to men. Krystal Sutherland created a host of angry, strong, powerful young female characters for me to fall in love with page after page, and her portrayal of female rage has to be one of my favorites I've read by far. The world she's built up in hidden in the shadows of our own world is thick with lore and yet not so far removed from reality that I couldn't see myself and every girl I've ever known wrapped up in the book's pages, the horrors of the murder mystery the girls are working to solve and put a stop to sat with me and made me think long after I'd put the book down each day, and my *god* the *writing*! There were so many moments in this book when I had to stop just to fawn over how beautifully something was written, and honestly, beautiful and thought provoking writing is almost as quick a way into my heart as well-portrayed female rage. So imagine my adoration for The Invocations as a book that has both and then even more on top. Five bloody, demon-dealing stars.

CONTENT WARNINGS: There may be others that I've missed here, but I think this is a pretty comprehensive list. Please read responsibly and take care of yourself.

blood, gore, murder, death, self harm, demons, dark magic, body horror, vomit, mutilation of corpse(s), grave desecration, death of a loved one, death of a parent, death of a sibling, loss and grief, mentions of physical abuse, mentions of sexual abuse, necromancy, sexism, misogyny, violence against women, manipulation, grooming.

4.5/5. I really like how this book played out once I got through the second half. The first half took me a little longer when it was focus on each individual character until they meet for the second half of the book. I thought the plot was well thought out and each character brought something new. I felt like this was a very good thriller and a really interesting plot with the witches!

This book has everything I was hoping for and more. LGBTQUIA+ Rep, Dealings with the Occult, nail biting scenes that left me flipping through pages like a maniac and for sure an ending that left me satisfied.
I honestly would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good nail biting book that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time you are reading it. And twists that you won’t see coming that will leave you shooketh. I will for sure be snatching up a physical copy of this book asap. It was that good.
5 stars
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.