Happy Pub Day!

This book is giving me YA Ninth House vibes. It’s got the same eerie, magical storylines with some pretty gruesome descriptions. Though The Invocations definitely leans more into the gore. YA horror is a new genre for me, and I think this book set the bar pretty high!

The only slight (and I mean SO slight) negative thing was the ending. It was definitely more of a traditional ‘twist’ ending (not like Sutherland’s House of Hollow) and it seemed a little obvious if you’re looking for it. That being said, you can say that about quite a few great mystery books and it’s not something that should keep anyone from reading it.

I highly recommend if YA Horror speaks to you!

Krystal Sutherland is so good at writing books that will give you goosebumps. House of Hollow is a book I recommend to everyone and I was so excited The Invocations was announced. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC! I loved this book. Equal parts creepy and atmospheric, I couldn't put it down! You need to read this one!

I knew as soon as I saw this book announced that I would love it just as much as I did House of Hollow when in came out in 2021 and I was not wrong. Krystal Sutherland has an amazing way of writing witchy, creepy, atmospheric, visceral stories to I just eat up. Her characters continue to be distinct with depth and completely flawed. The Invocations has cemented Krystal Sutherland as one of favorite and, now, autobuy authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I love anything with witchy vibes and I knew as soon as I read the dedication that I was going to love this one. This one really was for the angry girls. We have three main characters, Zara, Jude and Emer, and the POV switches between them. Each of them had a goal that they were working towards. Zara wants to resurrect her sister, Jude wants to undo a deal with a demon that's causing her body and soul to decay, and Emer wants to find the men that murdered her entire family. I felt so deeply for all three of them and I wanted them to succeed. I loved all three of these girls individually and as a group. They each have there own distinct personality and I felt they all clicked so well when they interacted with each other. I had a soft spot for Jude in particular.

I appreciated the feminist themes throughout the book along with the feminine rage. I also liked how dark this book was. I didn't expect some parts of it to get as dark as it did. I also appreciated the descriptions of the body horror. It did take me a little while to get into it, but I was hooked once I got invested. This was my first book I've read by Sutherland, but now I need more.

actual rating: 4.5 stars

Sometimes you find a book that is so beyond what you would normally pick up to read, and it shocks you with just how much you loved it. When I was given the opportunity to read Krystal Sutherland's debut, House of Hollow, it blew me away, so of course getting to read an early copy of THE INVOCATIONS was a welcome gift.

Somehow Sutherland manages to get me caught up in supernatural beings I would normally have no interest in and makes me want to devour pages in a single setting. She beautifully captures the darker personalities of these three girls, creating a friendship that weaves complicated details into an intriguing story I couldn't get enough of. Zara, Jude, and Emer come together to find a serial killer, with enough magic and mystery to leave you shocked and in awe of the author's writing style, keeping you entertained through every page.

Sutherland will continue to be an author to watch for me, who knew I could fall for horrific magical realism?! The focus on girls who band together to demand more from the men in power will never get old, I found the characters' personalities strange and inspiring, exactly what I expected and hope to get more of from this author in the future!

When I saw a Krystal Sutherland book was coming out I put it immediately on the TBR without reading the synopsis. House of Hallows was on of my favorite books in 2021. My excitement level was through the roof!!

There is always a price to pay for magic. None know this better than Zara, Jude, and Emer. Though they all come from different backgrounds… they all have something in common. Zara is working to find a way to revive her murdered sister. Jude is struggling to survive her demons (literally). And Emer is a cursewriter that tries to help women be stronger (for a price of course). What connects them all? These girls join together to try to solve the murders of witches. A serial killer is on the loose! Will they be able to solve it in time before more bodies show up?

This book is a mix of horror, thriller, and mystery… and of course queer. We love to see it! The book was paced nicely. Per usual, Sutherland pays excellent attention to detail (note: the book is part horror so just know there are a lot of trigger warnings…. so keep that in mind)! There was a great twist ending. Overall a very quick, enjoyable (and dark) read!

A huge thank you to this book’s publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of House of Hollow, then you will for sure love this one. Perhaps even more, like I did. This is going to be a perfect book to recommend during the fall time/Halloween because it’s so deliciously witchy and demonic. The pacing was wonderful. And the characters interesting. I was invested and interested and my only qualm was that I wish we had gotten slightly more from the epilogue. But i also do love how it ended and that it didn’t drag too much. Mysterious and witchy, this was a good one!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Zara wants to raise her murdered sister from the dead. Jude is being slowly destroyed by the demons she cursed herself with. And Emer lives in the shadows, writing dangerous curses for desperate women. But those women are dying, brutally murdered and robbed of their magic. The three fierce girls, all connected to the occult in some way, unite to hunt down the killer.

The Invocations was delightfully disgusting and absolutely thrilling.

While Zara’s character felt a little flat to me at times, her love for her sister and her cleverness won me over. I also ADORED Jude and Emery. I was charmed by both Jude’s witty flirting and Emer’s feral fierceness. Reading the interactions between the three of them, and the side characters, made me laugh and cry and blush. (I have a soft spot for angry queer girls, I guess.)

The notes I wrote for myself after finishing this book included “ew but in a good way”, which accurately sums up Sutherland’s bloody body horror. This book definitely isn’t for the faint of heart—some of the descriptions had me shuddering, and the story itself is very dark. But the writing was absolutely delicious. If you enjoy horror books like Hell Followed With Us, you’ll absolutely devour this one.

In terms of plot, the concept was fantastic. A feminist, witchy mystery with demons and murder and sapphics? Yes please. I did predict the big plot twist, but enjoyed the story anyway. Sutherland constructed the mystery incredibly well, and slowly putting the puzzle pieces together was so fun. The slower-paced build-up was worth it for the action-packed climax, and the book had a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, The Invocations was absolutely incredible. Krystal Sutherland has once again created a haunting masterpiece packed full of vicious magic, furious women, and gorgeous writing. I loved it.

3.5 stars It was a fun time, especially at the end.

The beginning moves a little slowly, as it has to introduce 3 different protagonists and their own goals, peculiarities, etc.

* There's a witch (or a curse-writer, as they call her here) who helps women in need bargain with demons in exchange for the power to get out of danger.

* There's a grieving girl who wants, more than anything, to prove that magic is real... or else she'll never be able to talk to her sister again.

* And there's a rich girl who tried to make a deal with a demon and it went horribly wrong...

These three women must work together to save each other and stop the mass-murdering of witches all over the city.

And speaking of demons, they were really fun to read about! They only make deals with women as they don't trust men (they acknowledge that trans women are women) and they can be really bloodthirsty, but in a fun-horror-movie way.

I wasn't as captivated with this novel as I was with House of Hollow though, the writing was good, but didn't hit the same way...

However, I did love the feminist message interwoven in this story told through women's rage and sorority. For example, it illustrates different ways in which men abuse their power over women: physically, politically, socially, etc.

This is one of those, “I’m not really sure what I read… But I liked it” kind of books. I liked the dark academia and occult elements of this book. At times it was hard for me to follow what was going on. I also, wasn’t very connected to the characters.

House of Hollow made me fall in love with Krystal Sutherland’s writing so I was so excited to read The Invocations. Murder mystery? Witches? Sapphic rep? Dark, horror vibes? AMAZING.

Emer, Jude and Zara are major feminist icons and Bael is my new comfort character. I personally would have loved it if the characters were aged up but I think this is the perfect book for a teenage audience.

I was so stressed reading this book. The last 100 or so pages were so intense and fast paced. You have to suspend disbelief at some points in the book and I saw the ending coming but it’s really just good fun and vibes. Good fun and vibes that includes body horror, demons and necromancy.

Thank you so much to @netgalley and @penguinteen for this ARC! The Invocations releases on January 30th.

A girl walks home alone at night.

The Invocations had everything I was looking for in this book; a murder mystery, an interesting magic system that has a steep price and imperfect characters that had their own agendas. I enjoyed reading about these characters finding out what or who is killing other witches and had an ending that fit perfectly but wasn't expecting. This book was darker than I was expecting for a young adult book, but I loved it. However, I would recommend this for older teens as this not only goes into gruesome scenes including corpses and bodily functions but also goes into the well-written topic of women holding on to their power.

The Invocations comes out on January 30th.

Thank you NetGalley and Penguin Group Publishing for the opportunity to review The Invocations. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I liked that book has major themes of feminism and show young women that misogyny is not ok. I like the who submit horror themes. It was a bit slow though. The pacing may throw some readers off.

The Invocations
by Krystal Sutherland
YA Fantasy
NetGalley eARC
Pub Date: January 30, 2024
Penguin
14+

Zara wants to use magic to raise her murdered sister from the dead.
Jude needs to find a witch to reverse the curse she had placed upon herself before it finishes off killing her.
Emer is a curse writer, selling spells with the cost of a part of their souls to women so they can save their own lives, and she could be the person the two girls are desperately searching for.

But a serial killer is roaming the streets, killing women and stealing their curses.


Witches, demons, and a serial killer; who couldn't be curious, especially about Jude who cursed herself and it ended badly. Zara, I could understand her grief, but Emer, her story I felt was a little flat.

And while the plot stayed on track, the pacing was slow, but most of that was due to two things. The writing... There was something off about it. It seemed to go from present to past tense within the same paragraph, and when it was in the present tense, it was boring; no deep descriptions, just went from A to C without any pizzazz.

The other issue was with the eARC copy I was given. The 'fs' were missing from the middle words, not the first letter, but the middle. O(f), no f: I(f) no f: o(ff)er, no fs: a(ff)ect, no f's: you get the idea, and it made for a very tedious read, having to go back to figure out what a word was. I don't know i it was an attempt by the publisher to make it un-re-sellable, but it did in luence my opinion of the story because it was very irritating, and it showed the little trust the publisher has for their reviewers!

I did like the magic system, how the curses/spells were created, and the cost of them. The demons were very interesting. But sadly, they, along with the other characters were missing character depth, meaning descriptions and history. What was given was vague so I was never able to get a picture of the characters in my head.

Even though the writing wasn't satisfying because of the fluctuation in tense, missing letters in the middle of words, and slim descriptions, the idea of the magic and its history was very intriguing and more would've made the story better!

3 Stars

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for an advanced copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

The Invocations is about three young women who each have something driving them to need supernatural intervention. Zara, grieving her sister’s death, wants a way to bring her back. Jude, cursed, is seeking a cure. Emer, is just trying to make it out in the world. Their paths converge as a serial killer targets women with magic.

What I liked: the sisterhood, the found family, women working together for each other, Sutherland’s writing.

What I disliked: predictable plot, gory, the magic system is very dark: demons and blood magic, there are no “good” men.

I would recommend this book to those who enjoy magic, witchcraft stories, horror, a strong sisterhood bond, sapphic romance

Ultimately, this book wasn’t for me, but those interested in the themes may enjoy it more.

This was such a cool, dark, and twisted take on witches. I loved how in order to get magic, they had to give up a part of their soul to a demon that gets tethered to them. It is such a unique twist. I really liked the characters and how each had their own individual motivations. The story did start off a bit slow and took till around the 40% mark till I really got into it. That's what kept this from being a full five star read.

I really liked this book. After reading the authors previous book, House of Hollow, I was excited to see that this one was available. Sutherland does spooky and borderline horror really well.

Honestly, what I liked most about this book was that the mystery and minor mysteries that came with or along side it (who was killing the women, who killed Emer's family, etc.) were not difficult to understand. A lot of books I read that contain mysteries at the forefront, like the Hawthorne or Truly Devious series', I get to a point where I'm like "I don't really understand what's going on, but I'm enjoying everything else, so I guess I'll keep going." This wasn't the case for this book -- I understood each plot point, clue, and reveal that happened, which lead me to enjoy and appreciate the book so much more than similar ones I've read.

Note: every case of a 'f' and 't' together, and two 'f's together in my digital ARC were missing, as well as some other letters.

Demons. Witchcraft. The occult. Faustian bargains. Girl power. All that to say, I absolutely LOVED this book.

With a serial killer on the lose targeting women who have traded bits of their soul in exchange for spells that grant them magical abilities, three women, each with their own skin in the game (pun intended), team up to catch the murderer and exact retribution. Resilient and brilliant Emer, crass and innovative Jude, resourceful and loyal Zara. Three incredible characters I thoroughly enjoyed every moment with.

Filled with witty banter, heartbreaking histories, and a bucket load of body horror, The Invocations checks all the boxes if you’re looking for a dark and twisty feminist manifesto that offers just as much of a punch as it does a warm embrace. I loved how unexpectedly tender it was in the midst of so much horror.

Ahhh! I am obsessed with this book and these characters! I think I'm in the minority but I loved Zara. I think I found her most relatable personally. The witchy vibes and dark atmosphere were spot on. The way the girls lives intertwine is done perfectly and I love their dynamics and being a part of their journey. The ending was emotional and I couldn't have pictured it any other way. I think overall this book is a little more light-hearted than 'House of Hollow', by the same author, but I still loved it just as much.

When I saw this book I was hella excited. Idk what it is about this cover, but it sucked me in. And tho I liked it, I did think the amount of POVs is what made me give this what I did. It wasn’t bad, but I think it could have been better.

I think the amount of POVs is what killed this for me. Normally I wouldn’t mind multiple POVs as I’m a character driven reader, but with this one, they all started sounding the same. Bitter, and angry, and wanting revenge. I need some kind of difference between them. And again, normally that would be cool with me, but this just didn’t work for me.

The mystery was well written tho which is why I kept reading this. I didn’t guess who it was and I remember being like WTF and rewinding it like 4 times when I got to the reveal. I was not expecting it at all. Definitely caught me off guard and had me wondering if I had missed some info in the book that could have clued me in because Lordt knows it’s been a long time since I was THAT blindsided by a reveal. And for me, that means it was legit because I usually always catch them lol

I DID like the way it was dark and atmospheric, but I wish there was more descriptive language. She didn’t go into detail until the was about the body horror and the spells. And while that’s cool, it made the rest of the book feel slow and boring. Like they weren’t always doing a spell or whatever, so it didn’t have the same thrill. I guess I needed more world-building. It was doing all of these spells and magic, and there’s slayers and stuff, but what about the rest of the world? I just never felt completely encompassed in the story. Is this something that all people think about when reading? Am I just supposed to make up the rules on my own? It just seemed too open ended for me lol

This wasn’t bad, but it wasn’t what I was expecting either. I loved some aspects and thought some others were lacking. Don’t let what I say deter you from reading it. It was fine, just wasn’t exactly what I was expecting.