2 stars.

It's been over a month since I've read this and I've been trying to organize all of my thoughts about this book. Evocation was one of my most anticipated releases for the year and I was buzzing with excitement when I got my hands on an arc. I adore S.T. Gibson as an author and immediately thought that this would become a new favorite. It's so disappointing that this ended up being one of my biggest letdowns of the year.

I will say I thought the beginning was very engaging and showed a lot of promise. I think it was an interesting setup and introduction to one of our main characters, David. The premise of him inheriting a family curse and needing the help of his ex and his ex's wife was quite intriguing. I also enjoyed Rhys and Moira's introduction. Out of the trio, I feel that David was the most fleshed out and had the most interesting POV. I slowly grew to like David and Moira's newfound friendship in the second half of the story. The magic systems throughout the book were quite compelling. I actually wish that there was more magic showcased and explained. I also found the settings of a secret society and a sentient haunted house to be very fascinating and was hoping to see more of both.


***SPOILER WARNING***

As I started drafting this, I realized how many of the problems I have with the trio's relationship stem from Rhys. I really disliked him and the way he treated both Moira and David. He was such an neglectful, cruel, and self righteous piece of shit and he never gave either party a genuine apology for his behavior. And you're expecting me to believe that they are the loves of his life?

Early on, there were problems that stood out to me. Rhys and Moira's dynamic with David really confused me. I originally figured that David must have done something horrible and unforgivable, based on how Rhys and Moira reacted to him. So, it confounded me when we learned that the big fallout between them was because David believed that Moira was the cause of the evil spirit in their home. It was later revealed that it was due to both her and Rhys. (I haven't read Odd Spirits so there is a chance that things were more complicated, but this is my understanding based on what we learned in Evocation.) Rhys and Moira started the book being very wary of David and insinuating he had almost destroyed their marriage previously. The book and the multiple characters constantly go out of their way to call David an irredeemable asshole and make him out to be the worst of the worst. Despite that, it felt like Gibson didn't actually commit to making David an asshole, so the animosity towards him never felt entirely deserved. In fact, it was weird to me seeing how he was treated and it never felt like his actions aligned with his reputation. The worst thing that I remember him doing was showing up to Rhys and Moira's home unannounced, but even then, they willingly allowed him inside, even before they knew of his curse. At most, he came off as a snarky trust fund nepo baby with trauma. His dynamic with Moira in the first half was especially confusing because I feel like I was missing information on why they were like that with each other. (Again maybe it's explained more in Odd Spirits) I did really like their friendship in the latter half of the story, but it did feel like their relationship did a complete 180 a bit too quickly. I also think that David was somewhat vilified for being an addict and relapsing. The way Rhys treated him after he relapsed was really upsetting and gross. He turned that incident around to be all about himself and how he is a victim of David's manipulation. It was just fucked up and I wish that Rhys was called out and challenged more about the way he thinks of David and addiction.

One of the biggest appeals of this book to me was Moira. I was so excited to see a Black witch as a main character. My excitement grew when I realized that Moira was from the South, just like me. However, as I made my way further into the book, I started to feel really uncomfortable with the way Moira was depicted. It became very clear that she wasn't as developed as the two other leads. She felt more like a caricature than an actual person, leaning very Southern meemaw (despite the fact that she is the youngest of the leads). It just felt like her main purpose in the story was to be a caretaker for both of these men to idolize, as well as be the one pushing them to get in touch with their feelings and eventually reconcile. We get no real insight into her friendships and life, outside of Rhys and David. It's mentioned early on that Moira isn't close with her family, despite holding their questionable beliefs to heart (Don't ask for an apology you deserve because a queen doesn't bow her head??? Fuck off). We are told constantly that Moira is very social and befriends people easily, but we never get to see her friends from her perspective. There are only two chapters where Moira seeks out other women, and both times, those conversations were centered around Rhys or David. We see her excelling in social functions through Rhys's POV rather than her own and in one chapter, when she is upset at Rhys's neglect and leaves their house to have a day with friends, we never get to know who she met or experience the day from her point of view. David and Rhys have several chapters where they are at their place of work or in the secret society, viewed from their own respective POVs. Meanwhile, outside of working with David, the only work session of Moira's we see is again from Rhys's perspective in the introductory chapters. There's an argument that could be made about this only being book one and that there will be several books where Moira can be more fleshed out. However, this book is meant to set the foundation for its sequels and it's not unreasonable to expect Moira to be complexly written from the very beginning, even if we're not going to explore her entire backstory immediately.

I think seeing how Moira was treated during and after the events of the gala scene solidified how uncomfortable and angry I felt. Throughout the entire first half of the book, Rhys and Moira stated numerous times that they would not let David get in between their marriage and that their relationship was their main priority. Rhys, in particular, talked his mouth off about how he would never betray Moira and loved her more than anything. By this point, Rhys's attraction to David has grown more apparent and even Moira had taken notice of their dynamic. However, no one had spoken up about the attraction or the idea of opening their relationship. At the gala, David and Rhys end up kissing and the only reason it doesn't go further was because Rhys realized that David had relapsed. Mind you, his wife was in the next room during the entire encounter, socializing with his peers and celebrating his new position. Moira doesn't ever seem to come to mind for Rhys after his kiss with David. He is only focused on David breaking sobriety and how it affects HIM and HIS big moment. After Rhys and Moira make sure that David got home safely, they return to their house, where Rhys reveals that he and David kissed. Of all the reactions she could have had, Moira ends up describing the whole ordeal as inevitable. She described her husband CHEATING on her as inevitable. Moira, who is shown to be someone who values and demands honesty and respect, acts blasé when told that her husband and her newfound friend cheated behind her back. Moira, who was so angry with David in the beginning of the book, is completely fine with being cheated on? Not only that, she and Rhys have their first explicit on-page sex scene immediately after she finds out!! At this point, I was completely fuming. Any benefit of the doubt I was trying to give this book just disappeared. Seeing a Black woman believe that her husband CHEATING on her with his ex is "inevitable" was so infuriating. I hate that Moira wasn't even given the space to feel angry or betrayed at how she was treated. I hate that the first thing Rhys asks her is if she was jealous, instead of asking if she was hurt/okay. I hate that we didn't get to see Moira confide in someone about being cheated on and be comforted. I hate that David gave her a more heartfelt and genuine apology, compared to her literal husband. I hate seeing Moira constantly being given the short stick and being written only to further Rhys and David's arcs. I hate that the "toxic poly antics" happened at the expense of the only Black character. It feels like Gibson was so focused on writing a "strong" female character, that she didn't even allow Moira the dignity of being a full person.

It felt like this book was just Moira being mistreated and neglected by Rhys, but also by the author and while that made me deeply angry, it mainly just felt really hurtful.

***END OF SPOILERS***


To put it simply, I detested the romance in this. The lack of communication was truly insufferable. I especially hated how much the characters would talk about having boundaries, only to completely ignore or cross said boundaries. The plot and the world both felt so hollow. Sometimes that isn't a huge problem if the characters and their dynamics are fully realized and fleshed out. However, the characters in this felt so flat and lackluster. I feel like the plot could have been really interesting but the story focused more on the relationship between the trio, and their insistent miscommunication, which was more dull than anything. It ended up making such a short book feel painfully slow. After the gala scene, I had to switch to the audiobook because of how irritated I was. The narrator wasn't my favorite and I really didn't like the voices they used for Rhys or Moira. By the time I reached the last few pages, I was just over it and the whole "power of love" ending was so underwhelming.

I just feel really disappointed and frustrated with this book. The premise was so strong and I feel like this could've been great, had there been more emphasis on giving the story and its characters depth, rather than focusing mainly on vibes. I still think S.T. Gibson is such a skilled writer. I truly wish I enjoyed this more. I hope that the series only gets stronger with each installment and that maybe I could have a better time with the sequels. Despite this book not being for me, I do think many people have and will love this.


Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for an e-arc in exchange for an honest review.

Let us start with my overall feeling: I want more of this. When I first saw this book announced I thought like, yes this is right up my alley, I love the occult and I was really curious as to how deep the lore would be.

This being said, I would have liked to see more of the occult practices in the book. There is a little bit of it in the book, but it only scratches the surface. This might sound like a harsh critic but it is not, because I loved this book nonetheless. I just wish there were more spells, ceremonies, and divination in there, that would have made it even more delicious.

The book focuses more on the character relations between David, Moira, and Rhys. There is a lot of frustration between David and Rhys. At the beginning of the book we do not learn why their relationship is so strained, it is revealed much later in the book. This left me hanging with lots of questions throughout the book. A lot of hints were dropped but most of them are not explained at any point, this is my only criticism of Evocation. It is for me a minor issue, not enough the take points off my rating. It can however be an issue for some readers so I wanted to point it out so that you can be prepared if this is a thing that would bother you. I would also suggest reading Odd Spirits first if you have the chance, as it will help you understand the characters just a little bit more.

Another thing I want to point out is that if you go in intending to read a book that is all about the occult, you will be sourly disappointed. There are splashes of the occult, but it is a book about love, relationships, and friendship. It hints at a polyamory relationship which is not for everyone. I did not mind it at all, I liked the sexual tension between all the characters.

At times David could be a little bit obnoxious, but understanding where he is coming from, an abusive parental relationship, I can kind of relate to his personality. The alcoholism, closed-off personality, and non-communication all fit in with a character that has been a victim of abuse. To me that at least makes a lot of sense. It doesn't make David a very likable character. Moira helps us in a lot of ways to understand the character of David, by pointing out his true feelings, that she can feel through their special connection. I think that this is a very clever trick by the author. It helps take the sharp edges of David's character.

I am going to sound like an uber critic now, but I would have loved to see more depth in this story, more world-building, more occult, more character background, just all-around more of everything. This was a nice introduction to the world and the characters, it leaves me wanting a lot more, fortunately, we already know that there is going to be more.

Rating Evocation
I have already pointed out some of the things that bothered me or might be issues for some readers. Overall I have enjoyed my time with the book, I rate not only based on issues, but mostly on feeling, and how long it took me to finish if I wanted to get back to the book when I stopped reading. It might be sounding strange that I would still give this a 5-star rating. This book did tick all the boxes for me, it made me feel things, I wanted to get back to it as soon as I put it down and it did not take me a huge amount of time to finish. I was never bored by the book, nor did I dislike the main characters.

The story made sense to me, it did not feel unrealistic or lacking, even though I want more of everything as stated above. It is a solid first book, so I am sticking to the 5 stars it is getting.

This book was FULL of vibes. Atmospheric, gothic, mysterious. Fans of Leigh Bardugo and Lyndall Clipstone will enjoy this one. Adding this to our collection for our more mature readers.

David is kind of the worst, but I also grew very fond of him reading this book. I loved Rhys and especially Moira, and I'm really looking forward to reading the rest of this series.

I knew I wanted to read this as soon as I saw the cover and read the blurb. Secret society. Occult. Deal with the devil. It is right up my street.

I really do love the cover. It’s just stunning. I got sent a copy from NetGalley and then won a physical but I would have bought it anyway!

I really enjoyed the story. It is more character based than plot but I loved it all the same. The characters are easy to like. I think Moira could have been developed more. I loved David’s development as the story continued. The characters are diverse which I love. Also the bit of spice was good. Can’t complain about that!

I would have liked more about the secret society and the magic. I want to hear more about the powers they have and how they use them. I am hoping that as the series continues we will learn more about it.

It’s not perfect but I really enjoyed it and will read the rest of the series. 4.5⭐️

What can I say about this book that it’s more than just I loved it so much it got devoured. It is perfect for this season. It’s spooky, has a haunted house, witches, occults, magic and demon possession. Really struggled to out this book down.

David Aristarkhov is a powerful medium, who hides his true self behind the facade of a high-powered Boston attorney. He works for a secret society of magic wielders when necessary, with the hopes that one day he may be made High Priest. But, one seemingly innocent haunted house call leaves him reeling when a spirit grabs hold of him without invitation. Now he feels sluggish, sick psychically, and something is coming for him. His only recourse is to reach out to a demon expert, his society rival and ex-boyfriend Rhys. If only he no longer felt anything for this married man, or did not care about his incredible and also psychically strong wife, Moira.

The premise of this book was very good and the story was executed well. David as a character was easy to connect to, was suave but also lonely and had a terrible past involving an abusive and controlling father. Moira is no-nonsense, fierce, and protective of those she loves and of her latently hidden powers. She does not put up with David's disrespect and tells him his place in her life and in Rhys. But, as she gets to know David and he helps her understand herself and her powers a little more (powers her family always warned her against using), they become closer. Their relationship is phenomenal, they make each other stronger and genuinely care. This relationship was the base of the story and helped both advance the plot and created the best character growth for both of them.

My main issue with not fawning over this book is the character of Rhys. I actually hated him. I could not connect with him in any way and thought he was terrible for both Moira and David. He is arrogant, selfish, unkind, manipulative, and motivated only by his own ambitions. He was with David, but it really just seemed like he was using him to learn about magic and then get ahead in the society. He had zero empathy for David's background and seemed to belittle and blame David because he was born into a wealthy family. Nevermind that David was abused and mistreated and made a spectacle his whole childhood. And his anger at David's addiction, even as David worked so hard to be a better man for all those he loved, Rhys did nothing but cling to David's moments of despair and ream him out instead of helping him, asshole. I was rooting for the demon to kill him and for David and Moira to walk off into the sunset as besties.

Needless to say, I hope the second book shows Rhys he needs to own up to his own mistakes, his own character flaws and apologize for being such an arrogant prick. But as it is, I am not sure Moira and David can smooth him out enough for me to care about him to continue with the story. Which is a shame, because the story is captivating and I thought I would love it more than I did.

I mean the magic system was intriguing, and the back room shenanigans of the clearly patriarchal society were interesting. And I did love when Moira, who is more powerful than all the rich, white dudes, makes it to the top of the society. But I do not think Rhys really caused so much change that he is the savior David makes him out to be. I think David could have been that too, and actually respects everyone with power more than Rhys ever did. It is David who addresses Moira's power and makes her think that maybe she should not be scared of it like her family trained her to be. Rhys seems content to keep everyone around him in line, needing his strength, needing him to be the hero. Yuck!

Oops, I was ranting again. Okay rant over. The overtones of this book and the history of magic is propulsive. Moira and David are two characters who you will fall in love with and root for, hoping against the odds that they can tackle the demons of their own family histories in order to grow and adapt and become more powerful and stronger together. The one thing I would really love to sink my teeth into is David's sisters backstory and all that was happening with her, as well as the woman who practically raised him and is important to the magic scene in town, with her shop full of wonders and similar attitude to Moira (yes, please more strong women who are sick of rich men and their backroom dealings for power).

David Aristarkhov thought he had escaped the dark legacy of his father’s occultist world, building a successful life as a Boston attorney and powerful medium for his secret society. But as his thirtieth birthday nears, the price of his inherited power becomes clear: the Devil is coming to collect on an ancestral pact, and David’s time is running out. Desperate, he turns to the only person he’s ever truly trusted—his ex-boyfriend and rival, Rhys—but to reach him, David must first navigate the complex dynamics with Rhys’s wife, Moira. As the three of them are thrust together, old emotions resurface, and they must untangle their past and confront their present feelings before the Devil claims David forever. In this intense, supernatural thriller, love, loyalty, and the looming threat of damnation collide in a race against time.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

4.5 stars. I loved the book and the characters. The pacing is just the tiniest bit slow at the beginning but other than that, great read. The story line is interesting and I am really curious to see what will happen next!

Evocation is an amazing novel with interesting characters, plot, and world building. All the characters were well written and I wanted to know more about them. The queer/poly rep was exquisite as always (can always count on S.T Gibson writing good poly rep). All in all a good book all around.

Thank you to S.T. Gibson and Netgalley for the eARC!
4/5 stars.

My history with S.T. Gibson books has been mixed - I gave Dowry of Blood a 4.5 star rating, and Education in Malice a 2 star rating. I wasn't sure how I would feel about a new series, but boy, I'm ready for the follow-up! I am a sucker for any secret society and anything occult so this one was a sure fire win.

The characters themselves are written wonderfully and are actually fully fledged entities. Rhys, Moira, and David have my heart, and their dynamic is worth the read alone. Excellent book, will be impatiently waiting for the followup.

Evocation is a perfect book for the fall season. I curled up with this gothic fantasy book on a cold and rainy day and I read it in one sitting. I will say that this book is more character driven than plot driven in my opinion, but it worked so well for this story. Evocation is told through three POVs and I feel that that worked so well for this story and gave us a bigger picture.

The writing of this story pulled me in right away, but I will say it took me just a little bit before I was completely pulled into this story. I think that's because Evocation is mostly character driven and by the end of the book we still don't know a lot about the society they belong to, the magic, or the world they're in. And in this case, I don't feel like that's a bad thing. The characters and how they develop are the most important part of the story and the slow burn development gives you time to get to know them and what's going on.

David, Moira, and Rhys all have their own stories and complicated backgrounds, but David brings them together again. David and Rhys clearly have a history and that makes them both so frustrating at times! David's familial curse is what brings them together and they're all drawn together for their own reason. I loved how relationships developed and I really wanted all of them to just be happy. I think because this was mainly character driven, I felt so close to all three of them. My favorite element of this book was communication! Moira made sure they talked and I loved that, because it's not something I see often in stories. Especially when romance is involved.

If you love a gothic fantasy, with familial curses, a slow burn romance, and a character driven story, I highly recommend Evocation. I don't want to give too much away, because I feel like you just need to dive in and see where the story goes. I can't wait for the sequel that releases next year.

My review will also be posted on https://thebookdutchesses.com on October 24th!

So I expected to like it, people were so excited to read it and it made me interested in it, But I tried to read it so many times and it never worked. Some aspects of the writing style did not sit well with me and made me cringe (vodka-exporting, etc...). I could not care less about the characters and their dynamics. The magic? Whatever. Anyway, I DNFed in the end. Probably a book that it is just not for me.

Thank you Netgalley and Angry Robot for the ARC.

S.T. Gibson has done it again. The romance happening between all three leads was so delicious to read. David, Rhys, and Moira each felt like such real characters, and the magical environment was so lush. I cried and I laughed. Above all, I can't wait for the next one!

*Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for providing me with a copy of this book for review, all opinios are my own*

OMG THIS BOOK! THIS BOOK!

I didn't think I would like this book so much, but I'm so glad I did.
It was a book that took me by surprise and I loved it.
The best part of it is definitely the characters. If you don't fall in love with them in the first few chapters, you probably won't like the book that much. I loved them, so I loved the book.
The fantasy is very interesting. I liked how the author worked with the world and the different forms of magic. I think she managed to make everything very clear and coherent.
But the best part was the construction of the characters. They are complex, well-constructed and developed, as well as captivating.
But the point of the book that made me happiest was the way the romance was constructed. I think the author managed to show forms of love and relationships that we can have between different people in such a simple and beautiful way. I liked how she made all three main characters have their own relationships with each other. Even though I didn't like all the decisions made in relation to the romance, it was so well done that I couldn't help but like it.
In other words, I highly recommend this story. I think it's one of those fantasy books with romance that captivates you and brings differents concepts of story from the one we're used to reading in books of this genre, at least for me. Just read it!

Unfortunately this book just was not for me!

It had potential with the storyline, I was intrigued by the polyamorous relationship and the magic, but it just didn't do enough to really captivate me. In saying this, I will read the next book to see if it picks up.

Thank you Angry Robot for the arc.

4.5

Evocation follows David, Rhys, and Moira as they create and strengthen relationships ties while trying to decipher how and why David seems to be sick after an interesting seance encounter. David is a high-power attorney by day and a well-paid medium by night. After one particular seance, David's psychic powers seem to weaken and he begins getting "spell sick" throughout his days. The only person he knows and trusts to help him figure out the issue is Rhys, his ex-boyfriend and ex-friend. Rhys doesn't want to be dragged back into David's messes but after David offers to help Rhys' wife, Moira, strengthen some of her own psychic powers, they agree. David and Rhys fall back into a complicated acquaintance-ship quickly, but David and Moira have more in common than they realized and they get close very fast in their lessons.

I ended up listening to this completely on audio. I really love how S.T. Gibson's writing translates into the audiobook format. Gibson writes some complex characters that you eventually end up loving and feeling for even if you don't start out that way. It took me a few chapters to like each character but they grew on me fairly quickly once I had a bit more time in each of their heads. I think there is an interesting premise to the Devil Deal that David is dealing with and the way that the group attempts to solve the problem feels accurate to their ages (between 24 - 30 years old). I also really appreciated how Gibson let each relationship build and grow in their respective ways. David is brash and stubborn at first but his and Moira's connection really showed off his sweet side. Rhys gets completely lost in his own head and David seems to fill in some of the gaps that Rhys leaves between himself and Moira. Moira seems to be the glue holding everyone together. She's caring and kind and looking out for both men in the ways they each need but also knows when they're being stupid and need a good whack. I'm excited for what comes next in this series and seeing how these three relationship progresses and their attempts at solving their new problem.

ST Gibsons writing continues to be excellent. I love this plot line, loved the characters, and cannot wait to see more from her.

The whole book is a vibe, the characters are incredible. Amazing writing, plot and all that makes a book worth picking up and carrying on.