To start, this book was so different from “a dowry of blood” that I kind of struggled to believe it was written by the same author. And honestly, I was just kind of bored reading it. It picked up around 40%, but some chapters and passages were still just so dull and unnecessary. Also, I don’t know why/how, but the characters felt older than they were. Supposedly they were in their mid/late twenties, but they could have easily and more believably been in their 30s based on the action, their professions, and their interactions. They just felt older and more mature than they were supposed to be. The story is very character driven, something I apparently don’t really like.

This is a book about three magical people: David, Moira, and Rhys. David is possessed by a demon after an old demon deal someone in his family made. So why do I after having finished the book not know anything about demon possession? There is almost no action in this book, and I don’t understand why, because it could have been so much more.

Moira is by far the most interesting character. She has her own opinions and even though she says she’s a people pleaser, she still doesn’t take shit from Rhys (her husband) or David. I would have liked to know more about her and her family's history with magic.

I did not like David at the start of the book. He comes across as an arrogant prick, who’s also kind of prejudiced. But he does show a deeper connection and more nuance later on, so he kind of grows on you, and he does develop into someone kind of likeable.

I don’t like Rhys at all though. He never got over David (they dated first) and he’s still in love with him. So I’m mad because he should never have gotten married when that was the case. Like yes, he loves Moira, but he even says it’s nothing like when David looks at him. I just don’t like this love triangle at all. And Moira is much more graceful than I would ever be. Also Rhys’ parts of the story were the most boring. I honestly felt like he didn’t really contribute anything other than a whiny, egotistical presence.

To build on that, I felt like the poly relationship came out of nowhere from Moira. I guess it was ok that she was the one to broach the subject, but it happened after Rhys and David had kissed multiple times (which is cheating in my book). I feel like it could have been better if it was clear that hey had been thinking about and discussed a poly relationship earlier on, and not as a result of one of them cheating.

Overall I think I might not have been the best audience for this book. I can see how others might like it, but I need it to be more plot-driven and this was a 99% character-driven book. Since I didn't like the characters all that well, it's not a surprise it was a 3-star read for me.

I was very excited about the premise of this book! I’m always intrigued by secret societies and occult practices. Overall I found Evocation to be entertaining and enjoyable. Everything flowed at a decent pace. The MC’s were all flawed but lovable in their own ways. The story was very character driven, and I enjoyed watching the relationships between characters grow and evolve through the book. As someone who quit drinking several years ago, I appreciate characters who struggle with substances and exploring how it affects their lives and the ones they love. The direction the story took at the end set up a lot to be explored in the rest of the series. Ultimately it was a good book and solid start to a series, but I did feel like it was missing that extra spark to make it a 5 star read for me.

I knew I was going to enjoy this book when I first read the blurb. The occult, academics, Boston, spice, and the beautiful prose that I expect from ST Gibson made this an incredibly enjoyable read for me. A new, modern setting, different from previous Gibson novels, I loved the magical realism in a city already close to my heart. I loved this book from the start, and devoured it in a day. Can't wait to read more in this series!

As always, I really enjoyed ST Gibson's prose in this book! Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher for letting me read an early copy :) !

I've been eagerly awaiting new S.T. Gibson books since her stunning debut, A Dowry of Blood, back in 2021. I fell in love with Gibson's deliciously dark worldbuilding, her evocative prose, her cathartic portrayal of all the world's messiest polycule...all of it. An Education in Malice similarly blew me away with its sapphic rivals-to-lovers and exploration of complex power dynamics, all set in a gorgeous 1960s university.

So when I saw Evocation was ALSO coming out this year, I couldn't believe my luck...but it fell a little flat for me. There are many things I loved about Evocation: the magic system--full of astrology and tarot cards and summoning circles--is unbelievably cool. I haven't read many books with tarot magic, and as a practitioner, I appreciated the care that Gibson put into accurately depicting it. I loved the premise of wealthy and seemingly perfect lawyer David Aristarkhov's life beginning to unravel when his family's deal with the devil comes for him. I loved Rhys, David's ex boyfriend, and Moira, Rhys's wife; I especially loved seeing such a healthy relationship--why can't all men be Rhys? And Moira especially is a favorite of mine. I lived for her chapters, and I also loved the rivalry between Rhys and David. Things are frosty between them for a number of reasons, but one of the main ones is they are both vying for head of their magical fraternity/secret society. Their rivalry is beautifully done, as is the romance between them.

But what didn't work for me is the juggling of the various plots. We've got a romance (Rhys and David, with Moira having to reluctantly accept that she's in the polycule, which is a whole other thing), a demonic possession, and a bid for High Priest. It feels like the demonic possession doesn't have the urgency that it should -- I know S. T. Gibson's work is usually character driven (a thing I love!!), but I would have appreciated the stakes feeling a bit consistently higher throughout the book. I also missed her evocative prose! I know some people will appreciate the more stripped down prose here (some folks did mention it being very readable, which I agree with), but for me, Gibson's command of the language is what keeps me returning to her books over and over.

I still intend to pick up the sequel, and I really did love the ending, but I guess I was just hoping for a bit more of that S. T. Gibson spark here.

Many thanks to NetGalley, Angry Robot, and S. T. Gibson for gifting me this e-ARC in exchange for my honest review!

Other Reviewers: This book has no plot.
Me: WHAT?! Of course this book has plot! Things happen! There's...I mean... Well...

Evocation is a character novel, and I love those anyway. Gibson's writing is beautiful. I read An Education in Malice, and I found it to be a similar experience. This story is about three people learning to coexist with their love for one another with a side story about demonic possession. As with An Education in Malice, I was uncomfortable with the romantic tropes in play. This is very polyamorous, "Why choose," and open marriage. I think they were done very well, and I appreciate the care that went into representation for every LGBTQ+ community member portrayed. The representation was impressive, standard, and inclusive making this possibly the most diverse novel I've ever read. I just wish they didn't all smoke cigarettes; I thought as a global community we agreed to say no to lung cancer.
The setting of Boston is accurately described and as a native MA resident, I appreciated the detail and love for the city that is present in the writing. Despite not favoring the romantic angle that was so prominent, I thought this book was fantastically well written.
I look forward to the day Gibson writes a literary fiction novel, because I have no doubts it will be fantastic as well.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for granting my wish for this ARC!

There were things i really liked about this book. The character dynamics between David and Moira is the main one. The smut is of fair quality, but when considering that it was published and not found lurking on the internet, it is certainly better than most offerings. Its a fun, light read. However, the pacing in this book is off, and the writing fails to make up for it. Having read Dowry of Blood, I am deeply aware of S.T. Gibson's ability to master prose. This book was lacking in that signature skill, though the very nature of it being so different from DOB means that I don't hold it too much against it. This book is not for DOB enjoyers, it is for people looking for an entertaining spell-caster read with not much plot or pacing. Essentially, someone looking for a fairly well kudosed AO3 fic, except with Original Characters. This is not an insult, as I enjoy reading those types of fanfiction; it is simply a description. I would recommend this book to the right person, and it definitely has a place on any witchy, smut lovers bookcase that prefers the printed page to digital.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for an eARC of this book in extange for an honest review. This did not affect my opinion in any way.

Evocation was my first S.T Gibson novel and boy did it not disappoint. It follows twenty-nine year old David Aristarkhov who leads a double life as a lawyer and occultist. The book kicks off, when David starts having seizure like episodes and enlists his college ex-boyfriend Rhys and his wife Moira to help him. I loved all of the characters especially Moira. I liked seeing a character who knows exactly what she wants and doesn't let the opinions of others bother her in the slightest. It also made me really happy to see a character who's not skinny be comfortable and happy with the way she looks and for her body to be a very minor part of who she is as a character. David annoyed me alot at the beginning, he was obnoxious and self-centred but I thought that Gibson did a really good job of showcasing his flaws but also his pain and what has caused him to be that way. He's a complex character and I can definitely see why some people wouldn't like him but I did. I particularly enjoyed his relationship with Moira. I loved their journey from dislike to allies to friends. Rhys was my least favourite of the trio. There's nothing that I didn't like about his character, I just struggled to connect to him right up until the end. I really liked Moira and Rhys's relationship, I loved seeing how he always put her first and thought about how she was feeling in every situation and vice versa. They had such a beautiful, healthy relationship and I loved reading about it. On paper, Rhys's relationship with David is exactly something that I would like reading about. It combines two romance tropes that I really enjoy: second chance romance and forced proximity/they have to work together. However I struggled to see why they were still so hung up on the other person when they only dated for a year while at university. Eventually though I changed my mind and by the end I was really rooting for them.

Plot wise, this was solid. I like old, creepy family curses and I liked the more modern setting. I've never read a book that focuses on the occult so I don't have anything to compare that aspect to but I thought that it was pretty cool. I did find that the pacing dragged a little bit towards the middle of the book but the ending really made up for that!

I would definitely describe this as a character focused book so if you're a more plot driven reader, then I wouldn't recommend picking this book up. But if, like me, the characters can make or break a book for you then 100% pick this up when it comes out in May.

cw: discussions of alcoholism, discussions of parental abuse/neglect

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Evocation' by S.T. Gibson.

This book was alright. Honestly I can't give it more than that and I'm gutted. The characters were just alright and so was the story. Will it stick in my brain? No, it's already gone and that's how it goes. After reading a couple of S.T. Gibsons now, I realise that it's very much a 'either the book is a masterpiece to you or its just an alright book.'

3.75 rounded up.
There were many things I enjoyed about this book. Moira is a goddess- Her vintage clothes, her powerful, earthy magic, the way she handles her business and holds a grudge, her southern charm, and the way she will take absolutely no nonsense. The woman is divine and I will accept no slander.
David is one of those annoyingly perfect people who, whoops, turns out has a deep dark issue, or rather a lot of them. Of course he never asks for help.
Rhys is a quintessential scholar. I loved the constant mentions of how he needs therapy to get over his Catholic guilt. And the way he treats his wife, men should take notes.
I loved all the different types of people and different kinds of love that were showed throughout this book, the good kind and the bad. And there was just about every kind of rep you could ask for- bi, straight, poly, gay, trans, BIPOC, and all of it just accepted.
My biggest negative is that the book was very slow. While the buildup was steady, it seemed like the relationships were more the focus of the story, than the plot itself of fixing the problem that was making David sick. Because the stakes were so slow to escalate, and the story was much more character driven than plot, by the climax, I didn’t feel fully invested, so was a little let down. Though the ending was overall satisfying, while leaving crumbs for book 2

Evocation is a gothic atmospheric novel set in a contemporary world, filled with complicated people and how messy personal connections can be. With curses to be untangled, magic on every page and secret societies, Evocation is a dark academic tale that people are sure to become obsessed with.

Unlike Dowry of Blood, this is a much more easily digestible read, without some of the poetic elements seen in the authors pervious works. Despite this, Gibson words still pull you into the tale the lives of the individuals involved.

Its a novel about people and how messy life can be, especially when curses and emotions are at play. Don’t expect an epic save the world kind of plot, this is a personal exploration of the lives of a small group of characters and their dramas.

Thanks to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I am still thinking about them, and I want more, more, more please. Boy, some books just grab you from chapter one and this is one of those books, and the vibes just hit in absolutely the right spot to scratch that itch. This is a contemporary story that at times feels like it's set in the early 20th century high society of New York. All of the characters excel at some magical ability and there are secret societies which provide connections and means of extending influence that allows the members of this all-male group to hone their abilities. David Aristarkhov is the scion of a wealthy family with a dangerous past, Rhys McGowan is his former lover who works furiously to excel and move up in the society. Rhys' wife, Moira is an incredibly talented sorceress herself and the three of them have a fractious relationship at best. When the dangers in David's past threaten his life, the three of them must not only deal with their personal issues but must use their magical knowledge to try and save David's life. I loved this whole world of magical people hiding just under the surface of New York, just casually calling on demons to do them favors, it's great. I really enjoyed the twisted relationships between David, Rhys and Moira and how they ever so slowly build trust with each other, and I am always, always her for polyamory. I was hooked when I read Dowry of Blood and it was the same here with these characters and the world created here, I am hoping that we will get more from these characters in the future!!

S.T. Gibson is a difficult author to review for me. I've read two books by her now, and enjoyed both, but they just don't tend to stick in my brain. Maybe that's because they are more vibes than plot. I will say that the writing here wasn't purple prose at all (I was kind of expecting that based on A Dowry of Blood), and was very easy to read.

There is a plot, but it's pretty basic, and even though there's supposed to be some urgency there, I honestly didn't feel that at all. The book spends a lot of time on the three main characters and their bonds with each other. I do like character-focused stories, but considering the premise, I did hope for more plot in this case, especially since it's supposed to be a series, and I don't feel like we got enough setup for that.

There's the beginning of a poly relationship between Rhys, David, and Moira. The dynamic between David and Rhys was as expected, but I surprisingly ended up loving the connection between David and Moira more. Maybe it's because I got to see it happen on page—with Rhys and David, there's already a lot of (bad) history, and I found it hard to really root for them. That said, I do think that both Rhys and David get a lot more focus on them as characters than Moira does, which is a shame.

I liked the characters enough that I'll pick up the sequel, but I really hope we get more story there.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for the ARC I received.

I have mixed thoughts on this book. I really liked the writing. It really pulled me in instantly and kept me reading. The style and flow is done very well, it makes it very enjoyable to read. I also really liked the atmosphere the author created. I was really intrigued by the world and the magic and the different "career" paths of the three main characters. However, this book ultimately just wasn't a good fit for me specifically and this comes down to what I didn't like. I found David and Rhys pretty unlikeable from the other POVs (they were usually fine or better from their own POV, which I think goes to show the author is able to differentiate the different voices well). The tangle of the relationships between these three characters was messy in a way I didn't like. I wanted better for Moira. It felt like she was just an extra to make the book poly which was unfortunate because I wanted her to be a more central figure to the relationship. I really wanted this book, that was marketed as poly, to be a happy poly relationship with good representation but instead it was so messy. I don't think that makes the book bad or anything, I'm sure for many readers that made it feel more real and interesting, I'm just not one of the readers that appreciated it unfortunately. Because of this I didn't end up finishing the book. But I would give other books by S.T. Gibson a try in the future because I do think she is a talented author.

Special thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I was not prepared for how much I liked this book. Past S.T.Gibson books haven't really struck a chord with me so I went in without much expectations on this one and was pleasantly surprised. Magic, demon summonings, ancient rituals woven together in a mystery. The chemistry between Moira, Rhys and David was so visceral. I really enjoyed the different kinds of relationship portrayed here and the way they were woven together. Eager to see how their relationships develop with the next book.

I cannot express how heartbroken I am that I absolutely did not love this. I have read both of S.T. Gibson other books. ‘A Dowery of Blood’ I found and fell in love, so much I had to have the self-published copy as well. ‘An Education in Malice’ I was lucky enough to also get an ARC of as well and really enjoyed that one. So all signs were pointed to me enjoying this. Unfortunately a lot of glaring parts of the book caused me not to.

First, the magic system/world building. We were introduced to 3 different people with magic with no clear definitions or explanations about how their magic works. I have no clear way to tell anyone about the magic or why someone is a stronger medium or not. Along those lines, we were introduced to this society and told about the high priest. That is basically all we got. It felt like it was just a way to bring our characters David and Rhys together & cause conflict.

Second, the relationships with the characters. I had a hard time with the relationships in this book because it felt very toxic. The way the polygamous relationship was told to us felt like cheating instead of a healthy form of polygamous. I love seeing representations of poly but not if you are going to represent it as toxic. Overall, it felt like our female character, Moria, had no other choice in her marriage with Rhys but to let him have the relationship with David.

Three, then we also have David’s main issue with being possessed with the Devil never being talked about. The book starts off with establishing that the problem that needs to be solved is helping David. I forgot half the time that David was in life threatening situation. There was no gravity or talking about what was really going on. In the end, it was quickly dealt with and didn’t feel important.

Four, I don’t know it has to do with the ARC but the way the multiple POVs were done was confusing. There was multiple times I was reading a chapter and would have to go back and check who it was. All because in the middle of the chapter it would switch whose POV we were in. Also thought the writing was kind of choppy with where the chapter ended and where the next chapter started.

Finally, my favorite part of this book was Moria and David’s relationship. I love seeing platonic love and not just romantic love. I cannot tell how much I would love to just read a story about them. Honestly I think the story would have been better with just those two POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley & Angry Robot for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written evocative dark magic story. I really enjoyed the characters, their setting, and the growing trust and dynamic between the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Evocation is a book that follows the relationship of David Aristarkhov, a Boston attorney, his ex Rhys McGowan and Rhys's wife Moira as they try to solve a spiritual sickness in the world of the occult. Rhys and David are brothers in a occult secret society where they summon spirits on a regular basis but one night David feels a spirit inside him that he did not invite in. David enlists the help of Rhys and his wife Moira to help solve the mystery of what is inside him. They find that the rumor of the Aristarkhov's deal with the Devil may have some truth behind it.

I enjoyed this book. It is definitely a character driven book with a slower plot pace. I wish this book delved a little deeper into the occult side of things and had a little more resolution at the end but overall, it was an interesting read. I've enjoyed S.T. Gibson's publications and I plan to continue to read whatever they publish.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher who provided a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 Stars

I loved this book! This one wasn't too heavy on plot - a lot of the book was more the characters navigating a paranormal problem in the mix of figuring out their own issues and relationships with each other. However, I felt the story of navigating old love and friendship, fighting your own demons, and exploring new relationships was enough a story on its own with just some cool dark demon background story to add some mystery. I love the characters so much, and the relationship between David and Moira felt so special and heartwarming. At first, I thought there was no way Rhys or Moira were going to warm up to David, and I was also not a huge fan. However, I think the author does a good job of helping the reader understand his faults and the good in him, and David really does make an effort to be a good friend.

Overall, the thing that stuck with me most was that I just love the vibes and relationship between David and Moira so very much and want to just read more about them. Great book!

Think Masters of Death meets Ninth House. If Masters of Death were less overworked but maintained its tongue-in-cheek writing style. If the good old boys from the Ninth House version of Skull and Bones founded a continuing society in Boston after graduation. If Ninth House were written by Olivie Blake’s twin from the multiverse.

In this book we follow two rivals in a secret society that’s basically Ninth House Skull and Bones for grownups. Boston’s filthy rich men meet weekly for supernatural rituals and some good old hobnobbing and networking. Richer-than-sin David fits right in among the old money elite, His good looks and his excellent magical aptitude have given him the world on a silver platter, and so naturally he assumes he will be the first and only choice to succeed the society’s High Priest.

But David is his own worst enemy. Used to moving through life easily, he can’t help but engage in self-destructive behaviors. Most notably, he can’t leave his college ex-boyfriend, Rhys, alone.

Unlike David, Rhys didn’t come from money, and he’s joined the upper echelons of Boston society through determination and hard work. He’s married to the enigmatic Moira, and it seems he may finally be on the cusp of achieving all of his dreams.

But Rhys can’t stay away from David either. And a little thing like Rhys’s marriage vows won’t stand in the way.

I knew going in that this was about an open marriage, so I am not going to let that affect my rating, but I will say I did not like how the open relationship was handled. Moira (bless her) was a saint; seeing Rhys’s attraction and unresolved romantic tension with David, she encouraged her husband to explore his feelings for David. She initiated conversations with Rhys about polyamory. She even bought Rhys a book on Polyamory 101.

But I didn’t like how she was the one who had to initiate every conversation, when Rhys was the one going outside of their marriage. I did not like how Rhys pledged himself in marriage to Moira while still harboring love and lust for David and being willing to act on those emotions. I would have much preferred Rhys to broach the ménage topic with Moira rather than just kissing David and then waiting for Moira to start a conversation about it. Basically, I just didn’t see the open communication I would look for in reading a romance between more than two people.

I also found the world building a bit lacking. We are to understand that David and Moira have thriving occult businesses, yet these are not mentioned after the first chapter. We are to understand that the occult society means everything to its members, and yet I had to rely on my recollections of Ninth House to try to understand how these men spent every Thursday night. Beyond general mentions of “scrying” and “calling spirits”, we have absolutely no idea what the society gets up to. Is it dangerous? What are the results of the rituals? What do the rituals entail? Does the average Joe Schmo on the street know that his city’s elites are calling forth demons?

Despite these (pretty big) flaws, I enjoyed my reading experience. I greatly admire S.T. Gibson’s narrative range and her ability to employ different writing styles in each of her novels. I am looking forward to seeing more of her writing in the future.