this was such a fascinating read! the character dynamics, the plot, the astrology, all of the magic, everything was just so, so interesting.

ST GIBSON HAS ZERO SKIPS!


I am so in love with her writing. I love the way she tackles abuse. I love her characters. The magic she creates.


I will forever recommend her books.

This is the paranormal poly story the world didn't know it needed. It follows David, a skilled occultist who is pretty sure he's being unwillingly possessed. His only hope of finding a solution is to ask Rhys and his newish wife Moira for help. Unfortunately, Rhys is David's estranged ex, and the dynamics are...difficult.

Underneath all of the paranormal excitement, Evocation is about boundaries: how to set them, how to sustain them, how to grow with them. It is the antithesis of the miscommunication trope, which was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed portrayal of a couple traversing the rocky terrain of transitioning a monogamous relationship into an open one. It felt real and unglorified, raw and full of dichotomy. I also loved seeing a lead couple not only supporting one another, but also holding each other accountable through some big life changes.

The fantasy/paranormal elements were also really well-done, and I loved how Gibson pulled from multiple mystical/spiritual fields and practices to make the magic system. You've got the gambit from Catholicism to Santeria, tarot and summoning to Christian prayer.

Evocation is a great read for anyone who enjoys magical mystery, second chance romance, healthy relationships, real world problems in a paranormal world, topped off with great writing.

Ahhhhh this review is tricky for me. When I started Evocation I was ENRAPTURED like truly just swept up in the magic and the angst and the gothic-ness of it all. But by the end I feel like I was left feeling a bit let down? Which pains me to say as much, truly!!! I expected this to be a 5 star read going into it, and I think I’m teetering between a 3 - 3.5 Stars :/

David is the most powerful psychic medium on the East Coast, and has been practicing magic within the occult since he was a young child. He comes from a long line of powerful magic wielders, and has a lofty inheritance to match. Rhys practices in the occult as well, tenaciously absorbed in books and research at all times to make up for his hardly existent natural magic ability. His wife, Moira, is a naturally gifted witch, from a long line of magical women, using her abilities to provide tarot readings for clients. How do all of these characters relate to each other? David and Rhys used to date, and had a deep and toxic love, but now they hate each other, and Rhys is married to Moira.

Rhys and David both belong to the same secret occult society, and therefore are forced to be pleasant with each other at meetings, but otherwise have not had outside contact in six months. Until David becomes ill, after a wayward something-or-other latches onto him during a routine summoning of the dead that he was performing for a client. Feeling this uninvited entity inside him, David’s health continues to decline, until he is forced to ask Rhys for help, knowing that he is the only one capable enough to even potentially help him.

David, Rhys and Moira are thrust together to try and solve this mystery, whether they can stand each other or not. But time is running out, as they recall an old tale passed down through David’s family, in which his ancestors had struck a deal with the devil; power and the ability to use magic, in exchange for the soul of the family’s youngest son. With no solutions presenting themselves, this tale may hold more truth than they originally suspected. Through their time spent together trying to figure this mystery out, David, Rhys and Moira will also need to figure out what exactly they mean to each other.

SPOILERS AHEAD:

[Okay, now that the very vague overview is out of the way, let’s get to the nitty gritty, because I want to be specific about this one.

I think I may have suffered here from having too high of expectations. I think this book did what it set out to do: there was a gothic mystery, with explorations of polyamory, and lots of angst. BUT I don’t think it did it in a way that left me starstruck.

I almost felt like the chemistry fell a little flat to me?? And I felt a bit like the characters weren’t showed to have evolved as much as I know the author had wanted them to come across as such. I know that makes no sense, but to put it plainly, the character growth is implied and somewhat shown, but I just don’t feel like it came across as authentic. Even bordering on almost a little scripted and repetitive at times. It’s hard, I can’t quite put my finger on it, but something was missing, something that would make me walk away swooning and thinking “oh my god I’m OBSESSED WITH THEM!!!!” as I so often do with romances lol.

I do also feel like the end was a little anti-climatic for me. There was so much time spent developing this mystery in the beginning half of the book, and then it all sort of just fell flat at the end??? Genuinely just feeling so confused, it started out SO strong, and the second half just kind of lost me :/

I definitely don’t think this was a bad book whatsoever, and I think so many people will enjoy it!! I just think it was missing something for me. I saw another review that said this was not super strong on the plot details, and more into the relationship building, and I think that’s accurate, but I will add that I don’t feel like the relationship exploration/growth/portrayal was successful for me, so that, paired with feeling like the plot didn’t go deep enough, led me to just be like, mehhhh by the end. (hide spoiler)]

Thank you VERY much to Angry Robot Books for an e-ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this arc in exchange of this review.

I don’t think this book was for me, but I can see why others did enjoy it. Personally, I did not feel attached to any of the character and that the world building/magic was lacking. It was by no means a bad book, but I expected a bit more after enjoying “A Dowry of Blood” by the same author.

It was an unexpected modern occult book, but I greatly enjoyed it. In some regards it could have gone deeper, and left me a bit unsatisfied - it felt like some parts were a bit rushed. The relationship was beautiful and I'm looking forward to spending more time with the characters. The writing was very atmospheric and sometimes surprisingly funny.
But in the end, I felt like something was missing - maybe a feeling of urgency throughout the novel. I never got the feeling that our MMC was in any danger until the end. And I didn't understand what they did in their occult club.

I'm looking very much forward to the next book. thank you for the ARC.

When last year I read S.T. Gibson A Dowry of Blood I was swept away by its unusual story and equally unusual narrative style, so that when Evocation was announced I was more than eager to sample this author’s new work.

David is the latest in a long line of famed magic wielders; as such he’s part of the “aristocracy” in the Boston magical scene: rich, handsome and successful in both his occult and mundane activities, he has everything one might desire - that is, until one day he realizes he’s the one who will have to pay the price for a demonic deal underwritten by one of his ancestors. Frantic to escape the fate that’s in store for him according to the terms of the deal, he has no other choice but to seek the help of another conjurer, his ex boyfriend Rhys, provided of course that they are able to mend the rift that brought to their violent breakup, and that David can overcome the strong objections of Moira, Rhys’ wife and a powerful medium, who can barely tolerate him.

As the three of them meet over the course of several days, trying to get to the source of what ails David, who suffers both physically and mentally from the demon’s onslaught, David’s jaunty façade begins to crumble, revealing many of his insecurities and past wounds, and the feelings between him and Rhys start to surface again, while Moira discovers that she can appreciate David’s company and starts building a strong bond of friendship with him. Their complex interactions also dovetail with some important changes in the Boston magical scene, while the pressure from the demon becomes almost unbearable and David’s life hangs in the balance….

I must confess that I had quite different expectations for this story: first and foremost, the synopsis hinted at a harrowing battle against powerful demonic forces, and at a deeper look into the influence of magic on our modern society, which this book presents as something quite natural. Unfortunately these elements are kept to the sidelines and the major focus of the novel is on the personal exchanges between David, Rhys and Moira and their slow journey toward a polyamorous relationship: granted, this latter element proved to be interesting, thanks to the exploration of the various dynamics of such a complex liaison and to the painful history of two of the concerned parties, but from my point of view it ended up taking the lion’s share of the narrative space, shunting the encroaching demonic danger to a corner, so that its weight on the characters and its resolution felt more like an afterthought than an integral part of the story.

And then there is the tone of the narrative itself, which is quite different from the opulent, almost lyrical writing I enjoyed in A Dowry of Blood: the story’s setting of course required a more modern form of expression, but I could not avoid constantly comparing its… mundane feel with the rich, beautiful writing that so captivated me in S.T. Gibson’s previous novel, so that I have to sadly admit that the overall feeling I was left with at the end of the book was that of wistful disappointment.

My hope, since this is the first in a series, is that the next books might recapture that special quality and offer a closer look into the layers of magic present in this vision of our modern world…

This book HOOKED me in the beginning and unfortunately it slowly lost me. This would’ve been great if it was 250-300 pages but the plot was drawn out with to many words and not enough action.

I liked the characters and relationships initially but they also bothered me the more I got into the book. I don’t mind flawed and dramatic characters (they are actually my favorite) but David and Rhys were to unlikeable for me. I don’t like how Rhys was pining after David the entire time he was married while simultaneously lying to Moira about it until he cheats on her with David. And Moira was just cool with it bc “she knew” ? She had a whole conversation with someone saying how much that would hurt her and he wouldn’t do that. I felt bad for her!

Overall this was ok I just was expecting so much more!

A well written romantasy with relatable characters and intriguing plot. Gibson does excellent work engaging her readers.

Yes. Yes to everything about this book.
The characters, the writing, the plot. I was emerged in it all. It started pretty slow for my liking but I am definitely happy I kept going and didn't DNF. It was well worth the read.

This was just perfect dark academia vibes with a solid focus on the three MCs and the detailed relationship between them (all 3 and each pair amongst them). The occult stuff etc. (which I'm usually not super into reading) were written in a really interesting and entertaining way, and I loved the resolution at the end!
The poly rep was >>>>> it's not exactly an MMF but I don't want to spoil any further coz their relationship evolves really well over the course of the book

TWs - verbal and physical abuse of a child by his parent (one of the MCs), general misogyny and racism, alcoholism / the struggle to stay sober / relapses (one of the MCs goes through this and the other two go through the grief of seeing their loved one go through this), paranormal activity (ghosts/demons)

-- ty to the author, the publisher and Netgalley for an advanced copy!

This lured me in and enthralled me, but I can’t quite tell you what it was that got me. This book very heavily features a developing and new polyamorous relationship, so if that isn’t something that works for you, you won’t like it, but I found David, Rhys and Moira’s situation, and how they grew, to be captivating, if a bit messy.

This story is largely driven forward by the characters and their developing relationships between them, and then there just happens to be a plot going on in the background. The occult/magical fantasy elements of it were interesting and gave it more edge, but it could have just as easily been about three people who work in a bakery and I would have felt the same way. The relationship that grew on me the most was David and Moira, which was surprising (probably both to me and them) because of how organic and unforced it was, when it could have easily been pushed terribly but when mostly left to their own devices they found their commonality and it just worked and it was lovely. Also, David in general is the hook that got me, because despite being unlikable at the beginning, I’m always a sucker in books for the grumpy guy with a dark past and his walls up and he won me over pretty quick. Moira is gem through this entire thing. Rhys needs a bit of a shake, but he’s trying his best, and I really liked the established relationship between him and Moira that you could feel through the page. I think that this did struggle in actually putting the throuple together in an entirely healthy way with some key conversations missing between the three of them together with clearer, exact words, as well as addressing some of the jealousy concerns that Rhys and Moira specifically had with each other that magically seemed to no longer be an issue towards the end, but the parts I did love were enough to overlook that, but I hope gets addressed later in the series.

There was a little confusion at the end about what actually happened with the demon plot resolution, but I guess that is what the next book is going to cover!

Gibson has done it again. I’m in awe of this book. I had so much fun getting absorbed into this exquisite writing style and amazingly written fantasy reality which fortunately or unfortunately put me I’m in a slump. I can’t move on from this book. I certainly can’t wait to read what she writes next

3.5 stars
Overall, l enjoyed this book. This felt more like what I have come to expect from Gibson. Evocation, much like its three MCs, is witty, charming and hard to put down. However, the book is mostly character driven and starts to lag with a lack of character development and chemistry toward the middle/end.

Evocation is a dark urban fantasy that navigates the complexities of childhood abuse, alcoholism, addiction, and infidelity. Whilst it definitely tackles a lot of these themes well, I struggled with the developing polyamorous relationship. It felt rushed and seemed to lack the proper development to make the ending result feel right. As friends the three MCs seemed to excel but the dynamic between them just didn’t hit home like I think it was supposed to when their relationship went further.

I enjoyed all the characters individually to an extent, but I felt that Rhys was underwhelming and Moria lent too heavily on Southern stereotypes of Black Women to be a fully three dimensional character. Moria could have been my favourite character if that reliance on stereotypes weren’t so heavy as they were. She was the one with three strongest potential, she kept David in check and made sure that her relationship with Rhys was strong and healthy. She could have been an incredible female MC if she was more relatable and realistic. I however, really loved David and his character development individually throughout the book. He felt very realistic in his struggles and messiness and I think that’s what will keep me going back to this series if Gibson can flesh out the relationship between the three of them more fully.

Evocation is a character driven novel about psychic David who seeks help from his rival and ex-boyfriend, Rhys, and his wife, Moira, before a deal with the devil comes due on his his thirtieth birthday.

Things I loved:
-The writing style. It was decadent and descriptive while also being very accessible and easy to read.
-The characters were so lovely! I was especially drawn to David. Despite his wealthy background and serious disposition I found I was quite taken with him. He was so unloved and just wanted somebody to understand him 🥺
-Polyamory, baby! It was insanely sweet how all three cared for each other in the only ways they knew how while learning what each other needs.
-Dark academia aesthetics. Secret societies, old libraries, academics, gothic vibes. Perfection

Things I didn't like:
-I wish the throuple felt just a teensy bit more natural at points. There was talk of jealousies and insecurities that never seemed be resolved.

All in all I absolutely loved this book to the point where I'm just rereading parts on my kindle over and over again. I cannot wait for the continuation of this series to see what's in store next for my baby David and HIS babies, Rhys and Moira.

Thank you so much to Angry Robot Books (and Caroline especially) for allowing me an early copy to read.

ST Gibson excels at messy relationships between complicated, fully-realized characters. This is my third book I've read by the author and it's become apparent that her books are all very character focused; normally this doesn't work well for me as a plot-driven reader, but so far she's only written bangers.

Moira is an absolute queen and who I want to be when I grow up, ostentatiously purple furry coat and all.

Evocation has a total knockout, stunning, banger of a cover that does the book justice and I can't wait to see where we go from here!

This story was different.
With a rapid pace of narration, the book basically came across as a fantasy film. There were some points that I found unnecessary but others save the story.
The author masters the chemistry between various characters, as well as the logic proposed by the written world.

This book is character driven. We follow the three leads (David, Rhys, and Moira) in their quest to save David from his family’s demon curse. It does a really good job of getting into the details of their jobs and their relationships with each other. However, don’t go into it thinking it will be written similarly to A Dowry of Blood, because you might be disappointed! It is a slower paced book that takes a lot of time on the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings.

I was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Evocation follows psychically inclined married couple Rhys and Moira, alongside longtime friend David, who also happens to be Rhys’ ex-boyfriend, and the evolution of their dynamic after they are thrust somewhat reluctantly together to riddle out the sickness that has suddenly begun to plague David.

You get the vibe pretty early on of where things are headed, but I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing the way that things unfolded. Overall I really enjoyed this book and the character development throughout.

This was my first S.T. Gibson title and I can say with certainly that I will return for more.

Thank you to the author and Angry Robot Books for the ARC.

Many thanks to Angry Robot for letting me read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I am absolutely and utterly obsessed with S.T. Gibson, A Dowry of Blood being one of my favourite books of, let's be honest, all time. So I was obviously very excited to hear about Angry Robot acquiring a new series by the goddess herself.

So the inevitable disappointment may be due to me internally hyping up this book to the stars.

First things first: I read Odd Spirits, the novella that kind of serves as a prequel to this, a couple of years back, and even then, it was my least favourite of her works. I didn't much care for the characters, and I'm pretty sure I have an old review up somewhere addressing my other issues with the book. So, with this returning cast that I already somewhat learned to dislike before even jumping into this book, the odds were not in the books favour. Obviously, that's my fault - I somehow didn't clock that this was a continuation of that story, and that is 100% on me. But okay, whatever, I'm all for redemption, so I gave this a shot!

And it went... okay? I'm finding that I enjoy Gibsons historical settings more than her contemporary ones, mostly because the dialogue never hits with me. I often found myself thinking "Who talks like that?", and yeah, I'm sure that there's people out there that do, but I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting them. That feeling makes for a really awkward reading experience, with characters you can't find yourself relating to, since they more so feel like caricatures.

The plot was fine, I do love a good family curse, but I do feel like it dragged on a little too much for my own liking. That may also be credited to me not connecting with the characters - things need to me more interesting and move faster if the interpersonal dynamics don't appeal to someone, I understand that.

Ultimately, I definitely set myself up for failure here - I knew I didn't care for the cast, but I drew the connection between this and Odd Spirits a little too late, which again, was due to a lack of reading into it from my side.

I think if you enjoyed OS and urban fantasy settings with some poly rep, which is always a breath of fresh air, you shouldn't be discouraged from giving this a go. That being said, I will not be continuing the series.