2/5 Stars

Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing me with an ALC to listen to.

I dnfed this one chapter in but I do plan on giving either the ebook or physical a try. I have loved this narrator in the past but I kept losing it because he sounded like batman at times and then him doing a woman’s voice was ridiculous. I couldn’t keep going and that isn’t for a lack of trying. I kept coming back hoping I could push through but that isn’t fair to the book when I have other formats. Maybe give the ebook or physical a try personally if you are interested in this one. I hopefully will update my review soon with my opinions on the actual text.

Evocation by S.T. Gibson
informative reflective tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

I received and Audio ARC thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio. The opinions expressed are my own.

This book is the start of a new series about a trio of magic users in Boston. When David starts experiencing odd episodes related to his magic, he reaches out to Rhys, his estranged ex-boyfriend and rival in the local occult society. Rhys and Moira try to help him figure out what’s going on and how to make it stop. Also Rhys and David resume their romantic relationship with Moira’s full awareness and permission and David and Moira become friends.

This book was… not for me. It was more of a polyamorous paranormal romance than urban fantasy with romantic elements. Which would have been fine if the romance was well done. There was a lot of telling rather than showing. At one point Moira is telling Rhys information about polyamory from a book. David was described as charming but came off fairly unlikable to me. Your mileage may vary.

The fantasy/occult elements often felt like an afterthought and the three main characters bumbled around, not finding the right information, ignoring a valuable source of information until very late in the book. And the “solution” to the problem was to transfer and delay the “bad thing” for a ?few months, maybe.

Oscar Reyes, the narrator was fine. I sometimes lost track of whether we were in David’s or Rhys’ POV, but that may have been because the story wasn’t holding my interest.

Others might like it more, but again, not for me.

Evocation is very niche, so it may appeal to a certain audience. In the beginning I was really enjoying what the story was doing with the tarot cards and the mediumship. However, as I read on, I felt like the story wasn't going anywhere and I started to not care the further I got into the story. However, I did really enjoy Oscar Reyes's narration for the audiobook. I thought his voice was pleasant to listen to and he did a great job emoting and doing the various voices.

Thank you Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and S.T. Gibson for the advanced listening copy.

Evocation is out now.

2.5 stars. It was okay. The audiobook (narrated by Oscar Reyes) itself was good quality; if you're interested in this book, the audiobook was great. The story itself felt like a lot of filler and little action. I guess that is to be expected with the first book of a quartet. Of the three main characters, I didn't like one of them and I think that colored my perception of the story. I found them to be sanctimonious, passive-aggressive, and hypocritical. And the other characters were pretty obsessed with them; I just didn't get it.

Evocation was a certainly well-written and engaging contemporary story. It had magic, secret societies, witchcraft, curses, tarot intertwined with these complicate trio. It was mainly in Boston, but we got this dark academia vibes setting heavily detail of what's going on. I truly wished that it went further with the supernatural and haunting elements. The pacing of the book was a little slow, though. I understand that some themes of this book are identity and sexuality, which I think it was explored. However, the plot and world-building suffer a decline as it becomes more character-driven. I thoroughly enjoyed this more than Odd Spirits because there is clear progress not only on the characters but also the writing style. I really liked the dynamic between Rhys, Moira, and David. Furthermore, I kind of get why people were so mad about their relationship status throughout the book, but I think even though it wasn't perfect, they maturely handled what they wanted to have and set their boundaries. The characters are quite defined and have layers that, I hope, will be more in-depth since they really have the potential to develop each one even more. An occultism prodigy, an intuitive astrologer and a rival sorcerer is an interesting trio that can unravel chaos with their abilities.

Thanks for the ARC

***3.0 Stars***

Overall,
This is the third book by S.T. Gibson that I have read. Out of those three I’d say this is my least favorite. The story was fine, the characters were fine but I felt quite bored for the majority of the book. The world building was missing, I still don’t quite understand the time period or how the magic is integrated into society. The relationship between the characters was sweet.

The Audiobook was good, I liked the characterizations and voices for the characters

This was not the typical book I would normally choose but I really enjoyed it. I would definitely read the sequel. The plot was interesting and I loved the haunting and secret society vibes. I LOVE the fairyloot version of this book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the audiobook copy!

I enjoyed this author's previous release and was excited about Evocation. Unfortunately, I ended up not enjoying this. I went into this book knowing that it was about the occult and a possible poly relationship. I just felt this book spent too much time trying to explain to us why the main characters were polyamorous. The plot ended up suffering due to that which made the last half feel very rushed. The narration for the audiobook was great and I would recommend going down that route for this story. I think if you go into this expecting a character-driven story you will enjoy it more. However, if you are like me and thought it was going to be plot-driven, you will likely be disappointed.

Thanks NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an advanced copy of this audiobook.

While I very much enjoyed S. T. Gibson's previous works, A Dowry in Blood and An Education in Malice, Evocation didn't hit as hard. I liked the three main characters -- Rhys, David and Moira -- but I wanted to see more magic and less angst. The Society, deals with the devil, characters' varying magical abilities, etc., could have had more detail. I do think I'd give the next book in the series a chance, but I just didn't love this one as much as Gibson's others. I did enjoy the narration by Oscar Reyes.

Theoretically this was built on an always-intriguing type of Fantasy plot, but ultimately it’s just another clunky romance that has some very problematic elements to it.

The bones of this seemed like a good idea, but all of the tarot and possession content that is purported to be the focus of the book takes a backseat to a throuple romance which, like most throuple romances, is hugely problematic.

I don’t like romance to begin with, so I was probably going to be dissatisfied by how much of this story hinged on that element no matter what, but the particular situation here really didn’t sit well with me.

Like most romance novel throuples it’s two men and a woman, and as often happens in this grouping, the focus is on the relationship between the two men, while the woman is cast as a mommy/caretaker type who inevitably becomes a sort of third wheel whose presence is mostly a convenience to the actual couple involved. That Moira was also written as a very transparent and icky racial stereotype made it even worse.

I’ve read a few books by Gibson now and they always have more romance (particularly of the gratuitous, eye roll inducing open door variety) than I care for, but they also usually have more plot than this, and at the very least focus on a relationship or relationships that don’t read as inherently problematic.

I’ve been a fan of S.t. Gibson for awhile and when I heard they had gotten a four book deal, even if I had some issues with the novella that the series follow (I’m super glad that Gibson has decided to rewrite the novella).

David a rich and powerful medium, is having some serious issues and decides the best plan of action is to reach out to his Ex boyfriend Rhys and his wife Moria. Both Rhys and Moira are not inclined to help David after he caused discord previously in their relationship, but in the end David manages to pursued them into assisting him. Throughout the course of the book we delve into David’s past issues and his growing relationship with Moira. While Rhys struggles with his lingering feelings for David.

I really enjoyed this one, after reading the novella I was nervous that I wouldn’t be able to get over my issues with David and Moira. After reading this I find that I’m quite fond of all three characters now

The narrator does a great job overall. I really enjoyed the various voices they used for different characters along with their ability to embue emotions into their reading.

Overall I had a great time with this one and am greatly looking forward to the next installment and the rewritten novella!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

𝙏𝙝𝙚 𝘿𝙚𝙫𝙞𝙡 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬𝙨 𝙮𝙤𝙪𝙧 𝙣𝙖𝙢𝙚, 𝘿𝙖𝙫𝙞𝙙 𝘼𝙧𝙞𝙨𝙩𝙖𝙧𝙠𝙝𝙤𝙫.

Not gonna lie, I knew absolutely nothing about this book before picking it up. However, I knew it was a Fairyloot pick, so I decided to snatch up the audio on NetGalley.

This book was so fun and the characters were astonishing and well fleshed out. I loved the snarky and silly moments between David, Rhys, and Moira. All three of them were such fascinating characters.

I absolutely loved the audio and found myself a lot more invested than I was expecting to. The tarot aspect of it was so fun!! I also loved how relatable the characters were with their traumatic healing.

I will say, this story focused more on the characters than the actual plot - which wasn’t a bad thing. The Boston occult community was such a fun concept, and it was filled with such fun aspects - witches, physics, hauntings, seances, and so much more.

Thank you so much NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the review copy in exchange for my honest review!

I thought this was Gibson's best book to date. Don't go in expecting a focus on fantasy, magic or supernatural pyrotecnics since those elements are used more as window dressing for a deep examination of interpersonal relationships. However, the story how three people overcame personal issues and emotional wounds as well as petty jealousies to form sometging strong made of different types of live is fascinating. Give it a try if you want sometging slower paced and thought provoking with a supernatural trim.

First of all thank you to the publishers for letting me review the audio book .

S.T.Gibson has smashed it out of the box once again , the audio had me feeling so many different emotions which i loved as i think the saint connects with her bookish fan base so well when it comes to the story telling and i can say that she has totally capture you in how the character is feeling ,
i thought that Oscar Reyes told the story beautifully i felt so drawn in i really felt like i was there with the characters . as i am talking about the characters i loved them all so much i normally would pick one out i love more but i thought they were all so strong in this story .

i loved the spooky gothic feel that had chills running up and down my spine , It's a story which is going to be living rent free in my brain for a long time .

i am giving the story 5 dark magical stars

Review: Review copy given to me by the publisher in exchange for an honest review.

Audio Review: The audio is a great way to take in this story. I found that it added to the story and was narrated well. It’s only narrated by one individual but you could tell when different parts were being played. The voice felt authentic and natural throughout the story.

Novel Review: Evocation is not like any of S.T. Gibson’s other books. So, if you are picking this up with the expectation of it being similar to A Dowery of Blood or An Education in Malice, you are going to be let down so let go of that before you start this novel. I would say this book is for fans of S.T. Gibson who want to know more parts of her as an author.

It’s hard to define what this story is about. It’s a love story at it’s core. It reminds me of cozy, romantasy in a way but even that doesn’t feel quite what it is. Let me spout off a few things and see what comes out. It’s a slow burn possession story, it’s about the occult and origins of secret societies, its about family and belonging, identity and complicated relationships. It’s about so much. If you are going in expecting a plot heavy book, this won’t be it.

I feel the need to defend this book, just because of the expectations of S.T. Gibson has just been in the position of A Dowery of Blood. I want you to know what you’re getting into so that you don’t have unrealistic hopes.

Evocation may push your belief system about love and relationships. I really enjoyed the three main characters, we get the story told from three different people and how they are intertwined by magic and the occult. This book reminds me of Olivie Blake’s stories in some ways. We zoom in to a lot of small moments and interactions between the characters and really examine what it means to be human.

I really loved this book. I gave it 4.5 stars. Some small things are that at times it does feel a little slow in the middle and because of that a tiny bit repetitive. A little bit more adventures would have made it a 5 star or even a new favorite for me. That’s all personal preference. I will continue with this series and it’s a book I would love to read again.

Unfortunately this one was a DNF for me. I loved A Dowery of Blood, but this one did not hit the way that one did.

I was not a fan of the relationship in this one and I just couldn't fully get into the story. It was also a bit slow for my liking.

I'd still be interested to see what comes next from this author. This one just happened to be a miss for me.

A brand new series by S. T. Gibson called The Summoner’s Circle. It’s an urban gothic fantasy that shines light on a polyamrous relationship. We mainly follow 3 characters in Boston who are occult practitioners. So we have some dark academia and demonology, curses, supernatural elements in the story. It’s actually reminded me a lot of Ninth House but with it's own unique elements of course. Very secret society, some reviewers have mentioned it's slower paced, but with it came a really character driven story. Adored it!

In regards to the story in itself, I didn't really connect to it because I didn't like the writing style and I felt really disconnected from the story. Also I think I'm not really into occult societies so maybe my enjoyment is tight to that. But since I rate based on my enjoyment I can't give it more than 2 stars.

The audio in itself was good! I though the narrator really did a good work and I thought the voice meshed well with the book.

Thank you Netgalley, author, and publisher for the ARC.

My major mistake was to go into this after reading Bardugo's Ninth House - both stories center around secret societies, therefore, I expected more magic, paranormal stuff and less focus on the relationships. However, it was the opposite, since the story is solely focused on the relationship between Rhys, his wife Moira and his ex David, who all happen to be involved in a little hocus pocus on their free time (ok, I'm downplaying it, still I wanted a stronger and scarier demon). I loved tension and chemistry between Rhys and David, enjoyed sassy and genial friendship between David and Moira, but the relationship between Rhys and Moira felt tepid at best. Or maybe I just didn't feel much love towards Rhys, cause he is judgemental and a bit boring. In general, the writing is beautiful, I'm curious to read more books by S.T. Gibson, and the narration is great, elevates the whole story, kudos to Oscar Reyes, who did a fine job by bringing three main characters to life.

this book was a massive disappointment and im sad about it. i love all of her books but this one was slow and the character writing was really not there and i love her characters. all 3 of these characters were flat and held no depth. this was very slow paced