I guess S.T. Gibson it's not for me. This is an overall 2.5

This is basically a typical story of a rich friend and a poor friend who is a prodigy (spider man much, y'all?). The only difference from spider man is that rather than fighting for 'mary jane', the object of all desire is the poor prodigy friend.

I found the throuple idea badly constructed. At what point did Moira fall in love with David? And the ages just don't make sense, while I was reading I was thinking ok based on everything that happened in their past these people are in their mid-30s, but turns out they are in their mid to late-20s.

I would like to thank NetGalley for the opportunity to read and review this ARC.

‘Evocation’ is the first part of the ‘Summoner’s Circle’ series. David is suffering from a curse and reluctantly has to get in touch with his ex-boyfriend and fellow secret society member, Rhys, in order to help him. Rhys has gotten married to Moira in the meantime, who seems more empathetic to David’s pleas than Rhys himself. But what this story is actually about, is the relationship between Moira, David, and Rhys or more like ‘how can David get in Rhys good graces again and make Moira be okay with it’. Before writing this review, I actually had to look up the plot or the ‘hook’ of this book again, because it does come secondary to the whole relationship dynamic.

I was dreading the set-up of this polyamorous relationship, because it just did not feel right to me. Especially Rhys and David’s interactions in the beginning and their obvious lack of closure bothered me, because I was constantly thinking of Moira, who had no clue about this dynamic. Don’t get me wrong, I actually like the ‘why choose’ trope, but how this relationship progressed just bothered me. It felt wrong that Rhys never told Moira about David, even though they are married. It also felt wrong that Rhys was still Davids go to person, even though they had broken up long ago and did not actually manage to have a healthy relationship or break-up. David and Moira have some quirks of their own, but Rhys just seemed like a bit of a limp fish. His behavior is cowardly, and I think he wouldn’t have taken any agency had Moira and David not pushed him into it. I also can't believe he is supposed to be 26. He seems like an old man and a kid at the same time. To top it all off, I felt no chemistry between any of the parings, I think this is in large parts due to Rhys character, which made it even more dreadful to read about this constellation.

Apart from this relationship dynamic there was very little plot, world building, or anything else going on, so I have a very hard time picturing what else could happen in any future parts of this series. Unless something very drastic happens, I will probably not be along for the ride, although I am usually the last person to quit a series.

Overall, this book had very little plot while mainly focusing on a toxic relationship without the yearning or the chemistry.

I listened to the audiobook and found that the narrator was a bit hard to understand at higher speeds, because he seemed to be whispering. I liked the other aspects of his narration, but this part really bothered me. We have three different POVs in this book and, I think, the audiobook could have profited from a cast narration rather than one single narrator.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for gifting me this ALC of the audiobook to review. All opinions are my own. I was not paid to leave this review.

I wanted to loved this book so much.. I loved their last book, but I was bored. I found myself just tuning out as I listened. Even as I write this I can barely remember what happened,

First of all, I'm not gonna lie, the cover was what caught my eye at first. It's gorgeous, stunning and perfect.
I've read An Education in Malice by S. T. Gibson and while I've really enjoyed the writing style and atmosphere, it wasn't my favorite. I didn't get to A Dowry of Blood yet, and I was a bit hesitant to get to Evocation but I gave it a try.

Evocation is a contemporary paranormal story in which we follow David, who gets entangled in an occult problem he might need help with. That makes him renew contact with his ex boyfriend, Rhys (and Moira, who's a wife of Rhys).

I'm not gonna lie, the plot became secondary to me as I was reading. I've thoroughly enjoyed the relationships between our characters though and that was the thing in the forefront for me. I don't think I've read a story with polyamory in it before, at least not in a long time, and from what I can tell (not having such experiences in my life), it was portrayed in a very thoughtful way. I've loved the communication and respect between the characters and that's usually what makes or breaks the romance in the books for me. I feel like I've became invested in the lives of David, Rhys and Moira really quickly.

The setting was interesting, the action takes place in a contemporary Boston and I'll admit, I prefer fantastical locations to real ones in books that have magic. That being said, I've really liked the exploration of a secret society.

I really admire the author for the portrayal of different sexual orientations, complex relationships, alcoholism (that seemed really respectful too) and many other themes. To be honest, I've felt a bit as if it was written by a different person than An Education in Malice, as, interestingly, my view on strong points of the book shifted a lot in comparison.

Overall, this book was ⭐⭐⭐⭐ for me! I'll for sure read Odd Spirits, a prequel novela that will be released this year.

✨ Thank you to Netgalley and the Publisher for granting me access to an e arc and I'm honestly sorry for the delayed review. 💜

I am so bummed this didn't end up working for me - i've loved Gibson's other works! This needed a bit more plot development to keep up with the character building throughout the book. I found the throuple dynamic to not be interesting enough to hold up the entirety of the story without more plot weight added to it. So bummed!

I’m going to be a bit honest here, I wasn’t sure Gibson’s writing was for me after their most recent book release. This book solidly changed my mind. I’m so pleasantly surprised by this book – I was hooked quickly and stayed immersed throughout. It did take me a few chapters to figure out the gist of the plot as it isn’t plainly laid out. I thought of that as a positive once I was deeper in the story. I came to view this story as 2 intertwined plotlines that are beautifully woven together. Which, I think, is why it’s a bit tricky to get into at the start. I would call this book an occult romance – maybe?

3 POVs tell this story. We follow Rhys (sorcerer) and Moira (witch), a married couple, as they navigate Rhys’s ambitions within his male only secret society fraternity where the rituals performed have real magic and effects – I thought of Blackwood from the Sherlock Holmes movie (2009) replace the gimmicks with real magic. We also meet David, Rhys’s previous lover and was the only other relationship that holds value to Rhys besides his wife. David and Rhys did not break up well – nothing was truly resolved. David and Rhys/Moira are social enemies at the start of this story. The book is driven on character development. Their evolution individually, and as a group, is one main plot line. The other plotline centers on their world’s magic. The before mentioned secret society needs a new high priest. Rhys and David are the top contenders. David also has a family history that comes out to play.

I really liked Moira’s character. I’d call her a gentile fierce person. She’s not in your face but will not, under any circumstances, back down to any foe that comes her way. She’s confident and very self-aware while being gracious, kind, and warm. She’s fabulous. Personally, I liked David more than Rhys simply because I like David’s spunk.

I don’t really consider their world to be queer normative. Their inner circle is but the rest of the society (we only get glimpses) seems tolerant but has limits – better than USA’s current standing but still could be better. There are also some race dynamics very briefly touched on.

As for the audiobook – I recommend it. The narrator is a bit breathy as they speak, which took me a minute to get used to. Once I acclimated, it was smooth sailing. I think because of how the beginning of the book is laid out, the audiobook helps to keep the pace for the reader better than the print book likely would. I didn’t find there to be serious pacing issues like other reviewers have mentioned. I credit the audiobook to that.

Apparently, I had a lot to say about this book. I found that I liked it far more than I anticipated and am excited for the series to continue.

Thank you NetGalley, S. T. Gibson and Tantor Audio for this audiobook ARC.

3.75 ⭐️

Evocation was a wonderful start to this series As usual, Gibson's writing is impeccable and immersive. The relationship dynamic between the characters was delicious and frustrating in the best way possible. David's character grated me at times, especially in the beginning but perhaps that was the intention. Regardless, I love the growth of these characters even if occasionally it seemed to move 1 step forward and 2 steps back. I'm genuinely curious as to where this story will go.

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.