Well, I believe this might be my final book from this series. I had such high hopes for Evocation, but it was disappointing. This book is not far behind; it's actually much worse than Evocation.

The characters don't make any sense, and the plot is mediocre. The storyline with David, however, is particularly annoying.

I don't want to give spoilers, but it basically went like this:
Rhys & Moira: David, please help us with something.
David *helps them and tells them what the problem is*
Rhys & Moira: OH MY GOD! HOW COULD YOU DO/SAY THAT TO US??? GET OUT!!

HELLO???? He was helping you guys...

Moira was my favorite character in Evocation, but here... it's like I don't even recognize her. Their relationship doesn't make sense, especially since they're married. How and why did they get married? It seems like they don't even know each other.  It appears that they met at the beginning of the year, dated for a couple of months, and then got married at the end of the year. It just doesn't make sense. Their lack of communication is frustrating. They don't support each other, and I don't see what they have in common.

Rhys is a coward who apologizes to Moira every second. Yes, we love a man who knows when he's in the wrong, but man, please say what you have to say and don't shrink away from anyone.

And David, dude... just go and find someone else. These two are a lot to take.

Talk about an excellent novella! I loved reading Evocation, so this was the perfect supernatural visit back to some of the most well rounded characters I've ever read. I adore Moira. This was awesome.

marriage in crisis hatessssss to see me coming, but they will also never not destroy me!!!!

i didn’t read evocation so this novella really gave me no context, but why do we love david 😐 like fuck off i don’t wanna drag someone’s EX BOYFRIEND into the marriage (i unfortunately know how this plays out but his characterization here was not it)

this was genuinely such a good take on fixing a marriage. not communicating can affect ANYONE and i love the way this was handled, i was emo like majority of these 100 odd pages

First of all I would like to thank Netgalley and the publisher for giving me the opportunity to read this ARC.

First of all I wanted to point out that the book is the prequel to Evocation. Now, I don't know if the author actually thought of reading it first, because it is probably better to read it after the first novel of this series. In fact, having read it as a prequel, I can't say much, being a novella and being that it tells very little about the characters of the story and the story itself, but I am sure that after reading it it is a perfect opportunity to reconnect with the characters of Evocation!

It was an absolute pleasure to return to our odd magical trio from 'Evocation', although I admit to finding this particular tale hard going in places. I was looking forward to Moira and Rhys working together in their new married (and magical) lives, but realistically this was always going to be challenging. These are in no way 'typical' characters; they're very real people, and defiantly individual. This means that 'settling down' easily wasn't going to on the cards (pun intended).

I loved how their problems were literally personified as part of their magical work, as this ties inextricably to who they are as people. You can't touch the Otherworld and not expect it to poke back, as we saw hints of in the previous book.

And while it does feel weird to say it: this is my least favourite of ST Gibson's books so far, but that's entirely because all of her others have been so superb!

A brief and beautiful slice of married life, with a gorgeous ending and a huge dollop of drama that had me so invested that the arguments hurt my soul - #TeamMoira all the way!

ST Gibson really is stepping forward in her world and I really cannot wait to see what the next stage brings. Wishing the happy couple/throuple all the best, no matter the inevitably speedbumps along the way.

Turns out that I love a novella as it's all I've been reading recently and the only thing I love more than that is a novella with gorgeously illustrated pages.

I've been really lucky to have had both Odd Spirits and Evocation as ARC's this year and have enjoyed them both massively. I love that this added context to all the relationships of Evocation and made the characters much more three dimensional (S.T. Gibson's writing is phenomenal so didn't need to become more three dimensional but I just really loved this novella)

Thank you to Angry Robot and Netgalley for another gorgeous S.T. Gibson ARC to enjoy.

Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson - review

4⭐

As you all know my all time favourite author is S.T Gibson, and I was one of the lucky people to get an ARC for which I want to thank Netgalley and Angry Robot.
I am, therefore, so sorry that this review is soo late and the book is already out 😅. Of course I already have my physical copy aswel!

And wow what a beauty! I love the addition of the images, they add so much to the story. The only thing, why is the book soo small, I want it to be the same size as my copies of Evocation 😭

This is just such a wholesome little story about Rhys and Moira's life, and revisting them made me feel all the feels again. I just loved it.

This novella just adds this little extra information and makes you just that much more invested into their lifes.

The "little goddess" just makes me giggle and kick my feet literally all the time.

Overall this is just such a fun and quick read that add some depth to the characters of Evocation.

Gibson can do no wrong - this is a simple yet enjoyable prequel. It’s fast, short, and gets to the point. It also brings in more background for the 3 characters that is a great addition!

ST Gibson remains a must read for me always. This was such a angstyy and well crafted paranormal read I loved the extra context and story building this added to evocation.

A fun ride into the world of Rhys and Moria! S.T. Gibson writes the best moody, atmospheric books on the market. She always knows how to set the stage, and the angst, for all of her characters.

A cozy and spooky little dream of a story! S.T. Gibson’s writing never disappoints, and the beautiful cover and artwork throughout are just the cherry on top! We follow newlyweds, Moira and Rhys, through a paranormal rough patch in their marriage as the honeymoon phase begins to wear off. Short and just the right about of creepy with well rounded characters. And of course some beloved bi-rep!

Though it's nice to see these characters that I highly enjoyed in Evocation, it isn't a lot more than just backstory of those characters. It doesn't add much to the first official book, just explains why Rhys and Moira's relationship works how it works.

By this point, I have read every single book ST Gibson has put out, and I enjoyed all of them. This was a funn little story, that I read after the actual novella. Cant wait to read more of her works.

This writing is evocative and brings these characters to life. I always love a chance to read more about the characters, the world and their relationship dynamics with one another. There is a dual timeline in the novella that was beautifully executed which shows the authors talents as a writer.

I’ll take a moment to appreciate the beautifully detailed illustrations and arcane tarot cards that were included throughout the novella. Perfect companion as an introduction to the world or as a follow up from the first book in the series.

𝐓𝐡𝐚𝐧𝐤 𝐲𝐨𝐮 𝐭𝐨 𝐀𝐧𝐠𝐫𝐲 𝐑𝐨𝐛𝐨𝐭 𝐁𝐨𝐨𝐤𝐬 𝐟𝐨𝐫 𝐚 𝐝𝐢𝐠𝐢𝐭𝐚𝐥 𝐚𝐝𝐯𝐚𝐧𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐫 𝐜𝐨𝐩𝐲 𝐨𝐟 𝐎𝐝𝐝 𝐒𝐩𝐢𝐫𝐢𝐭𝐬 𝐛𝐲 𝐒 𝐓 𝐆𝐢𝐛𝐬𝐨𝐧

I love a good novella prequel. I loved these characters in Evocation. Something here was missing though. There wasn’t the same spark as the first book, and I want to say it was the narrator that just didn’t land. I don’t think it was the writing because what was written was still in character for them.
I’m all for the power of love being the cure, but done this quickly was hard to get behind.
Still very excited to see what happens next, so this was a nice read to hold me over until next year

This was a nice addition alongside evocation. It gave a lovely insight to rhys and Monica relationship which made me love the characters even more

Maybe getting into a poly relationship with your partner's ex is a bad idea and here's why.

As a prequel to the first book of the series, I get to know more about the characters and view them in different light; an aspect I could appreciate. Really feel for poor David being stacked among conflicted & equally avoidant Moira & Rhys. Also, a good introduction in such a short pages. Excited to read the second book. Thank you to Net Galley and publisher for approving me an e-arc for this wonderful title!

POV: Third Person
Genre: NA Urban Fantasy

Can you tell I'm on a spooky read roll?

I love that we get to read about a nerdy magician and a sassy tarot witch navigating AA the turmoil in an already established marriage. Characters who learn from their shortcomings >>>>

Meet-cute in a candle shop? Doodles and scribbles about recipes and magical spells and planetary motions all in one timeless notebook? Blood dripping from the eyes of portraits on the wall? Shattered glass? Tarot cards and pentagrams and loads of subtle imagery to pull you in a spooky house where something is haunting the walls ✨🔮

The writing is evocative (see what I did there??) and reads like a fairytale! We go back and forth within timelines, which can be tricky to execute but was very easy to follow here!

This was a short and sweet introduction to S. Gibson's witchy world and I look forward to picking Evocation next!

Also the illustrations and the inclusion of tarot cards??? GORGEOUS. Make me want to own a physical copy at some point.

(Thank you to the author, Angry Robot and netgalley for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review)

PS: I saw a lot of reviews mention biphobia, and I can safely attest to them being untrue for the revised/rewritten version of the book that I got to read.

PS: I saw a lot of reviews mention biphobia, and I can safely attest to them being untrue for the revised/rewritten version of the book that I got to read.

Was a fun prequel to Evocation. Definitely gave some needed background on the relationship between Rhys and Moira before they were more established in Evocation. I enjoyed reading about them more as characters in the forefront.

Odd Spirits was such a beautiful and entertaining read, perfect both as an introduction to the Summoner Circle world or as a new read after already picking up (and loving) Evocation.

While not particularly complex, the world-building was absolutely fascinating, especially for the fact that it portrays different kinds of magical traditions and powers in a unique but also very curated way.

The book focuses heavily on Rhys and Moira, using their individual POVs to reflect both on their interactions as a couple and on their own thoughts and feelings, their issues and trauma – which are never dismissed, but always handled with care. I really liked the overall development of Moira and Rhys's relationship during the course of this novella, and how in the end their mutual love made them want to be better for each other, even at the cost of having to bear their soul open for their partner.

This introspective work is used beautifully to advance the story, creating a plot that is intriguing, realistic, and just a tiny bit heartbreaking.