An intimate prequel novella to Evocation by ST Gibson.

When weird things start happening in newly wed Moira and Rhys’s house, their patience, anxiety, and relationship is tested.

This happens one year after they are married - presenting an honest picture of the domestic. Moira and Rhys are still getting used to each other. Ironing out routines, building communication strategies, and bumping into each other's emotional furniture.
Gibson cleverly shows how the honeymoon period, society’s gushing, personal expectations, aren’t indicative of married life, demonstrating a certain naivety.

<b>"In my experience, places are never the way you remember them," Rhys said quietly, his expression darkening. "Even if you find it the way you left it. You're the thing that changes."
</b>
This was short and poignant. The plot is loose - more of a vehicle for exploring Moria and Rhys’s dynamics and issues.

Sadly, the prose was not as beautiful as Dowry of Blood (which has set the benchmark of WOW, drooling), but it does show how vulnerability can be the best and worst of a relationship.

This also had gorgeous coloured illustrations that really brought the characters to life!

Thank you to Angry Robot Books for sending me an arc in exchange for a review!

"Odd Spirits" by S.T. Gibson is a prequel to "Evocation", Book 1 of the Summoners Circle series. This is a fantasy paranormal novella that introduces the married couple Rhys and Moira who figure heavily in "Evocation".

I did read "Evocation" first, but I think you could read this first to see if you like the writing style and characters. I find them very likable.

Moira is a witch, a psychic, healer, and an astrologer. Rhys is a research historian and a Sorceror.

They have a spirit disrupting things in their home and need to get rid of it.

I liked this book. I listened to the 3-hour audiobook, effectively narrated by Joe Hemorrhage.

Characters - 5/5
Writing - 5/5
Plot - 4/5
Pacing - 4/5
Unputdownability - 4/5
Enjoyment - 5/5
Narration - 4/5
Cover - 3/5
Overall - 34/8 = 4 2/8 rounded to 4 stars.

Thank you to Netgalley, Tantor Audio, and S.T. Gibson for providing this audiobook in exchange for my honest review.

I thoroughly enjoyed EVOCATION. I’m a bit surprised that I did as not a whole lot happens, but the characters were so richly drawn and their relationships so delicious that I couldn’t walk away. The book was further elevated by narrator Oscar Reyes. I still shiver when I think of the gruff bass he assigned to Rhys’s character - y.u.m.m.y. ODD SPIRITS’s narrator Joe Hempel is a completely fine choice. He’s just no Reyes - and presents as muted by comparison.

As for the novella itself, I confess that I was hesitant to read it. I devour romantasy to escape. Where most literary fiction features grief and infidelity, romantasies showcase joyous unions and HEAs. (To be fair, Rhys still needs rescuing at the end of EVOCATION, but there was joy to be had simultaneously.) So it was tough to elect to return to a part of the story I knew would be entirely defined by strife - the near dissolution of Rhys and Moira’s nascent marriage and the banishment of David from their lives. I wasn’t quite jumping at the prospect of watching my beloved characters at their lowest and most conflicted.

And some of that conflict felt rather manufactured. It was unclear to me why both Moira and Rhys were so resistant to their spook problem getting solved. When David & Co. show up, the couple fight their assistance from start to finish, leaving one to wonder why they summoned the Society to help at all. Maybe if David had been more awful, it would have made more sense?

While I look forward to the continuation of Moira, David and Rhys’s story, here I was ultimately left wondering: “Why did this part of their story need to get told?”

4 stars!

Thank you to S. T. Gibson and Tantor Audio for this ARC in exchange for my full honest review!

Oooh, the girls are FIGHTINGGG. One thing about S. T. Gibson is there is always going to be messiness and it's always going to be entertaining. I love a messy story and Odd Spirits gave me all the drama I could hope for as well as expanding a bit on Rhys and Moira's relationship before the events of Evocation. David pops in for a bit as well but this really isn't about him (I know, as a David fan I'm a little disappointed to). Either way, I enjoyed the way the story was cut up between past and present and the fact that it was heavily character-focused. I don't think it's a necessity but if you've already read Evocation and want a little treat to tide you over until this next book, this definitely does the trick.

Short review for a short book. This was an interesting and entertaining (if not particularly necessary) addition to the series and it's totally worth your time, especially if you're an S. T. Gibson fan like me!

Happy reading!

I love S.T. Gibson's work, but I feel like this was too short to really build up the atmosphere that makes their work special. I did enjoy this extra glimpse into Moira, Rhys, and David's lives before the events of "Evocation", and it's a great exploration of their relationships and a fun tale about a demon running amok in Rhys and Moira's home. Enjoyable for fans of Evocation, but not necessarily special-special on its own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the arc!

4.25/5

This is such a good snippet of Rhys and Moira's relationship before the events of Evocation. I love S.T. Gibson's commitment to good communication between partners, it's not always easy but so important. It's also great foreshadowing to the events of Evocation with David. I can't wait for the sequel!

The narrator, Joe Hempel, did a great job!

To start, the audiobook was a quick listen and while I enjoyed the narrator I wish there was a female narrator for the female POV as the narrator did not change his voice.
This is a sweet story about Rhys and Moira a year into their relationship. Something is haunting their home and they have to figure out how to get rid of the spirit. The story is quick and light and a good look into their relationship before you read evocation. Overall an enjoyable story.

Enjoyable short book that gives further insight into the characters. A good exploration of long term relationships and the work that it takes to keep them going.

I was a huge fan of ST Gibson’s A Dowry of Blood, so when I was offered this ARC I picked up Evocation first so I could read them in order.

But after a couple chapters I was a bit confused so I went ahead and picked up this one, since it’s the Prequel I figured there wouldn’t be any spoilers. And Evocation makes so much more sense having read this first! Although I will say I’m still not sure why Rhys is so mad at David. I mean he told him some hard truths but they ended up being correct and helpful, so shutting him out like he’s doing in Evocation still doesn’t make a lot of sense to me. But I’ll keep going!

This novella shows us more of Rhys and Moira's relationship. This book occurs before the first book, and Rhys and Moira look back on the beginnings of their relationship. They have been having problems in their home with an entity that has Moira spooked. They ask David to come help and he gives them insight which they are reluctant and not happy to receive. Ultimately what doesn't kill you makes you stronger, right? Getting to know Rhys and Moira more through this book, especially since the first book centers on David, really gave me more of an appreciation for them. I understood more of their background and upbringing which helped to mold who they are now. I love this series, and this was a great novella highlighting two characters we didn't know a lot about.

At first, I didn’t think I was going to like this novella. It came across as slow in the beginning, but when the ending came, every “slow” moment made sense. I love how an unhealthy marriage turns a house into a toxic, personified force. S.T Gibson always writes so beautifully, and while I didn’t fall deeply in love with this story, I definitely liked the idea & execution. I’ll even say I liked this more than the main book, Evocation.

Moira was my favorite character. I loved her in “Evocation” & I enjoy her in this too. My favorite scene was the scene where I realized what was feeding the paranormal entity within their house. I love what brought every little moment together. This is a perfect, short read for every Wiccan fan.

This little novella is just what we all needed in the land of Moira, Rhys, and David. It gives a history of the characters with a little added special guest star. Although this book is not typical of what I read, I did enjoy the storyline once I was able to get invested more. I listened to the audiobook version instead of reading, so that takes a little more "scene building" on my end. I feel I know so much more about the characters, and that really helps when building the storyline in subsequent books. If you love paranormal fantasy, interracial relationships, and romance, this isn't what you would typically think it is, but I definitely suggest it.

I enjoyed this more than I thought I would. I really enjoyed Evocation and this prequel really made the relationship between Moira and Reece make sense.

Thank you for the alc, all opinions are my own.

This is a prequel novella that kind of jumps back and forth between dealing with some bad vibes in the house and when the main characters first met. I didn’t love it, but I didn’t hate it. The jumping back and forth was a bit confusing.

This was such a nice addition to get a better understanding of the couple to see how we got to the point in Evocation that we did. I would highly recommend not skipping this novella but read it after Evocation because it will make more sense in that order in my opinion.

Rarely do I pick up a book and am so instantly drawn in and personally connected to the story. The characters were relatable and the storyline kept me engaged and wanting to know even more about their lives. If you love supernatural/witchy romance that keeps you guessing and entertained, I highly recommend this novella. This was my first experience reading this author's, work and I can't wait to read more!

A short story prequel to new series. I definitely found myself interested to read more.

Rhys notices things in his house going missing, being reorganized, and out of place. When he brings up these occurrences to his wife, she agrees but isn’t as bothered.

Rhys is a magician and involves himself in dark magic, where Moira is a tarot witch. They have to work together to discover what or who is taking over their house and get rid of them. Moira blames Rhys on the occurrences because of his summoning of demons / spirits.

In addition to their current situation, this book gives a past glimpse about how Rhys and Moira met and fell in love, which was honestly my favorite scenes of the book.

I feel I should’ve read the first book of Summoner’s Circle first, but I still enjoyed this book and am interested enough to start the series. I did the audiobook but hearing this has illustrations, I plan to buy the actual book as well.

Thank you to NetGalley and RBMedia for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

This little novella gives us a look into Rhys and Moira’s life and struggles. It’s a nice little story but as a novella there isn’t much to say about it without giving away spoilers or ruining the whole plot.

The Narrator told the story well and kept me engaged as a listener

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for this early listen

I was grateful to receive an advance audiobook copy of Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson. The story blends the supernatural with a mysterious atmosphere, and the narration by Joe Hempel brings it all to life beautifully. The eerie sound design adds an immersive layer to the experience.

While the book explores intriguing themes of connection, some of the relationship dynamics felt a bit unrealistic, which distracted from the otherwise engaging plot. Despite this, Odd Spirits is a captivating listen, especially for fans of magical realism.

Thank you to the publisher for the opportunity to listen in advance!

Thank you to RBmedia and NetGalley for sending me an audio-ARC of Odd Spirits by S.T Gibson in exchange for review.

3.5 stars~

So I think I did this backwards, because I have not read the book that the characters in this novella are about (I also didnt realize it would be so short) I do wish this was longer and am now super eager to read Evocation because I love Moira and Rhys.

I love their relationship and how believing in two different forms of work regarding the paranormal didn’t stop them from being together. That they were able to join forces to help resolve one spooky situation. I don’t care that Halloween is over it’s still the perfect time for spooks.

I also really like the narrator for this novella. I hopped over to audible and downloaded another one of the books he’s done as his voice is so calming I flew through Odd Spirits so fast.

Quick, fun, and interesting! Thanks again.