The Invocations is a YA fantasy with both horror and thriller aspects! There is also sapphic representation. I love when books are multi-genre, this did a great job of doing that. While the big bad in this book was predictable, I really enjoyed this one. I already had a feeling I'd liked it since I loved the author's other book House of Hollow. I also really enjoyed the witchy magic in this one, as well as the switching POV's.

Thank you to netgalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group, Nancy Paulsen Books. This book was amazing. I couldnt put this down.

This book felt like a roller coaster and I enjoyed the entire ride. House of Hollow was such a captivating read and I found The Invocations to be just as spooky and strangely charming. The three main protagonists, Emer, Jude, and Zara, all need each other to accomplish different things so they become an interesting, albeit slightly unlikely, trio. Their motivations are at first glance simple, but with a supernatural killer on the run, everything falls into mayhem. I enjoyed the interactions between the characters, and while I did see the ending coming, I still thought it was a fun read with some interesting body horror thrown in. If you're looking for a supernatural YA thriller, I'd recommend trying this one!

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with this eARC in exchange for a review!

Thank you netgally Krystal Sutherland, Nancy Paulsen books for the advance copy of "The Invocations" by Krystal Sutherland; to say im excited is an understatement. I have been a Krystal Sutherland fan since Our Chemical heart. She makes wonderful young adult books and the cover of her books are always so beautiful.

I felt the beginning of the book was a little confusing to me with the 3 different characters pov because of similar names ( Jude and Jones) and remembering their situations I felt like I had to keep referencing previous chapters. After 100 pages or so the book progression I was able to understand better and the paces was flowing with each page.
Book containing magic are some of my favorites but the demon component was a little scary to me how they were being tethered to the people souls. I did enjoy the conclusion of the book.

This book is available January 30 2024.
Thank you again for the advance copy for an honest review.

The Invocations introduces us to three very different young women. Zara Jones is on a quest to bring her sister back from the dead. Jude Wolf is cursed, rotting from the inside out, and looking for a solution. After meeting at a crime scene, Zara and Jude seek out and meet Emer, a powerful witch that is unknowingly tied to a string of murdered women. Together they embark on a gruesome journey to put an end to the killer.

This is my second book by Krystal Sutherland and I am ALL IN. After reading House of Hollow, I knew Sutherland could be counted on to create a creepy, unsettling, immersive setting. Let me tell you I was NOT disappointed! Oh my god this was perfect. I feel like this book was tailor made for me. Necromancy with demons and body horror and witches, these are a few of my favorite things!

"Even the devil does not trust men to honor a bargain, so it does not deal with them." I was giggling and kicking my feet while I read that. Yes witchy female power! Inject it into my veins!

Sutherland has a GIFT with words. While I feel like categorizing this book as a "horror" would give the reader misleading expectations, it's hard to ignore the fetid, rotting, corpse in the room. The plot is addicting, the sapphic romance is so sweet, and still where I find the novel truly shines is in the descriptions of the death and decay our characters encounter. The pacing is perfect, the
story puts it's foot on the gas and doesn't let up. I wasn't surprised by some of the reveals, but it never took away from my enjoyment as things unfolded.

Thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the advance copy in exchange for my honest review.

I haven’t read anything else by Krystal Sutherland, but I was familiar with the name when I was approached about reviewing her latest book. Mostly, I have vague memories of a YA dark fantasy that she released a few years ago that had a creepy but compelling cover. This one, too, follows in that line where, at first glance, it seems normal enough. But then you look closer…yep, creepy! I was also drawn in by the promise of witches and a mystery centered around tracking down a serial killer.

Unfortunately, this book didn’t quite hit the way I wanted it to. However, in this case, I do think a lot of it comes down to many of these tropes and beats simply not being to my taste. But let’s start with the good! Like I said, I was drawn in by the witches and the murder mystery, and from a distant perspective, I think both of these things were interesting. I liked the idea that in this world magic was only something that came to women. Through this lens, the book then had a lot to say about feminism and the ways that women experience society. I haven’t watched the “Barbie” movie yet… *ducks*…but I would bet that this has very similar vibes. That said, I also felt that some of the messaging was a bit heavy-handed at times. There were moments where it almost had an “after school special” feeling to it….”See?? The patriarchy!!” I found myself wishing for a bit more subtly on that front.

I also liked the serial killer aspect of the story. This book was definitely a lot darker than I was expecting, and I appreciated how much it committed to its themes, really diving into some of the body horror moments. Fans of dark fantasy and horror will likely appreciate the fact that the book doesn’t shy away from these more gruesome scenes.

However, I found myself struggling to remain invested in the story. While the action does pick up in the last 100 pages of the book, that’s always a bit too little, too late for my overall reading experience. I found myself setting the book down too often and having to force myself to continue reading. There wasn’t anything objectively wrong with the writing, but it didn’t grab me. It felt a bit to formulaic and simplistic at times to really give the book much of a unique tone. It wasn’t helped that it was written in present tense, a style that I always struggle to enjoy. That said, readers who are not bothered by this approach to writing may not come away feeling the same way.

Similarly, because the writing was on the more simple side, I struggled to truly connect to any of our three characters, as their chapters had a bad tendency of beginning to read the same as one another. I liked the idea of all three characters, I just didn’t end up really loving any of the actual characters themselves.

Overall, this was a bit of a middling read for me, but much of this came down to some of my own preferences on writing styles and the way larger themes are handled. I do think that it will connect for YA readers who are looking for a good, creepy witchy book, however, and if you’re a fan of the author, I’m sure this will be a hit!

Rating 7: Appropriately creepy and witchy, but I was distracted by what felt like heavy-handedness with the overall message.

Review will go live Jan 13. on The Library Ladies

It had a slow start for me, HOWEVER, the book is a banger. The magic is beautiful but devastating, the characters were amazingly complex and I just had an amazing time reading it. I was so engrossed in the story that when the big reveal happened I was as shocked as the characters despite it all being near painfully obvious in retrospect, and for that I applaud Sutherland.

At this point, Krystal Sutherland is my favorite new (to me) writer of 2023. The author is not afraid to “go dark” with the narrative, just like in previous works. In the story, there is a unique perspective on witches, and where their power stems from. There’s also a great intersection between feminism and pain among these teenage girls. One has lost her sister to murder, has accidentally cursed herself disgusting and even her dad‘s billions of dollars can’t fix it, and there’s a witch, who saw her whole family slaughtered by hunters. When the spell-writing witch finds out that the women she’s helped cast spells for our dying, if the rest these three together in a hunt for a killer.

This is for you if you like paranormal mysteries, queer rep, some body horror, feminism, found family, and girls saving the day (or themselves from their pasts.)

I started “The Invocations” on Christmas Eve morning, which wasn’t smart because I didn’t want to put it down to participate in all the family time!! Jude, Zara, and Emer are such compelling, fierce young women. Their individuals paths converge into one of the best supernatural adventures that I’ve read in a long time. This book is perfect for fans of Danielle Page and Kass Morgan.

4.5, rounding up!

THE INVOCATIONS, by Krystal Sutherland is the second book I've read by this author. Her phenomenal HOUSE OF HOLLOW is still a favorite of mine. While this book is quite different, it is no less intense.

We start out with three different main characters, and their individual stories: Zara Jones, whose sister was murdered and wants desperately to bring her back. Jude Wolf, a billionaire's daughter who messed up some occult spells, cursing herself to a slow death while her flesh. . . rots. . . She would do anything to stop or reverse her mistakes, but only a "real" spell caster could help, and even money isn't enough to find one in a situation where women with ANY type of power must hide themselves away in a patriarchal society. Emer Bryne, the daughter of a witch, and extremely powerful spell caster--living by hiding out from those that kill her kind. . . and those that killed her entire family before her.

I absolutely LOVED each of these characters! Getting to know them and their motivations before they collide, I believe was necessary to get a broader understanding of the entire "world" that the author created. Although it takes place in the "modern time", changes in the roles of men and women are pivotal, with women most definitely taking the "back seat" to the men in charge. Witches are viewed as evil because they provide women with power--something NOT accepted here.

This WORKED. Although I did easily guess the main antagonist, it didn't matter as much to me because the dynamics between the women, and the new world order they live in, were so all consuming. I went through all the emotions in this one.

I rated 4.5 (rounding up), solely because it took a while to get really invested in the story, and I felt that the women should have been at least 18. This did not feel like a young adult book to me, and I think having the characters a year older would have been a better move.

Overall, this author is now an auto-buy for me. Her creativity and depth of characters impressed me so much that I can't wait for what she comes up with next.

Highly recommended.

This book... Just occult perfection. I feel like every girl goes through a witchy phase, but I certainly wasn't trying to use demons to summon vast amounts of power. But would you if you could?

I enjoyed floating between PoVs, Emer, Jude, and Zara. They've each found themselves in this world for drastically different reasons... but of course nothing is as unconnected as it seems. I thought the foreshadowing was really well done, and the power variety was awesome! I liked how there were literal fire and lightning powers, but also more abstract ones as well. It's so different from House of Hollow, but the gothic vibes persist. This is absolutely securing Krystal Sutherland as an autobuy author for me!

*Thank you to Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for an ARC in exchange for my honest review*

- thank you to netgalley and the publisher for an arc to review!

- Sutherland was an author whose works I’ve enjoyed, especially house of hollow. however, this book didn’t really hit the same as the previous works she’s put out, as the writing style felt very dry and wishy washy, with the characters also feeling bland and boring. i hate to say that i had to dnf this, as i was really looking forward to reading this book, but i ended up feeling bored by the story.

Thanks NetGalley for the ARC [
of The Invocations.

The story follows three strong female leads that each have their own world-view and experience with the occult.

Jude is suffering pain from adolescence, Zara is suffering from losing her sister, and Emer is suffering from a multitude of unlucky events.

The story was well paced and wonderfully foreshadowed! It's an action, mystery, witchy, feminist, empowering story with gore and family dynamic issues to resolve.

My only qualm was the epilogue that felt forced.

Overall, another enticing, fresh story from K. Sutherland

I love little more in the world than witches, except for empowered women with female rage, queer women, and character building. I adore Krystal's writing style and this one delivered, yet again! Frankly, dismantling toxic masculinity and joining with your fellow witches to fight back against the patriarchy is something I want all young women reading. It's creepy and powerful and after reading the arc I'm so happy I trusted my gut and preordered this book.

Honestly, I love how this book is unapologetically anti-patriarchy. Barbie vibes forever~

Some might think the feminist themes are heavy-handed since it's more focused on women (yes, all women) taking back their agency, but you know what? I don't really give a fuck. I enjoyed Iron Widow for those vibes, and I feel the same way about this arc.

I absolutely loved all three FMCs: Zara, Jude, and Emer. All three story arcs were interesting as hell, and I'm someone who's usually nitpicky when it comes to multiple POVs. (There's usually one or two POVs that are weaker than the rest.) Hell, if you can make a rich spoiled brat like Jude likeable, then I'm all in. I want to be besties with all three of them. *insert Steve Buscemi "How do you do, fellow kids?" meme*

I loved loved loved how dark this was! Ngl, the cover screamed YA, but I was surprised by all the demons, deaths, and goddamn necromancy. I love all things witches (Scarlet Witch, Nico Minoru, and Magik from Marvel are my ride or die) and to see it all play out in a contemporary London was fantastic.

Sure, the plot twists weren't all that twisty if you actually paid attention, but I was vibing so hard I didn't even think about how everything was all related. The ending was wild and gave me Mexican Gothic vibes. I had to suspend my disbelief for parts of it, but eh, I had fun reading this so I'll forgive the absurdity.

Just one con though: I think this would've made more sense if the characters were aged up to 18+. It made no sense that a bunch of under 18 teens were running around London trying to figure out murders, stalkers, witchcraft, etc.

Also, I'm super excited to learn that this is featured in a book box I'm subscribed to! Take my money, goddamnit.

Thank you to Nancy Paulsen Books and NetGalley for this arc.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

I absolutely loved House of Hollow, so I was THRILLED to get an advanced copy of The Invocations to read and review! Thank you to Netgalley, the publisher, and Krystal Sutherland.

This is a witchy horror/thriller that grabbed me from the get-go.
I feel like the witchy books have been overdone lately, but this definitely has a unique and intricate storyline.
Sutherland has some of the darkest storylines that I've found, so I have to laugh a little at the YA label. I'm not complaining at all, but if you're truly looking for YA, this will be too dark and gory. There was nothing that I didn't enjoy about this story, but I didn't feel quite as connected to the story as I did with House of Hollow. I will definitely read anything Krystal Sutherland writes! Don't miss The Invocations coming out on January 30, 2024!

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Nancy Paulson Books for providing an ARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

House of Hollow was one of my favorite books of 2021, so to say that I was excited for this title would be a huge understatement. I'd seen a lot of buzz on Goodreads from people saying that, while they also loved House of Hollow, they were even more impressed with The Invocations, which only made the hype that much higher.

And it did not disappoint! Though to compare this book to House of Hollow would be unfair, I think; if House of Hollow was a dark fairytale, with the flowers eventually falling away to reveal the rot underneath, The Invocations is a bloody, dark stroll through the shadows. Readers sensitive to blood and gore might want to skip this one, because Sutherland doesn't shy away, yet it never feels gratuitous: female rage, and the fear and feelings of powerlessness that accompany simply being a woman in the world, are the major themes of this book, and the message seems to be that the only way to meet these things is with equal violence.

Sutherland's writing remains, on a technical level, lovely and lyrical, and her characters are interesting and complicated and real. I really liked the sapphic love story in this book, which, while only a small part of the plot, is definitely present throughout. And the world that she's constructed—of witches and secret enclaves of witch hunters, of a demon world lurking side by side with ours, and the terrible ways magic (which is so much bigger than humans should be able to comprehend) can rebound upon the human body—was lush and fascinating. Also, a very small detail, but worth mentioning, I really appreciated that Sutherland's magic system, which is divided along gender lines (women can wield it, but men cannot) was inclusive of trans women in a way that was not only explicitly stated but made sense in context (which I won't spoil).

Gory, terrifying, dark, and ultimately empowering and triumphant—yet never in a way that feels schlocky. I think this officially cements Krystal Sutherland as one of my must-read authors.

Side note, which has nothing to do with the author or the book, but the ARC I received was terrible on a software level (nothing to do with the book itself being uncorrected). Any word with the letter F in the back half of it was completely cut off, and sometimes the first few words of a paragraph were also omitted completely. I'm very glad I got this ARC, and enjoyed the book a lot, but I wish NetGalley would have sent a text that was actually able to be clearly, consistently read.

4⭐️

First of the cover of this book is stunning and it grabbed my attention so quickly.

This is my first book from this author and overall I enjoyed. The first third of this book is pretty slow and I did struggle at first to get into it, but once the girls came together it started to really come together.

I really enjoyed the mix of witches, demons, and horror. Plus a mystery that these girls were trying to solve. This book also worked really well as multiple pov.

The writing is beautiful and I'm interested to check out House of Hallow (another stunning cover).

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Group for this advanced reader copy. My review is voluntarily my own.

I started reading the e-arc of this book the other day, but it he formatting did not translate over very well.

However, I did have a friend who had a physical arc that they are sending me and I’m excited to read it!

Will update review on goodreads once received and read because I loved what I was reading so far!

Two young women on the search for a curse writer cross paths when they both end up at the same crime scene. Someone is killing witches, and stealing their power for themselves. But how?

Jude wants to break her curse. Zara just wants her sister back. Erin wants to know who is killing her clients. Together they must figure it out, before one of them becomes the next target.

This was such a well written book, with just the right level on goriness for me. The way the three main characters communicate with each other helps to lighten what could otherwise be a very dark book on times. If you are looking for a horror mixed with a thriller this is the perfect book for you!