So I know I said Book of Thorns by Hester Fox had terrible formatting on the ebook ARC but this one was *drastically* worse. Like double letters completely missing, words borderline unreadable, and it should not have been that hard to even try to get ten pages into a Krystal Sutherland book (I rated House of Hollow five stars). I don't know who the culprit actually was.

OMG! This was so good! Any book by Krystal Sutherland will be a must read from here on out! I enjoyed all three female leads, the grotesque descriptions, and the look into witchcraft and necromancy in The Invocations. Jude, Zara, and Emer are thrust together to defeat a a serial killer preying on females who have used witches to get invocations. The writing is very descriptive and gross at times, but not as bad as House of Hollow to me (I still loved HOH though). It screams girl power as the trio delve into the crime and form a bond to find the killer and boy is there a twist in that part too. One of my favorites this year, so definitely a good one to finish out the year on.

I enjoyed this read and definitely recommend if you like Feminist, witchy vibes!!

This book is filled with good things: female rage, witchy atmosphere, demons, a serial killer murder mystery, cults, fighting the patriarchy, a hint of sweet sapphic romance, and a splash of academia for good measure. It follows an unlikely trio of girls: Jude, in chronic pain from a demonic ritual gone wrong and seeking a witch to cure her necrotic soul; Zara, newly obsessed with necromancy and seeking a witch to revive her dead sister; and Emer, a witch waiting to avenge her family while quietly granting magical aid to women who need it. The three find their lives entangled when women start turning up dead--all of whom were Emer's former clients.

Simply put, I loved this book. The writing shifted effortlessly between the hilarious slang and sarcasm of teenage girls and the pointed, haunting narration of a world much like our own, where even magic can't stop the evils of men. All three main characters were clearly rendered, their voices distinct, and their dynamics--tensions and soft spots alike--were plenty nuanced. (While we're at it, shoutout to the iconic side characters, the flinty Detective Chopra and the fascinating multifaceted demon Bale!) It's light on the romance, but what little there is, is sweet and feels organic to the story--just the way I like it. The plot's many components cohered into a smooth whole, united thematically and tying everything up nicely by the end (which was a heck of a wild ride--so many twists in the last quarter of the book!). And, most importantly, the VIBES. This is what Sutherland excels at most: creating a perfectly dark, magical, eerie atmosphere, full of witches and girls who refuse to go quietly into the night. Definitely put this on your 2024 TBR!

This book was fun and creepy and I couldn’t put it down. The book was so atmospheric and gave a new spin to a serial killer story. I can’t wait to see what she comes up with next and this book will stay with me for a long time.

Dark and atmospheric, full of witchiness and chaos. I adored this book.

This story grips you with the details and the bloodiness f the story. It sets the stage for a dark reckoning as the stories and loves of these three girls converge, Full od devils for human and supernatural this is a book full of women revenge and violence

You will get lost in the descriptive nature and compelling storytelling.

Thank you to Penguin Teen for this arc

Krystal Sutherland's writing is so beautifully lyrical that it immediately drew me into this book. The foggy atmosphere of a Halloween night drew me in further, and I loved getting to know the three female protagonists of the novel, all of whom have been made strong by sad circumstances. It was fun following along on their journey as they tried to uncover and stop a supernatural serial killer. The book would have been perfect for me if it hadn't been so long that it started to feel a little drawn out at times. Still, I would read anything Krystal Sutherland writes and can't wait to see what she does next!

The Invocations is my first read by this author, but it certainly won’t be my last.

Zara wants to bring her beloved sister back from the grave. She regrets the last words she spoke to Savannah were bitter and unkind. As a novice witch, Jude’s deal with a demon resulted in tragic consequences that she’s desperate to correct. Both girls are fortunate to come across Emer, who comes from a family of witches and potentially possesses the powers to help them.

With three POVs, distinct characterization is a must, and this author masters that aspect. Zara seeks knowledge in books and is generally more trusting of them than people. Jude believes her charm and wit will get her what she needs – if those fail she’ll use her wealth. After being on her own since the age of seven, Emer is fiercely independent and doesn’t allow anyone to get close. Put the three of them on a path to discover the identity of a serial killer, and they make a formidable team. What they don’t initially understand is the amount of power the killer commands. Saying it’s a dangerous, life-threatening mission is an understatement.

Maybe I was slow to put it together, but the identity of the killer was a mystery to me until nearly the end. It doesn’t happen often, and I liked it. Over the course of the story, Zara, Jude, and Emer become friends (and a little more with two of them) and a kind of family – which each of them desperately needs. Jude comes from a large family but she’s estranged from most of them. You’ll realize why after meeting them. Emer’s family was killed by witch hunters when she was a child. Zara’s last remaining family is an uncle barely more than ten years her senior, and he’s not a good guy. My heart went out to each of them.

This is a dark and occasionally gory story that’s also full of action and witty banter. It held my interest from the first page, but after a certain point I couldn’t put it down. Recommended for readers who enjoy strong female protagonists, a found family trope, and sinister paranormal mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

This book was creepy, eerie, and disgusting...and it kept me on the edge of my seat. I loved the creativity behind the main ideas of the story, the setting, the characters, all of it. At first I didn't think it was going to be my favorite, but by the end I didn't want to finish because I was enjoying it so much.

I plan to keep a copy in my classroom library.

I think overall this was a really interesting approach to a story about teenage witches. I really enjoy the history built in, but I had a hard time with the main characters. I would love to see them a little more consistent page to page? Overall not a bad read and I would certainly read this author again. Thank you to the author and publisher for my digital arc in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin/Nancy Paulsen Books for access to an eARC in exchange for my honest review!

I have had House of Hollow sitting on my shelf for *well over a year* now, and despite feeling feral over it every time I see it on the shelf, I have yet to read it. But when I saw the description for The Invocations, I knew I *had* to get my grubby little hands on it. The vibes? Dark academia with a touch (read: wondrously heaping helping) of female rage. The characters? Snarky, inquisitive, and stronger than the world has ever given them credit for, like every woman out there. The plot? Spooky, tense, and so, so fun to unravel alongside our three final girls.

After the death of her family and years either in hiding or on the run, Emer Byrne has made quite the reputation for herself in London as a curse writer. Which is exactly what sets her on the path to collide with Zara Jones--a young woman desperate to solve the murder of her sister and necromance her back from the grave--and Jude Wolf--the disgraced socialite daughter of a billionaire who disappeared from the spotlight after multiple deals-with-demons-gone-wrong. While each girl holds all of her cards close to her chest at first, it quickly becomes clear that they're all going to have to open up and rely on one another in a lot of massive ways if they want to figure out who is killing so many young women--witches--around London and stop them once and for all.

London, say hello to your favorite new coven of badass, justice-seeking witches.

The invocations was gritty, violent, and such a beautiful, viscerally frustrating portrayal of what it's like to be a woman in a world that has always belonged to men. Krystal Sutherland created a host of angry, strong, powerful young female characters for me to fall in love with page after page, and her portrayal of female rage has to be one of my favorites I've read by far. The world she's built up in hidden in the shadows of our own world is thick with lore and yet not so far removed from reality that I couldn't see myself and every girl I've ever known wrapped up in the book's pages, the horrors of the murder mystery the girls are working to solve and put a stop to sat with me and made me think long after I'd put the book down each day, and my *god* the *writing*! There were so many moments in this book when I had to stop just to fawn over how beautifully something was written, and honestly, beautiful and thought provoking writing is almost as quick a way into my heart as well-portrayed female rage. So imagine my adoration for The Invocations as a book that has both and then even more on top. Five bloody, demon-dealing stars.

CONTENT WARNINGS: There may be others that I've missed here, but I think this is a pretty comprehensive list. Please read responsibly and take care of yourself.

blood, gore, murder, death, self harm, demons, dark magic, body horror, vomit, mutilation of corpse(s), grave desecration, death of a loved one, death of a parent, death of a sibling, loss and grief, mentions of physical abuse, mentions of sexual abuse, necromancy, sexism, misogyny, violence against women, manipulation, grooming.

4.5/5. I really like how this book played out once I got through the second half. The first half took me a little longer when it was focus on each individual character until they meet for the second half of the book. I thought the plot was well thought out and each character brought something new. I felt like this was a very good thriller and a really interesting plot with the witches!

This book has everything I was hoping for and more. LGBTQUIA+ Rep, Dealings with the Occult, nail biting scenes that left me flipping through pages like a maniac and for sure an ending that left me satisfied.
I honestly would recommend this book to anyone who loves a good nail biting book that will have you on the edge of your seat the whole time you are reading it. And twists that you won’t see coming that will leave you shooketh. I will for sure be snatching up a physical copy of this book asap. It was that good.
5 stars
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley for a copy of this book. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this book.

Thank you to NetGalley for the arc of this book in exchange for my honest review!

Rating: 4 Stars

This was a book I'd been SO excited to get to and I'm so glad I made the time to do just that! Krystal Sutherland has absolutely won me over and I will be reading more from this author. A witchy twisty story with amazing plot and characters, this is one of my favorites so far of 2024. So fun, so attention grabbing. Well done!

The Invocations was a dark witchy thriller about three teenaged outcast that are looking to find their way. This was a new author to me and I can not wait to read more books by this author. The book had an amazing plot with great characters and I was turning pages till the very end. Overall I highly enjoyed The Invocations and would recommend this book to any reader who loves fantasy or horror. Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for this ARC read in exchange of my honest review of The Invocations.

Three young women are connected by the thinnest of threads, but can they help each other overcome their demons? Emer is a witch on the run. Trying to keep her traditions alive, while running away from witch hunters, she becomes involved with Jude and Zara because there is someone out there killing the witches that Emer has helped in the past. Zara’s sister was one of those people, and Zara will do anything in her power to unearth the secrets of witch craft, so she can see her sister one more time. On the other hand Jude is a lovable idiot who went and cursed herself wrong, and has been hunting for a real witch for years in order for her to help her.

Out of all the characters Jude was definitely my favorite. A spoiled princess who just wants her old life back, Jude is flippant and a flirt. She is also honest about her wants/needs, and quite brave. Zara is a type A, she had her whole life planned ahead of her until her sister met an untimely demise. Now she has switched her laser focus to finding a way to bring her sister back. Emer is like a wild animal who is just barely civilized enough to not bite at the table. She is extremely traumatized by events in her past, and has been on the run ever since. Her relationship with her demons is not gonna lie the sweetest (which is kind of weird, but not really after you read it). Together they are an unlikely pair, but they form a sisterhood.

My favorite part of The Invocations is definitely the magic system! It is quite unlike any other I have ever read before in which there are special kinds of witches called curse writers who will tether demons to the women who request the power. They are tethered by way of tattoo, but a special magical tattoo that requires a ton of thought and consideration (even ancient languages). Once the demon is tethered, it doesn’t just wait until the human is dead to take their prize, instead the demon basically “drains” the human little by little depending on the power level this human requested. Pretty nifty! I also liked just how Krystal Sutherland describes the demons and their relationship to Emer (our MC witch). It is a darkly special bond, that kind of makes you think… is Emer even doing the right thing by tethering these demons to the women, or is the “right” thing just relative? The women look for power where they can, usually to escape terrible situations, but who is Emer to dictate what is a good or wrong reason? What if she gives the women the power, and then they go on a killing rampage? So much left unexplored!

But what was explored was done quite well. I did appreciate the mystery behind the witch serial killer, the way they are confronted/found out, and the ending slapped so hard. It had multiple threats to be addressed, and it does it in very gory style. Overall, a very good read!

The Invocations is the perfect amount of rotting, fetid horror for any queer horror girly. Zara is a girl who is seeking a magical solution to her sister's grizzly death. Jude is rotting from the inside out thanks to a demonic deal gone wrong. Emer just might be the solution to both of their problems; a girl raised by witches and demons with a dark past of her own. Each of the character's POVs feels distinct in voice and tone, and each story is quite compelling, if often also incredibly frustrating to read. The frustration in this book, however, is very much intentional. Of course this is a paranormal horror novel that is deeply descriptive and atmospheric, but more than that, it is an ode to feminine rage, and powerlessness, and reclaiming of power tied deeply to femininity in a world where every single institution seems made to keep them down. I can see how some readers may see this as a bit too "on-the-nose" but I think that it's the perfect amount of horror meets feminism. The plot is cool and terrifying and the magic system is really interesting and complicated while making absolute sense. The characters are all incredibly frustrating and flawed, but I love it. But, where this book truly shines, though, is in its descriptiveness and the way in which the rotting, putrid, decrepit, and downright terrifying horror elements saturate the prose. It's borderline gratuitous, but it works so well to create the atmosphere of this one. I know that this probably isn't for everyone, but it is very, very much for me.

I think the pacing of this was just a little too slow for me which made it hard for me to get into it.

This book easily became one of my favorites quite quickly. I am not a huge fan of magic and wizards and witches in books normally. However, this book may have changed that for me. The characters were chef's kiss, the plot and storyline were perfectly paced in my opinion, and there are not many things I can find to criticize. This would be a 4.5 rounded up to a 5 star for me!

Krystal Sutherland is a master of creepy girl books now. House of Hollow was a favorite of mine and I had very high expectations going into this book and it definitely didn't let me down.

Dark academia with sapphic witches - sign me up. The Invocations had a lot to like! Unique magic, interesting characters and of course, murder. The setting was very atmospheric and spooky. I liked how Jude, Emer and Zara all worked together. Their interactions were sometimes laugh out loud funny but other times very vulnerable as you get to know what each girl is dealing with. I did feel like the story stalled out a little in the middle, but overall this scratched my itch to read something truly witchy. Another winner from Krystal Sutherland and if you liked her first, House of Hollow, you'll definitely enjoy this one! TW for a lot of cutting and blood.