4.5 stars for The Invocations, Krystal Sutherland made another gruesome story for the masses. Each of the women she wrote about was wonderfully fleshed out and everyone should be able to relate to one of them. I related most to Zara, and the pain she felt about a recent loss of a family member. Jude was the one I did not relate to at all, but she will appeal to many others I know. Emar I related to in small ways but not in major personality. If one can deal with gorey writing, please pick this up.

"Her eyes find the figure immediately. Standing stationary on the path. He is a slip of shadow, nothing more. No face, no weapon--nothing to indicate that he might do her harm, just a man. But she is a girl. And she is alone. And it is night. And that is enough."

Praise be, a witchy book that is actually wonderful in all it's witchiness.

"I have not come this far, to only come this far."

The Invocations follows three young women. There is Emer, an orphan curse writer who has raised herself and although she is essentially homeless, she spends the majority of her time at Oxford, where she studies dead languages and steals from college students. Jude is the quintessential rich girl though she is shunned by her family and her body is essentially rotting due to the bad curse she has cast on herself and cannot remove. And lastly there is Zara, a high schooler whose sister has been murdered and who she desperately wants to bring back from the dead. Add to this Scooby gang a serial killer and you have got yourself one heck of a story.

I loved all the themes here of female friendship, found family, resiliency, magic and most importantly strong female characters. The Invocations really is a delight and the audiobook is wonderfully narrated by Kit Griffiths. Sutherland's House of Hollow was a homerun for me so I am overjoyed that her sophomore novel is just as good.

Gorgeously written, THE INVOCATIONS is a nail-biting thriller with all the right ingredients. A must-read.

I was excited to receive an ARC of The Invocations, I loved the premise of magic, dark academia and horror all in one book. I enjoy a fast paced novel, it was too slow for me and it was hard to keep track of the 3 main characters. It was difficult to invested in the characters or the plot. It did not live up to my expectations..


Thank you to NetGalley and publisher for an ARC of The Invocations.

This book caught my attention as soon as I read the synopsis, and I was so happy to receive an ARC! This had witchcraft, demons, murder, sisterhood, necromancy, and so much more. The plot pulled me in and didn't let go. Overall I really enjoyed reading 'The Invocations', and had trouble putting it down. I liked how the female characters were written, they were written well, and I liked how the author portrayed them as strong and powerful! This was my first novel by Krystal Sutherland, and I will be checking out her other books in the future. I really enjoyed her writing style, and now I want to read House of Hollow. Overall, this was a great book to get me out of my reading slump! 5 stars! Highly recommend it!

Thank you NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP for the ARC!

Take me seriously when I say this is the new Manifest of Feminism, starting now.

You're not wrong, this is a book about witches and magic, but defining it as a metaphor wouldn’t do it justice.
“The Invocations” is the mere explanation of how misogynistic the world is and how men are a threat to women for hundreds of reasons, some of which they wouldn't understand even if you’d scream them in their faces.

I doubt this is even a fantasy book: what if a witch ratted the truth about magic to Krystal Sutherland and she wrote a book about it.
Further proof of it is the fact that this type of witchcraft is dark and gruesome and makes you afraid of the dark corners of your bedroom, and not a silly little romance type of magic.

I hate to generalize but: if you're a woman, you must read this; to all my non-binary friends, I believe you can also identify with the story; on the contrary, if you're one of those men who think “Barbie” was pointless, we’ll come for you.

Thanks to PENGUIN GROUP and NetGalley, who provided me with a copy of this book in exchange for an honest opinion.

The House of Hollow has been one of my favorite books since I first read it. Now, I can add The Invocations to that list. Clearly, I need to read this author's previous work as well as any books she puts out in the future.

This book explores a sisterhood among random women that meet due to witchcraft,the consequences of bad curses, and demon tethering. Their relationships grow and strengthen and even produce the possibility of a beautiful romance.

Witches, invocations, demons, a deadly witch hunter, lost families (whether it be from death or dysfunction),necromancy and more fill these pages. As well as love, loss, pain, humor,suspense, history, mystery and murder. I really enjoyed this book!

I am giving The Invocations a well deserved 5⭐️.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for the opportunity to read an advanced ebook copy in exchange for an honest review.

The Invocations tells the story of three young women who initially become involved with each other because of their interest/experience with curses and demons, and find that they share deeper connections based on a generations-long revenge plot. Emer, Jude, and Zara are such wonderfully real, flawed, angry characters who are just trying their best despite the patriarchy and the terrible men in their lives. There are demons, there are murders, and there's the ever growing bond between these women as they struggle to survive and make sense of it all. This was such a fun and viscerally angry book; I loved it and want to protect these girls with all my heart.

Would definitely recommend as a satisfying, feminist read that throws in a nice amount of horror without getting too gory. There is positive queer representation (at least two of the women are interested in women), though no racial diversity from what I could tell.

Loss and loneliness converge in three different lives. They cling like a curse, enveloping their minds until all they have to do is act on it.

𝗘𝗠𝗘𝗥, trapped in grief and revenge, in impenetrable loneliness, she shares a dark and ancient power for those women who want control over their lives, who want to live without fear or uncertainty. They just want to exist without the constant sound of quick footsteps behind them, of threatening corners, of paths of no return. They want to breathe without fear.

𝗝𝗨𝗗𝗘, she lives intertwined with demonic magic. They cling to her like a second skin, torture her, hurt her and let her body be a vessel of malice. Her bones rot, her home breaks, her life ends. But, despite making mistakes, despite carrying curses, Jude is persistent and ambitious to turn back time. Getting her life back, even if it wasn't perfect, is her only purpose.

𝗭𝗔𝗥𝗔, lost between life and death, she will do everything possible to reunite with her sister. Grief makes her act. She seeks words of resurrection, of forgiveness and pain, she seeks to confront that deadly veil that separates her from her only family. There are no obstacles that stop her, because her decision is made with a mantra that will keep her alive: 𝘐 𝘥𝘪𝘥 𝘯𝘰𝘵 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳 𝘵𝘰 𝘰𝘯𝘭𝘺 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘩𝘪𝘴 𝘧𝘢𝘳.

The Invocations is a story of pure loneliness. In the lives of these three characters, that feeling clings like a disease. They live with it without fear, but they know that there is something more. They feel that moment of warmth that only people can give. Friendship. And by destiny, by death, revenge and ambition, these three lives converge in the same current. A peculiar encounter, with lies and truths, with fears and confrontations that will manage to turn all that impenetrable loneliness into something inspiring to witness.

The most interesting thing about the plot is the magic, of course. The way it connects with the characters and their pasts, how it can be an escape, but also a horrible consequence to face. It is beautiful and terrible, addictive and evil. It is protection and also fear. It's everything.

I have always found the author's prose excellent because it has that dark and realistic tone that is simply wonderful to read. She mixes the grim reality, in the case of this book, of women, and weaves it with magic in such an organic way that it is addictive to witness. Her way of writing has no limits and that is what I appreciate most in her books. There is gore and fear, there are graphic and disturbing descriptions that it is impossible not to face them with your mouth open. I dare say that the first half of the book was a little slow and I felt that the story got lost at times, but it manages to pick up very well towards the end. Still, it's an incredible story. I highly recommend this book and the author if you like graphic horror, gore and witchcraft.

(4.5) ★★★★☆
Thanks NetGalley & Nancy Paulsen Books for this ARC!

I was keen to read Sutherland's latest book after devouring 'House of Hollow'. Loved this almost as much as HoH!
Touching on power, feminism and the patriarchy - all while delving into the world of curses and witchcraft. Another excellent book from Krystal Sutherland.

"There's very little left of magic anymore, and what remains is bitter and strong and dangerous. It is kept hidden from the world. That is the only way for those who practice it to survive."

Three women are drawn together to solve the mystery of a murderer targeting witches. Zara is looking for a way to bring back the killer's first victim: her older sister. Jude is looking for a talented cursewriter to undo the botched deal she's made that's slowly killing her. Emer is looking for the men who killed her entire family a decade ago. All three of their lives intertwine as the hunt for solutions to their own problems becomes entangled with the hunt for a supernatural serial killer.

This was spectacular. It took a second to catch my attention, but when it did, I was completely blown away. The Invocations is a wonderfully dark and bloody take on modern witches. I loved the system of magic explored here, and it's nothing like I've ever read before. I felt like the characters developed well throughout the novel, and they all had distinct voices. It was never a struggle to figure out which perspective I was reading. The mystery was interesting, and I found it well-paced. I didn't anticipate the reveal or twist at the end and was glued to those last few chapters.

5/5 stars
includes: on-page queer representation, trans-inclusive feminism, lesbian protagonist, feminine rage
similar recommendation: Our Crooked Hearts by Melissa Albert (dark and gruesome modern witch tales)
song recommendation: Season of the Witch - Joan Jett & the Blackhearts
TW: body horror, gore, implied/referenced sexual assault

Another great read fron Krystal Sutherland. I loved both House of Hollow and A Semi-Definite List of Worst Nightmares. I just love the author's writing style, especially when it comes to the dialogue of her YA characters. The was a really fun witchy with a great magic system.

SHE DOES IT AGAIN. House of Hollow is top ten of my all time favorites and this one gives it a run for its money.

I will read anything this author writes. I have enjoyed everything I have read so far! This books starts out in a few different stories. Each had me curious. None of them seemed to cross until they did. It was so cool to see them cross. As each story come to ahead with how each overlaps the other was so crazy, This story sucks you in and will not let go until the end! It was just everything I was promised and more! The creepiness and horror, scary girls and dark academia made for an awesome story! Thank you to NetGalley and PENGUIN GROUP Penguin Young Readers Group for the arc in exchange for my honest review.

This book is creepy good! I would not advise trying to snack during this book. It has some awesome gory scenes. It is nice to see female characters with lots of power and the strength to overcome obstacles placed in front of them. I love how the ending works out.

Krystal sure knows how to write a book! This is the second book from her and it is just as good as House of Hollows. I love the creepy vibes, the diverse characters, the magic, and the mystery woven in this story. I couldn't get enough of these characters.

Thank you to NetGalley for providing me an ARC of this book for an honest review. All opinions are my own.

This book was truly incredible. I came for the dark academia vibes and stayed for the super interesting/original magic system and badass women fighting against the patriarchy.

I love how Zara, Jude, and Emer were each fully fleshed out, and each of their motives and personality were very distinct. I also loved how they all interacted together. Jude was probably my favorite of the three, but I also adore Zara and Emer!

The pacing was stellar. I was kept entranced for the entirety of the book, through the twisty plot and the fun banter-full scenes between the three girls. The anti-patriarchal message was loud and clear and wonderful without being at the expense of the story.

Publication Date: 30 January 2024

i loved this book. the prose was just gorgeous, and the characters? do you know how rare it is for me to like every single main character in a book? they were so well-written and complex. realistic, too. i loved the pacing, too. from start to finish, it was just such a pleasure to read. this author has never disappointed me. 🩵

OMG I love the way Krystal Sutherland writes YA horror!!!! I have been craving another story since I read House of Hollow and Invocations gave me EVERYTHING I was hoping to read and more.

A serial killer is afoot and 3 young women are drawn together to uncover the truth. Queer characters, magic, curses, necromancy, witchy vibes, and romance despite it all. UGH, I loved every second of this book. Begging the author to keep writing books that are full on women taking back the power and not apologizing for it.

Thank you so much to NetGalley and Nancy Paulsen Books for an E-ARC copy of this book!

Wow - The Invocations goes hard.

If you enjoy a creepy, dark, bloody, witchy read filled with spells and tethered demons (tethered to human souls that is) this IS for you.

I flew through this one and was pretty creeped out and grossed out throughout. It’s also got a great storyline about a supernatural serial killer. 😱

Our three FMCS are thrown together to figure out who’s doing the killing and why. They all have different reasons for wanting him stopped and I was here for all their love/hate banter and personalities.

I saw the ending coming but not till right before it and I also loved all the family dynamics that were woven into each MCS backstory. This was a great read!

I’m down for ALL this authors books.
Thanks for my early copy.