(Putting the TL;DR here because Tumblr on mobile won't let me copy-paste for some reason)
RATING: 4/5
This is a wonderful book to start off 2024! The Invocations is a wonderfully crafted book about feminine rage, empowerment and the importance of sisterhood. The trio are well-written and I (as I normally do) got overly attached to them. The mystery is a hit-or-miss at times (some twists being PAINFULLY obvious) but overall, it wasn't enough to deter my enjoyment of the book. I loved the diversity and world-building aspects of this book and appreciated the thought and care put into the narrative. I highly recommend that you read this book and hope that people enjoy it just as much as I did!

sapphic witchy body horror fun! classic krystal sutherland! i loved the vivid, dedicated intros to each of the MCs and magic system–such a clever way to be immersed in the world. not to mention the urban setting, gritty magic, and how krystal sutherland never veers away from visceral descriptions and stakes. i would watch this tv show for sure

Its got thrills, chills, demons and magic. Need I say more? I will regardless. This dark story shows reader the power women have when they refuse to follow stereotypical expectations.

Thank you NetGalley for the chance to read this anticipated release. I will be the first to say that I was probably in the minority of people who didn't super love House of Hollow. But when I saw the cover for this one, and heard that it was the pick for a book box special edition, I knew I had to give this one a try. I am so glad I did! I really enjoyed this and finished it super quickly.

For starters, this is pretty tame on the horror scale. Also, the plot and the twist itself is super predictable. HOWEVER, with that being said, I ate this up. It is fun, fast paced, and I couldn't help rooting for the characters and wanting to see exactly how their strange sort of quest was going to go and the problems that would arise along the way.

I am the first to admit that humor doesn't really work for me in most books, but Jude is lovely. It wasn't over the top and just added a bit of comedic relief. I can also super appreciate when a book comes out today that doesn't need to make a romance plot front and center. While there is flirting and banter occasionally, none of it is over the top or too heavy handed. The characters are all different enough, that even in the beginning when switching back and forth so quickly makes them all blend together a bit, it was relatively quick and easy to start picking them apart.

This book was so fun and I definitely would be interested in picking up future books from this author.

Each of these girls has their own haunting past. Jude was my least-liked character initially but her growth throughout the book put her at number two – she gets extra points for snark. Zara felt like reading a version of myself in a book (had I lost a sister) and I loved that. Her dogged refusal to accept that her sister is really gone was something else entirely. Emer was my favorite – she has such a brutally tragic backstory but she’s still there, doing the most she can for those who need her help. A special shoutout to Bael – once you get to the end of this book, it will make sense.

There were a few plot twists in this one that I didn’t see coming and the character’s reactions to them were visceral. I loved this odd assortment of girls thrown together to solve the tragedies befalling girls and women who thought they were safe, not realizing that they were intertwined by fate & by a killer. I thought the witch and demon aspect of this book was really cool & not something that I had seen before. Definitely chuckled at the reference to Sabrina the Teenage Witch – the second one, not the first. LOVED that show.

"Men do not know what it feels like to be hunted. Men do not walk alone on dark streets and think about fingers closing around their throats or their skulls thudding dully against the pavement."

Just like House of Hollow, this book COULD have a sequel – heck, even a prequel and I would devour it. I hope that it does. While reading her first book put her on my auto-buy list, The Invocations just cemented her place there. A huge thank you to Nancy Paulsen Books (Penguin) and NetGalley for the opportunity to read my most anticipated book so far this year. I am beyond excited to receive my physical edition from B&N twofold now. All opinions in this review are my own.

The Invocations is a dark and gritty, sapphic YA horror that centers fierce girls who refuse to give in to the patriarchy and will do whatever it takes to fight back.

This story follows Zara, Jude, and Emer.

Zara’s sister was murdered by a serial killer, and she is determined to bring her sister back from the dead. Jude’s soul is literally rotting away leaving death in its wake thanks to a bargain gone wrong with a demon. Emer sells spells to desperate women, but the cost is steep considering her former clients keep winding up dead. Together these three race against time to stop who is ever killing Emer’s former clients before they end up next.

First and foremost, this book is utterly gruesome and not for the feint of heart. Sutherland dug deep with the body horror, which left me a bit speechless at times. However, it really sets the tone of the serious consequences associated with things like necromancing and making deals with demons.

As far as the characters go, I enjoyed Zara, Jude, and Emer. They are all vastly different personality wise, but they really work well as a trio (which does include a budding romance between two of the leading ladies!). Of the three, I do think that Jude was favorite just because she has an IDFAG attitude especially when it comes to her magical family that wants nothing to do with her, and she literally is walking death. I mean…you can’t really get any lower than that.

The murder mystery aspect was a wild ride for me, and I did NOT see the twist coming. I don’t want to give anything away though because y’all need to experience the series of unhinged events for yourselves.

If you’re a dark academia fan, but you also want some grotesque yet thrilling occult vibes then you need to read this book.

I don't normally read fantasy, but this makes me want to be a fantasy reader.

Truly, this book has EVERYTHING. I normally look for books with found family, a great romance, and poi9nant commentary on our world. Check, check, and check. The friendship formed between Zara, Jude, and Emer feels authentic, and I really appreciate how the friendships are still potent even as a relationship between two of the leads develop. Each of the three leads are dynamic and unique. From the one-track-minded and Type A Zara to the flirtatious and furious Jude to the quiet strength of Emer, each girl is a work of art. As for the world commentary, the constant reminder that persecution of witches is first and foremost a persecution of women is poignant and powerful. There are brief mentions of COVID, which I normally don't like in my worldbuilding, but this makes this a fresh and fun 2024 fantasy grounded in realism and real friendships.

There's body horror. And dark academia. And a murder mystery. All tied in a ribbon of girl power. I can't understate that this book has EVERYTHING.

Did this book just turn me into a fantasy reader?

The Invocations is a bloody, thrilling novel about girl's coming together to solve murders as they strive to accomplish their own goals.

I really enjoyed this book. Sutherland always paints a beautiful picture with her writing even when the subject matter is dark and gory. I was invested in each girl's story. Zara, Jude, and Emer were all striving desperately towards their own end goal individually and ended up being intertwined in a bigger story. So many themes were so well done ion this book. Each girl was faced with grief, loss, revenge, and desperation in their own ways and used each other's support to overcome those things and ultimately save themselves.

I love Krystal Sutherland's books. House of Hollow was one of my favorite reads in 2023 and I can't wait to read more of her books in the future. I love the unconventional way she writes about magic and how it can give power to women when they feel like they didn't have any before.

You'll want to pick this one up.

I really enjoyed Krystal Sutherland’s House of Hollow so I was excited to read this book too! It’s definitely a lot more gruesome than I was expecting and there were places where the plot lagged and yet I wanted more details. There are three points of view, one for each main character, and I like this, but sometimes they seemed like just one voice. They are all very different too! Seriously all of their stories and backgrounds were built up beautifully and woven together in a magical way! So T he characters themselves are great and the plot is intense, fantastical, and did I mention filled with gruesome horror?! I love the way Zara, Emer and Jude worked together. Really it was just little issues for me like seeing maybe HOW spells were created or something like that. Overall though it this is a really good read! I voluntarily reviewed this after receiving a free copy.

I'll start off by saying that I loved House of Hollow by this author. It read like a dark fairytale with genuinely unsettling moments. It's a book I still think about.

This book has a completely different feel to it. The Invocations is a story about three women brought together by magic. Throw in some Necromancy and demons and you've got a party.

The three main characters:
Zara's sister was murdered and she's seeking more information/ a witch to help her resurrect her sister. Jude is rich and comes from a powerful family. She should have the perfect life but she desperately needs a witch to help her fix a mistake she made. Then there's Emer. A witch that lives on her own. She tries to help women that are in need of magic.

My thoughts:
I really would have liked getting more time with the characters getting to know each other, investigating, and developing their relationship with each other.

The mystery at the heart of the story was intriguing for the most part. Towards the middle I felt the pace slowed down a bit too much, and then everything was wrapped up too quickly at the end.

I liked the body horror, the magic. The rules around how the magic worked was interesting. The bit about demons not making deals with men because they don't trust them to keep their end of the deal (I felt it was a clever way to explain it). I absolutely loved the way things are revealed to the reader during the climax.

I figured out the big reveals before they happened but that didn't affect my enjoyment of the story. Overall, I liked where the story ended and had a good time reading it.

I'd recommend this book to anyone, especially if you enjoy books about witches, female rage, and queer representation.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC.

body horror, necromancy, witchy vibes, demons, sapphic romance, murder mystery... it's all there, and it's done so well!

Big thanks to the publisher and NetGalley for the last minute ARC!
Honestly I went into this pretty much blind. I loved House of Hollow so requested this without much other knowledge except that I trust this author, and she did not disappoint. Just like House of Hollow, The Invocations is gritty and gruesome with twists I didn't see coming. I thoroughly enjoyed it and the quick pace kept me coming back despite the length. I also enjoyed the emphasis on women and the fight against the oppression by men-- this is very much an "I support women's wrongs" book, and I love those! The only critique I have is that I had some issues with the ending. It felt like we were in a great spot and knew where we wanted to end up, but that our MCs had to make some pretty dumb decisions to get there. That's a pretty minor issue though, especially when you're caught up in the moment, and overall I would absolutely recommend this one!

Happy Pub Day!

This book is giving me YA Ninth House vibes. It’s got the same eerie, magical storylines with some pretty gruesome descriptions. Though The Invocations definitely leans more into the gore. YA horror is a new genre for me, and I think this book set the bar pretty high!

The only slight (and I mean SO slight) negative thing was the ending. It was definitely more of a traditional ‘twist’ ending (not like Sutherland’s House of Hollow) and it seemed a little obvious if you’re looking for it. That being said, you can say that about quite a few great mystery books and it’s not something that should keep anyone from reading it.

I highly recommend if YA Horror speaks to you!

Krystal Sutherland is so good at writing books that will give you goosebumps. House of Hollow is a book I recommend to everyone and I was so excited The Invocations was announced. Thank you, NetGalley and Penguin for this ARC! I loved this book. Equal parts creepy and atmospheric, I couldn't put it down! You need to read this one!

I knew as soon as I saw this book announced that I would love it just as much as I did House of Hollow when in came out in 2021 and I was not wrong. Krystal Sutherland has an amazing way of writing witchy, creepy, atmospheric, visceral stories to I just eat up. Her characters continue to be distinct with depth and completely flawed. The Invocations has cemented Krystal Sutherland as one of favorite and, now, autobuy authors.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for this ARC.

I love anything with witchy vibes and I knew as soon as I read the dedication that I was going to love this one. This one really was for the angry girls. We have three main characters, Zara, Jude and Emer, and the POV switches between them. Each of them had a goal that they were working towards. Zara wants to resurrect her sister, Jude wants to undo a deal with a demon that's causing her body and soul to decay, and Emer wants to find the men that murdered her entire family. I felt so deeply for all three of them and I wanted them to succeed. I loved all three of these girls individually and as a group. They each have there own distinct personality and I felt they all clicked so well when they interacted with each other. I had a soft spot for Jude in particular.

I appreciated the feminist themes throughout the book along with the feminine rage. I also liked how dark this book was. I didn't expect some parts of it to get as dark as it did. I also appreciated the descriptions of the body horror. It did take me a little while to get into it, but I was hooked once I got invested. This was my first book I've read by Sutherland, but now I need more.

actual rating: 4.5 stars

Sometimes you find a book that is so beyond what you would normally pick up to read, and it shocks you with just how much you loved it. When I was given the opportunity to read Krystal Sutherland's debut, House of Hollow, it blew me away, so of course getting to read an early copy of THE INVOCATIONS was a welcome gift.

Somehow Sutherland manages to get me caught up in supernatural beings I would normally have no interest in and makes me want to devour pages in a single setting. She beautifully captures the darker personalities of these three girls, creating a friendship that weaves complicated details into an intriguing story I couldn't get enough of. Zara, Jude, and Emer come together to find a serial killer, with enough magic and mystery to leave you shocked and in awe of the author's writing style, keeping you entertained through every page.

Sutherland will continue to be an author to watch for me, who knew I could fall for horrific magical realism?! The focus on girls who band together to demand more from the men in power will never get old, I found the characters' personalities strange and inspiring, exactly what I expected and hope to get more of from this author in the future!

When I saw a Krystal Sutherland book was coming out I put it immediately on the TBR without reading the synopsis. House of Hallows was on of my favorite books in 2021. My excitement level was through the roof!!

There is always a price to pay for magic. None know this better than Zara, Jude, and Emer. Though they all come from different backgrounds… they all have something in common. Zara is working to find a way to revive her murdered sister. Jude is struggling to survive her demons (literally). And Emer is a cursewriter that tries to help women be stronger (for a price of course). What connects them all? These girls join together to try to solve the murders of witches. A serial killer is on the loose! Will they be able to solve it in time before more bodies show up?

This book is a mix of horror, thriller, and mystery… and of course queer. We love to see it! The book was paced nicely. Per usual, Sutherland pays excellent attention to detail (note: the book is part horror so just know there are a lot of trigger warnings…. so keep that in mind)! There was a great twist ending. Overall a very quick, enjoyable (and dark) read!

A huge thank you to this book’s publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

If you’re a fan of House of Hollow, then you will for sure love this one. Perhaps even more, like I did. This is going to be a perfect book to recommend during the fall time/Halloween because it’s so deliciously witchy and demonic. The pacing was wonderful. And the characters interesting. I was invested and interested and my only qualm was that I wish we had gotten slightly more from the epilogue. But i also do love how it ended and that it didn’t drag too much. Mysterious and witchy, this was a good one!!!

Thanks to Netgalley and Nancy Paulsen Books/Penguin Young Readers Group for this ARC in return for my honest opinion.

Zara wants to raise her murdered sister from the dead. Jude is being slowly destroyed by the demons she cursed herself with. And Emer lives in the shadows, writing dangerous curses for desperate women. But those women are dying, brutally murdered and robbed of their magic. The three fierce girls, all connected to the occult in some way, unite to hunt down the killer.

The Invocations was delightfully disgusting and absolutely thrilling.

While Zara’s character felt a little flat to me at times, her love for her sister and her cleverness won me over. I also ADORED Jude and Emery. I was charmed by both Jude’s witty flirting and Emer’s feral fierceness. Reading the interactions between the three of them, and the side characters, made me laugh and cry and blush. (I have a soft spot for angry queer girls, I guess.)

The notes I wrote for myself after finishing this book included “ew but in a good way”, which accurately sums up Sutherland’s bloody body horror. This book definitely isn’t for the faint of heart—some of the descriptions had me shuddering, and the story itself is very dark. But the writing was absolutely delicious. If you enjoy horror books like Hell Followed With Us, you’ll absolutely devour this one.

In terms of plot, the concept was fantastic. A feminist, witchy mystery with demons and murder and sapphics? Yes please. I did predict the big plot twist, but enjoyed the story anyway. Sutherland constructed the mystery incredibly well, and slowly putting the puzzle pieces together was so fun. The slower-paced build-up was worth it for the action-packed climax, and the book had a satisfying conclusion.

Overall, The Invocations was absolutely incredible. Krystal Sutherland has once again created a haunting masterpiece packed full of vicious magic, furious women, and gorgeous writing. I loved it.