Buddy read with Basil!

I'm glad Basil and I were on the same wavelength because this was a huge miss for us.

I expected something along the lines of an adult version of Krystal Sutherland's The Invocations, sprinkled with the dark and suffocating vibes of Leigh Bardugo's Ninth House. But instead, this was all just #ThroupleProblems with sprinkles of the occult.

Worst of all, it read like a fanfic. Like David, Rhys, and Moira were stand-ins for original characters from an established story and the entire occult vibes was just set dressing.

One huge issue I had with this (that I also had with An Education in Malice) was that everything felt so lite when it came to the dark themes. I wanted something much more heavier and depressing, like how I felt when I read A Dowry of Blood.

But I got the feeling that ST Gibson was holding back so much. This felt like YA instead of Adult (minus some of the more explicit sex scenes). I'm so, so disappointed.

I was here for the magic and demons, but that took a huge backseat to the poly relationship. You can tell that the author did research on Moira's field of magic (astrology and being a medium), but for the darker types of magic, the author didn't really bother to dive too much into lore. The Lesser Key of Solomon was mentioned, but that was pretty much it. Chaos magic made an appearance, but it felt more like a soft launch for Book 2.

I was disappointed by the demon possession plotline. I thought it'd be a major part of the story, but like I said with the above, it felt very watered down and tame. David sounded like he caught magic covid instead of being cursed by his ancestor and possessed by a centuries old demon. It would've been great if there had been some kind of dialogue with the demon, or if the demon actually manifested as a real being on any sort of plane (physical, astral, whatever).

Idk.

And at the end, it felt like Moira just existed for the sake of having a WOC character to add diversity to a book about two queer white dudes. I actually loved her character, but lbr, the major focus was on David and Rhys. Moira was basically the hinge that allowed Rhys and David to get back together. Like she just gave up and realized that Rhys and David were meant to be.

The angst between Rhys and David was annoying to read about. And somehow, I ended up liking David and Moira's platonic relationship much more than either Rhys/David or Rhys/Moira. Lbr, Rhys was such a mid love interest for either David or Moira. Hell, I was rooting for David/Moira (like those two seriously vibed), but, alas, David was strictly gay.

Oh well.

I highly doubt that I'll pick up the sequel because I didn't care about the relationships at all.

But the other day, Basil told me there was a goddamn PREQUEL to this novel that established our three MCs. That wasn't mentioned in any promos that I remember. Wth. And judging by the reviews, it wasn't received well.

Basil and I said we weren't too interested in requesting anymore of the author's arcs, but we're interested in looking into the trad pubbed version of Odd Spirits just to see if it catches our eye or sparks our interest. Knowing me, I might find it as meh as Evocation.

Anyway.

If you like contemporary romances with a splash of fantasy, then this is for you. If not, I'd skip this.

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for this arc.

DNF. I really enjoyed An Education in Malice, and I’m glad ST Gibson is trying new things, But this was just too weird and not in a good way. It wasn’t attention grabbing and the characters were boring.

I adore S.T. Gibson and their writing. A Dowry of Blood is one of my favourite books, and I loved an Education in Malice, Evocation was one of my most anticipated reads of the year and I couldn't even bring myself to finish it. The writing felt very juvenile for Gibson and this was a super unfortunate miss for me.

Evocation is the gripping new urban fantasy from S. T. Gibson. There is plenty of mystery and romance, with dashes of the occult sprinkled in to keep the story moving. The writing is superb, both with the main characters and with the plot.

David is a high-powered attorney, but also a magical prodigy from a very prestigious family. David hopes to take his place in charge of the Society he has long been a part of, but his ex and rival Rhys might throw a spanner in these works

Rhys and David have a tumultuous past and distance was the only way they can deal with it, but when David starts blacking out and becoming ill, Rhys is the only person he can turn to

Rhys is now very happily married to Moria, who has powerful magic in her own right and the couple agree to help David with what ails him, at a price of course

The three couldn't even imagine how these events will change them all, and I for one, loved being on this journey with them.

I started this book with a quick couple of chapters before bed last night and then easily devoured the rest of it after work

I loved this book, the story was hooking and the characters loveable, even with their flaws and struggles. I am so glad to see this is part of a series and cannot wait to see what comes next in this world

Out at the end of this month so you've still time to preorder before release, thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the early review copy

Evocation is written by the Author ST. Gibson, who also wrote Education in Malice and a Dowry of Blood amongst others. Gibson is an auto buy author for me at this point, and this newest work did not disappoint.

After his occultist father's death, David Aristarkhov ditched his former life for law and secret society medium work. Now, as his thirtieth birthday approaches, a centuries-old curse threatens his life. Reluctantly seeking help from his ex, Rhys, David must navigate the complexities of befriending Rhys's wife, Moira. Together, they delve into their combined powers to break the curse before David's time runs out.

Evocation presents an intriguing plot that felt refreshingly unique, reminiscent of Ninth House. While it took some time to fully engage (around 15%), once immersed, I found myself eagerly anticipating each return to its pages. Gibson skillfully crafts characters that are flawed yet endearing, making them relatable and lovable in their imperfections. The evolving relationship between Moira, Rhys, and David is portrayed with authenticity, allowing for genuine growth and problem-solving rather than instant perfection. Gibson focuses their books on the characters, but still gives a strong plot that paces well.

I eagerly anticipate the next installment in this series. The ending struck a balance, not overly heart-wrenching but with enough intrigue to leave me eager for more.

S.T. Gibson will never disappoint when it comes giving me the poly books i have always been looking for. i always felt bored that the main character in a love triangle needed to chose one person, why not both? i loved the way moira and rhys slowly opened their hearts for david to enter. and i really enjoyed the way s.t. gibson wrote the male povs!!

S.T. Gibson you will always be famous!! As soon as I heard the premise of Evocation I knew I was going to need to read it. This is absolutely one of my favorite books of the year. S.T. Gibson has such a talent for capturing and building complicated relationships amongst characters and Evocation was no different. It is such an interesting look into these characters' lives, their thought processes, and the world she is building. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend. I can't wait for the second book! Shout out to NetGalley and Angry Robot for this ARC!

“Sometimes the best way to face darkness is to walk right into it.”

Evocation features:
✨ One psychic prodigy (David)
✨ A dashing ex-boyfriend and secret society rival with his stone-cold stunning medium of a wife (Rhys & Moira)
✨ A generations old family deal with the devil
✨ And unresolved feelings for an ex (honestly, I’m not sure which one is worse…)

Evocation is a very character driven story - and I loved it! I do think sometimes book summaries can be a bit misleading, and I think that is the case with Evocation. None of what is said in the summary is untrue, but quite honestly the devil coming for David’s soul always seems to take a back seat to the characters relationship development. In no way is this a bad thing. The writing is beautiful. The people are flawed and yet so deserving of love. If you’re familiar with S.T. Gibson’s work, it will feel familiar with their gorgeous character work and their effortless ability to represent all loves. But if you’re going in for a story that is plot heavy on occult action and demon-lore, this may just not be what you expected - but if you’re open to it, I think you’re in for quite a treat!

David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door - so when is there a better time to explore becoming a throuple?

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for granting my wish with an early advanced electronic copy. Evocation comes out on May 28th.

*Content warnings include child abuse and addiction (including relapse). Be kind to yourself. ♥️

Got 44% and found it really boring.

Reasons why others might like this book:
-Slow
-All character, no plot
-Complicated relationships

I was so excited to get to read the new S.T. Gibson after reading A Dowry of Blood in a day. I will say it didn't wow me as much as her previous novel did, but I still really enjoyed it. This is definitely for fans of the occult, tarot, and anyone who loves the supernatural. I think this will be an easy book to recommend knowing that there's romance in here along with a black woman and a throuple. I'm excited to see where this series goes.

Evocation is the story of secret magical societies and at the center of that is David Aristarkhov — magical prodigy from a prestigious family. However, that family had a secret, and it’s coming to collect at David’s expense. Evocation was slow to start for me and took a while to really get what was going on. However, once the plot started to pick up, I was hooked. That’s my biggest criticism - the pacing felt off throughout the book. The biggest selling point, though, were the characters and their development. The dynamics and changes between David, Rhys, and Moira were absolutely fascinating. I would read this book solely for the characters and watching them navigate their new normal. I also really enjoyed the magic systems, the different types of magic, and how they’re viewed by the societies. Overall, if you’re interested in secret societies, magical bargains, and superb character development make sure to check out Evocation.

I read this a few months ago and have been sitting on my rating. I really enjoy ST Gibsons writing and this story, but I did feel like the characters and their motivations could have been better developed. I felt like Moira in particular felt a bit off, likely because the author was writing outside of her race. Moira was only like 26 and was youngest of the 3 characters but came off really motherly, so I didn’t like that aspect as it bordered too closely to the “mammy trope” especially in regards to David and how they interacted specifically.

I did love the setting and the magic system. I can’t wait to see more of the world expanded and especially loved the different types of magic that each character brings to the page. so I look forward to what’s next.

I feel like a few more months of work on this book could've helped a lot. And I know, I know, this is not a final copy, but I doubt the issues I had would be fixed in another round of edits.

The deal with the devil and the birthday thing mentioned in the synopsis were introduced halfway through the book... As big reveals...

There's barely any worldbuilding resulting in things never being properly explained. Which was such a shame. There was so much potential here.

Very messy timelines. What's even more confusing is that not much actually happens, yet when trying to piece the events together they didn't make much sense.

I didn't like the way the mental health aspects were handled. To me, it felt like they were added just to tick another box.

The atmosphere was nowhere near what I know the author can do, and the writing was not her best either.

I didn't like the enemies/rivals to lovers aspect. For me, there's a point from which you can't go back. These two are the kind of rivals who barely say 2 words to each other for years, get into fights and are now in love again? I appreciate the time we got to spend with David and Moira building a relationship, but what about seeing the progress Rhys and David made? We're told it exists but we don't see it happen.

I will not be continuing with the series.

✦ no spoiler review ✦
▸⭐ 4/5
▸🌶️ 2/5
▸ genre: fantasy, paranormal

▸ personal thoughts below:
I got a little scared in the beginning as I didn't realize how "paranormal" this book was going to be by reading the blurb 😱. But I got over it as it was really just a couple of scenes that spooked me and now that I've finished the book, I know much more about the premise! I ended up enjoying the book quite a bit and have a feeling that I may like book 2 more! It took me a little to warm up to the main characters, but once I started to understand the history and characteristics, I really liked all of them (especially the boys 😆)!

The book is multiple pov and mainly in David's pov. It was a pretty easy read where the story continuously flowed at a medium pace for a lot of the book (other than a handful of moments here and there that quickened up my reading pace), and then it picked up quickly towards the end with a slight slow down at the very end.

I haven't read a lot of books with this type of magic system so it was new for me and I did like it, but I also found myself thinking that I didn't really understand their powers even by the end of the book. I knew in general, but didn't really know how it worked or the details. This wasn't a huge deal for me, but more like a realization. But I will say that I didn't love the relationship situation. I'm totally on board with the concept and was fine with the end result of the relationships by the end of the book. But I think it was the timing and how things happened during the story that irked me on several occasions.

That being said, now that I finished the book and clearly understand where the characters are in terms of their feelings and relationships, I am very curious to see how the story runs in the next book! And I'd like to make a site note that I absolutely love the book design! ❤️ As always, please check trigger warnings if you're sensitive!

I received this as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

TLDR: Though there were a couple areas that were hazy to me while reading, I did enjoy the book and want to read book 2!

This is a character focused book and you get the points of view of the 3 main characters; David, Rhys, and Moira. There is not much action but I enjoyed the character development. I would definitely recommended, if you've enjoyed the author's other books. I will be sure to look forward to book 2! I can't wait to pick up a physical copy of this.

Thank you to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for e-arc of "Evocation" in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars

dnf @ 70%

Having read Odd Spirits (Evocation’s little sister) back in 2022 and enjoyed it, I was very surprised when I neglected to enjoy Evocation. In fact, I’m sorry to say that I disliked this book so much that I couldn’t even finish it. I cannot believe this is supposedly the first book in a trilogy, because what else is there to talk about when the narrative is so bland and character relationships so unnatural?

I have a bone to pick with Moira’s behavior. Readers pointed out how in Odd Spirits Moira was displaying biphobia towards her husband, which turns into complete understanding of Rhys and David still being in love with each other and kissing years after their breakup. S.T. Gibson might have been trying to right her wrongs and rid Moira of her initial biphobia, but this completely dulls her and renders her a side chick in her own marriage. I don’t know if this is a common dynamic in poly relationships, but it seemed wrong that Moira should be the odd one out and get cheated on. This poorly written Black woman goes from one stereotype to another: first, in Odd Spirits, she does not legitimize her husband’s bisexuality, then, in Evocation, she is supposed to accept and stand by while her husband gets it on with his ex??? Moira’s characterization infuriated me, to say the least. I should point out that Odd Spirits is getting re-published later this year, and I think S.T. Gibson will have fixed the issues from the original novella.

It goes without saying that the polyamorous romance skews drastically towards Rhys and David, whose connection isn’t really fleshed out either. We are more so told that they had a two-year relationship, and strong feelings linger even now that Rhys is married to Moira. Other than that, there is no way of actually seeing why Rhys and David are drawn to each other, or why Rhys married Moira. It all feels so fabricated with zero chemistry.

Another point that drove me mad was how poor the worldbuilding was. I was very excited to read about the occult community in Boston (a place I lived in for 4 years, where I was introduced to tarot, etc.), but it was lacking detail. I wanted to learn more about the characters’ special practices, more about the rituals, just more than what we ended up getting. I didn’t care much for the relationship drama that, unfortunately, occupied most of the story.

I have so much more to say, but I do not wish to bash this book before publication, even though it was a huge disappointment. I’m starting to believe that S.T. Gibson no longer writes for my taste.

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Sadly this book did not work for me and the main reason why is because I couldn't connect with any of the main characters.

Out of our three mains we have David who is dreadfully unlikable, Rhys who has no personality beyond being annoyed at David, and Moira who was an absolute goddess but wasn't strong enough to carry the story on her own. As a result the plot just seemed to drag since it's a massively character driven book.

Speaking of the sparse story that itself was kind of boring. The main intrigue is the curse David is suffering with but there was no urgency there. Nothing happens with that for what feels like a large portion of the book. Instead we're drawn into lackluster world building that's really just a lesson in certain occult happenings.

Then there's the writing. I loved the bleak, gothic world that ST. Gibson painted in A Dowry of Blood but I didn't think her writing suited this more modern setting. I found my eyes skipping over a lot of the descriptions because they weren't evoking any particularly strong feelings from me.

I have no doubt there are people out there who would love this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

I've seen nothing but negative early reviews of this book so I had very low expectations going into it. I understood why people might not like it from page 1. Both MMCs are the worst kind of narcissistic men. That, strangely didn't bother me as much as I expected it to and I was enjoying the story for about the first half.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think I would have loved this book if ST Gibson just cut out the romance entirely. I have no issues at all with polyamory its just THIS romance. I don't understand why these people are attracted to each other, I get some of it. Moria has a "I'll fix him" complex so she's attracted to David and David sees Moria as a mother figure + someone he cant have so he wants her. Why anyone is attracted to Rhys is beyond me.

The mystery aspect I loved, it kept me going. Though, in hindsight, the mystery of this curse was super obvious and these characters are supposed to be super smart and should have figured it out earlier. Apparently that didn't bother me while I was reading. I was too annoyed by the romance.

The ending wasn't my favorite but it definitely could have been worse. I don't think I'll be continuing this series.

Absolutely loved it! You can never go wrong with an S T Gibson book! I love how we got multiple different occults being represented in the book. The characters are beautifully written and I loved the relationship dynamics between the characters! It was an extremely enjoyable book!