So, this one absolutely did not work for me. I loved S.T. Gibson's other works (namely Dowry), and so this one was a must-read for me! Unfortunately, I only finished this book out of sheer spite and rage. Please bear with me, because this is going to be a doozy.

First and foremost... What in the world was S.T. Gibson thinking when they wrote Moira? She's got the whole strong black woman stereotype, the lack of depth issue, and she feels like she's there strictly as a point of contention and controversy between Rhys and David. We don't learn anything about her aside from her relationship to the other two! I think that this book probably would've been *better* if Moira wasn't involved at all, because she was done soooo dirty. She's forced to be tolerant of (namely Rhys') drama, and to be the one comforting everyone else. Shouldn't she get to experience some feminine rage at Rhys being so problematic?

Secondly (and lastly so this doesn't become too long), but Rhys is soooooo incredibly annoying in this book. He's the source of 9000% of the drama and yet he acts like he wasn't the problem? He's incredibly toxic throughout the story, and he's unsupportive to boot. I understand that both David and Rhys (and to an extent, Moira) are dealing with big adult things, but it felt a little icky to me. I'm going to omit specifics.

Tldr; I really don't recommend this book to anyone who is in search of good poly rep -- it's a toxic and fairly depressing novel that represents a lot of the bad sides of poly, and not really enough of the good. Rather, I think it's a better idea to read A Dowry of Blood!

As always, thank you to NetGalley and the Publisher for the Arc!

I found this quite difficult to get into, at first. It wasn’t so much the worldbuilding, which isn’t that complicated, but more than David starts off as a fairly unlikable character and we don’t know enough about Rhys or Moira to be invested. To me, Moira is the heart of the novel—once she starts to warm to David, so did I. By the end, I just loved the way they all fit together. The non-romance plot is enough to keep interest and urgency in the novel but not as fleshed out or captivating as the romance, though I really appreciated the various discussions of family relationships and how hard David struggled through his. All and all an engrossing and enjoyable read.

This one has a lot of fun things going for it:

- the occult (and many variations therein)
- demon possession
- power plays
- polyamory
- lots of coffee
- modern-day Boston

My main sticking point was that it was extremely character-driven, with a lot of exposition and conversation. It was not plot heavy. But if you really enjoy stories that center characters and relationships, putting their inner struggles at the forefront, then you'll probably like this one a lot. It was also a stripped-down writing style compared to this author's other works, so it wasn't as dark and lyrical, but it was easy to consume.

If you liked Olivie Blake's <i>One for my Enemy</i> or <i>Masters of Death</i>, I think this will be right up your alley.

Thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the ARC! All opinions are my own.

Evocation is a contemporary somewhat gothic paranormal novel about generational curses, magic, secret societies, complicated people and love in unlikely of situations. It’s incredibly fun, Rhys, Moira and David have such an engaging dynamic!

The occult dark academia atmosphere is thick on every page of this book. S.T. Gibson proves once again that she can consistently produce amazing novels. She has quickly become an author who I rely on for the decadent gothic aesthetics, with this story being one I couldn't pull myself away from. S.T. Gibson will forever be an auto buy author for me!

Thank you Net Galley and Angry books for an arc of Evocation.

I hate this book. I am so sorry but this book drove me insane and I was driving myself insane trying to finish it. But, I want to start off with the positive : Rhys constantly calling Moria his "little goddess" "My home and final resting place." "You're the sun in the sky" - There are more but honestly you get the gist if a man said any of these things to me I would fold immediately.
Okay, now that we have gotten that out of the way lets discuss why this book drove me insane. ST Gibson is an amazing author. Her breakout hit a Dowry of Blood had a emotion, plot and characters with depth, All things Evocation lacks. Evocation which apparently somehow is going to be a trilogy is bland, pretentious, lacks any sort of emotion and sadly its greatest sin is being boring. The story involves David a medium, Rhys his ex lover who is a scholar of all things magical and Moria his wife whom I believe is a witch but who cares. The story revolves around what is making David have nightmares and their little rich occult society blah blah blah. Nothing is interesting or thought provoking. In essences its a story about a man wanting to be in a poly relationship but with magic society as the background. Which would be fine if the plot didn't drag for 60% of the goddamn book. Moria is suppose to be this amazing witch who is understanding and so emotionally in tune but she is manipulative, Rhys pretends he doesn't care about money and power but he craves it and David god David is just David to be honest. I would not suggest this book to my worst enemy.
The song that describes this book is Bored by Laufey

This book is perfect. No critique. I cannot wait for more in this world. S.T. Gibson is so accessible and magical and writes true urban fantasy. I will never not read her.

What a FANTASTIC book. I raced through this in two, yes TWO, days - literally staying up late reading under the covers to finish it like when I was a kid, what a feeling 💚

So what is it? Evocation is occultist urban fantasy, focussed on a (messy) trio of friends/lovers/enemies/rivals who are part of Boston's supernatural set - living seemingly normal lives while secretly summoning spirits, reading futures, and attending weekly "Society" meetings.

The first of the trio is David, a wealthy, entitled, magical prodigy to whom life has always come easy - though whispers are that's thanks to an old family pact with the devil. Then we have his ex-lover turned magical rival Rhys, who fears David will snatch the High Priest role he's worked so hard for right from under his feet. And finally the fantastic Moira - Rhys' wife and all-round badass witch.

And these characters are truly the soul of this book and what made me fall so hard for it. They are WONDERFUL, both as individual characters and in their interactions with one another. They feel messy and real and so, so loveable - I am so deeply glad this is the start of a new series by S.T. Gibson because I am not ready to let go of them yet!

It was particularly nice to see a "real" depiction of a married couple in fantasy - yes they have their diffixulties, but there's a deep foundation of love there and they're willing to do the work to keep their relationship strong 🥰

Apart from the characters, I also loved Evocation's magic. While we don't go into a huge amount of detail, Gibson hints at a hugely complex magical ecosystem, one intrinsically tied in to religion and spirituality, which I found fascinating and hope we delve into more in future books 🤞

This might not be the book for you if you prefer a strongly plot-focussed narrative; and based on other reviews I've seen, don't go in expecting "more of the same" if you're already a fan of 'A Dowry of Blood' (I haven't read it yet, so can't comment); but otherwise read this book!!!

Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for a copy of this e-ARC!
It is with a heavy heart that I say I'm DNF-ing this book at 48%. I tried so, so hard to push my way through it, but I just can't. Similarly to An Education In Malice, this story should have it all, yet it manages to fall flat at every turn. Nothing is jumping off the page, I don't feel immersed in the world, I have no attachment to these characters. This novel has no spark. I avoid picking it up and only continue to do so because I feel obligated to. I feel it's better for me to give up now after our first real action scene that I had to skim through than see it to the end and give it 2 stars because I'm not enjoying my time with it. I do believe readers who enjoyed An Education In Malice will enjoy this as well since the writing style is exactly the same. If readers are looking for something more along the lines of A Dowry of Blood, I don't think they will find it in this one.

anyone looking for a deliciously dark tale about the occult with secret societies, demonic possessions and sizzling romance, I'm sorry to say — this ain't it

Considering that this was my first book by ST Gibson I had no expectations going in, all I knew was that I was in the mood for something dark after The Familiar and this seemed like an obvious choice, unfortunately it didn't deliver.

Is this the worst book I've ever read? No. But it really wasn't what I expected and even though the beginning was decent everything got progressively worse.

I thought Evocation will be something in the lines of Ninth House with the scorching chemistry of The Foxglove King but this was neither.

The whole plotline was just relationship drama and there was some magic sprinkled here and there, but I don't think I'd recommend Evocation to anyone who would want to read it even just for the romance because even that wasn't good in my opinion—I barely felt any chemistry between the characters at all.
For most of the book I couldn't understand how Rhys and David ever dated, because David was such a bully and so fucking arrogant, just generally a giant prick, that it made no sense, and we don't really get any background info on how they started dating. You just gotta trust it that they somehow made it 2 years together even knowing that for the most part the relationship was pretty toxic.

There were some nice intimate moments between Moira and David (platonic) and Rhys and Moira and the eventually Rhys and David but it was after David's personality did 180° turn for the better and still they weren't anything to write home about.

The whole plotline with David's possession was barely mentioned throughout the book. 100 pages before the mid-point of the story his condition wasn't mentioned once, it's all about David getting close to Moira. It's like David's suffering a cold, not being possessed by a demon and blacking out every night.

This is labeled as Adult and for the life of me I have no idea why since I've read YA waaaaayyy more mature and dark than this. There were altogether 3 spicy scenes (1 of them was barely even that) and again I've read YA with better smut and more heat, not that these were bad, they were just... there.
All of the MCs were in their mid-late twenties and yet they were acting like teenagers most of the time. Worst of all was David, and every time Rhys and David fought and Moira was there she had to play referee acting like their mother .

Why am I not rating this lower ?
I wasn't bored to death, even though there were a lot of things that barely made any sense (don't even get me started on the ending, it seemed the author had about as much of an idea about what to do with David's possession as the characters ) it didn't put me to sleep.
The characters were likable and interesting at times. I really liked Moira best in the beginning and then her actions and thoughts just frustrated me.
The magic was cool - the few times it was mentioned or used, it seemed the author had done their research.

Don't think I'll be reading the next book but I'll definitely consider reading other books by this author.

eternal gratitude to Angry Robot Books for the ARC

When I tell y'all this was one of my most hyped releases of the year, I'm not even exaggerating. And oh wow did it deliver. This is actually my first ST Gibson book, but I'm fully invested now. This book just felt like it was made for me? Dark academia exes-to-rivals-to-lovers (with polyamory) with a stunning tarot-themed cover, magic and possessions and an author who very obviously knows her stuff when it comes to astrology? SOLD.

Each character is so well-written that no POV had me wanting to skip ahead or over anyone. David, our complicated damaged medium, was absolutely my favorite, but he's also an insufferable asshole. Moira is the resident astrologer (and medium-in-training) and her knowledge of her abilities and love of the people around her was just so lovely to watch. Rhys, as the sorcerer, took the longest to grow on me, but he also felt the most complicated trapped in the middle as he was between thinking he needed to keep David at arm's length and protect him at the same time while also keeping his relationship with Moira sacred above all else.

But, Rhys calls Moira "little goddess" and Moira calls David "indigo child" and they all learn to work in each others' orbits over the course of the story as they try to break an ancient familial curse, so the relationships are swoon-worthy.

I'm so curious to see where the plot goes from here - and especially to see what the next cover will look like. I have guesses. And hopes.

I did not enjoy the first half of this book - I found our 3 main characters and their POVs to be frustrating. They bickered too much and there was very little plot to move the story along. Every interaction was filled with anger and hate.

Once the 3 main characters started to realize they care about each other, I started to get into these characters and this world. David is my favorite of the 3 with Moira as a close second. There is subtle humor throughout the second half of the book and seeing how much they care about one another and express feelings without anger or insulting one another I was hooked. I loved how close they all got and how much Moira and David built their platonic relationship and fell in love in such a way that showed how important friendships and love can be.

I believe this is the start of a series and based on that final chapter I am ready to see more of these characters and their polyamorous relationship. I want to see even more about David & Rhys' relationship and would love for Moira to find herself someone to join the relationship as well.

Evocation was a joy to read and another of Gibson's gems with wonderful prose and luscious, elaborate character design.
In this witchy urban fantasy we follow David Aristarkhov, a psychic workaholic, one of the best in his field, who finds himself in a bit of a dilemma and in desperate need of help. Enter Rhys and Moira, the equally as magically gifted married couple who could be the solution to all his problems. If only there wasn't this shared history between David and Ryhs that prevents them from being more than cold and distant on top of their rivalling for the spot as High Priest of their coven. In the course of this book the three of them reluctantly work together to sort out David's occult problem and in turn realise much more about each other than they ever anticipated.
As previously stated, what got me hooked was this great set of protagonists that each had their strengths and weaknesses and kept you wanting more of their interactions. David and Moira's relationship especially managed to grab my attention in a way I didn't expect. Long after finishing this book I still find myself thinking fondly about them.
Every relationship in this book has its qualities and cements Gibson's ability in creating compelling and unparalleled character dynamics.
However, what i found this book to be lacking was in the magic department. You would think it'd play a somewhat significant role in the story and the lives of our protagonists (as this is labeled fantasy) but the use of magic and exploration of the initial conflict were only secondary to the more prominent romance. There was a point in the middle of the book where it seemed we'd forgotten why we were here in the first place: The curse. This is only a minor complaint though, as i thoroughly enjoyed watching the three protagonists orbit and draw closer to each other as the story progressed.
All in all a great read and a sure recommendation on my part.

Evocation packed a surprising romance plot that I didn’t know I needed until it was staring me in the face. It was a pleasant surprise being immersed into this secret society of the occult.

As a medium prodigy, David Aristarkhov has seen his fair share of ghosts but something goes awry when he hears a spirit he did not summon. Fearing demonic possession, David seeks out Rhys, his ex-boyfriend and society rival to help him solve the rumored family curse, before his time runs out.

A character driven story through and through, we dive into the lives of the characters - David, Rhys, and Moira. I really enjoyed the atmosphere and paranormal elements woven alongside the drama and realness of their complicated relationship. There was subtle world building with academic flair and the characters’ interactions added this cozy charm to the book.

I felt connected to each point of view and thought David and Moira were the strongest characters, with Rhys falling a little behind. A gradual buildup made me invested in David’s wellbeing and the connection of these three characters really drove the plot for me. I appreciate the balance between their personalities and overall pacing, while the climax felt a little rushed, I’m curious to see this become a series.

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the advance reading copy to review.

I am really late to the game when it comes to S T Gibson’s writing. But I loved this book and now feel I need to read every other S T Gibson book in existence.

This book was so so interesting - I just couldn’t put it down.

I loved the magic system based on Occult and think this was well explained and provided an interesting backdrop to the story.

I liked that the throuple romance took primary focus as for me, the relationships in this book are what really made it. It made the book far more personable and interesting and I really wanted to know more about the characters and their dynamics - following them was fascinating.

The vibes in this book are amazing - S T Gibson writes the dark academia and slightly gothic vibe so well - I have heard this said about some of her previous work and I am so pleased to experience this first hand as I think it was really well done.

S T Gibson’s writing is stunning, the pacing of this book was spot on. I found this to be a thoroughly enjoyable read

Really enjoyable, sucks you in right away. The characters are all unique and fun in their own ways. I loved the mystical aspect of it and would have loved to delve more into the society side of things, but I feel that will be explored in later books.

All three protagonists were enjoyable but the standout was David. I would have happily read the whole book from his POV and think it might have actually been a stronger book with him solely at the helm, but it was still enjoyable to be in the heads of Rhys and Moira.

Looking forward to the rest of the series, and reading more from this author!

Evocation is my third S. T. Gibson read and one I very much enjoyed.

I was honestly skeptical how Gibson was going to wrap up what in my mind was several plot lines but I think the pacing worked and Gibson pulled it out the bag. I enjoyed this, David did annoy me at first but once you carry on reading you just can't help but care for each and everyone of them. They dynamic works and they each bring out the best in each other - well once Rhys and David sort themselves out.

The standout character for me was Moira, she was single handedly keeping the team together dealing with Rhys and David with the project management skill that can only come from someone who had clearly done all the work in a group project.

Also I had great time annotating this book, I would definitely recommend this. I have a physical copy on the way to join my Gibson collection. I'm definitely a fan.

Thank you to Angry Robot, Netgalley and S. T Gibson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

This story is sensuous and spellbinding. I loved the secret society, the celebration of the occult and atmosphere. The entangled trio of loveable and dysfunctional characters and their relationship are addictive to read about. This is definitely a character driven story but there’s enough plot to keep things interesting and the pace relatively steady.
Definitely a book I will recommend time and time again. Can’t wait to see where these characters go.
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

This was just fantastic! I loved the queer rep throughout the book, I thought it was done really well with polyamory also touched on.

The writing style was just absolutely perfect for me. I thought the book flowed really well and it had me hooked throughout. I loved the world building and the different magic systems within this book were really intriguing. I found myself thinking which system would I like to be a part of.

If you love a high stakes fantasy, and don’t mind it being dark and emotional in parts, then this is definitely one for you! Run, don’t walk!

Two bangers published in one year? Yup, S.T. Gibson has done it. In a departure from her bestselling vampire retellings, S.T. Gibson gives us a gothic, dark academia, paranormal romance with insane representation. Polyamory, rivals to lovers, LGBTQIA rep, the occult, tarot, astrology, this book has it all.

This story centers around a trio of magicians working together, initially begrudgingly, to exorcise a demon that is quite literally consuming one of them from the inside out via possession. Exes, Rhys and David must work together and collectively pool their magical talents to save David’s life and they cannot seem to do so without the help of Rhys’s wife Moira.

I loved this book, the men only magic fraternity gave me Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell vibes and does a great job with the political undertones surrounding recognizing women as magicians and allowing them into the metaphorical and literal circle. The relationship among the characters is sweet and rooted more in love and companionship than lust which I found to be really endearing.

This book comes out May 28th, mere months after An Education in Malice. I am forever grateful to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the opportunity to read this one, all opinions are my own.

This book was one of my most highly anticipated, and it did not disappoint. It started off quick and ended perfectly. 5 stars.

"Evocation" by S.T. Gibson is a book that focuses on the complex dynamics between its three main characters, David, Rhys, and Moira.

David is a medium and a good one at that, and Rhys-why is this name everywhere- is his ex-boyfriend. He doesn’t have natural magic but he’s strong in his own ways, and is married to Moira, another powerful medium. The book surrounds the three’s relationships, with themes of trust, rivalry, and masked emotions.

The love triangle was full of tension and is one of the reasons why I love S.T. Gibson so much. Her trios are always insanely interconnected.

This book comes out May 28th. Be sure to check trigger warnings. Thank you to Netgalley and Penguin for this ARC!