Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for an audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review! This was a highly anticipated book for me, but it didn’t quite give me what I was hoping for. It reminded me a lot of Olivie Blake’s Masters of Death, but without all of the many, many characters. So, I did appreciate that our focus was only on 3 characters; however, I just didn’t feel connected to any of them or their stories. The vibes and setting of the story were good though, so that is what influenced my decision for a 3 star review.

4.5⭐️
This book was an absolutely thrilling adventure, filled with lush, dark themes, modern gothic vibes, a wholly original story, and the beautiful prose that are always present in an S.T. Gibson book. Throw in a theouple situation, LGBTQ+ rep, and a BIPOC lead- sign me the hell up!!
David is a lawyer, who moonlights as a medium. He is talented in the ways of the occult, but is plagued with a generational curse that was placed on his family long ago. With time running out, he is forced to finally deal with the ramifications of this curse. Feeling as though he’s out of options, he reaches out to his ex-boyfriend for help.

His ex, Rhys, is now married to Moira- so a big part of the story focuses on the dynamic that develops between the three of them. Feelings that never quite went away between Rhys and David are now explored, while David develops his own emotional relationship with Moira. This three sided relationship was really the driving force behind the story, and I was utterly fascinated.

I loved the dark magic, and the deep dive into the Boston occultist scene. It was dark, gritty, mysterious and addictive- and the writing style just makes you feel like you were right there, in the thick of all of it.

Overall, I really enjoyed this book, and I can’t wait to see where the story goes.

I listened to audiobook- it was single narration by Oscar Reyes. I thought he did an amazing job navigating all of the roles. I enjoyed his dyanamic, nuanced performance.

Before I start, sincere thanks to RB Media, Tantor Audio, and the author for an ARC of this audiobook in exchange for an honest review.

This book was high on my TBR this summer, and I’m disappointed to say it fell short of my expectations. I think I was swayed by the pre-publication buzz and lost sight of the fact that I had an outlier opinion on one of this author’s other popular books.

That said, I’m going to start by addressing the narration/audiobook. Unfortunately, I feel like the audiobook production, instead of elevating the story, really diminished it. All due respect to the team involved, but in the spirit of an honest review, I felt this was not an exemplar of audiobook excellence. The narrator’s voice tended toward monotone, with limited variability in style between characters. On at least one occasion I think the narrator straight up used the wrong voice for a character by mistake. There was an off-putting breathy quality to the narration (perhaps the narrator sat too close to the mic, or was sick?). Even more frustratingly, the narration did not read as natural, there were awkward emphases, mispronunciations, and inappropriate pauses. There were also way too many instances of splicing where a single sentence was spoken at a different volume/rate and snuck into a lengthier passage. Unfortunately, I know the audiobook experience really colored my perception of the book.

Wading through to the story itself, it felt like this book had the bones of something good, but the execution just sort of missed the mark. The characters were just out of reach. Only one character had any meaningful backstory disclosed and the rest are thrust upon us to take at face value. There’s not enough material to truly connect with them, but I was rooting for them, so that’s something. Since I couldn’t adequately connect with the characters I really would have liked a deeper exploration of the systems of magic. Instead, readers are left to their own devices to interpret and discriminate the meanings of colloquial words/phrases (e.g., medium). On the purely positive side, there were moments when the prose really did it for me, like when the author described a character as “slightly underfed, terminally scholastic.” The narration style and changes in POV also felt natural rather than jarring or overdone.

Final thoughts: Story 3⭐️ Audiobook 2⭐️

This is absolutely a story about finding family and love between more than one person and less of a story about the occult. It took me a bit to get into the story but it really was interesting and done well. S.T. Gibson always writes such queer positive stories. Looking forward to what’s next.

4.5 rounded up. I might round down depending on how I feel later, but at the moment I'm feeling good. 😂 This is my second Gibsonbook and my first audiobook from the author.

I honestly absolutely loved it within the first few chapters and kept on loving it!! I read this in a few sittings and my favorite thing about this title is that THE VIBES ARE REALLY IMMACULATE. Yes, it's a very character-based plot and I'm a sucker for second chance romance and poly, so that definitely helped too. 🤣 I had heard some things before reading this, but I feel like I'm still okay with how things played out here. There will probably be parts that people don't like, but I still really fell in love with our main cast individually and liked the various threads that were building up here. Moira is a fantastic character, and I really enjoyed David's characterization here too. Rhys, for the most part, I also liked, but I think I appreciated his role more than the character and I hope we explore more of him in the future. While the pacing did hiccup for me when it came to the romance, most things also made sense to me and I can't wait to see how things build up in the sequel and beyond.

In terms of the audiobook itself, I felt the narrator did a decent job for the most part, but I really did get frustrated by his performance of Moira and female characters here over time. I'm not sure if it was direction or, but I just felt the sassy attitude tone throughout the novel in combination with the deep growly Christian Bale Batman voice made it tough to listen to for the whole time. But his voice for David was really good.

Thank you to NetGalley, the publisher and author for the audiobook arc!

I enjoyed this book! The chemistry between characters is excellent and the sexual tension is tensioning. I’m excited to keep reading the series!

For fans of:
- Masters of Death
- An Education in Malice
- A Dark and Drowning Tide

David is Mr. Perfect. He's a hot-shot lawyer at the top of his career. He works out daily and always keeps a clean diet. He's well-educated, handsome, wealthy, charming, and a bit of a workaholic. He even runs a small business on the side summoning the dead to connect clients with their deceased loved ones. It's unconventional, yes, but occult abilities have run in his family for generations, so he can't help but be the best in that regard as well. Everything would be perfect except, David is lonely. Ideally, he would be able to reach out to Rhys, his oldest and dearest friend, for a bit of support, but their relationship is complicated.
Rhys' life is less than charmed. He works as a researcher at a university and has had to fight tooth and nail to become the level of sorcerer he is today. He is constantly working himself to the point of exhaustion to keep himself at the top of the occult world, but with the support of his loving wife Moira, it's all worth it. He would almost go as far as to describe his life as perfect if it weren't for David. David who is his oldest and most toxic friend. David his ex-boyfriend who he once loved dearly and now can barely stand to be near during their weekly secret society meetings. Rhys would love to cut David out of his life permanently, but that wish dies when David comes begging him and his wife for help.

This book includes:
- spooky supernatural rituals, ghosts, demons, astrology, and all sorts of witchy-ness
- complex friendships
- charming and damaged protagonists
- 3 POVs
- rivals, friends, and lovers
- LGBT protagonists
- yearning, lots and lots of excruciating yearning (in a good way)
- curses, cults, and secret societies
- chosen families and generational curses both literal and psychological
- dark academic atmosphere

I inhaled "Occult." In this book, S.T. Gibson once again delivers a fabulous supernatural drama full of secrets and yearning. This story had my heart racing and I felt each moment of each of the protagonists' pain as if it were my own. The tension and rivalry between David and Rhys is hypnotic and even while they are at odds, I couldn't help but root for both of their success. I loved Moira and the beautiful marriage she shared with Rhys, and I loved seeing S.T. Gibson explore what a healthy and loving relationship looks like on paper. This book also expertly dives into generational curses, and I liked how they were given life through all of the supernatural explorations the 3 protagonists take. The spooky Boston setting was a perfect match for the secret society and cultish behavior, so I will be recommending this book as a must-read this October. If you like unconventional LGBT love triangles and sage baths, this book is for you. My only complaint is that the audiobook narrator was a bit breathy and difficult to hear at some times.

I received this audiobook as an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to NetGalley, S.T. Gibson, and Tantor Audio for the opportunity to review this book. This review is also available on my GoodReads - check out my profile https://www.goodreads.com/user/show/62314863

Fun fact about me... if a book even remotely mentions tarot... I will want to read it. I've been excited for this book from the moment I saw the cover. I had no idea what it was about until I got my hands on it.
It starts with a bang. David is a medium and is experiencing some new and alarming kind of sickness and seeks the help of his ex, who is the most likely to know what might be going on. The ex's wife (also a medium) tags along. Ever so slowly the story shifts to focus on the relationship between the three before finally circling back to David's illness near the end. The tarot, generational curse, and secret society aspect definitely took a back seat to the unfolding love story but it was so well written that I didn't even notice.
I listened to the audiobook, while following along with the ebook. It is the same narrator throughout and they do a good job at differing the tone and pitch for each character. There are, however, periods of time where gasps are heard before starting a sentence and the voice of Rhys reminded me of Batman. Still highly recommend!

A secret society of magic. A love triangle. A bisexual relationship. Demons. Exorcisms. This book has so much amazing stuff.
I loved the dynamic between all three of the main characters of the book.
David is plagued by a family curse and needs the help of his ex boyfriend and his ex’s wife. They all work together to help David, learning about each other in the process
I definitely recommend this book. There was drama. There was conflict. There was love.

This was a slow burn, polyamorous, occult-esque book. I really enjoyed it - being my first book from S.T.. I liked the relationship between David, Rhys and Moira. The relationships didn’t seem forced, it seemed almost like a dance. If you like love in any form and magic, this will have you finding any opportunity to read it. Definitely looking out for book 2.

you in it David, I don't care how I have you, I just want you close,"

A centuries old deal with the devil is ready to be collected, can David trust his ex boyfriend Rhys and Rhys' new wife to save his very soul?

🔮 Why you need to read this:
- Messy main characters who are so passionately in love with each other.
- Sensual
- Secret Magical Societies
- Fun magical lore
- A diverse cast

Deliciously dark prose and messy passionate characters, Evocation is a tale of going to hell and back for the people you love.

David's thirtieth birthday is fast approaching and his life as he knows it is falling apart. He's losing his magical abilities, overlooked for the high priest position, oh and he's losing his very soul because of a centuries old deal his family made with the Devil. With his tail between his legs, David reaches out to his ex boyfriend.

Evocation is a delightful mix of dark fantasy and emotionally intelligent romance. You won't find any silly miscommunication in these pages, our main characters talk about their expectations, and they all go to therapy! Truly a refreshing take on romantasy.

Sexy and dramatic Evocation feels like the natural next read once you're done with Hell Bent or The Atlas Six.
I had such a fun time with this and cannot wait for Odd Spirits the prequel coming out in October!

The narrator had a lovely voice to listen to and did a really good job keeping the differing POV's distinguishable.

Thank you so much NetGalley and the publisher for the advanced copy of this audiobook!

Evocation is the first book in a series called The Summoner’s Circle. It’s messy and dramatic with occult themes.

David is an attorney who also has a private practice as a psychic and is working with a secret society. He needs help but unfortunately he has to get it from Rhys and Moira. Rhys is his ex boyfriend and also his rival. Moira is Rhys’s wife who is incredibly talented with tarot and astrology. The men haven’t spoken in months but desperate times call for desperate measures! Navigating the relationship between these three characters was so interesting and so entertaining. The plot existed but I was so tuned into what the characters were going through that and how they were interacting that the plot was just an extra treat-I love witchy things! This is my second book by this author and I will read anything they write. I thoroughly enjoyed this book!

This audiobook was narrated by Oscar Reyes. This was completely enjoyable as an audiobook with this narrator! The characters were distinguishable and came through perfectly.

Thank you so much to Netgalley, S.T. Gibson, and Tantor Audio for providing this free ARC. This is my honest review! This will publish on May 28th.

I have posted my review on Goodreads, in my Facebook book club, and will post a Tiktok review within the week before it releases.

DNF - I am so sorry, but this narrator did nothing for me and as such I couldn't stand David or Rhys. The narrator also made the women characters sound too breathy and it came across as mocking. On that note, I could never get past David's initial character introduction where he discusses his wealth in such a tacky way - I think this is an issue with the writing, solidifying my previous idea that S.T. Gibson's works - despite the concepts - are not for me.

I also felt like this book wanted to be more series and gothic than it was - which was just throuple drama and a dash of spooky/occult vibes.

From the audio narrator, there was no delivery in the dramatic actions as everything the narrator said came off entitled and over the top. I think the story with a different narrator would have been more palatable.

Thank you to Tantor Audio and NetGalley for the ALC in exchange for an honest review!

Evocation has solidified that S.T Gibson is a favorite author for me. Something about her writing is so beautiful and easy to read. I loved that each character was well developed and had a distinct personality. While I think Evocation is more character focused, there was still a good plot that I can't wait to follow into future books. If I could read it all now, I absolutely would! As a first book in a series, it wrapped up nicely but definitely left me wanting so much more. I could follow these characters forever! And as a dabbler in the occult myself, I loved that this book touched on so many different esoteric practices and concepts without feeling overwhelming or infodumping. It was so magical in a modern way and I loved every minute of it.

I would highly recommend the audio for those who like to read via audiobook. The narrator did a wonderful job at giving each character their own voice.

Thank you Netgalleu and RB media for an audio arc of Evocation in exchange for my honest review!

This is a heavily character driven story. The occult themes are secondary with the plot, as the story moves forward through multiple POVs where character development and relationship dynamics take the forefront.

Personally I’m not sure the pacing would have kept my attention had I read it, so listening worked for me. I didn’t like Rhys’ narration, he sounded like Batman 😂 +his character must have said “David” 250 times. Moira is an emotionally mature woman and absolute queen of communication, and the story needed her.

I wish this had more magic to it. The men are in a prestigious boys club where they perform rituals, but they didn’t actually do much of that. It felt more “tell” than “show” with magic coming in mostly the form or tarot or auras.

This story has big polyamory, little but some spice, and platonic love (which was very sweet). It is set up for a second book. The contract was easy to figure out which is silly considering they are intelligent professionals at their craft. The ending left me satisfied with characters, but not the plot.
This could have been one book, but is set up for a second, which I’m indifferent to.

2.75 - 3 ⭐️

The narration was good... sadly, the story just didn't grab me the was I wished it would.
Despite the high stakes.. Devil comes for his due! I just never really felt invested in what was going on with David. Is he possessed, is he pining for his ex-boyfriend, does he have a little crush growing on said ex's new wife... I just didn't care... and I really should have.
Maybe if Moira had been the MC instead of being relegated to cleaning up the messes the two boys kept creating I would have felt a little more invested, but alas that was not the story we had. She was an interesting character.

Thank you to NetGalley for an E-audioARC in exchange for my honest review.

This book surprised me, I went into it expecting it would likely be 3⭐️ read for me as it’s not the kind of fantasy I typically go for. But I wanted to branch out and I’m so glad I did as I actually really enjoyed this.

Evocation is more character driven than plot, this would normally make me less interested but I found myself invested in the main characters relationship growing and changing. There is a sprinkling of occult references, a haunted house with a library full of historic texts, rituals and readings - enough which kept me interested in the fantasy element but relatively light touch.

I received the audio copy of this book and I really enjoyed the narration. The narrators accents were good for me as this is something I can be quite picky on. I don’t think I’d have rated the book as highly had I read the physical copy first as I likely would have struggled with the character focus over plot, but for audio this was brilliant for me and I found myself looking for any opportunity to listen.

A full review is on Goodreads and I’ve also posted one on my instagram.

Thanks NetGalley. This book is written very well, but the pace is slow. Some of the relationships work well but the “triangle” didn’t work well. This is a starter book with lots of details of the characters and their background. With complicated history to tie together. If you like other books by the author you will enjoy this one.

I really enjoyed the story but the narrator didn't hit right for me. It wasn't bad but it didn't feel like the narrator really fit the vibes of the story. Duet narration could have been a better option, but I understand that is quite expensive and doesn't always add value to the material.

Audio-arc provided by netgalley

I loved this just like I've loved everything else by S.T Gibson, the prose in this is beautiful and while the magic system could be flushed out a bit more I was much more interested in the characters