Thank you Net Galley for an audio ARC of Evocation.

The narrator, Oscar Reyes, performed the 3 main characters with flawless effort. A man voicing for a woman can be hard sometimes, but his was enjoyable, even with a honeyed southern drawl! Rhys had a deep silky voice and David on a more modern, slightly pouty character.

S.T. Gibson quickly became a loved author I've happily added to my library. Her ability to conjure up beautiful descriptions of characters and settings is addicting and so enjoyable. Each story she creates gives such perfect and cohesive feelings to really set the tone and the focus on her expertise, character growth/conflict/you name it, is up for full attention.

I really enjoyed this story. I was immediately hooked with the anticipation of demons and haunts with some banter in the world of energy, magic talk and auras. While this may simply be the background canvas of the book, it was an enjoyable driving force for the characters to interact over. With it being known the book is about relationships, Gibson clearly does not play the red tape game and I'm thankful for her forward thinking. This may be a book about magic, ritualistic practices and sultry relationships past, but there's a bit of representation here that I found thoughtful and really loved. I don't want to give away any big character growth elements, but what was brought to the front, discussed and explored was done really well in my opinion. Again, I really admire Gibson's ability to create characters and their flow with who they are and what they represent and how they cause actions or reactions with the other characters. David is true to his nature expressed in the summary provided on the book, a storm of high cost living with no want of boundaries. Rhys craves control, growth and things that scare him. Moira is simply a goddess. She's powerful in her work and the most open hearted character I've ever experienced.

I will, with great excitement, continue to look forward to and read from S.T. Gibson as she stands out to me among so many with her exceptional writing style.

Evocation by S.T Gibson follows a medium who begins to have strange symptoms after a summoning ritual, he enlists the help of his ex boyfriend and his wife to try save him from a centuries old family deal with a demon. It delves into deep conversations of polyamory and its dynamic within a marriage. The author beautifully explores the complexities of relationships, including LGBTQ+ representation, specifically poly, gay, bi, and trans individuals. The connections between the characters, both past and present, are beautifully written, and I found myself becoming emotionally invested in their stories. One thing I really appreciated about this book was the easy-to-understand magic system. It added an extra layer of intrigue and excitement to the story without being overly complicated. And the best part is, this book sets up the perfect foundation for more books to come.

Loved this story a LOT. I heard lots of good things about Evocation, so when I got approved for the audiobook I was really excited!! The story definitely lived up to the impressions, and while the audiobook narrator is clearly good at his job, I found the voice acting to be not quite for me. That doesn't mean it is bad by any means, in the contrary, I think this will appeal to a lot of different people, but it wasn't quite fitting for me and my tastes! Still loved it nonetheless, hence the 4 stars!

A character-driven romance with dark academic vibes that misses the magic spark.

We're following David, a probably possessed member of a secret occult society, who asks his ex-boyfriend and his new wife for help with his possible possession. The book promises a poly romance, secret societies and occult magic, but doesn't fully deliver on them.

I loved A Dowry of Blood, and it was great to see the dark academic, library-core, secret occult society vibes back in this. I also like the tender and respectful way that the book details with fidelity, alcohol addiction and childhood trauma.

This is a character-driven romance, but the character's don't have much charisma or a reason to feel strongly towards any of them. The plot is light, which is fine, but the stakes are so low that I'm not invested in the outcome of the relationships between our three main characters. Overall, I was hoping for more from this story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the ALC.

This wasn't for me at all. I liked the description of the book but the book, but the book was less about the curse and centered more on the previous relationship the men had and their still wanting each other. I quit around the 50 percent mark because I was so disinterested. There was no depth to the characters. It seemed like fan fiction.

Just not for me. Was hoping for more focus on the magic being done but really that felt like a vehicle for the relationship. Basically I was expecting more demons and spells and less tropes being checked off.

Narration is great though, keep Oscar Reyes in the rotation of narrators.

3.5 stars. This is apparently the first in a new series by the author of A Dowry of Blood. David is a Boston attorney who also happens to be a powerful medium. After a reading goes wrong w/ a client (basically David is possessed by something he definitely didn't invite), he knows he is in desperate need of psychic help. He turns to his ex-boyfriend, Rhys and his wife, Moira. They come to find out that there is a curse on David where his soul will be devoured by his 30th birthday. Which, of course, is imminent.
This quickly becomes a throuple-type situation. While I love Rhys and Moira's dynamic, it annoyed me that they just let David back in the mix. And there is a completely unnecessary (IMO) sex scene between David and Rhys almost at the very end of the book. Kind of like Gibson had to get that in somewhere. And even though Moira and David have a connection, I cannot imagine a strong, powerful Black woman allowing her husband to just do whatever he wants with his ex. Anyway, I'm interested to see where this story goes.

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for this audio e-arc.*

5 Stars!!

This was so much fun.

I was given early access to the audiobook narrated by Oscar Reyes in exchange for an honest review. Thank you to Netgalley and RB Media for early access. I also tantum read it with the physical copy.

Evocation revolves around David, a former child prodigy sorcerer and lawyer, his ex-boyfriend Rhys, and Rhys' amazing wife, Moira. Together they begin to untangle a generational curse, as well as their own messy feelings for each other.

I really enjoyed the somewhat lower stakes. Stories like this are somewhat hard to find in the fantasy realm. However, I do hope Gibson explores more of the secret society machinations in the sequel.

I would like to thank NetGalley for giving me an audio-arc in exchange for an honest review.

I think S.T. Gibson has become a new favorite author of mine. So far, everything they've written has been a hit with me and Evocation was no exception.

We follow David as he deals with an old family curse/deal with a demon, and he calls his ex boyfriend, Rhys, to help him. What follows is more of a romance between magicians/a polyamorous throuple that's well developed and sweet. Though, i thinkI love David and Moira's dynamic the most. And the struggle the three of them go through to help David was heartbreaking. I loved this and the magic that was developed in this world.

I honestly can't wait for the next book. And the audiobook was so good. The narrator did an amazing job.

Actual rating: 4.5 stars

I went in thinking this was a fantasy book and sure, it has some of that, but there was no complicated world building nor a “must save everyone plot” 😂 It is very character driven and I loved it for that 🙌🏼 Looking forward to reading the next book for sure.

I wish they would have done a duet narration for this book but overall, it was pretty good.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the gifted audio ARC. @netgalley ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Publication date: 05/28/2024

What to expect:

🌙 Modern day world
🌙 Exes to Rivals to Lovers
🌙 Polyamory
🌙 Astrology/Magic/Sorcery
🌙 Secret Societies

As always, please check content warnings ⚠️

#evocation #netgalley #audiobook #stgibson

Paranormal romance is not a genre I generally read, but the book synopsis and cover art were so intriguing I couldn’t resist. The high point for me was Oscar Reyes’s outstanding narration. His voice was perfectly suited to this dark, somewhat campy novel. His performance kept me engaged throughout the book.

While the story was not for me, I appreciate the author’s creativity and ability to craft a story rich in symbolism. She represents the dark arts with the right mixture of mystery and irreverence. The relationship component was the least interesting part of the book for me, and I was slightly disappointed in Moira’s character development.

Thanks to NetGalley and Tantor Audio for the opportunity to listen to an advance copy of this book in exchange for my unbiased review.

⭐️⭐️⭐️/5

Thank you NetGalley and RB Media for an early copy of this audiobook!
S.T Gibson really intrigues me, her books are like a tickle I cannot scratch. It happened first with a Dowry of Blood and again with Evocations.
The story is interesting, and the characters are interesting, but something is missing.
For the second time, while reading this author, I waited and waited for the big BANG, but what I had was continuos edging. As foreplay goes this delivers, but I want more!
I wanted more David, more Rhys, and sooooo much more Moira.

The plot was engaging even though nothing was really happening, or just happening very slowly. Personally, I don´t dislike slow books, and I didn´t dislike this one, but I got bored at different points and that is not ideal.

The polyamory aspect of the book I really liked, she is very good with that and I loved the angst between David and Rhys and its overall arc.

David and Moira are also so well written, but yet again not completely pleasing. I wanted to see more about their platonic love and how they managed to integrate it with their romantic love for Rhys.


Lastly the audiobook. I needed three narrators, or at least two (one for the boys and one for Moira) MINIMUM.
I think I would have enjoyed the book more if I read it. Unfortunately, the voice actor had a weird tempo reading and it annoyed me sometimes. His voice I loved, he did a particularly good job with Rhys, but other than that, there were so many things that could have been better!

Overall I liked it, but not more than 3 stars

✨ALC Audiobook Review✨

Last night I finished listening to @oscar_reyes_narrator exquisitely perform three main characters’ voices. I took some time to consider all my thoughts.
1) His narration added a star absolutely.
2) I feel like this book was a lot of exposition to set us up for the rest of the series. And yes, that’s what the first in a series does, but also, there was a LOT going on, but not a lot happening. Do you know what I mean?

Here’s the skinny: David and Rhys are exes who are both still very involved (rivals) in their secret occult society. Rhys has moved on from David and married Moira whom he loves and considers his goddess.

David suddenly has “spirit sickness” and needs the best occult researcher to help find out what’s wrong and how to fix him. Enter Rhys and Moira, who just wants to protect Rhys from the toxicity of his relationship with David.

A lot goes on here re: the secret society, but mostly the dynamic of David, Rhys, and Moira. The complexities of this polyamorous relationship has a lot of space dedicated to it in this book and I’m here for it.

So, here’s what I liked:

✨polyamory exploration
✨the dark academia/secret society vibes
✨David and Moira’s relationship
✨the Beacon Hill house
✨David

I’m looking forward to reading the next book in this series.

I was given an ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are mine alone.

S.T. Gibson is officially an auto-buy author for me. They way she meshes romance with the fantasy world is incomparable. How she writes about a polyamorous without giving me the ick, I will never understand. I love that instead of the focus being magic, it was each characters psychic and medium abilities. I cannot wait to continue this series!

Thank you, NetGalley and RB Media, for the Audio ARC .

I got an ARC in October or November and I tried to read it but I didn't have that much time,  i think I read 10 chapters,  and it was ok , and now I gor the Audio version and holy shit it was mu h faster. I have the say that I didn't love the narrator that much...
It was good , not amazing. Not much happening,  it is more of a knowing the characters than action type of book . Like nothing really happened? I don't know how this book is almost 400 pages , only in chapter 26 ( I think ) the post finally started , and it's a 35 chapters long soo... and didn't really see the magic , we were only told , at the end it was like :"  he told some words and you could see the magic took to much energy " and that was it .

I am a little disappointed,  I wanted to love it . Maybe the second book is better . Fingers crossed 🤞.

3.5/5 stars

3.5⭐

Psychic prodigy, David Aristarkhov has is all - wealth, power, and a smile that can charm anyone he meets. But as his 30th birthday draws near, David finds himself paying the price for ancestral deal with the devil. The only people who can help David is Rhys - his ex-boyfriend and rival - and Rhys' new wife, Moira. As the ancient curse takes its toll, David, Rhys, and Moira must set aside their differences in order to save the youngest Aristarkhov heir.

Ever since their debut, I've been interested in trying a book by this author. And I'm happy to say that I liked this. I don't think this is going to be a book that sticks with me, but the reading experience was a good one.

The selling point of this book was definitely the relationship between the three main characters, I absolutely adore the fact that more diverse relationships are being represented in publishing these days. David, Rhys, and Moira are all flawed characters, but I loved seem the progression of their relationship throughout the book. I especially loved the close friendship we saw blossom between David and Moira.

The plot, on the other hand, was fine but I definitely don't think it was strong enough to carry the story without the help of the characters. As for the narration of the audiobook - it was okay. I wouldn't say the narrator was my favorite, and it took me a while to get used to, but I didn't mind it s much by the end.

While I enjoy S.T Gibson books, I wasn’t a huge fan of the narrator chosen for this audiobook. When he did the southern woman voice, I honestly wished that they did dual narrators instead of the one.
The story follows David who has a black out spell so he contacts his ex-boyfriend to help him out, he then strikes a deal with them for his ex and wife to help him solve the cause of the black outs in return he grants them small favors.

Overall, I found Evocation to be a good and interesting read. I couldn’t put it down and ended up finishing in one day because I was so curious how things would turn out for multiple aspects of the story. The ending was acceptably satisfying (most immediate peril somewhat tied up/no giant cliffhanger) though I would say there is certainly more story to explore in this world with these characters.

I will say the story and overall vibe of the book was quite a bit different from what I was expecting (simply based on my assumptions and the short description blurb). This is not necessarily a bad thing, it just took some time for me to adjust and may have filtered my opinion in some ways. I thought there would be more paranormal secret society shenanigans, more of David’s psychic side jobs, and more of the ancestral deal with the devil (spookier vibe?). The deal/curse is definitely a major plot point but aside from maybe two scenes it somehow felt more like background trivia than pivotal plot.

So, if this book wasn’t what I was assuming it would be, how would I describe it? To me it read almost more like an intimate slice of life where I was hanging out inside these three characters’ minds while they went through a few shared main events (secret society leadership, ancestral deal/curse) and evaluated their various feelings and relationships. While I wasn’t a big fan of any of the three main characters, I did really appreciate that they were all written to be very human and flawed. Not only that but we get to see them wrestle with and face some of their flaws as well.

The audiobook narration was overall excellent. Well-paced, emotive (without being over-the-top), and easy to distinguish between the three main characters.

Thank you to Tantor Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I had such a fun time listening to “Evocation” by S.T. Gibson.

One of the things I loved about this book the most was simply the vibes. I love anything to do with the occult and witches. The universe was built in such a way that drew me in.

The characters also captivated me. “Evocation” follows three characters: David, Rhys, and Moira. Rhys and David are exes, while Rhys and Moira are married. They band together to help David battle the outcome of an ancient deal with the devil. Bonds are strengthened, but can an ugly breakup be overlooked? I loved the characters, particularly Moira. I was on the edge of my seat when it came to seeing what happened next in the relationships between the three.

This book is more character based than plot based, in my opinion. I wished that there had been more in-depth discussion in regards to the actual workings of the universe. Overall, it feels like not that much actually happened in this book. I did love the character and relationship development, though. I am hoping to see more world development in the future books, which I will definitely be reading!

Thank you to NetGalley and RB media for the audiobook ARC in exchange for an honest review!

I felt like the premise of this book held a lot of potential- a secret society, curses, a deal with the devil…but it really fell short for me. There really was no ‘action’ until about halfway through the book, and even at that point, I didn’t really care much about the characters. I really didn’t find them likeable, with the exception of Moira (maybe). I also didn’t quite ‘buy’ the evolution of the relationship between he characters. There is much more drama than supernatural action/mystery. I actually didn’t care what happened to David at the end…I would have been fine with his fate either way.

The narrator was okay, but it felt like he was reading from a book, and not necessarily attempting to draw you into the story.