If there's one thing S.T. Gibson is gonna do and do well it's write the most chaotic polyamorous fantasy relationship of your life.

This is a solid sequel book 1, Evocation. I liked that Rhys, Moira, and David's relationship is explored in a newer context of an established relationship, and I think Rhys' character arc is a natural continuation from what we saw of him in book 1. Similar to Evocation I still wish the magic/occult element played a bit of a stronger role in the overall story. We learn a little more about different organizations and theologies and rituals in this book but none are developed too deeply which is a shame.

If you liked book 1 I would definitely recommend reading Ascension. Praying that the next book is centered around Moira because I love her.

4.5 stars

Oh how I love these polyamorous demon summoners. I love the dynamic between David, Rhys, and Moira. There’s so much love and trust between them but they’re also messy, imperfect people. Their relationship feels very real and authentic and is really enjoyable.
In this book Rhys is struggling with Doing Too Much. He has too many responsibilities and way too many demons and it all starts to take a toll on him. He makes a lot of mistakes and i really liked how the people in his life supported him throughout and helped him but also didn’t let him get away with anything they held him accountable for his actions and pushed him to change.
I also really liked how we get more of a David and Moira storyline in this book. In the first book it seemed like maybe they wouldn’t get along but they got so much closer and really connected in this one. They both balance out Rhys so well and have a really great friendship.
This book had demon summoning, a doorway to hell, cults, betrayal and so much more. This was such a fun read and I can’t wait to read more about these characters.
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC!

Ascension is either a brilliant, character-driven story or a book about an insufferable twenty-something being his own worst enemy except with magic rather than the typical routes. Maybe both. If you enjoyed Evocation, you’ll likely enjoy this one too with some caveats.

After the book Evocation focused on physic prodigy and playboy heir David, the next book in the Summoner’s Circle is about Rhys, another character from Evocation. Unlike Evocation, which has more of a traditional antagonist set-up, Ascension really slows down to focus on the characters. We find out early on that the curse that was such a focal point of Evocation has been waved away as a problem for another day– a very odd choice given the book is focused on Rhys. Instead, we see Rhys actively destroy everything he’s worked for while even seemingly minor characters get plumbed to their depths (we find out, for example, the reasons each of Rhys’s little sisters adore Moira, that Kitty has a pet cat named Moomin, that Antoni is a wizard with cocktails, that Moira has many beautiful and vintage inspired outfits, that David is really concerned about his macros, and so on). Each scene is chock full of these details, which build up a charming painting of this psychic but yuppie underbelly of Boston– but it’s at the cost of momentum.

And it’s becoming clear that the plan is for each (major?) character to have their own book. Other reviewers indicate Moira is the star for number three and Leda will follow. I think it’s a neat idea in theory, but it creates some odd tension as so many potential main characters vie for attention. And in Moira’s case, play second fiddle to several dumb young men for two books. (That lady puts up with a lot, and I will happily read a novel focused on her.)

So, as a book in a series, I think this does the job of fleshing out more characters who will be featured later. For a middle novel, that’s not a bad purpose. I wish I could feel like it elevated the stakes, but I don’t think it really did. But I will seek out the third one, especially if Moira is the focus.

This was so, so good! I loved watching Rhys, Moira, and David back at it. Their struggles are so real, so human, but the magical element makes it so much more fun. We have some new characters in this one, and a bit of a mystery to solve. Putting together the pieces with this was a lot of fun, and there were some really well placed twists in here!

The dynamics between Rhys, Moira, and David are a delicate balance, much like anything in life. Balancing of personal and professional, too, and what can go wrong when that balance gets skewed was really well done here. The spicy bit at the end sneaks up on you but holy wow!

Unfortunately I DNF’d this book, not because of anything to do with the book but because I’m in a reading slump.

While there was something about the pacing that seemed a bit off for me at the beginning especially, I ultimately just had a pretty good time reading once I got into it and I'm excited to see where things go in the next book.

Getting back together with our favorite summoners for even more demons, angels and treachery.

Book Stats:
📖: 400 pages
Genre: Occult Fantasy
Publisher: Angry Robot
Format: Ebook
Series: 2/2 The Summoners Circle

Themes:
💫: Corruption of power
💫: Accepting Help from others
💫: The power of love and trust

Representation:
🪽: bisexual MMC/gay MMC
🪽: polyamorous relationship

Tropes:
💗: secret society
💗: trust no one

🥵: Spice: 🌶️🌶️
Potential Triggers: **check authors page/socials for full list.

Short Synopsis:
Having newly ascended to high priest, Rhys is discovering that leadership may not be as cut and dry as he previously anticipated. The delicate balance of social life, evocation, and personal life violently tipping out of alignment. Can he bring things back to harmony before they all come crashing down?

General Thoughts:
This book picks up fairly close to where the previous novel, Evocation, left off. The suspense and tension following Rhys starts immediately and definitely grasps the readers attention. David and Moira take a bit of a backseat role, which I was a little disappointed about. The three of them as main characters is what solidified me in the first book as a fan.

I feel like the side characters are really shining through. Even though they are mostly underdeveloped plot movers, they give me "trust no one" vibes. They are doing what is intended to be done within the novel, even being a little one-dimensional. They're only heightening my interest in the book by creating mystery, making it hard to put down.

This book gets a little heavy on religious aspects, including Catholicism and the church. It didn't really come across as preachy, even though it is framed in a positive light.

Disclaimer: I read this book as a ebook from Angry Robot and NetGalley. All opinions are my own. This is my honest and voluntary review.

Ok wow. This one was a much better book than the first. The characters were more interactive with each other and they have created an amazing story.

A solid follow-up to Evocation, the first book in the Summoner's Circle series. And yes, you need to read that before attempting this because the characters are all tangled up together and you need a baseline to start from.
This book focuses more on Rhys and his role as High Priest in Boston's secret Society. With the help of his adoring witch wife, Moira, and his newly rekindled relationship with psychic boyfriend, David, Rhys is destined to become the most powerful High Priest ever. However, Rhys's insatiable ambition may be his undoing...

*Special thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for this digital e-arc.*

After finishing Evocation I knew I had to Start Ascension immediately, the characters lefts such a deep impression on me and they just wanted me to know their story.

I know a book or a series I good when the characters stay with me after I've finished the book.
I loved this so much, the writing, the characters, the story, I was just enchanted by it all.

I love the occult elements, all the magic, the summonings, tarot, etc. The whole atmosphere was so realistic and immersive 8 had a hard time stopping.

I love all the growth Rhys had in this one and David and Moira are the BEST

I can't wait to read the rest.

I was a huge fan of book one on this series and it was one of my few five star reads last year. While I didn't enjoy it at much as book one, I still had an amazing time. I enjoyed the continued character development as well as the introduction to new world building to those outside of Boston

We're back with Rhys, David, and Moira and the Society for another installment, this time focusing on Rhys as he tries to shoulder all of his new burdens being High Priest and living up to the heights of his own ambition.

As with Evocation, there are a lot of threads at play here, jumping around between the three leads' PoVs, making some of those threads feel unbalanced. It's difficult to get a sense of what the main plot points will be when everything is switching around so much. The scandal and Rhys summoning a notoriety demon so that everyone will know his name starts us off, but both of those fade fairly far into the background.

The main focus is on the relationships and emotional health of Rhys, Moira, and David, so how this book hits will depend on a lot on how well you connect with their struggles, particularly Rhys' this time around. For me, I spent a lot of the book wanting to shake Rhys or have someone else notice just how far he was letting his ambition and anxiety combo consume him - it made me incredibly stressed most of the way through.

I'm both looking forward to and fearing Moira's book - I think she's one of the most interesting characters to get to come into her own, but she's been put so much in a mothering and caretaking role by the writing that I don't know if Gibson will be able to pull it off in a way that doesn't fall into stereotypes.

Y'all already know I am RAVING OVER THIS MY BABIES ARE BACK AND MORE BEAUTIFUL THAN EVER!!! This series has my complete heart and it fills so many gaps for me. The storytelling is unparalleled and the character development is so unique, I can see Saint really leaning into this writing style with ease. Cannot wait for more!

A grand thank you to Net Galley and Angry Robot Books for granting me and ARC to read!

Starting this series felt like slipping into fresh sheets on a cozy night, lovely and one of life's gentle marvels. Gibson's writing is a wonderful balance that makes you feel like you're right by the characters' sides.

Everyone has such fantastic moments and I do have to tell you all to buckle up!!! Things get intense especially with Rhys being in true Rhys form! I can't hardly wait to see what is next especially since it's my girl Moira's turn next!!

Thank you, Netgalley and Angry Robots for giving me the opportunity to read Ascension ahead of it's regular release!

After I really loved Evocation and Odd Spirits, Ascension was one of my most highly anticipated releases of 2025 and it did not disappoint! The story became so much more layered and complex than I expected in the beginning which I really loved. Also, we got to know our main characters and some side characters so much better. And that last spicy scene? Amazing! The perfect balance of details and discreetness.

I do have some minor critique: The severity of the demon problem was not apparent to me until things had already gone down completely. I feel like that could have been made more obvious a little sooner. The problem with the news article also didn't seem that big to me. It would have been nice to understand a little better why it stressed Rhys out so much. And finally, I found that the Max was a little too forthcoming when we had the "big reveal" in the end. Either I missed something about when David used his powers or something got overlooked in editing or I'm just too nitpicky there.

Those tiny aspects didn't keep me from thoroughly enjoying myself, though. I will definitely continue the series, buy a physical copy of the book for the shelves and recommend it to everyone who is looking for polyamorous occultists.

4.25 🌟

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I really enjoyed this return to the Summoner's Circle. Without Evocation's need to introduce us to everyone and everywhere, I felt this next entry into the series soared, and it let Gibson's usual dark, sexy tone shine. We see this trio evolve in multiple ways in this one and delve deeply into Rys' struggles with power and religious trauma. I feel like navigating these issues, plus throwing in some literal demons, is what Gibson does best. It made this entry into the series more enjoyable than the last two for me, and if you were questioning returning to the Circle, I'd recommend give this one a dark and twisty shot before you go.

Thank you so much to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the arc in exchange for an honest review, I'm so lucky to have gotten a chance to read this one early!

I received an arc in exchange for an honest review

It was so nice to get a deeper look into David, Rhys and Moira’s relationship and how their dynamic is continuing to evolve. We also get to see so much more into the Society and their inner workings.

Rhys really just becomes more and more unhinged and unstable throughout this book and everyone else is left to pick up the pieces and try to make him see the error of their ways.

It pains me not to give this a higher rating but Rhys is my least favorite of the three, and it felt like the book dragged some.

I thought the scandal conflict would play a bigger role in the story but to me it felt like a plot device and I don't think it was entirely necessary. The story would have done without it.

David and Moira (and Leda!) were amazing as well as Gibson's writing. I mean, this writing makes me want to get into all sorts of magick.

Actual Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the advanced digital copy!

I feel in love with The Summoner's Circle series the moment I met David on the first pages of Evocation, so to say I was anxiously awaiting this sequel is an understatement. I couldn't wait to head back to Boston.

While Evocation was a fast-paced whirlwind and introduction into this beautiful, magical world, Ascension digs deeper into the soul of our our lead for this novel, Rhys. Trying to find your place in the world is hard enough, but add in the unsumountable weight of Catholic guilt and the universal desire to be beloved for your contributions, only make it more difficult. The journey Rhys goes on is heartbreaking, relatable and rewarding in the end.

The tandem-style storytelling that Gibson utilizes in this series adds a complexity to each emotional hurdle that keeps the the book progressing. David continues to grow as a character, Moira is on the precipise of her book next and I cannot wait to get my hands on it. Most of all though, watching this relationship evolve and grow has been such a joy and I love them dearly.

Here's to me re-reading these books for the next 2 years while I wait with baited breath for the next book!!