Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for sending me a copy of this book! Below is my honest review:

I absolutely loved this! S.T. Gibson does not miss!!

This book follows David, a man with supernatural abilities and a complicated past; Rhys, David’s ex and rival in the secret society they’re both apart of; and Moira, Rhys’s wife and a powerful witch. The three of them have to work together to solve a problem from David’s family history, and the forced proximity is just *chef’s kiss*.

Every single one of the main characters owns my whole heart. I love them so much, and I loved their relationships with each other. The way Gibson makes complicated characters that you can’t help but root for is unrivaled. Even the side characters left me wanting more.

Another thing I loved about this book is how immersive it is. I could really see every aspect of this story unfold in my mind. All of the settings were unique and added to the world a lot.

I feel like this book does a good job of establishing the characters and the environment they inhabit, and I am so excited for whatever comes next in this series! I also can’t wait to see how the relationships of the main three characters unfold going forward!

Wow, this read was a lot of fun, it was magical, culty and queer! I read it nearly in one sitting. I’ve read a Dowry in Blood and an Education in Malice, and I was shocked how different this book was. It still has S.t. Gibson's fantastic writing but with an interesting new occult story.

First of all, I LOVED the characters, Rhys and Moira are the sweetest, the fact that Rhys calls Moira (his wife) “little goddess”?? Swooning! I really enjoyed seeing their relationship and seeing them grow and communicate with each other, it felt so healthy. Then we have my love David, he just felt so lonely and he also has a lot of unresolved trauma (relatable). I enjoyed watching these characters grow and fall in love with each other - I haven’t read many polyamorous relationships but I adored seeing how the relationship developed and the different types of love these characters had for each other. (also Moria calling David indigo child? sobbing)

Now the plot, I loved the contrast of this wholesome and passionate relationship with the magic, secret societies, haunted houses and a deal with the devil. I wasn’t bored for one second (hence how I read this book in less than 24 hours). I liked the different aspects of magic used throughout the story, such as tarot, astrology and summoning spirits and demons?It was just so fun!

I believe this will be a series so I am unbelievable excited to see what happens next!

Huge thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for an e-arc of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Rating:4/5

"Moira was the blinding sun at the center of the universe, overshadowing everything else, but somehow her radiance was only accentuated by David's cool, silvery light. Rhys had felt a strange mix of anguish and longing, watching them wing their way along the ballroom like celestial bodies. Not jealousy, exactly. Something softer and more treacherous."

I'm obsessed. I'M. SO. OBSESSED. Evocation was absolutely delicious and it's my favourite S. T. Gibson book so far. I love reading about witchcraft, magic and the occult, which is why this was a treat for me. Gibson understood her assignment and then knocked it out of the park.

I've previously devoured the author's historical, vampiric retellings of gothic classics and her new urban fantasy was just as addictive, if not more. The characters are such and entangled mess and I loved following them through their journey of figuring everything out. My favourite character was Moira. She's just so sweet, kind and knows exactly what to do to make someone feel better. Her friendship with David was the highlight of the book for me. Rhys, unfortunately, was the least compelling character of the three and I wasn't half as invested in his pov as I was in the other two's. Evocation is quite low on the fantasy front. There isn't much action and the focus is on th character dynamics. If you're expecting a lot of action, you'll probably be disappointed. The climax felt a little underwhelming and rushed.

Overall, Evocation is a fun, addictive read and I'd say it's worth it. The character development is really good and I cannot wait to read the next book in the series!

I feel bad because I adore this authors work but this one just did not hold my interest. I couldn't get into the romance because a couple who had marriage problems and adds one of the partners exes just doesn't sit well with me. I will definitely still try this authors books in the future though

David is juggling full time work as a lawyer and a thriving private occult practice, as well as attending weekly secret Society Occult meetings.
Rhys is an associate position at a small university library and is the youngest member of the Society, Catholic, and deeply curious about acquiring knowledge.
Moira is Rhys’s wife and is one of the best tarot card readers in the city.

Moira and Rhys had been making painstaking progress towards healing after an incident with David and Rhys. Things were getting better. But then David comes to them for help with fears of a demonic possession. David was the last thing their marriage needed.

Forgiveness wasn't about the person who wronged you, it was about freeing yourself from resentment and moving on with your life.

So far, Gibson has astounded me with her haunting historical gothic writing. Now she has infused that in a modern setting with dysfunctional adults who have a variety of trauma to heal from.
Trigger warnings for physical abuse, recovering alcoholism.

Gibson effortlessly weaves politics of gender, sexuality, and traditional older values compared to newer liberal views and adaptations.

Moira is an astounding woman and I immediately loved her resilience, healing, and love. She takes self-care seriously, and amidst two men who are so ambitious and driven, this contrast serves to show how important it is to care for yourself in such a 24/7 capitalist society we find ourselves in.

Not to mention, the communication in this is exquisite. As well as the trust and acceptance. Gibson writes relationships in such a pure, honest, and open light.

”I love Moira all the way to hell and back. I love her more than money, more than my own pride and ambition. That woman is my home, and I am more than willing to prioritize her— vehemently, if need be. If she tells me she needs something to feel safe, she gets it. End of story."

I did think the ending ruined the book. This was such a character-focused, slow-moving book that the sudden climax and quick end result left me feeling cheated and felt disjointed from the rest of the narrative.

However, Gibson has cemented herself as an auto-buy author - writing the complexities of relationships, emotions, and internal struggle with such insight, armed with atmosphere and life lessons.

Thank you to Angry Robot for providing an arc in exchange for a review.

⋆⭒˚｡⋆ Evocation by S.T. Gibson ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽₊

★ ★ ★ /5


I’ve been waiting to get my hands on Evocation since I read S.T. Gibson’s masterwork A Dowry of Blood last year.

Evocation is about David Aristarkhov — an arrogant psychic prodigy in expensive clothes — who discovers he’s unwillingly possessed as he tries to perform a seance. In order to understand what’s happening, he is forced to reach out to his ex-boyfriend and current rival in the secret Society, Rhys.

The story immediately engulfed me — something Gibson has never had any issues with. However, the story fell flat by only focusing on the curse in the story rather than expanding more on the secret society and what they were doing, i.e. more seances, and possessions. Therefore, the characters' developments felt shallow outside of the curse.

While the occult, gothic atmosphere works nicely with the various types of characters, I somewhat lacked the story progression along the characters' development. David discovers more about his legendary family curse along with Rhys and his wife Moira, making the story mainly focus on the curse through the development of emotions rather than the story.

David, Rhys, and Moira felt like amazing main characters alone, but very different together. While Rhys was soft and delicate with Moira, he was rough and stern with David. Moira felt most consistent in her personality traits, and I wish the consistency would be similar in the others to create a deeper connection with all of them together.

All in all, I believe the series will improve as the first book draws you in, making you stay for the characters — which Evocation did.

If a gothic queer polyamory romance/fantasy entices you, this is definitely for you!! ⋆˖⁺‧₊☽₊


Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robots for letting me read this before release in exchange for an honest review!! Evocation will be released on May 28th this year ⋆⭒˚｡⋆

Evocation, the first part of a series coming out in May 2024, is the second book by S. T. Gibson I have read, and it is the second time she has delivered the exact kind of story I didn't know I wanted and needed.

The story has an undeniably character-driven narrative that effortlessly drew me into an occult setting filled with captivating personalities. From the very first page, the characters leap off the page and left me longing to be a part of their world.

The plot, centering around the efforts to save David - a talented medium - from demon possession, occasionally takes a backseat to the exploration of the relationships between the three main characters - David, Rhys, and Moira. There were moments where the urgency of the plot seemed to wane, leaving me questioning the stakes. Despite this, the cast of characters, both main and side, left a lasting impression, and I eagerly anticipate their further development in future installments. The portrayal of a budding polyamorous relationship promises intriguing dynamics to come.

Gibson's writing is, as always, stunning, and it is evident that she has crafted the story she always wanted to read, and luckily I also wanted to read exactly this type of story. The premise - secret societies, witches, magick shops, demons, ghosts, etc., as well as the captivating characters, made this the kind of book I always longed to read. This is undoubtedly a great start to what promises to be an enthralling series.

I feel so bad but I had to dnf this 😭. I got 40% in and I just couldn't get invested. I quickly skimmed to the end and this was just a miss for me.

Thank you so much to Angry Robot and NetGalley for an ARC of Evocation in exchange for an honest review.

Rating: 5/5
Spice: 5/5

This book was absolutely delicious! I was so engrossed in the story that I couldn't bear to put it down. The way the plot unfolded was so captivating that it left me thinking about it even after I had finished reading it. The book was hauntingly beautiful, and the relationships between all three of the main characters were so well-written that I thoroughly enjoyed reading about them. I found myself rooting for my favorite couple and was delighted to see the way their stories unfolded. The book was full of so many fun quotes and lines that I couldn't help but highlight one line on each page. I'm sure that I will be thinking about them for a long time to come. Overall, I am eagerly waiting for more books from the author, S.T. Gibson, as this book was an absolute masterpiece!

DNF. I'm trying to get into this book, but the first few chapters are not at all hooking me in. Sad, because I really love S.T. Gibson's other works. I might need to try this book again at some other time.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC of this book!

I've been hooked on S.T. Gibson since I read A Dowry of Blood, so needless tow say I was thrilled that Angry Robot chose me for an advanced copy. This book features the beginnings of a polyamorous relationship between Rhys, his wife Moira, and his ex David. Rhys and David had a falling out but it proved to be harder than they thought to avoid each other when they belong to the same society. Everything changes when David seems to have been possessed by something that he didn't invite in. He's getting sicker and in desperation contacts Rhys for his help. Now the trio have to figure out how to save David from the devil and how they fit into each other's lives. I'm glad this is the first book because I feel like we have only scratched the surface of this world, the magic, and their relationship. Fans of Ninth House and dark academia will enjoy this.

Thank you NetGalley, Angry Robot, and ST Gibson.

Evocation was an amazing story. It kept my attention throughout the entire story and I could not put it down. Without Moria, David and Rhys would have never got anywhere. I found all the different magic very interesting and loved how they all had their own specialty.

As a big lover of the authors other work, I went into this book expecting it to be a 5 star read and I think that was big part of why the first 150-200 pages flew in for me. But sadly I found myself starting to lose interest in the second half.

The beauty of the writing and the dynamic between the characters held the story together for me. The plot on the other hand didn't do much for me, and I would have loved to explore a bit deeper into the magic side of things.

Overall, I will be picking up the next book in the series simply because I'm a big fan of the author and I'm hopeful that this story can be improved upon.

A netgallery ARC in exchange for an honest review.


A secret magic society, magic curses and a hint of polyamory.

T/W child abuse, alcoholism, polyamory and infedelity


I feel this book only picked up from around the 50% mark, before that I struggle to get into it/enjoy it which is a shame whereas after that point I quite enjoyed it and devoured that section very quickly.

I love how S J Gibson writes and her previous books but this just didn't hit the spot for me as the others did. The language and writing style was still in this book which I thoroughly enjoyed.

I felt certain aspects were skimmed over as if we were supposed to know them already, like chaos magic.

I feel like we should get a prequal of this book about David and Rhys but reading online it'll be a sequel.

I wished it delved deeper into polyamory a bit more, it really just skirted it instead.

A little more plot/world building than character driven and this would have felt a better book.

This definitely isn't a negative review, it's a unique story line and has so much potential, I'd like to see where the next book takes us.




Reviews on Goodreads, storygraph and Waterstones

I thoroughly enjoyed this paranormal romance set in Boston featuring the occult and trying to exorcise a demon from one of the main characters, what more could you want!

This features a polyamory romance with an MMF ‘hinge’ or ‘V’ dynamic where Rhys has a wife Moira but then gets back to together with his ex boyfriend David (the one with the century old curse). I do wish there was a teeny bit more on page romance but hopefully we can get this in further books.

Rhys got on my nerves a bit a times but i ended up liking him by the time the book finished.

4.5 stars.

I thoroughly enjoyed this paranormal romance set in Boston featuring the occult and trying to exorcise a demon from one of the main characters, what more could you want!

This features a polyamory romance with an MMF ‘hinge’ or ‘V’ dynamic where Rhys has a wife Moira but then gets back to together with his ex boyfriend David (the one with the century old curse). I do wish there was a teeny bit more on page romance but hopefully we can get this in further books.

Rhys got on my nerves a bit a times but i ended up liking him by the time the book finished.

4.5 stars.

i haven't been this excited for a fantasy novel in a bit, maybe because i'm primarily a literary fiction reader, but evocation hit the mark and left me wanting more. that's because david, rhys, and moira are so fun to follow as gibson redefines what a traditional monogamous relationship looks like with trust that the love is there. there's an urgent but kind sense that each character is allowed to learn more about themselves by going after something they want, which is so refreshing. if anything i just wanted to see more of rhys' relationship with moira as well as how the new england academic setting exacerbates david's struggles with alcohol. however, i am so excited to read the next installment of this series for years to come.

this was such a fascinating read! the character dynamics, the plot, the astrology, all of the magic, everything was just so, so interesting.

ST GIBSON HAS ZERO SKIPS!


I am so in love with her writing. I love the way she tackles abuse. I love her characters. The magic she creates.


I will forever recommend her books.

This is the paranormal poly story the world didn't know it needed. It follows David, a skilled occultist who is pretty sure he's being unwillingly possessed. His only hope of finding a solution is to ask Rhys and his newish wife Moira for help. Unfortunately, Rhys is David's estranged ex, and the dynamics are...difficult.

Underneath all of the paranormal excitement, Evocation is about boundaries: how to set them, how to sustain them, how to grow with them. It is the antithesis of the miscommunication trope, which was a breath of fresh air. I enjoyed portrayal of a couple traversing the rocky terrain of transitioning a monogamous relationship into an open one. It felt real and unglorified, raw and full of dichotomy. I also loved seeing a lead couple not only supporting one another, but also holding each other accountable through some big life changes.

The fantasy/paranormal elements were also really well-done, and I loved how Gibson pulled from multiple mystical/spiritual fields and practices to make the magic system. You've got the gambit from Catholicism to Santeria, tarot and summoning to Christian prayer.

Evocation is a great read for anyone who enjoys magical mystery, second chance romance, healthy relationships, real world problems in a paranormal world, topped off with great writing.