3.5 stars
Overall, l enjoyed this book. This felt more like what I have come to expect from Gibson. Evocation, much like its three MCs, is witty, charming and hard to put down. However, the book is mostly character driven and starts to lag with a lack of character development and chemistry toward the middle/end.

Evocation is a dark urban fantasy that navigates the complexities of childhood abuse, alcoholism, addiction, and infidelity. Whilst it definitely tackles a lot of these themes well, I struggled with the developing polyamorous relationship. It felt rushed and seemed to lack the proper development to make the ending result feel right. As friends the three MCs seemed to excel but the dynamic between them just didn’t hit home like I think it was supposed to when their relationship went further.

I enjoyed all the characters individually to an extent, but I felt that Rhys was underwhelming and Moria lent too heavily on Southern stereotypes of Black Women to be a fully three dimensional character. Moria could have been my favourite character if that reliance on stereotypes weren’t so heavy as they were. She was the one with three strongest potential, she kept David in check and made sure that her relationship with Rhys was strong and healthy. She could have been an incredible female MC if she was more relatable and realistic. I however, really loved David and his character development individually throughout the book. He felt very realistic in his struggles and messiness and I think that’s what will keep me going back to this series if Gibson can flesh out the relationship between the three of them more fully.

Evocation is a character driven novel about psychic David who seeks help from his rival and ex-boyfriend, Rhys, and his wife, Moira, before a deal with the devil comes due on his his thirtieth birthday.

Things I loved:
-The writing style. It was decadent and descriptive while also being very accessible and easy to read.
-The characters were so lovely! I was especially drawn to David. Despite his wealthy background and serious disposition I found I was quite taken with him. He was so unloved and just wanted somebody to understand him 🥺
-Polyamory, baby! It was insanely sweet how all three cared for each other in the only ways they knew how while learning what each other needs.
-Dark academia aesthetics. Secret societies, old libraries, academics, gothic vibes. Perfection

Things I didn't like:
-I wish the throuple felt just a teensy bit more natural at points. There was talk of jealousies and insecurities that never seemed be resolved.

All in all I absolutely loved this book to the point where I'm just rereading parts on my kindle over and over again. I cannot wait for the continuation of this series to see what's in store next for my baby David and HIS babies, Rhys and Moira.

Thank you so much to Angry Robot Books (and Caroline especially) for allowing me an early copy to read.

ST Gibson excels at messy relationships between complicated, fully-realized characters. This is my third book I've read by the author and it's become apparent that her books are all very character focused; normally this doesn't work well for me as a plot-driven reader, but so far she's only written bangers.

Moira is an absolute queen and who I want to be when I grow up, ostentatiously purple furry coat and all.

Evocation has a total knockout, stunning, banger of a cover that does the book justice and I can't wait to see where we go from here!

This story was different.
With a rapid pace of narration, the book basically came across as a fantasy film. There were some points that I found unnecessary but others save the story.
The author masters the chemistry between various characters, as well as the logic proposed by the written world.

This book is character driven. We follow the three leads (David, Rhys, and Moira) in their quest to save David from his family’s demon curse. It does a really good job of getting into the details of their jobs and their relationships with each other. However, don’t go into it thinking it will be written similarly to A Dowry of Blood, because you might be disappointed! It is a slower paced book that takes a lot of time on the characters’ inner thoughts and feelings.

I was provided an ARC of this title for free and am leaving this review voluntarily. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

Evocation follows psychically inclined married couple Rhys and Moira, alongside longtime friend David, who also happens to be Rhys’ ex-boyfriend, and the evolution of their dynamic after they are thrust somewhat reluctantly together to riddle out the sickness that has suddenly begun to plague David.

You get the vibe pretty early on of where things are headed, but I still thoroughly enjoyed seeing the way that things unfolded. Overall I really enjoyed this book and the character development throughout.

This was my first S.T. Gibson title and I can say with certainly that I will return for more.

Thank you to the author and Angry Robot Books for the ARC.

Many thanks to Angry Robot for letting me read an eARC of this book in exchange for my honest thoughts!

I am absolutely and utterly obsessed with S.T. Gibson, A Dowry of Blood being one of my favourite books of, let's be honest, all time. So I was obviously very excited to hear about Angry Robot acquiring a new series by the goddess herself.

So the inevitable disappointment may be due to me internally hyping up this book to the stars.

First things first: I read Odd Spirits, the novella that kind of serves as a prequel to this, a couple of years back, and even then, it was my least favourite of her works. I didn't much care for the characters, and I'm pretty sure I have an old review up somewhere addressing my other issues with the book. So, with this returning cast that I already somewhat learned to dislike before even jumping into this book, the odds were not in the books favour. Obviously, that's my fault - I somehow didn't clock that this was a continuation of that story, and that is 100% on me. But okay, whatever, I'm all for redemption, so I gave this a shot!

And it went... okay? I'm finding that I enjoy Gibsons historical settings more than her contemporary ones, mostly because the dialogue never hits with me. I often found myself thinking "Who talks like that?", and yeah, I'm sure that there's people out there that do, but I simply haven't had the pleasure of meeting them. That feeling makes for a really awkward reading experience, with characters you can't find yourself relating to, since they more so feel like caricatures.

The plot was fine, I do love a good family curse, but I do feel like it dragged on a little too much for my own liking. That may also be credited to me not connecting with the characters - things need to me more interesting and move faster if the interpersonal dynamics don't appeal to someone, I understand that.

Ultimately, I definitely set myself up for failure here - I knew I didn't care for the cast, but I drew the connection between this and Odd Spirits a little too late, which again, was due to a lack of reading into it from my side.

I think if you enjoyed OS and urban fantasy settings with some poly rep, which is always a breath of fresh air, you shouldn't be discouraged from giving this a go. That being said, I will not be continuing the series.

The cover is amazing and really pops. I enjoyed this story, it felt magical but morose. The way that Gibson describes everything is incredible.

4.25 Stars!

I absolutely loved the characters, and the relationship dynamic and how it was built up slowly was done really well.

I seriously appreciated how the dynamic worked. And I loved how the magical elements played in it.

On the magical elements, the atmosphere was dark and moody and I loved the use of the occult, and ultimately how the story played out with the demon/devil.

I will say though that the devil aspect is what started out in the story and then there was a big chunk in the middle where more attention and focus was put on the relationship that I kind of forgot about it for a while.

I felt like there could have been a greater sense of urgency in that regard, and it's speaking of the times between character interactions where "weeks went by" and they each worked hard/got lost at their jobs... And there were several like this.

Aside from that issue it was really enjoyable!

Thank you to Angry Robot for the advanced copy!

Where do I even begin? Thank you first and foremost to NetGalley for an arc!! I was so excited for this book so it’s an absolute treat to read and review it early.

This book is about three people mostly… and a demon. Rhys and Moira are married while David is the ex who can’t seem to get out of Rhys’ head. It doesn’t help that they’re both in the same circles and members of the same secret society.

David, an egotistical golden boy, is up to his neck in mediumship work while he’s not playing attorney. He doesn’t seem to notice a demon is taking root in his body until it makes itself very known and who is there to run to but Rhys? Master of the demonic, chronic worrier, solver of problems.

Rhys and Moira are a package deal, however, and all three strike a bargain. You scratch my demonic itch and I’ll scratch yours. David helps Moira get in touch with her spooky side while he offers Rhys a bounty of knowledge in return for a cure for this demonic curse.

Tension runs high in close quarters. Stolen glances turn to touches as emotions begin to mingle, friendships are formed and broken, and dynamics change.

This book is a journey and a half. These characters absolutely shine and jump right off the page. I enjoyed the internal conflict and character growth so so much. It’s a group of people that really *shouldn’t* work but they just do somehow.

It’s so refreshing to read a book that’s so diverse and shines a positive light on sexuality and polyamory. It was genuinely a treat 🖤

4.75
Such a fascinating magic system and depth-full characters!! I’m intrigued to see what everyone thinks when this comes out. Moira was my favorite out of the three characters and I loved all of their individual relationships with each other. The writing style was great, a very unique mix of readable and pretentious (in the way I like!) and the book was so well paced.

Just some cool things: Tarot readings, diverse characters, one of the MCs calling his wife little goddess, a very rude demon, a rich white boy who loves to spoil the ones he cares about AND relatable characters!!

evocation is a wonderful first book in a series, setting up for many different possibilities and full of the occult and messiness

having read both of s t gibsons other books currently out, this definitely has a different style of writing than dowry, but was still as enjoyable and kept me hooked! (being in a reading slump for october/november are part of the reason this took me so long)

the occult/dark magic aspect were so intriguing and i desperately want more, especially regarding david. and my days david is such an interesting character - a family rich pompous man who thinks himself better than others, yet is forced to rethink his view on help and accept that help is okay. it’s so messy and toxic and i kind of loved that? yes it could have had more, especially about rhys and david’s past relationship and cause of break up, they despise each other yet are forced to work together but it’s never really explained where their intense hatred stems from. moira is so sweet and bless her and david slowly growing to find comfort in each other 😭

this book is a story of attractive and messy characters with a history living the life they did not expect, yet are. and i cannot wait to see where this urban fantasy series keeps going!

I’ve always loved S. T. Gibson’s writing and books and this was no exception!
Starting with what I loved about this book is that Saint really knows what she’s talking about. The amount of research done into astrology, occult practise and witchcraft is obvious throughout the story, and you can tell the author has experience in these categories through her writing. The characters were very human, which made them lovable, and out of the bunch, I truly loved David the most. His personality traits and flaws, his struggle with addiction was portrayed well. However, I did notice that compared to dowry the writing wasn’t as poetic and lyrical, which was a bit disappointing for me, but overall Saint always excelled at telling stories in the most magical ways and Evocation truly lived up to it.
As for some of the things I personally felt could’ve been done differently is; for one, I felt the story was a bit dragging towards the middle and there wasn’t much action or new events unfolding.
Overall, I enjoyed reading this and I’m excited for the next books to come out; Highly recommend!

Rhys calls his wife "little goddess" and from the very first moment he said that I fell in love with this story.
Evocation is a contemporary vaguely gothic paranormal novel about generational curses, magic, secret societies, complicated people and love in unlikely configurations. It's incredibly fun, Rhys, Moira and David had such an engaging dynamic and I absolutely adored my time with this!

after having read s.t. gibson's absolutely amazing a dowry of blood (which instantly became one of my all-time favorite books), i was on the edge of my seat for any and all news about her upcoming novels. thanks to angry robot books (& netgalley) i was able to get my hands on an arc copy of this book (which is set to be released in may of 2024) in exchange for an honest review. and i have to say, i really enjoyed it! 

while a dowry of blood is lot more poetic in its prose and deftly deals with some heavy topics, evocation (the first in the summoner's circle series) is sure to appeal to a broader audience, even those who may not have found a dowry of blood to be their cup of tea. it is an adult, urban fantasy novel with lgbt+ characters, plenty of dabblings in magic & the occult, an eventual polyamorous couple, and equally wonderful writing as s.t. gibson's previous works. the strongest, most enjoyable aspect of this story, to me, were the characters and their relationships to one another. s.t. gibson definitely has a way of writing and characterizing her protagonists that makes them feel very real and lived in. especially our protagonist, david -- who reminded me a lot of john constantine from dc comics (and i mean this in a very positive way). our other main characters, rhys and moira, are also given compelling characterizations and serve as a great counter to david -- especially when the lines of their relationship begin to become more muddled. she also does an amazing job writing the chemistry and more heated moments between the three characters in a way that feels genuine, and not forced or cringeworthy -- especially when it comes to any suggestive/sex scenes. 

another aspect i enjoyed reading in evocation was the handling of the polyamory. though i do feel like the transition to the three characters being in a polycule could've been a bit smoother, i also understand that not every journey is perfect. in fact, the characters expressing hesitation and voicing their concerns with each other about this arrangement was a wonderful touch, because it showed how important trust and communication are in not only polyamorous relationships, but in any relationship! so i really appreciated s.t. gibson's commitment to showing a more realistic portrayal of how three people like david, rhys, and moira may come to find themselves as a "throuple". especially considering the baggage and histories that they each bring to the table. i can't wait to see how their relationship develops and functions in future installments to the series!

overall, since i can't give away too much yet, evocation was a really fun ride! it is a very character-driven story, with the relationships between the characters (both platonic and otherwise) serving as the backbone and focus of this first novel. though this means you won't be bombarded with demons and fast-paced action at every turn, that doesn't mean it's not without its magical intrigue and gripping interpersonal drama and development. i found evocation to be both a compelling read on its own, as well as one that perfectly set the stage (in terms of its worldbuilding and characters) for future books to come in the series. i seriously can't wait for more david, rhys and moira adventures! 💗

I absolutely enjoyed this book. I loved the character dynamics and their relationships, as well as their development.

3.5 ✰ “I’d rather be exceptional than average.“

Thank you to the publishing team of Angry Robot Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for an honest review.

S. T. Gibson has a great talent to portray complicated characters and Evocation acts as proof of that. The novel is character driven, with queer representation and sprinkles of magic.

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“𝐆𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐭𝐬 𝐰𝐞𝐫𝐞 𝐫𝐢𝐩𝐩𝐥𝐞𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐭𝐫𝐚𝐮𝐦𝐚 𝐞𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐭𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐠𝐡 𝐭𝐡𝐞 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐢𝐧𝐠 𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐥𝐝, 𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐧𝐝𝐞𝐫𝐬 𝐨𝐟 𝐡𝐨𝐫𝐫𝐢𝐛𝐥𝐞 𝐝𝐞𝐚𝐭𝐡𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐛𝐫𝐨𝐤𝐞𝐧 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭𝐬 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐥𝐨𝐧𝐠, 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐚𝐠𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐥𝐦𝐬 𝐑𝐡𝐲𝐬 𝐰𝐚𝐬𝐧'𝐭 𝐫𝐞𝐚𝐝𝐲 𝐭𝐨 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐭𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐥𝐚𝐭𝐞.“

𝐒𝐲𝐧𝐨𝐩𝐬𝐢𝐬: As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society. But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door. Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good.

𝐓𝐚𝐠𝐬: 𝐞𝐱𝐞𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐫𝐢𝐯𝐚𝐥𝐬 𝐭𝐨 𝐥𝐨𝐯𝐞𝐫𝐬, 𝐟𝐨𝐫𝐜𝐞𝐝 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐱𝐢𝐦𝐢𝐭𝐲, 𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐞 𝐩𝐬𝐲𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐜 𝐰𝐢𝐭𝐡 𝐚 𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐫𝐭 𝐨𝐟 𝐠𝐨𝐥𝐝, 𝐝𝐚𝐫𝐤 𝐚𝐜𝐚𝐝𝐞𝐦𝐢𝐚, 𝐦𝐚𝐠𝐢𝐜 𝐥𝐞𝐬𝐬𝐨𝐧𝐬, 𝐬𝐞𝐜𝐫𝐞𝐭 𝐬𝐨𝐜𝐢𝐞𝐭𝐲, 𝐩𝐨𝐥𝐲𝐚𝐦𝐨𝐫𝐨𝐮𝐬 “𝐕“.

Gibson’s writing feels a bit different in this one, if you’ve read A Dowry of Blood, you know that one of the main characteristics is the purple prose, which intimidates a lot of people. Evocation, on the other hand, it’s easier on the reader.

David, complicated and bad tempered as he is, was by far my favorite character. His family history was compelling and I found myself wanting for more of it all the time. Moira was a close second, the way she makes everyone around her feel at ease, and her dynamic with David were some of my favorite things in the book.

The world-building is easy to grasp, and yet, fascinating. If you love reading about scrying, the horoscope, and demons definitely check this out once it’s released in May of 2024.

Now, the romance was what lost me a little, mainly for two reasons. One, it was clear from the very beginning that one of the characters was in love with the other, but it didn’t feel reciprocated, and I didn’t see the chemistry between them at all, in fact, their whole relationship and interactions felt toxic, at best. But of course, I will be here reading the second book because I desperately need to know what is going to happen with them.

If you love a book with no plot just vibes (like me), you’re going to adore this.

Lots of things in this one, magic, tarot cards with demons and possession. When a man is in trouble the only person he can call is his ex, who is now married. David and Rhys have this tense relationship, when David becomes possessed and needs Rhys and his wife to save him, I love this trio with their complicated relationship, the characters stay the same from start to finish, but it is set over a relatively short time period. There are a few side characters thrown in there too.

This is a mix between literary fiction and fantasy, there is this low running plot line but for me it was all about the characters. I think the author has been clever in the way this is written as it will appeal to those who like literary fiction and those who want a fantasy plot line.

My sincerest thanks to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for a copy of "Evocation" in exchange for an honest review.

I'm obsessed. I'm floored. I love it. And I will be very, very sad if this book doesn't get an edgier, longer sequel. There is so much material in here for an emotional urban fantasy trilogy.

"Evocation" is set in the Boston occultist underground and the quiet grittiness of the world was one of my favourite parts of the novel. The story revolves around a cast of psychics, occultists, sorcerers, witches, mediums, and more. One such medium, a rich asshole named David, gets possessed by a demon that may have just made a deal with one of his great-great-great Russian grandfathers in the 16th century, and now said demon is trying to kill David. So David has to enlist the help of his ex-boyfriend, Rhys, and Rhys's current wife, Moira, to undemonify himself. And of course, this leads to juicy *shenanigans* which I don't want to spoil but I was definitely biting my nails. Yeah, had a great time with this. Heavy emphasis on urban magic and religious superstition in here, coupled with a delicious and angsty dynamic between the three main characters who are quite lovable as individuals and are also well fleshed-out (see: the asshole, the nerd, and the sunshine). Observing David's character arc develop throughout the story was especially satisfying for me.

I think the text needs another round of copy edits. And I'd maybe like to see a bit more worldbuilding, just to raise the stakes of the whole shebang. But overall, I adored this book. Probably one of my favourite ARCs from 2023. "Evocation" is very much in the vein of Olivie Blake's SFF books, so check it out when it hits the shelves if you're into that (like I am).

And I don't want to be that person, but this absolutely clears "An Education In Malice", lol.

Evocation strength resides in its characters. You’ll fall in love with David, Rhys and Moira. You have to. David is our MC, a psychic who clearly has some issues (but he’s working on them). Rhys is David's ex-boyfriend, and Moira’s husband. He’s a sorcerer, while Moira is an astrologer/witch. I loved to see how their dynamic evolved throughout the book. S.T. Gibson has a talent to blur the edges between friendship and love!

In Evocation, you’ll find secret societies, a family curse, traumas, demons and magic. But don’t forget that it’s really character-driven. They stole the show, and even though I’m deeply attached to the plot when I read a book, I couldn’t help myself. I was drawn to them, to their chemistry.

My fav is Moira, she was like a sun to me. I didn’t expect to love her this much, but I craved for more ! A bit like our two male characters haha. I can’t wait to see how they all fit together in the next book.

Read Evocation if you want a queer story with a gothic setting, a polyamorous relationship, and beautiful writing