This is my first ever S.T. Gibson book and it most certainly won’t be my last. I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with and ARC of this book.
Evocation follows David, his ex partner Rhys and Rhys’s wife Moira as they navigate the difficulties of relationships, and the occult. David and Rhys are members of a secretly occult society, with David being able to channel and communicate with the dead, Rhys can conjure almost any demon and Moria is a witch. When David realises he may be possessed and everything isn’t quite as it seems, he doesn’t know who else to turn to, and when they offer to help him everything changes.
Whilst I really enjoyed the occult aspects of this book the part I enjoyed the most was watching the natural development of a polyamorus relationship and the real journey that they all went on. It was such a character study into each of them and the rollercoaster of emotions each of them went through, and how they realised that communication is the most important thing. I do wish we had more time with the 3 of them together and how they navigate life, this is a true slow burn so there wasn’t any time after they’d decided to see what happens next.
tThis felt like an opening to a world full of impossible and so many more stories to explore. I really hope there will be more books within this world.

This was absolutely amazing.

The plot, the writing, the characters. Everything!!


I expected nothing less of S.T. Gibson,

What really works in ST's books is the character exploration . Evocation isn't high action or plot dense but it's not trying to be. I think the plot is thinner than AEIM, which was thinner than ADOB, but it's character exploration and setting are probably my favourite.

Between the main trio, David and Moira were easy favourites. I really liked the work they put into developing an emotional connection. This series plans to have a book for each character and David is clearly the main character this time around. Rhys and David have off page history so we see less of the development between them but I would have liked to see more between the two of them.

The writing also leans less lyrical than in S.T. previous books but it's a good change for the contemporary setting. There was also such good humour through the whole book! I have so many highlights of favourite lines which is rare for me.

If you are a fan of S.T. Gibson's previous books youre sure to love this as well. I can't wait for the next instalment!

happy release day to evocation @stgibsonauthor!

Evocation is the newest release from one of my favourite authors and also the first book in ST Gibson’s new series ‘The Summoner’s Circle”. The book really solidified ST Gibsons ranking of one of my all time favourite authors and is placed on my instant purchase list. Huge thank you to @stgibsonauthor, Angry Robot, Tantor Audio and @netgalley for an ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. Since I received both the audiobook and e-book I can easily say that Evocation can be experienced in multi formats and still be amazing (plus Oscar Reyes’ narration of the audiobook is fantastic!) Everyone needs to pick up this book to experience by baby girl David! Evocation should be your next read if you like:

🔮 triple POV
🔮the occult
🔮dark academia
🔮a messy threesome/polyamorous relationship
🔮paranormal
🔮character driven
🔮queer romance
🔮secret societies
🔮exes to rivals to lovers

tw: alcohol abuse, physical abuse, childhood trauma

synopsis - The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.
 
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…
 
The first book in a spellbinding and vibrant new series from The Sunday Times bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood.

wish i had better words to describe why this book was a hit for me, all my brain is capable at the moment is: St. Gibson has done it again.

I really really loved everything about this novel. The occult, the urban setting, the characters (the mature and immature aspects of all of them), the demons, the rituals, the tarot, and the astrology. I ate it up! I enjoyed the way all of the characters interacted with each other and the summoning ghostly underground that these lawyers and scholars moonlight as. The whole vibe of the novel was so interesting.

That being said my only thing with this book, was that I wanted more demons, more ghosts, more possession-type events. The book was more about the relationship all of the characters had with each other —and I wanted a bit more : 🔮👻🔪🩸🕯️.

I think overall I was expecting something a little different than what I went into. But it wasn’t enough to really detract from my opinion of the novel. If you like occulty queer thruples and their shenanigans—check this out! 🥰

Tremendous THANK YOU to Angry Robot books and NetGalley for absolutely blessing me with a gifted copy of this book for me to review. It was lovely!

(my review will post to TikTok with the book tour on the 31st -- will share the link once posted)

This is my first S.T. Gibson, although they are already prolific in the dark academia space. The DA of this novel worked immensely well, it was the polyamory that I struggled with (it read more like a messy threesome than true poly). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Oooooooooooh, David, David, David. Mr. Aristarkhov. God, what a character. My man, my babygirl, my legal advisor. Never would have thought I could one day warm up to that asshole from Odd Spirits, but this was an excquisite exploration of privileged rich kid bottom-ry, and here I am now, stanning a blonde. (I feel like I say this every time I take a liking to a blond fictional man, but the Lestats of this world really are outliers for me.)

Odd Spirits itself is one of my favourite pieces of short format fiction, so I was naturally jumping at the chance to get an eARC of the sequel and simultaneous new introduction to David's, Rhys' and Moira's antics, extending their relationship into a throuple in V-form. Evocation gets into the lore behind David's arrogant demeanor, allows glimpes of the reasons for Rhys' and David's breakup, and a introduces a demonic bargain David's Russian oligarch father kept secret for too long. I'm not sure if one should start with this installment, when the Odd Spirits novella is still out there, but I guess you might.

David carried this novel on his chiselled, burnt-out, white-boy shoulders. Sure, it's "his" book, but he outshines the other protagonists in this multi-POV book because he alone is allowed to be nasty, messy, and - for the largest part - unapologetic. Rhys and Moira, meanwhile... well, they are just there. My favourite aspect of Odd Spirits were the niche paranormal topics picked up for each of their urban magic systems, but that wasn't so much the focus as an afterthought in Evocation. Mainly, the two were there to discuss where their marriage is going.

And guys, yes, of course, a couple who consider opening or extending their relationship into a polyamorous one should absolutely discuss the terms and conditions beforehand, should check back with each other, set their priorities etc. etc. BUT my god, this is fiction, and the return of Rhys attraction to David didn't have to be so endlessly ruminated. Moira was okay with it, Moira even suggested it first, and yet the same conversations were being repeated over and over again? The scene where she hands Rhys a book on ethical non-monogamy (I don't even care to look up that part to check which exact term is being used) was where I got completely thrown out of the plot and never quite made my way back in.

In Gibson's latest releases, the need for the content to be morally squeaky clean is noticeable, and it doesn't work to this book's advance either. I was very disappointed to hear that while yes, Odd Spirits will be reprinted! and reprinted to fit in with the gorgeous look of the rest of the series! there would also be editorial changes to the content to remove the biphobia of the previous edition. Which... let me get this straight, the author, who is to my knowledge bisexual herself, erases the alleged biphobia (Moira's fear of "not being enough" for her husband, which is resolved in a very neat, touching way in the original publication), which is the main conflict of that story?

I can't call this practice anything other than window dressing, and it started appearing in Gibson's works once she was picked up by a major publisher imo. It takes away some of my enjoyment of her sometimes achingly beautiful prose. I think back to my experience of reading A Dowry of Blood and I'm afraid that kind of finger-biting subtlety and eroticism simply isn't going to happen again. It's a pity and a waste! You can count on me to still read the edit

I adored this book! I love the dynamic between the three main character. I thought Rhys would be my favorite. Turns out I LOVED David and Moria, The platonic friendship/love between them made me so happy.

I really liked the twists and I can't wait to read book 2 whenever that comes out!

I love S.T. Gibson's writing and have adored everything I have read of theirs, two this year have been 5 stars in my eyes!

I love every one of the books S.T. Has been putting out. The inclusion mixed with the Poly couples is such a refreshing read. I enjoyed this one just like the rest, I’m used to the vampire world.


It did feel a little more ‘diet version’ of the rest. But I still fully enjoyed watching the relationships develop
Thank you for this arc!

S.T. Gibson's prose and use of language are masterful. Her ability to create messy characters you care deeply about is incredible. But the plot and timeline left me feeling underwhelmed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the e-arc!

Thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for granting my wish! I read an eARC of this on my kindle.

4.5 stars rounded up - This book was amazing. Polyamorous representation, complicated relationships, real tarot readings.

This book was difficult to put down, compelling, and emotionally charged. I felt sympathy for Rhys' frustration, and a deep connection to Moira's emotional intelligence and intuition, and David's drive to earn his worth was extremely relatable. These all felt like flawed, confused, deeply real characters in a deeply real world.

This book did feel primarily like a romance, and I got the feeling that Gibson was setting up a world and a set of relationships for more books in the future - which I will definitely buy - rather than telling a single story. I don't mind this! If you're looking for a plot-driven page turner, you might want to skip.

This is an extremely character-driven book. If you feel like the character's faults outweigh their relatability or their benefits, this book might not be for you, because wrestling with their faults is a large part of what makes the book good, in my opinion. Coming to terms with your own faults, and the faults of others, and even the faults in relationship cycles you keep finding yourself in. Examining them, and choosing to move forward.

As a polyamorous person, I found the polyamorous themes to be very genuine. Polyamorous people experience jealousy. Polyamorous people experience fear of being cheated on. Polyamorous people are worried about being second place. The thing that Polyamorous relationships have is communication. They tell each other that they are feeling jealous or scared or nervous, when it's appropriate to do so. They acknowledge and recognize those feelings, and have open communication with themselves and with others about those feelings. That...was all in there. I think reviews saying that Moira was cheated on, or that there are themes of infidelity, are missing the point.

I also just want to speak briefly on how I found the tarot so meaningful. David as the hanged man? Representing a need to slow down, observe, and learn? To evaluate one's life, and relationships, and spiritual growth? The hanged man is bound, unable to act, and must look internally if things are to change. The hanged man cannot change his outward world, he must change his inner one.

I loved this world, and will revisit it any time.

“𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁.”

I really wanted to love this one, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t find the overall story very engaging for me and found it a bit slow going. I did enjoy the authors writing style tho, and I still want to read more from this author! I know a lot of others loved this one 🙌.

The story itself is very character driven, but unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with these characters and their strange love triangle.

On a positive note, I did love the occult vibes and the characters individual talents and traits, such as Maria being able to feel the feelings of the dead and how her security blanket is sweets (can definitely relate to that lol). I do really wish I could have gotten more into this one!

A very fond four stars. Evocation features S.T. Gibson's beautiful and intricate character writing. The relationship dynamics are lovingly complex and develop well throughout the book. The narrative is full of varied flavors of occultism, intertwined with social politics.

The first half of the book lacked the emotional potency I come to expect from this author, but there is quite a bit of exposition to get through and the payoff is good for the most part. The character development in particular excelled from start to finish.

There were a couple issues with plot. One is that there were a lot of threads: three relationship pairs, the three together, as well as personal histories, alcohol abuse, generational curses, secret society politics, and ghosts. I think it absolutely makes sense for a book with these particular characters to feel messy and chaotic, but I do wish the individual threads were more potent.

My second issue was that the main mystery felt a bit lackluster and obvious from the beginning, and I found myself wondering what the described frenzied research could have possibly entailed.
Overall it was a very enjoyable read, I adored the characters (by the end anyway), and will happily pick up any more stories about these three.

Romance blossoms in the most unconventional manners sometimes. When past and present collide and as one person is in need to magical assistance, our characters learn that relying on each other is both necessary and desired. I enjoyed this character-driven story full of supernatural turmoil. The author has a way of bringing the romance together in a very natural progression.

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Angry Robot, and author S.T. Gibson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you to NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book in exchange for my honest opinions.

This book wasn’t for me! I didn’t like how the FMC was treated! And I couldn’t relate to any of the characters. The plot fell flat for me! The romantic aspect felt off and rushed in some ways!

I loved Dowry of Blood but I had to force myself to trudge through this one!

This one wasn’t it for me 2/5 stars.

“So, this was what real friendship was: an immovable object staring you down saying they weren’t going anywhere, thank you very much.”
S.T. Gibson digs into the complexities of addiction, generational trauma, and relationships in Evocation, the first book in her Summoner’s Circle series. The clock is ticking for David, a charismatic lawyer/medium who is beginning to understand the price his ancestors paid for success. Unfortunately, his best chance at escaping his family’s curse is enlisting the help of his ex-boyfriend, Rhys, a relentless academic and demonology expert. The hostility between them is mediated by Rhys’s wife, Moria, a Southern woman whose Tarot skills are surpassed only by her ability to navigate the trio’s complicated — and sometimes toxic — dynamic.
For me, Moira was the unexpected anchor of the story. As David struggles with addiction and Rhys fights to earn his place in their occult society’s social ladder, she is equal parts aggressive hospitality and blunt honesty. Without her to ground them, the boys would never get anything done.
For the sake of avoiding spoilers, I’ll say that the relationships in Evocation are nuanced with a tinge of codependency that, while problematic, is realistic given the characters’ pasts. One of the things that Gibson does well is avoiding reductive depictions of polyamory and really engaging with the delicate conversations around their situation. My favorite element of the book by far was the characters’ willingness to bear witness to each other’s lives and create safe spaces when they’re struggling. Labels and histories aside, they genuinely care for each other, and they share a protective urge that drives their most interesting choices.
The last quarter of the novel is where I decided to take off a star. As much as I loved the premise, I felt like the ending served mainly as a set-up for the sequel. The resolution was too easy, too quick, and neglected to at least hint at the consequences of their actions. I’m sure repercussions will be the subject of book 2, but I wanted that sense of foreboding that pushes me to keep reading the series. Instead, it felt like the author was uncomfortable leaving the reader with some tension, and the “happy ending” felt forced.
That’s not to say I won’t read the next book; I did love the dark academia, Supernatural vibes, and Queer romance. I’ll just probably wait until release day instead of reading an ARC like I did for this one. I do expect this book to do well based on its tropes and interesting characters, and I hope that the next one will resolve my issues with the ending.

Really enjoyed this book! Rhys’ relationship with Moira is to die for and filled me with butterflies constantly. Also, I loved David, sorry not sorry he is amazing and is doing his best. The character development and relationship development/dynamic was probably my favorite part of this story. Astrology/tarot isn’t really my thing but this book had me reconsidering and revisioning my life and becoming a witch.

This book follows a complex story of secret societies, generational curses, childhood trauma, addiction, magic, and complicated people.

Though I am not a classic RH fan, I can get on board with a well written poly relationship. So after enjoying A Dowry of Blood, I definitely wanted to give this one a try. It wasn't everything I had hoped for unfortunately. I felt the relationship wasn't quite developed.. I just didn't feel the connection and just all around it felt lacking. The gothic vibes and curse story-line were intriguing but not enough to really hook into me and keep me up at night, needing to read just one more chapter. A middle of the road, 3 stars read.

A perfect paranormal romance full of astrology, tarot readings, seances, and of course demon possession. This is a satisfying look at the beginning stages of a bi polyamorous love triangle, including a second chance romance in the form of exes to rivals to lovers. I loved each of the MCs and appreciated how each relationship grew on its own timeline. Book two cannot come soon enough!