This is the second book in the series and I was quite excited to this sequel to know more about one our protagonists. Again the author was able to deliver whatever I had expected in this installment.
The characters kept me hooked and the plotline well paced throughout the book. I had a great time reading this part.

Unfortunately, Ascension wasn’t as exciting as I’d hoped going into it after I really enjoyed Evocation. The fact the book was so focused on Rhys was ultimately why I didn’t enjoy it because I don’t particularly like him as a character :/ his woe is me attitude is not fun to read, and even when you got other character POVs… everything was still about Rhys.

I’m much prefer Gibson’s standalone novels. They pack more of a punch for me.

Unfortunately I did not enjoy book 1 and chose not to continue this story. I felt like everything was forced and I had no connection to the characters.

Ascension picks up right where Evocation left off, thrusting us deeper into the arcane world of Boston’s secret Society with Rhys newly appointed as High Priest. But while the stakes should feel higher, the book leans more introspective than explosive—an intimate, character-driven continuation rather than a plot-heavy sequel.

What S.T. Gibson does exceptionally well is character complexity, especially when it comes to the emotional intricacies of polyamorous relationships. David, Moira, and Rhys form a magical triad, and their connection feels lived-in and vulnerable. Moira, as always, steals every scene she’s in—regal, grounded, and magnetic. David offers warmth and inner conflict that makes his presence resonate. Rhys, meanwhile, takes center stage, and while his ambition is understandable, it’s not always easy to empathize with. That may be the point—Ascension is as much about Rhys unraveling as it is about him rising.

Where Evocation bristled with danger and emotional chaos, Ascension is quieter, more meditative. For some readers, this will feel like a natural deepening of the series' themes; for others, like me, it might drag at times. There are glimpses of brilliance—rituals woven with reverence, subtle magic systems grounded in real occult traditions, and fleeting sparks of drama in the final chapters—but the pacing often feels more filler than fire.

There are also moments where the emotional balance of the trio feels uneven. Moira and Rhys’ marriage seems more foundational than Rhys and David’s romance, which at times felt neglected. And while the book is full of progressive language and earnest communication, it occasionally veers into the territory of “therapy speak” in a way that can feel more performative than organic.

Still, Gibson’s prose remains lush and lyrical, and the world she’s building is undeniably compelling. For fans of gothic urban fantasy, polyamory, and morally messy magic users, there’s a lot to love here—even if this installment doesn't quite summon the storm its predecessor did.

I really like the writing style of S.T. Gibson and the depth of her character building. That said, I couldn’t stand Rhys AT ALL in this part. While David’s character really had good development, I couldn’t understand how Moira and David didn’t leave Rhys. He was such a egoistic crybaby. Also, I didn’t understand the storyline. Sadly, the book lacked some overall plot. I understand that it was more character-focused, but with Rhys being the main character I needed something other to focus on. I will read the next part of the series though, because I’m still interested in how they solve the main plot with the demon.

Thank you, NetGalley & Angry Robot for this ARC.

I wanted to love this so badly. Reading Evocation was so fun, and I was pumped to start Ascension. However... I couldn't get into it, I'm not sure what it was, maybe I was reading it at a weird time, but I ended up setting it down after the first few chapters. S.T. Gibson is unmatched in dark academia, but this one got the best of me. Hopefully, I'll love it when I pick it up again in the future.

Ascension cements ST Gibson as a master of queer, gothic occult fiction. If you loved Evocation, this sequel will captivate you, especially with its respectful portrayal of queer polyamory and occult themes—though be sure to check the triggers, as it’s not for everyone.

The story delves deep into the minds of Moira, David, and especially Rhys, whose troubling choices and rise to High Priest create intense, sometimes difficult, drama. While I found Rhys less likable here, Moira and David remain compelling, and their dynamic is a highlight.

Gibson bravely explores complex, flawed characters and the spiritual and emotional turmoil that comes with power and ambition. The polyamorous relationships and occult elements are handled with care and nuance, avoiding common stereotypes. A gripping, thoughtful read for fans of dark, character-driven stories.

I need everyone to know that I read Evocation, the first book in the Summoner's Circle series, last year and my review of that book is me mostly just rambling about my roomba AND I still somehow managed to get an arc for this book. I will take this as a sign from the universe to stop feeling bad whenever the little ADHD goblin in my brain goes off the rails when writing my book reviews. After all, it has got me here!

I will admit, I was a bit scared when I started this. I adored Evocation and I wasn't sure if S.T. Gibson could do that again and even better. Especially as Ascension focuses on Rhys, who I admittedly didn't care much for in the first book. But not only did Gibson write a book beyond all my expectations, I also fell in love with Rhys.

So, yes, we follow Rhys, the new High Priest of the Society, who has everything under control and is happily in love with his wife AND boyfriend. Right? Right? Well, no. Unfortunately, from Rhys' perspective and to the absolute delight of mine; he is the architect of his own misery. He is ambitious, craves perfection and fears failure - he is just like me, except obviously for the fact that I have this very serious condition called being very tired all the time which means that I very rarely do anything. And honestly? I think that might be for the best. Have you ever done something very stupid? Because I have and I think it's thanks to my condition that I haven't done stupid things to the extent as Rhys has. Yet. Who knows about the future, am I right fellas?

And somewhere between the pages (of the e-book which I tried to but actual physical bookmark in. In my defense, I was very tired.) I had my oh moment. I not only fell in love with Rhys but I also recognized myself in him. He struggles with social situations and finding the right thing to say. He worries. He hyperfixates on things everyone think are small and meaningless but matter a great deal to him. He wants to prepare for every single situation that might happen. He wants people to like him. He is greedy, he wants it all. And he is so obviously so very autistic but he hasn't just figured it out yet. As an autistic person myself, I have never in my life related to a character as much as I did to Rhys. Not a fictional character, once again, making me understand and love the parts of myself I tend to hate. I fear it happens to the best of us.

And I think what I loved most about this book and its characters is that they don't make fun of him for it. Yes, he is a little weird but that's Rhys and they love him.

It was a very validating and comforting read for me. A lot of the traits Rhys has and the things he says and does, are the very same as mine. And for example, I saw a few people say how it was too obvious that this one character was bad and how it was just Rhys who noticed was unrealistic. I am here to assure you, it's very real. It happens all the time. Even as a kid, I met someone for the first time and felt the bad vibes immediately. And as a child with much less masking skills and understanding of social situations, I might have even said that this person has bad vibes, I do not like them.... but not once in my life have I been wrong about someone.

Regardless of that, let me just; *shakes Rhys* you are so stupid, you should talk to people about your problems and not just handle it on your own. (I say this like I ever talk about my own problems to anyone and don't just try to handle it all on my own.) And actually while I am at it *shakes David* everything I just said to Rhys? Yeah, applies to you too. Don't worry, I still love you guys, none of us are perfect. Expect, of course, for Moira, who is a literal goddess and has the patience of a saint. Moira, I love you with all my heart.

After Evocation, I was expecting a bit heavier plot and more angst but this book is very much story about Rhys and his growth and development as a person as well as his relationship with Moira and David. Personally, I do not mind this at all. I think the somewhat a lack of plot fits this book and Rhys perfectly. Like I said already and another character said in the book too, he is the architect of his own misery. It's not an outside force causing all of this. The story starts and ends with Rhys. Now I am going to do something very Rhys and worry that I didn't word that properly.

Also, I just love books that are very character focused. And I adore the relationship between Rhys, Moira and David and how they grew together during this book. Does everyone understand their relationship? Is it perfect? And so on- I would like you to show me a perfect relationship. I will wait. (This is me genuinely asking, I have never been in a relationship nor do I crave one. To me, all relationships are work of fiction which I do not understand one way or another.) I think what they have makes sense to them, it works for them and they are happy and that is all that matters.

So. I think Ascension is an absolutely incredible book. It did take me a while to actually get into it but once I finally did, I couldn't put this down. I wasn't expecting to love this more than the first book but, again, here we are. Would highly recommend!

To sum up all I just said; a polyamorous relationship? Demons? A secret(-ish) society? A man consumed with catholic guilt? A very obviously autistic character who just hasn't figured out they are autistic yet? Perfect, no notes. Beyond excited about the next book. S.T. Gibson I hope your pillow is always cool on both sides.

Thank you so much Angry Robot and NetGalley for the e-ARC.

As much as I loved Evocation, I struggled a bit with this one. It took me a lot longer than I expected to read this, because I found myself struggling to care about Rhys as much as this story wanted me to. I love Moira, and David's well enough, but I really wanted Moira to have more screen time. She's the only one with a fully functioning brain and the least annoying (/mostly positive) in the group, but her development felt a bit sidelined in order for Rhys and David to shine.

Overall, the plot was... not really existent. If this was a standalone or an in-between novella like Odd Spirits was, I'd be fine with that. But as a fully fledged novel as a sequel to a book that DID have a plot, it felt like we're just here to make this an X book long series instead of a duology. I would've loved this to be a neat continuation or even end to the demon storyline in book 1, but it didn't really give me much other than character development of characters I'm still in the middle of the road on.

Thank you to AngryRobot and Netgalley for this free ARC in exchange for an honest review.

As an avid fan of Evocation I had very high expectations and in terms of actual plot - this 100% delivered. I loved the concept behind it, the separate segmentations of magicians/occultists coming together to solve the mystery of the strange ritual being solved and the inclusion of more fringe characters from the first book really did work for me. Having Antoni, Nathan, Kitty and Leda all take more prominent roles within this instalment allowed the world to grow.

In that aspect I have no problems - I loved the side characters and I loved the plot My issues came more from the three main characters, all of whom simply fell flat. Rhys, already the weakest of the three characters in my opinion, felt eye-roll worthy for the majority of the book and, where we were expected to feel pity for him was only annoyance. Moira somehow felt less independent and strong than she did in the first book despite us constantly being told that she was showing more agency and taking control of her life and marriage. And David... somehow fell into the background of his own story.

3.5

Oh well.
I really liked the first book in Gibson's Summoner's Circle - I liked the world, I liked the characters, I liked the relationship building between them. So obviously I had high hopes for the sequel - there are quite some lingering questions after book 1's finale. It does have very little impact on book 2, though, with the whole curse kind of being completely sidelined in favour of an exploration of Rhys' workaholic ways and the pressure he puts himself under. Rhys was, even though I liked him, my least favourite character in book 1 - so maybe it's just that the focus of the book wasn't my personal cup of the tea that made it less enjoyable. I felt like at least he was consistent with what we learned about him in book 1, though - David on the other hand sometimes felt like a new character. Moira barely has anything to do at all, she's mostly there to further Rhys' story and be the only adult in the room.

I simply didn't care all too much, the story was rather boring, the stakes too low, and at times I felt like Gibson was writing a manual about how to succeed in polyamorous relationships using all the social media buzzwords instead of really focusing on what works for the characters. I also never really quite could leave the feeling behind that Moira and Rhys' marriage was set on a much higher pedestal, while Rhys' and David's/ Moira and David's relationships often felt undervalued. It is an issue that the text deals with, David is very self-conscious about his place in the couple, but they ended up in a weirdly imbalanced, unsatisfying way.
But maybe my hopes were just too high.

Still, Gibson's writing is beautiful as ever and I do think that if you liked the first book, you should try this one out - I'm simply still chasing the high from Gibson's "A Dowry of Blood" which remains to this day probably my favourite Dracula kind-of-retelling. There's still a lot to love in "The Summoner's Circle" and "Ascension" specifically, it just didn't give me, personally, what I was looking for in it.

This book was one of my most anticipated reads, and I have to say I was not disappointed.

It’s the second book in The Summoner’s Circle, an exciting urban fantasy series with witches, summoners and other magic practitioners. The novels are character-driven, so we learn much about Rhys, David and Moira, their feelings, thoughts and relationships. If you enjoyed The Atlas Six, you should give this series a chance.

In Ascension, the plot focuses on Rhys, his ascent to High Priesthood, his ambition and his desire to change the society. As his research and summonings become increasingly dangerous, his defences are weakening…

I think I enjoyed this book more than Evocation. The stakes were higher, the pacing better, and the side characters played a bigger role in the plot. Where Evocation felt a bit claustrophobic in its focus on Rhys, Moira and David, in Ascension, we learn more about the different factions of the occult scene and are introduced to other complex characters, like David’s old crush Max. We also see more of David’s sister Leda, which was entertaining.

To sum up, I think it’s an excellent urban fantasy novel and cannot wait for the next instalment in this series.

4.5 upped to 5
I love this book, a bit less than Evocation but I was glad to catch up with Rhys, Moira, and David. Rhys got what he wanted but he's also fighting with his inner demons and living a complex and apparently happy relationship with Moira and David.
Moira is a great woman, would love to meet her. David is as cheeky and multilayered as was in the first book.
Don't expect world shattering twist but it feels like a book that drives you to the next one making you learn more about the characters and how they related to their demons (inner and external)
Read it and have fun
Many thanks to Angry Robot for this digital copy, all opinions are mine.

This was a good follow-up to the first book. I'm still curious as to where the author will ultimately go with these characters, but I felt less engaged than with the first book. Maybe I don't like Rhys as much as the other characters. He's a little self-centered which generally rubs me the wrong way. I would still read another book when/if the series continues, but I hope it centers around Moira or David, possibly one of the more minor characters. I do love that this is set in Boston. The author captures the local vibe without making hideous mistakes (like some others do) with the setting.

Okay, look. I’ve gotta apologise in advance because this review is gonna be pretty much entirely negative. I have pushed myself arduously through the first third of it, and I do not think I can force myself to endure it much longer.

To preface, I don’t particularly enjoy the first book, but I didn’t hate it either. I found it mostly lacking, but with a few decent bits. Every single one of those decent bits was chopped to bits and thrown out for this installment.

To start out… it’s just simply *boring*. Nothing happens, and nothing is poised to happen. Book 1 left off after this huge thing where they cheated the devil and book 2 is just surface level conversations between people about… nothing at all. The whole plot for this is supposed to be that some mystery person set up some occult display in the city and the occult people are worried it’ll reflect poorly on them. But it’s just kinda brought up in a “this is gonna be the plot” kinda way yet it… doesn’t actually become the plot? It’s just focused on super cardboard interactions between characters and droning dialogue about absolutely nothing. Like I swear to you in 100+ pages NOTHING has happened, not a single thing. HOW did we go from cheating the devil and severing an old blood magic deal to this??? There is no point here, no purpose. What am I supposed to be reading here and why??

It really feels just like exceptionally lazy writing all around, because not only was plot thrown out the window so was EVERY BIT OF CHARACTERISATION that was developed in the first book. The one shining light of book one for me was the dynamic and relationship between Rhys and David. All of that is just wiped away in this book. These are barely the same characters from book 1 and they certainly do not have even remotely the same dynamic/relationship/etc. Every single one of them is now written in the same flat boring one dimensional way as the other. I can’t count how many times I had to stop during this and try and use context clues to figure out who is talking or whatever because there’s no individuality or nuance left. Not only that, but she’s managed to somehow give them all the most insufferable edge that’s just exhausting to read. I really quite liked David from book one - he was a complex character with complex motivations, charming and witty, a flawed human whose personality grew from trauma… and in this one he’s just a one dimensional yes man with a side of cringey modern idk instagram bro? It’s so weird.

Overall it really felt like this book was written by an entirely different person than the first. But as a disclaimer, I did read this via the ARC from NetGalley which was approved days before it published - so I’m unsure how accurate the version I’m reviewing is to the version that’s now out. To note, the ARC was absolutely packed full of typos, grammatical errors, and continuity errors. It very much read like an initial rough rough draft with zero editing. Perhaps they’ve altered some of these points in the published version? I’ve read the preview on Amazon for the published ebook and the entire preview is the same as the ARC but admittedly it doesn’t really start flying off the rails until a little further in.

In the end, my opinion is this absolutely was not for me and I would not actively recommend it to anyone. However, if you enjoyed book 1 it’s always worth giving it a try to see if it does work for you. There’s lots of highly rated reviews on Goodreads at the moment, which means people are getting things out of this that I obviously didn’t get, and that’s great!

Appreciate the opportunity to read the eARC

I enjoyed this book. I ❤️ Moira forever. Loved getting to know the characters more. I would love to see a bit more time spent in the plot. We have high stakes events that resolve a bit with a fizzle but I still really had a good time!

Just as good as Evocation! I love these characters and S.T. Gibson writing. I cannot wait to see where the story progresses.

I absolutely love S.T. Gibson's work, but this one fell a little flat for me.

As much as I adore these characters, the plot felt slow, and it was difficult to get through. Because of this, it took me a much longer time than expected to finish. I wish this was just about the family curse rather than a second book in a series, I feel like this would've been an excellent duology.

That being said, the relationship part of this book was a 10/10. The way Moira and David grew naturally around each other was a pleasure to read.

More magic. More desire. More demons.

One of my most anticipated reads year was Ascension and when I got the arc for it, well I was excited to say the least; and I absolutely loved this! This is the follow up to Evocation by ST Gibson, and this time focus on Rhys as he works through life as the new High Priest. Along with David and Moira, the three will navigate this new relationship with each other. Of course things can only go well for so long as things go awry in more ways than one when dealing with both inner and external demons. These characters are some of my favorite and I was happy to see them again along with the supporting characters.
I also liked that this showed that not all relationships are perfect, they can be flawed and will require work. While there are some questionable actions; I enjoyed seeing these characters stand up for themselves and called it like it is when needed. I did figure somethings out, while I don’t think it was meant to be a mystery by any means, it was pretty obvious so lacked a little there for me. One of my favorite things about this series is the magic in and around Boston, this magical world of demons, summoning and magical societies draws me in every time. This book really tested and tempted our magical trio in more ways than one, I think they’re all coming out of this with a better sense of who they are, which will only make them stronger for their next encounter.

I enjoyed this one, maybe even more than the first! Occults, magic and demons, sign me up! I for one, am ready for the next installment in this series.

Ascension is a dark, emotionally charged continuation of S.T. Gibson’s summoner series—rich in tension, layered with religious symbolism, and more horror-leaning than its predecessor. While the tone leans heavy and the characters are often suffering, Gibson’s lyrical prose and emotionally complex storytelling make it an unputdownable sequel.

This installment shifts its focus to Rhys, a summoner whose slow descent into corruption and power obsession is both gripping and tragic. Watching him reject help, isolate himself, and spiral toward the edge is devastating—but also deeply compelling. Gibson doesn’t shy away from portraying the messiness of ambition, guilt, and faith, and Rhys’ internal conflict is one of the book’s strongest elements.

There’s a heavier emphasis on horror this time around—unnerving imagery, creeping dread, and supernatural consequences that echo through every page. Yet, the suspense and emotional depth remain grounded in character, especially as the story explores themes of power, devotion, and spiritual crisis. Catholic imagery and theology are prominent throughout, but never in a preachy or moralizing way—they serve to enrich Rhys’ arc and the overall atmosphere.

Ascension delivers exactly what readers have come to expect from S.T. Gibson: beautifully written darkness, haunting introspection, and characters who burn with love, pain, and power. It’s not always an easy read emotionally, but it’s deeply satisfying and beautifully constructed. You’ll find a lot to love here—especially if you’re drawn to stories of power, religious symbolism, and complicated, broken characters. I’m already counting down to the next installment.

Thank you NetGalley, the publisher, and the author for this eARC in exchange for an honest review!