While the first part of this book did drag for me, I did enjoy it. I love the characters of Moria, David & Rhys and at this point if they are in it I will read it. This isn’t a series that’s going to be for everyone but I think those who love it will be in it for the long haul. I do wish we could see more of Max however.

I was so unbelievably happy that the incredible characters and intriguing plot continue in full force. In my opinion the reason this series continues to haunt my mind is the complex character dynamics. I don't think I've seen polyamorous relationships done so well in a series and im so excited to see how Moria, Rhys and David relationships will evolve. How will I survive until the next installment in do not know.

This was a great book!
I was dying to read this the minute I finished Evocation, as I wasn’t ready to let these characters go. I loved the change in Rhys, how he literally faced his demons and overcame them, and how his relationships came out stronger because of it.
I still love David—he was so much happier in this book than in the first, and I was happy he was still so much a part of this story.
I would love to see more of Moria, as I don’t feel these two books went into very much depth about her.

The story here was exciting, and I loved the way it all came to an end. There were some tense moments where I wasn’t sure everything was going to be okay, but through love and hard work, the three made it happen.

I really hope there’s more to this series—I still want to know how they overcome David’s family curse!

This was absolutely amazing! 5/5 stars! I was a little scared at first that I wouldn't enjoy this as much as the first book but I was happy to be wrong! I really enjoyed the main three's character development and also the development of their relationship with one another. It was also nice to get more interaction with the other important people in their lives such as Kitty, Antoni, Nathan, and Leda. I enjoyed this book and can't wait to see everyone in Moira's book! 🥰

I enjoyed much less than I enjoyed Evocation. I have it rated 4 stars because I did enjoy it, but I feel like after sitting with it my rating might change. I really did enjoy seeing Rhys, David, and Moira progress as a throuple and did like the insight we got into the different magic sects. However I just thought the plot was lacking. It was super hard to get into until about 60% of the way through the book. I found Rhys to be very annoying, and I understand that was the point to show his progression of demon overload but it just reaches a point where his self-sacrificing just got too much. The plot of the book was literally Rhys miscommunicating or refusing entirely to communicate with everyone. I did not care for David's relationship with Max AT ALL, It just made me feel very icky, despite knowing that technically nothing wrong was occurring with it. Moira was perfect as always and really shined throughout the book. I am so excited for her book.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for allowing me to read this ARC in return for my review. All opinions are my own.

Rhys McGowan, now as High Priest of Boston's premiere Secret Society, husband to his adoring witch wife Moira, and partner to David - his psychic rival-turned-boyfriend, Rhys is finally at peace. But when a strange ritual rocks Boston's occult community, and opens the Society up to sabotage, Rhys delves even deeper into the dark world of demon-summoning. He's used to carrying the weight of the world on his shoulders, but the strain of managing so many spirits (not to mention the stress of his loved ones exploring other people) will push him to the brink.

As heaven and hell play tug of war for Rhys' soul, he'll have to face the greatest demon of all: his own insatiable ambition.

I was so excited to be back with David, Rhys and Moira and I had anticipated this release. I really enjoyed the way S.T Gibson explored polyamory as it is something that doesn’t really appear in other books that I read. It was very realistic how the characters navigated it and how it affects other aspects within their lives and other characters. The ending was satisfying and I am really excited for Moira’s book.

Even though this is Rhys’s book, he is not my favourite character. I much preferred when it was David or Moira’s chapters. I just found myself getting annoyed and frustrated with him and how he handled things. Also Max, I actually really enjoyed his character until the revelation (which I didn’t see coming) and that annoyed me because I did genuinely liked him and David.

The array of magic systems and occult practices are very well written and I love reading about them. Be sure to read the trigger warnings at the beginning of the book as there are quite a lot of them. Think I preferred Evocation to this one but it was still good nonetheless. I look forward to book 3!

Again, thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for allowing me to read this ARC.

Rhys McGowan has it all: his hard-earned High Priesthood, the steadfast love of his wife Moira and his newly rediscovered romance with David, and his own iron-clad will and ambition. But as he sets out to make his name known and the Society a respected force to be reckoned with, has he taken on more than he can handle?

Full of the usual carefully constructed introspection, take a deep dive with Saint into the rich inner lives of these characters as we explore their relationships and the tension of their emotions. The build is subtle, the release is sublime as she plays out the threads to conclusion, pulling her characters through growth into transformation.

Deep and hard-hitting topics: reckoning with the aftermath of trauma and how your childhood never really leaves you; the fragility and beauty of trust; and how love is ultimately, transformatively holy. Beautiful stuff.

I was not totally convinced by “Evocation” so I was dubious about this book. Instead, this second instalment in the series convinced me. It’s funny and so powerful.

Thank you Netgalley and the publisher for the arc.

Ascension, the second instalment of the Summoner's Circle tetralogy, follows Rhys navigating the balance between being a powerful High Priest, a supportive and present husband, and a loving boyfriend. You will have to read the series to know the rest - conscious some of my follows may not have even read the first instalment. 🔮

I really enjoyed this book! It was such a fun read with wonderful characters and definitely felt like I was watching a magical CW show (as described by S.T. Gibson - I am BEGGING a studio to please adapt the series 🙏) The book is filled with so much tension, drama, magic, religious guilt, and societal exceptions. The best part is, it has a very, very, very satisfying ending, imo! 👀🤭

I gave this book 4 stars. The reason it is not a 5, for me, is because I would have liked more descriptions on certain things. However, I know that is a personal preference, and long, lengthy descriptions would not fit the vibe of a fun magic CW show. Everything else was perfect vibes, and I would definitely recommend it. Plus, bonus points for mentioning My Chem! 🖤

I honestly miss Moria, Rhys, David, and Leda so much - I NEED book three ASAP 😭 If for any reason you have not started the series, you have some time to catch up. Ascension releases July ✨️

Thank you to @stgibsonauthor , @netgalley , & @angryrobotbooks

I quite enjoyed Evocation last year, and while I didn't like the follow up as much (I'm giving this 3.5 star rounded up to 4), I do think it's a solid follow up to the first book.

Where Evocation focuses primarily on David, Ascension focuses on Rhys after he's assumed the role of high priest. In the first book, Rhys was already not my favorite character, but here he truly was trying at times. I do think it worked out in the end and this book is really about delving deep into his flaws to build him back up again at the end.

This book is a bit more character focused than Evocation. Where Evocation had clear stakes with David's curse and his impending death, Ascension is more quiet and at times I wasn't really sure where the plot was going. It really is focused on Rhys becoming high priest and taking on all the responsibilities and not doing well. There isn't as much of an external force they're up against here, it's more Rhys vs Rhys, and also his demons. As in, literal demons he bound to himself as a sorcerer that are starting to cause trouble. In the middle there were definitely moments where I was completely done with Rhys, but I do think the book works as showing this horrible person who is also crumbling under the weight of responsibilities and then having him learn to do better.

My main criticism is that the book goes on for a bit too long after the main climax. I think these scenes do add to the character arc as it is Rhys doing some more things he was avoiding due to his issues, but because the main climax already happened I was kind of ready for the book to wrap up and might have moved some of these things to the sequel.

Our favourite magical love triangle is back and this time round we;re mainly focussed on Rhys, newly crowned high Priest of their magical order, wife to Moira and David's boyfriend. There was more of the same I've come to expect from this series, side characters are getting more fleshed out, internal struggles of Rhys are amplified (my goodness that man is a Debbie Downer on himself). A good addition and I'm ready for book 3 now please!

Ascension by S.T. Gibson ARC: 4/5 ⭐️ Thank you to netgalley and the publisher for this eARC!

If your review for Evocation was anything like mine (my exact reaction was “I love messy gays”), buckle up because book two is even GAYER and MESSIER!!!

Loved:
- I absolutely loved reading from Rhys’s POV. I can so deeply relate to Rhys and his fears, anxieties, and motivations. Ascension was written for the anxiety-ridden overachievers who are afraid to rest and will never quite feel content with their accomplishments, because it’s not really an accomplishment if you expected it of yourself.
- When I think of Rhys in “Ascension,” I think of the lyrics to “this is me trying” by TS, and that quote “everything I have ever let go of has claw marks on it.”
- This book takes on a darker tone than the first of the series, and I loved this change. Book 1 was good, but I really appreciated the more mysterious, sinister, and higher-stakes vibes of book 2.
- I was not expecting Max but I loved the chemistry, drama, and tension he brought to the story!
- Gibson continues to develop each of the characters and their gloriously messy and chaotic relationships (platonic, romantic, and everything in between) with one another. I loved seeing Moira come into her self more in this book, and after this book I am dying to read Leda’s book!!

Didn’t love:
- I’ll keep this point vague because of spoilers, but I expected to get some sort of clarification about what came of a plot line from book 1. I was a bit disappointed that this plot point was only briefly mentioned near the end. I was under the impression that it was still a present issue but it wasn’t really addressed much and only in passing.
- A lot of events take place off page and are summarized to readers second-hand from the POVs of our main characters, which is kind of a bummer. I was really hoping to see more plot-wise regarding the news issue.

Overall though, this was a really great sequel to the series that adds some fascinating new developments and characters to the Society, and I’m so excited for the world to experience and love Rhys as much as I did in this book. 🖤

📚 - “Ascension” by S.T. Gibson:

Thank you so much netgalley and Angry Robot for the ARC of this Novel. I would be willing to take on my own generational demon for the rest of this series.

She’s done it again ladies and gentlemen. S.T. Gibson has turned one of my least favorite tropes in a book into one of my faves. Polyamorous relationships AND a new character in the mix causing angst? Chef’s kiss.

I fell in love with our dysfunctional little occult circle when first introduced in Evocation. Ascension takes an already beloved story for me and makes me fall in love with our main characters even more.

Also, character growth? LOVE HER!! The exploration Rhys has with religious guilt/trauma? David becoming more personable and being able to deal with his emotions? Moira being the BADASS queen that she is with the two men in her life? I LOVE this little love circle.

Ascension is an incredible sequel where a lot of second books in series tend to fall flat especially after such a successful first book! I loved seeing David, Moira, and Rhys navigating the story right where we left off in Evocation. I enjoyed that this book was less dramatic and angsty than Odd Spirits and Evocation because it gives the reader room to breathe if they are reading these books in succession. Since the next book follows Moira, Ascension left me anticipating the third installment of the series. S. T. Gibson hasn't disappointed yet!

S.T. Gibson and I have a long-standing history for years now. I loved A Dowry of Blood, like an Education in Malice and was intrigued by Divination. Ascension was a solid book and you can clearly tell the love she has for Rhys as a character. That said, I loved David in the first book and I'm still a little salty about how he was treated by Rhys for the majority of it. I still haven't forgiven him, but I can say this book has made appreciate the character more. I'd still love more David though.

As a person that ranked Evocation really high on her list of favorite books, I had quite high expectations for this one. But they've all been met.
I love S.T. Gibson's style, I love the characters and the whole universe around them. It's so fresh yet feels so cosy to me. It is something that I've never had with any other author.
For people that enjoy paranormal and romance, this series is a really great pick. I would probably suggest it to anyone who's always loved horror stories!

Ascension, the second book in the Summoner’s Circle, is exactly what I hoped to see as a sequel to Evocation. This book did an incredible job building on the relationships that formed the basis of the previous installment while addressing it’s predecessor’s weaknesses. Altogether, despite having some criticisms of Evocation, I can gladly say that Ascension redeemed the series and has made me super excited to see what ST Gibson writes next. While this review will not contain spoilers for Ascension, it will contain mild spoilers for Evocation.

The series uses the format of focusing on a big moment of personal development for one of its main characters at a time. The first was driven by David’s storyline: his family curse, a changing role in the Society, and opening up to a relationship with Rhys and Moira. While Rhys and Moira had plenty of development in this book, David was its driving force. In this book, the central conflict revolves around Rhys: what lengths will he go to for success and notoriety now that he is High Priest of the Society? How will his relationships change when he is under so much pressure that he can barely function? The book is a strong investigation of hubris, the pursuit of fame and knowledge, and perfectionism. As someone in academia, I found these themes to be deeply relatable: the imposter syndrome, the tying of self-worth to some external metric of success, the belief that every mistake is a personal failure. After the first book, I thought Rhys was likable, but definitely the least likable out of the three main characters. Despite that, I thought his plights in this book were incredibly compelling. He is allowed to be a complex, messy, and self-contradicting character—in other words, he is allowed to be very human and have very human problems.

I also appreciated that this book had both a far better development of its magic and worldbuilding and a far more driving plot. My biggest critiques of its predecessors were that the magic felt underutilized and the plot had a tendency to drag, only to jump forward due to somewhat random conversations. This book improved in both of these areas. We now see and have a good understanding of how and why a Summoner’s Circle uses its magic. There is greater insight into how the broader magical community functions in society: what non-magical people think about the various societies and practitioners, how magical societies interact, and how different kinds of magic complement each other. I hugely appreciated these developments. While this book does not have the deeply technical worldbuilding you’d expect in a high fantasy, it has exactly as much worldbuilding as it needs. There’s no need to get into the nitty gritty because, as in the previous installment, the focus is on character development and complex relationships. This book builds a world that can perfectly hold the story it wants to tell. Furthermore, the plot of this book is internal coherent and drives the story forward in a really satisfying way. In short, my two biggest critiques of the first book were addressed, and I found this book far superior to its predecessor because of it.

I really enjoyed Ascension. It’s a great urban fantasy book that focuses on complex human emotions and relationships. It does an amazing job of exploring the messy reality of being human—being flawed, hurting each other, but also empathy, understanding, and acceptance. Though the first book has some flaws, I strongly recommend this series to readers seeking fantasy reads a strong focus on character development. I am rating this book 4.5 out of 5 stars, rounded up.

Thank you Angry Robot and Netgalley for the ARC.

I wanna say right off the bat that ST Gibson knew how to continue this world. I genuinely love seeing more of the cult? Religion? However seeing that tie into the relationship between our MCs makes the story so much more interesting. I cannot wait to see more of this world especially as we focus on the rest of the MCs.

A solid follow-up to Evocation, but one that didn’t sweep me away like the first book did. I still absolutely love our central trio—Rhys, Moira, and David. Their dynamic continues to be the heart of this series. The author’s writing is also as immersive and atmospheric as ever. The plot of this book just didn’t hit for me. It felt a bit thin and stretched, whereas Evocation felt full and layered. That said, nothing about this book was bad. It just didn’t have the emotional impact and investment that I was anticipating. I’m still very invested in these characters so I will 100% read the next one

Thank you so much to Angry Robot and NetGalley for an ARC in return for an honest review!

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4,75 stars - the deliciously angsty finding out stage after Rhys’ fucking around

“It was finally working. Rhys was finally the universe’s favorite, and all it had taken was pinning the universe’s arms behind its back and commanding it to obey him.”

Hey speaker, play GØD by KiNG MALA

Once again proving why she's one of my favourite authors, Gibson has delivered the messy, romantic, angsty, magical continuation of what is officially now one of my favourite series (a good first book is one thing, but a banger second solidifies it for me). Sorry not sorry to most of my friends who've had to listen to me ramble about this lately, I am not about to stop any time soon.

“He wished that he was composed of anything but a hurricane of dark, demanding emotions that clawed at everyone around him.”

In this book we get to see Rhys’ continued spiral towards power, both magically and politically, and its consequences. I loved seeing more of the politics and workings of the other magical groups/practitioners in Boston and the surrounding area, and learning more about the various disciplines.
This series has amazing side characters that I'm almost as invested in as I am the main characters, and it makes their communities feel all the more real, vibrant and intriguing.

“David had learned over the years that, sometimes, you had to let Rhys get a little megalomaniacal.”

Rhys, Moira and David are such a fun and messy trio, and I love them so much. Their wildly different personalities mix so well, and they fill each other's gaps nearly perfectly. I especially love how Moira doesn't take any of the boys’ shit, and calls them out on their bullshit while still offering loving support and help (at least when deserved).
I also loved seeing how much David has grown since the start of the story, and how he actually did learn from his previous mistakes - he comes across as a lot more mature and stable now, and I love that for him (even if I do also adore his catty bratty side).
And Rhys, my beloved dramatic angst-filled mess. He goes through some rough patches, and that makes it all the more rewarding when he finally seems to learn his lesson (though it remains to be seen if it sticks).

“But he was trying to learn what it meant to exist in the world without doing damage to his surroundings, what it felt like to hold the ones he loved without squeezing so tight that he choked them.”

The polyamorous representation in this series makes me so happy to see. It's messy and imperfect, but also so full of love and growth. The characters try to communicate and be better, but it's a journey - and it makes for a good story. I also love that it's a more intricate and open form of poly dynamics, it's something I haven't seen a lot of in fiction yet and I'm so excited and happy that I get to now have it on my shelves. I can't wait to see where things go as their various relationships evolve and new ones form.

“Sometimes things need to fall apart to come back together again.”