I do adore this occult fantasy series. And book two did not disappoint.

The complexities of Rhys, David and Moira's relationship was brilliantly entwined with the demonic magic vibes.

It was interesting seeing how the author developed the individual characters, the polygamous relationship and the magical aspects of the series so well.

Seeing Rhys struggle to control his demons, internal and literally, was amazingly well laid out alongside both Moira and David trying to help him. While at the same time the societies are trying to keep themselves from exposure. The multi POV chapters work so well in this series.

I loved how we got to see a new twist in the relationships with Max, and a new element of complexity as all the society heads are called together.

S.T Gibson has a captivating and expressive way of creating, and developing, both a story and it's characters.

Roll on book three.

St Gibson writes in a way that makes me feel younger, like I am in my family's house reading novels. Her writings are like fluid, water running, so you don't understand when the novel finishes.

I loved Evocation and was looking forward to second book, I was lucky enough to get an eARC from Angry Robot. In Ascension, we return where we left off in Evocation, Rhys being High Priest, Moira worrying about Rhys and David being David. Gibson builds character strong. They are gray, they are human, they have flaws. None of them is better than another. So both Evocation and Ascension differ from romantasy in my opinion. I love Moira and David, and I also liked the new characters introduced in Ascension. I only hate Rhys, being a selfish greedy arrogant man. Gibson makes you feel for the characters and read in a night, which is a rare combination.

I really love this series. I just wished there was not spice, but I guess every genre has it right now. I am looking forward to reading other novels of St Gibson and other novels in this series!

Thank you so much Angry Robots for giving me a free eARC. Opinions are my own.

Thank you to @angryrobotbooks for my copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

I read the first in this series last year and was a bit disappointed with it, so when I saw the sequel I was in two minds whether to continue, but I’m glad I did. I really enjoyed this one as there was more about the Society, demons and magic than the first.

Rhys has finally got his dream of being High Priest but it’s taking its toll. He’s tetchy, argumentative and overstressed. He’s doing too much, expecting too much, taking on too many demons and it’s not helped when someone does a ritual outside of the Society building. This draws unwanted attention to the order and things get ever tenser.

This book plays out so well, new characters are introduced and don’t gel into the dynamic well. We see more of Leda too in this one, who is a great side character and David develops in many ways. I’m looking forward to the next instalment already (which I hope there will be).

DNF. I don't think S.T. Gibson is a very good writer. I keep trying, because I love her premises, but they do not work for me at all.

The first book (Evocation) focused more on David and Ascension focuses more on Rhys. It picks up after the events of the first book. Rhys is a perfectionist and he’s always striving for control. It was interesting to get into his thought process in this one. He really had a lot of growth in this and I loved to see it. Like with Evocation, the characters are what makes this series special. They’re all so different but lovable! You get to see Rhys, David, and Moira setting boundaries and adjust to their relationship. It’s complicated and there’s definitely growing pains. This book was spicier than the first too! Moira is my fav though and I can’t wait for her book!
If you enjoy a book with cozy occult vibes and summoning demons, then pick up this series!

4.5 stars
——————

ST Gibson was already an auto-buy author for me, but this book really solidified why.

This is the captivating sequel to Evocation, following Rhys this time as he battles his own demons…literally. Told in three voices, the reader gets an immersive experience. The core of this book and its magic really is just how well researched it is and the reality of the experience and magic system. ST Gibson has a way with creating a realistic environment. Despite its setting in modern Boston, the setting created of the Society housing is phenomenal. The characters are all well written and each side character has a point, they’re not fillers. I love the relationship between Rhys, David and Moira. They have wonderful banter and they all play their role in the story really well. I loved the glimpses of Leda, too. The magic system in particular caught my attention for how accurate it is and well researched the factors are. Moira’s tarot, Rhys demon work, David’s charm. They all are really well done and rooted in so much history.

I could read this series and this book over and over again.

Ascension is a captivating story filled with magic and love. The plot is spellbinding, focusing on Rhys and his job as High Priest in a secret occult society. His adventure is dark and full of demons, yet this is the norm for the characters. Talking of characters this series is a character driven. Our characters are complex and under pressure. We also get more of an exploration of their polyamorous relationship, which is tender, sexual and emotional. I feel that S. T. Gibson is amazing at drawing you into her characters and their inner circle. I also really enjoyed the religious themes and supernatural elements. This made for a fun read that also explores connections in a beautiful way. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for a copy. This is a voluntary review of my own thoughts.

I loved Invocation and this was an incredible sequel. Gibson knows how to write such good characters! Auto buy author for sure.

4.5 stars
I enjoyed this second installment quite a lot. The relationships between the characters continue to develop in meaningful and complex ways—especially considering the polyamorous dynamics at play. These relationships feel thoughtfully crafted, and I appreciated the way conflicts arise naturally from who these people are, rather than being imposed by the plot. Even more, I loved how they communicate through those conflicts—imperfectly, but in ways that feel honest and true to their personalities.
The plot weaves beautifully into this intricate web of emotional and personal development, never overpowering the characters but instead complementing them. It maintains that cozy, gothic atmosphere I loved in the first book—moody yet warm, dark but never bleak.
I really enjoyed it. It’s the kind of story where the magic feels like part of the everyday—a quiet, persistent presence rather than a spectacle. That tone, combined with the rich emotional layers, made this a truly satisfying read.

i absolutely love s.t. gibson's writing and this book is no exception. the first book in this series, evocation, was one of my favourite reads last year so i was excited to dive back into the world and reunite with the characters. 

unlike the first book, ascension focuses a lot more on rhys, since it's mostly from his pov, and it really helped me understand a lot more about his character. he's constantly striving for perfection/status within the magic community and he's willing to go to extreme lengths to reach it. at the same time, he's full of self-doubt and guilt, which affects him and all the people around him. i felt so bad for him at times because i could see he was trying to do good but going about it in the wrong way. i honestly loved his character development and can't wait to see more of it in future books.

this is book two in a four-part series, excluding the odd spirits novella, so i'm hoping that we get more of moira in the next book because i love her and need to know more about her life. her and david are the biggest highlights in this series for me, i absolutely love their little friendship, and i can't wait for more of it.

the story is more character-driven than plot, and while i did enjoy this book, it felt a lot more like a filler read. it left me with so many unanswered questions. although, at the same time, i'm kind of glad it wasn't rushed to solve the major issue from the end of book one. i'm still very intrigued to see how it all works out (if it does) and can't wait for the next book.

Thank you Netgalley and Angry Robot for the ARC!

*3,5 stars*

Like Evocation this book was filled with dark academia vibes I love and intricate relationships. While at some times I felt like there was some stuff that got very close to cheating or at least shitty communication. Even in a poly relationship, which I will admit I don't fully understand, it was clear boundaries weren't discussed and unspoken boundaries were crossed.

That being said, holy shit Rhys was so annoying in this book TT . TT
David and Moira were the thing keeping this book upright because I really started to loathe Rhys. This whole book is just him creating problems, refusing help and digging himself in a deeper hole! And yeah it definitely is realistic that people would do this, but man was it frustrating to read. It shocks me how both David and Moira just kind of ignored it and walked around the problems for so long. This man is not a capable leader and I don't get how NOBODY stood up to him.

I still enjoyed the story and the way these dynamics evolved, but I think it was just a bit too messy for me. It's beautiful to see how you can royally fuck up and both your partners still forgive by you and stay supportive, but man it was chaotic. And yes I do agree with Rhys' internal monologue, he is greedy and powerhungry, but in the end he is an anxious over-achiever. I think I just don(t mesh with his character. I almost thought to myself "Moira and David should just platonically get together and leave Rhys".
But maybe I'm just a hater at heart hahah.

The experience was enjoyable though, I liked the little plot twist with Max and just the introduction of him as a character. I feel like he was a bit of a forbidden fruit for David. I think I might just be a David fangirl and that's what makes me so forgiving of David's flaws and not Rhys'.

So yeah I will probably continue with the series, but I just get annoyed with Rhys man.

Each book in The Summoner's Circle series is focused on a character. The first book was mostly David's story and Ascension is focused on Rhys. We follow him as the new High Priest. He is trying to balance his work responsibilities with his personal life with Moira and David. Complicating their trio is a person from David's past. I didn't enjoy this book but not quite as much as the first. The stakes didn't feel quite as high. The story focused a lot more on the personal lives of our main trio. They have learned to communicate better and this leads to some more interesting spicy scenes. I can't wait for the next book. It is going to be focused on Moira and I'm dying to get more of her story.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Ascension, the third installment in The Summoners Circle series (and second full-length novel), follows Rhys, David, and Moira, three magic dabblers whose lives grow increasingly entwined after the events of Evocation. Rhys’ promotion to High Priest of The Society, an underground occult group, throws their poly relationship into new territory as they navigate the shifting dynamics.

I really enjoyed Evocation for its character-driven storytelling, especially the growth of each main character. From what I’ve seen in other reviews, I might be in the minority for loving Rhys most, but I found him deeply relatable. His anxious spirals, emotional fragility, and reactions under pressure felt so painfully familiar. He was incredibly human.

In Ascension, though? I hated him, and that’s a testament to S.T. Gibson’s writing. His ambition and desire for control gradually twist him into someone unrecognizable. While I originally felt he was more suited for leadership than David, who struck me as too laid-back, Rhys ultimately let the power consume him. Watching his worst traits come to the surface made the redemption arc all the more satisfying; now he truly has something to prove to the people he loves.

I struggled with their dynamic in the previous book, partly because I couldn’t understand how jealousy wasn’t a stronger factor. But in Ascension, I really came to appreciate the bond between the trio. David and Moira’s blossoming friendship was especially lovely. The way their magic connects them added something special to their relationship.

The side characters also stood out. Each brought something unique to The Society, and the “found family” energy felt earnest. I loved that they held Rhys accountable while still rooting for him. Antoni was a highlight for me- his leadership style offered a compelling contrast to Rhys’. And Lena was so unique. I’m eager to see where she goes in future installments.

One small critique: a major plot point from Evocation, something genuinely life-altering, felt a little brushed aside here. It’s mentioned only a couple of times, even though they’d previously spent so long researching demons. Given Rhys’ anxious nature, I expected those events to linger in his mind far more.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed Ascension and can’t wait for the next book. I enjoyed S.T. Gibson’s writing and as this was my first series from her, I’m absolutely diving into her back catalogue next!

Ascension is the second full-length novel in The Summoner’s Circle series. In it we follow Rhys, the new High Priest of Boston’s secret occult society, as he struggles for power. Driven by ambition, he is a complex and flawed character and I was so curious to see what he did after the ending of Evocation.

I have to say that I love S. T. Gibson’s writing style. She always chooses fascinating supernatural topics, like the occult, and writes about them in a wonderfully gothic manner. In this case, Boston is a great setting for the underground world of the paranormal. But along with these gothic themes, there are of course very dark subjects. Gibson is very honest about her books’ content and gives in-depth trigger warnings so just check at your discretion!

I once again liked the focus on David, Rhys and Moira’s relationship. This is one of the first poly relationships I’ve read about and whilst I don’t love all of the characters equally (Rhys I’m looking at you) I just really want them all to be happy.

If I’m right, there will be one more book in the series which is from Moira’s perspective which I am so very excited for!

thanks to angry robot books for the e-ARC

4 stars

I had a whole opinion rollercoaster reading this book because I was not really enjoying the first half. rhys was my least favorite character of the last book, and he does not come across particularly sympathetic here—I don’t really care that his dream is to be a tyrant leader of all the magicians due to not growing up special. life isn’t fair and no one deserves control of others.

with that being said, I think he grew in complexity and became more sympathetic throughout the book. do I think either of his relationships are healthy? no. david and moira have a healthier relationship with each other than either does with him. but he did suffer a lot throughout this book, and it was a good combination of self-inflicted and totally unfair to make it maximally angsty. by the end, I was pretty pleased by the character development and how the different relationships grew stronger through deliberate communication and effort. a very strong finish!

the plot was decent but nothing special: this book was definitely more character-driven but the plot-based complications added something to the narrative.

Thank you Netgalley and Angry Robot for this eARC in exchange for my honest review.

I really enjoyed Evocation, but this installment of the series fell very flat for me. Ultimately, I think it was because the previous plot from Evocation was barely mentioned, even though it is extremely time sensitive and serious. It is mentioned as almost an afterthought, and something to be dealt with later. I also believe Rhys is my least favorite character in this series. The decisions he made did not make sense to me, and resolved in a way that felt almost too easy. His motivations were not relatable, and I was shocked at how badly he treated everyone around him yet was forgiven rather easily. I think this was a weak installment in this series, but I am hopeful future books in this series are better.

Ascension dives deeper into the magical world and very human drama of my favourite disaster polycule. The characters are always a highlight of Gibson's writing for me and it was no different in Ascension. David reckons with his teenage years, including an old crush who reappears. Moira has plenty of breadcrumbs setting up for her book which I'm very excited to see play out!

And Rhys' angst was a highlight - he really goes through the wringer in this one. I love characters suffering the consequences of their actions and boy does Rhys suffer. I was especially wrecked by his belief he must be useful to be loved.

I loved how the world opened up a bit more and we got to peek into the different magical orders. I'm very hopeful we'll see more in the next few books!

I really enjoyed reading Ascension and I'd absolutely recommend the series to anyone who likes messy characters, the esoteric, and writing that makes you feel like you should be drinking whiskey neat! Thank you to Angry Robot for the ARC!

4.5 stars rounded up.

This was fun. Perfect? No. Extremely enjoyable? Absolutely! Made me cross fingers for a speedy release of the next one? Totally!

This is Rhys's book, so as expected lots of insecurity, ambitions, and Catholic guilt. Moira's still relegated to being the almost perfect supportive wife (even though she is showing cracks, and it has made her so much more interesting and made me really excited about the next book, which should be Moira's).
David's dealing with his own insecurities, and trying to figure out what his place in their relationship is. Their dynamics are fun to read about even though it occasionally gave me whiplash from going from huge arguments to intimacy within a page or two. The three of them are still really engaging and charming and I do feel invested in their story, which is what really carried me through this book. And yes, I did enjoy the spice :)

There's more background on the magical world in this book - the divisions between different types of magic and orders and how the hierarchy works, which I found fascinating. Other occult leaders show up and that's something that I also really appreciated.

The only thing that kept me from giving Ascension full 5 stars was lack of urgency from the characters. I had the same issue with Evocation as well. Rhys is going through something serious and everyone sees it and recognizes it, and yet people just wait around and hope he deals with it himself? And they continue letting him flail (and fail) until things really get dark? This is the only thing that made me feel a bit frustrated, but YMMV of course.

Overall, just as enjoyable as Evocation! Cannot wait until the next one!

P.S. Thank you to NetGalley and the publishers for giving me the eARC in exchange for an honest review.

Thank you AngryRobots and NetGalley for gifting this ARC ✨️

After reading Evocation, I knew I needed to read more about these characters. So I was really happy when I got approved of this ARC.
This second book mainly focuses on Rhys and his struggles of becoming the High Priest.
To be completely honest, Rhys annoyed me so much this book! 😂 However, I feel like I was supposed to get irritated with him. Well.. it worked haha
He started te become selfish and high on power and my sweet boy changed so much 🥲 But therefore it was also nice to see how he grew and learned to accept help from others. You really saw his personal journey

One thing I also loved about Ascension, was how you don't work towards one thing, but a lot more important moments. I was a bit scared Rhys' 'struggle' (I don't want to spoil too much 🤭) would stay undiscovered until the end of the book but that wasn't the case at all!
There are so many memorable incidents so you feel like you've read more than just one single book. And it doesn't even feel rushed! ✨️

The only thing I missed a bit was my boy David. He is such a fun character and I felt like he was a bit left out in the first half of the book. But luckily Moira and Leda were there and I also loved to get to know them more!

Overall, definitely worth reading if you liked Evocation!

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

This is the sequel to Evocation. I really enjoyed Evocation (4 stars), but I enjoyed Ascension so much more (4.5 stars!).

We get so much deeper into Rhys, David, and Moira. We learn so much more about who they are as people. All 3 of them go on different character growths through this book, and I truly loved them all.

Rhys, (who I share a name with; AND it’s both our middle names?? wild!!) has the most impact and impressive character growth in this book. He starts out as stuck up and power hungry. He wants to ensure the Society stays strong, and honestly uses too many demons to achieve this. He slowly turns into a stuck up fuckin ASSHOLE, but by the end of the book?? I LOVED this character arc. You’ll understand why when you read this book.

Moira, on the other hand, has a different type of character arc. I found that hers was less obvious, but I still really enjoyed hers!!

David had a pretty big one too. He starts a new relationship with a guy his father let stay at their house when David was 16 (and he was 22). Nothing happened during that summer, but the two of them try a relationship in their adult years. David was down BAD for him, and by the end of the book, it’s wild. I don’t want to spoil anything, but David’s arc was so fascinating to read.

I loved this second book in this series and I can’t wait to see how this series progresses!!!