S.T. Gibson you will always be famous!! As soon as I heard the premise of Evocation I knew I was going to need to read it. This is absolutely one of my favorite books of the year. S.T. Gibson has such a talent for capturing and building complicated relationships amongst characters and Evocation was no different. It is such an interesting look into these characters' lives, their thought processes, and the world she is building. I absolutely loved this book and highly recommend. I can't wait for the second book! Shout out to NetGalley and Angry Robot for this ARC!

“Sometimes the best way to face darkness is to walk right into it.”

Evocation features:
✨ One psychic prodigy (David)
✨ A dashing ex-boyfriend and secret society rival with his stone-cold stunning medium of a wife (Rhys & Moira)
✨ A generations old family deal with the devil
✨ And unresolved feelings for an ex (honestly, I’m not sure which one is worse…)

Evocation is a very character driven story - and I loved it! I do think sometimes book summaries can be a bit misleading, and I think that is the case with Evocation. None of what is said in the summary is untrue, but quite honestly the devil coming for David’s soul always seems to take a back seat to the characters relationship development. In no way is this a bad thing. The writing is beautiful. The people are flawed and yet so deserving of love. If you’re familiar with S.T. Gibson’s work, it will feel familiar with their gorgeous character work and their effortless ability to represent all loves. But if you’re going in for a story that is plot heavy on occult action and demon-lore, this may just not be what you expected - but if you’re open to it, I think you’re in for quite a treat!

David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door - so when is there a better time to explore becoming a throuple?

Thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for granting my wish with an early advanced electronic copy. Evocation comes out on May 28th.

*Content warnings include child abuse and addiction (including relapse). Be kind to yourself. ♥️

Got 44% and found it really boring.

Reasons why others might like this book:
-Slow
-All character, no plot
-Complicated relationships

I was so excited to get to read the new S.T. Gibson after reading A Dowry of Blood in a day. I will say it didn't wow me as much as her previous novel did, but I still really enjoyed it. This is definitely for fans of the occult, tarot, and anyone who loves the supernatural. I think this will be an easy book to recommend knowing that there's romance in here along with a black woman and a throuple. I'm excited to see where this series goes.

Evocation is the story of secret magical societies and at the center of that is David Aristarkhov — magical prodigy from a prestigious family. However, that family had a secret, and it’s coming to collect at David’s expense. Evocation was slow to start for me and took a while to really get what was going on. However, once the plot started to pick up, I was hooked. That’s my biggest criticism - the pacing felt off throughout the book. The biggest selling point, though, were the characters and their development. The dynamics and changes between David, Rhys, and Moira were absolutely fascinating. I would read this book solely for the characters and watching them navigate their new normal. I also really enjoyed the magic systems, the different types of magic, and how they’re viewed by the societies. Overall, if you’re interested in secret societies, magical bargains, and superb character development make sure to check out Evocation.

I read this a few months ago and have been sitting on my rating. I really enjoy ST Gibsons writing and this story, but I did feel like the characters and their motivations could have been better developed. I felt like Moira in particular felt a bit off, likely because the author was writing outside of her race. Moira was only like 26 and was youngest of the 3 characters but came off really motherly, so I didn’t like that aspect as it bordered too closely to the “mammy trope” especially in regards to David and how they interacted specifically.

I did love the setting and the magic system. I can’t wait to see more of the world expanded and especially loved the different types of magic that each character brings to the page. so I look forward to what’s next.

I feel like a few more months of work on this book could've helped a lot. And I know, I know, this is not a final copy, but I doubt the issues I had would be fixed in another round of edits.

The deal with the devil and the birthday thing mentioned in the synopsis were introduced halfway through the book... As big reveals...

There's barely any worldbuilding resulting in things never being properly explained. Which was such a shame. There was so much potential here.

Very messy timelines. What's even more confusing is that not much actually happens, yet when trying to piece the events together they didn't make much sense.

I didn't like the way the mental health aspects were handled. To me, it felt like they were added just to tick another box.

The atmosphere was nowhere near what I know the author can do, and the writing was not her best either.

I didn't like the enemies/rivals to lovers aspect. For me, there's a point from which you can't go back. These two are the kind of rivals who barely say 2 words to each other for years, get into fights and are now in love again? I appreciate the time we got to spend with David and Moira building a relationship, but what about seeing the progress Rhys and David made? We're told it exists but we don't see it happen.

I will not be continuing with the series.

✦ no spoiler review ✦
▸⭐ 4/5
▸🌶️ 2/5
▸ genre: fantasy, paranormal

▸ personal thoughts below:
I got a little scared in the beginning as I didn't realize how "paranormal" this book was going to be by reading the blurb 😱. But I got over it as it was really just a couple of scenes that spooked me and now that I've finished the book, I know much more about the premise! I ended up enjoying the book quite a bit and have a feeling that I may like book 2 more! It took me a little to warm up to the main characters, but once I started to understand the history and characteristics, I really liked all of them (especially the boys 😆)!

The book is multiple pov and mainly in David's pov. It was a pretty easy read where the story continuously flowed at a medium pace for a lot of the book (other than a handful of moments here and there that quickened up my reading pace), and then it picked up quickly towards the end with a slight slow down at the very end.

I haven't read a lot of books with this type of magic system so it was new for me and I did like it, but I also found myself thinking that I didn't really understand their powers even by the end of the book. I knew in general, but didn't really know how it worked or the details. This wasn't a huge deal for me, but more like a realization. But I will say that I didn't love the relationship situation. I'm totally on board with the concept and was fine with the end result of the relationships by the end of the book. But I think it was the timing and how things happened during the story that irked me on several occasions.

That being said, now that I finished the book and clearly understand where the characters are in terms of their feelings and relationships, I am very curious to see how the story runs in the next book! And I'd like to make a site note that I absolutely love the book design! ❤️ As always, please check trigger warnings if you're sensitive!

I received this as an eARC in exchange for an honest review.

TLDR: Though there were a couple areas that were hazy to me while reading, I did enjoy the book and want to read book 2!

This is a character focused book and you get the points of view of the 3 main characters; David, Rhys, and Moira. There is not much action but I enjoyed the character development. I would definitely recommended, if you've enjoyed the author's other books. I will be sure to look forward to book 2! I can't wait to pick up a physical copy of this.

Thank you to Angry Robot Books and NetGalley for e-arc of "Evocation" in exchange for an honest review.
4.5 stars

dnf @ 70%

Having read Odd Spirits (Evocation’s little sister) back in 2022 and enjoyed it, I was very surprised when I neglected to enjoy Evocation. In fact, I’m sorry to say that I disliked this book so much that I couldn’t even finish it. I cannot believe this is supposedly the first book in a trilogy, because what else is there to talk about when the narrative is so bland and character relationships so unnatural?

I have a bone to pick with Moira’s behavior. Readers pointed out how in Odd Spirits Moira was displaying biphobia towards her husband, which turns into complete understanding of Rhys and David still being in love with each other and kissing years after their breakup. S.T. Gibson might have been trying to right her wrongs and rid Moira of her initial biphobia, but this completely dulls her and renders her a side chick in her own marriage. I don’t know if this is a common dynamic in poly relationships, but it seemed wrong that Moira should be the odd one out and get cheated on. This poorly written Black woman goes from one stereotype to another: first, in Odd Spirits, she does not legitimize her husband’s bisexuality, then, in Evocation, she is supposed to accept and stand by while her husband gets it on with his ex??? Moira’s characterization infuriated me, to say the least. I should point out that Odd Spirits is getting re-published later this year, and I think S.T. Gibson will have fixed the issues from the original novella.

It goes without saying that the polyamorous romance skews drastically towards Rhys and David, whose connection isn’t really fleshed out either. We are more so told that they had a two-year relationship, and strong feelings linger even now that Rhys is married to Moira. Other than that, there is no way of actually seeing why Rhys and David are drawn to each other, or why Rhys married Moira. It all feels so fabricated with zero chemistry.

Another point that drove me mad was how poor the worldbuilding was. I was very excited to read about the occult community in Boston (a place I lived in for 4 years, where I was introduced to tarot, etc.), but it was lacking detail. I wanted to learn more about the characters’ special practices, more about the rituals, just more than what we ended up getting. I didn’t care much for the relationship drama that, unfortunately, occupied most of the story.

I have so much more to say, but I do not wish to bash this book before publication, even though it was a huge disappointment. I’m starting to believe that S.T. Gibson no longer writes for my taste.

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with an ARC of this book! All opinions are my own.

Sadly this book did not work for me and the main reason why is because I couldn't connect with any of the main characters.

Out of our three mains we have David who is dreadfully unlikable, Rhys who has no personality beyond being annoyed at David, and Moira who was an absolute goddess but wasn't strong enough to carry the story on her own. As a result the plot just seemed to drag since it's a massively character driven book.

Speaking of the sparse story that itself was kind of boring. The main intrigue is the curse David is suffering with but there was no urgency there. Nothing happens with that for what feels like a large portion of the book. Instead we're drawn into lackluster world building that's really just a lesson in certain occult happenings.

Then there's the writing. I loved the bleak, gothic world that ST. Gibson painted in A Dowry of Blood but I didn't think her writing suited this more modern setting. I found my eyes skipping over a lot of the descriptions because they weren't evoking any particularly strong feelings from me.

I have no doubt there are people out there who would love this book but unfortunately it wasn't for me.

I've seen nothing but negative early reviews of this book so I had very low expectations going into it. I understood why people might not like it from page 1. Both MMCs are the worst kind of narcissistic men. That, strangely didn't bother me as much as I expected it to and I was enjoying the story for about the first half.

I can't believe I'm going to say this, but I think I would have loved this book if ST Gibson just cut out the romance entirely. I have no issues at all with polyamory its just THIS romance. I don't understand why these people are attracted to each other, I get some of it. Moria has a "I'll fix him" complex so she's attracted to David and David sees Moria as a mother figure + someone he cant have so he wants her. Why anyone is attracted to Rhys is beyond me.

The mystery aspect I loved, it kept me going. Though, in hindsight, the mystery of this curse was super obvious and these characters are supposed to be super smart and should have figured it out earlier. Apparently that didn't bother me while I was reading. I was too annoyed by the romance.

The ending wasn't my favorite but it definitely could have been worse. I don't think I'll be continuing this series.

Absolutely loved it! You can never go wrong with an S T Gibson book! I love how we got multiple different occults being represented in the book. The characters are beautifully written and I loved the relationship dynamics between the characters! It was an extremely enjoyable book!

Thank you Netgalley, Angry Robot snd S T Gibson for the eArc of Evocation.

This is the first one Ive read of ST Gibson's books ( Ive recently picked up Dowry of Blood which Im also keen to read now!) and it did not disappoint. Pitched as general adult fiction with science fiction/romance themes, I was drawn straight away to the whole witches, mediums side of the plot.

I love the dynamics between the main characters. David, a high powered Attorney who is a medium. Rhys, his ex boyfriend in which is has a now, very volatile friendship with. And Rhys wife, Moira. They must work together, with their powers to undo a deal, this occult Father best-oded own David.

The plot line, the pace and the themes dealt within the narrative, were pretty much spot in. It gripped me from the start and sent me on a 2 sitting read that sent me on a rollercoaster of emotions. I can't wait to see if there is a number 2 ( or more ) in this series of The Summoners Circle Books.

4.5 rounded to 5 for Netgalley

🔮 EVOCATION BY S. T. Gibson 🔮
(Spoiler free review!)

Evocation is an urban fantasy centred around 3 main characters: David, Rhys, and Moira. We follow the dynamics between these three characters against a wider plot backdrop involving a deal with the Devil. Think magic, astrology, witchy vibes, and characters with A LOT of baggage and messy history 🖤

I did enjoy a lot of the vibes of this book - I listened to Stevie Nicks and really got into a witchy state of mind. Gibson is so good at writing tension and I did find myself hinging on every slight interaction between the characters. The book also has a really refreshing tone which I enjoyed - I did laugh out loud a couple of times. As always, Gibson handles challenging themes with tact and grace.

I definitely found myself wanting to know more about the characters. David was 100% a favourite in this book, but I was disappointed in Moira’s characterisation. On paper she should have been right up my street but I just found her portrayal a little weak. I also hated a lot of the modern /real-world references (e.g. Grindr and IKEA) - this is largely personal preference but it just really took me out of the story!

No one is more sad to not rave about this than me. A Dowry of Blood is and will remain one of my favourite books of all time, and I have read all of Gibson’s other published works. I think this book would have benefited from being slightly longer to flesh out these characters more, and to have Moira feel like less of an accessory in the book. I also would have liked to see the overarching plot have a bit more substance.

I still think this is worth picking up if you love witchy vibes and want an urban fantasy with queer rep 🖤🔮

Thanks so much to Netgalley and Angry Robot for the ARC of this book.

4.5⭐️

S.T. Gibson's new adult novel is an excellent read! I didn't quite know what to expect from it, other than the author's beautiful writing style, but I was SO pleasantly surprised by the intriguing plot and captivating characters-dynamics.

Evocation is a triple-POV story of occult powers, curses, love and desire. David, as powerful as unable to give himself any free time, finds himself at odds with a mysterious force that overtakes him at increasingly frequent intervals. Begrudgingly, he asks for help from his ex Rhys, another prominent member of their occultism society, and his wife Moira, a witch with more power than she lets on. The plot develops quite slowly for a while, giving the reader time to get to know the characters individually and in relation to one another, but then it suddenly ramps up and keeps you on edge until the end! S.T. Gibson's beautiful, atmospheric writing style feeds right into this - ensuring everything her characters feel is palpable, including the dangers, the magic, the longing.

The dynamics between the three protagonists is exceptionally well written and the absolute highlight of the book for me - there are so many layers to uncover and so many turning points that take everyone by surprise (except perhaps Moira 👀). The three go through so many phases of their relationship, from strains, to friendship and... well, I can't say more! Generally, each character is very well fleshed out and interesting, but it is definitely Moira who stood out to me. A powerful, take-no-shit black woman who learnt/inherited her powers from her family, always stands her ground and loves so deeply and protectively. She is a new addition to my favourite FMCs of all time! Also - Rhys' adoration of his wife and his absolute devotion to her are just delightful! I loved reading of all the ways he made her feel loved and put first at all times. Alongside the new poly situation that simmers throughout the book, of course 🤫

What to expect?
🖤 occultism
🕯 demons and haunted houses
🩸 family curses
🏳️‍🌈 queer rep (and poly developments!)
🫶 exceptional FMC

Thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot for giving me the chance to read this book in exchange for an honest review.

Okay, I'll admit I have mixed feelings about this book. My biggest problem is how I wish Moira had developed better and given more voice. Although, my favorite relationship in the book was her friendship with David. Actually, for most of the book, I wish both of them runway in adventures as friends and left annoying Rhys behind. Moira's marriage with Rhys is full of words of affirmation and "devotion" but we are only told that. All the time. Like they were trying to convince themselves and the readers because we don't see this. Maybe I'm being unfair because they already started as a committed couple but I felt that the romantic focus was on Rhys and Dvid's relationship. There was much more tension to work with there.
Also, I thought David would be the character who was an acquired taste, but that was Rhys. I couldn't handle how much he complained about David like he was some kind of monster and how he made David's alcoholism about himself. At the same time, he was crazy to be with the guy.
Overall, I liked the vibes and the relationships, especially Moira's and David's and I think the series has a lot of potential.

Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing an ARC for this book.

As someone who has loved S.T. Gibson’s other books, I was curious about how their style would reflect in something more modern and less gothic as part of why I loved her writing has been her style. However, I found that she adapted and created her writing to really fit the genre well, taking a different approach to character voices that allowed more detailed and character orientated world building.

Taking a three POV approach meant that we were able to explore the same situations from the perspectives of David, Moira and Rhys. I felt like each chapter I gained insight on why each character acted or felt a certain way, and the switches felt distinguishable and natural, each person having their own voice.

The way this book approaches polyamory and the feelings of love and trust in a relationship felt like it was approached sensitively and I love how it was handled in this book. The feelings between all the characters made sense and it didn’t feel forced, it felt like the most logical approach and I loved the change in relationship especially between David and Moira and how they grew to trust and understand one another.

4 🌟 This was such a different kind of book from the S.T. Gibson books I’ve read so far but really enjoyed it! I loved the occult and astrology components and felt like they were really well done (I wouldn’t personally know but it seemed that way). Each character was so unique and the romantic and platonic relationships explored brought so much to the book. I can’t wait for book two to continue following these characters!!

Many thanks to Angry Robot for the advanced early copy!!

I absolutely loved this one and I think those who adore character-driven stories would (hopefully) agree. I personally love a combination of plot + characters, maybe even a bit heavier on the plot, but felt in this case that S.T Gibson's characters and their dynamic took over the story for me. David and Moira's relationship, specifically, was surprisingly my favorite part of the whole thing. I can't say I've read anything like it..

I think I may have been a little frustrated in the plot because there was a conflict/issue that seemed very obvious to the reader. I'm actually a bit taken back that the characters didn't reach the conclusion sooner, to be honest. HOWEVER, because the characters again were so dang enjoyable I didn't mind it too much in hindsight. David and Rhys' banter had me laughing out loud. Rhys' relationship with Moira was also so swoony (he calls her little goddess 😮‍💨). Not sure if this book is going to be an interconnected series, but I'll definitely be in line to read it!