Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for this eARC of 'Evocation' by S.T. Gibson.

This book was alright. Honestly I can't give it more than that and I'm gutted. The characters were just alright and so was the story. Will it stick in my brain? No, it's already gone and that's how it goes. After reading a couple of S.T. Gibsons now, I realise that it's very much a 'either the book is a masterpiece to you or its just an alright book.'

3.75 rounded up.
There were many things I enjoyed about this book. Moira is a goddess- Her vintage clothes, her powerful, earthy magic, the way she handles her business and holds a grudge, her southern charm, and the way she will take absolutely no nonsense. The woman is divine and I will accept no slander.
David is one of those annoyingly perfect people who, whoops, turns out has a deep dark issue, or rather a lot of them. Of course he never asks for help.
Rhys is a quintessential scholar. I loved the constant mentions of how he needs therapy to get over his Catholic guilt. And the way he treats his wife, men should take notes.
I loved all the different types of people and different kinds of love that were showed throughout this book, the good kind and the bad. And there was just about every kind of rep you could ask for- bi, straight, poly, gay, trans, BIPOC, and all of it just accepted.
My biggest negative is that the book was very slow. While the buildup was steady, it seemed like the relationships were more the focus of the story, than the plot itself of fixing the problem that was making David sick. Because the stakes were so slow to escalate, and the story was much more character driven than plot, by the climax, I didn’t feel fully invested, so was a little let down. Though the ending was overall satisfying, while leaving crumbs for book 2

Evocation is a gothic atmospheric novel set in a contemporary world, filled with complicated people and how messy personal connections can be. With curses to be untangled, magic on every page and secret societies, Evocation is a dark academic tale that people are sure to become obsessed with.

Unlike Dowry of Blood, this is a much more easily digestible read, without some of the poetic elements seen in the authors pervious works. Despite this, Gibson words still pull you into the tale the lives of the individuals involved.

Its a novel about people and how messy life can be, especially when curses and emotions are at play. Don’t expect an epic save the world kind of plot, this is a personal exploration of the lives of a small group of characters and their dramas.

Thanks to Angry Robot Books and Netgalley for the ARC.

I am still thinking about them, and I want more, more, more please. Boy, some books just grab you from chapter one and this is one of those books, and the vibes just hit in absolutely the right spot to scratch that itch. This is a contemporary story that at times feels like it's set in the early 20th century high society of New York. All of the characters excel at some magical ability and there are secret societies which provide connections and means of extending influence that allows the members of this all-male group to hone their abilities. David Aristarkhov is the scion of a wealthy family with a dangerous past, Rhys McGowan is his former lover who works furiously to excel and move up in the society. Rhys' wife, Moira is an incredibly talented sorceress herself and the three of them have a fractious relationship at best. When the dangers in David's past threaten his life, the three of them must not only deal with their personal issues but must use their magical knowledge to try and save David's life. I loved this whole world of magical people hiding just under the surface of New York, just casually calling on demons to do them favors, it's great. I really enjoyed the twisted relationships between David, Rhys and Moira and how they ever so slowly build trust with each other, and I am always, always her for polyamory. I was hooked when I read Dowry of Blood and it was the same here with these characters and the world created here, I am hoping that we will get more from these characters in the future!!

S.T. Gibson is a difficult author to review for me. I've read two books by her now, and enjoyed both, but they just don't tend to stick in my brain. Maybe that's because they are more vibes than plot. I will say that the writing here wasn't purple prose at all (I was kind of expecting that based on A Dowry of Blood), and was very easy to read.

There is a plot, but it's pretty basic, and even though there's supposed to be some urgency there, I honestly didn't feel that at all. The book spends a lot of time on the three main characters and their bonds with each other. I do like character-focused stories, but considering the premise, I did hope for more plot in this case, especially since it's supposed to be a series, and I don't feel like we got enough setup for that.

There's the beginning of a poly relationship between Rhys, David, and Moira. The dynamic between David and Rhys was as expected, but I surprisingly ended up loving the connection between David and Moira more. Maybe it's because I got to see it happen on page—with Rhys and David, there's already a lot of (bad) history, and I found it hard to really root for them. That said, I do think that both Rhys and David get a lot more focus on them as characters than Moira does, which is a shame.

I liked the characters enough that I'll pick up the sequel, but I really hope we get more story there.

Thank you to Netgalley, the publishers, and the author for the ARC I received.

I have mixed thoughts on this book. I really liked the writing. It really pulled me in instantly and kept me reading. The style and flow is done very well, it makes it very enjoyable to read. I also really liked the atmosphere the author created. I was really intrigued by the world and the magic and the different "career" paths of the three main characters. However, this book ultimately just wasn't a good fit for me specifically and this comes down to what I didn't like. I found David and Rhys pretty unlikeable from the other POVs (they were usually fine or better from their own POV, which I think goes to show the author is able to differentiate the different voices well). The tangle of the relationships between these three characters was messy in a way I didn't like. I wanted better for Moira. It felt like she was just an extra to make the book poly which was unfortunate because I wanted her to be a more central figure to the relationship. I really wanted this book, that was marketed as poly, to be a happy poly relationship with good representation but instead it was so messy. I don't think that makes the book bad or anything, I'm sure for many readers that made it feel more real and interesting, I'm just not one of the readers that appreciated it unfortunately. Because of this I didn't end up finishing the book. But I would give other books by S.T. Gibson a try in the future because I do think she is a talented author.

Special thanks to Angry Robot and Netgalley for providing me an advance copy of the ebook in exchange for an honest review.

I was not prepared for how much I liked this book. Past S.T.Gibson books haven't really struck a chord with me so I went in without much expectations on this one and was pleasantly surprised. Magic, demon summonings, ancient rituals woven together in a mystery. The chemistry between Moira, Rhys and David was so visceral. I really enjoyed the different kinds of relationship portrayed here and the way they were woven together. Eager to see how their relationships develop with the next book.

I cannot express how heartbroken I am that I absolutely did not love this. I have read both of S.T. Gibson other books. ‘A Dowery of Blood’ I found and fell in love, so much I had to have the self-published copy as well. ‘An Education in Malice’ I was lucky enough to also get an ARC of as well and really enjoyed that one. So all signs were pointed to me enjoying this. Unfortunately a lot of glaring parts of the book caused me not to.

First, the magic system/world building. We were introduced to 3 different people with magic with no clear definitions or explanations about how their magic works. I have no clear way to tell anyone about the magic or why someone is a stronger medium or not. Along those lines, we were introduced to this society and told about the high priest. That is basically all we got. It felt like it was just a way to bring our characters David and Rhys together & cause conflict.

Second, the relationships with the characters. I had a hard time with the relationships in this book because it felt very toxic. The way the polygamous relationship was told to us felt like cheating instead of a healthy form of polygamous. I love seeing representations of poly but not if you are going to represent it as toxic. Overall, it felt like our female character, Moria, had no other choice in her marriage with Rhys but to let him have the relationship with David.

Three, then we also have David’s main issue with being possessed with the Devil never being talked about. The book starts off with establishing that the problem that needs to be solved is helping David. I forgot half the time that David was in life threatening situation. There was no gravity or talking about what was really going on. In the end, it was quickly dealt with and didn’t feel important.

Four, I don’t know it has to do with the ARC but the way the multiple POVs were done was confusing. There was multiple times I was reading a chapter and would have to go back and check who it was. All because in the middle of the chapter it would switch whose POV we were in. Also thought the writing was kind of choppy with where the chapter ended and where the next chapter started.

Finally, my favorite part of this book was Moria and David’s relationship. I love seeing platonic love and not just romantic love. I cannot tell how much I would love to just read a story about them. Honestly I think the story would have been better with just those two POVs.

Thank you to NetGalley & Angry Robot for this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

This was a beautifully written evocative dark magic story. I really enjoyed the characters, their setting, and the growing trust and dynamic between the main characters.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Evocation is a book that follows the relationship of David Aristarkhov, a Boston attorney, his ex Rhys McGowan and Rhys's wife Moira as they try to solve a spiritual sickness in the world of the occult. Rhys and David are brothers in a occult secret society where they summon spirits on a regular basis but one night David feels a spirit inside him that he did not invite in. David enlists the help of Rhys and his wife Moira to help solve the mystery of what is inside him. They find that the rumor of the Aristarkhov's deal with the Devil may have some truth behind it.

I enjoyed this book. It is definitely a character driven book with a slower plot pace. I wish this book delved a little deeper into the occult side of things and had a little more resolution at the end but overall, it was an interesting read. I've enjoyed S.T. Gibson's publications and I plan to continue to read whatever they publish.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher who provided a free ARC in exchange for my honest review.

4.5/5 Stars

I loved this book! This one wasn't too heavy on plot - a lot of the book was more the characters navigating a paranormal problem in the mix of figuring out their own issues and relationships with each other. However, I felt the story of navigating old love and friendship, fighting your own demons, and exploring new relationships was enough a story on its own with just some cool dark demon background story to add some mystery. I love the characters so much, and the relationship between David and Moira felt so special and heartwarming. At first, I thought there was no way Rhys or Moira were going to warm up to David, and I was also not a huge fan. However, I think the author does a good job of helping the reader understand his faults and the good in him, and David really does make an effort to be a good friend.

Overall, the thing that stuck with me most was that I just love the vibes and relationship between David and Moira so very much and want to just read more about them. Great book!

Think Masters of Death meets Ninth House. If Masters of Death were less overworked but maintained its tongue-in-cheek writing style. If the good old boys from the Ninth House version of Skull and Bones founded a continuing society in Boston after graduation. If Ninth House were written by Olivie Blake’s twin from the multiverse.

In this book we follow two rivals in a secret society that’s basically Ninth House Skull and Bones for grownups. Boston’s filthy rich men meet weekly for supernatural rituals and some good old hobnobbing and networking. Richer-than-sin David fits right in among the old money elite, His good looks and his excellent magical aptitude have given him the world on a silver platter, and so naturally he assumes he will be the first and only choice to succeed the society’s High Priest.

But David is his own worst enemy. Used to moving through life easily, he can’t help but engage in self-destructive behaviors. Most notably, he can’t leave his college ex-boyfriend, Rhys, alone.

Unlike David, Rhys didn’t come from money, and he’s joined the upper echelons of Boston society through determination and hard work. He’s married to the enigmatic Moira, and it seems he may finally be on the cusp of achieving all of his dreams.

But Rhys can’t stay away from David either. And a little thing like Rhys’s marriage vows won’t stand in the way.

I knew going in that this was about an open marriage, so I am not going to let that affect my rating, but I will say I did not like how the open relationship was handled. Moira (bless her) was a saint; seeing Rhys’s attraction and unresolved romantic tension with David, she encouraged her husband to explore his feelings for David. She initiated conversations with Rhys about polyamory. She even bought Rhys a book on Polyamory 101.

But I didn’t like how she was the one who had to initiate every conversation, when Rhys was the one going outside of their marriage. I did not like how Rhys pledged himself in marriage to Moira while still harboring love and lust for David and being willing to act on those emotions. I would have much preferred Rhys to broach the ménage topic with Moira rather than just kissing David and then waiting for Moira to start a conversation about it. Basically, I just didn’t see the open communication I would look for in reading a romance between more than two people.

I also found the world building a bit lacking. We are to understand that David and Moira have thriving occult businesses, yet these are not mentioned after the first chapter. We are to understand that the occult society means everything to its members, and yet I had to rely on my recollections of Ninth House to try to understand how these men spent every Thursday night. Beyond general mentions of “scrying” and “calling spirits”, we have absolutely no idea what the society gets up to. Is it dangerous? What are the results of the rituals? What do the rituals entail? Does the average Joe Schmo on the street know that his city’s elites are calling forth demons?

Despite these (pretty big) flaws, I enjoyed my reading experience. I greatly admire S.T. Gibson’s narrative range and her ability to employ different writing styles in each of her novels. I am looking forward to seeing more of her writing in the future.

Gibson has a way of writing characters that is so compelling, you will inevitably end up loving them and rooting for them. I loved everything in this:
The magic, the romance, the darkness, the stakes

S.T. Gibson's writing is so addictive and I find her character so compelling. David, Rhys, and Moira had such a complicated and raw dynamic and I was rooting for them from the very beginning. This book doesn't shy away from messy feelings and how we can hurt the ones we love the most. I wish the fantasy element had been a little more present throughout the story, but I was overall happy for it to take a backseat to the character development. I would also be THRILLED if a follow-up novel/novella would give us a peek at what happens next!

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for sending me this ARC!

S.T. Gibson is a phenomenal writer. This book was insanely good. It kept me hooked the entire time, and I didn’t want to put it down! The witchy spooky vibes were immaculate, and the plot was insane!

The characters - They were so beautifully different but woven together in such a fitting way. I loved all of the characters and was continuously rooting for them individually and together as I read through each perilous setback to their characters and relationships.

The plot - I can’t even begin to describe the plot. It was developed extremely well, and the layout was phenomenal. Every word written felt necessary to the plot, and the conflicts scattered throughout the book that culminated into one epic climax was exquisitely done.

I am so extremely excited to see what comes next in this series.

It will be officially published on May 28th, so get your preorders in!!

David Aristarkhov is handsome, well-rounded and very successful in his career, a coveted heir to a famous occultists family and one of the most powerful mediums in the Boston area.
But not everything that glitters is gold, right? And it's no surprise that the book's cover has the Hanged Man's tarot card in it. It is a sign for major reassessment, a card that points out that if you don't make an effort to solve your issues, the Universe will do it for you, and it won't make it easy.

And that's exactly what I found here in this book.
One fine day, after a disastrous experience in a medium session, David ends up discovering that all his privileges in life come with hefty price: for fame, charm and power, an ancestor of his sold the soul of the family's firstborn son to the devil.
And now the devil has come for David.

To free himself from this ancestral curse, our protagonist will have to go after Rhys, his ex-boyfriend, a dedicated occult researcher and the only person he still trusts to help him. But between the two there is Moira, Rhys's wife, and David needs to convince them both to join forces to undo this evil that haunts him.
The universe, of course, has other plans for this trio. The proximity awakens old and new feelings alike, and if they don't find out what's happening to David soon, they won't have time to learn what this could mean for them.

Urban fantasy with a touch of romance is my guilty pleasure, and Evocation exceeded my expectations on that part. I was attracted by the magic, but I finished the book involved in the romance, and that's rare to happen, so applause to Saint Gibson, who writes in an engaging way and has already made me interested in her other books. I was not expecting such fascinating characters, with genuine problems and qualities, good dynamics and relationships that feel very real and organic.
The storyline was also very interesting, with secret societies, all kinds of magic, and I am eager to see what comes next. The only thing that disappointed me in this book was the end, I have to say. It felt a little rush and disjointed - was expecting something big and was a tad frustrated, but lets see how the second book will solve this.

Thank you @angryrobotbooks for the chance to read early - Evocation will be released in May 2024 in international markets, so keep an eye out!!

Yet again, Gibson delivers a sumptuous and atmospheric world to fall into. The magic is compelling, the characters are delightfully messy (affectionate) and interesting, and I can't wait to have this on my shelf.

Everything I have ever wanted and more. This book is immensely character driven. The plot you expect almost takes a back seat to the characters and development. I love this for a foundation of any book.

Evocation veers a bit from Gibsons usual prose and explores the incredibly complicated workings of the three main characters. I can’t wait to see where the story will take us next.

WOW! I was not expecting to love this as much as I did by the end of this book. Consider me an S.T. Gibson fan from now on!
So, um…where do I even begin… Evocation is a contemporary paranormal novel steeped in a gothic atmosphere of generational curses, supernatural forces, secret organizations, and complex characters. Within its pages, love blossoms amidst unlikely circumstances, in other words …this was chef’s kiss!

The dynamics of Rhys, Moira and David was fun to read, and I genuinely had a great time seeing their relationship play out. The way the characters handled their situation and to see how things played out was so endearing and mature to read. I absolutely loved how well each character communicated as to avoid the miscommunication trope.
This was more of a character driven book where most of the plot happens in the last section of the book. But honestly, I think this was done in a way that gave me a chance to know the characters inside and out and totally builds up the hype for book 2 cause I JUST CANNOT WITH THAT ENDING!

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot - for the ARC in exchange for an honest review!

ST GIBSON DESERVES THE WORLD.
The only fault of this book, once again, is that is not A dowry of blood, which is a masterpiece.
But that said, I LOVED Evocation

We follow David during one of his seances. It goes terribly wrong because he ends up summoning a demon. He has to get in touch with his ex, Rhys, even thou they are not on speaking terms because David is an asshole and Rhys moved on with his life. But through Moira, Rhys wife, an excellent tarot reader (the best in town). The three of them will make an awkward bunch, that needs to work together to find a solution to what David has done, but at the same time something will shift between the three of them.

A gothic paranormal novel, full of magic, secret societies, tarot readings, astrology. It was both fun to read because it’s quick and entertaining and at the same time extremely profound and the dialogues are so well executed.
The paranormal setting is a tool for the characters to develop their relationship(s) in many ways. Two ambitious men, certainly entertaining, but I loved Moira. She’s a rock and a rockstar.
Totally recommended for many many reasons. Excellent discussions around lgbt+ topics and about many aspects of relationships and addictions.