A Dowry of Blood is a book I have a huge lot of love and respect for, how Gibson tackled difficult subjects and unconventional relationships, that book really stayed with me. Possibly because of the high expectations of Dowry (and an enjoyable read with An Education of Malice), I went into Evocation with excitement and high expectations and it just didn’t do it for me unfortunately. While I devoured previous works of Gibson, I just couldn’t get into this and possibly it’s because the book focuses more on the relationship of the characters rather than the plot and I didn’t care about the characters.

This isn’t poly or a throuple, it’s David and Rhys smirking and sniping and flirting under the nose of Moira, Rhys’ supportive wife, who is easily the most likeable and interesting but sidelined to a side character in the shadow of the author’s clear favourite coupling. There are interesting themes in this book, and possibly they’ll be explored more in the series, but the priority really does feel on David and Rhys, it’s the energy of the book but I just couldn’t like them, they’re immature, lustful instead of loving, and incredibly selfish. Rhys calls Moira “little goddess”, yet he’s a terrible husband who admits doesn’t pay his wife nearly enough attention, he claims to love her more than anything and yet his blatant disrespect and disregard for her is disappointing. Moira is a sidelined, rather stereotypically written black female character in the shadow of David, and Rhys a spoilt little boy who gets it all. Moira is a queen, a badass, she’s nurturing and kind - and she’s turned into a doormat written to be a cheerleader to support and assist the 2 male characters. Like I said, this isn’t a relationship of 3 because Moira is given zero agency or equality or even dignity in this story, making this a story about adultery marketed as something kinder.

With such a focus out on the 2 male characters, if you like the lovers to enemies to lovers trope, maybe this book is for you, because really that is what this book feels about, the magical element merely a subplot. However for me, what I loved most about Gibson’s previous work is how female characters were given a voice and strength otherwise denied to them - and this felt like the polar opposite to what appealed to me.

Thank you Netgalley for the copy in exchange for an honest review.

This take on Dowry of blood was indeed different and it felt slightly let down for fans of ST.Gibson. It is not as dark as I thought it would be and the characters and their inter relationship was already complicated but not drilling down further on their thoughts missed out key factor. Moira was a strong character but was completely sidelined in her own marriage due to the complicated exes to rivals to lovers relationship between David and Rhys. She knew cheating was inevitable but taking it nonchalantly was a tad bit too much. It was a quick read where these characters dealt with a paranormal problem one of the family has been facing for a while.

It wasn't bad but it wasn't what I expected.
This book overall felt very dry to me. This was strange as I thought after A Dowry of Blood that this new area of magic & the occult would be a win-win for me as I truly loved how S.T. Gibson used vampires in her other story. But it didn't hold the same charm and neither did the characters.

It was still an interesting read and the love struggle between the three of them was my favourite. I love struggle, longing and frustration, what can I say I have a vibe I enjoy.

This is hard to rate between a 3 and a 4 because it's fun and well written but also just missing a lot? Like I read this book in 24 hours and I was so excited and giddy about the romance but also the plot was kinda hand wave-y and the was a lot of show not tell. For being a book about people with magic/psychic abilities we saw very little actual magic!!! But also I was enamored? This, to me, felt like a good romantic fantasy for a quick enjoyable read but with not a lot of plot but a lot of occult-adjacent symbolism.

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

This novel opens a series that might become one of my favourites. It’s an urban fantasy set in the occult underground with gothic and dark academia elements. It’s a somewhat slower story about demons, secret society, rituals, and astrology, but also love and friendship. The strongest assets of this novel are the messy, complex and detailed characters. Rather than the fast-paced plot, the focus is on their lives, thoughts, relationships and emotions. And there’s nothing wrong with that, as they are incredible. David and Rhys have to be my favourites because of their messy friendship, rivalry, past mistakes, and the desire present in their every interaction. I loved looking at them from Moira’s perspective, who understands their relationship better than themselves.

Also, apart from the fantastic characters, the novel touches on some more serious topics, like addiction, toxic ambition and childhood trauma. Especially the last is explored in detail, as David’s relationship with his father seems to affect every aspect of his adult life.

To sum up, I cannot wait for the next book in the series. I can’t wait to see where the story takes us next.

This is my first ever S.T. Gibson book and it most certainly won’t be my last. I’d like to say thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for providing me with and ARC of this book.
Evocation follows David, his ex partner Rhys and Rhys’s wife Moira as they navigate the difficulties of relationships, and the occult. David and Rhys are members of a secretly occult society, with David being able to channel and communicate with the dead, Rhys can conjure almost any demon and Moria is a witch. When David realises he may be possessed and everything isn’t quite as it seems, he doesn’t know who else to turn to, and when they offer to help him everything changes.
Whilst I really enjoyed the occult aspects of this book the part I enjoyed the most was watching the natural development of a polyamorus relationship and the real journey that they all went on. It was such a character study into each of them and the rollercoaster of emotions each of them went through, and how they realised that communication is the most important thing. I do wish we had more time with the 3 of them together and how they navigate life, this is a true slow burn so there wasn’t any time after they’d decided to see what happens next.
tThis felt like an opening to a world full of impossible and so many more stories to explore. I really hope there will be more books within this world.

This was absolutely amazing.

The plot, the writing, the characters. Everything!!


I expected nothing less of S.T. Gibson,

What really works in ST's books is the character exploration . Evocation isn't high action or plot dense but it's not trying to be. I think the plot is thinner than AEIM, which was thinner than ADOB, but it's character exploration and setting are probably my favourite.

Between the main trio, David and Moira were easy favourites. I really liked the work they put into developing an emotional connection. This series plans to have a book for each character and David is clearly the main character this time around. Rhys and David have off page history so we see less of the development between them but I would have liked to see more between the two of them.

The writing also leans less lyrical than in S.T. previous books but it's a good change for the contemporary setting. There was also such good humour through the whole book! I have so many highlights of favourite lines which is rare for me.

If you are a fan of S.T. Gibson's previous books youre sure to love this as well. I can't wait for the next instalment!

happy release day to evocation @stgibsonauthor!

Evocation is the newest release from one of my favourite authors and also the first book in ST Gibson’s new series ‘The Summoner’s Circle”. The book really solidified ST Gibsons ranking of one of my all time favourite authors and is placed on my instant purchase list. Huge thank you to @stgibsonauthor, Angry Robot, Tantor Audio and @netgalley for an ARC and ALC in exchange for an honest review. Since I received both the audiobook and e-book I can easily say that Evocation can be experienced in multi formats and still be amazing (plus Oscar Reyes’ narration of the audiobook is fantastic!) Everyone needs to pick up this book to experience by baby girl David! Evocation should be your next read if you like:

🔮 triple POV
🔮the occult
🔮dark academia
🔮a messy threesome/polyamorous relationship
🔮paranormal
🔮character driven
🔮queer romance
🔮secret societies
🔮exes to rivals to lovers

tw: alcohol abuse, physical abuse, childhood trauma

synopsis - The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.
 
As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.
 
But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door.
 
Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…
 
The first book in a spellbinding and vibrant new series from The Sunday Times bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood.

wish i had better words to describe why this book was a hit for me, all my brain is capable at the moment is: St. Gibson has done it again.

I really really loved everything about this novel. The occult, the urban setting, the characters (the mature and immature aspects of all of them), the demons, the rituals, the tarot, and the astrology. I ate it up! I enjoyed the way all of the characters interacted with each other and the summoning ghostly underground that these lawyers and scholars moonlight as. The whole vibe of the novel was so interesting.

That being said my only thing with this book, was that I wanted more demons, more ghosts, more possession-type events. The book was more about the relationship all of the characters had with each other —and I wanted a bit more : 🔮👻🔪🩸🕯️.

I think overall I was expecting something a little different than what I went into. But it wasn’t enough to really detract from my opinion of the novel. If you like occulty queer thruples and their shenanigans—check this out! 🥰

Tremendous THANK YOU to Angry Robot books and NetGalley for absolutely blessing me with a gifted copy of this book for me to review. It was lovely!

(my review will post to TikTok with the book tour on the 31st -- will share the link once posted)

This is my first S.T. Gibson, although they are already prolific in the dark academia space. The DA of this novel worked immensely well, it was the polyamory that I struggled with (it read more like a messy threesome than true poly). Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the free advance copy.

Oooooooooooh, David, David, David. Mr. Aristarkhov. God, what a character. My man, my babygirl, my legal advisor. Never would have thought I could one day warm up to that asshole from Odd Spirits, but this was an excquisite exploration of privileged rich kid bottom-ry, and here I am now, stanning a blonde. (I feel like I say this every time I take a liking to a blond fictional man, but the Lestats of this world really are outliers for me.)

Odd Spirits itself is one of my favourite pieces of short format fiction, so I was naturally jumping at the chance to get an eARC of the sequel and simultaneous new introduction to David's, Rhys' and Moira's antics, extending their relationship into a throuple in V-form. Evocation gets into the lore behind David's arrogant demeanor, allows glimpes of the reasons for Rhys' and David's breakup, and a introduces a demonic bargain David's Russian oligarch father kept secret for too long. I'm not sure if one should start with this installment, when the Odd Spirits novella is still out there, but I guess you might.

David carried this novel on his chiselled, burnt-out, white-boy shoulders. Sure, it's "his" book, but he outshines the other protagonists in this multi-POV book because he alone is allowed to be nasty, messy, and - for the largest part - unapologetic. Rhys and Moira, meanwhile... well, they are just there. My favourite aspect of Odd Spirits were the niche paranormal topics picked up for each of their urban magic systems, but that wasn't so much the focus as an afterthought in Evocation. Mainly, the two were there to discuss where their marriage is going.

And guys, yes, of course, a couple who consider opening or extending their relationship into a polyamorous one should absolutely discuss the terms and conditions beforehand, should check back with each other, set their priorities etc. etc. BUT my god, this is fiction, and the return of Rhys attraction to David didn't have to be so endlessly ruminated. Moira was okay with it, Moira even suggested it first, and yet the same conversations were being repeated over and over again? The scene where she hands Rhys a book on ethical non-monogamy (I don't even care to look up that part to check which exact term is being used) was where I got completely thrown out of the plot and never quite made my way back in.

In Gibson's latest releases, the need for the content to be morally squeaky clean is noticeable, and it doesn't work to this book's advance either. I was very disappointed to hear that while yes, Odd Spirits will be reprinted! and reprinted to fit in with the gorgeous look of the rest of the series! there would also be editorial changes to the content to remove the biphobia of the previous edition. Which... let me get this straight, the author, who is to my knowledge bisexual herself, erases the alleged biphobia (Moira's fear of "not being enough" for her husband, which is resolved in a very neat, touching way in the original publication), which is the main conflict of that story?

I can't call this practice anything other than window dressing, and it started appearing in Gibson's works once she was picked up by a major publisher imo. It takes away some of my enjoyment of her sometimes achingly beautiful prose. I think back to my experience of reading A Dowry of Blood and I'm afraid that kind of finger-biting subtlety and eroticism simply isn't going to happen again. It's a pity and a waste! You can count on me to still read the edit

I adored this book! I love the dynamic between the three main character. I thought Rhys would be my favorite. Turns out I LOVED David and Moria, The platonic friendship/love between them made me so happy.

I really liked the twists and I can't wait to read book 2 whenever that comes out!

I love S.T. Gibson's writing and have adored everything I have read of theirs, two this year have been 5 stars in my eyes!

I love every one of the books S.T. Has been putting out. The inclusion mixed with the Poly couples is such a refreshing read. I enjoyed this one just like the rest, I’m used to the vampire world.


It did feel a little more ‘diet version’ of the rest. But I still fully enjoyed watching the relationships develop
Thank you for this arc!

S.T. Gibson's prose and use of language are masterful. Her ability to create messy characters you care deeply about is incredible. But the plot and timeline left me feeling underwhelmed.

Thanks to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the e-arc!

Thanks to Netgalley and Angry Robot for granting my wish! I read an eARC of this on my kindle.

4.5 stars rounded up - This book was amazing. Polyamorous representation, complicated relationships, real tarot readings.

This book was difficult to put down, compelling, and emotionally charged. I felt sympathy for Rhys' frustration, and a deep connection to Moira's emotional intelligence and intuition, and David's drive to earn his worth was extremely relatable. These all felt like flawed, confused, deeply real characters in a deeply real world.

This book did feel primarily like a romance, and I got the feeling that Gibson was setting up a world and a set of relationships for more books in the future - which I will definitely buy - rather than telling a single story. I don't mind this! If you're looking for a plot-driven page turner, you might want to skip.

This is an extremely character-driven book. If you feel like the character's faults outweigh their relatability or their benefits, this book might not be for you, because wrestling with their faults is a large part of what makes the book good, in my opinion. Coming to terms with your own faults, and the faults of others, and even the faults in relationship cycles you keep finding yourself in. Examining them, and choosing to move forward.

As a polyamorous person, I found the polyamorous themes to be very genuine. Polyamorous people experience jealousy. Polyamorous people experience fear of being cheated on. Polyamorous people are worried about being second place. The thing that Polyamorous relationships have is communication. They tell each other that they are feeling jealous or scared or nervous, when it's appropriate to do so. They acknowledge and recognize those feelings, and have open communication with themselves and with others about those feelings. That...was all in there. I think reviews saying that Moira was cheated on, or that there are themes of infidelity, are missing the point.

I also just want to speak briefly on how I found the tarot so meaningful. David as the hanged man? Representing a need to slow down, observe, and learn? To evaluate one's life, and relationships, and spiritual growth? The hanged man is bound, unable to act, and must look internally if things are to change. The hanged man cannot change his outward world, he must change his inner one.

I loved this world, and will revisit it any time.

“𝗚𝗵𝗼𝘀𝘁𝘀 𝘄𝗲𝗿𝗲 𝗮 𝗱𝗶𝗳𝗳𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗻𝘁 𝗺𝗮𝘁𝘁𝗲𝗿 𝗲𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗿𝗲𝗹𝘆. 𝗧𝗵𝗲𝘆 𝗹𝗶𝗻𝗴𝗲𝗿𝗲𝗱 𝗹𝗶𝗸𝗲 𝘄𝗮𝘁𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗼𝗹𝗼𝗿 𝘄𝗮𝘀𝗵𝗲𝘀 𝗼𝘃𝗲𝗿 𝗮 𝗽𝗮𝗶𝗻𝘁𝗶𝗻𝗴, 𝗮𝗹𝘄𝗮𝘆𝘀 𝗷𝘂𝘀𝘁 𝗼𝘂𝘁 𝗼𝗳 𝗽𝗲𝗿𝗰𝗲𝗽𝘁𝗶𝗯𝗶𝗹𝗶𝘁𝘆 𝗯𝘂𝘁 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘆, 𝗵𝗲𝗮𝘃𝗶𝗹𝘆 𝗳𝗲𝗹𝘁.”

I really wanted to love this one, but I just couldn’t. I didn’t find the overall story very engaging for me and found it a bit slow going. I did enjoy the authors writing style tho, and I still want to read more from this author! I know a lot of others loved this one 🙌.

The story itself is very character driven, but unfortunately I just couldn’t connect with these characters and their strange love triangle.

On a positive note, I did love the occult vibes and the characters individual talents and traits, such as Maria being able to feel the feelings of the dead and how her security blanket is sweets (can definitely relate to that lol). I do really wish I could have gotten more into this one!

A very fond four stars. Evocation features S.T. Gibson's beautiful and intricate character writing. The relationship dynamics are lovingly complex and develop well throughout the book. The narrative is full of varied flavors of occultism, intertwined with social politics.

The first half of the book lacked the emotional potency I come to expect from this author, but there is quite a bit of exposition to get through and the payoff is good for the most part. The character development in particular excelled from start to finish.

There were a couple issues with plot. One is that there were a lot of threads: three relationship pairs, the three together, as well as personal histories, alcohol abuse, generational curses, secret society politics, and ghosts. I think it absolutely makes sense for a book with these particular characters to feel messy and chaotic, but I do wish the individual threads were more potent.

My second issue was that the main mystery felt a bit lackluster and obvious from the beginning, and I found myself wondering what the described frenzied research could have possibly entailed.
Overall it was a very enjoyable read, I adored the characters (by the end anyway), and will happily pick up any more stories about these three.

Romance blossoms in the most unconventional manners sometimes. When past and present collide and as one person is in need to magical assistance, our characters learn that relying on each other is both necessary and desired. I enjoyed this character-driven story full of supernatural turmoil. The author has a way of bringing the romance together in a very natural progression.

Thank you NetGalley, Tantor Audio, Angry Robot, and author S.T. Gibson for the ARC in exchange for my honest review.