After reading Krystal's 'House of Hollow' & loving it, I knew I HAD to pick this one up asap.
This author truly captures the dark and mysterious vibes, while exploring the relationships between women from all walks of life.

Jude, Emer and Zara were so well written, and I was actually pretty sad to leave them when I finished! Jude especially has my heart fy if you read this for anything...do it to meet Jude... & maybe for the pure anger from female witches

Note of warning: please check all the content
warnings, as some of the subject matter is pretty heavy e" also note l'd class this more as YA Horror.

"Invocations" by Krystal Sunderland offers a dark and bloody journey into a witchy thriller. Zara, driven by grief over her sister's murder, delves into the occult to bring her back. Jude, cursed and facing her impending demise, seeks a solution through a witch's spells. Emer Bryne, the witch with a haunting past, becomes their link, but a killer shadows them.

The narrative explores dark magic, body horror, and the intertwining fates of these compelling characters. If you enjoyed AJ White's 'Hell Followed With Us,' this may be a fitting read. The characters are rich with intriguing backstories and motivations, but the story's convenience in always favoring the girls' endeavors may challenge believability.

Despite this, the novel maintains a solid, adventurous, and stomach-churning atmosphere, weaving a compelling mystery horror. While some character choices may feel incongruent, "Invocations" earns a solid 4-star rating for its gripping darkness and relentless exploration of the supernatural.

In a world where only women can make deals with demons & wield magic, three young women are drawn into the hunt for a supernatural serial killer. Zara Jones's older sister, Savannah, was the killer's first victim. The sisters were always close & Zara can't live without her so she is intent on raising Savannah from the dead if only she can find the right spell. Everything she has tried so far has failed. Jude Wolf comes from a rich family but she's the outsider. Jude tethered her soul to three demons but the first one went badly wrong & cursed her to be in constant pain as the demon tries to get out of the deal. Emer comes from a family of witches & is a talented cursewriter - the spells which bind the demons to their human. As a child she watched her entire coven slaughtered by four men - witch-hunters - & she has vowed revenge on them.

OK, I really enjoyed this one & I was hooked from the start. It's a perfect mix of horror & fantasy with an undercurrent of social commentary. The first chapter sets the scene as an unnamed character walks home from a party alone - I would say that most women who have walked home alone in the dark in a deserted area would recognise the feeling of being on high alert of your surroundings & the fear that lurks. It's no accident that only women can wield magic (i.e. power) in this book & the (mainly male) witch-hunters want to take it away. It is inclusive of trans women by the way. My only (minor) observation is that I wasn't sold on the Jude/Emer romance but that's only because I felt there was little chemistry between them & out of the 3 main characters, I liked Emer the least. Overall though, it was a gripping read & that cover is perfection.

TWs: (graphic) body horror, injury detail, blood, murder, death. magic, demons. (mentions) domestic abuse, animal death, misogyny.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Hot Key Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
📖⚰️🧟‍♀️🔥🩸


This book was gruesome, horrifying, and full of things that made you want to gag. I LOVED IT!

I highly recommend it if you like horror books with sapphic characters BUT the romance is the main focus point and it still makes sure the rep is on point! I loved the feminist representation in it too, with the being given to women to stop a terrible man who is abusive in some way, shape, or form.

The Invocations is a horror novel, with a whodunnit, detective story and focuses on the three main characters; Emer, a cursewriter witch who can give power to women who ask for it; Zara, whose sister was murdered, and she wants to resurrect her, and Jude, who is wanting to get her invocations taken away from her due to the nature of the chronic pain she has been given in return. These girls get involved with a witch serial killer and try to stop them, whoever it is. They each have their own personalities that make their bond quite unique. Emer, the serious one; Zara, the inquisitor one, and Jude, the sarcastic one.

The book was unputdownable, I just had to find out who did it. I was surprised, and I LOVE mystery books where I don't figure it out halfway through. A well-written plot, with twists and turns and top-notch grossness. Loved it.

Thanks to Netgalley, Bonnier Books UK, and Hot Key Books for the ebook. This review is left voluntarily.

Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Bonnier Books/Hot Key Books for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: references to abuse, injury, self-harm, body horror, murder, misogyny, violence

“The Invocations” tells the story of three interconnected young women as a serial killer rampages through a community of witches. Zara Jones only began believing in magic and witches after the violent murder of her sister Savannah, because the alternative is that her death was just random violence. Unable to cope with her loss, Zara turns to the occult to bring Savannah back from the dead no matter the cost. At the same time, Jude Wolf- the black sheep child of the Wolf billionaire dynastic family- has problems of her own: having made multiple risky deals with demons, she is now irreversibly cursed. Her body is beginning to fall apart, everything around her dies and breaks, and at night she hears voices mocking her as her soul is devoured. Jude refuses to give up however as she’s never had a problem that money can’t solve. Soon enough both women find a solution in Emer Bryne, the daughter of a curse-making family murdered when she was a child. Emer has made herself a reputation for providing spells to women to protect themselves in desperate situations so long as they’re willing to sacrifice some of their souls. However, it soon becomes clear that the violent murders of five women are all connected: they were all her clients at some point. Teaming up to find the serial killer before he can strike again in exchange for Emer’s help, Jude, Emer and Zara soon find themselves the target of the same person they’re hunting.

I adored this book and I found it hard to put it down whenever I had to do something. Each of the women in this book are brilliant characters on their own- I loved Zara’s determination, Emer’s devotion to helping women and Jude’s genuine belief that she’ll be okay- but together they shine so brightly despite their differences. This is set against the background of bloody murders against women, and it delves deeper into the issues of misogyny, female rage, chronic pain, queer relationships, grief and magic. I particularly loved one section where magic and demons are discussed as only being available to women, which raises the question about trans women; in the world of “The Invocations” the answer is immediate and never debated, the demons see souls and not bodies. I loved how casually inclusive this book was, with beautiful LGBT representation as well as the depiction of chronic pain. Although this is a book about a serial killer, I found this massively enjoyable to read and never ended up feeling dragged down. There’s a wonderful sense of humour from Jude which balances out the story so well, and I could never have predicted the ending. One reason I picked this book up was because of the gorgeous cover but inside I found a thrilling, dark story about female friendship and revenge that will stay with me. The release date is 30th January 2024!

The Invocations
Fantasy
Krystal Sutherland
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

• ꜰᴇᴍᴀʟᴇ ʀᴀɢᴇ • ʀᴇᴠᴇɴɢᴇ • ᴄᴜʀꜱᴇꜱ •

The pacing was slow to begin with but I was so intrigued that I had to keep reading.

I really enjoy this authors writing style. It is so intricate and she carefully weaves different plot lines for each character until they converge and suddenly their connections appear and things click into place.

The characters themselves were perfect. I loved how different Emer, Jude and Zara were but they all had certain things in common. They were all relatable and likeable and the bond that developed between them was lovely. They were all lost in their own ways but they helped each other heal.

The magic system was just brilliant. I'm so used to demons in fantasy books recently being hot, smouldering guys but Krystal Sutherland chose to portray her demons as grotesque, powerful beings that never help you for free. They're ruled by bloodlust and greed. The witches, the curses and the way powers were gained were unique.

I really liked the undercurrent themes of female rage, feminism and just taking down the men that abuse their power.

I did predict a couple of the plot twists but it was still interesting to see everything
unfold and for the truth to be revealed.

The ending was just right and I'm glad that two of the characters FINALLY kissed and admitted their feelings for each other, even if it was in a roundabout, vague way 😂.

I just know that this book is going to be one of my favourite reads of 2024, I absolutely loved it!

*Thank you to @Netgalley, @kmsutherland, and the publishers for providing this ARC. This is my own opinion and an honest review, which I am leaving voluntarily*

If you loved Sutherland's House of Hollow, you will love this too. I am a sucker for a rotten mossy carpet saturated in blood and that is exactly what it feels like to be inside one of Sutherland's books: gruesome cottage core. The macabre surrounds every element of the book and it shows it in every possible way.
The characters are written from one of three POVs, the three main characters in the story. I love a multi-POV story and this helps us see the independent story lines and makes it more exciting when you clearly see theat they are going to be merging together. I love Jude's charcter so much, the type of queer rep we need, especially in the gothic and fantasy and especially in YA. To see multi-faceted characters such as these give you warm and rottens, which definitely a good thing.
The first chapter drags you in to the depths of the story, making you want more. Sutherland then waits a few chapters to give you another hit of the good stuff. As a teacher I have been recommending 'House of Hollow' for the past few years and now I have a new one which is so sought after I have a queue of students already reserving their place for the book. I read a snippet of the first chapter to my creative writing class and they are psyched, we talked about how Sutherland is essentially writing a love letter to the YA gothic horror genres and how she almost uses every single linguistic device in order to build tension, from the very first page.Not only is the plot intense and wound together with enigmas but you would never guess the plot twist in a million years. Each crime scene has you as the reader guessing more but Sutherland has obviously made this the type of plot that you figure out the minute but the majority of it is not found out until the stereotypical grand-reveal. Even if this grand-reveal includes resurrected people and demons ripping people apart.
Thank you Ms Sutherland for writing books which enthral young adults and thank you for making books I happily teach in class.

A wonderfully dark, witchy horror that I absolutely loved. My first Krystal Sutherland book, and I'll definitely be reading more.

This was really excellent from Krystal Sutherland. A twisting, turning, feminist, rage-filled tale of three girls banding together to try and solve their issues with a little bit of magic, a lot of horror and the occasional attempt at necromancy, this was just so good. Krystal Sutherland has such a good grasp of characterisation, of a range of female mindsets, of a plot that was gory and horror-filled and also had moments of levity, love and laughter. A perfect standalone, I hope there's no followup to this, because it was just a delectable package of perfection and it should stay exactly as it is. I can't wait for this to make it out into the world.

I loved The Invocations! I found the same writing and atmosphere as House of Hollow but in a completely new story. If you looking for a witchy book with demons and female rage, definitely pick this one up.
I loved the characters, their evolution from the beginning of the story, and the found family aspect of the story.
As in House of Hollow, there is an aspect of mystery, this time a whodunnit. It was captivating, creepy and fast paced. A modern take on witches, dark and gruesome. You won't be able to stop reading until you know the end.

The Invocations follows three girls - Jude, Zara and Emer - all of whom have nothing in common except one thing: their link to a serial killer that is targeting witches and harnessing the power of demons. It's a dark and twisting tale that harnesses the beautifully atmospheric writing I came to love from Krystal Sutherland when I read House of Hollow two years ago.

My favourite thing about this book was the lore. Witches are a timeless classic, I'm never going to get sick of reading about them even if a lot of the stories of witches all share a lot of similarities. I thought Krystal Sutherland did such a good job at creating a new and unique interpretation of witches that mixed magic with demons, demolishing all childhood perceptions. This witch story was dark and oh so gruesome and I loved it.

I also loved the writing style. I'm big into bodily imagery at the minute and Krystal Sutherland's descriptions painted a grotesque picture which I couldn't get enough of. I also really appreciated how our three teenage main characters sounded like teenagers! Zara, Jude and Emer each come from vastly different backgrounds and I thought that was evident not only through their actions but their speech as well.

In terms of the romance ... I feel like we were short changed a little bit. I won't be specific on which two characters are involved in said romance (because spoilers) but I do wish it had been better explored. Don't get me wrong, it wasn't totally non-existent. One character was clearly crushing on the other, and the other character was subtlely falling even if they didn't realise it. But I didn't feel much chemistry between them. Their romance was an afterthought for me, and it felt like it was an afterthought in the narrative as well.

When I finished this book last night I gave it 4 stars. I've slept on it and ... I can't decide if this is actually 4 stars, or if I want it to be 4 stars. The first half of this book was very atmospheric which I thought went hand-in-hand perfectly with the mystery components of the book. The second half however, I feel like the vibe shifted. It felt to me a lot like a soap opera had a baby with a scene from a zombie apocalypse movie.

I loved it, I am in love. I already read House of Hollow and I knew I was in for a treat when I saw this book. The writing the prose it is so well written. And the plot, chef's kiss. It kept me on my toes I couldn't read fast enough. Can't wait for next books from this author.

Thank you to Bonnier Books UK and Netgalley for the advance reader copy of The Invocations for an honest review.

The Invocations follows three different women each with a different goal.

Zara Jones wants to learn magic to resurrect her murdered sister. She will do whatever it takes to get her back.

Jude Wolf has dabbled in magic in the past and unintentionally cursed herself after a deal with a demon that went wrong. This is turning her soul necrotic and she needs a witch to help her remove the invocation.

Finally there is Emer Bryne the Witch and solution to both of their problems. Emer gives spells to desperate women in need however these women are being murdered one by one by a serial killer in a similar manner to how her family were murdered when she was a child.

Together the three of them team up to find the serial killer and stop whoever they are.

I love Krystal Sutherlands books this and House of Hollow have been two very well crafted and unique reads.

The book is told from three different perspectives but these all come together perfectly to tell the story. Every character had their own clear voice and personality and everyone's back story was well crafted and added in.

Another wonderful book by Sutherland and I can't wait to see what she comes out with next.

Simply put The Invocations is STUNNING!

Once again I was completely immersed in the authors writing style. The language and imagery are exquisite, so much so, the dark and, sometimes gruesome, world we are drawn into easily unfolds in your mind as if you were there with Jude, Emer & Zara (aka Jones).

As I love to say, we are delighted with a delicious array of characters, each with their own unique style and quirks and very different backstories that blend together beautifully.

In amongst the horror and pain there is humour and fabulous one liners, (mainly from Jude!), as well as some tender moments that made my heart smile.

I absolutely love murder mysteries, guessing who the killer is etc but I didn’t have time to think about that as I was just lost in the words and so, for me, when the twists came, I was blown away!
~ As I jotted down in my notes; Chapter 27 ~ holy beeep! Of course! It’s there right in front of you but you don’t see it! Brilliant! ~
So that took it to another level.

Yes, it’s gruesome and a little absurd but it’s gothic with witches, demons, wraiths and all that entails so what do you expect?? I LOVED it! Every single page!!

One line that I think encapsulates the essence of the book is “A girl walks home alone, but not alone” it’s simple yet powerful!

This story perfectly blends gothic/supernatural horror and murder mystery in a compelling narrative that had me hooked.

Once released into the world on January 30th, I’ll do another post sharing my favourite scenes and quotes.

Thank you so much, NetGalley & Bonnier Books UK, for the arc. House of Hollow is an all time favourite and this now joins that. I can’t wait to own a physical copy.

Thank you to netgalley for providing me with an eArc of this book
I was very excited to read this book, which is a witchy feminist book about a group of three girls tracking down a serial killer. The characterisation was great, with each character having their own motivations and ideas. However I felt the plot itself was a bit lacking, with the big twist happening at the end with no hints of it coming; I would have appreciated more clues and buildup.
The one thing this book nails is the experiences of women in a world that very much is against them. It highlights the thoughts every women has walking at night: is anyone around, is it dark, am I noticeable enough to remember if something happens. It emphasises how disturbing and sad it is that women have to think about these things and how normalised it has become. It is an important read for anyone to see the experiences women go through daily.
The romance that is there is minimal which I liked, as this did not feel like the kind of book that needed to emphasise hugely on it as it would have taken away from the story. The few hints and bits we got were the perfect amount!
The magic system in this is also fantastic and totally unique, emphasising that any woman can have the power if needed. I would have loved to see more the history of it from the main witch Emer, and hope to see more of this world in future books.

Ahhh I’ve waited for this for ages!! It lives up to the hype and it depicts magic in its authenticity. Magic is unpredictable with consequences if not appropriately used by a cursewriter.

We get 3 great POVS from Emer. Zara and Jude. i was nervous about how the 3 separate paths would connect but it was brilliant.

I cannot believe the twist, it feels so obvious now I’ve read it, but when you’re in the story some of the side characters feel harmless so you downplay their connection to whats going on. I loved the little bits of romance included in this which I wasnt sure was going to happen considering Jude is a huge flirt!

Just - wow.

When I started this, I didn't think I would finish it the same day. Yet I was thoroughly hooked from the beginning to the end. Yes, its feminist themes were very heavy-handed, not subtle, whatsoever, but, dammit, I was enjoying this too much to care.

All the POVs - Jude, Zara, and Emer - are fantastic. All the girl's voices are bursting off the page but also incredibly distinct, whenever the chapter was through their view or not. They all also had great chemistry, romantic and platonic. My favorite moments were definitely the down times where they were bantering and building their relationship.

What really surprised me was how well Sutherland did the present tense in the third person. You don't really see that in books, but Sutherland managed to make it work so beautifully with all the horror and gore splattered across the pages, especially the ending, where a giant demon massacre takes place. It's so graphic, but it's done so well! I love it when authors do stuff like this that push the so-called limits of YA.

All in all, another banger from Sutherland. I really need to get around to reading her contemporaries to see how they compare to her horror works. In the meantime, I wholeheartedly recommend this if you're looking to start the year with a super spooky book!

Oh I loved this. The expectations were high and they were exceeded. I enjoyed the darkness and rawness in this novel. I loved the perspective each one of the girls aported to the story, and how they were portrayed. And even if some aspects of the end were not very surprising or hard to guess, it was still very enjoyable to read.

4 stars

I loved House of Hollow and I was ready for something similar, this is no doubt a horror read. A moving book about fear, power, danger, family, friendship, and identity.

I think that the multiple POVs are used to good effect

This was a dark gem! I really enjoyed Krystal Sutherlands last book House of Hollow and this one did not disappoint either. It's got witches, demons, curses, undead and a whole lot of intrigue. I really enjoyed the 3 prospectives that we get from the 3 main characters, each girl is dealing with her own issues and the author does not shy away from difficult subjects. The main storyline follows a murder mystery trope where the girls are trying to figure out who's killing witches, we also learn the backstorys for the main characters and their motives for trying to find the killer. I found it a very fast paced read and it was definitely full of action, sometimes too much as details would get lost, but I really enjoyed it nonetheless. Would definitely recommend for anyone that enjoys a dark YA.