I was gifted this book for free by the publisher, Angry Robot. Thank you! ❤️

I am absolutely obsessed with Rhys & Moira. David, too, of course, but ultimately I think I’ll die a Rhys girlie. I cannot wait for Ascension, I’m going to go feral.

The emotional growth between Rhys and Moira in this short little spirit filled romp makes me SO happy, we love S T Gibson in this house. Five stars.

You know that feeling when you stumble into someone's home and everything just feels right? That's how S.T. Gibson's writing hits me every single time, and "Odd Spirits" is no exception (even if it's a shorter visit than usual). This novella dives into the early days of Rhys and Moira's marriage – two magical practitioners trying to merge their lives while dealing with a particularly pesky haunting. And let me tell you, nothing tests a new marriage quite like a malevolent entity setting up shop in your house (and an ex who might be the only one who can help).

As always, I found myself completely absorbed in Gibson's atmospheric prose and the way she weaves magic through the mundane struggles of early marriage. The illustrations sprinkled throughout are absolutely stunning and add another layer of enchantment to an already magical story. Sure, it's a shorter read than I'd like (because honestly, I'd happily read Saint's grocery lists - which I have admitted to her!), but it's the perfect appetizer for fans of Evocation or anyone looking to dip their toes into The Summoner's Circle series.

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

3.5
I'll admit that I'm not much of a fan of novellas and this book wasn't compelling enough to make me revise that opinion. While it is nice to gain some background information about Rhys, Moira, and David, I don't think this added that much to the over-arching story. That being said, love these characters and S. T. Gibson's prose.

I love the whole secret society and magic in this series but this novella didn’t quite hit the mark. I liked getting the backstory to Rhys and Moira but it did make me like Moira less. She doesn’t handle Rhys’ sexuality well and that David is his ex. She is so snappy and they really should have dealt with some things before they married!

They both did David dirty. They are struggling and he comes to help and they are just rude. These characters are just not loveable.

The overall theme did show why good community is essential in a relationship but that’s starts before marriage, not a year on. To be honest, if I’d read this before Evocation I don’t think I would have carried on. Another stunning cover though.

I loved Evocation and being able to know more about the characters and their dynamics, especially about being newly married and feeling a little lost was amazing !

The immersion into Rhys and Moira lives was really interesting because their relationship is very complex in a way and to see how the trio with David began was thrilling ! Also I was very curious to hear the story of why David and Rhys were so mad at each other and I’m not disappointed.

So, a good novella to understand more about the characters and their dynamics in Evocation

It's a short novella that introduces you to the characters of evocation, and I read it before starting the main story. I really enjoyed the couple dynamics and the story, and I'm so glad I read it!
I really liked the glimpses I got of this world, and it made me so excited to jump into the main story.

Thank you to Angry Robot and S. T. Gibson for the chance to review this.

I honestly mistakenly thought that this was a standalone and have not read Evocation (although this has escalated it towards the top of my tbr). While the story definitely has its moments that would have been enhanced by a glimpse of these characters in the future from the rest of the series, it still stood on its own as a fun read with likeable leads. Rhys and Moira had a compelling relationship that is no doubt in a much stronger position in the main series. The book is also beautifully illustrated!

I probably should have read Evocation before reading this, as I felt a little adrift at times. It was like reading fan fiction for a fandom I don't belong to. As such, I'm hesitant to claim my reactions to the book as something readers who've consumed and enjoyed Evocation should heed. I found it lacking tension and cyclical, with too much focus on miscommunication and too little on actual depth of reasons for their relationship. Still lovely, and I will be picking up Evocation sometime in the near future to see what I missed.

I enjoyed this novella to more of a background on Rhys and Moria. I love the characters, and this story provides a good development of them. I flew through the pages and read this is one sitting. Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC
4 star

It was nice to see the origin of Rhys and Moira’s relationship however it felt like this novella was pretty unnecessary. It was just okay, I also did not appreciate Moira's very apparent biphobia and her use of religion to try and justify it. I absolutely loved the writing of A dowry of blood, this authors other work, but this writing just did not feel the same

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

I thought this was a well written prequel/novella to Evocation. After reading this, I am definitely going to have to get Evocation. I think the characters and plot line were well done, but I was just hoping for a longer book. It kept me hooked from the beginning, and I couldn't put it down. I can't wait to read the next installment. I recommend this to others for reading.

Thank you Net Galley ARC and Angry Robot Books

Odd Spirits is a prequel to Evocation, and this version is the final, fully edited version of the story. We follow Moira and Rhys, a witch and a sorcerer. The newlyweds are experiencing a haunting that threatens their happiness and their marriage.

God it felt good to read something that I was excited to pick up. It's a world I know, a cast that I already care about and it was just so easy to read.

As a prequel, I think it's pretty good. It's plot stands as it's own thing, and we get more insight into Rhys as a character, and some interesting backstory. If you loved Evocation like I did, it's a fun, quick read.

This book is a must read if you have read or want to read Evocation. I am not just saying this because it's good, it gives you vital information about the characters' shared history that you need to understand their dynamics.

I reread Odd Spirits when it became traditionally published, in case there had been any significant changes. To my knowledge this was not the case and I can't say that you need to reread this book if you have read the original self-published version.

Overall Odd Spirits is a charming little novella that uses the occult to tell a love story, much like its sequel Evocation.

I have fallen in love with S. T. Gibson's writing this year and I will read whatever they publish. This was not exception and I honestly wish this was released before Evocation because that would've made me so much more hyped and interested in reading Evocation.

I think is a perfect prequel to a series, and I think you should read this before reading Evocation. Because you are introduced to two of the main characters that are in Evocation, and you learn more about their backstory and their relationship and marriage. I wish I had all the knowledge I gained from this book about Moira and Rhys' relationship/marriage because it just would've made me so much more intrigued on how it would be developed in the sequel.

So, to make this short, read this before reading Evocation! You can read it in a day, and it is the perfect little novella which explores relationships/marriage, how to deal with exes, haunted houses, and different ways of practicing magic!

I loved this little novella, this is a prequel story, to the book Evovation, and this story is hinted at in Evocation, but never really explained there. So I am glad we get the full story in this novella, In this story we also get to know Rhys and Moira a little better. We learn about how they met and how they dealt with their creation, This is such a fun story and it also includes beautiful illustrations. that makes the story even more appealing.
I would suggest starting with this story before you read Evocation if you have the chance!

This is my second read by S.T. Gibson. I read A Dowry of Blood a few months back and absolutely fell in love with everything about it. The writing and the storytelling, the immaculate vibes - it had me go and mark multiple of Gibson’s books as wanted reads. So when I saw Odd Spirits pop up on here, you bet I ran to apply for it.

However, reading it.. I felt a little bit underwhelmed? I knew, going in, that this was going to be a prequel novella to The Summoner’s Circle series and I imagined I was doing myself a favour reading it, before diving into Evocation. Having read Odd Spirits now, I genuinely think I should’ve waited. I don’t feel that you get a proper grasp on the characters in the novella and their backstory, and I caught myself rereading a lot of bits and pieces. What I did get to know about the characters (and the plot of the novella) was intriguing and I still look forward to diving into the series as a whole.

Overall, the writing is really good and I do enjoy the way S.T. Gibson writes and tells a story, there’s no question about it. I’ll probably go back and reread Odd Spirits once I’ve read Evocation (at least), and maybe it’ll change my opinion on it.

As much as i devoured “a dowry of blood”, and loved getting to see carmilla and laura in a whole new vein of dark academia through “an education in malice”, i simply couldn’t get past Moira’s biphobia.

I would’ve understood if it was a character arc and growth for her, but i didn’t see that. Maybe it gets worked on in “Evocation”, which i haven’t had the pleasure of reading yet.

Short and sweet is the best way I can describe this novella. I really enjoyed a glimpse into Rhys and Moiras lives before evocation. I think it was a fun short read. Thank you to NetGalley and angry robot books for the opportunity to read this arc for my honest opinion.

What happens when a warlock and a witch marry and move in together? Well, sometimes nothing, wouldn’t that be a short book? 😉

Odd things are happening in the lovely house of Moira and Rhys. Cupboards slamming, mirrors falling. Things disappearing.
In the beginning, they are brushing it off. Uncanny things happen every day in their house.

Since they know it is not themselves, they sort of place the blame on the other. In the beginning, it is just annoying, and then they get scared. Which I imagine takes a lot when one is used to spirits visiting in the first place.

I found the book almost like a love story. We get to know how they meet and fall in love. And I think they are adorable. I can understand that they do not want to bother the other with their ‘stuff’. Then, when we switch over to the current day, it gets almost scary. OK, the reason I say almost and not actual scary is that I am used to having these entities being around.
This might be a little scary for those who are not used to such entities. It might give them the "heebe jeebes"?😂 (I probably didn't spell that right).😂


Another thing I enjoyed was the artwork. There are a few illustrations of scenes in the book. I love that, I felt I got to know them better. In addition, there is a tarot card to every chapter.