This book came as a fresh breath of air. I haven't read anything like this before and devoured this book like a hungry reader. The setting, the characters arcs, all profound and lovely. Talking about the writing, I enjoyed the writing style as well as the quality. The narration flows smoothly. The book although short, created lasting impression on me.

Odd Spirits is the prequel to S. T. Gibson’s Evocation and book 0.5 in The Summoner’s Circle Series. With just about 200 pages, it is a great, short read for Autumn and a good way to learn more about Rhys and Moira’s past. With secret societies, magic, tarot and romance, it is full of fun.

First of all, let me just say that the cover design and illustrations for this series are beautiful. There is so much detail and all of the symbols and gilded images make the book seem like a forbidden magic grimoire. In this case, you really should judge a book by its cover because it seems to perfectly convey the atmosphere of the book.

Now onto the actual book itself. I’ve really been a fan of novellas recently and I think that they really suit the gothic/fantasy genres. I read Graveyard Shift (M. L. Rio’s new book) in a day and got completely sucked into the world in a few short chapters, the same goes for books like What Makes the Dead Move by T. Kingfisher and The Pale House Devil by Richard Kadrey. This short format leaves some questions unanswered, but that often makes spooky books more interesting. So, I was happy to see that S. T. Gibson was writing a novella set in the eerily magical world of Evocation. Her writing style, which is descriptive but not overly lyrical, works well in this book. She clearly sets up the world and atmosphere without losing track of the overarching narrative. Although, I will warn you that the plot isn’t very intricate. We follow Rhys and Moira as they go about their everyday lives and try to solve the mystery of what is going on in their house. There are strange happenings, but mostly we learn more about the characters and their relationships.

There isn’t an awful lot of substance to the book so I think you would be disappointed if you started reading expecting something like A Dowry of Blood or An Education in Malice. But if you just want a short, witchy story to read in October, I think that you’ll really enjoy this.

This was a very quick read. I loved the story and the inclusion of both sides of the spirtual coin. Even it being 100 pages I had a great understanding of who Moira and Rhys is. The flashback had great meaning and only pushed the theme of isolation and acceptance more. This book could have been 1000 pages and I still would have devoured it.

A wonderful addition to The Summoners Series! I really enjoyed reading about Moira and Rhys relationship before everything that occurs in Evocation. Amazing characterization. I love everything that ST Gibson writes!

Hmmm. I really don’t think this book in particular added anything to the overall series or the characters in it,
Rhys came out as a meek character who didn’t really like his wife, and Moira was just awful, she comes across as a hateful bratty mean girl.

Following Rhys and Moria as they navigate their newlyweds' life, 𝑂𝑑𝑑 𝑆𝑝𝑖𝑟𝑖𝑡𝑠 is the perfect novella to get into the Samhain/Halloween spirit. It might be a very short book, but it has got it all: anxious mage and lively witch, marriage trouble, haunted house, dark academia x whimsical cottagecore vibes. And, it feels like it was written for hurt/comfort fics lovers, which makes it even better!
I'm now more excited than ever to get into the rest of the Summoner's Circle books (especially with their shiny new covers!)

Thank you to @angryrobotbooks and @netgalley for providing me with an e-arc of this little gem!

Odd Spirits by S.T. Gibson 👻

I enjoyed this story! This is a prequel novella to Evocation. I loved learning about Rhys and Moira’s relationship before the full story! I truly think if I had read this before Evocation that’s I would have enjoyed that story even more. This book featured more spirits and haunted house vibes than I felt like Evocation did.

If you like spirits and haunted houses this book of for you.

Thank you to @netgalley for the ARC! 💕

A wonderful, magical prequel novella from ST Gibson! I loved Evocation so I knew I would enjoy this one. Mora and Rhys are great and it was so interesting getting to see so much more of their life.

Thank you to the publisher and net galley for providing me with an e-arc.

3.25⭐️ This was an ok read. 

I’m not a huge fan of the miscommunication trope in an already-formed couple. It gets me mad more than anything else and I don’t really see the point of it most of the time, and in this case, it was the whole plot of the book. 

Because I received an ARC of this book, I ended up not DNFing it and I’m glad I did because the ending made it better, but overall the story was bland and lacking something for me.

Thank you Angry Robot Books and S.T. Gibson for the ARC!

As a prequel novella to The Summoner's Circle series, Odd Spirits had all the potential to be a fascinating glimpse into Rhys and Moira’s relationship, a modern ceremonial magician and a tarot witch, as they confront a malevolent entity haunting their home. The premise of two magical partners with contrasting practices coming together to battle dark forces is intriguing, especially with the added complications of a psychic ex and a secret society.

However, as much as I love S.T. Gibson’s work and thoroughly enjoyed Evocation, this novella was a disappointment for me. My biggest gripe? The miscommunication trope, which isn't even accurately described as such here. The real issue was the complete lack of communication between Rhys and Moira. They barely spoke about their issues, and this total communication breakdown made it impossible to root for their relationship. It was frustrating, and it overshadowed any of the plot points or character development that could have made this novella compelling.

Unfortunately, this also tainted my affection for the characters I’d grown to like in Evocation. Both Rhys and Moira came off as unlikable in Odd Spirits, and it was hard to feel invested in their struggles when the bulk of their problems stemmed from an unwillingness to even talk to each other.

While I will still continue to follow Gibson’s work, as I’m a big fan of her writing style and her unique storytelling, Odd Spirits wasn’t for me.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an advanced copy of this book.

"Come here. Speak through me; let me advocate for you. Tell us what you want."

S.T. Gibson's novella gives us more insight into the characters we meet in Evocation. Rhys and Moira are deeply commited to each other. They are doing everything they can to make things work however a marriage between a witch and a magician isn't smooth sailing. A malevolent entity has taken up residence in their home, it is testing their love and pushing them beyond their limits. The solution? with help from an ex who is a psychic can these two overcome this huge hiccup in their lives together.

For readers who read Evocation and need another fix this novella will definitely provide that. It takes us back to when Rhys and Moira met and reveals some further secrets that have to surface in order to expel the evil that refuses to leave their home.

It was interesting to see how these unique characters came to cross paths. We know from the previous book however this touches on those initial unanswered questions while solving the dark case.

I liked that for how short this was it still packed in lots of magic and mystery with drama too. This edition does include some beautiful illustrations.

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

This is an absolutely gorgeous edition and I'm so glad I read this during spooky season. The illustrations, the glimpses at the story before Evocation and the build up only have me more excited for the sequel. A great spooky novella

This a great novella that allows us to better understand the story of Rhys and Moira. I liked to see them younger, in love, and then struggling to make their marriage work.
It gives a new perspective on where they come from and helps us understand their interactions in Evocation !

I flew through Odd Spirits, aand when I wasn't reading it, I was yearning to.

This is the perfect prequel to The Summoner Series, and could be read before or after Evocations. I would recommend after.

The characters are astoundingly charming and beautifully devoted. They are terrible and ever so human. The nod to the innermost feelings of a polyamorous person is a breath of fresh air.

This is for the lovers of all that is occult.

This book – the world and the characters – grabbed me right away! Just two chapters in, I put it down and immediately pre-ordered a physical copy, plus a copy of Evocation (because there was no way I was waiting 13 weeks for my Libby hold!). By the time I started chapter 3, I realized it was set in Boston – but a magical version of Boston! I was completely captivated by this world, and there was no going back!

I absolutely adored Moira and Rhys. Getting a glimpse into their marriage and relationship was the perfect way to step into this whimsical world. Their story was so relatable and beautifully written! Honestly, I’m obsessed with this world, and I need the entire series, like, right now!

Thank you so so much to S.T. Gibson and Angry Robot for my arc of this fantastic story and for giving me a new series to obsess over!

I really enjoyed this novella featuring Moira and Rhys. It was a delight to dive deeper into their relationship and see new layers unfold. The illustrations were a really nice touch, adding an extra charm to the story. Now, I'm eagerly waiting for the next book in the series—can't get it soon enough!

I just don’t like this couples relationship, there’s some toxicity here and I am not rooting for them.

⭐️2.5

This was alright. I feel kinda meh about the story but it does show the importance of communication.

Picking up a little bit before Evocation, Odd Spirits is a short look at the tumultuous beginning of Moira and Rhys's marriage. We hear mention of it in Evocation, and I was excited to dive more into their relationship as Evocation had been so driven by David's arc.

Had I not already been invested in the story thanks to Evocation, I'm not sure that I would have enjoyed this as much. It was definitely enjoyable, and Gibson's writing always makes me feel like I'm falling in love alongside the characters. Ultimately, it was a little underwhelming. It's a nice little snapshot into their marriage, and it adds some color to these two, but the overall predictability of the plot left me wanting.

With this additional context, though, it might be nice to reread Evocation!

While I’ll admit David might be my favourite character of the infamously weird relationship dynamics of Evocation, I was definitely interested in reading this prequel novella that explains a little bit more about Moira and Rhys. Okay actually my favourites are David and Moira, sorry Rhys. I think this novella is fun if you’re just interested in the Summoner’s Circle world, but also if you just generally want to read about a relationship developing. I think one of my favourite parts of the story was the focus on the rough parts of Rhys and Moira’s relationship through a lens of avoidance, but then healing. This is such a magically charged universe, it’s fun to see the ways that humanity and love play equally important roles alongside magic. It also gives some fun backstory of how the two met. Overall, I think this was a fun and pretty easy read, and while I might personally enjoy the full-length novel looks at the world, I think it was cool to jump into Rhys’ and Moira’s heads a little bit early. Also, the art inside is absolutely beautiful!