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!

a wholesome story of a young wiccan couple experiencing their first ups and downs of marriage. i really enjoyed seeing more of rhys and moiras every day life.

This book is a little prequel to Evocation, following mostly Rhys and Moira with a little bit of David. It was a cute little expansion on the characters and if you're a fan of Evocation I would definitely read this to add to your knowledge of the characters. It's the type of story I can imagine being in an omnibus of other short stories relating to the series just to help build the world.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an ARC in exchange for an honest review!!!

To begin with, I absolutely loved <i>Evocation</i>!! Those curious about the event six months ago our trio constantly references in the beginning of that book will be sated with the findings here. We find out just what went down and how things could spiral so terribly between them.

While you don't need to have read that book first, I do think you'll be better off to understand how the occult manifests in this world and the larger histories of our leads. This is largely a domestic spiralling of miscommunication that turns towards the paranormal. Don't expect a sweeping epic about the magic in Boston, as we're staying in the haunted house the couple Moria and David call home.

There's a coldness separating newly married couple Rhys and Moira, something ominous. Something dangerous. Something supernatural. The occult has come calling and fellow secret society member David is brought in to investigate. His intutive connection to spirits and the beyond are desperately needed, the remaining tension between him and his ex Rhys does complicate things however.

Newlywedded bliss has some kinks to work out for two incredibly independent people attempting to build something new together... the drastic differences in their occult practices and backgrounds also is a point of occasional contention. The love is there, and it's real, but a lot of work is needed to keep it alive and genuine. Perhaps that's why the reinsertion of David and some less than savory accusations on his part cause such a rift in their close-knit circle at the society?

Communication is key and supporting a partner where they are at the moment, a lesson both Rhys and Moria are forced to learn and quickly as their haunting escalates. Avoiding points of disagreement or ignoring unpleasantness has a way of coming back to bite, and much harsher with the time to stew in resentment and bitterness.

The art included in the novella is a really lovely addition! It's fun to see how the images of the characters I had in my own head mirrored or differed from the official renderings.

Overall I had a fun time and am looking forward to book 2 in this series. I appreciated the context added to where the trio was coming from in book 1, but didn't enjoy the story nearly as much. The complicated characters and relationships Gibson is known for ring throughout this urban fantasy tale, but it's a bit more singularly focused than what I typically prefer to read.

The art in this was just stunning, and I loved getting to learn more about how Moira and Rhys got together, as well as see the incident that happened with David prior to the start of Evocation.

This was absolutely adorable! I haven't read Evocation yet, but I didn't feel like I was missing too much by reading this first. There's tension between Moira, Rhys, and David that, I assume, is referenced more heavily in Evocations, but not having that background - or not having as much background, because we do get a taste in this novella - didn't deter me from enjoying the story. If anything, it made me even more intrigued to pick up Evocation and get more of these characters. I appreciated the conversations surrounding love, marriage, and feeling inadequate, and I also appreciated the way the S.T. Gibson discusses the occult, and the magical elements associated with these characters.

4/5 ⭐️

This is the prequel to Gibson's novel, "Evocation," which I liked so I was curious to check this out. I don't typically like novellas or prequels but I did enjoy this. This book gives us a look into Rhys and Moira's relationship early on in their marriage and the struggles they face. David also makes an appearance at one point.

I saw some reviews suggesting that you could read this before "Evocation" since it is a prequel. I don't know if I agree. I think you would get more out of this after having read the first book.

Thank you to NetGalley, S.T. Gibson, and Angry Robot for my early access to this.

I loved opening this book and immediately being immersed back into the world of Rhys, Moria, and David and the Boston occult scene. There's something special about being able to remember exactly how you envisioned the kitchen in the previous book. I loved getting a deeper look into Rhys and Moria's relationship, what makes them tick, and especially the flashbacks to how they met. It made me want to re-red Evocation (and also made me rush to check the pub date for Ascension because I need it now). I'm so excited there are going to be 3 more books in this series because I can't get enough of these characters.

I've come to terms with the fact that I'm not the biggest fan of this series, having read book 1 and now the novella, so I will not be continuing on with it.
However; S.T Gibson's writing style is undeniably great. She can keep you interested even when telling you about characters you're not particularly fond of. Despite not having many thing to point at when talking about what I enjoyed, I also have no things to criticize. The characters, plot, overall vibe is not really my thing, but I would recommend it to fellow readers who enjoy occult, modern-time stories much better than I.
This was a 7/10 for me, and the extra half I'm rounding the rating up to is due to the amazing illustrations throughout this novella. They're fantastic, and I hope the artist continues to do art for the following books.

A spooky haunted house novella perfectly sets the tone for a mystical Fall.

I read and loved Evocation by S.T. Gibson earlier this year, so I jumped at the chance to read this little prequel! In it, we get a closer look at our darling newlyweds Rhys and Moira, as well as some intriguing scenes of David. If you haven’t already read Evocation, I would say go ahead and start with this prequel.
It adds real depth to the characters and a closer look at their shared histories.

S.T. Gibson writes intricate and real relationships that draw you in while offering a big dose of the occult and a touch of spice.

I was really happy to be back in this world! I really enjoyed Evocation and was keen to read more of Rhys and Moira's story.

This was an easy, short and entertaining read. I particularly loved the foreshadowing we got to some of the things that happened in Evocation, but only in a way that those who've read Evocation would understand.

Another great story by S.T. Gibson.

This was a short but fun story set before the events of Evocation, and is based around Rhys and Moria, and their house which they find is suddenly haunted. I really enjoyed this, having loved Evocation, and it was a great story to keep me going until the next book is out. I would recommend this to any fans of the author!