I'm very confused about this novella, what was the point of it? It only showed a glimpse into the rocky/toxic relationship between Moira and Rhys - why are they even married. They seemed way better in Evocation and I was expecting something else. Rhys is just very bland, Moira is angry all the time for no reason and it doesn't seem like they should be married?

David is once again the only one doing anything plot-wise, but he's still portrayed like this intruder in their love story (if it can be named that) and no one has any nice feelings about him.

Felt like a novella just for the sake of publishing something in the meantime.

This is the novella to Evocation by S.T. Gibson. As of now, I have not read that book, however, since this is a prequel, I thought I would read this first. Unfortunately, I did not find this to be a success for me. I am not a fan of the newlywed struggles trope and because of that, I think it heavily affected my rating. I am interested in how this plays into the first book of the series, but my standing as of now is to wait to read this book until you have read Evocation.

This was once again just really good. I love what S.T. Gibson does with the world of Evocation, and I especially enjoyed watching Moira and Rhys go through a rough patch and then figure out how to deal with it and resolve it, all while keeping one another in the center of it. The occult vibes this gives were immaculate, and I loved learning more about Moira and Rhys! Honestly, I cannot wait for the next book!!!

Based on the blurb I thought this novella was going to be right up my alley. A couple searching for a way to rid their house of a malevolent ghost from their home? Sounds like an interesting story!

However… I found this story to be quite a bit less compelling than I had expected. The blurb makes it sound like it’s going to be an action packed short story with ghosts and team work but in reality there is a whole load of sitting about and complaining about each other happening.

Obviously, the book still has ST Gibson’s lovely writing style throughout which is a HUGE strength but unfortunately on this occasion I’m not sure this was enough to completely save this for me.

This story really altered my opinion of these characters because they were portrayed quite differently than in Evocation. Moira and Rhys just seemed to be whingeing about each other for 115 pages without wanting to take any responsibility for the situation themselves.

The resolution also felt quite rushed, I know as a novella it has to do things quicker but it felt a little bit too fast to me.

Overall, this is sadly not my favourite by ST Gibson and I could probably take or leave it :/

This Summoners Circle Prequel novela is a fun spooky look into Rhys and Moria’s meet-cute and the troubles in their early marriage alluded to in Evocation. The ghostly plot point makes it a perfect quirky read for spooky season too!

as someone who read the original odd spirits after reading evocation it was definitely a jarring experience, this new and improved version is exactly that it’s improved in every single way. it’s rare to see an author willingly go back and redo books that are not in line with the standards of their new work but you can see the care that was put into this book. the changes in the relationship dynamics, the improvements to the characters tones, and the removal of certain plot twists and how those were replaced and changed were all masterfully done. this book is a huge improvement on the original and it’s definitely worth reading if you want an insight into rhys and moiras dynamic. it was funny, magical, and romantic a great kick off to what should be a truly incredible series.

It takes a lot of commitment to make a marriage between a modern ceremonial magician and a tarot witch work, but when a malevolent entity takes up residence in Rhys and Moira's home, their love will be pushed to the limits.
Honestly it was amazing to jump back into the world Gibson has created. This book was super short which will be my only complaint. But seeing how Moira and Rhys marriage came into fruition was an absolute delight. Seeing their struggles and trials over their concerns of their marriage made me love them even more. The pictures this book held were gorgeous and worth reading this book.
Overall a solid addition to the Summoner’s Circle series.
4 ⭐️
Thanks to the folks at NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for an ARC of this book. Y’all are the best. My review is a honest reflection of my feelings towards this books

Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for this ARC Copy!

I really enjoyed Evocation so I was excited to see a glimpse of where the characters were coming from. I really enjoyed seeing Rhys and Moira's relationship growth and how they were able to find each other through the trials that they experience in this Novella. I hoped to see more of why the relationship with David was so strained at the start of Evocation but I still got a lot more answers than I had before so I am happy. My only real complaint is it was not long enough and as always I just wanted more.

4.5*

I love Gibson's work, and have done so since reading Dowry of Blood.

Odd Spirits was the perfect hold over after devouring Evocation and I wait impatiently for the next installment.

This deeper glimpse into Moira and Rhys gives an added level of understanding to their relationships later on, and it was a perfect balance of haunting and beautiful.

Just like Evocation, the world and characters are amazing and highly enjoyable. While I find something about Gibson's writing odd that doesn't allow me to feel closely attached to the characters as I would in other books. This however doesn't take away from how good her writing is.

I really enjoyed the story. It was fascinating to learn about Rhys and Moira's conflict with David, as well as how they first met and developed their relationship. The ghost story aspect added a fun twist and provided more context for Evocation.

This was such a cozy little novella!
I loved getting to revisit Rhys and Moira, and seeing a bit of where it all had started. I enjoyed that Gibson showed us real and raw emotion through characters and the challenges they face being vulnerable in their relationships. Which with the added magical element makes it the perfect spooky read.

Thank you net galley for the arc!

First & foremost, thank you NetGalley for the e-ARC!

Honestly, I was a bit disappointed with how things unraveled at the end. I was left feeling unsatisfied. I expected more out of this book, especially with how intriguing the summary alone was.

I will say I kind of went into this book blindly, and it turned out to be not what I was expecting - a poltergeist therapy session with the help of an ex-lover….

Moreso, I wasn’t a fan of the underlying slurs in regards to race and gender identities… I typically do not gravitate to liking these types of books bc I try to refrain from being engaged in such social/political warfare… so that really defined the low rating for me. There was a point in the middle of the book, where I was super interested and so excited to find out what this “odd spirit” was, but was left utterly cringed with how this “tulpa”was born from the ashes of two magically gifted people filled with anxieties and the failure to effectively communicate with one another.

I recently realized this was the prequel to Evocation, and I had it on my tbr, so I thought maybe reading this would get me excited to eventually read that book, but sadly I’ll be taking it off my tbr at this time.

I loved the first book, so going into this novel I was excited and not disappointed! I loved being back in the world of Rhys and Moira! I apparently missed them! This book is a bit different than many I have read on the relationship side because so many books center around how a budding relationship goes through some difficulties whereas this book was a married couple encountering (not so usual) challenges. If you enjoyed The Evocations, then you'll definitely enjoy the ride with Rhys and Moira!

I loved Evocation and I loved even more have a glance to the Moira , David and Rhys of the past. It was a fun , hunting and quick read that had me fall even more i love with the characters. Plus ,can we stop and talk for a second about the gorgeous illustrations?!

Earlier this year, I had the pleasure of receiving an eARC of Evocation, which I absolutely loved. So, I was thrilled to dive into the prequel novella Odd Spirits. The story explores Rhys and Moira’s relationship—how they first met and are now grappling with the complexities of early married life. A volatile entity further complicates their struggles, leading them to seek help from Rhys’ friend and ex-boyfriend, David. The events that follow shed light on what caused the rift between Rhys and David, a key tension in Evocation.

Odd Spirits is a wonderful slice-of-life prequel that adds depth to the Summoner's Circle series without being essential to the main storyline. It gives more insight into the dynamics between Rhys and Moira, particularly their contrasting magical systems—Rhys’ ceremonial magic and Moira’s folk magic—which was fascinating to explore. While not crucial for understanding Evocation, this novella enriches the world and the characters' relationships, especially the growing strength of Rhys and Moira’s marriage. Their trust and understanding, which fully develop in Evocation, begin to take root here.

The novella deepened my affection for all the characters, especially David, whose storyline resonated with me even more after reading this. I’m eagerly awaiting the physical copy, with its beautiful illustrations, to fully immerse myself in again. Odd Spirits has certainly made the wait for the next Summoner’s Circle book a little easier, and I can’t wait to see what comes next. I’d love to see more short stories that focus on other characters in the future.

This series delivers the kind of magic I was always hoping to read about in a story. A big thank you to Angry Robot and NetGalley for the early copy—I devoured this story!

I love S.T. Gibson’s writing and this is no exception. This short little novella is a little back story into Moira, Rhys, and David.
I wanna thank NetGalley for allowing me to read this early and for approving me to read another ARC for S.T. Gibson. I can’t wait till my Waterstones edition arrives!

I absolutely FLEW through this novella and am already craving more. The writing is utter perfection and I found myself completely drawn in to each of the characters for all their flaws and imperfections. The occult and wiccan aspects were so expertly woven into the story I found myself wanting to learn more and constantly intrigued to turn the page to see what we would discover. Combining this with the relatable marital dispute it was the perfect read. I look forward to reading many more titles by this author and will be recommending to everyone I know both in person and on social media. Truly five stars.

A short and sweet novella. I’m glad to revisit Moira and Rhys in this story, I felt like we got a good insight into their relationship before the main story in Evocation. Seeing their progression as a couple and the trials and tribulations they went through brings them to life and makes them relatable! If you’re gonna read or if you’ve already read Evocation you should definitely read this novella as well!

Oh I absolutely adored this! Seeing how Rhys and Moria came to be was so lovely, I loved how we got to see how they met and how they became the strong unit we see in Evocation. I particularly enjoyed the fact that we saw their vulnerable sides in this one, they felt pure and genuinely real, completely relatable yet totally magical too.