Most people know S.T. Gibson from the book A Dowry of Blood. While I did enjoy that one, it wasn’t my favorite. When I heard about Evocation, I knew I needed this book in my life and I was right. So today I want to tell you about this book and what I thought.
A big thank you to Netgalley and Angry Robot Books for providing me with an eARC to read and review. This doesn’t affect my opinion in any way.
The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.
As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.
But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door.
Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…
The first book in a spellbinding and vibrant new series from The Sunday Times bestselling author of A Dowry of Blood.
The writing of this story pulled me in right away, but I will say it took me just a little bit before I was completely pulled into this story. I think that’s because Evocation is mostly character driven and by the end of the book we still don’t know a lot about the society they belong to, the magic, or the world they’re in. And in this case, I don’t feel like that’s a bad thing. The characters and how they develop are the most important part of the story and the slow burn development gives you time to get to know them and what’s going on.
David, Moira, and Rhys all have their own stories and complicated backgrounds, but David brings them together again. David and Rhys clearly have a history and that makes them both so frustrating at times! David’s familial curse is what brings them together and they’re all drawn together for their own reason. I loved how relationships developed and I really wanted all of them to just be happy. I think because this was mainly character driven, I felt so close to all three of them. My favorite element of this book was communication! Moira made sure they talked and I loved that, because it’s not something I see often in stories. Especially when romance is involved.
If you love a gothic fantasy, with familial curses, a slow burn romance, and a character driven story, I highly recommend Evocation. I don’t want to give too much away, because I feel like you just need to dive in and see where the story goes. I can’t wait for the sequel that releases next year.
