Come for the demons and stay for the relationship drama in S.T. Gibson’s newest book, Evocation. In this story, we follow two ex-lovers trying to play nice in their secret magical boys club, and there is plenty of character development and paranormal problems to satisfy your spooky soul.
The only thing that can make the flawless David Aristarkhov falter is a generational demon pact. He would ignore it, but the damn thing is interfering with his reputation and his magic, and he can’t very well have that. David is so desperate that he’s reached out to his ex, Rhys, and his wife, Moira, to look into the matter. Rhys is hesitant to let David back into his life, and Moira is supportive but insists on boundaries. The three will get much more than they bargained for as magic has a way of disrupting the balance and claiming what it’s owed.
As interesting as Evocation’s premise is, the story primarily focuses on the interpersonal relationships between the three POVs. The alluring magical underworld serves as the backdrop, and David, Rhys, and Moira are the actors navigating their complicated situation on the stage. At first, the book makes a huge effort to root the reader in the world and establishes how each character interacts with their unique type of magic. The worldbuilding starts so strongly that I was a little surprised when the focus on the magic and enticing demonic pact slowly slipped away. However, Gibson filled the void quickly with enough relationship drama to keep me satiated. This could have been a disaster if I didn’t love the characters so much, but I was heavily invested in their entanglement. By the end of the book, the magic feels like a distant memory, but I don’t mind that it got put on the back burner.
There is not one POV that you will dread reading in this story, no matter how deplorable, selfish, or good the characters are. I rooted for them all and wanted so badly for everyone to have a happy ending. Let’s start with David because this story is mostly about him. He’s a lawyer by day and a medium by night. He charges through the world flashing his generational wealth. But underneath his powerful and charming veneer, David has few meaningful connections which is a huge weakness when a demon comes clamoring for your soul. Rhys is an obsessed academic and occultist who doesn’t possess one drop of magic. He’s hopelessly devoted to his studies and the people he loves, but his desire for power encroaches on those devotions. Moira is as sweet as sugar. Her magic has been passed down with love and care in her family, and she is a powerful witch. She smooths over everyone’s rough edges but that doesn’t mean she is a pushover. Test her limits, and she will mow you down in her vintage heels and absolutely look good doing it.
With two Gibson books on my shelf, I’ve seen a common theme start to emerge. Each story always has a thoughtful exploration of different relationships and the ways people connect to one another. In Evocation, there is a beautiful display of how people’s needs manifest and how they are met. Each character in this story enters a unique orbit around the other person, and we get to see it unfold. This is why I’m okay that David’s demonic pact takes a backseat because it’s so engaging to see how the characters are losing and gaining ground with one another. I love seeing how each person falters and grows amidst all their past hurts and current threats. The plot constantly puts the three characters in unpleasant situations and they’re always put on the spot to react and choose a particular path forward with that person.
I highly recommend Evocation to anyone who wants to get into a romantic urban fantasy that puts an emphasis on the people and not the smut. It has an interesting paranormal storyline around the edges, and I’m excited to see how both the plot and people develop in the series.
Rating: Evocation – 8.5/10
-Brandee
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