Scan barcode
A review by eiion
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
3.0
at the core of this review, I don't think this book was marketed correctly.
Evocation followed the story of David, Rhys, and Moira in a spiritual, occult-esque urban fantasy as they navigated romance both new and old around a subplot of demonic possession and centuries-old magic.
at least, that was how the book should have been pitched.
instead, Evocation was marketed as an occult urban fantasy following David being attacked by a demon hellbent on possessing him and taking his life by his thirtieth birthday in the terms of a contract signed centuries ago. in trying to deal with this, David was forced to reach back out to his ex-boyfriend Rhys and Rhys' new wife, Moira, dragging up old feelings and building on new ones. and while the plot points above are present in the book, it's not the primary focus of it. this was a romance book with an urban fantasy and occult subplot.
the stakes of the main conflict and the pacing were just completely off. we didn't even know about the deadline of his thirtieth birthday until at least 60% of the way through the book, and the possessions that David was experiencing were often glossed and without consequence. when the plot peaked and he started getting ill and at threat of dying, they all seemed shocked that it had gotten that far despite explicitly knowing that it was going to deteriorate, and they were suddenly scrambling to find solutions to try, even though that was what they had supposedly been doing since finding out about David's condition. there was a lack of focus on the occult parts of the story, and the rituals they attemped just seemed poorly thrown together and not very important.
the romance was perfectly fine; boundaries and conversations took a front seat in the arc, and I honestly really loved Moira and David's relationship. him being gay meant that he's not attracted to her, but he still very much loves her in his own way, and they have a really unique connection that I found touching.
the characters were very in depth (maybe a little too in depth for a 300 page book - there was a lot to unpack that definitely required at least 2 therapists and an entire gallon of sparkling water) and fit into the story nicely. and for the record: Moira is iconic and can do absolutely no wrong ever, she is perfect and will continue to be for the rest of her life.
I didn't dislike the book, but going into it expecting one thing and coming out of it with another was just a bit disappointing. I think as long as you know what to expect going into it, this could easily be a 4 or 5 star read for someone else. but for someone who doesn't read primarily for the romance, I was a bit disappointed at the lack of demon posession and magical happenings.
Evocation followed the story of David, Rhys, and Moira in a spiritual, occult-esque urban fantasy as they navigated romance both new and old around a subplot of demonic possession and centuries-old magic.
at least, that was how the book should have been pitched.
instead, Evocation was marketed as an occult urban fantasy following David being attacked by a demon hellbent on possessing him and taking his life by his thirtieth birthday in the terms of a contract signed centuries ago. in trying to deal with this, David was forced to reach back out to his ex-boyfriend Rhys and Rhys' new wife, Moira, dragging up old feelings and building on new ones. and while the plot points above are present in the book, it's not the primary focus of it. this was a romance book with an urban fantasy and occult subplot.
the stakes of the main conflict and the pacing were just completely off. we didn't even know about the deadline of his thirtieth birthday until at least 60% of the way through the book, and the possessions that David was experiencing were often glossed and without consequence. when the plot peaked and he started getting ill and at threat of dying, they all seemed shocked that it had gotten that far despite explicitly knowing that it was going to deteriorate, and they were suddenly scrambling to find solutions to try, even though that was what they had supposedly been doing since finding out about David's condition. there was a lack of focus on the occult parts of the story, and the rituals they attemped just seemed poorly thrown together and not very important.
the romance was perfectly fine; boundaries and conversations took a front seat in the arc, and I honestly really loved Moira and David's relationship. him being gay meant that he's not attracted to her, but he still very much loves her in his own way, and they have a really unique connection that I found touching.
the characters were very in depth (maybe a little too in depth for a 300 page book - there was a lot to unpack that definitely required at least 2 therapists and an entire gallon of sparkling water) and fit into the story nicely. and for the record: Moira is iconic and can do absolutely no wrong ever, she is perfect and will continue to be for the rest of her life.
I didn't dislike the book, but going into it expecting one thing and coming out of it with another was just a bit disappointing. I think as long as you know what to expect going into it, this could easily be a 4 or 5 star read for someone else. but for someone who doesn't read primarily for the romance, I was a bit disappointed at the lack of demon posession and magical happenings.