Evocation: Summoner's Circle, Book 1

4 4 out of 5 stars | 324 ratings

Price: 18.37

Last update: 01-05-2025


About this item

From the Sunday Times bestselling author of B&N's best books of 2022 A Dowry of Blood, comes a spellbinding and vibrant new series.

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 . . .

Contains mature themes.


Top reviews from the United States

  • Raven Williams
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2024
    Beautiful book, came undamaged. I haven't read it yet but I give the actual book 5 stars for sure.
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    Raven Williams
    5.0 out of 5 stars Beautiful
    Reviewed in the United States on November 30, 2024
    Beautiful book, came undamaged. I haven't read it yet but I give the actual book 5 stars for sure.
    Images in this review
    Customer image Customer image Customer image
  • Lissa
    4.0 out of 5 stars Intriguing
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
    I had a little problem with the pacing of this book. It was a little drawn out for me. I loved the dynamic between the main characters. Although it took me a long time to like Rhys. I would love to find out what happens to these characters in the future. I would recommend this book to different people.
  • GBJr
    3.0 out of 5 stars Great until.......
    Reviewed in the United States on September 26, 2024
    The book was good but would of been great if not for the sexual content coming out of absolutely nowhere!! Totally unnecessary and detracts from the story. Will give Odd Spirits a try when it comes out and hope for the best....
  • Lynn P
    5.0 out of 5 stars very good
    Reviewed in the United States on October 12, 2024
    This is the first book I have read by this author so I have nothing to compare it to as the other reviewers have. I really liked it. I enjoyed the very well developed characters. Each was multi dimensional. The plot was good.
  • J
    4.0 out of 5 stars Did I love it? No, but I did really enjoy this!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2024
    So this was A LOT more character driven than I anticipated which isn’t a terrible thing but I do wish there was a little more to the plot. That being said, I did enjoy seeing the characters grow and explore not only themselves but their relationships. I do hope future books dive a little bit more into the magic systems and lore behind things. I did enjoy this book overall though and I’ll be continuing the series as I did enjoy the characters, especially Moira. I’m really excited to read about her story.
    Customer image
    J
    4.0 out of 5 stars Did I love it? No, but I did really enjoy this!
    Reviewed in the United States on June 2, 2024
    So this was A LOT more character driven than I anticipated which isn’t a terrible thing but I do wish there was a little more to the plot. That being said, I did enjoy seeing the characters grow and explore not only themselves but their relationships. I do hope future books dive a little bit more into the magic systems and lore behind things. I did enjoy this book overall though and I’ll be continuing the series as I did enjoy the characters, especially Moira. I’m really excited to read about her story.
    Images in this review
    Customer image
  • Lillie Grace
    5.0 out of 5 stars Ready for the Next
    Reviewed in the United States on November 15, 2024
    There is something extremely special about finding an author early into what you can tell will be an incredible career with books that will be pushing the boundaries of what fantasy has to offer. With ST Gibson I was extremely luck to find her works early on shortly after Robber Girl was published and fell in love with her style of writing with A Dowry of Blood. When I heard she was putting out a novel about magic set in the modern day I knew I would need to be willing to step outside of my standard genre's and give it a try.

    Evocation is a master work of storytelling, with three POV's, a slow build narrative that somehow never feels rushed or like its inching along, and her trademark of fleshing out relationships that may be considered 'unconventional' to some, or their daily life to others in the process. She writes queer and polyamorous love with such gentleness, passion, and depth of emotion, fully exploring how the different types of love may present and treating them all well. In Evocation she does no differently, exploring the lives of multiple queer individuals and their branching relationships.

    Where Evocation feels most at home in itself is in working within the magic systems that ST Gibson has chosen to bring into her world. With many having roots in the real world but have been expounded upon for the novel, with the real-world practices being handled with grace and attention to the practices as a whole. Tied into the magic system is a the deeply fleshed out leads who all stand on their own with no one POV being given more love in the writing then the other and all of them being provided emotional depth.

    I would recommend this novel to those looking for:
    - Queer/Polyamorous Fantasy that treats all forms of relationships as valid
    - Those looking for a dark fantasy set in modern day
    - Those who enjoy well written worlds that evoke emotion
    - Those looking for a deeply atmospheric read
    - Those looking to jump into a well crafted fantasy series
  • The Review Booth
    4.0 out of 5 stars Dark & ovely occult lgbtq+ tale
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2024
    This book seems more deeply personal than the two previous books I’ve read from Gibson. While I did enjoy this one it wasn’t my favorite – that crown goes to An Education in Malice. That being said, this book is a wildly different kind of book than her previous two. I am hoping that more of the magical side will be brought forward in the next book – it took a backseat to everything going on. David’s possession didn’t really feel as terrifying as I figured it would be and felt a little glossed over other than all of the research.

    I honestly can’t recall a book where all three points of view are so, SO incredibly bull-headed. It was quite comical to read and Moira being the voice of reason while staying strong and true to herself was perfect. All of them have their own secrets and baggage but David definitely takes the cake. David and Rhys were interesting enough but I gravitated towards Moira – she definitely reminded me the most of myself.

    “She was tired of averting her eyes and keeping herself small. She wanted to unfurl her wings and see how far she could fly.”

    I am excited to see where David, Rhys, and Moira’s story progresses from where the book ended. I can only imagine it gets progressively darker, more dangerous, and more delicious from here on. Especially now that the three have (mostly) worked the kinks out between them and everyone knows where they stand. I would like to thank Angry Robot Books and S.T. Gibson for the opportunity to read this one. I would definitely recommend this to those who love S.T.’s previous works, dark fantasy, LGBTQ+ characters, and the occult.
    Customer image
    The Review Booth
    4.0 out of 5 stars Dark & ovely occult lgbtq+ tale
    Reviewed in the United States on November 20, 2024
    This book seems more deeply personal than the two previous books I’ve read from Gibson. While I did enjoy this one it wasn’t my favorite – that crown goes to An Education in Malice. That being said, this book is a wildly different kind of book than her previous two. I am hoping that more of the magical side will be brought forward in the next book – it took a backseat to everything going on. David’s possession didn’t really feel as terrifying as I figured it would be and felt a little glossed over other than all of the research.

    I honestly can’t recall a book where all three points of view are so, SO incredibly bull-headed. It was quite comical to read and Moira being the voice of reason while staying strong and true to herself was perfect. All of them have their own secrets and baggage but David definitely takes the cake. David and Rhys were interesting enough but I gravitated towards Moira – she definitely reminded me the most of myself.

    “She was tired of averting her eyes and keeping herself small. She wanted to unfurl her wings and see how far she could fly.”

    I am excited to see where David, Rhys, and Moira’s story progresses from where the book ended. I can only imagine it gets progressively darker, more dangerous, and more delicious from here on. Especially now that the three have (mostly) worked the kinks out between them and everyone knows where they stand. I would like to thank Angry Robot Books and S.T. Gibson for the opportunity to read this one. I would definitely recommend this to those who love S.T.’s previous works, dark fantasy, LGBTQ+ characters, and the occult.
    Images in this review
    Customer image

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