I knew I was going to love Evocation far before I read it. I have four editions of the book and before I read it over yesterday and today I hadn’t cracked the spine on any of them because I somehow knew I didn’t need to worry about whether or not I was going to like the book. It felt like a foregone conclusion. S. T. Gibson is one of my favorite authors, urban fantasy is totally my jam, and polyamorous romance is truly what I prefer when it comes to my romances because it’s who I am as a person. It’s what I best relate to. I’m so glad I didn’t second guess myself because if more special editions of this book come out I’d buy every one of them (and you can bet I’ll be snapping up the matching special editions of the sequels). 

 

Evocation is one of the best examples of 21st century urban fantasy I’ve read yet, and along with that comes a modern mindset and a more modern magic system than I’m used to reading. That’s not to say the magic system escaped me; rather, the magic system is so rooted in rituals, tools, and materials I’ve known of and read about for a lot of my life that it felt…strange to see them in a fantasy novel. Not off-putting, to be sure, just a little uncanny. I don’t know if it will make every reader feel the same way, but for me it made me feel closer to the story and the characters, because some of the magic in this book is accessible to anyone with the temerity, dedication, and willpower to throw themselves fully into the endeavor. For those who long for control and power, magic is a heady thing. 

 

The characters in this book are an absolute delight to read, both on their own and when they’re interacting with one another. Evocation is told in the first-person POV’s of the book’s three main characters: David, Rhys, and Moira. Each character is so well-developed, so distinct, and you end up caring for all three so much. Rhys and Moira’s marriage carries such a deep and abiding love you might wish someone loved you that much, David and Rhys’ burn white hot with both sexual tension and resentment, and David pairs with Moira like soulmates who both challenge and support each other. 

 

I can’t wait for the next book in the series, but this book on its own is a marvelous read. I loved the diversity, the intrigue, the plotting, the story, and I cried so much more than I expected to. There is so much going on in this book, but Gibson has an incredible way of writing it all so that you don’t realize how much story you’ve gone through and how much of the plot you’ve covered without breaking much of a sweat and it didn’t feel rushed at all. She just doesn’t allow filler or clutter to clog up the pacing and flow and it’s so refreshing. It’s a crisp, bright, sharp read and I loved it. 

 

File Under: 5 Star Review/Adult Fantasy/Book Series/Romantasy/Fantasy Series/LGBTQ Fantasy/Polyamorous Romance/Secret Society/Spice Level 1/Urban Fantasy 

 

TW/CWs: See the Goodreads page for this book because Gibson has posted this information as the top review on the page.