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4.1 AVERAGE
4.1 AVERAGE
adventurous
dark
reflective
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
emotional
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I just finished Ascension, the sequel to Evocation by @stgibson & I absolutely loved it. I gotta admit that I liked the first book more, but this one was still really good & a strong second book in the „summoners circle“ - series.
In Ascension we follow Rhys in his new position as high priest, with David as his second in command & see at times how his likeness for rules & structure clash with the views of the people around him.
Ascension focuses on Rhys & his struggle in trying to go after the power he craves, while trying to protect the people closest to him & we get to see his flaws & how he always had ulterior motives, to get him where he wants to go. It’s a constant struggle between power hunger & ambition, but also trying to maintain his relationships & keeping his loved ones saved, while the power he has to apply takes a toll on his physical & mental health.
In the beginning of the book, the societies stand amongst others of their kind is in danger, because they are perceived as a joke in the occult community, which makes Rhys feel like he needs to up his game, be the best & advance his magical powers. To archive his goals, he keeps a lot of demons on call at all times, which takes a great toll on him.
It’s heartbreaking to see how Rhys at some point lose himself & doesn’t seem to know who he is, if he can’t rely on demons & the way Gibson writes Rhys & the way all these negative emotions change his behaviour towards other people until he spirals is so interesting to see. His fall from grace is definitely painful, but also really captivating to read.
Story wise this book wasn’t as strong as evocation, but therefor focused more on the characters internal struggles & relationships which I really liked. I adored the interactions of the characters & how their relationship bloomed, but also took hits through jealousy & not trusting each other ( especially David & Rhys ). The fact that new people were introduced into the mix & the way, they explored their polyamory & their boundaries, as well as the jealousy gave the book a nice pinch of spice.
We also get to see Moiras & Davids affection for Rhys & the way they are scared about the priesthood, being too much for him, but also the way he at times isn’t able to fully accept the trust & love, both wanna give him, due to his past. On the other hand we also learn about Davids affection for Moira more & the way he loves her just as much as he loves Rhys on a less physical but more emotional level. He says she is the person he trust most in the world. We learn that Moira, as soft as she is, has a wild & angry side to her as well & how childish & easily hurt David can get & often times just craves someone’s affection & attention.
I like the new side characters that were introduced, for example David’s new love interest Maximilian Markos or Moiras old friend Dion & S T Gibson writing & wording & intertwining of demonic & holy words are an absolute delight.
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Rounded up purely to reflect how much I enjoyed the reading experience. This wasn’t ST Gibson’s best work but it also definitely wasn’t their worst. Despite pacing issues, lack of focus, and ultimately low stakes, Gibson has succeeded in creating characters so lovable that I would be happy to read about them watching paint dry.
dark
relaxing
fast-paced
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
S. T. Gibson really is that girlie. This was so good. While I didn't immediately love it as much as Evocation, I soon settled into it and was just as obsessed. Rhys wasn't my favourite character in book 1, but this book brought him to life in a new way - he is complex, arrogant, cruel, ambitious, soft, loving, loyal, devoted, a drama queen, and a complete bitch. I love him. Moira, as always, steals every single scene she is in, and David will always my favourite little brat. The dynamics, the jealousy, the quiet shifts between David and Moira.. So good. While the stakes were different in this novel, the more domestic, intimate ties and binds made this book brilliant. Tense dinner parties ending in explosive shows of magic. Festive celebrations that change the course of their lives. The entire order at risk. The threats weren't just demons, devils, and dangerous summonings - the danger was also themselves. The secrets they were keeping, the truths they weren't speaking, and the motivations they concealed. Those final 100 pages or so, for me, were incredible.
Lost a half star because of a few editing issues (a few typos/grammar bits, like rogue " and . here and there) and because, for me, the pacing at the start of the novel was a bit weird. Overreacting to what, to me, was very obviously not a big deal (classic Rhys.) felt unwarrented. I didn't understand why it mattered so much to them, in a big city, when the order seems to represent about 10-15 people. But the novel soon gets into the swing of things, and it's everything you want it to be.
Also, Max is such a good character. Fight me on that.
Lost a half star because of a few editing issues (a few typos/grammar bits, like rogue " and . here and there) and because, for me, the pacing at the start of the novel was a bit weird. Overreacting to what, to me, was very obviously not a big deal (classic Rhys.) felt unwarrented. I didn't understand why it mattered so much to them, in a big city, when the order seems to represent about 10-15 people. But the novel soon gets into the swing of things, and it's everything you want it to be.
Also, Max is such a good character. Fight me on that.
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Panic attacks/disorders
Moderate: Alcoholism
Minor: Self harm
"Choose to walk the path of infamy alone or turn his back on everything he had worked for."
I can't pinpoint why I love this series so much, but I do. The characters are very believable, with human flaws, and the plot, while relying heavily on magic, is very much rooted in reality. I absolutely adore the bond between David and Rhys, it's such a pure love that most fantasy books come to without enough backstory or history. But these two have known each other for 10 years, and as a throuple with Rhys's wife, Moira, they're closer than ever. Rhys is struggling to balance his workload as High Priest at their Society and David is struggling with jealousy regarding Rhys's marriage. He doesn't want to be tied down, but he feels like a third wheel to them. Naturally, this all comes to a head in Ascension, yet it starts with Rhys summoning far too many personal demons and a peculiar article that denotes a summoning circle in a public space. Everyone is fearful that an occult group is behind it, threatening to put more pressure on these religious groups similar to that of the witch trials.
Favorite Character: David, all day every day. He is an extremely powerful sorcerer, who can charm people on the spot, but chooses not to use his powers because he wants people to like him for him, not because they're under a spell. He's a bit broken from his relationship with his father but now he's a thriving attorney and an important member to the Society. In this installment, he has a new boyfriend, Maximillian, who he had met when he was 16. Max was studying under Evgeni at the age of 22, and he was David's first real crush. Now back on the East Coast, Max is looking to expand his own religious occult group, the OTO, in Boston. This puts a wedge between Max and Rhys, as Rhys is trying to keep their occult society afloat and Max is scooping up all the new recruits to join his coven, instead.
The Good: Rhys losing his mind. Obviously, this was the main plot, but the descent into demons and madness was very palpable. Rhys began summoning too many personal demons, breaking the rule of 7, and it began to take over his psyche. And that didn't include Baelshieth, the demon he took on to save David's life. Rhys is hyper-fixated on saving the society, so much so that he's driving people away. People like Antoni, David, and his wife Moira. By the time he's too far gone, the only one that can help him is Max. And given that David is now seeing both Max and Rhys, they despise each other. The plainness and confrontation of his ego was interesting to read; Rhys was very egotistical in Evocations, but it was more alluded to than explained.
The Bad: the starting point to all of this is the scene from the Inquirer. A summoning circle with a paper mache person was found in a public space, worthy of defacing public property, and that throws everyone into a frenzy. Especially Rhys. He's convinced that someone from the occult is trying to put too much spotlight on their societies. Though many of them are accepted in modern society, he doesn't want to deal with criticism to his society while he is High Priest. Perhaps he overreacts about all of this due to his uncontrollable amount of demons, but it felt silly for this to be the tipping point for him. Additionally, the motives behind the characters didn't all make sense. Max was the villain, which was obvious, it's always the new love interest. But he wanted to absorb the society into the OTO to "save it from bleeding out slowly". But why? He just moved back to Boston and he's extremely wealthy, there's no need to unless it's a power trip. And if it's for his love for David, he didn't know that David was interested in him until he confronted him. What if he said no? Would he have just left? It didn't really make sense for these plot points (Inquirer article and Max) to weight so heavy on the characters to turn into so much chaos. Oh, and the power exchange at the end of the novel was wild to me. Rhys has worked with demons for a decade, yet with a plea to the Angel Michael to banish the demons from him, now he works with angel magic? You'd think they'd resent him for being a Catholic in the occult but what do I know.
I'm interested to see how this plays out with Rhys's new connections to magic, despite his blood oath with David to carry Baelshieth. Rhys is only 27 in this installment so he has some time to figure out how to banish his last demon, but I'm sure he'll wait to the last minute just to keep things interesting.
I can't pinpoint why I love this series so much, but I do. The characters are very believable, with human flaws, and the plot, while relying heavily on magic, is very much rooted in reality. I absolutely adore the bond between David and Rhys, it's such a pure love that most fantasy books come to without enough backstory or history. But these two have known each other for 10 years, and as a throuple with Rhys's wife, Moira, they're closer than ever. Rhys is struggling to balance his workload as High Priest at their Society and David is struggling with jealousy regarding Rhys's marriage. He doesn't want to be tied down, but he feels like a third wheel to them. Naturally, this all comes to a head in Ascension, yet it starts with Rhys summoning far too many personal demons and a peculiar article that denotes a summoning circle in a public space. Everyone is fearful that an occult group is behind it, threatening to put more pressure on these religious groups similar to that of the witch trials.
Favorite Character: David, all day every day. He is an extremely powerful sorcerer, who can charm people on the spot, but chooses not to use his powers because he wants people to like him for him, not because they're under a spell. He's a bit broken from his relationship with his father but now he's a thriving attorney and an important member to the Society. In this installment, he has a new boyfriend, Maximillian, who he had met when he was 16. Max was studying under Evgeni at the age of 22, and he was David's first real crush. Now back on the East Coast, Max is looking to expand his own religious occult group, the OTO, in Boston. This puts a wedge between Max and Rhys, as Rhys is trying to keep their occult society afloat and Max is scooping up all the new recruits to join his coven, instead.
The Good: Rhys losing his mind. Obviously, this was the main plot, but the descent into demons and madness was very palpable. Rhys began summoning too many personal demons, breaking the rule of 7, and it began to take over his psyche. And that didn't include Baelshieth, the demon he took on to save David's life. Rhys is hyper-fixated on saving the society, so much so that he's driving people away. People like Antoni, David, and his wife Moira. By the time he's too far gone, the only one that can help him is Max. And given that David is now seeing both Max and Rhys, they despise each other. The plainness and confrontation of his ego was interesting to read; Rhys was very egotistical in Evocations, but it was more alluded to than explained.
The Bad: the starting point to all of this is the scene from the Inquirer. A summoning circle with a paper mache person was found in a public space, worthy of defacing public property, and that throws everyone into a frenzy. Especially Rhys. He's convinced that someone from the occult is trying to put too much spotlight on their societies. Though many of them are accepted in modern society, he doesn't want to deal with criticism to his society while he is High Priest. Perhaps he overreacts about all of this due to his uncontrollable amount of demons, but it felt silly for this to be the tipping point for him. Additionally, the motives behind the characters didn't all make sense.
I'm interested to see how this plays out with Rhys's new connections to magic, despite his blood oath with David to carry Baelshieth. Rhys is only 27 in this installment so he has some time to figure out how to banish his last demon, but I'm sure he'll wait to the last minute just to keep things interesting.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
No
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes