Reviews tagging 'Injury/Injury detail'

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

57 reviews

natashaleighton_'s review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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

5.0

Continuing the decadently lush and creepy vibes of House of Hollow, Krystal Sutherland’s newest standalone is just as eerie and hauntingly sinister; with protagonists I found just as vividly compelling as the Hollow sisters. 

Given how much I LOVED House of Hollow, you can imagine how high my expectations were for this. But I’m glad to say Sutherland absolutely nailed it! The simmering undercurrent of feminine rage, the witchy occultism and satisfyingly phenomenal ending, I was absolutely hooked.

I don’t think my words can truly capture how amazing this was but I will try my best. From the heart-stopping action which never let up, to the mystery surrounding a string of murders, and the skill with which Sutherland effortlessly intertwined the lives of our three protagonists: Emer, Jude and Zara (all from vastly different backgrounds) was nothing short of breathtaking. 

I really loved them all and was utterly captivated by the emotionally complex backstories and thought processes that brought each girl to life. The vibrancy of their individual personalities and differences they embody, did briefly have me questioning how they could possibly get along, let alone solve such a complex case.

But watching their relationship shift and evolve as they got to know one another, shared their feelings, experiences, and generally became closer was really uplifting. And did help lighten the mood between all the tense, bloody and (predominantly) gory events the trio find themselves in. 

Though I should admit, given I grew up in the London borough this is partially set in, (Zara attends a rival school to the one I graduated from) so my enjoyment is somewhat entwined with nostalgic memories of my own teen years in the area (when my love of all things witchy and paranormal really took off.) 

In any case, if you’re eager to delve into something spooky or unapologetically witchy this October. Or yearn for a fiercely badass cast of FMCs (who team up to not only track down a killer, but stop him for good) and live for stories with plenty of plot twisty action — then you absolutely have to consider picking this up. 

Though given the subject material I do suggest checking the TWs beforehand (as it does deal in a lot of dark themes.)  

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, and Blood

Moderate: Death, Medical trauma, Death of parent, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Violence, Vomit, Pregnancy, and Pandemic/Epidemic

black_cat_iiix's review against another edition

dark emotional tense 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

3.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Sexism, Sexual violence, Vomit, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Gore, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, Death of parent, Murder, and Classism

meg53's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

3.5

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Animal death, Body horror, Chronic illness, Cursing, Death, Drug use, Emotional abuse, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Abandonment

frannieman's review against another edition

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Character
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? It's complicated
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

apoppyinthewind's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious sad tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? No
• Flaws of characters a main focus? No

5.0

I love a witchy book that takes a different approach to magic and The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland is one of the darker, more unique versions of magic I've read. In this world, magic is tied to making a pact with a demon, stamped on the witch's skin, which comes with a cost, and there is no room for mistakes. 

The three main POV characters are Jude, Emer, and Zara. The first, Jude, is a novice witch who's made quite a life-changing mistake with her pact and is seeking help to fix it. Zara, grieving her murdered sister, is determined to find answers and a way to bring her sister back. Jude and Zara are brought together while researching the murders of other witches, all of whom were former clients of Emer, the curse writer.

It's a dark, bloody tale, with a significant amount of body horror about three characters trying to track down a murderer targeting witches. I would recommend checking it out if you enjoy witchy books and horror.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Blood, and Murder

Moderate: Emotional abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Self harm, Sexism, Grief, Medical trauma, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail

kassibaby84's review against another edition

adventurous dark funny mysterious tense fast-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

4.25

 3 witches come together to solve the mystery of who is killing off witches in London. Zara has been looking for a way to bring her murdered sister back from the dead. Jude is the daughter of a billionaire who is looking for a way to rid herself of the demons who are causing her body to rot away. The two women track down Emer, a witch who helps women invoke demons to solve problems. The 3 women come to the realization that there is a serial killer who is hunting down the women Emer gave invocations. Can the 3 women find the women in danger before they become the next victim? And can they stop the killer before witches are wiped out?

This was a great novel with a lot of female empowerment and societal analogies. We learn that only women can be witches and men are always trying to find ways to steal their powers. Witches have been victims for centuries of male hunters and must be stopped. This book reminded me a bit of "Legendborn" with its ties to the history of female oppression and strength. The MCs are queer and show their identity in different ways. Jude, hitting on all the females around her despite her festering wounds, provides dark humor and comic relief. Each of the MCs is without a family, either through ostracization or murder, and the found family they create with each other is heartwarming. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

codyemma's review against another edition

dark sad tense

• Strong character development? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Self harm, Sexism, Vomit, and Grief

sage_alexandra's review against another edition

dark mysterious tense slow-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

Would probably have rated higher if not for the first few chapters. Maybe 4 or 5 chapters in was when the story finally picked up, but I'm glad I pushed through! The beginning was too much untethered exposition and vague character explanations, but it all came together quite quickly, and then I finished the rest of the (audio)book in under 24 hours.

Pretty extraordinary book, and the narrator, Kit Griffiths, is phenomenal!

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Genocide, Gore, Hate crime, Misogyny, Torture, Violence, Xenophobia, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Bullying, Child abuse, Child death, Chronic illness, Cursing, Emotional abuse, Panic attacks/disorders, Physical abuse, Self harm, Terminal illness, Death of parent, Pregnancy, and Classism

Minor: Confinement, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

a lot of graphic knife/blade injuries,

flaying of skin

, descriptions of pain revolving around the cutting. none of it in a suicide-selfharm sort of way, just girlies doing casual blood sacrifices to demons!

issyfrp99's review against another edition

dark emotional mysterious tense 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? No

4.75

Absolutely perfect story. A quarter of a point docked for incorrect Latin grammar because it’s a pet peeve of mine.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Gore, Blood, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Sexism, Violence, and Murder

wren_08's review against another edition

dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? A mix
• Strong character development? Yes
• Loveable characters? Yes
• Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
• Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

5.0

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, and Injury/Injury detail