Reviews tagging 'Grief'

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

35 reviews

nerdybookqueen's review

dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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? Yes

5.0

I got this book from netgalley in exchange for a review.

What an amazing adventure. If you enjoyed this author's other work, you'll enjoy this one.

Featuring three povs, these female leads must join together to achieve their goals and solve the mystery underlying the story. I found all three women to be very interesting and compelling characters, featuring unique motives and personalities.

Jude is working to fix the botched deal with a demon, and along the way starts investigating a string of murdered women, all with a similar signature. She meets Zara, a woman trying to find a way to bring her sister back from the dead. Together, they find Emer, the woman who, as it turns out, has written deals-invocations- with demons for all the murdered women so far. And she's not pleased they're turning up dead. Together, they work to discover whose been murdering these women, while trying to find a solution to both Jude and Zara's problems.

This story kept me hooked, every twist and turn in the tale creating an exciting adventure that had me hanging on every word until the end. I also loved the addition of sapphic main characters, enjoying their story and the evolution of their relationship through the tale. 

I was so sad when the story ended, but so satisfied, and surprised, by the final act. I've already preorder the book, I loved it so much.

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Gore, Misogyny, Sexism, Suicidal thoughts, Torture, Violence, Blood, Vomit, Kidnapping, Grief, Religious bigotry, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Child abuse, Stalking, and Death of parent

Minor: Child death

anna_may's review

dark emotional 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, Bullying, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Gore, Misogyny, Physical abuse, Self harm, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Blood, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Religious bigotry, Stalking, Death of parent, Murder, Gaslighting, Injury/Injury detail, and Classism

camiandkitread's review

adventurous dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

3.0

“The Invocations” by New York Times bestselling author Krystal Sutherland is a dark, witchy thriller about the women who refused to be afraid of the men and demons who lurk in the night. 

The book follows three girls from very different backgrounds: Zara Jones, Jude Wolf, and Emmer Bryne:

Zara doggedly believes in magic because it’s the solution she needs to bring her sister back after she was murdered by a serial killer. If dabbling in the occult will bring her sister back, then that’s what Zara will do. But she needs a guide to show her how to do real magic. 

In sharp opposition to Zara, Jed Wolf, is an heiress who has had life served to her on a silver platter. That is, until a deal with a demon went awry and her soul began decaying. Flowers wither, insects drop dead, and monstrous things haunt her nights. If Jude can’t find someone with the skill to undo her mistake, she knows her time is limited.

Emer Bryne is the person both Zara and Jude are looking for. The self-trained daughter of a witch, Emer crafts spells for women in desperate situations that sacrifice part of their soul for enough magic to change their circumstances. Emer has her own dark past, which she fears has caught up with her as her former clients are being found murdered. 

Once the three girls’ paths cross, they team up to catch the London Ripper before they end up his next victims. 

I’ve seen “The Invocations” everywhere since I attended YALLFest in 2023 and was so excited to read it. I was expecting a clever, spooky tale with witches trying to solve a murder. While “The Invocations” technically delivered, I personally think it’s been overhyped. The style came across as disjointed and it was very difficult to keep track of which POV the chapters changed to. 

The three main characters were all distinct in their personalities and had compelling backgrounds. They stayed true to their motivations the whole time and had compelling personal arcs. The plot was interesting and the stakes were high…but it was mostly lackluster. It seemed like it was trying too hard to be dark and edgy, and the characters slid into completely trusting each other a little too fast. 

While I didn’t dislike “The Invocations,” I was definitely disappointed. It had all the right parts, but the execution was just slightly off, in my opinion. 

I received a digital ARC of this book through NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

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Content Warnings

Moderate: Addiction, Body horror, Death, Emotional abuse, Hate crime, Violence, Blood, Death of parent, Murder, Abandonment, Alcohol, and Injury/Injury detail

Minor: Adult/minor relationship, Cursing, Domestic abuse, Eating disorder, Emotional abuse, Gore, Physical abuse, Excrement, Vomit, Grief, Pregnancy, and Fire/Fire injury

marywahlmeierbracciano's review

adventurous challenging dark mysterious tense medium-paced

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

5.0

The Invocations is set in a world where only women can use magic, but it comes at a price.  Butch heiress Jude learns this the hard way when a misguided curse leaves her with a necrotic wound.  Zara’s racing against time to learn how to raise her sister from the dead before it’s too late.  And Emer, a gifted polylinguist and curse-writer and the sole survivor from her coven, knows that being a witch is a dangerous thing.  The three young women are brought together when it’s discovered that a serial murderer is targeting Emer’s past clients—women who were willing to sell part of their soul for magic.  Grief leads the way in this whirlwind story, gruesome and truly scary as it confronts generational wealth, misogynistic violence, demons, and empowerment. 

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Death, Misogyny, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Body horror, Bullying, Domestic abuse, Emotional abuse, Gore, Gun violence, Physical abuse, Violence, Vomit, Medical content, Cannibalism, Religious bigotry, Medical trauma, Stalking, Death of parent, Gaslighting, Sexual harassment, and Classism

Minor: Child death, Sexual violence, Torture, Pregnancy, Alcohol, and Pandemic/Epidemic

metaphorsandmisc'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

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Content Warnings

Graphic: Body horror, Death, Misogyny, Self harm, Violence, Blood, Grief, Murder, Fire/Fire injury, and Injury/Injury detail

Moderate: Confinement, Cursing, Vomit, Religious bigotry, and Death of parent