Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Invocations

I hadn't heard a lot about this book and I think it deserves more praise. It is the story of three young women trying to find who is killing witches and it's one of my favourite horror books I've read in a long time. I've enjoyed very few horror stories that are this creepy. I thought it is very well crafted occult tale and would absolutely recommend to horror fans.

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cboddie's review against another edition

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dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated

3.5

HS & up

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clairelikesbooks95's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? No
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.75

I feel like with every book I read by Krystal Sutherland (all two), my main reaction while reading is “Ewww. Really??” And I dig it! Lots of rage, lots of girl power, lots of gore, lots of queer vibes. Definitely not for folks who don’t like bleak, gory stories.

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sternenstaub's review against another edition

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dark emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

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

4.25

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windermerepeak1's review against another edition

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adventurous dark 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

Omg so so good😭😭 I’m not much for horror but I read this for my YA book club and I just love everything about this. I only wish there was more, a sequel perhaps?? Between the three main characters, I think Zara deserved more character development/finality to her arc but Jude and Emer’s arcs are great too. All in all basically a 10/10 for me. CW for major violence and murder and blood and gore.

Also very proud of myself for guessing that Elijah was responsible for being the London ripper halfway through the book

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brebeingwell's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional funny mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.5

3.5 ⭐

This book gave me all the proper uncomfy feels I want in a horror, but I did feel like it dragged a little in the second half. I wish I didn't know Russian or play The Sims because then the twist might have been a little more twisty (if you know, you know). I think the characters have strong, independent voices and personalities which lead to me becoming emotionally attached to both who they are as well as their desires/goals. The worldbuilding for a standalone book was immaculate and I enjoyed getting lost every step of the way.

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thebooknookgroup's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.0

Synopsis:

Three girls are thrown together by somber circumstances.

- Zara's sister has been murdered and she is determined to not only find the killer but resurrect her sister. She can't let this be her end.

- Jude has lived a life of privilege. Even now, exiled by her family, her decrepit life is bankrolled by her father. She's determined to get back in his good graces, which means she absolutely has to dig out the foul, festering, magical demon curse eating her body from the inside out.

- Emer is a witch in hiding - has been since her entire coven and family were murdered in front of her eyes at 7 years old. More specifically, she's a cursewriter. Emer helps women reclaim power and safety that has been taken from them.

Women across London are being murdered. Women who tie these three girls together in a hunt for vengeance.

Review: ⭐⭐⭐⭐

I really enjoyed this! A fast-paced gothic and gritty murder mystery with a uniquely dark magic system.

Things I liked:

- Jude's family is like the HBO TV show Succession: rich, powerful, mysterious, emotionally stunted, and toxic. Loved it!

- The beginning hooked super well and didn't let up the gas. I thought this was really well-paced.

- Loved the grit. A demonic magic system that requires a lot of bloodletting with a blood bath finale I couldn't look away from.

- I really like how the romance unfurled. It was more of an undertone throughout the entire book and then seamlessly became a beautifully executed subplot.

Things I didn't like:

- Unsure how I feel about the glorification of demon magic and soul-demon tethers but we'll look past that for now.

- For bullet above I don't love that this book is marketed young adult. I wouldn't suggest it to a younger audience. It is pretty violent and graphic.

- The timeline was confusing at the beginning. I had to go back and start again to make sure I understood the events correctly.

- I wish the big reveal at the end was explained in more detail. Why things happened the way they did.

Overall I really enjoyed this book! Will definitely pick up another by this author.

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