Reviews with content warning for Murder - The Invocations

I read a hefty chunk of this during a three-day migraine. Day one I could barely read at all, day two I was just so desperate for something to do that wasn't a screen. 😅 So that was a new experience for me (I've only been having migraines for a couple years, if that).

I enjoyed The Invocations a lot. At first I worried the purple prose was going to fall on the wrong side for me but quickly fell in love with the way Sutherland describes everything and paints pictures with words. And the three girls: Jude, Emer, and Zara, felt pretty 3-dimensional to me, to the point that Jude in my mind looked quite different to the Jude on the cover art, the other 2 as well, actually - I struggle to visualise characters at all, usually. I also just adore dark witchy stories. This one has gore, and demons, and dark power, and women who are angry. It really really hit the spot.

There were a few points that bothered me, however, though they were small niggles rather than outright problems. For one... quite a few typos. I maybe noticed 7 or 8 throughout the book? Which isn't great for a traditionally published book. Not the end of the world though, they don't make it unreadable. Also without spoilers, one character has a magical injury, you learn about it right away when they are introduced, and the extent of the injury and the pain it causes... it really bothered me that they could walk around and do things. Like, yes there were times if they were running or doing manual labour they'd be visibly struggled or just bow out completely, but it's never made into much. I experience some minor pain at times and can't walk when it gets really bad, and there are others who need to constantly use crutches or a wheelchair. Pain like that isn't something that you grin and bear, get used to, magical or not. It wipes you out. I would have at least liked for them to have a walking stick, you know? Would have felt more real. Also: disabled representation, we could always use more.

Aside from that, the rest really are just small things here and there. Perhaps a person feels too much like a walking cliché, something feels a little too convenient, that kind of thing. These are generally things I notice when I read young adult fiction, however, and I tend to just brush them off. The instances in this book where they came up just didn't affect what I was reading. The overall writing and excitement of the story and what was happening to these characters was solid enough that it more than made up for any issues I had.

If you don't mind a little gore and enjoy dark stories about witches and the occult, with queer leading ladies, nonetheless, you might really get a kick out of The Invocations. And if you do, I definitely recommend checking the trigger warnings, as it is horror.

Content Warnings

bookiesncreme's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

Content Warnings

yourleastfavoritereader's review against another edition

Go to review page

5.0

Damn I know how to pick ‘em. I mean I guessed the killer pretty early on but the rest sold me.

Content Warnings

ivywwx's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging 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

4.75

Content Warnings

cburns13's review

Go to review page

challenging dark emotional funny mysterious tense fast-paced

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

4.5

Content Warnings

outsmartyourshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious fast-paced

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

5.0

In a world where only women can make deals with demons & wield magic, three young women are drawn into the hunt for a supernatural serial killer. Zara Jones's older sister, Savannah, was the killer's first victim. The sisters were always close & Zara can't live without her so she is intent on raising Savannah from the dead if only she can find the right spell. Everything she has tried so far has failed. Jude Wolf comes from a rich family but she's the outsider. Jude tethered her soul to three demons but the first one went badly wrong & cursed her to be in constant pain as the demon tries to get out of the deal. Emer comes from a family of witches & is a talented cursewriter - the spells which bind the demons to their human. As a child she watched her entire coven slaughtered by four men - witch-hunters - & she has vowed revenge on them.

OK, I really enjoyed this one & I was hooked from the start. It's a perfect mix of horror & fantasy with an undercurrent of social commentary. The first chapter sets the scene as an unnamed character walks home from a party alone - I would say that most women who have walked home alone in the dark in a deserted area would recognise the feeling of being on high alert of your surroundings & the fear that lurks. It's no accident that only women can wield magic (i.e. power) in this book & the (mainly male) witch-hunters want to take it away. It is inclusive of trans women by the way. My only (minor) observation is that I wasn't sold on the Jude/Emer romance but that's only because I felt there was little chemistry between them & out of the 3 main characters, I liked Emer the least. Overall though, it was a gripping read & that cover is perfection.

My thanks to NetGalley & publishers, Bonnier Books UK/Hot Key Books, for the opportunity to read an ARC.

Content Warnings

maddiegyoms's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark emotional mysterious tense fast-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

What a book! This book is everything you could ever want from a book about demons, witches, zombies, and witch hunters! Magic and gore everywhere. The descriptions, including the gross and gory ones, are so well detailed that at some points I felt like I could not only picture it but could even smell some of the descriptions! The whole story was so well thought out and executed, just beautifully written. I can't say enough good things about this book!

Content Warnings

More...