Reviews with content warning for Death - The Invocations

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

ohclairebear's review against another edition

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dark mysterious tense 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? Yes

4.0

When I saw a Krystal Sutherland book was coming out I put it immediately on the TBR without reading the synopsis. House of Hallows was on of my favorite books in 2021. My excitement level was through the roof!!

There is always a price to pay for magic. None know this better than Zara, Jude, and Emer. Though they all come from different backgrounds… they all have something in common. Zara is working to find a way to revive her murdered sister. Jude is struggling to survive her demons (literally). And Emer is a cursewriter that tries to help women be stronger (for a price of course). What connects them all? These girls join together to try to solve the murders of witches. A serial killer is on the loose! Will they be able to solve it in time before more bodies show up?

This book is a mix of horror, thriller, and mystery… and of course queer. We love to see it! The book was paced nicely. Per usual, Sutherland pays excellent attention to detail (note: the book is part horror so just know there are a lot of trigger warnings…. so keep that in mind)! There was a great twist ending. Overall a very quick, enjoyable (and dark) read!

A huge thank you to this book’s publisher and NetGalley for letting me read this book in exchange for an honest review.

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maddiegyoms's review against another edition

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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!

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devynreadsnovels's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective sad 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? It's complicated

4.0

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nerdybookqueen's review against another edition

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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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readhaileyread's review against another edition

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adventurous dark tense medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix

4.0

I had so much fun reading this!

It is dark, witchy, gruesome, and full of angry women who actually do something about it. I really like the messages of feminism, toxic masculinity, and misogyny that are sprinkled throughout the book. This book is also MUCH darker and more violent than I was expecting and is full of body horror (def a fan, but def gross). The serial killer mystery was great and the book had some fun twists.

Overall, this book is like a (really awesome) punch to the face. Krystal Sutherland is amazing. #girlpower

Thank you to NetGalley, Penguin Group, and Nancy Paulsen Books for the ARC!

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