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A review by iam
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland
adventurous
dark
funny
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Solid witchy YA about three teen girls, all with their own connections to witchcraft, who get drawn into a series of murders of women who also have magical involvements.
I enjoyed the characters, especially Jude, but I have to say that the cover doesn't fit their vibes at all. Both Jude and Emer are, haircolour aside, described completely different than the artist is portraying them, which is a bit disappointing. I also wouldn't say that Jude is the central character at all.
While I enjoyed Jude the most, I think Emer was the most central to the story. It's her around which everything develops, she is at the enter of everything, though of course all three girls are involved. If anything, Zara felt a bit like the odd one out, both in motive and due to the dynamic that develops between the others.
I wish the book had had a bit more lore about the magic and witches, about how it ties in with history, as well as the culture and exact definitions of all the terms. Despite me using the term "witch" a lot, it's not used super much in the book, if when it is, it never is quite clear what it really describes. The titual invocations are deals with demons that leave marks on the skin, and the women with those marks seem to be witches - even though they themselves have no "magic" per see outside of the deal they have made. And they didn't even make the invocation themselves, needing a third party to make it for them.
I did have a good time reading this, but it doesn't take long to find plotholes or inconsistencies when thinking about this book. Not necessaily a bad thing, I really liked how things fit together in the end, but it wasn't the most neatly packaged up plot.
I enjoyed the characters, especially Jude, but I have to say that the cover doesn't fit their vibes at all. Both Jude and Emer are, haircolour aside, described completely different than the artist is portraying them, which is a bit disappointing. I also wouldn't say that Jude is the central character at all.
While I enjoyed Jude the most, I think Emer was the most central to the story. It's her around which everything develops, she is at the enter of everything, though of course all three girls are involved. If anything, Zara felt a bit like the odd one out, both in motive and due to the dynamic that develops between the others.
I wish the book had had a bit more lore about the magic and witches, about how it ties in with history, as well as the culture and exact definitions of all the terms. Despite me using the term "witch" a lot, it's not used super much in the book, if when it is, it never is quite clear what it really describes. The titual invocations are deals with demons that leave marks on the skin, and the women with those marks seem to be witches - even though they themselves have no "magic" per see outside of the deal they have made. And they didn't even make the invocation themselves, needing a third party to make it for them.
I did have a good time reading this, but it doesn't take long to find plotholes or inconsistencies when thinking about this book. Not necessaily a bad thing, I really liked how things fit together in the end, but it wasn't the most neatly packaged up plot.