A review by thebooknookgroup
The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland

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.
Expand filter menu Content Warnings