What if the only person who might be able to break your family curse was the ex-boyfriend you’ve been trying so hard not to text? S. T. Gibson explores demon bargains and complicated relationship dynamics in Evocation, the first book in her Summoner’s Circle series. I attended one of Gibson’s book tour events back when the book first came out in 2024, and then lost all control over my TBR (oops). But having loved Robbergirl, Gibson’s reimagining of classic fairytale “The Snow Queen,” and A Dowry of Blood, her (anti-)love letter to Dracula, I was excited to see this author tackle a fantasy world entirely of her own making.
David and Rhys had a messy breakup. A psychic prodigy from a wealthy family that has been immersed in the occult for generations, David Aristarkhov was a reckless alcoholic with an attitude problem. Rhys McGowan, who built his demon-summoning skills from scratch with hard work and intensive study, grew tired of cleaning up David’s messes. To make matters more complicated, they’re both still members of the same secret brotherhood for practicing sorcerers and have to see each other at the Society’s weekly meetings. It also didn’t help that shortly after Rhys got married, David showed up at Rhys’s door accusing his new bride of cursing the house. Now they’re no contact except on magical business. But when David hears a strange voice in his head during a routine seance and begins experiencing debilitating blackouts, he doesn’t know who else to turn to. If anyone can find answers in the vast occult library of David’s family home, it’s Rhys. But Rhys and his witchy wife Moira are a package deal now, and David will need to convince them both to let him back into their lives. Yet even as new friendship and old flames begin to ignite, it quickly becomes clear that they are dealing with a darker and more dangerous magic than any of them have ever encountered before.
At the center of Evocation is that classic Gothic trope, the Faustian bargain. It has long been rumored that an Aristarkhov ancestor made a deal with the Devil for the gift of persuasion and occult knowledge. Yet even in a world where all different kinds of magic exist, this legend is dismissed as an invention of those who are jealous of the Aristarkhovs’ success. Then David and his friends begin to uncover evidence of an actual ancient bargain and he must face the dark truth about his family: Each of his forefathers has known about the deal and found a loophole to kick the consequences of the bargain down the years. Now David has been left holding the ball and the Devil is finally coming to collect. What he once thought was an inherited gift is revealed to be a family curse with deadly stakes.
But as much as Evocation is about magic and its uses and abuses, so much more of this story is about love—love in its vast array of forms and expressions. At the center of the book is a second-chance romance between David and Rhys. But not at all overshadowed by this is the beautifully devoted relationship between Rhys and Moira, whose love for each other only deepens as they explore the idea of opening up their marriage. Then there’s Moira and David, who start out hating each other but slowly develop their own unique bond based on physical affection, psychic connection, and fellow feeling. We also get glimpses of other forms of love, such as the familial love between David and his chaos magician half-sister, as well as the mentee-mentor bond he has with the older practitioner who took him under his wing. These relationships contrast with David’s feelings for his family by blood, especially his late father who used to like to show off David’s magical abilities but never showed him any love. Ultimately, the bonds of love with his found family may just be the key to freeing David from the lethal legacy he has inherited.
If you love both complex magic systems and stories of found family and non-traditional relationships, definitely check out Evocation. You can find it on shelves now at your favorite retailer or buy it online and support The Gothic Library in the process using this Bookshop.org affiliate link. If you’ve already read it, let me know your thoughts in the comments!