Evocation

It cannot be easy to talk to the dead. Equally, foreshadowing the future or sending demons back into the abyss are not simple tasks. All are tricky and all are specialties that need experience, concentration, and skill. Even with the right environment and correct mindset it may not be enough, seeing you being dragged to hell by mistake. Therefore, surrounding yourself with an ex-lover, and your wife is not making life any easier. The sorcerers and witches of S. T. Gibson’s Evocation do not make their work any easier with the company they keep. 

Being part of a magical society is like any large committee. There are those who are simply happy to be there to summon the odd demon, but others are after the power. The role of leader is becoming available, and this is of interest to both David and Rhys, two opposite characters, but also two former lovers. With both vying for the role of Head Acolyte, they are taking their eyes off what is around them. Rhys is neglecting his wife and David is trying to ignore the voices in his head. It also does not help that their rivalry is sparking old feelings. 

Evocation is an Urban Fantasy novel that has the highest of magic, but also the most human of outlooks. This is a book about possession by demons and seeing ghosts, but also dealing with the tricky politics of being part of an underground magic circle. The story is told from three perspectives; David, Rhys and Moira. At the beginning Rhys does not want anything more to do with David after the split, he is now happy with his wife, Moira, and is on track to becoming leader. David drags all three of them into a mystery when he begins to feel controlled. For the first time in his life David must ask for help and the best people available just happen to be someone he still has feelings for and their new partner. 

The book shows that messy relationships and work politics will affect even warlocks. If you are a fan of complex relationship drama, there is a lot in this book for you. There are moments of supernatural danger, but large parts of the book return to the threesome that is David, Rhys, and Moira. And a threesome it increasingly becomes. This is a complex group where hate and love stand close together. The way that the three individuals ebb and flow around one another is a highlight of the book. David and Rhys have a past, but as David and Moira get closer, they may have a future. 

If you go into Evocation expecting The Dresden Files levels of action, you will be disappointed. Both have magic and relationships, but Evocation leans far heavier into the people and not the supernatural. It feels like a modern drama of manners, Bridgerton with more talking to the undead. You have the tense relationships, the will they won’t they, and even the sex, but Urban Fantasy fans will also get a fix of the unreal. If that sounds like a recipe for you, then this book is a punchy tome.