October 15, 2023
Three young women team up to track down a serial killer who's targeting witches. Jude Wolf became cursed after a deal with a demon went awry; as a result, she was kicked out of her rich and well-connected family. Zara Jones wants to bring her murdered sister back from the dead so she can make amends. They both need the help of Emer Byrne, a powerful type of witch known as a cursewriter. With a dark past of her own, Emer writes invocations that give women power in exchange for letting a demon have part of their souls, turning them into witches. When the trio of women, who are cued white, realize that the serial killer on the loose in London is specifically going after Emer's previous clients, they pool their resources. Jude is independently wealthy, Zara has incredible puzzle-solving skills, and Emer brings her witchy prowess: Together they work to fight back and find the killer. Filled with feminist rage and a sprinkle of queer romance, this lushly written tale methodically builds to a heart-pounding confrontation. Each woman is separately introduced, and then Sutherland expertly weaves together their lives in intricate and fascinating ways. The characters' relationships evolve as the stakes become increasingly dangerous. Although some of the worldbuilding details are waved away, the evocative body horror, distinct and compelling leads, and twisty plot will keep readers immersed in this grisly story. A thrilling and exquisitely grotesque showcase of young women taking charge. (Paranormal thriller. 14-18)
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Starred review from October 23, 2023
Sutherland (House of Hollow) pits three teens against a monstrous evil in this devilishly bewitching novel steeped in dark academia and set in a fantasy London where only women wield magic. Grieving schoolgirl Zara Jones yearns to reanimate her murdered sister while reclusive, queer heiress Jude Wolf seeks peace from a curse that has left her necrotic and tormented by demons. Seeking assistance in their endeavors, Zara and Jude tap Irish-born orphan Emer Byrne, a skilled witch who crafts custom spells for women willing to trade their souls for power “so that they in turn could find their own strength.” When a serial killer begins hunting Emer’s former clients, the trio reluctantly unite to find the murderer before the perpetrator finds them. Vivid descriptions, mellifluous prose, expert pacing, and a slow-burning romance keep the tension high and the pages turning while intimately written character arcs probe themes of misogyny, grief, and dynamics of gender and power. Sarcastic, wise-cracking dialogue tempers dark topics with droll wit as the twisty, haunting tale unveils multiple horrors such as rotting souls, inhuman evil, grotesque rituals, decaying bodies, and the chilling social inequities that disempower women. The protagonists read as white. Ages 12–up.
November 1, 2023
Grades 10-12 Three girls, each mired in her own search for magic, cross paths in this eerie thriller. Jude, daughter of a billionaire, made deals with demons--three, to be exact--and they fight over ownership of her sullied soul every night. She uses her father's money to hunt for a witch who can help her break her deals with part of her soul left. Zara, abandoned by her mother at a young age, has lost her beloved aunt and sister within weeks of each other and wants nothing more than to have her sister back; she will endure anything, even living with her abusive uncle, while she tries to find the magic that can help her. Emer is a witch on the run, living in the shadows that people don't often notice, sneaking food and sleep on a college campus. Sutherland has crafted creepy narratives before (House of Hollow, 2021), and she's in peak form here. Each girl is well written and fully realized, and the stakes are high enough to make this a compulsive read.
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Starred review from January 1, 2024
Gr 9 Up-A dark, twisty occult novel about three outcast teens, each drawn to magic for reasons beyond their control. Jude Wolfe, daughter of a billionaire, longs to find a witch to undo the self-inflicted curse that rots her soul and body. Zara Jones is new to magic and is not even sure it exists, but her sister was murdered and the only way she can heal from that pain is to try and resurrect her. Then there is Emer Byrne, an orphaned witch with a mission to help women in need and to get revenge for the massacre of her family. When Emer's clients start turning up murdered, they know it must be related to the invocations Emer has stamped into their souls-magic that has been cut away. The girls must work together to solve these murders, and maybe fulfill what they each are searching for along the way. This is beautifully written and full of gruesome depictions of rotting flesh and information relating to witchcraft and the occult. The main characters cue as white, however supporting characters are diverse. Characters are relatable, and readers will find themselves rooting for this ragtag team of wannabe witches. The girls, while wildly different, form a tight bond and support each other despite many challenges along the way (including developing feelings for one another). The plot moves quickly with twists and turns; readers will find themselves speeding through to reach the explosive, satisfying ending. VERDICT Hand to mature readers who like a little LGBTQIA+ romance with their witchcraft and necromancy.-Ashley Grillo
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November 21, 2023
Emer Byrne, Zara Jones and Jude Wolf are young women who have led completely different lives until one thread of commonality brings them together—magic. Zara believes in magic because she’s desperate for an opportunity to bring her murdered sister back to life. Jude is cursed after a deal with a demon went horribly wrong and turned her soul necrotic. Emer has known magic her whole life and has seen firsthand the horrors that those who would hunt a witch can bring. But she is a curse-writer who can offer her invocations to women willing to sacrifice a piece of their soul in exchange for power, and she may just be the solution Jude and Zara need. Krystal Sutherland’s The Invocations is a wild ride of the best kind: strong women, queer representation, a crime that the reader is as equally invested in solving as the characters are, and more. It is intricate, with a twist only readers with a sharp eye may catch before all the signs fall into place. The Invocations pulls you in from the beginning and doesn’t let you go until the end. It’s a perfect addition to a growing niche of stories about queer magic users. It is a brilliant choice for readers 14 and over, particularly fans of Isabel Sterling, Sarah Gailey, and Victoria Lee.