Tag: s t gibson

Book Review: Ascension – S. T. Gibson

Book Review: Ascension – S. T. Gibson

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Series: The Summoner’s Circle #2
Release date: July 8 2025
Publisher: Angry Robot Books
Pages: 349
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: The publisher kindly sent me an E-ARC to review
Rating: 4.5/5 stars

Synopsis

From bestselling author of Evocation comes it’s hotly anticipated and spellbinding sequel, where Rhys steps into his new role as High Priest. A perfect read for lovers of urban fantasy.

Now the High Priest of Boston’s famed and secret Society, Rhys McGowan has a lot on his shoulders. With the help of his adoring witch wife, Moira, and his newly rekindled relationship with psychic boyfriend, David, Rhys is destined to become the most powerful High Priest ever.

However, Rhys’s insatiable ambition may be his undoing…

The second book in the bestselling Summoner’s Circle series sees beloved characters return for an all new dark and enthralling adventure.

Review

Ascension is the newest release from A Dowry in Blood author S. T. Gibson and the second book in Gibson’s Summoner’s Circle series. Picking up after the events of Evocation, we follow Rhys as he tries to come to grips with his new role as High Priest. Things don’t go quite to plan, and Rhys finds himself with quite a lot on his shoulders. He is supported by his wife, Moira, and boyfriend David, but Rhus is determined to be an outstanding High Priest at any cost, even if that means biting off more than he can chew.

I absolutely fell in love with Evocation, so Ascension was one of my most anticipated releases for 2025. It was an utterly compelling read, and I will absolutely read anything S. T. Gibson writes. Gibson has a beautiful and engaging writing style, and as soon as I started reading Ascension, I didn’t want to put it down. I raced through this book in a few sittings, and I am already counting down the days till the release of book three.

The story is pretty fast-paced, and there’s lots going on that will keep the reader hooked and desperate for more. Gibson has a way of crafting these fascinating, complex characters that you just can’t get enough of, and that’s definitely how I feel about Rhys, Moira, and David. I loved exploring the relationships between these three characters, particularly as the story progresses and Rhys becomes consumed by his ambition, while David encounters someone from his past.

This is a compulsively readable series; it’s full to the brim with magic and has some really fascinating and complicated characters. If you’re someone who loves stories with demons and secret societies, you definitely don’t want to miss this one.

Book Review: Evocation – S T Gibson

Book Review: Evocation – S T Gibson

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release date: May 28 2024
Publisher: Angry Robot Books
Pages: 301
Find it: Goodreads Amazon
Source: The publisher kindly sent me a copy of this book to review
Rating: 4.25/5 stars

Synopsis

The Devil knows your name, David Aristarkhov.

As a teen, David Aristarkhov was a psychic prodigy, operating under the shadow of his oppressive occultist father. Now, years after his father’s death and rapidly approaching his thirtieth birthday, he is content with the high-powered life he’s curated as a Boston attorney, moonlighting as a powerful medium for his secret society.

But with power comes a price, and the Devil has come to collect on an ancestral deal. David’s days are numbered, and death looms at his door.

Reluctantly, he reaches out to the only person he’s ever trusted, his ex-boyfriend and secret Society rival Rhys, for help. However, the only way to get to Rhys is through his wife, Moira. Thrust into each other’s care, emotions once buried deep resurface, and the trio race to figure out their feelings for one another before the Devil steals David away for good…

Review

Evocation is the first in a new series from A Dowry in Blood author S T Gibson.  The story follows David Aristarkhov who by day is a high powered lawyer and by night is a psychic medium and part of a secret society. When David discovers he is cursed and his days are numbered, he turns to one of the only people he knows might be able to get him out of this – his rival and ex-boyfriend Rhys. Rhys alongside his wife Moira agree to help David, but can the three figure out how to save David’s soul before the Devil takes him?

This is my third book from S T Gibson and it was another pacey, gripping read. I ended up reading this quite quickly and I really enjoyed the premise. Secret societies is one of my favourite tropes and I really liked the way Gibson included one here. This book has a brilliant dark academia atmosphere that Gibson does a brilliant job of building as the story develops.

While this story does have a compelling plot, the focus is very much on the characters. I loved the characters Gibson created in this story and I am so desperate to find out where things go for them in book two. David, Moira and Rhys are all incredibly well crafted and each has a complicated history. The three have a really interesting dynamic together and I enjoyed seeing how their relationship changed and progressed throughout the tale.

The story comes to a satisfying conclusion and Evocation has definitely solidified S T Gibson as an auto-buy author for me. If you’re looking for a story that’s full of magic, mystery and drama this is definitely one you don’t want to miss.

Book Review: An Education in Malice – S T Gibson

Book Review: An Education in Malice – S T Gibson

by Nicole Sweeney ♥ 0 Leave a Comment


Release date: February 13 2024
Publisher: Orbit Books
Pages: 320
Find it: Goodreads Waterstones
Source: I received an E-ARC via Netgalley
Rating: 3.75/5 stars

Synopsis

Deep in the forgotten hills of Massachusetts stands Saint Perpetua’s College. Isolated and ancient, it is not a place for timid girls. Here, secrets are currency, ambition is lifeblood, and strange ceremonies welcome students into the fold.

On her first day of class, Laura Sheridan is thrust into an intense academic rivalry with the beautiful and enigmatic Carmilla. Together, they are drawn into the confidence of their demanding poetry professor, De Lafontaine, who holds her own dark obsession with Carmilla.

But as their rivalry blossoms into something far more delicious, Laura must confront her own strange hungers. Tangled in a sinister game of politics, bloodthirsty professors and dark magic, Laura and Carmilla must decide how much they are willing to sacrifice in their ruthless pursuit of knowledge.

Review

An Education in Malice is the newest release from S T Gibson, author of A Dowry of Blood. The story follows Laura Sheridan, a young woman starting at Saint Perpetua’s College. There she forms an academic rivalry with a girl in her poetry class named Carmilla, but their teacher Ms De Lafontaine, has her own secrets, and as the two are drawn into her confidence, Laura and Carmilla find themselves tangled in a dark web of secrets.

A Dowry of Blood was one of my favourite reads of 2021 so I was very much looking forward to picking this one up. Much like A Dowry of Blood, this book is dark, bloody, and addictive. I ended up racing through this book in particularly one sitting and I enjoyed the story immensely. It does feel very different from A Dowry of Blood and I ultimately preferred Gibson’s previous novel but Gibson has crafted a very compelling and captivating tale in An Education in Malice.

I was interested to learn on picking this one up that the story is inspired by J Sheridan Le Fanu’s Carmilla, a book that I actually read last month. I enjoyed seeing the way Gibson took elements of the original and wove them into this dark academia tale. I really enjoyed the school setting and the way Laura and Carmilla’s relationship developed. I did feel things wrapped up a little quickly in the end but overall the story comes to a satisfying conclusion. Gibson does a brilliant job of exploring relationships and desire in this story as well as the meaning of obsession and desire.

Gibson has a really beautiful, vivid writing style and it was very easy to become completely absorbed in the story. I would have loved the story to be a little longer just to explore Iris and de Lafontaine’s relationship a little more. Overall An Education in Malice is an engrossing, fascinating tale and if you’re looking for a dark fantasy vampire story, this one is exactly what you’re looking for.