| Title | : | Odd Spirits (The Summoner's Circle, #0.5) |
| Author | : | |
| Rating | : | |
| ISBN | : | 0463078586 |
| ISBN-10 | : | 9780463078587 |
| Language | : | English |
| Format Type | : | ebook |
| Number of Pages | : | 93 |
| Publication | : | First published August 7, 2018 |
Brewing up a solution is easier said than done when your magical styles are polar opposites; throw a psychic ex and a secret society in the mix, and things are bound to get messy.
Fans of The Raven Cycle and The Haunting of Hill House will devour this diverse paranormal romance novella from the author of "Hosanna Americana"!
Content Warning: This book addresses biphobia.
Odd Spirits (The Summoner's Circle, #0.5) Reviews
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This is just the most wholesome lil tidbit of Rhys and Moira’s life, and revisiting them made my heart ache in the best way. Evocation has long been a favourite of mine, so I’m thrilled to have this novella looking into where our trio (kind of) began. Seeing them work through their insecurities and have many a chat about their occult practices I imagine will be healing for many, it’s honestly as if the story itself is a little magic.
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EVERY TIME Rhys calls Moira 'little goddess' I'm convinced my life expectancy increases by a year
rating: 3.5 stars -
I received an eARC of this novella in exchange for an honest review and that had no impact on my thoughts about this story. *trigger warning for biphobia in this novella*
"Well he is a narcissist."
"He's a Leo."
"That's what I said."
When I read the description of this book on tumblr I was so excited to read it and the first maybe 60% lived up to the hype. I loved Gibson's writing for one thing, it was quite lovely prose without being overly done and was descriptive enough that I had clear ideas of the characters right from the start.
I liked that there was a bit of a dual narrative in the beginning, the central storyline about the mysterious things happening in the house in the present as well as some insight into how Rhys and Moira met through flashbacks. All of this, I thought, was done well. The writing and characterisation reminded me a lot of The Raven Cycle by Maggie Stiefvater, I'd even go so far as to say that Rhys was a lot like I would imagine Adam Parrish would be like if he had never met the Gangsey but had somehow ended up married to Blue.
The plot basically follows Rhys and Moira as they go about their everyday lives as psychics and try to figure out why there are strange things happening in their home. Has Rhys summoned something and failed to banish it properly? Has a ghost randomly decided to take up residence in their study? It all comes to a head when they decide to invite The Society, a group Rhys got involved with at college and who taught him a lot about summoning spirits. This is only a novella so I don't want to give away too much more of the plot for fear of spoiling the entire thing but really there's not a whole lot of plot to begin with.
What I liked:
○ The overall tone and atmosphere created, especially in the beginning
○ The character of Rhys, possibly because he reminds me of Adam Parrish
○ Moira calling out David for being a Leo (see beginning of review)
○ The writing style
○ The message about honest and open communication
What I didn't like:
○ David being sexist for literally no reason and unnecessarily gendering crystals? Like I'm sure it's something that might happen in real life but I thought it was a bit ridiculous
○ Honestly didn't love the way David was portrayed at all to be honest. Sure, jerks happen but
○ Moira in general, I hated her so much by the end of this oh my goodness
What I hated:
○ -
i do love these characters and their relationship, i just love the magic and moira as a character but this was ok
-
This was painfully disappointing and pissed me off on so many levels.
As someone who jumped at the chance to read more work from ST Gibson after falling madly in love with A Dowry of Blood, I’m letting anyone who is vaguely curious about this novella know now to just skip it entirely and pretend it doesn’t even exist.
We’ll get what I liked out of the way. The magic system and secret society references. Also the cover is very pretty. Done.
Moving on to everything else about this story about a magical marriage in crisis.
Moira sucks. Rhys is spineless. This couple is ridiculous.
The root of their issues stem from a lack of communication, which is the point and the big thing they’re meant to tackle, but holy shit they were fighting over things that should’ve been discussed in the early months when they started dating. How this couple managed to just never fully flesh out Moira’s raging biphobia or how casually judgmental she is of Rhys’ magic practices BEFORE there was a proposal- B E F O R E there was a WEDDING, I have no clue.
The fact that Rhys immediately started apologizing for his negative feelings toward Moira after her paragraphs of blatantly spelling out that she doesn’t like that Rhys is bisexual and how she just doesn’t “get it.”
What a flaming pile of garbage.
Why Rhys is even friends with David doesn’t make sense either, and not because they’re ex boyfriends. David is a misogynistic, condescending, arrogant asshole without a likable or tolerable bone in his body. Why the hell does Rhys need to maintain this friendship ? What is there to positively reminisce about in the years they’ve known each other ???
This reads like a story about teenagers experiencing the aftermath of getting married in Vegas two seconds after meeting.
And we’re supposed to root for these people? You expect me to believe they legitimately had “pre marriage counseling”?
What was dating like for them to just never fully understand, accept, or know one another?
CW: biphobia, brief sexual content, misogyny -
Short. Sweet. Wonderfully witchy. Loved Loved these characters, especially the growth they underwent in such short amount of pages. Also, loved the fact that this was an established couple, sorting out issues in their marriage. Sometimes, you want romances that show that marriages still involve communication, and trust, and honesty, especially when the wife is a chaos witch and the husband is a ceremonial magician!
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An intimate prequel novella to Evocation by ST Gibson.
When weird things start happening in newly wed Moira and Rhys’s house, their patience, anxiety, and relationship is tested.
This happens one year after they are married - presenting an honest picture of the domestic. Moira and Rhys are still getting used to each other. Ironing out routines, building communication strategies, and bumping into each other's emotional furniture.
Gibson cleverly shows how the honeymoon period, society’s gushing, personal expectations, aren’t indicative of married life, demonstrating a certain naivety.
"In my experience, places are never the way you remember them," Rhys said quietly, his expression darkening. "Even if you find it the way you left it. You're the thing that changes."
This was short and poignant. The plot is loose - more of a vehicle for exploring Moria and Rhys’s dynamics and issues.
Sadly, the prose was not as beautiful as Dowry of Blood (which has set the benchmark of WOW, drooling), but it does show how vulnerability can be the best and worst of a relationship.
This also had gorgeous coloured illustrations that really brought the characters to life!
Thank you to Angry Robot Books for sending me an arc in exchange for a review!
Bookstagram -
This was soooooo cute but I just cannot take a ‘love banishes the evil magic’ storyline seriously ever
I felt this a little with Evocation but even more so here, that it’s so obvious Saint’s favourite character is David, and I fear it weakens the story. You can even tell in the illustrations in this which is wild to me. -
From the summary alone, this story had a good hook and got me pretty interested. A witchy couple dealing with both a messy situation and a potential poltergeist? Sounds fun!
However, it’s very disappointing after a certain scene. It turns out that the poltergeist isn’t a poltergeist at all but a tulpa - a combination of both Rhys and Moira’s anxieties, insecurities, and other negative feelings combined, and especially since they both come from different studies of magic.
Up till now, there are flashbacks peppered between the main story through chapters which are fine and they’re cute. But, well, and I think this contributes a lot to how I feel about the ending and revelations about the couple. I’m sure the flashbacks aimed to show how opposite both Moira and Rhys are but they fell in love anyway.
But, issues about their past were never brought up until the climax and even that’s questionable at best. Moira admits that she “doesn’t like the fact [he’s] bisexual” and Rhys doesn’t like the fact that… she talks to people in lines and doesn’t seem to realize they’re flirting with her.
So, I have several issues with this so let me try to get to the point.
Rhys invites a group of men from something called The Society, one of whom was an ex-boyfriend of his. When Moira brings up the fact she’s jealous and worried that she’s not enough for Rhys, knowing the kind of man David (the ex-boyfriend) is, she drops the biphobia and it made me view her differently as a character. If you wanted to establish the fact the character is worried or jealous about her husband spending time with his ex-boyfriend, there are way better ways and those lines were completely unnecessary. There’s already the fact that Moira worries she’s not enough for him - why add in the fact that Rhys is bisexual? We can infer that without the slurs.
And I think another thing that bothers me a lot as well is that Moira is seemingly the only person of color so seeing her say all these things towards her white husband… It bothers me a lot more than I’d like to admit. Not to say that people of color don’t hold bigoted views, they absolutely can, but it’s quite the observation that the only woman of color (with a speaking role) is the one saying these things.
I would’ve expected David, the narcissistic Leo, to be that way considering he kept acting like he’s God’s gift to everyone as he’d ‘grace’ them with his presence. And especially since he made it a point to irritate Moira with little to no repercussions except when Rhys “makes” the tulpa attack him. I wasn’t too clear about what happened but it doesn’t matter.
There’s no accusation being made here. Moira, by herself, is a good character in her own right but she feels a bit too small and too compartmentalized compared to Rhys whose own history seemed to be more fleshed out.
I do believe that Moira and Rhys love each other, but with the talks between the jealousy and anxieties and insecurities, I sure wished the flashbacks were utilized a bit better. They don’t have to be all fluff and all happy times and they don’t have to be completely miserable either. The fact of the matter is that no relationship is perfect and while the author may have good intentions to show an interracial relationship, the biphobia took me out where it almost felt that the writing degraded - which could very well be my biases and the fact the biphobic lines bothered me.
Before the biphobia, I did enjoy it, even if it is a bit flawed in places, but it is very disappointing.
And what makes the fallout worse for me is that Rhys is the one who apologizes to her. If you see the warning that biphobia comes up, it does, but there’s no real discussion on it. There’s no real tackling other than, “I’m just jealous” “Oh, I’m sorry.”
Simply put, the thing that took me out the most was the biphobia coming from the speaking woman of color, it wasn’t addressed, and nothing changed.
If Moira had simply said, “I’m jealous of the relationship between you and David” and left it at that, that’s way more understanding than biphobia. Jealousy is something that everyone experiences and especially since they’re a young couple, after going out for a short amount of time, there could’ve been a way to show that okay - maybe they rushed their relationship, and even though they love each other, sometimes, insecurities have their way of popping up (the tulpa).
And honestly, I’m not fond of David on there because he nearly stole the show. Even though his point was to drive the couple closer together, it felt he was trying to drive a wedge more… and he came off looking like a ‘hero’ at the end of it all.
At the end of the day, I think the biggest problem is that not enough is shown - why did Rhys go out with David in the first place, why does Rhys have difficulty with Moira being a bit more chatty than he is? And a lot more questions as well. Once again, “show, don’t tell” rears its ugly head but unfortunately, the biphobia showed itself more. -
Uh 🧍🏻if my wife told me she didn’t like that I was bisexual I would Simply Leave.
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So you're telling me you've been dating for two years and haven't communicated a single day of it????
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I am so glad that Saint was able to revise Odd Spirits because it is a vast improvement! Thank you Angry Robot for sending me an early copy!
My main issue with the original piece of work was the blatant biphobia which is obviously no longer present in the book. And I know this was an issue for many other readers as well.
I absolutely adore Moira and Rhys and it was so nice to be reading from them again, which makes me want to reread Evocation. I actually teared up a little towards the end. This is such a nice short read that is truly perfect to read all year round but I think readers would enjoy this especially during spooky season.
Anyone who read the original iteration of Odd Spirits but was left with a bad taste due to the content should definitely pick up the revised edition! This was definitely a book that deserved a second chance :) -
. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.Thank you to NetGalley for providing me with an e-ARC for early review.. ݁₊ ⊹ . ݁ ⟡ ݁ . ⊹ ₊ ݁.
3.5* rounded up to 4*. This will be a review of Odd Spirits, published October 8th, 2024, from the perspective of someone who has also read Odd Spirits, published August 7th, 2018. There is a distinct difference between the two editions, though both share this singular Goodreads listing.
Odd Spirits 2.0 is a novella predating the events of Evocation, the first book in the Summoner's Circle series. It follows the young marriage of Rhys and Moira, two of our three characters from Evocation, as they deal with emotional and supernatural difficulties in their relationship, with David, the third character of Evocation, popping up to both help and hinder them simultaneously.
This novella is very character driven, despite being centered around a mystery plot, and features much more of Rhys and Moira than David. Moira and Rhys are having marital issues--- something is slinking around the house, rotting food and messing with the plumbing and giving Moira a great deal of anxiety, but neither of them are willing to admit that something might be wrong, trying their best to ignore both the emotional cracks in their relationship and the cracks in the foundation of their home.
We also get flashbacks to the first couple of times Moira met Rhys, where they fell in love and their first kiss, a headstrong, no-nonsense kind of country witch crossing paths with a strict, stringent pencil pusher magician. Though originally rocky, both Moira and Rhys fall quickly in love with each other and we see the result being their spur-of-the-moment marriage.
Though it is clear that both of these people love each other, I found myself consistently annoyed by the fact that they wouldn't talk to each other and actually didn't seem to *like* each other all that much. Rhys is a workaholic who ignores his wife until she literally barges into his office after being supernaturally attacked. Moira is confrontational in the extreme with Rhys's ex, but refuses to actually confront and speak to Rhys himself and gives the silent treatment and finds ways to avoid him. Both of them refuse to acknowledge that there is literally SO OBVIOUSLY some sort of malicious entity causing chaos in their lives, and it drove me nuts. I almost wish something bad had happened to one or both of them, to make them realize just how horribly they were handling the situation.
When David is invited to come and figure out what is haunting their home, Moira is combative and rude in the extreme, and David is just as cruel and egotistical as he is in Evocation. Rhys is, as usual, a mess and does the wrong thing several times, from fumbling all over his words when a photograph of him and David appears in their bedroom, to snapping at both of his paramores in front of the members of the magical society.
In the end, David is kicked out, after risking his life to try to help get to the bottom of things, and Moira and Rhys have their emotional explosion at each other. Their long-awaited overflow of communication shows just how little the two are really in tune with each other and how much they are blind to the realities of how the other feels. And this conversation leads to Rhys finally solving their supernatural entity mystery, and saving the day with Moira, saving their marriage and relationship in the process.
So, overall, not as good as Evocation. I think David has the kind of leading character energy that Rhys lacks in every way, and having too little of him in the book really hinders it when you know how closely entwined these three individuals are going to be. The frankly stupid communication issues between Rhys and Moira drove me up a wall and I disliked Rhys more than I already did by the ending.
To touch on the subject of the biphobia present in Odd Spirits 1.0--- where Moira is presented as a heteronormative-upholding country gal--- it is not present overtly in Odd Spirits 2.0. Here is the line from 1.0:
“God, fine! I don’t like that you’re bisexual. I never have.” She continues; “Go ahead, crucify me.” "But I can’t change the way I feel. I’m just so terrified you’re going to wake up one day and decide you don’t want me anymore, because there are certain things I just can’t give you…”
And further; "Where I grew up you were either one or the other, and I know you’ve tried to explain this to me, but I just don’t understand. And then you go off and spend all this time with these men and I’m not allowed to come, and then I realize that you’ve known David forever and that you two to go out…”
And finally; “...I just don’t like the way he treats you and I don’t like how much you let him get away with, and yeah, if I had my way you would never see him again and maybe that makes me a controlling hellbitch but...Rhys, are you listening to me?”
(After which point Rhys offers HER an apology). This is very clearly a character expressing common biphobic sentiments. Below I will share the dialogue that Odd Spirits 2.0 has for that same scene.
“I don’t know if we can do this, Rhys. We’re just different people, and no matter how hard we try, we can never seem to build real trust with each other. Maybe we should take a step back and reevaluate. I just… I don’t know. That’s it."
“Sometimes, I wonder what my life would be like if we hadn’t gotten married so young,” “I know that makes me wicked, and I wish I could just be a better wife. But there’s something wrong, inside me. I’m sorry it took me this long to tell you.”
“When I met you, I thought, there he is, that’s the person I’ve been waiting for. But I see you with David and the other guys from the Society and it’s like looking at a stranger. It’s like I don’t know you at all, and I wonder how well you know me, at the end of the day. There are parts of your inner world I just can’t access, and there are things about me you’ll never understand. I don’t know if love is enough to make up for that. I really hope it is, Rhys. I pray for that every day. But I just don’t know.”
So, Odd Spirits 2.0 clearly axed the plot line of Moira being biphobic in exchange for her being insecure and thinking she's wicked for having insecurities. I really just don't know if this is the way to change what was already problematic? My thoughts on this are muddled. But there are the exact quotations, laid out, since 2.0 has to share a review pool with 1.0.
Also, to speak on the quality of the book, I can see why it was re-edited beyond the removal of the biphobia. 1.0 was a mess of clunky descriptions, awkward dialogue, and careless references. It was definitely and clearly a labor of love by the author, but 2.0 shows just how much they have grown and improved as a writer. The prose is very pretty, the descriptions have much more Creepy Cozy Vibe™, and the dialogue has been worked over to sound more natural for the two protagonists. I would like to end off by sharing this final comparison;
From 1.0; "Rhys had shoved the book into a shoebox under his bed where he kept a pack of menthol Camels and a copy of Brokeback Mountain."
From 2.0; "Rhys had shoved the book into a shoebox on the top shelf of his closet where he kept a pack of menthol Camels and his beat-up Hellblazer comics."
If you know me you'll know that John Constantine is one of my favourite characters of all time and I clocked Evocation as having a Hellblazer vibe before I even got my claws on the ARC of it, and being proven right by the text itself is so nice. And the cherry on top is that the Hellblazer comics replace a copy of *BROKEBACK MOUNTAIN,* of all things. Thanks, Gibson. That made me laugh.
Overall, Odd Spirits 2.0 is a vast improvement in quality to the original, but still features some problems with the protagonists and characterization. While it is a good novella to pick up for the fall vibes, I would only recommend reading it if you read AND enjoyed Evocation. -
3.5 / Odd Spirits was short, sweet and exactly what I was expecting. I easily flew through this novella in just one day!
In this prequel, we follow Rhys and Moira as they learn to adapt to their newly married life, and we also get some flashbacks to how they first met and how their relationship progressed from there. I liked seeing the flashbacks as it was nice to learn a bit more of their background and get to know more about their early relationship. However, much like in Evocation, the minute David shows up I immediately loose interest in whatever it is that Rhys is doing (sorry Rhys) because David and Moira’s dynamic always steals the show. I’m definitely not complaining about this because we love to see it, but for some reason I just don’t really care about Rhys and Moira’s marriage nearly as much as I do about David, Moira and the dynamic between the two of them or even the dynamic between David and Rhys. In future, I would really like for Rhys and Moira’s relationship to be explored even further because I do really want to root for them, but they both just seem to radiate far more chemistry individually with David than they ever have with one another.
If you loved Evocation, then Odd Spirits should definitely be one to add to your spooky season tbr, and if you haven’t read Evocation yet, this is your sign!! I very much enjoyed being back in this world with these characters again, even if it was only for a hundred pages or so. I will now go and stare at the wall whilst waiting impatiently for book two in The Summoner’s Circle series to be released, thank you.
Also, side note: after reading some older reviews of this novella, I believe that the original version of it included biphobia, and some other potentially harmful aspects. However, I just wanted to reassure you that this newly revised version no longer includes any of that and it is evident that the author has made a lot of positive changes regarding any previous issues.
Thank you to Angry Robot Books for sending me an early copy of this one! -
̗̀➛ thank you to netgalley and the author for providing me with an arc of this book in exchange for an honest review!
THIS WAS REALLY SWEET!! i really enjoyed reading 'evocation' so i was pumped to have the opportunity to learn more about rhys & moira's life / background and i was not disappointed. this was just very cute, a palate cleanser in a sea of angsty, heart-wrenching books! it was also such a delight to see them working through their insecurities / marital issues, because i think it added a nice tone of realism to a world that is otherwise filled with magic, but without it being too much of a 'problem' (as in, you know those books that abuse angstiness in order to stand out). the author's writing, too, is such a bonus for me!! it's as if every sentence was laced with a dash of magic!! it was a treat to read this novella!! the illustrations were also so pretty! -
Thank you to Netgalley for the arc!
🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
I gobbled up this delightful little treat in one sitting! Evocation is one of my favourite books I've read so far this year, and I loved revisiting the characters in this cozy, atmospheric and autumnal novella. It can be read either before or after Evocation.
I loved reading about how Rhys and Moira met for the first time! Odd spirits has a nonlinear narrative for the most part, alternating between their initial interactions and their current marriage in trouble situation. Communication is a major theme in the book. It's about the parts that we hide from others because of the fear of how they might perceive it. As with evocation, Gibsons's knowledge of magic and tarot shines through the book. She knows what she's doing and delivers every time. Her prose, too, is divine. The stunning full color illustrations came as a delightful surprise!
I'd recommend this for fans of evocation who are waiting for th sequel to come out, as well as for those who need a cozy, sweet little treat to relax with. -
With Robbergirl officially releasing on 2/14 I thought I would finally add my review of Odd Spirits, which I meant to add back in October.
Review:
Rhys is white and raised Catholic. Moira is African-American and raised Baptist. Odd Spirits tells the story of an unlikely duo coming together because of their love for magic. However, after a few years of marriage something strange and sinister eventually takes up residence in the couple’s home.
It’s very hard to describe a 70 page novella without giving too much away. I was plesantly surprised by this story. It’s SPOOKY. It’s magical. It’s funny. Odd Spirits is the rare kind of paranormal story that managed to captivate me in such a short time.
Throughout the story, Moira and Rhys try to find out why they are being haunted. The reason is an interesting twist on how or why this particular spirit manifests. Rhys calls the members of “The Society” over to his home to try to bind the spirit that seems to be malevolent. The Society is some a secret order of men who practice the art of the occult, but otherwise lead normal lives and have families. I thought they were a humorous group and were one of my favorite parts of the story.
My review might as well be me flailing and jumping up and down because I LOVED THIS ONE SO MUCH. Odd Spirits was utterly intriguing and I can't wait to read more by this author. S.T. Gibson is a new auto-buy author for me.
I can't to read her next story! -
Original review
This book was provided by the author in exchange for an honest review. Thank you S.T. Gibson!
Odd Spirits tells the story of Rhys and Moira, a magician and a witch. They’re just living their lives until strange things are happening and they don’t know why. They’re trying to figure out what’s happening, but that means that an old friend of Rhys has to help, and Moira doesn’t really like that friend…
I really liked the characters because they were so real. Rhys is bisexual and Moira is kind of scared that she isn’t enough for him because she cannot give him everything he likes and I think that this is definitely something couples struggle with. And then Rhys is jealous because Moira gets a lot of attention because she’s really sweet to everyone, and that is also something couples struggle with. I really liked that this was discussed in this novella because these are challenges every couple deals with.
Besides the characters, I really liked the story in general. It was such a quick and nice read, with an enjoyable writing style. Odd Spirits is just easy to read when you’re into something short with some romance and fantasy. I really liked the way this story ended and I also wanted to say that I’m so in love with the cover, it’s so beautiful!
Odd Spirits is definitely the perfect read for fall so make sure to grab a copy and enjoy the story! -
I couldn't get past Moira's biphobia and I absolutely hated how she tried to use religion to justify it + I didn't really care about the modern witchy stuff but that's just personal preference
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This was a short, atmospheric novella that gives us a deeper look into the early days of Rhys and Moira’s relationship before the events of Evocation. ST Gibson once again delivers beautiful prose, combining supernatural elements with real, raw emotions. The story explores the challenges of being honest and vulnerable in a relationship, and how ignoring problems can only make those problems grow.
Rhys and Moira's relationship feels so authentic and relatable. The witchy, magical vibes make this a great read for spooky season. Highly recommend, especially if you were a fan of Evocation already.
Thank you to Angry Robot for providing me with an ARC. 🖤 -
Thanks to NetGalley and AngryRobot for the advanced reader copy
really interesting to see the reason why Rhys and David hated each other so much at the beginning of Evocation -
This novella offered a lovely little insight into Moira and Rhy’s life and their background together. I love these characters and I enjoyed being in their world for a brief period once more.
Thank you NetGalley and Angry Robot Books for my review copy. -
I received an advanced copy of this book from the author in exchange for a review, but because I am a DisasterTM, I am only getting to the review part now. The good news is that the book is now available so interested parties can rush off and nab
their own copy.
Odd Spirits was a delightful, spooky little read, atmospheric in all the right ways, from the warmth of Moira's kitchen herb garden to the chilliness of the spirit wreaking havoc in Moira and Rhys's home.
Moira and Rhys are both magicians of a sort. Rhys is an academic occultist like someone out of The Bartimaeus Trilogy, complete with membership in a kind-of-secret Capitalist Magician's Crew. Does that make him sound unlikable? He's really not. He's a vaguely award functional-to-disaster bisexual with an eye to detail and a dislike of sitting still - his thoughts about meditation echo my own very much:"Mediation struck Rhys as a very honorable and healthy habit he wasn’t disciplined enough to pick up, much like praying the rosary. Both practices required him to sit still and surrender to the idea that life was not entirely in his control, and these were two things he avoided at all costs."
Moira is much more casual about her own practice, with a knack for improvisation and a desire to simply help people. She's like your witchy therapist who you see buying crystal pendants at the Michaels. Like, she literally has a meet cute with her future husband when they're both out buying candles. I feel like the page of her notebook we see is really telling:"She had painstakingly handwritten the dates and times of that year’s major planetary movements one after another in blue ballpoint pen, on the same page as a scribbled guacamole recipe and doodles of stars."
Can you tell I love both of the protagonists?
They love each other too, but they're also married and y'know, conflict happens. Enter the spirit that turns out to be a manifestation of their own conflict avoidance, feelings simmering and bubbling just beneath the surface. As someone who - ahem - represses their own feelings to an potentially unhealthy extent, that was relatable as heck.
After exhausting their own resources and those of the Capitalists Magician's Crew - including Rhys's ex-boyfriend who is a bit of misogynist and also a dick - they end up getting rid of their manifested bad energy with - get this- open and honest communication and the power of love. Was this book written just for me? I love a healthy conclusion to some emotional conflict.
I also just want to take a moment to appreciate Sarah's prose, it reads natural as dreaming with this gorgeous subtle imagery that doesn't take itself too seriously, letting you just sink in and feel like you're really inhabiting the settings.
Odd Spirits is the perfect book for cosying up with some tea, while you wait for Jupiter and Saturn to align, or when you need a break from a long night of studying arcane Latin texts.
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2.5 stars
I received an ARC from NetGalley for an honest review.
I loved the writing in this novella and that's about where the love stops for me.
I will do my best to write this without spoilers.
I read Evocation before this as an ARC and absolutely fell in love with the three main characters in the story line, so to say the way they were written in Odd Spirits completely broke my heart is an understatement. The only one that felt true to Evocation was Rhys. Odd Spirits goes into Rhys's way of thinking, why he is the way he is and that he is obviously neurodivergent. Rhys was possibly the only character that was saved in this book on a personality plane. Because he does a lot of awful things in this book as well. David, who is more cold and has a wall up in Evocation was ruthless in his over the top discourteous ambitions this time around and Moira who is a firecracker in a good way was absolutely rude, quick to anger and uncalled-for in this book.
As you proceed through the story of two young adults who fell in love too fast and ran with it, you start to see that they truly don't understand one another let alone want to until it becomes unpleasant for the both of them. Then it becomes a 'need to know them' and not them wanting to know who they actually married in the first place. Their whole relationship was based on love at first sight, jumping quickly into marriage when one had just broken up with their ex and the other doesn't quite know if they want to settle down just yet. It leads to constant fighting and no communication because they both unfortunately don't know how to handle each other, fear it will make the situation worse and don't want to open up to one another. It ends up leading to a circumstance that is completely ruining what little they have of the marriage left, which is basically nothing to start with anyways. You basically get no back story on Rhys and David's broken apart relationship other than them both yelling at one another that this is why they broke up, or Moira getting upset that Rhys is in a group with his ex, as well as letting the ex into their home. So with the absence of backstory, it leaves Rhys seeming like he hates this man (Which if you've read Evocation that is clearly not the case) and it would have been nice to see at least a little wanting from the two of them, over whatever the hell that Odd Spirits had exposed between the two of them.
Also three things I hated the most other than Rhys and Moira just NOT communicating is for some odd reason is one, Moira was upset that Rhys hangs out with his group of friends and constantly hates on them when they have (other than David) been civil with her. Two, Rhys went out of his way to 'hopefully' hurt David. Which could have ended far worse then what had actually happened to David. Three, Moira continuously blames Rhys for everything. She blames him for the presence in the home simply because he asks her if she's possibly allowed something into the house and from there it's her always pointing the blame at him. Moira asking him to figure it out and then when he tries she gets after him for it, that he's never around and locks himself up, that he wants to invite his magic society into their home to help because he can't figure it out and lastly that he just won't ask her to help him like she hasn't been getting aggravated and judgmental with him this whole time.
The whole story is a mess. If one of them just would have communicated from the start, as you do in a marriage, everything would have been fine but the both of them are just too worried that the other finds their magic practice laughable. -
I really wanted to give this the full 5.
I will say the majority captivated me and really immersed me in the story. Unfortunately the biphobia went mostly unchecked and made me uncomfortable. And I do understand insecurities surrounding sexual orientation - I myself am bisexual and have navigated several such conversations. But never would I ever get over someone saying “I don’t like that you’re bisexual” in a matter of minutes, without a real apology, let alone from a significant other. The response is realistic, “I need to explain to you that that’s not how it works / If you want me you have to have all of me.” But it needed a proper conversation beyond that.
Were it not for that, this book would have been perfect. Strong 4. -
Thank you to Netgalley, the Publisher and S.T. Gibson for this e-ARC
This wonderful prequel to Evocation dives deeper into Moira and Rhys' marrage and their early days. Full of wonderful witchcraft and occult magic along with a spirit causing havoc.
S.T. Gibsons writing, as usual, is beautifully magical and immerses you into their wold.
The story added dimension to Moiras character in a way that was well needed as this was my only issue with Evocation. You come to understand her and her emotions further with gives better understanding to her character in Evocation. You also learn more about her practice and business reflecting on how empathetic and caring she is as a character.
The story itself is haunting, broken up with loving story's of their beginning. Following the story in both characters perspectives shows how you can deeply care for someone but if you don't work on that relationship, emotions can snowball also how fixing a symptom does not fix the cause.
I wish there was more context to their dynamic with David at this point as it is mentioned he is banned from their house and there have been a lot of issues with him previously.
I truly cannot wait for book 2 of The Summoners Circle. -
don’t think i liked this much, to be honest.
not a fan of the writing, it felt stilted; not a fan of the couple, i don’t particularly care about undeveloped, contrived “communication issues” when it seems like they don’t even like each other much, or are trying to preserve any semblance of a relationship between themselves.
i know this comes with evocation and is thus, maybe, trying to borrow some of the development from there, but as a novella in its own right: 😕. fun maybe, for a quick, if stale, read. thank you to angry robot for the arc. 2/5 -
Thank you to NetGalley and Angry Robot for the arc!
I really enjoyed this novella! I liked seeing some of Moira, Rhys, and David in the events leading up to Evocation, and I really liked reading more about Rhys and Moira's relationship. Overall, I had a good time reading this, and I can't wait for Ascension next year!! :) -
I will forever adore S. T. Gibson’s style of writing and I was so pleased to be blessed with another arc. I have not read Evocation yet, but I found that this novella was a good introduction to these characters. The miscommunication between Rhys and Moira was quite frustrating, I admit, but I look forward to reading about them again.
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NetGalley review:
When I saw this pop up on my phone, I nearly screamed in the car!
I enjoyed this much more than the first one. I love the relationship both Rhys and Moria have, they’re a newly wed couple yet there is so much more they need to work on to continue growing their relationship, It was funny, tense, sweet, a little spicy and overall fun, very much looking forward to the rest of the series and what is to come.
