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A review by river24
Evocation by S.T. Gibson
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.75
2.75/5
Only blood can rewrite blood.
I'm so disappointed that I didn't like this book. I adored A Dowry of Blood with all my heart, thought An Education in Malice was okay if a little disappointing, but Evocation has unfortunately sealed the deal for me and I don't think I enjoy Gibson's novels. I'll certainly try any novellas Gibson writes, but her novels just seem to not be for me. I loved the beautiful, emotive prose in Dowry and I loved the way it drew the portrait of abuse through a vampiric lens. It will continue to be one of my favourite stories, but I haven't found the same love for Gibson's other works.
I'm really struggling to put into words why I disliked this book because it's not an all-consuming hatred, there wasn't anything that made me spit out my hot chocolate in fury, I just didn't really enjoy any of it.
The characters began to grow on me a tiny bit as I read on, but I just didn't care about them and at times even found them annoying. They're meant to be complicated, fractured and even unlikable, but I just never warmed to them like the book wanted me to. There's also a strange focus on wealth without the criticism I expected of it, especially as there are academic aspects to this book and conversations around the tired structure of an all-male secret society. I felt it lacking here in its exploration of the characters and their dynamics.
I recognise that the character relationships were what drove the story, but it was hard to empathise when I disliked or felt apathetic towards them. This focus also meant that the surrounding plot fell very flat for me, it was sometimes dull and tedious, and other times far too obvious. (My biggest pet peeve in books is when an author treats a piece of information that's obvious from the beginning as a plot twist/big revelation later on... alas.)
I'm sorry for being so negative, I hate writing negative reviews, especially for authors I admire. But this one just really wasn't for me. Please look at other reviews and see how our reading tastes compare before putting any weight to my opinion.
Thank you Angry Robot for an arc.
Only blood can rewrite blood.
I'm so disappointed that I didn't like this book. I adored A Dowry of Blood with all my heart, thought An Education in Malice was okay if a little disappointing, but Evocation has unfortunately sealed the deal for me and I don't think I enjoy Gibson's novels. I'll certainly try any novellas Gibson writes, but her novels just seem to not be for me. I loved the beautiful, emotive prose in Dowry and I loved the way it drew the portrait of abuse through a vampiric lens. It will continue to be one of my favourite stories, but I haven't found the same love for Gibson's other works.
I'm really struggling to put into words why I disliked this book because it's not an all-consuming hatred, there wasn't anything that made me spit out my hot chocolate in fury, I just didn't really enjoy any of it.
The characters began to grow on me a tiny bit as I read on, but I just didn't care about them and at times even found them annoying. They're meant to be complicated, fractured and even unlikable, but I just never warmed to them like the book wanted me to. There's also a strange focus on wealth without the criticism I expected of it, especially as there are academic aspects to this book and conversations around the tired structure of an all-male secret society. I felt it lacking here in its exploration of the characters and their dynamics.
I recognise that the character relationships were what drove the story, but it was hard to empathise when I disliked or felt apathetic towards them. This focus also meant that the surrounding plot fell very flat for me, it was sometimes dull and tedious, and other times far too obvious. (My biggest pet peeve in books is when an author treats a piece of information that's obvious from the beginning as a plot twist/big revelation later on... alas.)
I'm sorry for being so negative, I hate writing negative reviews, especially for authors I admire. But this one just really wasn't for me. Please look at other reviews and see how our reading tastes compare before putting any weight to my opinion.
Thank you Angry Robot for an arc.