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Krystal Sutherland

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The Invocations Kindle Edition

by Krystal Sutherland (Author) Format: Kindle Edition

4.2 281 ratings

Editors' pick Best Young Adult

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From the author of New York Times bestseller House of Hollow comes a darkly seductive witchy thriller where, though both men and demons lurk in shadows, girls refuse to go quietly into the night.

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER

Three girls, one supernatural killer on the loose . . .

Zara Jones believes in magic because the alternative is too painful to consider—that her murdered sister is gone forever and there is nothing she can do about it. Rather than grieving and moving on, Zara decides she will do whatever it takes to claw her sister back from the grave—even trading in the occult.

Jude Wolf may be the daughter of a billionaire, but she is also undeniably cursed. After a deal with a demon went horribly wrong, her soul has been slowly turning necrotic. It’s a miserable existence marred by pain, sickness, and monstrous things that taunt her in the night. Now that she’s glimpsed what’s beyond the veil, Jude’s desperate to ﬁnd someone to undo the damage she’s done to herself.

Enter Emer Byrne, an orphaned witch with a dark past and a deadly power, a.k.a. the solution to both Zara’s and Jude’s problems. Though Emer lives a hardscrabble life, she gives away her most valuable asset—her invocations—to women in desperate situations who are willing to sacriﬁce a piece of their soul in exchange for a scrap of power. Zara and Jude are willing, but they ﬁrst have to ﬁnd Emer.

When Emer’s clients start turning up dead all over London, a vital clue leads Zara and Jude right to her. If a serial killer is targeting her clients, Emer wants to know why—and to stop them. She strikes a tenuous alliance with Zara and Jude to hunt a killer before they are next on his list, even if she can’t give them in return what Zara and Jude want most: a sister and a soul.

From the Publisher


	Chemical Hearts	A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares	House of Hollow	The Invocations

Customer Reviews	1,696	332	4,378	281
Price	$6.69	$11.99	$8.03	$15.74
Read more by Krystal Sutherland:	An irresistible story of first love, broken hearts, and the golden seams that put them back together again—now an Amazon original film starring Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) and Austin Abrams (Dash & Lily)!	From the author of Our Chemical Hearts comes the hilarious, reality-bending tale of two outsiders facing their greatest fears about life and love—one debilitating phobia at a time.	A dark, twisty modern fairytale where three sisters discover they are not exactly all that they seem and evil things really do go bump in the night.	From the author of New York Times bestseller House of Hollow comes a darkly seductive witchy thriller where, though both men and demons lurk in shadows, girls refuse to go quietly into the night.

Editorial Reviews

Review

AN INSTANT NEW YORK TIMES BESTSELLER
A January/February 2024 Kids’ Indie Next Pick!
An Amazon Best Book of the Month for YA – February 2024

Praise for The Invocations:
★ "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. 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...the twisty, haunting tale unveils the chilling social inequities that disempower women." —Publishers Weekly, starred review

★ “Dark, twisty…and beautifully written…Readers will find themselves rooting for this ragtag team of wannabe witches… [and] speeding through to reach the explosive, satisfying ending. Hand to mature readers who like a little LGBTQIA+ romance with their witchcraft and necromancy. —School Library Journal, starred review

"An empowering story about women fighting back against the violence of men and making the choice to forge one’s own path in a hostile world, in addition to a grotesque murder mystery sprinkled with demonic deals. Readers hungry for their next dark, witchy, feminist read will have plenty to feast on here." —The Bulletin of the Center for Children's Books¶

"Three young women team up to track down a serial killer who’s targeting witches… Sutherland expertly weaves together their lives in intricate and fascinating ways. Filled with feminist rage and a sprinkle of queer romance, this lushly written tale methodically builds to a heart-pounding confrontation…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." —Kirkus Reviews

“A gorgeously twisted modern fairy tale that shimmers with magic and mystery, The Invocations is thrilling, irresistible, and unforgettable.” —Karen M. McManus, #1 New York Times bestselling author of One of Us Is Lying

"This is pitch-dark academia at its best and most captivatingly haunted: by demons and dead languages, occult magic and richly imagined supernatural disaster. If you’ve ever dreamed of leading a magic-touched double life in England’s most history-heavy places, The Invocations is your next obsession." —Melissa Albert, New York Times bestselling author of The Hazel Wood

“The Invocations is stunning. Perfectly plotted, gorgeously written, with a heart-pounding finale that will leave readers gasping. An intricate, twisty, brilliant book that pulls you in from the very first line and refuses to let go until the final page. I loved it.” —Katherine Webber, bestselling author of Twin Crowns

“Lyrical, grotesque and pulsing with feminist rage, this is sapphic horror at its very finest. Sutherland is a luminous (albeit slightly terrifying) talent.” —Laura Steven, author of The Society for Soulless Girls

"Sutherland’s Invocations has been one of my favorite reads of the year. This story is exceptionally crafted. Equal parts visceral and haunting, its twists and turns will lure readers in, and its compulsive plot will keep them engrossed until the end." —Ayana Gray, New York Times bestselling author of the Beasts of Prey trilogy

Excerpt. © Reprinted by permission. All rights reserved.

PROLOGUE

A GIRL walks home alone at night.
It’s All Hallows’ Eve in London, and the street that stretches before her is empty, quiet except for the soft thud of her boots on the sidewalk and the rustle of autumn leaves plucked by the wind. Hazy sodium lights struggle to shift the dark.
The girl is dressed as a witch. Cartoon-green skin, pointy hat, a fake wart on her nose. She is coming from the Electric Ballroom, where, at a Halloween concert with her housemates, she saw the boy she likes kissing a girl dressed as a sexy angel. It immediately made her regret her costume and want to go home.
Now she slips through the gap between two buildings, past the canal-side pub she goes to with her friends in the summer. A girl sits on the other side of a window decorated with bat decals, her face smeared with blood. A couple in matching hot-pink jumpsuits are breaking up on a bench.
The girl takes a few steps onto the footbridge that leads over the water and down onto the towpath on the other side.
  It is here, on the bridge, that she pauses. The canal beneath her is a thin snake of shallow water. On a clear day, you can see the algae-coated detritus that collects at the bottom: the bicycles, the shopping trolleys, the tires. Tonight it is black and impenetrable. If you didn’t know its depth, you might think it fathomless.
  Across the water, the bars and restaurants of Camden Market are still busy with the Halloween crowd. Men and women in costumes cluster around the spaceship-red glow of outdoor heaters, laughing, drinking mulled wine out of steaming mugs.
  Ahead, the footbridge slopes down to the towpath that winds alongside Regent’s Canal, below street level.
  The girl hovers at the edge of the dark, weighing her options.
  Usually she avoids the canal after sunset. It is unlit. It is the kind of place she has been told all her life to avoid for the simple fact that she is a girl—but tonight she is cold and drunk and sad and hungry for the leftover pad thai she knows is waiting for her in the fridge. The path by the water is the shortest, fastest route home.
  Yet something tells her not to go any farther. Perhaps it is the memory of what happened to her on another night like this one. The stranger waiting in the dark, all the warnings she had been given growing up suddenly manifesting as flesh and breath and muscle.
  Then the girl remembers the words at her wrist and runs a fingertip over the cool metal letters sunken into her skin. Words that took her a year to find. Words that mean she no longer has to fear the night or anyone who might be lurking in it.
  She crosses the bridge. She plunges down into the blackness.
  The first part of the walk is fine. The path is narrow and cobbled. The canal is bordered on both sides by converted warehouses turned into blocks of fancy flats. Light from their windows reflects on the smooth surface of the water, creating an eerie mirror world just below the real one. Houseboats sit snug against the canal’s edge, the smell of woodsmoke clinging to the air around them. A huge, fat dog sits atop one, watching her as she passes. The sounds of revelry dissolve into the distance, but there is still life here. Still people to hear her, if she were to scream.
  She crosses beneath a bridge. It is mauled with graffiti and lit with shocking blue light to discourage drug use. Combined, they make the place feel dangerous. She moves on quickly, back into the waiting shadow.
  The next stretch of the walk is worse. There are no more houseboats. There are no more fancy flats. There is no one to come to her aid. There’s more greenery along the side of the path, vines and brambles that don’t lose their foliage as the nighttimes turn to frost. She moves closer to the water, wary of attackers hidden in the creepers.
  The girl crosses under a second blue-lit bridge, and then a third that’s rancid with the stink of urine. She makes it to the base of the stairs that leap up out of the darkness and onto the brightly lit street above.
  A girl walks home alone, but not alone.
  She feels him before she sees him. There’s no sound, or movement, or smell. Just some primordial response left over in the blood from a time before humans were humans. A sudden prickle of fright in her gut. A displacement of energy that makes her gaze snap back over her shoulder and brings her footsteps to a stop.
  Her eyes find the figure immediately, standing stationary on the path. He’s a slip of shadow, nothing more. No face, no weapon, nothing to indicate that he might do her harm. Just a man.
  But she is a girl. And she is alone. And it is night. And that is enough.
  She ducks her head and takes the stairs two at a time, but tries to do it casually, the way women do when they’re afraid but trying not to look rude. She forces herself not to run. There’s no need for desperate measures. Not yet. He’s just a man on the towpath at night. It would be rude to run.
  And sometimes.
  Well.
  Sometimes, if you run, the monster chases you; this she learned the hard way.
  So she climbs, step after measured step, up, up into the light. The staircase spits her out on Gloucester Avenue, only one street from her flat. She waits under a streetlight to see if the man will follow her, but he does not. She breathes a sigh of relief and turns for home. It’s a sloe-black, moonless night. The kind that beckons demons out of the liminal world and brings them into this one, hungry to feed on the souls of the living. London is full to bursting with magic, dark and dangerous, if you know where to look . . . and she knows, now, where to look.
  A dog barks.
  The girl looks up and stifles a yelp with her hand.
  The figure from the canal is somehow standing on the sidewalk directly in front of her. Closer than he was the first time.
  The girl stops again. Stares. Her heart crashes inside her chest. She takes small, gasping breaths as she tries to understand the logistics of what has just happened. How could he have followed her? How could he have overtaken her? How could he have moved so quickly? There’s no way. There’s no way.
  Then she remembers the words at her wrist.
  There’s no need to fear anymore.
  There’s heavy shadow to her right, the deep, wet shadow that trees cast in the forest. The girl moves toward it, into it, lets it devour her, and—
  She steps from a bank of shadows on the next street over. A little out of breath. A little frazzled. She looks around. She’s alone again. She went where the figure could not follow. Into one shadow, out of another.
  A small smile on her face now, she again heads toward her flat, only a few buildings away. The price she paid for this power—blood and money and soul—was worth it to feel safe.
  The girl climbs the five stairs up to her blue front door and unlocks it. When she steps inside and turns to close the door behind her, she finds the figure once more, now standing at the bottom of the stairs. He is unmoving and close. So very close to her now.
  It is impossible. Men cannot use magic. This is what she has been told. This is what she has been promised. Men cannot write spells. Men cannot sear invocations into their skin. Men cannot bind their souls to demons in exchange for power.
  Men cannot use magic.
  And yet. Here he is. Again.
  They stand still, staring at each other. Though—is he staring? She cannot see his face, cannot make out his eyes, his nose, his hair. He is empty space, a black hole from which no light escapes.
  The girl slams the door closed and scrambles backward. She doesn’t bother with the stairs that lead up to her flat on the third floor. She lunges into the shadowed corner of the hall, falls out of another shadow in her kitchen, then fumbles in the sink for one of the dirty knives her housemates are forever leaving to soak.
  The blade quivers like a water reed in her white-knuckled hand as she watches her front door and waits. Waits for a bang against the wood, a turning of the handle, a horror-movie moment worthy of a scream.
  It does not come.
  It does not come.
  It does not come.
  And then, when she thinks perhaps she is safe, perhaps he was no more than a Halloween prankster out for a laugh, a pair of strong hands close around her throat. --This text refers to an alternate kindle_edition edition.

Product details

ASIN ‏ : ‎ B0BGN34KDL
Publisher ‏ : ‎ Nancy Paulsen Books (January 30, 2024)
Publication date ‏ : ‎ January 30, 2024
Language ‏ : ‎ English
File size ‏ : ‎ 2182 KB
Text-to-Speech ‏ : ‎ Enabled
Screen Reader ‏ : ‎ Supported
Enhanced typesetting ‏ : ‎ Enabled
X-Ray ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Word Wise ‏ : ‎ Not Enabled
Sticky notes ‏ : ‎ On Kindle Scribe
Print length ‏ : ‎ 400 pages
Page numbers source ISBN ‏ : ‎ 1471410935

Best Sellers Rank: #177,404 in Kindle Store (See Top 100 in Kindle Store)
- #199 in Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy eBooks
- #330 in Teen & Young Adult Contemporary Fantasy
- #429 in Teen & Young Adult Horror eBooks

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4.2 281 ratings

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Krystal Sutherland

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Krystal Sutherland is an internationally published author of books for young adults. Her first novel, Chemical Hearts, was published in over 20 countries and was named by the American Booksellers Association as one of the best debuts of 2016. The film adaptation, produced by Amazon Studios, stars Lili Reinhart (Riverdale) and Austin Abrams (Euphoria); Sutherland served as an executive producer on the project. Her second novel, A Semi-Definitive List of Worst Nightmares, was published to critical acclaim in 2017 and has been optioned for adaptation by Yellow Bird US. In 2018, she appeared on the annual Forbes “30 Under 30” list. Originally from Australia, she has lived on four continents and currently calls London home. Her next novel for young adults, House of Hollow, is set for publication in spring 2021.

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Sarah

Feminist, Violent, and Funny - Female Rage as God herself intended.

Reviewed in the United States on February 5, 2024

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This book reads like Sutherland finished reading “The Power” by Naomi Alderman and said hold my beer I can do it better. I was reading this book because she genuinely made me care about her characters in a way that alderman simply could not. This book is both a social critique and a love letter to women from a woman validating generations of female rage brought on by circumstances and men beyond their control. It is political without shoving it it you face, it brings you face to face with the violence that women, even trans women, have suffered and it unapologetically makes you look at it but it doesn’t beat you over the head with it. The characters are amazing and lovable as well as relatable, the signature horror and violence that this author brings to the table is there in full force and it is done so well. At the end you get great twists and turns and violence but then also a glimpse of happiness that feels very deserved and earned and not just thrown in to appease an audience. After all the violence and misery, these characters deserve a little bit of joy and it feels right. Every manner of woman is represented here, rich, poor, abused, starved, lonely, lost, murdered, all of them get a little retribution through this author’s story and it just does it so well. I recommend this to anyone. Everyone. It’s so much more than necromancy and demons and spells, it’s women. Women and how they carry society in secret small ways while also doing big hard things. It’s amazing. I loved it.

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tpolen

Dark Paranormal Mystery

Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2024

The Invocations is my first read by this author, but it certainly won’t be my last.

Zara wants to bring her beloved sister back from the grave. She regrets the last words she spoke to Savannah were bitter and unkind. As a novice witch, Jude’s deal with a demon resulted in tragic consequences that she’s desperate to correct. Both girls are fortunate to come across Emer, who comes from a family of witches and potentially possesses the powers to help them.

With three POVs, distinct characterization is a must, and this author masters that aspect. Zara seeks knowledge in books and is generally more trusting of them than people. Jude believes her charm and wit will get her what she needs – if those fail she’ll use her wealth. After being on her own since the age of seven, Emer is fiercely independent and doesn’t allow anyone to get close. Put the three of them on a path to discover the identity of a serial killer, and they make a formidable team. What they don’t initially understand is the amount of power the killer commands. Saying it’s a dangerous, life-threatening mission is an understatement.

Maybe I was slow to put it together, but the identity of the killer was a mystery to me until nearly the end. It doesn’t happen often, and I liked it. Over the course of the story, Zara, Jude, and Emer become friends (and a little more with two of them) and a kind of family – which each of them desperately needs. Jude comes from a large family but she’s estranged from most of them. You’ll realize why after meeting them. Emer’s family was killed by witch hunters when she was a child. Zara’s last remaining family is an uncle barely more than ten years her senior, and he’s not a good guy. My heart went out to each of them.

This is a dark and occasionally gory story that’s also full of action and witty banter. It held my interest from the first page, but after a certain point I couldn’t put it down. Recommended for readers who enjoy strong female protagonists, a found family trope, and sinister paranormal mysteries.

I received a complimentary copy of this book from the publisher through NetGalley. Opinions expressed in this review are completely my own.

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Delta High School Library

Delightfully creepy!

Reviewed in the United States on February 22, 2024

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17yo Emer is a curse writer that gives spells to women that are afraid and want protection. 17yo Jude has a demon following her and she’s suffering physically from the toll it’s taking on her. 17yo Zara wants to reanimate the sister she lost a year ago when she was murdered. The three young women end up working together to solve the murder mystery of a serial killer the police are calling the London Ripper. They get themselves in deeper than they bargained for and hopefully they won’t be the next victims.

Likes/dislikes: I thoroughly enjoyed the mystery and the twists. I was spooked a few times by the creepy descriptions. I like the strength and perseverance of the three main characters, Emer, Jude and Zara. Jude adds humor to the story.
Mature Content: PG-13 for mention of drug use.
Language: R for 162 swears and 27 f-words.
Violence: R for repeated bloodshed and deaths.
Ethnicity: The ethnicity is mostly white with some Black, brown and olive skin tones included.

2 people found this helpful

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TC

Tres beau livre

Reviewed in France on March 30, 2024

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Hate de découvrir l'histoire. Livre de bonne qualité et floppy !

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Katie Soderlund

Brilliant witchy YA

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on February 4, 2024

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Thank you to NetGalley and to the publisher Bonnier Books/Hot Key Books for the digital ARC, it has not affected my honest review.

TW: references to abuse, injury, self-harm, body horror, murder, misogyny, violence

“The Invocations” tells the story of three interconnected young women as a serial killer rampages through a community of witches. Zara Jones only began believing in magic and witches after the violent murder of her sister Savannah, because the alternative is that her death was just random violence. Unable to cope with her loss, Zara turns to the occult to bring Savannah back from the dead no matter the cost. At the same time, Jude Wolf- the black sheep child of the Wolf billionaire dynastic family- has problems of her own: having made multiple risky deals with demons, she is now irreversibly cursed. Her body is beginning to fall apart, everything around her dies and breaks, and at night she hears voices mocking her as her soul is devoured. Jude refuses to give up however as she’s never had a problem that money can’t solve. Soon enough both women find a solution in Emer Bryne, the daughter of a curse-making family murdered when she was a child. Emer has made herself a reputation for providing spells to women to protect themselves in desperate situations so long as they’re willing to sacrifice some of their souls. However, it soon becomes clear that the violent murders of five women are all connected: they were all her clients at some point. Teaming up to find the serial killer before he can strike again in exchange for Emer’s help, Jude, Emer and Zara soon find themselves the target of the same person they’re hunting.

I adored this book and I found it hard to put it down whenever I had to do something. Each of the women in this book are brilliant characters on their own- I loved Zara’s determination, Emer’s devotion to helping women and Jude’s genuine belief that she’ll be okay- but together they shine so brightly despite their differences. This is set against the background of bloody murders against women, and it delves deeper into the issues of misogyny, female rage, chronic pain, queer relationships, grief and magic. I particularly loved one section where magic and demons are discussed as only being available to women, which raises the question about trans women; in the world of “The Invocations” the answer is immediate and never debated, the demons see souls and not bodies. I loved how casually inclusive this book was, with beautiful LGBT representation as well as the depiction of chronic pain. Although this is a book about a serial killer, I found this massively enjoyable to read and never ended up feeling dragged down. There’s a wonderful sense of humour from Jude which balances out the story so well, and I could never have predicted the ending. One reason I picked this book up was because of the gorgeous cover but inside I found a thrilling, dark story about female friendship and revenge that will stay with me. The release date is 30th January 2024!

2 people found this helpful

Lady Stark

5 Stars!!!

Reviewed in Australia on February 24, 2024

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Wow. That was…… a lot!

Witches, demons, spells, witch hunters, death. All that plus very good writing? Best Saturday afternoon spent reading in bed!

Decay, putrefaction, blood, rot.. the sights, smell and sounds were very tangible. This book is sooo good for occult lovers.

Ms. Theresa M. Derwin

When Shall We Three Meet Again

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 3, 2024

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There is so much about this book that I want to race about and share, but that might create spoilers.
Emer is a young woman hiding out in Oxford, living rough and disguising herself as an Oxford Student.
Zara however, is an Oxford Student, but instead of studying literature, it is ancient languages and tomes on necromancy.
Jude is a rich young woman who throws money at PIs to help her find anyone who can stop her body from rotting as she's consumed by a curse.
Fate brings the three together, as does the torture and murder of other women - witches - who wear invocations written by Emer, Cursewriter.
They find themselves noticed by detective Reese Chopra who is investigating the murders and lets them examine the latest victim in the hope they can help.
There's a wonderful, delightful sapphic romance, tonnes of blood, fire, sacrifice and torture. Some of the scenes are very disturbing and graphic but the twists and turns in the story keep the reader hooked.
At times it feels as though the use of the invocations used to try to heal Jude are a metaphor for ineffective medical treatments, whilst the amount of female rage, power and agency in the midst of men who want to take that power for themselves is stunning.
This book blew me away and the ending is hugely satisfying
A terrible yet terrific story.

Sharron Joy Reads

The price of power!

Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 25, 2024

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There is a killer stalking and killing women, torturing and mutilating them. Jude is cursed, tied to a demon who causes her pain, she needs a curse writer to help her. Zara’s sister was the first victim, she needs a curse writer to bring her sister back. Emer is a curse writer from a long line of powerful women. Can they find the brutal killer before he strikes again!

A supernatural thriller that is fast paced and exciting. I loved all three of the main characters, they are all so different but they all compliment each other. The story has a dark gothic edge and the magic system is not sugarcoated, it is brutal, dangerous and painful. The gore and violence inflicted by both the supernatural beings and the humans is unflinching and gruesome.

This is an incredible story of friendship, power, redemption and revenge. It speaks of ancient rituals, mysticism, family secrets and the price of power, exceptional!

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