A routine exercise in the spirit realm goes wrong, leaving the students of the Academy, a haven for Sensitives who can communicate with spirits, assailed by dreams of wind-tossed fields, dully glinting armor, and galloping horses.
May the wheel spin again! May the clock wind backwards! May the old world live again!
Taken over by spirits of the legend of King Arthur, they struggle with loathsome romantic pairings, as their teacher beds one of her students, and a strong romance is ripped apart by magic.
Three deaths and then the charm is wound up.
When students begin to die, and their bodies disappear, the remaining Sensitives know they must fight against whatever evil has been unleashed in the Academy. But how can they fight when they are tangled up in swords, mists, and castles, and when their very essences are being ripped away from them by ancient spirits?
V. J. Chambers writes about being inexplicably attracted to the dangerously alluring. Her works span mundane settings and fantastic ones. She writes about serial killers, cult leaders, werewolves, witches, for-hire assassins, zombies, space pirates, and regular everyday people.
She lives in Shepherdstown, WV, with her boyfriend Aaron and their cat Isis.
I felt almost like I'd read this before, somehow. I'm sure I've read a similar plotline somewhere, or maybe just a story with a similar tone -- I remember a series of books about a girl finding out she was a witch that I read when I was younger, maybe that? With a touch of Libba Bray, maybe? I don't know, but this didn't really appeal to me. I quickly got impatient with the worrying about who was whose boyfriend and so on, and I pretty much knew how it would pan out from chapter two.
There was nothing especially wrong with it that I could point to, it just wasn't my cup of tea. I wanted something a bit more complex and nuanced -- I quite like the reincarnation/possession by old spirits angle when Guy Gavriel Kay does it (The Fionavar Tapestry/Ysabel), so it's the execution as well as the basic idea... Anyway, no strong feelings to report.
This book was "ok" for me. I thought the Arthurian legend aspects of it were interesting and unique. I felt that the characters weren't very developed and I had a hard time connecting to them. There were a lot of distracting grammatical mistakes and I thought that the way the "love triangle" got resolved in the end was just ludicrous.
I liked the idea of people being extra "sensitive" to things and the premise of a school targeted at helping them learn about their abilities was enticing. Unfortunately this description makes it sound like you get to know Wyn, or at least follow her along and thus grow attached to her. Not the case - the book actually follows the three main characters (Wyn, Gavin, and Reese), with all three narrating at times but Reese most of all. Also, it was so blatantly obvious (and already described in the book summary) what the heck was going on to the characters that these 19+ year olds should have realized things MUCH earlier on and with more clarity.
The characters all oscillate between themselves and the spirits possessing them. As the story goes on, the lines blur and become almost obsolete, which makes the reading a bit confusing and disjointed...especially when a character appears out of no where (sort of; don't want to give anything away).
There's a bit of a twist at the end to make things more believable-ish but it still doesn't make up for the lack of character development.
A recommended book for readers interested in an engaging and adventurous paranormal new-adult novel that recaptures the legend of King Arthur through the possession of contemporary characters.
Invoke is a novel with multiple plot lines that interweave to form a fascinating story. The characters have to deal with their lives being altered and entangled with the legend of King Arthur. This paranormal duality causes relationships between the characters to be tested in a unique and interesting way. The magic system used adds underlying elements of suspense and mystery. Overall, Invoke is a dramatic and ambitious novel that delivers a compelling story.
I wasn't sure about this story at first, mainly because there are so many different takes on the myth of King Arthur and Avalon and some of them not good or overdone to say the least. I was therefore pleasantly surprised when I couldn't put the book down. I was completely drawn in and loved this take on it. I still felt like I got to know the characters even though they were possessed by spirits for a lot of the time. The ending was a surprise that I wasn't expecting but I still liked it. Worth the read.
Good story line but there are so many loopholes. Characters' emotions and attitudes change faster than a blink. Most of the events happen so easily and some are completely irrelevant to the others. I think the best part is the ending. It's ridiculous in a creative way, lol. It's good that I got it for free or else I would get upset all day for wasting $2.99 :D
I was very surprised with this book. I am very happy to report that I really enjoyed the take that V.J. Chambers took on this old classic tale. Very interesting read and makes you want to read until the end. Highly recommended.
Very unique paranormal premiss.. I love the Arthurian legend combined with the mysticism and ghosts... The ending was definitely unexpected! Great read!