Odd Spirits

Curiously, this unconvincing prequel to Gibson’s Evocation fails to satisfactorily answer the one question it apparently exists to address: how did series protagonists Rhys, a classical sorcerer, and Moira, a vernacular witch, end up married? The narrative offers only a handful of early encounters, from their first sighting in an occult shop to their true introduction at a literal crossroads, before a quick jump to vows. Why this rushed courtship? There’s plenty of postnuptial soul-searching to underscore the conundrum, yet little to explain the choice beyond narrative necessity. Unsurprisingly, these two recent college grads with next to nothing in common soon discover that married life is fraught with peril, including the manifestation of a poltergeist-type presence in their newlywed home. An exaggerated attempt at rescue by Rhys’s arrogant ex-boyfriend, David—whom fans of book one will be thrilled to see—steals the show in an otherwise unsatisfying outing. This is a letdown. Agent: Tara Gilbert, KT Literary. (Oct.)