The Invocations Summary, Characters and Themes

The Invocations by Krystal Sutherland is a dark, feminist contemporary fantasy that blends supernatural horror with the raw, emotional weight of grief, vengeance, and intergenerational trauma. 

Set against the gritty backdrop of modern-day London, the novel follows three girls—Zara, Jude, and Emer—each haunted by personal loss and bound together by their desperate need for justice. With magic that comes at a devastating cost, curses rooted in family legacies, and a patriarchal system that preys on women, The Invocations is a fierce exploration of female rage, resilience, and the powerful solidarity that can arise from shared pain.

Summary

Zara Jones refuses to accept that her sister Savannah’s murder is the end of her story. Grief-stricken and desperate, Zara seeks answers not from the living, but from the occult. Her belief in magic isn’t born from whimsy but necessity—the only thing more unbearable than losing her sister is believing she’s gone forever. 

Determined to claw Savannah back from death, Zara’s obsession with necromancy leads her into the dangerous world of invocations—powerful spells that demand soul-deep sacrifices.

Jude Wolf, the rebellious daughter of an untouchable billionaire family, carries a curse more literal than metaphorical. 

After a deal with a demon goes horribly wrong, her soul begins to rot from the inside out, leaving her plagued by sickness and shadowed by monstrous creatures that lurk just beyond the veil. Jude’s curse is more than just dark magic—it’s the physical manifestation of her family’s violent legacy. 

Beneath her family’s wealth and influence lies a history soaked in blood, rooted in an ancient tradition of witch-hunting. Jude is desperate to sever this connection, to free herself from both the supernatural affliction and the suffocating grip of her family’s sins.

Enter Emer Byrne—a witch with a tragic past and deadly power. As a child, Emer watched her family, her coven, brutally massacred by men posing as witch hunters. The trauma left her with more than scars; it left her with a thirst for vengeance and a heart hardened by loss. 

Now an orphan navigating the underbelly of London, Emer survives by selling invocations to desperate women. But every spell comes at a cost—a piece of the soul—and Emer knows firsthand the dangers of wielding such power.

When Zara and Jude cross paths in their respective quests—Zara to resurrect her sister and Jude to rid herself of her curse—they both find themselves seeking out Emer. 

But before they can convince her to help them, a new threat emerges. Women who’ve made deals with Emer are turning up dead, their bodies marked by a killer who seems to know the darkest secrets of the magical world. With a serial killer targeting Emer’s clients, the three girls are forced into a reluctant alliance.

Their hunt for the killer leads them deep into Jude’s family history, unraveling horrifying truths. Jude’s brothers—Adam, Drew (Andrew), Seth, and Matthew—are modern-day witch hunters, descendants of a patriarchal line that has hunted, tortured, and murdered women for generations under the guise of tradition. 

The Wolf family, whose name is derived from “Volkov,” meaning wolf in Russian, is more than just a wealthy dynasty—they’re predators hiding in plain sight.

As their investigation unfolds, the trio navigates treacherous alliances, supernatural horrors, and the festering rot at the heart of the Wolf family. Emer’s vendetta becomes personal when she realizes that Andrew Wolf—the very man responsible for her family’s massacre—is not only alive but thriving within Jude’s corrupt family. 

Jude’s mother, Judita, was another casualty of this violent legacy, murdered by her own kin, a revelation that shatters Jude’s fragile connection to her family and deepens her resolve to break free from their influence.

The story crescendos at a wedding held at the ominous Wolf Hall—a stronghold of power, wealth, and centuries-old violence. Here, amidst the gilded lies of high society, the girls face their enemies head-on. 

Emer confronts Andrew Wolf, unleashing the catastrophic power of her invocation in a brutal battle fueled by years of grief and rage. Jude enacts a desperate, dangerous plan to break her curse—allowing herself to be killed, only to be resurrected in a symbolic act of reclaiming her life and agency from her family’s oppressive grip. 

Zara, torn between her obsession with reviving Savannah and the newfound bonds she’s formed, makes a choice: to honor her sister’s memory without succumbing to the darkness that nearly consumed her.

In the aftermath, not all wounds are healed, and not all battles are won without sacrifice. 

Emer’s vengeance costs her dearly, Jude loses the last remnants of her family ties, and Zara accepts that some losses are irreversible. Yet, despite the blood, betrayal, and heartbreak, the girls stand together—not as victims, but as survivors. 

Their alliance, forged in the crucible of shared trauma, defies the cycles of violence and oppression perpetuated by those who sought to control them.

The Invocations is more than a tale of dark magic and revenge; it’s a story about the enduring power of female solidarity, the courage to confront generational trauma, and the resilience required to reclaim one’s identity from the shadows of the past.

Characters

Emer Byrne

Emer Byrne’s character is defined by trauma and vengeance. Her life was irrevocably changed when she witnessed the brutal massacre of her family by witch hunters, an event that left her not only physically scarred but also consumed with rage.

She carries the weight of this trauma on her body, symbolized by the magical invocation inscribed on her skin. This invocation gives her supernatural powers, but each time she uses it, there is a severe toll on her physical and mental state, reinforcing the novel’s theme that power always comes at a great cost.

Emer’s pursuit of vengeance is her driving force, propelling her through dangerous territories of magic and the supernatural. She is a solitary figure, not trusting others due to the pain and isolation she has endured, yet her strength and resilience make her a force to be reckoned with.

Her journey is not only about confronting the men responsible for her family’s death but also about grappling with the consequences of her own thirst for revenge. Her encounters with demons and cursed objects show the high stakes of wielding dark magic, a reflection of how her past continues to shape her future.

Jude Wolf

Jude Wolf is trapped in a web of familial legacy and a curse that binds her to both demons and the violence of her bloodline. As the daughter of a wealthy and corrupt family with deep ties to witch hunting, Jude’s struggle is not just external but internal as well.

She inherits the sins of her family, and this legacy manifests in the form of a curse that consumes her body and soul, slowly deteriorating her from the inside out. Despite her privilege and the power that comes with her family’s wealth, Jude is isolated and haunted by the sins of her ancestors, particularly her brothers—modern-day witch hunters who continue the violent traditions of their forefathers.

Her internal battle becomes a central theme of the story as she uncovers the brutal truths about her family, including the murder of her mother by her own kin. Jude’s journey is one of self-liberation, as she struggles to break free from the curse that ties her to her family’s dark history.

This curse is both a literal and metaphorical reflection of the inescapable violence and control exerted by her family, and Jude’s arc becomes about finding autonomy in a life that has been dominated by forces beyond her control. Her story is marked by guilt, grief, and an intense desire for redemption, as she seeks to dismantle the oppressive systems that have shaped her life.

Zara Jones

Zara Jones’s character is deeply marked by grief and a desperate need for closure. The murder of her sister, Savannah, leaves Zara in a state of emotional devastation, and she becomes fixated on the idea of using dark magic to bring her sister back from the dead.

Unlike Emer, whose trauma is channeled into anger and vengeance, Zara’s pain manifests as an obsessive drive toward necromancy. This obsession becomes both her strength and her weakness, as she is willing to risk anything—including her own soul—to undo the tragedy that haunts her.

Zara’s journey is a poignant exploration of how grief can warp one’s sense of morality and reality. Her willingness to dabble in forbidden magic and take dangerous risks speaks to her emotional vulnerability and her longing to reverse what cannot be undone.

While her quest for resurrection initially isolates her from others, it ultimately becomes the catalyst for her connection with Emer and Jude, both of whom are also seeking justice and healing in their own ways. Zara’s story is a powerful commentary on the limits of grief and the difficult choices that one must make when faced with the stark reality of loss.

Through her journey, Zara learns that some things—like death—cannot be undone, and her character ultimately grows through the acceptance of her sister’s death and the embrace of living relationships.

Themes

The Cost of Power and the Corrupting Influence of Magic

One of the most powerful themes in The Invocations is the idea that power comes at a tremendous cost. Magic, in this world, is not something that can be wielded without consequences.

For the protagonists—particularly Emer—each use of magic, whether through an invocation or a curse, extracts a heavy toll on the body and soul. Emer’s invocation, which allows her to channel supernatural power, offers her the strength to avenge her family’s death, but it also slowly erodes her own humanity, making her a tragic figure in her pursuit of vengeance.

Zara, on the other hand, becomes so consumed by her obsession with raising her dead sister that she is willing to sacrifice any part of herself, including her very soul. The dark magic in the novel serves as a metaphor for the dangerous allure of power.

It highlights the idea that power—especially when used recklessly or out of desperation—does not come freely; it demands sacrifices that can alter one’s very essence. This theme ties into the broader narrative about the dangers of pursuing control at any cost, reflecting how systems of oppression often rely on the exploitation of power, whether it be through magical means or patriarchal dominance.

The Repercussions of Intergenerational Trauma and the Legacy of Violence

Another deeply complex theme in The Invocations is the exploration of intergenerational trauma, particularly as it is passed down through the Wolf family. Jude’s family history is one marked by violence, secrecy, and the legacy of witch-hunting.

Her brothers, the modern-day inheritors of this violent legacy, continue the bloody work of their ancestors, perpetuating a cycle of patriarchal violence against women. Jude’s own curse, tied to her family’s dark history, becomes a manifestation of the trauma that has been passed down through generations.

The novel poignantly explores how the past is never truly gone but instead seeps into the present, affecting the lives of those who are born into the weight of familial sins. In Jude’s case, the curse is a symbol of the psychic and physical scars left by her family’s history, one that she is desperately trying to break free from.

The story illustrates that healing cannot occur without acknowledging the past and confronting the ways in which history’s unresolved wounds continue to shape the present. The Invocations therefore becomes not just a tale of personal struggle but also a narrative about the societal and familial structures that perpetuate trauma across generations, demanding that individuals reckon with the legacies they inherit.

Feminist Resistance and the Reclamation of Agency from Patriarchal Systems

A central, empowering theme in The Invocations is the resistance against patriarchal systems and the reclamation of agency by its female protagonists. Emer, Jude, and Zara each find themselves entangled in a world where their lives have been shaped and controlled by male-dominated systems—whether through the violent witch-hunting traditions of the Wolf family, the oppressive legacies of their ancestors, or the manipulative forces that haunt their personal lives.

Each of these women, however, embarks on a journey of defiance, rejecting the roles that society and their families have imposed on them. Emer, whose quest for revenge is fueled by the massacre of her family, embodies the idea of female strength in the face of immense loss. She refuses to be a passive victim of her trauma.

Jude, while struggling with the curse tied to her family’s legacy, ultimately chooses to break free of her family’s hold, even if it means losing everything else. Zara, through her grief-driven obsession, finds strength in the solidarity of the women she allies with, moving from a place of isolated sorrow to one of empowerment.

The story subverts traditional narratives of women as mere victims of violence. Instead, it shows how these women—through their own pain and suffering—find the courage to stand against the forces that seek to control and oppress them.

Their solidarity is not rooted in friendship, but in a shared understanding of how patriarchal systems dehumanize them and a commitment to reclaiming their autonomy.

The Intersection of Grief, Obsession, and Moral Boundaries

Another powerful and intricate theme explored in The Invocations is how grief can become a consuming obsession that blurs the lines between right and wrong. Zara’s journey is a poignant exploration of how grief can warp one’s morality and sense of self.

The death of her sister Savannah is the catalyst for Zara’s descent into the occult, as she becomes fixated on bringing her sister back to life through dark magic. Zara’s obsession with resurrection, however, makes her vulnerable to manipulation and self-destruction.

In her desperation to undo the unthinkable, she disregards the consequences of her actions, even if it means sacrificing her own soul. The novel skillfully examines how grief, when unprocessed or ignored, can turn into an unhealthy fixation that distances individuals from the reality of their situation.

While Zara’s quest for vengeance and closure is understandable, it serves as a cautionary tale about how grief, left unchecked, can lead to moral compromise and a rejection of what is truly important. By the end of the novel, Zara’s realization that some things—like death—cannot be undone highlights the painful but necessary truth that letting go is an essential part of healing.

In this sense, The Invocations challenges the reader to consider how deeply grief can shape one’s actions and moral compass, asking difficult questions about the lengths one would go to for a second chance, and whether such chances are ever truly worth the cost.

The Exploitation of Women’s Bodies and Souls within Patriarchal Structures

The novel also delves deeply into the exploitation of women’s bodies and souls, both literal and metaphorical, within patriarchal structures. The Wolf family’s history of witch-hunting, as well as their current-day manipulation and control of women like Emer and Jude, serves as a chilling commentary on the objectification and subjugation of women throughout history.

The invocations, which require women to sacrifice pieces of their souls in exchange for magical power, represent a direct and harrowing metaphor for how women are often expected to give up parts of themselves to gain any semblance of agency. These invocations highlight the brutal reality that power for women often comes at a heavy price, and in this world, that price is paid not only through physical pain but also through a literal and spiritual cost.

Zara’s obsession with raising her sister, for instance, leads her to manipulate the boundaries between life and death in ways that mirror the exploitation of women’s bodies as instruments for male desire and control. The characters’ struggles with dark magic are ultimately tied to the ways in which women are coerced into sacrificing their autonomy in exchange for survival or power.

Through these supernatural elements, The Invocations critiques the systemic exploitation of women’s lives and the lengths to which they must go to reclaim their freedom and power. The novel is, at its core, a narrative about breaking free from these cycles of manipulation and control—about standing up against the forces that seek to reduce women to mere vessels for male gain.

The Unyielding Search for Redemption and the Price of Vengeance

Finally, The Invocations explores the theme of redemption, particularly the complex and often contradictory ways in which the characters seek personal salvation. Each of the central characters is on a quest for redemption—whether it is Emer seeking revenge for the death of her family, Jude trying to escape her family’s curse, or Zara attempting to undo her sister’s murder.

However, the novel consistently shows that redemption is not an easy or uncomplicated path. For Emer, revenge is portrayed as both a source of empowerment and a path to her own self-destruction. The more she seeks vengeance, the more she loses herself in the process.

Jude, too, learns that breaking her curse comes at a great personal sacrifice, and in doing so, she loses her family and her ties to her past. Zara’s redemption is tied to the acceptance that some things—like death—cannot be reversed, teaching her the painful lesson that not all wounds can be healed, no matter how much one wishes otherwise.

In each case, the pursuit of redemption and vengeance comes with deep personal costs, ultimately underscoring the theme that the search for justice or closure is not always as redemptive as one might hope. 

This moral ambiguity adds layers of depth to the narrative, challenging the idea that vengeance can ever truly bring peace, and suggesting instead that true healing may require letting go of past wounds rather than seeking to undo them.