I will be the first to admit the charm of dark academia is largely lost on me, but I was still greatly looking forward to The Incandescent because the promise of showing a magical boarding school from the perspective of an elder millenial teacher seemed right up my alley. Plus, Emily Tesh has done some really interesting things with her debut novel and novellas, so there was a lot to look forward to.

First off, things I liked:
- the book is really easy to read. It has this vibe of a magically mundane slice of life anime, slow to unfurl, full of delightful detail and (I assume, never having gone through a British school) minutia of a British public school, but from the perspective of an adult who makes sure it's running smoothly. I read it pretty much in two sittings.
- Saffy Walden is a very good portrait of an overachieving, academically brilliant loser millenial, and I say that affectionally, as a tired thirtysomething academically brilliant loser millenial.
- The school itself came to life easily, like something I could recognize even without having experienced it. Can only imagine how it feels to people who've had similar experiences. It's so vivid and full of life.
- Saffy's ill-timed romance with Laura, and generally Laura's character that refuses to be charmed by the privileged idyll as she remains firm in her ideals and in her pursuits. Honestly we should have had more Laura, she is great.

Things I didn't like so much
- There were a few elements to the story that remained largely arbitrary: the whys behind the protracted plot arc involving the security expert (so many whys, both on doylean and watsonian level), a few magical blind spots, pacing and stylistic choices in the last fourth of the book. I couldn't help feeling that this could have been smoothed out with more editorial work on a structure level and had the intended wham! effect rather than leaving me bewildered.
- honestly, the more I think about the secury expert arc, the more bewildered I get.
- the open secret of Phoenix - I am failing to imagine the magical society as a whole agreed to sweep this into the carpet until the events of the book. How?
- the resolution with the Phoenix also seemed a little too convenient.

Overall, this is one of the books where I can say I am glad I read it, I had a good time reading it and I will continue to await what else Emily Tesh will write, but I wasn't as impressed as I was with SDG - not because this is a different book, but because it seemed at a different stage of polish.

Thank you to Netgally and the publisher for the arc.

The Incandescent follows Dr Sapphire Walden who is the Director of Magic at Chetwood School. She loves teaching but her job consists of a lot of meetings and securing the school from demonic incursions. Walden loves her job and needs to keep her school safe but demons are masters of manipulation and the school may need protecting from herself.

I’m giving this 3 stars. It was written well and gave me vibes of Carry on by Rainbow Rowell. It’s obvious Walden cares about her school and her students. This book shows how much work goes into keeping a school running particularly a magic school. That said, this was a little boring and it wasn’t the most engaging read for me. I personally found it too focused on the monotony of running a school but maybe that was the point of the book.

This book follows a year in the life of a magical boarding school, but from the headmistress’s POV. It has a slice-of-life vibe, just with demons thrown into the mix. If you liked Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series, this has a similar atmosphere, but shifts the focus to the adults trying to keep everything (and everyone) from falling apart.

I love an 'older' FMC and I've been well treated recently with excellent FMCs that are my age (like the FMC here in The Incandescent, Dr Saffy Walden) or older. I'm hoping that FMCs over 30 become more common because I generally find them more interesting than younger protagonists since they've already lived a bit (or a lot) of a life! Saffy felt like a real, flawed person and her actions throughout the book made sense.

The Incandescent had a lot of technical lore dropping to do in the first 10-15% of the book to explain the world and how the magical school runs, but once that was all established, things really got going and I was surprised by where the plot went. I expected that most of the storyline would be about Saffy and Laura taking down Old Faithful, but instead that was resolved pretty quickly and time moved on through the school year.

The book was full of British humour and references (I don't know how much a reference to John Lewis will translate in America, for example) but as a Brit, I liked it. There were a few things that kept it from getting a higher rating. Sometimes it got a bit too much into the minutia of teacher life, and I'd have liked to have seen more of Saffy and Laura together. There were some unresolved questions relating to the 'villain' that I'd have liked answers on as it was a bit vague - mainly 'why?' and 'what happened to them?'

I definitely get The Scholomance comparisons after reading The Incandescent, but it's nice to see it from the adult, teacher perspective. I was getting a bit of Gideon the Ninth vibes as well, but obviously not the space bits!

Disclaimer: I received an Advance Reader Copy from NetGalley, but this is my voluntary and honest review.

A story that is partially about demons, and partially - in no small part - about the administrative duties of a school? The latter doesn't sound like it would be the most compelling, but, well-

(Benoit Blanc "It compels me though" gif)

A very high 4 stars. This was so well-crafted and well-written; Emily Tesh writes in such a confident manner, everything feels intentional. Even the pacing, which was not traditional in some ways, worked well in building this sense of uncertainty and chaos for some parts. And really, like a demon incursion is going to wait until the end of the school year just for pacing?

I went into this expecting it to be less fucked up than Some Desperate Glory, more pastoral (if you read this book, you'll see this word choice is fitting and intentional). And it's definitely less fucked up than that - but most things also fall into the "less fucked up than Some Desperate Glory" category, so I suppose that's not saying much. I think this book might get classified as "cosy" once in a while, just because there is quite a bit dedicated to the day-to-day workings of the school, and the not-so-dark academia, so you can get lulled into a false sense of coziness, sure, but let's not forget: constant threat of demons.

The story follows Saffy Walden, a 38 year old director of magic at a magic boarding school and also an expert on invocation, which is the branch of magic dealing with demons. Walden is such a complex, rounded, real character - maybe it's because I'm not far off from her age, but I found her relatable and also found that kind of relatability really refreshing! So, so much of this story is on the strength of Walden as a character, and I loved her.

The secondary characters, from Laura to the student group to, yes, even Mark, were all very well done, with personalities and complexities of their own, so I obviously got attached to all of them. (And did get Walden's romantic predicament, if I'm being completely honest - both of them 😏)

The magic system was another standout! Just the details and the thought that obviously went into it - from the invoking to the demon world to the demons themselves. It definitely added stakes to a book that otherwise was a lot of school ins and outs, and man, was there tension in some of the scenes. The whole School House section? Edge of my seat.

The only thing that didn't work quite as well for me was, unfortunately, how the book ended. I thought it wrapped up a bit too quickly, especially the climax in the penultimate chapter. There is one specific moment where I made a status update about how things were getting horrifying, and then . . . that ball kind of dropped. I'm not saying I want body horror but I'm not not saying th- I DIGRESS. I did think the climax resolved itself a bit suddenly, and would have liked a bit more specifics about one part that could have got horrifying, let's just leave it at that.

All in all, Emily Tesh has easily become one of my read-immediately authors, and with how creative and just plain GOOD her first two novels have been, I can't see that changing anytime soon.

Thank you to the publisher, Orbit, and to NetGalley for the ARC.

This is one of the best dark academia books I've read. I adored the boarding school setting, but told from the perspective of a teacher instead. Walden's commentary had me chuckling throughout and I found the magic system fascinating to read about. I thought Some Desperate Glory was an excellent book but ET has outdone herself with this new book

I’ve read dozens of dark academia books, but this is the first one that focuses almost entirely on the experience of teaching and being a teacher. I really enjoyed it—it's well-written, thoughtfully crafted, and genuinely stands out from what the genre has delivered so far.

Plot-wise, the book is an interesting example of a situation where one seemingly small decision from the past, when exposed to additional external factors, spirals into large and complex outcomes, both miraculously good and disastrously bad. The story is grounded in the academic calendar of Chetwood Academy, a prestigious boarding school that teaches magic, with all the characters serving as educators within its walls.

This book perfectly blends elements of magic with the real-life dynamics of the British educational system. Surprisingly, what I enjoyed most wasn’t the magical aspects—though those are absolutely fantastic, and the demon-fighting scenes are genuinely impressive—but rather how authentic and grounded the main character’s life as a teacher felt, even within the walls of a magical school.

The story is clearly well-researched, and it's obvious that Emily Tesh draws from her own experience as a Briton, an Oxbridge alumna, and an educator. Dr. Saffy Walden, the FMC, is the Director of Magic, yet she faces the same challenges many teachers encounter: trying to do her job well while working within a system that doesn’t always support her. She’s 38, single, and caught in that liminal space—neither “young” nor “old”—which adds depth to her personal journey as she tries to balance work and life. I also appreciated the subtle yet pointed commentary on how women are often perceived differently than men in the same age/professional position.

If you’re expecting a book mostly about magic, you might want to adjust your expectations. This is primarily a novel about the experience of being a teacher, with a poignant yet spot-on commentary on the institutional challenges educators face. It’s the kind of book that will stick with you long after you’ve finished it.

Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the review copy. I requested this as soon as I saw it was available, having loved the authors previous book (Some Desperate Glory). This new offering did not disappoint and has firmly established Emily Tesh as one of my favourite authors. I loved almost everything about this book, characters, story and worldbuilding. I appreciated the attention given to the actual process of teaching magic (it is very obvious that the author has a teaching background here) however, I will admit that for some people the frequent mention of the tedious side of teaching and the exploration of inequalities within the education system may be a bit too much. The ending was very satisfying. Highly recommended for those who like dark academia!

The covers are gorgeous, especially the UK edition. That hot pink!

This review has spoilers.

The first 1/3 was exactly what I thought I would be reading - a magic school from the perspective of a teacher - and I adored it.
The imp in the photocopier who ate chocolate digestives! The "oooh, enemies to lovers??" with Laura. A butch lesbian love interest (practically unheard of)! A centuries-old demon summoning!

There's a big ol' demon fight at the school and a spur-of-the-moment kiss (and me, maybe foaming at the mouth).

Then, after the fallout from the demon shenanigans and Laura getting canned and leaving....... I don't even know what happened.

Actually, no - nothing fucking happened.

Nothing happened apart from excruciating minutiae about being a teacher. Nothing happened apart from a posh smarmy dickhead being introduced and oh of course Saffy starts fucking him. Nothing happened apart from bungled in-your-fucking-face social commentary.

Finally, finally, the plot starts moving. The Phoenix takes over - but in the milquetoastiest way possible. There was no build up. Saffy realises oh hang on, this pompous knob is actually up to no good and also he's shagging the 23-year-old.

And then, yeah, the teenagers save the day, and gosh the Phoenix would've got away with it if it weren't for you meddling kids!

Two stars, only because of how much I loved the opening.