This fantasy book was an absolute thrill! The world-building was rich and immersive, the characters unforgettable, and the plot full of twists that kept me hooked. A perfect blend of adventure, heart, and wonder—I didn’t want it to end. Highly recommend for any fantasy lover!

If you enjoyed Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries, I think you'd enjoy this writing style. The main character is extremely detail oriented and dedicated in her study of demons as well as running this magical academy. Very slow paced and character focused. The audiobook narrator for this was a great choice to fit the character.

This book was a good telling of a magical school with danger from the teachers perspective. It was enagaging and different with a cool magic system and a lot of backstory on your main character.

The only hiccup for me personally was the side story of the romance felt a bit scattered with sprinkling of the final pairing but a misdirect that seemed suspicious to me from the start.

The narration is very concise and well themed to the character and all in all this was a solid book.

The Incandescent was good. really really good in some places, but also kinda made me go, "Wait, is something bigger gonna happen?" at times. The first part? Absolutely loved it. The magic school setting was so fun to explore, and Dr Walden? Obsessed. She’s this 38-year-old professor who’s got her life together (mostly), adores teaching, and has zero patience for nonsense. Like, she’s brilliant but also a mess in that very relatable "I know how to do my job but not how to be a person" way.

The romance was also chef’s kiss: no drama, just two adults being like, "Yeah, I like you, let’s do this." (Though, of course, there are still some nice twists sprinkled in.) Walden’s students, Nikki, Matty, Will, and Aneeta also had me fully invested. It was so cool seeing the whole "magic school chosen ones" thing from the professor’s perspective. Like, yeah, your teenage drama feels life-or-death, but Saffy’s over here grading papers and low-key the entire school alive.

That said… around the middle, I kept waiting for the plot to go somewhere. The world-building and characters are fantastic, but the story itself kinda meanders. If you’re here for vibes—academia, magic, and a stubbornly competent heroine—you’ll love it. But if you want big, explosive reveals, it might leave you wanting more.

Still, Tesh’s writing is gorgeous, and I’ll 100% read anything she writes. If you’re into character-driven stories with a side of magic-school nostalgia (but from the teacher’s POV), give this a shot. Just don’t go in expecting a wild ride—it’s more of a "curl up with tea and enjoy the atmosphere" kind of book.

The Incandescent offers a refreshingly original take on the magic school genre by shifting the perspective from student to teacher, giving us a grounded, chaotic, and ultimately heartfelt look behind the faculty door (think McGonigal rather than Harry Potter). The story unfolds in an alternate-history world where magic has evolved alongside modern society, with historical touches like medieval demon hunters and a World War II push to accelerate magical research. Emily Tesh weaves a narrative that is both slyly funny and surprisingly tender, set in a world where demon-possessed photocopiers and corrupted cell phones are just part of the day to day.

Our protagonist, Dr. Sapphire Walden, is a seasoned invoker and overworked department head at Chetwood Academy. Her job is to keep both teenagers and the school’s magical security measures in check, often while juggling calendar conflicts, faculty politics, and the demands of teaching an advanced-level invocation class. Her dry wit and relentless professionalism anchor the story. She’s a living embodiment of stoic principles with a heavy dose of internal sass.

Tesh’s writing is clever and often laugh-out-loud funny, especially when poking at the absurdities of institutional life. These moments bear a striking resemblance to the frustrations of working in corporate America. While the early chapters lean heavily on exposition, the book finds its rhythm as the magical history and logistical reality of this world take shape. The integration of fantasy, modernity, and commentary on how systems often quietly fail people gives the novel a distinctive and resonant voice.

One of the standout elements is the portrayal of Walden’s relationship with her students. This is a novel deeply optimistic about teenagers. Despite being emotionally scorched by her past, Walden remains fiercely committed to the young people in her care. The book never tips into cynicism. That belief in students’ capacity to grow, challenge norms, and change the world adds real heart to the story.

I listened to the audiobook for this one, and Zara Ramm was a phenomenal narrator. The emotional nuance she brought to the dialogue helped each character stand out clearly in my mind. Her performance also captured Walden’s voice perfectly being equal parts sharp, weary, and quietly hopeful.

If you’re looking for something that blends magical academia with dry humor, workplace satire, emotional insight, reflections on identity, and a touch of demonic possession, The Incandescent is a gem. It’s not only a story about magic, but very much a story about being true to ourselves.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC in exchange for a review.

20 years ago at a magical boarding school a demon came to the mortal plane and ended the life of a student. Now the demon is back. The magical instructor at the school was a student during the last one, and was directly involved in the incident. As an adult, she has some new tricks up her sleeve, but demons in the school is trickier than one might anticipate.
I really liked the writing, the reader was great, although I did feel that the plot was rather predictable.

Ooh, this was fun! And had just enough romance and serious social commentary to go with the suspense.

I don't read much dark academia -- that's to say, I've read Naomi Novik's Scholomance books and no others -- so to what extent Emily Tesh's Chetwood School resembles magical boarding schools in general I couldn't say and don't really care. In any case, though four young adults feature in important ways, this isn't YA: the main characters are in early middle age.

"The Incandescent" calls for some readerly / listenerly willingness to let the worldbuilding and the story unfold at their own leisurely pace. Events pick up with a bang soon enough, and then the grinding tension sets in, tighter and tighter till -- cataclysm.

I was happy to relax into the narrative for the sake of admittance to a richly imagined, immersive world and also because Zara Ramm's performance is so good. Character voices and class backgrounds clearly distinct, check; to my ear, Ramm wobbles only on the accent belonging to a USian, but I have yet to hear a British person do a convincing US accent, so I can't dock too many points. What defeats the brilliant Adjoa Andoh (check out Andoh's narration of Kwei Quartey's "The Whitewashed Tombs," or, better yet, don't) will defeat anyone.

The ad copy describes "The Incandescent" as "sapphic," a word that always sounds lace-curtain mealy-mouthed to me, but anyway for purists it should be noted that the protagonist is actively bi. (And how nice to see a middle-aged woman wanting sex, including casual sex, and getting it.)

I wouldn't have minded a few minor plot wrap-ups; in particular, I'd have liked to know how one spectacular piece of work copes in the aftermath of what befalls him, because -- as the narrative points out -- not even he deserves it. But this is just me picking nits in my usual OCD reviewer way; I had a spectacularly good time listening to this, and thanks to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the audio ARC.

What a fun book to listen to!! I love a dark academia/magical school book and this one is different since it is from the teachers perspective! The characters were great and Saffie was just a joy to get to know. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for the ARC.

Dr. Sapphire Walden is exceptionally good at what she does -- invoking demons. She didn’t necessarily picture herself back at her old school, the Chetwood School, teaching magic and managing administrative duties. But she’s got the skills to protect its halls from demonic incursion and train the next generation of spellcasters. That is, until a particularly powerful demon attack forces Sapphire to draw on abilities no one knew she had — and possibly expose the school to even greater dangers.

Emily Tesh’s Some Desperate Glory was one of my favorite books of 2024, so I was thrilled to see her follow it up with a dark, magical academia novel. If you’re someone who gravitates toward (British) boarding school settings where students come into their magical powers, you’ll find plenty to love here. But Tesh builds on the common genre expectations by placing a teacher as the central character. It’s a refreshing change of perspective that brings something new to a familiar trope. There were moments where Walden's instructor/administrator responsibilities slowed the pacing a bit — one unnecessarily long student meeting come to mind — but overall, the story clips along with energy and intrigue.

Narrator Zara Ramm is a pitch-perfect match for Dr. Walden, nailing the tone of a meticulous, slightly exhausted, and deeply capable middle-aged schoolmistress.

With The Incandescent, Tesh has moved skillfully from space opera to a sapphic fantasy that blends demonology, academia, and a hint of romance. It’s a smart, sharp, and thoroughly enjoyable read — and one that confirms Tesh is an author to follow.

I found this title oddly cozy for all the demon slaying and possession that was involved. It had a similar feeling to a childhood favorite of mine, Charlie Bone, with touches of Jujutsu Kaisen as written by a bisexual Professor McGonagall in her late 30's. Despite not being a new favorite, I really loved so much about this and Tesh's writing style.

Looooooooved this one. Fast paced with fun, interesting characters, a fascinating magical system, monster hunting, and a fun little side quest romance. I want to force everyone who plays DND to read this so their minds can be expanded when it comes to who's possessing who ;)

rep: bisexual MC, Lesbian LI, black side character

spice: none

tw: demons, possession, death of a past lover (off page), amputation

The Incandescent was an enjoyable fantasy read about the Director of Magic at a boarding school. There is a theme of romance throughout the book - I would describe it as a fantasy book with romance rather than a romantasy. I enjoyed the magic system and found most characters likeable. It was the appropriate length for a standalone fantasy novel.

The audiobook was well-done. The narrator's American accent was not great, but there was only a short bit of text read in the American accent.

LOVED! This story told from Dr. Walden’s perspective as a teacher and administrator at a top magical boarding school. Her perspective reminds me of Emily Wilde (another favorite of mine), but darker and with demons.

As an educator myself, I laughed often at her perspective of what it means to work with teens and found the interactions with the teens to be very realistic (besides the magic, of course). I love the perspective of the story being told by the academic. I loved the witty humor, the tension, the mystery, the relationships and the dark elements. From beginning to end, this was an enjoyable story. Nothing ever felt slow or rushed - overall perfect pacing.

I listened to the audiobook and the narrator was great (although the brief minutes of an American accent could be better). She had a good pace, her cadence and voices for other characters was well done. Definitely recommend!

Since reading Some Desperate Glory I have been so excited to get another book from Emily Tesh. Her books just really work for me and this was one of my favorite reads of the year so far. I absolutely loved Dr. Sapphire Walden. She is so funny and wonderfully competent. I always love reading books with slightly older main characters. Having a dark academia book from the point of view of the school staff was also very fun. We still got a decent amount of the students and I really enjoyed them as well. Zara Ramm did an excellent job with the audiobook narration. I can see myself revisiting this book in the future while I wait for another book from Emily!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for the ALC in exchange for an honest review.

It has a very interesting concept but this one just wasn’t for me. I found it difficult to get into the story. Dark academia can be very hit or miss and unfortunately this was a miss

Thank you Net Galley, Tor Publishing and Emily Tesh for the ALC of The Incandescent. I throughly enjoyed this book.

I loved Dr. Walden, the 38 year old professor at Chetwood (a magical, expensive, boarding school). Tesh crafted a story that feels both original and richly layered, beautifully capturing the complexities of academia, the weight of bureaucracy and the emotional depth of a character navigating it all. I also appreciated the sharp and thoughtful social commentary woven throughout the story, adding even more nuance to an already compelling narrative.

This was my first book by Emily Tesh, and I’ll definitely be exploring her previous work. I also would like to note that I love the cover art (both the North American and UK editions).

I rated this book 4.5 stars. I was a bit confused on what happened to Mark and would have liked more clarity there. Additionally, I think that I would have connected even more to this story as a physical book, as it is quite detailed and I had to relisten to several sections. That said the narration was excellent, and this is purely a personal preference.

Thank you to MacMillan Audio and NetGalley for sending me an E-Audio copy of The Incandescent by Emily Tesh in exchange for review.

~4.25 Stars~

THIS…. IS… IT!!!!
I absolutely adore a dark academia magical demonic school setting. It gives spooky and studious and the atmosphere screams old class romantic. Unfortunately most of the books within this genre/setting are about students, and while many of those books are great and enjoyable…. As a 34yo I’ve been yearning for something a bit less juvenile. This book is from faculty POV which I am so incredibly happy about and am truly glad I was able to experience through audiobook. Emily knows what we really want.

The turmoil and longing between characters in this book is incredible, and the author really did want us to suffer (in a good way). I want to be on the edge of my seat waiting for the build up to finally peak and we literally could not have waited any longer (at least not for a standalone).

While there were bloodthirsty demons traipsing about to deeply haunt our FMC’s dark past… It still gave a realistic slice of life ambience that felt achingly believable.

This was a fantastic read, and I adored the narrator for the audio as well. Zara’s accent made the setting even more enveloping as if I was truly there.

What can I say, I love a sapphic fantasy… I am the target audience.

An academic and dangerous novel for anyone who grew up reading about magical boarding schools, but is now old enough to be one of the teachers. The Incandescent follows Dr. Sapphire Walden, head of magical education at Chetwood school. Intelligent, competent, and slightly overbearing, Walden is easy to root for. I particularly appreciated the attention Walden (and Tesh) put on GOOD pedagogy - where the focus is on helping students learn to learn rather than rotely drilling information. The first big demon problem appears about halfway through and is an absolutely stellar fight, with the dashing and rather blunt Marshall Kenning at its center. This big fight right in the middle of the book leads to a bit of a lull in pacing though. The introduction of Mark, a sleazy but charming new security consultant, made for interesting discussions on school governance and what is best for the students vs the school entire. He was, however, painfully obvious to everyone except Walden herself. I think Tesh was attempting commentary on Walden's own hubris in the circumstances - discussions about tuition and privilege also come up at this point - but instead I found it so frustrating to see Walden fall for the farce of school-boy charm. The ultimate ending to this new arc was completely rushed, and ultimately muddy in its execution. I'm still not really sure what happened to Mark or how Walden entered into her final predicament. All this to say, I still listened to this in under 2 days and enjoyed it thoroughly. A fun read that I'm glad I was able to do on audio, as I think that papered over some of the pacing issues. The narrator gives a phenomenal voice performance and I will definitely be looking for her name in the future.

I had to stay up way past my bedtime to finish this book. Incandescent is a dark academia novel that takes place in a British boarding school for children who use magic - but it is quite different from Hogwarts! Magic is not necessarily hidden from non-users, and demons come through weak parts of the world to wreak their havoc: anything from gremlins in copy machines to large scale demons that will possess or kill. I enjoyed the queer representation in the story (yay for bisexuality!). I also felt like it was written by a former or current teacher, as the classroom and pastoral scenes felt very accurate. I do feel that the ending was rather rushed and I can’t exactly picture what happened in the end of the climactic battle. However, I liked the characters and the story very much. I’ve read so many different fantasy novels that it can be hard to find unique takes on magic systems or mythology, but this had different ideas that kept it entertaining. I would read more in this universe.

Thank you to NetGalley, Tor, and MacMillan audio for the audio ARC!

ARC Review | The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ (3.75 rounded up)

I received an audiobook ARC of The Incandescent from NetGalley, and overall, I really enjoyed the narration—it brought a lot of charm to this magical modern-day UK setting. This one follows Saphy (short for Sapphire), the director of a magical high school tasked with training students to battle the demon realm.

This was pitched as dark academia, but honestly, it leans more cozy slice-of-life with magical and academic elements. If you loved the academic vibes in Emily Wilde’s Encyclopedia of Faeries, this might be your next read.

I really appreciated getting to read about a 30-something woman navigating her career, love, and personal life—it’s refreshing to see older protagonists in fantasy. That said, I found myself a bit bored at times, especially when the demon studies breakdowns dragged on. I wanted more of Saphy’s backstory and less of her day-to-day admin work, but there were some fun twists that kept things moving.

A thoughtful, soft fantasy with a unique perspective—but not quite the dark academia I expected.