A light, breezy novel about a teacher who genuinely cares about her aspiring wizards. Yes, it's a magical school novel--from the point of view of a teacher! But more interesting than the demon bound in the basement or the arcane lesson plans is how she much she cares. Getting through to troubled students, whether they're struggling with affording the school or being part of a demonic conspiracy, is difficult to navigate. Her way of thinking about them and appealing to them is the real magic here.

4.5/5
I love the idea of a dark academia that centers around teachers rather than students as I'm old enough that I can relate more easily with teachers. Walden is the director of magic at a prestigious old boarding school. Her main job is to keep the school's many demons in check. This becomes trickier than usual when she is unexpectedly tempted by a possible workplace romance and her star pupil is threatening to give up on her studies. The vibes of this book are perfect and Zara Ramm is an engaging narrator. Definitely recommend the audio!

The Incandescent is a unique dark academia following a teacher instead of the student. Getting this unique perspective allows for new levels of academic critique not often seen in the genre. Not to mention getting a satisfying sapphic romance. Some parts of this are the slow, daily academic life, and other parts are fast paced demon fighting. Overall, it's a very enjoyable read, and the audiobook is a great way to read it. It's a satisfying stand alone that doesn't sacrifice any world building elements or character growth. I'll look forward to what Tesh writes next.

A fantasy book surrounding an educated, well meaning adult was such a great change of pace! This story was well told but I also love the layers we could peel back to discuss how this character matured as a response to her early traumas and the lack of dealing with her emotions and guilt. She is a perfectly flawed human that is relatable and I loved reading her story!
Thanks NetGalley for allowing me to arc read.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for this ARC of The Incandescent by Emily Tesh! It was such a lovely world built through the characters’ dialogue and personalities. Following Dr. Walden around the school and the area was such a joy—the dark academic setting combined with sapphic millenial characters made for a silly and hopeful read. I listened to the book whenever I could outside of work because it was so exciting to me to figure out what the demons, phoenix, Mark, and the Sixth Formers would do. I could feel the delight in Walden’s characterization and growth throughout the novel as Nikki made mistakes and succeeded. I love when a writer pays attention to the things like the nuances of school rivalries all the way to the challenges of diverse peoples. I’m so glad I listened to this and look forward to seeing what else Tesh comes up with in the future!

4.5 stars. This book did something incredibly good to my brain.

Emily Tesh's newest novel is like the magic school version of that House M.D. episode that follows Cuddy around all day. I absolutely loved it. And in order for you to love it too, you have to go into it knowing that this one's not about the kids at the school. There are a million books about the kids; and this book should not be faulted for not being about the kids. This is Saffy's story: an overworked and underloved, 38-year-old magic instructor whose best intentions and human-natured shortcomings start to allow things to escape through the cracks, risking the lives and reputations of everyone at her institution.

Tesh sold this world to me from page one, and as a result, here's my inevitable bemoan about how I wish it had been a little longer. But in all honesty, though, I can only dock it half a star for this, because I absolutely see the point of all the narrative choices made here. We only know what Saffy knows and when she knows it. Certain people drop in and out of the story, just as they drop in and out of her life. A teacher doesn't get to follow every thread in the life of a student. As I said before, this is Saffy's story.

Additionally, this book absolutely does not talk down to its readers, nor does it coddle them. Overall, I found this book to be an incredibly strong and fresh fantasy novel that does not walk the line between adult fiction and young adult fiction, like many books (both some I like and dislike) do. The writing style was perfectly adult and clever while not trying too hard to be overly flowery-- thus fitting Saffy perfectly. Personally, I adore a well-told single, third-person narrative. (Okay, okay. Yes, there is some second-person in here, as a treat, but Tesh pulled that off too.) This book just knows what it is, and I ate it up. I really can't recommend this one highly enough.

p.s. this book also did some much-needed rewiring of my brain when it came to books about magic schools. as a millennial, the-series-that-must-not-be-named had such a subconscious chokehold on me for so long, that i'd avoided books about the topic for much of my adult life. but now that that ship has sunk--history will not prove to be on the side of terfs, end of story--i found this book's magic system utterly charming and well-thought-out.

I finally finished the Incandescent by Emily Tesh!

So I had put it down at about 35ish% because it felt rather like an end to that narrative section. I wasn’t expecting the a climactic battle to happen early in the story and it threw me, so I stopped reading for a bit… and promptly forgot about it until I realised it was publishing day 😬

Anyway- my thoughts:

The book focussed on the mundanity of academic life and teaching, how it feels to be an aging millennial working with young people. I both loved and hated it at the same time. Love because it felt so real, but hated because it was too real, despite the obvious inclusion of magic and demons.

As mentioned above, it felt disjointed at about the 1/3 point. As an avid reader my mind is accustomed to a narrative structure that builds both character and plot steadily towards a sudden climax before a brief resolution at the end. I’m not used to a sudden explosion of action midway through a book.

That said, when getting back to reading the exploration of the Phoenix and the tension there was very interesting, but I wish they tied it more closely to the school discussions about humanity and personhood and demons from the beginning.

I felt like Mark was unnecessary. As much as he brought to the plot and triggered certain events, I could just as happily read a story with him left out entirely. I feel like it would have made me like Saffie more.

Finally- the message from the 6th formers at the end really brought the book back around to its grounding in everyday academia despite all that occurred. It was well done.

The Incandescent is described as a sapphic, dark academia that depicts the story of a school teacher trying to teach young magicians and navigate the demonic presence, I saw all of this lacking and a lot of "filler."

Overall, the major points of its advertisement come true, Dr. Walden is the director of a magical boarding school in England, which faces many demonic incursions. Throuhgout the novel, Dr. Walden, and students alike struggle with their magical abilites and their interpersonal relationships with those closest (emotionally and physically) to them.

I am a HUGE fan of dark academia, it is hoenstly one of my favorite subgenres of fantasy novels, however, I felt this one in particular to be lacking the "dark" element. Yes there "evil" magicians, and yes demons were causing incursions throughout the the campus and interfering with students and staff, but the story never felt "dark." The Incandescent always felt hopeful, and I never thought there was any real danger lurking.

In terms of the queer or sapphic depiction on this novel, yes Dr. Walden, our main character, is bisexual and she has relations in the book with both men and women, that is not the whole point of the story (although I'm not sure what is). Just because a story has a non-straight main character, or features relationships between couples of the same sex, I don't believe it is particularly a "queer book" (however, I know some may--and that's okay!).

Overall, the book was okay. It did what it said it would, but nothing stood out. The writing was alright, however I found myself getting bored many times, and the different parts of the book felt like different books, ununified and lacking a clear goal.

Thanks to NetGalley for the Audio ARC!

4.5/5 stars

WOW! This was exactly what I WANTED Deadly Education to be - it was dark and ominous but not whiny or ridiculous. I think part of it was the more mature main characters - I really enjoyed Warden's POV as well as the setting and the plot. And the shift in POV at the end....it took me a second to catch on but it was really well done once my brain caught on. It was just a very well put together dark academia with a mature adult as the lead, which in my experience is not common in this genre.

I highly recommend this for anyone that enjoys dark academia and fantasy!

Thank you to #netgalley and #macmillanaudio for the audio ARC.

When the synopsis for this beauty included sapphic dark academia I was immediately convinced. I’ll start by saying I did enjoy the book, it just felt underdeveloped. It felt like a couple of storylines with some buzzy tropes thrown together. I got to the end and looked to see when the next book would be out only to discover that it was a standalone.
The narration was engaging, easy to follow and understand.

Incandescent is an academic fantasy novel from the perspective of Doctor Walden, director of Magic at The Chetwood School.

This was an enjoyable fantasy story with dark elements such as magic and demon possession.
I enjoyed watching Dr. Walden going about her day and navigating the politics that comes with being a school administrator, while getting insight on the students and other teachers that calls the school home. There is one aspect of the mystery that I was not predictable and I really like how it played out.

There is a sapphic romance subplot that was cute but it was not a large part of the story. I would have like to see that grow on page.

Audio Narration Review: I loved the narrator, I think she brought the characters to life perfectly.

Thank you Macmillan for the ALC. This review is my own opinion.

The Incandescent is a well written, cozyish fantasy set in a magical school that also happens to be a magnet for demons. It has a dry, dark humor, queer relationships, and a healthy dose of private school politics. It reads like The Scholomance series, but from a teacher’s point of view.

The first half of the book felt pretty slow to me, and I think that pacing was intentional. It leans more into atmosphere and a character study than plot at first, which might not work for every reader. That said, the second half really picked up and aligned more with my preferred style of storytelling, more action.

Zara Ramm is meant to narrate Professor/Doctor Walden. She does an excellent job bringing her personality to life.

Thank you, NetGalley and Macmillan Audio, for an early audiobook copy in exchange for this honest review.

The Incandescent By Emily Tesh and Narrated by Zara Ramm - May 2025

The Incandescent was a joyful magical academic story I had the pleasure of reading. I adored the characters Dr. Walden and Laura, our chief of security. This book was really difficult to put down because it was just so captivating to listen to and to read. The writing style was simple, fluid, and straight forward with solid world building (but not too complex). I adored the characters Dr. Walden and Laura. Their individual lives and characters were a pleasure to read and to see their chemistry and relationship develop throughout the story was wonderful! I have not read many books with middle-aged women represented, especially in the realm of dating. Not only that, but also we get to see epic magical fights against demons, intriguing magic systems, and learn the lore of Chetwood academy. I felt the character of Dr. Walden emanated feelings of strength, power, and dedication towards her students which resonated with myself as a reader seeking this kind of representation and strength depicted of women in literature. The Incandescent explores Dr. Walden’s relationship to identity, power, and magic beautifully.

The audiobook format was wonderfully produced with an incredible narrator, Zara Ramm, who delivered these characters magnificently. I felt very close to Dr. Walden and have no doubt this was because of the skill and talent of both the voice acting by Zara Ramm. Her pacing, intonation, and lyrical voice brought the characters, emotions, and world of Chetwood Academy with its magical demons and lore to life.

I would whole-heartedly recommend The Incandescent to avid readers of magical fantasies - especially those looking to fill in a gaps left by the world of Harry Potter and for those seeking representation we do not always get to see on the page. I would happily read more stories by Emily Tesh and Audiobooks voiced by Zara Ramm in future! My gratitude and thanks to the team at NetGalley, Emily Tesh, Zara Ramm, and Macmillan Audio.

#NetGalley #TheIncandescent #MacmillianAudio #FiveStarReview #FantasyBooks #LGBTQBooks #LGBTQIAP+ #SciFI #Fantasy #BookReview

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh is like...what if Hogwarts was a little bit gay, less problematic, and also had competent teachers and staff who actually care about their students. Zara Ramm did an excellent job narrating this story, as well. I enjoyed the magic system and world building and found the book to be a delightful experience.

Who doesn’t love a 40 year old bisexual and bookish main character who is a professor at a magic school??

I was immediately charmed by this book and the feeling of academia you step into, seeing it through the perspective of an instructor advocating for their students.

My only complaint is that I wish everything went deeper. Our primary narrator seems to go about life with a very logically coded mindset and reasons her way through her experiences, past, relationships, role, and management of students. There was such opportunity to really broaden her emotional experiences while being faced with some of the interesting action the book brought to the plot, but instead we would pivot to the next plot point or have a distraction enter the narrators mind.

Some of the details created interest in side characters that we never get to really visit. A student divulges their upbringing and conditioning while also expressing their racial experiences in the school as a Black woman, but ultimately that is a moment we move past quickly instead of allowing a deepening of relationship between the student and her mentor based on this new sense of trust that is hinted.

Otherwise this was incredibly enjoyable and I admire Tesh’s ability to create an immersive world right from the jump.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the ARC!

This was action-packed but still had a lot of heart. The intricacies of how the magic system worked and how demons behaved was interesting. It felt like Naomi Novik's *A Deadly Education* all grown up. It was refreshing to see a well-written bisexual character. I particularly liked Saffy's relationship with her black student, Nikki. How she guided and mentored Nikki was endearing and spoke to the privileges and inequality in academia. The narrator was skillful, but I don't think she was the right pick for Saffy's character. She sounded a little older than Saffy's 38. The story, although somewhat predictable with an abrupt ending, was engrossing and well-developed. Definitely a good readalike for A Deadly Education or V.E. Schwab's books.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for this audio Advanced Reader Copy of the Incandescent.

This was a mistake for me to request. I've gotten about halfway through this book and my tastes have changed from when I requested.

Sorry! I will request better in the future

What a delightful read this was. It was not at all what I was expecting from the story but it surprised me in the best way.

This book is very unique from others in the genre in that it takes the mysterious and magical and turns it into the mundane. This is not a bad thing, it was very refreshing and a nice change of pace.

The pragmatic way Walden approaches both the magical and non magical problems in her life is so charming and fun. Walden as a character was an interesting narrator. I liked having an older, logical, no nonsense (on the outside) FMC. It’s so rare to have older main characters these days.

I loved seeing magic as a well known, normal occurrence for both magical and non magical people in the world instead of it being hidden away and kept secret which many books tend to do.

The world building and magic system were so nicely thought out and developed. Because of that though, I think the plot suffered a little as a result. There were moments, especially in the beginning, where there was so much information dumped. Throughout the story, there were parts that were slower and harder to get through.

Overall though, I had a very fun time with this.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh is a sapphic dark academia fantasy that follows Dr. Sapphire Walden, the Director of Magic at one of England’s most prominent magical boarding schools.

This one is a bit of an oddball to review. The first few hours are info-dumpy as the story sets up the school and a complex magical system. Listening on audio made it harder to follow, and at first, the blurb felt vague and uninformative. Now that I’ve finished, I realize just how fitting it is. Though my review may sound critical, I truly enjoyed this book!

The story takes place over the course of a school year following Dr. Walden, whose dedication to her students and disciplined mind had me picturing a younger Professor McGonagall. The pacing can be inconsistent at times, leaning more toward character driven novel than steady plot progression. However, when the action gets going, it is an enthralling account of magical powers, demons, an ancient school for magic, and layered worlds.

The narration of the audiobook is spot on, the tone of voice and pacing matching what I envisioned a younger Professor MacGonnogal to sound like. The only slight issue I had was her American accent, which really only appeared in one chapter so it did not detract much from my audiobook experience.

I recommend this book to those who enjoy academic fantasy and characters who’d rather logic their way through chaos than feel their feelings.

Thank you Macmillan Audio for providing this book for review consideration via NetGalley. All opinions are my own.

I really enjoyed this story and the narration was excellent, however my biggest issue is that the time skip in which Saffy is possessed is not clear in the audio and added to a lot of confusion.