4.5 Stars?

I listened to the aARC and really enjoyed the narrator - I'm a sucker for a great accent! While some of the concepts are considered "dark academia", the cheery narrator didn't give off the "dark" vibe, even when battling demons. If you are looking for DARK, I don't know that physically reading would provide a different experience.

This was heavily focused on a teacher's perspective, honestly, with so many tips for managing student situations, it would probably be rather helpful for anyone working in a school setting.

I really enjoyed this kind of spellwork - if you were a fan of Sorcery and Small Magics, I think you would enjoy this too, just a teacher's POC vs student. I enjoyed the internal monologue, Doctor Walden is a relatable and lovable character who is dedicated to a fault, but doesn't see what is right in front of (and on) her.

This was close to being a full five-star read, but the pacing felt off - the beginning had a lot of action, then it kinda fizzled out until the very end instead of a large buildup.

A few things you will find:
🐦‍🔥 Bisexual 38-year-old FMC
🐦‍🔥 Magical academia
🐦‍🔥 Teaching 101
🐦‍🔥 Animal/demon tattoo "companion"

Thank you, NetGalley, for the aARC!

I loved this book. A dark academia book from the perspective of an elder millennial teacher/administrator trying to protect her students from demons and ghosts. I thought that this was witty and well written. I love the concept of telling this story about a magical school in the current age where demons are attracted to technology; mainly cell phones. I'm not sure that I enjoyed how the romance was tackled, but all in all, a great read that I will be recommending. I listed to the adio and loved the narration.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor Books for the advance listening copy in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts are my own.

A magical school where the story is told from the perspective of the teacher, not the students. And the teacher is a queer, late thirties woman who loves her job and wants to protect these students with her life! Sign me up!

This book was a refreshing take on magical academia. Tesh really allows the reader to sit in the classrooms and listen to lectures where they debate magical theory, ethics, and philosophy. It was quite thrilling to think about the idea of consent when it comes to summoning demons, whether for good or for evil. And whether or not that even matters? Especially since demons do not seem to operate under any sort of ethical code, as they gain their power by feasting on and consuming children.

We love a reminder that you can still have multiple crushes, even as an adult!* The scrappy banter was a perfect cocktail of Emily Wilde's Encyclopedia of Faeries mixed with the sapphic yearning of Plain Bad Heroins.
*“And it turned out, you didn’t grow out of fireworks, you didn’t grow out of shivers. You didn’t get too old for sexy to be sexy. Certainly not when you were only 38!”

I had a great time with the book! The narration was stunning and allowed the characters to flourish!

Thank you the NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review.

Audio review: The narrator is lovely to listen to.

Review: I have sat on this for a moment. I tried to read this book several times and I enjoyed the start of it. However, it quickly fell off and I just wasn't enjoying the story. That's not to say that had I been in a different mood, or at a different time may have enjoyed it. Though I did try to wait it out and see. I think the main problem I had was that I was just bored. If you are more of a cozy fantasy reader then you will love this. Cozy fantasy just isn't usually my jam I've learned. So I'm writing this review now, so that the cozy fantasy readers will see it and pick it up!

i was unfortunately unable to listen to this by pub date due to a busy schedule/endless tbr, but i heard sapphic fantasy and came running so if that sounds like it’s for you i highly recommend!!

Thank you to @macmillan.audio for providing me an early copy of this audiobook. All opinions are my own.

You know when you’re reading an Academia book, and you wonder, “Where are all the grown-ups? They’re just going to let these kids fight all these monsters??” (It’s not just me is it? 😂) Well wonder no more, because here she is, the grown-up finally up to the task!

Not sure I’ve read a book from a “teacher’s” perspective…(unless it was a taboo romance…👀), but I really liked the take on it here.

The story kind of takes you through a whole school year, laying out the day to day life of our main character, Walden, including teaching, grading, interacting with students and other faculty, dating, and the occasional fighting of demons. And I enjoyed tagging along.

The magic system was pretty cool, and definitely different than I’ve seen before. And I really enjoyed the action sequences as they popped up.

Overall, I enjoyed my time with this one, and think fans of Dark Academia would enjoy it too.

Audiobook notes: Love Zara Ramm! She narrates a series I love, 𝘛𝘩𝘦 𝘊𝘩𝘳𝘰𝘯𝘪𝘤𝘭𝘦𝘴 𝘰𝘧 𝘚𝘵. 𝘔𝘢𝘳𝘺'𝘴, so maybe that’s why I was getting vibes of that series, but she definitely has a great “teacher” voice? 😜

What this book is giving:
✅ Dark Academia Fantasy
✅ Single POV
✅ Demons and Magic
✅ Teacher
✅ MC in her 30’s
✅ Standalone

Rating:
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 5

Thank you netgalley for the advance audio copy!

I had some high expectations for this book that I didn’t realize existed until they weren’t quite being met. I really loved the first 1/4 of the book, I had a lot of fun getting to see how this magical school functioned and getting to know Walden as a character. There is clearly a deep love for education here, and there was a lot of nuance about the difficulties and limitations of teaching that were effortlessly executed.

However, towards the half way mark it seemed evident that the major thing this book has going for it was the interesting world building. I kept waiting for something to happen and found myself rather underwhelmed.

I very much enjoy Tesh’s prose and overall style, so I’d be willing to give their other book a shot but I’m sad that this wasn’t more of an instant new fave for me. I think this is one of those “you gotta just love the vibe” books and it just wasn’t enough for me.

The narrator was an excellent choice and created the perfect voice for Walden. She delivered the characters poise and wit effortlessly and made listening a dream.

I adored Emily Tesh's first novel, SOME DESPERATE GLORY, so I was VERY excited that this audiobook was among the options for a recent Macmillan Audio program survey. Happy to say I enjoyed this as well! It wasn't quite as… intense? ruthless? as SDG, which was a tiny bummer, but I still fell totally in love with Walden as a main character. Her voice was so strong and confident and enjoyable to read. I found the "dark academia from a teachers POV" premise was executed well and felt refreshing. A nice pairing with my last read, if you will. I think folks who are drawn to this genre and looking for a twist on the classic formula will enjoy this!

This story was the perfect accompaniment for the stormy spring we have been having. Incandescent follows Dr. Sapphire Walden, the director of magic at a prestigious academy for students who are magically inclined.

I thoroughly enjoyed diving into this world and learning all of it's intricacies. I don't want to say more so I don't give away too much of the story! Just read it!

I listened to the audiobook version of this book. I found the narrator to have a great pace and diction. Her accent brought the story even more alive for me, but didn't get in the way of my listening.

Thank you to Emily Tesh, Macmillan Audio, and NetGalley for the ARC!

Actual rating: 4.25 stars

Have I ever talked about how I love fantasy novels with an older protagonist? Because I LOOOVVEEE fantasy novels with an older protagonist. Not that Dr Walden is all that old but even mid-thirties protagonists are unfortunately scarce.
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Dr Walden is a fascinating character to follow, a professor in her mid thirties, struggling with the realities of working for a posh boarding school, alongside the inclusion of magic, demons, and students doing things they DEFINITELY shouldn’t be doing, while also being a great version of a disaster bisexual. The way this book slowly unfolds has you clicking together the puzzle pieces bit by bit until it all comes to a crashing conclusion and you’re so not ready to leave these characters behind.
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Some Desperate Glory was one of my favourite books of last year, and while The Incandescent doesn’t have the same massive gut punch that Some Desperate Glory delivered, I think its tone matches its execution perfectly.
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While Walden does have multiple love interests (which I enjoyed seeing), the ending of the non relationship was predictable enough to flatten some of the intensity of the ending which disappointed me a little bit, but besides the storyline of the one relationship, I think Tesh executes a brilliant and solid story.
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The audiobook narration by Zara Ramm was also excellently done and I genuinely listened to her narration for hours on end without tiring. I would definitely recommend trying this story out through audiobook!
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The Incandescent has solidified my need to go through Tesh’s entire backlist and I’m so ready.
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*I received an audio ARC from Macmillan Audio & NetGalley. All opinions are my own*
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Hisses & Kisses 🐍

The Incandescent is one of my favorite books I've read so far this year and anyone who loves a fantasy set in a school needs to pick this up. We follow Doctor Sapphire (Sapphy) Walden, the Director of Magic at Chetwood School. In this world, we're in the modern day (there are references to cell phones and Nintendo Switches), but magic has been a part of our world the whole time and there are fancy boarding schools responsible for teaching young ones with the knack.

This book felt like a love letter to teachers - I don't want to give too much away, but when Doctor Walden was explaining how teaching works to the Phoenix, it just really clicked with me and how it’s very easy to know more than a teenager but trying to get them where you want them to be is the trick.

The Sapphy/Laura dynamic was a favorite of mine, too - Laura is the head of the Marshalls at Chetwood, who is tasked with ensuring demonic incursions stay at bay. Speaking of incursions...I love love, loved that there are risk assessments for experiments in line with my scientist heart. I had similar warm fuzzies for the debate about personhood of Demons in that it reminded me of the debate aroud viruses.

Read this book if you want to watch a chaotic bisexual PhD-doctor be an amazing teacher and also experience some hubris. The magic system in The Incandescent is fantastic and you get the push/pull of people who are classically trained versus those who figure it out on their own. I really can't say enough great things about the book, even though I feel like I'm just giving random snippets, the whole is so much more than the sum of its parts.

I had the distinct pleasure of getting to listen to this as an audiobook and loved Zara Ramm's narration. She really personified Sapphy Walden for me and I could listen to her narrate all day.

Thank you so much to Macmillan Audio and to NetGalley for the advanced copy.

3.5 ⭐️ rated up.
Personally, I wouldn’t consider this a dark academia. Magic school doesn’t = dark academia. I did enjoy it being from the teachers point of view. That’s what peaked my interest for wanting to read this book. I did enjoy the concept of it, though. I felt like it needed a little more. The minimal romance in here didn’t really add anything to the book, it felt almost like an afterthought. The actual school settings, invocation class, and demons is ultimately what kept my attention.

Set in a magical school we follow Walden, Walden is not a student, she’s the 38 year old director of magic. We follow her life as a top-notch teacher, securing the school from demons & a falling into a romance.

The setting is almost exclusively at the school, it’s heavy academic. Personally I’m not always the biggest fan of academic books but I absolutely loved this. Carried by the delightful Walden.

The character work is what stands out for me, the characters each have distinct personalities, they’re quirky, and are filled with humour.
Throughout the book I had a strange feeling that I knew Walden from my school years and felt like I was being privy into the life of someone I knew 😳, that’s to say that it felt like having someone familiar tell you their story and you’re admiring everything about them.

I enjoyed the plot, it had some low moments where i wasn’t as interested, though it also had plenty of great moments.
Dark plot at times, demon attacks, possession, and threats.
Lots of small funny moments throughout, possessed printer, girls summoning a demon to inhale smoke so they can sneakily vape, and a possessed bus.

I really appreciate reading about real adult characters. The book overall has a somewhat cozy vibe to it, though i wouldn’t count it as a cozy read as there are high stakes.

Narrator:
I loved the audiobook for this, the narrator has the perfect voice and brought so much of Waldens personality to life. She kept me hooked and invested into the story, and portrayed a fun, almost cozy British vibe.
4 ⭐

I love getting fantasy dark academia from the viewpoint of a teacher closer to my age than to our typical 20-something-year-old “hero.” I was immersed into this world that feels as if the present day had magic and our usual universities taught it. I resonated so much with Dr. Walden and the struggles of balancing teaching and real-life.

At the same time, the magic and fighting back demonic incursions from demons that are attracted to technology was such a fun plotline. I would love to see more from this world, but alas this was a standalone.

I had a blast reading and listening to this. The narration was perfect to get truly immersed into the storytelling and fall in love with the characters, the love story and Dr. Walden’s fight to keep the students from accidentally killing themselves and those around them.

4.5 stars

Thank you to @torbooks for the eARC and @macmillan.audio for the ALC. All thoughts are my own.

First off: this is /not/ dark academia. This is a boarding school that teaches magic alongside regular subjects, from the perspective of a director-level teacher in her 30s. Most of the book is concerned with making sure the students pass their exams and the school continues to run smoothly. In that way, it's rather nice to see magic so integrated with society that it feels more like a niche subject that someone /could/ study but has very few long-term viable career paths (especially ones that allow you to keep things like morals in consideration when weighing jobs), so most people have an understanding of how magic affects their everyday lives, but no practical ability. It's that mundanity that gives the world and this book its charm.

The vague dips into a bigger plot are.....not great. While the Old Faithful bits are plausible, the fact that they're more set up for the rest of any further plot make you expect more from said plot than we get. Literally what was even the goal of anyone - you can't give a "oh shadowy organization with their own aims" explanation and not...give an explanation when it's supposed to be one of the climactic plot points.

I'm also not sure how I feel about all of the attempts to address privilege and how it relates to academia and learning and in particular the British schooling system and opportunities. It feels very "I'm writing a book about schools and I know this inequality is here and I have to address it, but I don't know how, so I'm just going to say it exists and hope that acknowledgement is enough". There's a lot of "oh, this system is unfair, but it's a long-standing system, we can't change it overnight" which might be true, but especially in a world with magic and demons, you would hope for a little more than acknowledgement and lip service and a little more working to shift the needle. Especially at almost 40 and a director at the school.

I did enjoy the narration a lot - Zara Ramm does a great job of conveying Walden's narrative and her love of being and exasperation at teaching. And really that's what this is - a love letter to teaching and learning and to a lesser extent, to the institutions dedicated to those pursuits.

The Incandescent is a captivating dark academia fantasy that offers a refreshing twist on the magical academy trope. Set in the prestigious Chetwood Academy, the story follows Dr. Walden, the Director of Magic, as she navigates the chaos of teaching, administration, and safeguarding her students from demonic threats.

What sets The Incandescent apart is its focus on adulthood and responsibility, rather than the more common coming-of-age tropes. Walden, an academic and a survivor of past magical trauma, is a deeply relatable and grounded protagonist. Her struggles with bureaucracy, student welfare, and her own inner demons will be sure to resonate with anyone who’s ever worked in education or navigated institutional resistance to change. Rather than centring the experience of the students, the novel casts its gaze on the educator’s burden, adding a refreshing layer of complexity to the narrative.

This book has emotional depth that is combined with dry humour to keep the story from ever feeling too heavy, even when tackling serious themes like grief, burnout, and the ethics of power. The novel is also queer, weaving LGBTQ+ identities into its characters and world without fanfare, creating a more inclusive and realistic magical landscape.

I had a fantastic time listening to this audiobook and would definitely recommend it to my followers.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio and Netgalley for this audioARC to review.

I really enjoyed the novel, I think that it is a refreshing take on a boarding school style book. Where instead of being focused on the kids we get their teacher. I think that that choice made me love the Sapphire so much more because we are able to root for her throughout the novel from when she is banishing a terrifying demon to when she decides not to cover her tattoos, seeing her as a whole person rather than just the educator, as often happens in this genre was wildly refreshing.

The Narrator also was stunning, I loved how she kept me immersed in the novel, I felt as though she really embodied the character. The only time that took me out was when an American character showed up and she vaguely did the accent, but it was more funny than bad.

Emily Tesh's The Incandescent was the perfect book to get me out of my reading slump. Atmospheric, with gorgeous prose, it tells the story of Chetwood Academy, where Doctor Walden finds herself tasked with schooling future magicians. Set in our world, but with magic, The Incandescent is a modern dark academia with millennial vibes and an incredible engaging fight against demons.

I loved the audio production and would highly recommend that version.

It really is like reading The Scholomance series from a teacher's POV (if there were teachers). This is dark academia done right. It was engaging from the start. I thought I knew who the big bad was going to be, then was pleasantly surprised to find it all come back around.

This book was a little difficult to rate. At least, more difficult than usual for me. I LOVED having a woman in her mid/late thirties as the main character! I cannot stress this enough. Outside of the fight/battle scenes, the book is quite (intentionally) mundane. I really liked this perspective on the magical boarding school plot. It was refreshing and intriguing. I don’t think I need to dig into the themes here because they were very obvious while reading. Not a bad thing by any means.

I felt the book is character-driven but I felt like Phoenix and Laura were criminally underdeveloped. The love-interest plot line gave me a bit of whip-lash. Not quite frenemies but definitely not friends. Coworkers but they don't agree with one another and harbor some judgment... to instalove?! Weighing pros and cons of long-distance relationship before even going on a single date? I don't think so. I felt cheated here. This is advertised as sapphic but the WLW relationship never goes anywhere. We do see quite a bit of the hetero relationship later which is also a big ick.
Sorry to say, the villain was obvious and also underdeveloped. What was the motivation of the villain? If that didn’t matter and it was the rest of Dr. Walden’s life, then why were those plot lines also so surface level?

The book also felt like it was two separate stories and that break/change did not flow well..

Aside from her American accent, the audiobook narrator did a really wonderful job!