I rejoiced when I saw that Emily Tesh was writing fantasy again; I loved the Greenhollow duology but was unable to even finish Some Desperate Glory. The way Tesh writes about magic's existence in the world, in nature, is just so lush and perfectly marries the fantastical and the mundane. This is even more true in The Incandescent, which takes place in modern day England. Dr. Sapphire "Sapphy" Walden was just as interesting and memorable as Silver or Tobias as a POV despite having very little personality overlap with either of them; the academic setting of Chetwood School was marvelous, and being in the shoes of a faculty member was a refreshing change compared to all of the dark academia books featuring a student protagonist.

While I think the average reader will not be surprised by the primary conflict (nor the primary cause of it), the way Tesh wrote the final act still caught me off guard in the best way. I was DELIGHTED when I realized what was happening, even though I had known it was going there all along. I was grinning listening to the narrator, Zara Ramm, use such a lovely and subtle vocal shift to add that extra layer to the storytelling. That aside, some may find the narrative jarring with its constant jumping around and time skipping; I did not mind it, as it perfectly captures the experience of the somehow simultaneous chaos and cyclical order of a school, but the narrative definitely skims over plenty of time passing in that way that we can look up one day and go "WOW this month flew by" while mentally listing all the things you had planned to take care of and didn't get to yet. Adulthood. This narrative style captures adulthood so well haha.

A definitive 5 stars, and probably making my best of 2025 list!

Read Completed 5/7/25 | 3.5 stars | Book #66 of 2025

I really hoped to love this, but it was just okay! I loved the concept, the setting was good, the characters were good, but things never really got past "good" for me to really start picking up. I was a little confused at the plot or the main motivation or purpose of the book. Is is a romance? Is there a big plot to pay attention to? Is it just a slice of life for Saffy? It was definitely a slower-paced story, which I don't mind, but it felt like it was supposed to be more character-driven, but I didn't get enough from Saffy personality-wise to really engaged me. Work is her whole life, which also isn't a bad thing in this case -- I enjoyed seeing her life as a teacher at a magic school -- but the emotion really wasn't there and I feel like I didn't get to know her enough.

This was marketed, in part, as a romance so I was expecting that part to pick up, but it kind of meandered around, coming in and out of importance. It really wasn't the whole driving force behind the book and I really wouldn't call it "a romance", more so that it had a romantic plot line in it.

There were definitely elements of the plot that had been established since the beginning, but I sometimes wasn't sure what was going to be important and which of the plot lines was going to carry us through to the end. I liked the teacher aspect and I really liked getting to know Saffy's students. I would have almost loved some other POVs, especially a student, popping in and out to get some different pacing and tone.

The concept of magic existing to fight demons was interesting, but I just wanted to geek out more with the rules, the world-building, etc. I did like the lessons we got to see and I wanted to spend a bit more time in all of that.

Maybe this pacing / plotting just wasn't meant for someone with my particular reading tastes? I don't know why, I just had different expectations from the cover. There were some more intense action scenes, but overall, it was pretty quiet. We spend a lot of time with Saffy and her role as a teacher, which again, great, but it just wasn't ENOUGH to really have me feel so invested.

If this was a series, I'd absolutely pick up the second book. I loved the bones of it and did like everything that was happening but it just felt a little... underwhelming.

AUDIOBOOK THOUGHTS: Zara Ramm was the audiobook narrator for this book and this was the first I've listened to her. I did enjoy her narration for the most part! I thought her performance was very fitting for the book and she did really well with the different voices. Her American accent wasn't great, but that's not a big part of the book so that wasn't a huge deal. I would listen to her narrate something else!

If you liked the Scholomance series by Naomi Novik, you will love this series! The Incandescent takes place in a magical school where we follow one of the professors, Dr. Sapphire Walden, through a school year. Small demons popping up around the school is run of the mill and are easy for Walden to get rid of but when some students decide to test their burgeoning skills on Old Faithful, a big time demon, it sets off a chain reaction in Walden's life.

Emily Tesh became one of my favorite authors with this book! I'd read her Greenhollow duology and fell in love with her story telling style and The Incandescent cemented her place in my all time faves. Her wit is so fun and fresh! And Zara Ramm did an amazing job narrating the book!

Thank you to NetGalley and Macmillan Audio for this audiobook in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

A stunning and unique magic school narrative. I don’t have all my thoughts together quite yet, other than to say it’s yet another 5 star read from Emily Tesh. Every laurel she gets for this one will be deserved.

Audiobook narrator killed it. Dry, witty, perfect voice for the POV character. I loved every second.

Dr. Sapphire (Saffy) Walden, the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy, is an expert at invocation (summoning demons). In her job at Chetwood, she teaches A-level invocation and maintains the school's magical security system that keeps demonic incursions at bay. But following a major incursion caused by several of her students, Dr. Walden has to work with an arrogant contractor to shore up the school's defenses.

I really enjoyed this one! I loved that this felt fast-paced with some dangerous events (hello demonic incursions) while also exploring the academic structure and setting.

The characters were well-developed, and getting to see Dr. Walden's genuine interest and concern for her students was a joy. Tesh spends quite a bit of time talking about invocation, the demonic plane, and possession by demons, which I thought gave the story and worldbuilding a lot of depth.

Unfortunately, the romantic aspect of the book seemed weirdly out of place. The fact that Dr. Walden is bisexual comes up multiple times, and she considers pursuing a relationship with the Chief Marshall, Laura Kenning, but most of the time they're just awkward around each other, and the sexual tension between them never really amounts to anything. Then Mark comes along, and they take up a sex-only relationship that might be more to Mark's benefit than Saffy's. Although I don't need romance in a book to make it good, the romance here felt like Tesh couldn't commit to either putting it in or leaving it out.

I also spent a chapter toward the end of the book feeling slightly confused when the POV suddenly switched from Dr. Walden to The Phoenix, although The Phoenix spoke in second person. Luckily this only lasted for a few chapters.

I listened to this one on audio, narrated by Zara Ramm. Since the book takes place in England, I think it really benefitted the audiobook to have a British narrator. She did a wonderful job creating voices for each of the unique characters, although her portrayal of Saffy's American ex did feel a bit forced.

Read if you like:
Queer rep
Summoning demons
Dark academia
Late 30s FMC
Semi Dual-POV

Usually I take notes while reading, just whatever my thoughts are or things I’ve found funny, but by the time I was 83% in, I realized all I had written down was, “writing a book set post pandemic is always a brave choice.” And there’s something about that that works for this book. It feels grounded in a way that fantasy books often don’t, so you’d have to work pretty hard to get lost in the world building - because there isn’t all that much that is different from the one we currently live in. Not my favorite book of the year, but definitely an enjoyable mindless fantasy romp. I did like how the ending swung around though.

Part fantasy dark(ish) academia, part love song to teaching, fully enjoyable all the way through. The Incandescent follows the Dr. Walden (Saffy) the Director of Magic at an elite magical boarding school in England. Tragedy in Walden's past drives her to be the best magician possible to protect and teach her young charges. But as usual, all magic comes at a cost. Having the great magical power may help her protect her school from demons or that could all backfire spectacularly. As sometimes focusing too much on one aspect of our lives leaves us vulnerable in other areas.

The best part of this story, aside from a truly engaging plot, is watching Saffy's growth as a character. Understanding what motivates her and what she feels beholden to. Watching her personal relationships mirror her inner demons (metaphorically speaking). Looking back at it, I'm surprised how interesting I found the teaching bits. But I genuinely think they don't slow the book down, rather they add something extra and further develop Walden's character.

I think Emily Tesh might be an auto buy author for me at this point. I was hugely impressed with Some Desperate Glory and I absolutely devoured this book. I both listened to the audio book and read this book electronically. The narrator was absolutely fantastic. (It's probably worth mentioning that I'm very picky about audio book narrators.)

4.5 stars*

A magical school story that centers around the adults? This was a great concept! I really enjoyed getting to see this kind of setting from the teachers point of view and it’s always nice to have characters that are over thirty.

I thought that the relationship could have had a little more build up in the beginning of the book, and gone a little deeper into what a relationship between a magic teacher and a magic cop would have potentially struggled with. I would have liked the book to be longer in general with a little more of the world fleshed out. But this was definitely well worth the read and a really unique perspective in the genre.

The audio was well done. Clear and easy to listen to. I thought it was also a really nice pace as someone who needs to speed up audiobooks to be able to focus.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an ALC of this work. All opinions in this review are my own.

Thank you to NetGalley and Tor for this advanced listener copy!

This was SO GOOOOOOD 😍😍

Sapphic hogwarts meets super natural! That’s what I’m gonna call it.
Absolute 6 star read.
I loved the urban fantasy academia world Emily created here!
Excellent diverse representation in characters.
Mature tone to this book was perfect for me.
Dr Sapphire Walden, 38, is the director of Magic at Chetwood Academy, a prestigious magical boarding school in England. Her job is to keep everything running smoothly, including the looming threat of demon possession around every corner, and the threat of the ancient XXL demon that's been lurking in the shadows of the school for decades, electronic devices being possessed by lesser demons, high school drama, and teaching students invocation(summoning demons for magical purposes) keeps Saffy busy and she hasn't had a romantic interest in years. Enter her rival, hot butch Chief Marshall Laura Kenning(basically demon police), resident Marshall at Chetwood, who is uber swoon worthy in my humble opinion. The romance subplot does not at all detract from the fantastic plot at work here. This one blew me away. The character development is perfection & I love the writing style so much!
Looking forward to reading Emily's other works.

Narration by Zara Ramm was FANTASTIC and perfectly fit the book. Her voice IS Saffy, couldn't have been cast better.

TALK ABOUT A MASTERPIECE! The Incandescent was as good, if not better than I could have hoped for. It follows a head of a magical school with an expertise in demons. Throughout the story, we understand her complicated past, powerful magic, and dedication to her students. This is perfect for anyone who loved The Magicians or A Deadly Education. It reads like a dark academia television series!

This might take worst book of the year for me. Or biggest disappointment. Started of really really good, the comparison to Naomi Novak was spot on, however after the first conflicted happened the book turned so bad. Basically a 40 year old woman questioning every choice in her life while then deciding to hook up with a colleague who clearly is up to no good. There was no good second act conflict especially after how cool and wild the first one was and the end was a major let down and disappointment after a terrible second half.

Other than a bad American accent I did really enjoy the narrator!

I couldn't tell you what the plot of this book is beyond an administrator's POV of a magical school and her run-in with demons. It gives you an alternative take on academia from the teacher/staff perspective, which is always refreshing. There is some good banter from the MC. Unfortunately, I was pretty bored the whole time.

This was really cool. I loved this was set in the school but didn't follow students. Its rare to see a dark academic book that follows teachers. The magic system was also really interesting.

Many thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the preview. All opinions are my own.

4.5 stars

This is for everyone who reads a magical school book and wonders wtf the teachers were doing.

This boarding school is a bit less dangerous than The Scholomance, but otherwise similar. Saffy is the competent and overworked head of the school, constantly working to keep the wards in good order and teach and guide her students and faculty. I loved her no-nonsense attitude. While I was suspicious of a certain character from their introduction, the path we took at the end still surprised me, in a really great way.

This book also dives into some fantastic discussions on privilege, inherent bias, systemic prejudice, survivor’s guilt, the impact of teachers, and more. I really loved that it wasn’t just a “magic book.” The end was really fitting. There are consequences in the real world, but there is also hope and healing.

There’s a tiny bit of romance too.

Highly recommend, especially for those who love magic while also thinking “I’m too old for this 💩”.

This book was fun. It’s a dark academia set in a magic school, but instead of following the students like we’re used to, we’re following the teachers.

If you ever wondered what Harry Potter would be like from the perspective of a professor like Hagrid or Dumbledor (sorry if I spelled his name wrong), then this is absolutely the perfect book for you.

The narrator was awesome for the audio. Her voice was perfect. She made me feel like I was really with our lovely main character. She sounded so sweet and sincere and serious.

I’d recommend this to anyone who likes books with magical schools involved.

Thank you very much to Macmillan Audio for an ALC. All opinions are my own and are in no way influenced by the manner in which I received it.

I enjoyed this magical, dark academia novel, it sure started out strong but lost my interest about half way through and then picked back up. This is the first novel I read by this author, I will be sure to check out other works by this author. If you are in education and enjoy fantasy I would give this a try. Thank you to the publisher and NetGalley for an opportunity to listen. The narrator did an amazing job.

The Incandescent is a new take on dark academia and I am here for it. Overall I really enjoyed this one. We meet Dr. Walden, badass, Director of Magic at Chetwood school where demons and magic are not in short supply. I loved this take on how a school is running from a professor's perspective, it added new depth to a story type I already love! 

Dr. Walden is the professor in the background trying to make sure the school runs efficiently and safely for its students. She cares deeply for her students as individuals and is quite snarky herself. She has to unwind a bunch of trouble after the accidental unleashing of a demon and all the consequences. You have fun banter, strong students, caring professors, and an old school.  

Further, the audio narrator brings Dr. Walden to life in such a fun way, without spoiling it, she makes it clear what voice is Dr. Waldens. It was such a unique experience. I would definitely recommend you read!  Thank you to the publisher for providing an ALC via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

The overworked and often underappreciated Dr. Walden spoke to me in ways the average MC doesn’t. She spoke directly to my elder-millennial teacher heart. This was really a unique perspective. So often the MCs would have been the students at Chetwood. Don’t get me wrong, I would have loved that too but this was so enjoyable and original. It was fast-paced and action packed. The fight scenes were well done and not at the expense of the relationships or character building. Definitely a top read (or listen) of 2025!

Thanks to NetGalley and Macmillian Audio for the ALC!

4.5⭐ rounded up
Dr. Sapphire "Sapphie" Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood School, a private school in the UK. Her job includes a lot of things: classes, meetings, securing the schools boundaries; she doesn't have time or make time for much else.

How to describe this queer fantasy novel? I haven't yet read the books it's compared to, but imagine a magic school story from the perspective of a upper 30s aged administrator, talented enough to be recognized and offered a job for the U.S. government (that she declined). It's a bit slice of life, and maybe a bit cozy fantasy with some significant points of action.

Thank you to Macmillan Audio for an advanced listening copy on NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own. This book will be published on 5/13/25. I'll be posting to Instagram soon.

Unfortunately, this book was not for me. I think it had a good storyline overall but a lot of it felt repetitive and a parts could have been cut out or that the pacing could have been handled differently. I enjoyed seeing the character growth was the main character came to terms with what happened in her childhood.