The Incandescent

Reviews / Votes

The Incandescent is the grown-up answer to the magical boarding school tale, a glorious shout of vindication for those of us whose necks hurt in the morning now and for anyone who has ever worked in education. But it's also, to put it simply, a really bloody good story. Every book Emily Tesh writes is a magic trick, and this is no exception: with one hand it delights and entertains you, and with the other it's slowly unfolding a set of huge feelings and ideas to illuminate the underside of your mind. Fantastic in every sense of the word -- Freya Marske, author of A MARVELLOUS LIGHT A searingly brilliant fantasy. This is magical school with teeth. Warm-hearted, terrifying and clever, Tesh's examination of magical school through the eyes of an unforgettable - and properly grown up - heroine is an unmissable read -- Tasha Suri, author of THE JASMINE THRONE A must-read; a magical, sophisticated and razor-sharp story of education and power -- Everina Maxwell, author of Winter's Orbit If magical boarding schools existed, they would look very much like this one: volatile cocktails of hormones, demons, and generational wealth, kept afloat solely by the labour and expertise of several very tired grown-ups. If you, like me, are a very tired grown-up, The Incandescent will hit you right in the heart -- Alix E. Harrow, NEW YORK TIMES bestselling author of STARLING HOUSE The Incandescent has immediately become my favourite magic school story: a book filled with teenagers that's for and about grown-ups, in the most compelling and convincing sense possible. The joys of seeing Tesh's protagonist succeed at her job of preventing children from making terrible mistakes are only exceeded by the joys of watching her make even worse mistakes, and I loved every page of it -- Rebecca Fraimow, author of LADY EVE'S LAST CON An absolute flex of a book, empathetic and passionate and deeply thoughtful. Above all, Tesh will make you care: about place, self, and the brave, impulsive, vulnerable, curious, incandescent young lives that are our future. A gorgeous evocation of what it means to have a calling -- Shelley Parker-Chan, author of SHE WHO BECAME THE SUN Emily Tesh captivates me the way few authors can, and she can do it in any genre and any world. The Incandescent is a delight from start to finish - it bewitched me, body and soul. Part competency porn for teachers, part harrowing tale of flirtation with your colleagues, part heartwarming demon infestation. A wholly perfect book -- Olivie Blake, author of THE ATLAS SIX Walden makes for a fascinating and often humorous narrator . . . Fans of Naomi Novik's Scholomance series won't want to miss this thoughtful exploration of privilege, power, and private school education -- PUBLISHERS WEEKLY (starred review) A clever twist on a familiar fantasy story, starring a winning, flawed, undeniably grown-up heroine -- GUARDIAN This is a brilliant novel, one that marries the energy and verve and peril of the best of the fantasy genre with the understated, literary examination of interior and professional lives. It marries the fantastical to the mundane with great deftness and deep appreciation for both. It's been justly praised by others. All I can add is: It took my breath away -- LOCUS Powered by instantly relatable characters, peppered with the witty ironies of adulthood and growing up, and scattered with tangible imagery, magic tattoos, vape imps, and possessed school printers, this stand-alone fantasy will be an instant classic among former fans of Professor McGonagall of Harry Potter fame -- BOOKLIST (starred review) '[A] mature, emotionally complex dark academia fantasy novel . . . A veritable cornucopia of dark delight' -- SHELF AWARENESS If you loved A Deadly Education and The Scholar and the Last Faerie Door, The Incandescent will sear its way into your heart -- BOOKPAGE A book to fall in love with -- DAILY MAIL [A] charming, clever take on the magic-school trope -- ELLE