The Incandescent

Reviews

"A searingly brilliant fantasy. This is magical school with teeth."—Tasha Suri, award-winning author of The Jasmine Throne

"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, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

"The Incandescent is the grown-up answer to the magical boarding school tale, a glorious shout of vindication for anyone who has ever worked in education. Every book Emily Tesh writes is a magic trick, and this is no exception. Fantastic in every sense of the word."—Freya Marske, bestselling author of The Last Binding trilogy

"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

"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 labor 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 favorite 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

"A must-read; a magical, sophisticated and razor-sharp story of education and power."—Everina Maxwell, author of Winter's Orbit

"Fans of Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series won’t want to miss this thoughtful exploration of privilege, power, and private school education."—Publisher's Weekly (starred review)

"[A]n intriguing contemporary fantasy."—Library Journal

"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)

Praise for Emily Tesh

"A true story of the woods, of the fae, and of the heart. Deep and green and wonderful."—Naomi Novik on Silver in the Wood

"Surprised me at every turn. . . . This book has earned a permanent place on my favorites shelf."—V. E. Schwab, The Invisible Life of Addie LaRue, on Some Desperate Glory

"Masterful, audacious storytelling. Relentless, unsentimental, a completely wild ride. I had a time."—Tamsyn Muir, New York Times bestselling author of The Locked Tomb series, on Some Desperate Glory

"A profoundly humane and brilliantly constructed space opera that will have you cheering, swearing, laughing, and ugly-crying. It's perfect."—Alix E. Harrow, New York Times bestselling author of Starling House, on Some Desperate Glory