Why read The Incandescent?

Book cover of The Incandescent

Book description

'A searingly brilliant fantasy. This is magical school with teeth . . . an unmissable read' Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne

'Fans of Naomi Novik's Scholomance series won't want to miss this' Publishers Weekly

Dr Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood School and one of the…

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Why read it?

3 authors picked The Incandescent as one of their favorite books. Why do they recommend it?

Alex Myers

Author

I love fantasy, and I love when fantasy meshes with reality in a way that comments on the real world through the fantasy. Emily Tesh nails that.

I also loved how evident it was that Tesh had worked at schools and made some of the drudgery of faculty meetings and admin work sparkle with humor in her novel. The characters are deeply and believably flawed.

From Alex's list on Alex Myers' favorite dark academy books from a 25-year veteran of prep school teaching.

Brandon Crilly

Author

As a long-time high school teacher I felt attacked by this book - affectionately. Also as someone who wears too many hats and is maybe a workaholic when it comes to what I love. Everything that Tesh explores from Saffy's perspective perfectly captures what it's like to be an educator in the 2020s, and that's only the tip of the iceberg on an absolutely incredible book. It's been a long time since I read something I wish I wrote, but The Incandescent is one of those stories.

From Brandon's 3 favorite reads in 2025.

Caitlin Rozakis

Author

Magic school from the professor's perspective - it's an exciting shift in perspective. Tesh goes beyond a solid hook, though, with intricate character work and some stunning revelations to surprise the reader.

From Caitlin's 3 favorite reads in 2025.