“Look at you, eating magic like you’re one of us.”

Doctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood School and one of the most powerful magicians in England. Her days consist of meetings, teaching A-Level Invocation to four talented, chaotic sixth formers, more meetings, and securing the school’s boundaries from demonic incursions.

Walden is good at her job—no, Walden is great at her job. But demons are masters of manipulation. It’s her responsibility to keep her school with its six hundred students and centuries-old legacy safe. And it’s possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from—is herself.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh is sharp and brilliant to read, much like the main character, Walden. In the novel, Walden is dangerous but also able to do her job with brilliance. I love the magic boarding school from the teacher’s perspective. In particular, I like how you see how that perspective is used to create an interesting and engaging narrative that slowly brings you in all the while building to an ending with believable consequences. 

I love the character of Saffy Walden. In particular, I like how you see her holding pattern in regards to where she works and her lack of a personal life. But she also is deadly with demons and I love her relationship with Laura, the Marshall, where both struggle to find a way to connect. I also love the way Walden connects with her students, each as distinct and interesting as the main characters. 

If you like urban fantasy set in a world with demon magic and boarding schools, you just might like this novel. I love the queer characters but most of all, I love how the story builds to a beautiful crescendo, progressing in how Walden uses her magic and ultimately leaving her with a realistic ending. It is both beautiful and brilliant, sharp and dangerous all at once.

Rating: 5 out of 5 magical arrays. 

MacMillan Publishing

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