Reviews - The Incandescent

1.21k reviews for:

The Incandescent

Emily Tesh

4.17 AVERAGE

tjpinel's review against another edition

4.25

adventurous emotional mysterious tense medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Complicated

I had never read anything by Emily Tesh before, but The Incandescent was a fun discovery.

I was quickly swept up in the setting of a magic school that involved managing demons, bureaucracy, and young magicians learning their craft. I loved how precise the magic system is—safety rules, lesson plans, risk assessments—it felt real and grounded.

The academic setting felt authentic and rich. Chetwood School comes alive with teacher meetings, A‑level prep, demon threats, and teenage chaos. That tension between everyday school life and supernatural danger made the world feel lived in and urgent.

Saffy is a deeply complex, flawed character. She’s brilliant at her job, but haunted by past mistakes, juggling personal and professional struggles. I felt for her deeply, she’s not a superhero, just a real person doing her best, and with high expectations of herself.

The story builds slowly at first ... grading papers, planning lessons, but that pacing lets the final act deliver real emotional weight: demons, crises, students in danger, and Walden forced to face the consequences of her decisions.

This book quietly explores privilege and class in the boarding school system too. It touches on how only the wealthy can afford elite education, and how that shapes students’ lives, and the system itself, without ever becoming heavy-handed.

There’s a sapphic romantic subplot too, definitely not the main focus, but it added warmth in the right measure. It’s subtle and grounded in character, not swept up in clichés.

As my first Emily Tesh novel, The Incandescent impressed me with its precision, mood, and character depth. I enjoyed the intricate magic, the realistic academic atmosphere, the layered protagonist, and the emotional build-up toward a satisfying ending.

thems0kitty's review against another edition

3.5

emotional funny hopeful mysterious tense slow-paced

Plot or Character Driven: Character

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

booknerdmags's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous challenging emotional medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: No

veleeciraptor's review against another edition

5.0

adventurous challenging dark funny hopeful inspiring mysterious medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

meganahouse's review against another edition

4.0

I really liked the beginning and the end of this—really, all the parts that Laura was in. I called one of the big plot twists and was pleasantly surprised by the other; ultimately I think I wanted more sapphicism than there ended up being but I’m a dreamer what can I say!!!

bookdevourer2's review against another edition

4.5

adventurous emotional funny hopeful lighthearted relaxing medium-paced

Plot or Character Driven: A mix

Strong character development: Yes

Loveable characters: Yes

Diverse cast of characters: Yes

Flaws of characters a main focus: Yes

jbordjadze's review against another edition

4.0

Pretty freaking good. In typical Emily Tesh style, plotting was totally unpredictable!! The thread on teacher life was very nice, and I liked the themes on adulthood, growing up, self identity.