Take a photo of a barcode or cover
lindsayaries 's review for:
The Incandescent
by Emily Tesh
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
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:
Yes
5 stars, easy.
Why are we not talking about this book more? Thank you, OwlCrate, for putting it in my subscription box because I think otherwise I might have missed out. I adored this from start to finish. The character voice was probably the most impressive achievement but I loved the plot and the setting as well. Sapphire Walden is a really well-done protagonist. She is broad-spectrum relatable and someone you root for and trust. Her flaws (mostly her hubris) are well managed in the story, and feel realistic to the character.
I love that she is 38, that the setting was academic but she is a teacher and not a student. I loved that Chetwood was believable and that this was technically urban fantasy, but also a private boarding school in the UK so it had old-world charm.
The magic system was interesting and satisfying without being overly complex. There are demons. There are magicians. Magicians can evoke which is to borrow power from the demon plane, or they can invoke which is to bring a demon to the mundane world deliberately. The main character is the Director of Magic at Chetwood, but she teaches an advanced upper level Invocation class. She is one of two teachers at the school that does.
Her relationship to the students is so well done and as a 35 year old woman, I really appreciated so much of Sapphire's reflection on all of it. On being young and now being older. On making mistakes and how those mistakes shape your world and your life. On achieving and growing past the point where achievement and growth are in the forefront of your life.
I also really loved her relationship with Marshal Kenning. There were a lot of great dynamics and morals at play in this book. I found myself really thinking about it as if it were all plausible. What really are the moral implications of deliberately summoning demons? Child born with magical affinity have the ability to do so, so if they aren't taught it then how will that power ever be controlled? It was all really really well done.
Finally, the main plot of this story is a bit of a spoiler so I won't speak on it other than I was absolutely RAPT through the second half of the book. I found that I could not stop. I had to keep reading. I had to know. This book was captivating in a way I haven't been captivated in a little while.
Read it. Read this book. It is a wonderful read and it is worth your time.
Why are we not talking about this book more? Thank you, OwlCrate, for putting it in my subscription box because I think otherwise I might have missed out. I adored this from start to finish. The character voice was probably the most impressive achievement but I loved the plot and the setting as well. Sapphire Walden is a really well-done protagonist. She is broad-spectrum relatable and someone you root for and trust. Her flaws (mostly her hubris) are well managed in the story, and feel realistic to the character.
I love that she is 38, that the setting was academic but she is a teacher and not a student. I loved that Chetwood was believable and that this was technically urban fantasy, but also a private boarding school in the UK so it had old-world charm.
The magic system was interesting and satisfying without being overly complex. There are demons. There are magicians. Magicians can evoke which is to borrow power from the demon plane, or they can invoke which is to bring a demon to the mundane world deliberately. The main character is the Director of Magic at Chetwood, but she teaches an advanced upper level Invocation class. She is one of two teachers at the school that does.
Her relationship to the students is so well done and as a 35 year old woman, I really appreciated so much of Sapphire's reflection on all of it. On being young and now being older. On making mistakes and how those mistakes shape your world and your life. On achieving and growing past the point where achievement and growth are in the forefront of your life.
I also really loved her relationship with Marshal Kenning. There were a lot of great dynamics and morals at play in this book. I found myself really thinking about it as if it were all plausible. What really are the moral implications of deliberately summoning demons? Child born with magical affinity have the ability to do so, so if they aren't taught it then how will that power ever be controlled? It was all really really well done.
Finally, the main plot of this story is a bit of a spoiler so I won't speak on it other than I was absolutely RAPT through the second half of the book. I found that I could not stop. I had to keep reading. I had to know. This book was captivating in a way I haven't been captivated in a little while.
Read it. Read this book. It is a wonderful read and it is worth your time.