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The Incandescent

By Emily Tesh
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3.96 goodreads logo

Ratings/reviews counts are updated frequently.

Check link for latest rating. ( 10,012 ratings, 2,345 reviews)
Brief 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 WeeklyDr Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood School and one... Read More
Format: Paperback / softback
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From the Hugo Award winning and Sunday Times bestselling author of Some Desperate Glory comes a captivating, contemporary, dark academia novel set in a school where the magic involves summoning demons. Perfect for fans of A Deadly Education, Rivers of London and Plain Bad Heroines.

Book Hero Magic formatted this description to make it easier to read. While it's new and still learning, it may not be perfect - your feedback is welcome! 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 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. But it's possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from . . . is herself.

A Deadly Education meets Rivers of London in this captivating contemporary fantasy from Sunday Times bestselling author Emily Tesh, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.

'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 . . . A wholly perfect book'

Olivie Blake, author of The Atlas Six

'The grown-up answer to the magical boarding school tale . . . Fantastic in every sense of the word'

Freya Marske, author of A Marvellous Light

'An absolute flex of a book, empathetic and passionate and deeply thoughtful'

Shelley Parker-Chan, author of She Who Became the Sun

Five-star reader reviews:

'I love this book so much I want to get six copies'

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'Emily Tesh looked into my heart and pulled this book out!! . . . I cannot praise this book highly enough!!!!'

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'I couldn't have set this book down to save my life . . . If you enjoyed A Deadly Education, The Magicians, or any other classic magic school series, you'll love The Incandescent'

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'I loved the whole thing and cannot wait to hug my pre-ordered copy!'

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'This is a magnificent book. A magic boarding school, seen from the teacher's lounge, is already my jam. This exceeded my expectations by a wide margin'

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'An absolute triumph, a breathtakingly beautiful novel that captivates from the very first page . . . Emily Tesh's storytelling is nothing short of magical'

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'This is definitely my favourite read of the year so far, and has solidified Tesh as one of my favourite authors'

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Book Details

INFORMATION

ISBN: 9780356517193

Publisher: Little, Brown Book Group

Format: Paperback / softback

Date Published: 31 March 2026

Country: United Kingdom

Imprint: Orbit

Audience: General / adult

DIMENSIONS

Spine width: 22.0mm

Width: 126.0mm

Height: 198.0mm

Weight: 41g

Pages: 448

Collections

2026 Hugo Awards Best Sellers at Book Hero Emily Tesh Fantasy Fiction General Fiction In Stock Books In-Stock Fiction Books LGBTQ+ New Release Fiction Sci-Fi & Fantasy

About the Author

Emily Tesh is a UK-based author of science fiction and fantasy. Her debut novel, Some Desperate Glory, won the Hugo Award for Best Novel. Tesh is also a winner of the Astounding Award, and the author of the World Fantasy Award-winning Greenhollow duology.

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  • The Incandescent
    'A searingly brilliant fantasy. This is magical school with teeth. Warm-hearted, terrifying and clever . . . an unmissable read' - Tasha Suri, author of The Jasmine Throne A Deadly Education meets Rivers of London in this captivating contemporary fantasy from Sunday Times bestselling author Emily Tesh, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards. Dr. Walden is the Director...
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  • Silver in the Wood
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    Silver in the Wood is "a true story of the woods, of the fae, and of the heart. Deep and green and wonderful." — Naomi Novik There is a Wild Man who lives in the deep quiet of Greenhollow, and he listens to the wood. Tobias, tethered to the forest, does not dwell on his past life, but he lives...
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  • Some Desperate Glory
    WINNER OF THE HUGO AWARD FOR BEST NOVEL SHORTLISTED FOR THE ARTHUR C. CLARKE AWARD SHORTLISTED FOR THE URSULA K. LE GUIN PRIZE SHORTLISTED FOR THE LOCUS AWARD FOR BEST FIRST NOVEL 'An instant classic' Guardian 'An outstanding novel . . . one of the debuts of the year' Locus 'Deserves a space on shelves alongside genre titans like Ursula...
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