The Incandescent by Emily Tesh
I was impressed by the author’s ability to craft an interesting story full of magic, demons and a dash of romance in an intriguing new world.
The Incandescent by Emily Tesh is the YA sapphic dark academia you didn’t know you needed! It blends richly layered fantasy with a dash of enemies-to-lovers romance, all set in a unique and intriguing academic setting. Tesh explores themes of love, loyalty and power in this fun romp into a new fantasy world complete with magic, demons and danger.
A Tale of Magic, Privilege and Power
The novel follows the main protagonist, Dr. Sapphire Walden, or Saffy for short, the Director of Magic at the prestigious Chetwood Academy in England, as she teaches four elite sixth-form (late high school) students in the art of Invocation.
When an incident puts the school at risk, Dr. Walden steps in to stop a full demonic incursion. In doing so, she reveals why she just might be one of the most powerful magicians in the world — and in turn, one of the biggest threats to the school she is meant to safeguard.
As the novel progresses, we learn more about each of the characters, their complicated histories and trauma, and explore the interesting magic and art of Invocation. The Incandescent also takes a detailed look behind the curtain of an elite institution for higher learning, shedding light on issues of privilege, status and the pursuit of power through any means necessary.
Character Growth and Romance
I really enjoyed author Emily Tesh’s writing style. Though it is considered to be dark academia, it is a young adult novel, and thus the tone and writing are lighter than your standard dark academia. This makes it easier to follow the story and more time is spent developing the world-building and character development.
The world itself is one where magic and magic users are not hidden in the shadows, but rather magic is a part of the history of the world and used in a variety of ways to advance modern society.
The characters are well fleshed out, and while the relationships and connections aren’t overly complex, you are able to get a good feel for them, their backstory and motivations, and watch them grow throughout the novel. I particularly enjoyed Saffy as a main character. There is plenty of humor and spunk between the main cast, and I always enjoy that in characters.
The romance between the two main protagonists was full of yearning and lots of humorous romantic situations and banter. In a book that deals with demons and dark magic, it is nice to see how Tesh uses humor to create moments of brevity within the story, helping to make the characters feel more authentic.
Impressive Style and Worldbuilding
The story itself was intriguing, and while it did take me a little while to get into the book — as with a lot of fantasy, the beginning is a lot of setup and day-to-day operations in order to establish the world and characters — once the action started rolling, I was locked in.
The story at times was predictable, but that is not a complaint. I think that is a strength of many YA novels in that they may have similar elements to other novels we have read, but the unique setting and characters help to make the story feel unique and interesting.
Tesh did a great job of balancing the weight of the story with the amount of romance. I often struggle with books that rely on the aspect of romance to carry the story forward, rather than building out a complete and satisfying narrative.
Overall, I enjoyed the novel and, as this was my first book by Emily Tesh, I was impressed by the author’s ability to craft an interesting story full of magic, demons and a dash of romance in an intriguing new world. I would certainly read more books set in this world and read more works from this 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.
Publish Date: 5/13/2025
Genre: Fantasy, Fiction, Romance, Young Adult
Author: Emily Tesh
Page Count: 432 pages
Publisher: Tor Books
ISBN: 9781250835017