The Incandescent

· Hachette UK
4.5
4 reviews
Ebook
432
Pages
Eligible
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About this ebook

'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:


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

'Genius - easily the best magical school book . . . ever'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

'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'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

'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'
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐

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

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

Ratings and reviews

4.5
4 reviews
Wyan Carter
May 24, 2025
a genuine delight from start to finish. a story with twists and turns, characters full of life and humanity, and expert world building. Only the very best stories delight and entertain while also teaching you something more about yourself.
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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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