LIMITED TIME OFFER. Get 3 months for $0.99 a month. Get this deal.
The Incandescent cover art

The Incandescent

Preview
Get this deal Try for $0.00
Offer ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.
Amazon Prime member exclusive: get any 2 titles with your free trial. Terms apply.
Just $0.99/mo for your first 3 months of Audible.
1 audiobook per month of your choice from our unparalleled catalog.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, podcasts, and Originals.
Auto-renews at $14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo + applicable taxes after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

The Incandescent

Written by: Emily Tesh
Narrated by: Zara Ramm
Get this deal Try for $0.00

$14.95/mo after 3 months. Cancel anytime. Offers ends December 16, 2025 11:59pm PT.

$14.95 a month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy Now for $26.99

Buy Now for $26.99

About this listen

“Zara Ramm's narration is like watching a film, conjuring images of demons and humans alike. It's funny, it's dark, and it's some of Ramm's best work.” — AudioFile (Earphones Award Winner)

"Narrator [Zara] Ramm's sensible yet snarky performance immediately gives listeners a sense of Walden's personality — competent, knowledgeable, and professional, but never dull" — Library Journal (Starred Review)

Naomi Novik's Scholomance series meets Plain Bad Heroines in this sapphic dark academia fantasy by instant national and international bestselling author Emily Tesh, winner of the Hugo and World Fantasy Awards.

"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."

Doctor 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. And it’s possible the entity Walden most needs to keep her school safe from—is herself.

A Macmillan Audio production from Tor Books.

Dark Fantasy Editors Select Epic Fantasy Literature & Fiction Science Fiction & Fantasy Magic Users
adbl_web_adaptive_pdp_alc_button_t1

Editorial Review

Magical schools: What about the teachers?
We at Audible already love Emily Tesh for her jaw-dropping sci-fi about a space cult, Some Desperate Glory. Now, I’m beyond excited that Tesh is exploring one of my favourite realms of fiction: magical schools. It’s from the perspective of the educator this time, and she’s really funny, practical and kind of a badass. In this world, demonic summoning is an important skill for every magician to learn, and Director Walden is one of the best. The only problem is, one of the biggest demons there is has come to torment her teenage students, who are very reckless, as most teenagers are. What ensues is Tesh’s razor-sharp observations about systems and the human condition, coupled with complex, reality-based characters. Narrator Zara Ramm invokes the presence of Director Walden’s many sides, and it’s a real treat of a listen. The Incandescent is not to be missed for any and all fantasy fans.—Melissa B., Audible Editor

All stars
Most relevant
Not much sapphic like at all. A third was about her with some dude. I liked her last book disappointed mostly by the false description.

Sapphic?

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.