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Emily's Reviews > The Incandescent
The Incandescent
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This is a wholly frustrating book that doesn't reach the heights of Some Desperate Glory. The reason it's so frustrating is because it has almost everything you could want in a book like this—a fun magical setting, past secrets, boarding school, demons!—and yet it all fizzles out by the end. There's an early plot that sets up an even better concept (view spoiler), but that's unfulfilled. Instead, you get bland musings about school: privilege in the British educational system and what it's like to be the teacher instead of the student. Okay, great. But what about all the DEMONS???
At the 40% mark, I was sure this was going to be my favorite book of the year. After finishing it, I rated it 4 stars. Then I came back and moved it down to 3. It still has its good moments, but man was this disappointing! Some thoughts with spoilers: (view spoiler)
At the 40% mark, I was sure this was going to be my favorite book of the year. After finishing it, I rated it 4 stars. Then I came back and moved it down to 3. It still has its good moments, but man was this disappointing! Some thoughts with spoilers: (view spoiler)
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Reading Progress
January 2, 2025
– Shelved
June 6, 2025
–
Started Reading
June 7, 2025
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Finished Reading
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Emma Deplores Goodreads Censorship wrote: "I had some similar thoughts! Overall I think I liked the book better than you did—I liked the romance and the teenagers and it’s probably a 4-starrer for me—but there were a number of plot points t..."I am really looking forward to your review!! I love hearing what you think. I'm probably being too harsh on the book overall, but I liked the first part so much that the ending was a true letdown.
You're totally right about the possession. It's such a missed opportunity because Walden is busy with Mark (though not finding out what he's about ... just watching him?). I actually really liked the dialogue between Walden and the Phoenix. It felt like the author was setting up a reassessment of demon personhood after Walden's long speech in the first part of the book, but it never materializes!
I guess the incandescent is literally the Phoenix due to the flames, but that feels off too.
Yeah, I was thinking the same thing about that discussion of demon personhood. It could've just stayed an abstract classroom discussion if no demon had been a major character, but it was weird to not tie back in once the Phoenix became so important. And it was a fun character!
Soooo many things left unexplained! I thought it was going to be one of my favorites this year as well.
SPOILERS BELOW because I’m too lazy to do tags on my phone
Mark was one of the biggest, none of his decisions make rational sense. My best guess is “he’s a psychopath who just enjoys causing chaos and destruction” (which would at least explain the Ramamurthy bit), but that’s an awfully weird thing to throw glancingly into a book. If you’re gonna go there I feel like he needs to be the Big Bad, or at least in league with it.
The other big hole for me is how Walden missed all the warning signs about the Phoenix. It just kept taking control of her body for a minute or two—ie possessing her!—and she was totally unconcerned about this?? I understand overconfidence but I think that requires later reflection on “how could I be so stupid” and I understand it was influencing her thoughts but… same, and also it didn’t seem to be ascendant till late in the book so that doesn’t explain ignoring it at the start.
Also agreed the title seems a bit off since the story isn’t really about adolescents.