Here are two books for adult fans of magical schools. The Incadescent takes us to a modern yet historical British boarding school that teaches magic as well as mundane subjects, told from the point of view of the Director of Magic and Professor of Invocation. To Ride a Rising Storm returns us to mid-19th century Markland and the world of To Shape a Dragon’s Breath where Indigenous teen Anequs is learning magic along with her dragon.

The Incandescent by Emily Tesh. Read by Zara Ramm. Tor, 2025. ISBN 9781250835017. Listened to audiobook on Libby.

Dr. Saffy Walden, Director of Magic at Chetwood Boarding School and graduate of that same school, is settled comfortably into her routine: teaching, meetings, emails, negotiating with or banishing the minor imps that possess the photocopier, etc. She takes real delight in nurturing her small class of four Invocation A-Level students, even though teaching is a much smaller part of her job than it was before she took on the director position. Still, young, powerful, and untrained magicians are an irresistable lure for demons of all levels, held at bay by a hodge-podge system of 19th century machinery that is too complex to be dismantled and must therefore be maintained. Dr. Walden writes up safety protocols and forms for all classes using magic, works with the ancient groundsman to maintain the machinery, and unfortunately also has to work with the Head Marshall of the school, Laura Kenning. Marshalls, being demon hunters, naturally come into conflict with Invokers, who use demons to help them perform magic.

Then the big demon that’s been rumored to lie beneath the school for centuries, mostly feeding on the smaller demons, makes another attempt to break through. The resulting chaos shakes up everything at the school. And yet, chaos must be managed while still maintaining the endless routines that keep the school running. Will Dr. Walden be able to keep all the many balls in the air while keeping the literal demons at bay?

I was so very interested to see a magical school book from the point of view of a teacher, and one who takes responsiblity for the wellbeing of her students. Yes, the students and talented and observant and can help – but it is the adults who take care of things in the end. There were definitely parts in the middle where the story felt bogged down in the minutia of all the school things- but this is showing us how Saffy herself is bogged down. Similarly, there was a plot thread that just felt vaguely icky and unsatisfying without my quite being able to put a finger on it, and then it turned out that I was right to find it icky. While there is some romance and spice to the book, it’s subtle rather than being an all-consuming aspect of the book. As far as diversity goes, Dr. Walden is white and bisexual, and other characters have varying ethnic and class backgrounds.

The magical academic setting naturally brings to mind Naomi Novik’s Scholomance series, but aspects of it also put me in mind of A Guide to Magical Innkeeping by Sangu Mandanna

To Ride A Rising Storm by Moniquill Blackgoose. Del Rey, 2026. ISBN 978-0593498309. Read from a library copy.

To Shape a Dragon’s Breath: the First Book of Nampeshiweisit made my list of favorite books of 2023, even though I never got around to writing a review of it, so I’ll do my to write something about this book without spoiling it too much.

Our story begins, as is typical of a school story, over the summer following Anequs’s first year at the Kuiper’s Academy of dragon riding, and continues to deepen the world-building and events of the first book. Already the fact that Anequs has a dragon and has made something of a name for herself has brought unwelcome attention to her island, Masquapaug, with thanesguards watching their assemblies and keeping track of the comings and goings of all inhabitants. Anequs also has two people she’d like to court, but the world outside of her island is frustratingly narrow-minded, wanting young people to court only one person of the same class and opposite gender. Even more frustrating for her, neither of the other people is willing to openly flout convention, now or in the future, and opportunities to talk privately with either of them are few and far between.

Back at school, Anequs works on developing her relationships with her old roommate, Marta, who is very class- and fashion-conscious, and a young new girl named Jadzia whose Pollish, Zhidi (read Jewish) origins put her in the minority both ethnically and religiously. Despite being much younger, Jadi is bright, knowledgable, and good with people, helping Marta and Anequs resolve their occassional disagreements. Anequs is suddenly socially in demand at school and needs to balance Markish social propriety with her own natural outspokenness and lack of patience with their ways. All of this happens while classes progress and the politics of the outside world grow increasingly hostile, lead by people who are offended at the idea of anyone but white men riding dragons.

I’m really enjoying this series – do not believe Amazon calling it a duology, as the end of this book is definitely not the end of the story. So far, though this is marketed to adults, as Anequs is a teen and there has so far been nothing inappropriate for teens, I’d recommend this series for teens as well as adults. I’m going to go out and buy the audiobooks now so I can enjoy in a different medium and share with my family. Read it for a story of a fiercely bright and self-possessed young woman determined not to be swept out to sea by the values of the larger culture around her, as well as friendship, fascinating worldbuilding, and adorable dragons.