Hardcover, 368 pages
Published by Orbit.
"Look at you, eating magic like you're one of us."
Doctor Walden is the Director of Magic at Chetwood Academy 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.
I loved Tesh's other works and picked this up without knowing much about the premise. The prose is inviting and evocative, but the plot is meandering, bloated, and often dull. For a story about a magical school that has to defend against demons, I never once felt immersed.
A magical boarding school story, but seen through the eyes of an adult in charge. The writing is good with an interesting story, believable characters, and convincing world building. The bits about teaching feel especially realistic.
Even demon-infested (a peeve), I loved the first half, but it fizzled out a little at the halfway mark for me. Losing its spark, it became a little ponderous, and a clever protagonist began making poor decisions. Another peeve is when I can spot something coming chapters well in advance. However, if you like Tesh, I suspect you'll love this.
