The Incorruptibles
- Vanessa Bettencourt
- May 27
- 3 min read
Updated: May 29
Thank you, Hannah Boardman and TVS Media Group, for connecting me to this author, and thank you, author, for taking the time to answer my questions.
The author is making a giveaway. Check out the rules below.
"A girl joins the human resistance against sorcerer tyranny in this “breathless” (Kirkus Reviews, starred review) first book in the exciting upper middle-grade fantasy series The Incorruptibles that’s Keeper of the Lost Cities meets The Marvellers."
"Fiora Barrowling lives in a world where sorcerers rule over humans. After surviving an encounter with The Radiance—the very worst of the sorcerers—she’s whisked away to the incredible Incorruptibles (“Inc”) Academy, a school for resistance fighters in training. But most of the other students think Fiora hasn’t earned her place there, and when things start to go wrong and it seems the sorcerers have a spy in the academy, all eyes are on Fiora. With all odds stacked against her, can Fiora prove that she belongs?"
Aladdin / Simon & Schuster | June 10, 2025
Ages 10-14 | $18.99 | ISBN 978166596866
Lauren is the internationally bestselling author of the Case Closed
series, The Mythics series, and the upcoming series The Incorruptibles (June
10, 2025), and three other stand-alone books for middle-grade readers.
Her books are available in 12 languages and have been Junior Library Guild
Selections have been on the Indie Next List, been an Amazon
Bestseller earned starred reviews, has been on state lists, and has been
Optioned for a TV movie with Nickelodeon. She has also contributed
short stories to Storyworks magazine and a middle-grade mystery
Anthology called Super Puzzletastic Mysteries.
Lauren grew up in New Hope, Pennsylvania. After receiving a B.A. in
Creative Writing and Philosophy at Hamilton College, Lauren Magaziner
worked on two delightful Scholastic magazines, where many of her
Coworkers didn’t believe her last name was real. She currently lives in
Philadelphia, where she writes full-time
My Review:
5 Plus Stars. Although this is an academy novel, it feels refreshing because the sorcerers and those who can use magic are dark, mean, and evil. The author makes us feel it from the start with the tension about the curfew, and how Fiora is so afraid. She knows what they are capable of doing. She knows all she has already lost... but she will never, bow, join, or accept to deal with them.
An incident makes her lose her home and the only family left. She is forced to leave, and her life changes, but not for the better. She has 60 days to prove she belongs to an amazing academy that trains young rebels to defeat The Radiance (the most powerful sorcerers). It's not easy to belong. The rumors make her the focus of attention, and there are secrets to unveil that we discover slowly as Fiora learns to fight and avoid the promise of death made by The Radiance.
Amazing teams, amazing characters, great trans representation, diversity. There are lots of characters from the good side whom I already love besides Fiora or her captain. I even love Mel, who can be arrogant and always refuses everyone's help. The names of the teams are awesome, and the powers of the multiple bad guys are impressive, and some are easy to fear.
The writing flows so well that it's hard to put this one down, and we feel each scene, the fear, the hope, the high stakes, the fights, the sounds, the emotions, from the smallest (falling asleep curled and rolled in a brown new cloak) to larger events, hitting one of the meanest Radiance with lightning that destroyed the ceiling of the store. I can't wait for book 2.
The cover art is from one of my favorite cover art artists, Devin Elle Kurtz @devinellekurtz
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