A Wild Radiance

by Maria Ingrande Mora

A searing and romantic fantasy adventure about an oligarchic state on the verge of a magical industrial revolution—perfect for fans of Arcane, Wicked, and Iron Widow!

Josephine Haven is about to find out exactly where she fits into the march of Progress. Her outbursts are infamous at the House of Industry, the school for children who can wield radiance, an electricity-like magic. She's tried to follow the rules, but her fiery nature is at odds with the core tenet of the Never form attachments. If she is meant to feel nothing, why are her emotions so volatile?

No one is surprised when, upon graduation, Josephine is banished from the city to a remote Mission. In Frostbrook, she must work under standoffish Julian, the former golden boy of the House of Industry who seems determined to watch her fail. And then there's Ezra, the flirtatious stranger who's a little too curious about how the Mission operates.

But there are bigger problems than Julian and Ezra's secrets. A deadly disease is spreading across the countryside, and in Frostbrook, not everyone is eager to embrace Progress. As Josephine questions the system that raised her—and gives in to desire she's been taught to suppress—she must decide what she's willing to sacrifice to expose not just corruption within the House, but the devastating truth about the radiance in her core.

An epic and romantic fantasy that reimagines the War of the Currents, A Wild Radiance explodes with the same queer chaotic tension, magical industrialization, and class revolution themes that made Arcane a #1 Netflix sensation.

Perfect for readers who love Queerplatonic and Poly Relationships, Anti-Capitalism, Hurt/Comfort, Sunshine/Grump/Gremlin Dynamics, Messy Exes, and Fantasy Road Trips!

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Queer, Romance, LGBT, Dystopia, Young Adult Fantasy

400 pages, Kindle Edition

First published January 20, 2026

About the author

Maria Ingrande Mora (they/she) is the acclaimed author of Fragile Remedy (Flux, 2021) a Junior Library Guild Gold Standard Selection, Ranger Academy (2024), and The Immeasurable Depth of You (Peachtree Teen, 2023), Amelia Elizabeth Walden Award finalist, which earned three starred reviews, with Kirkus calling it “[r]aw and compassionate.” A queer single parent, Maria Ingrande Mora lives in St. Petersburg, FL with their two teenagers and three cats.

Reviews

[Fernanda (ivyfer_isreading) · Rating 5 out of 5]

5 starts. No notes. Absolutely perfect. 

I loved this book so much I cried when I finished it. It was so, so good. I think I did it backwards because I haven't read Iron Widow and A Wild Radiance is compared to it, so you bet I will be running to get it immediately. And while I wanted to read a lot more about these characters and I know it would work perfectly as a series, selfishly I am grateful I won't have to wait for a sequel. (However I would very much like a novella with just the three of them learning to live a normal life and being cute and in love) 
Sometimes I read a book that reminds me why I still love to read ya even as an adult, and this is a perfect example. The writing, the crafting of the characters and their relationships, the magic system and the overall message for the book is all immaculate. Maybe I just haven't read the right adult fantasy books, but ya is superior in my mind when it comes to the genre. 
The author's note in the beginning was very enlightening, this is not a book about politics, even if it does a brilliant job in touching the topic, love it's the central part of the book. Queer, unapologetic and various forms of it. It's also about freedom, about an oppressive regimen and how it is possible to come out on the other side not unscathed but alive and with a brighter future. 
I could give you a summary of what the book is about, but I believe this is a book where you should go in blind and just enjoy the experience. I hope just my feelings towards it can make you curious enough to add it to your tbr.
In short, I need everyone to read this book because it just became a new favorite. 

Thank you Netgalley and Peachtree Teen for the ARC!

[nikki | ཐི༏ཋྀ​​݁ ₊ ݁ . · Rating 5 out of 5]

"You see, it’s not intelligence that will change the world. It’s curiosity. And safety breeds curiosity.”

rating: 4.25★

a fast YA dystopian fantasy set in a magical industrial revolution, this was a solid read for me with some great moments viewing love as the way through rebellion and oppression.

all three leads are incredibly likable: josephine is fiery, julian determined, and ezra compassionate. they balance each other out well, and i like the rep of a queer polycule with a platonic dynamic.

the pacing was overall good, although i wish the first 2/3 was condensed down a bit more to half so we could explore more of the revolution side. i couldn't put it down though and breezed through it.

there's a lot of heart in this one and i would definitely pick up more from this author!

If Julian could remake Progress, surely we could also make what we wanted of our hearts.

an honest arc review ♡

[Robin · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Child of Industry sent to continue its progress must grapple with the cost and the exploitation at its heart in this electrifying debut from author Maria Ingrande Mora. Industrialization fueled by magic that is quite possibly (definitely) poisoning the land, mysterious illnesses, and polyamorous romance all intersect in Wild Radiance, a perfect young adult fantasy and punch to capitalism combined in one novel. Mora packs a lot into one debut, but through the interiority of one Josephine Haven: perfect poster child for Progress, we get to explore a vivid magic and flawed society as she learns the truth and plans to burn it all down. Josephine is an easy character to root for: she’s feisty and determined to fight for her beliefs, especially once she learns the truth to the system she’s been raised in. Just as she decides to take action she learns to love a bit louder, a bit bolder, not confining herself to the boundaries imposed upon her by others. Beginning on the outskirts and moving closer, A Wild Reverence charts an enlightenment and then a revolution, expertly paced and plotted within the standalone fantasy format. This book is the perfect balm for the queer youth of today, a place where they can see themselves not just represented but at the helm of a revolution. A Wild Radiance has a poignant thesis: nothing is impossible to rebuild, but we must first tear it down.


Thank you to the author for providing me with an advance review copy!

[Starr ❇✌❇]

"Perfect for readers who love Queerplatonic and Poly Relationships, Anticapitalism, Hurt/Comfort, Sunshine/Grump/Gremlin Dynamics, Messy Exes, and Fantasy Road Trips!"

Y'know I wasn't sold by the synopsis, but now........

[Fanna]

I heard this has disaster bis and I'm here!

[Helen Isabel · Rating 3 out of 5]

This story follows Josephine, an apprentice Conductor trained to channel radiance, a force the House of Industry claims is safe and superior to “wild magic.” I didn’t fully get into the story until about 40%, and the romance was confusing, making it hard to stay fully engaged at first.

Once the plot picked up, Josephine uncovers a system built on exploitation. The city’s energy relies on enslaved people whose radiance is stolen, harming both them and the environment. She sets out to challenge this unjust system, seeking ways to use radiance ethically while protecting those who depend on it, navigating complex relationships and difficult choices along the way.

I do think readers will enjoy this book more than I did!

[Kaitie Reads · Rating 4 out of 5]

✨️ YA Queer Fantasy
⚡️ Political Intrigue
✨️ Found Family
⚡️ Anti-capitalism
✨️ Poly Rep

This was a great read! A radical and refreshing YA Fantasy with dynamic characters—although a little bit less romantic than I had anticipated.

Josephine is sent to what is basically the outskirts of her world after her education as a "Child of Industry" to help make "progress" happen in the remote community of Frostbrook. She feels that she is being punished with banishment for being an *unruly* student. But is progress a product of development, or a product of corruption?

This story was so captivating! I love our chaotic bi-disaster characters, I love the strong anti-capitalism themes, and I love that all of this story was wrapped up into a neat little standalone book. Josephine, Ezra and Julian are all great characters and I love how they work together to bring change to the world they live in—despite the costs. There is definitely a really cool magic system, so many metaphors for the consequences of capitalism (and fascism) and this book is also extremely quotable.

I did find that it was maybe a little less romantic than I had anticipated, but this is definitely a love story at its core. I do love the relationship dynamic between our protagonists and the queernormative world. The story itself builds slowly and then starts to unravel very quickly towards the end. I also found some of the concluding developments a little bit fanficul but it is a YA Fantasy story and the conclusion is done very well—all while inspiring hope.

Overall a revolutionary read with a great found family vibe, lovable characters and a new kind of progress that you can't help but root for.

Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for the ARC of this book. All thoughts and feedback contained within this review are my own.

•

"It's only that there's so much you don't see. That you don't believe. I can't fix that for you. I can only show you this." "Flowers." I snorted my heart beating fast. It felt like he was insulting my intelligence, and I hated the way it squeezed my organs. "Possibilities," he corrected gently.

"We weren't instructed, [...] we were indoctrinated. We were made to be something, not given the opportunity to step into what we were meant to be. Everything meaningful I know I had to teach myself."

"For a long moment, we stood side by side, and I wondered if we were not Children of the Industry but children of the stars. Stars that could not and should not be harnessed."

[Frank Chillura (OhYouRead) · Rating 5 out of 5]

Can we take a moment to just appreciate the love I have for queernormative worlds in fantasy? Nothing makes me happier than the idea that being who you are isn’t some crime that’s held against you from a fascist regime of absolutely hateful human beings. And while this story (or any book for that matter) may not be out right political, those minor things (and let’s be real, being accepted as yourself is the least people can do) speak volumes.

Side note: You know a story is really good when you have such an intense reaction when you finish it.

Have you heard the sound “I want two boyfriends and I want my boyfriends to be boyfriends”? That is exactly what I repeated in my head as I read A Wild Radiance. While I went into it knowing there is a polyamorous relationship, I didn’t know who it would be between. I’m bad at reading a synopsis and I like to go in semi-blind. But as the characters and relationships unfolded throughout, I had my fingers and toes crossed as to who it would be. And I was not disappointed.

Creating a new and fascinating magic system that keeps the reader interested has to be the hardest part of building a fantasy world. Having it be based around electricity gave it a very steampunk vibe that I really enjoyed. Radiance is the absolute perfect name for it, because it just glows in my mind like I imagine it was meant to do.

I love Maria Ingrande Mora’s worlds so much. They bring me joy in so many ways and I’m thankful to know them. I was lucky enough to be asked to early read and while I’m the worst and am only just now finishing it, it was worth every second of that wait to meet and fall in love with Josephine, Julian and Ezra. I’ll be revisiting them in audiobook format as soon as the book is out in the world.💜

Thank you to the author and publisher for my early copy of the book. You can preorder your copy of A Wild Radiance now, which releases on January 20th, 2026.

[Cass Biehn · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book sent sparks through my heart. Fiery, sharp, and relevant, A WILD RADIANCE dazzles with its clever characters.

[Raaven💖 · Rating 5 out of 5]

My fave cover of the year so far! This is competing for one of my favorite romance books. I loved Jo, Ezra, & Julian. My fave trouple. I also really liked Nikola and her group. I’m not usually a person who reads a lot of poly centered books but I loved this one so much. It’s chaotic and not afraid to go for the throat. I loved how they painted resistance. Fight for what you believe in. There were a few parts I wanted to know more about, but this was all together a super fun book. The magic system and the set up of this story was unique and well done. I just loved reading about Jo’s story. Her rage and passion were so relatable. I cheered her on the whole time. She wasn’t afraid to go for what she believed in. This is set in a queernormative world which I always love seeing. Ezra was a super cute character and he seemed like such a great anchor for Jo and Julian. I also liked how Ezra was the golden retriever boy to Julian’s black cat. And Jo was the feral cat who joined their crew. The way Jo and Julian had a relationship was very interesting. He didn’t have an interest in girls but they had a deep bond that was a different sort of love. This was addicting and I really need to read more of this author. Everyone should def read this!!!

[Dr. Andy]

Adds to Highly Anticipated 2026 TBR.

[zara · Rating 2 out of 5]

a world this interesting and a plot that's promising being wasted on the fmc like no offence but she's useless and a fucking hazard and it's physically painful having to read this book from 1st pov

[Rallie · Rating 4 out of 5]

For Fans Of: Anathem, His Dark Materials, Arcane, Sunrise on the Reaping, Iron Widow

"He'd been right that this place had changed me. But the wilderness hadn't upset my sensibilities. It had awakened them. How could he expect me to put my mind back to sleep?"

Mora's writing captures an experience that a lot of people might find familiar - when did you first start to question what you had been taught? The book deals with deprogramming from propaganda with nuance, giving Josephine time in the story to learn and question things. The pacing was for the most part spot-on with action interspersed with meaningful dialogue and moments of reflection; although the final 10% of the book felt both rushed and stilted in some places.

I really liked how Mora wrote Jo, Ezra, and Julien's relationship. "Found family" is a common trope but it takes a different tone in a lot of queer literature, especially queerplatonic stories that heavily depart from heteronormative familial connections. The three main characters mean everything to each other and are completed by one another.

"The House of Industry had power far beyond the radiance at our fingertips. The Elders were ministers of state, of transportation, even of war. We were only children in the woods."

Describing the setting as "steampunk but make it magic" comes close to capturing the unique world Mora has crafted. An economy built around, effectively, radiation wielded by those indoctrinated since youth in service of the literal constant expansion of industry makes for an already intriguing concept, add in the terminology based around electricity (Conductors, Transistors, Generators) alongside manifest destiny (Missions, Progress) and you have created a magical capitalism that is both chilling and uncomfortably realistic.

"For a long moment, we stood side by side, and I wondered if we were not Children of Industry but children of stars. Stars that could not and should not be harnessed."

This is not a book that pulls any punches. There are emotional highs, often when Jo has had a moment of introspection that leads her to a greater understanding of the world; as well as moments that suck all the wind out of your sails (looking at you, Chapter 20) and feel as empty as Jo does. However through it all there is an intense pervading sense of hope, the kind that Boaventura de Sousa Santos calls upon when he says "another world is already possible." Jo takes on the wager and calls us to do so as well - there's no way to know if revolutions will succeed or whether a more just world can be built, but in order for that to come we have to choose to believe in its possibility and fight for it.

Overall I really enjoyed this book, and think that it has the potential to open up anticapitalist dialogue with people who might not otherwise come into contact with leftist theory on their own. It flirts with operaismo and immediately defies vanguardism (especially in a scene towards the end that made me cry, when Jo emerges from the fighting to find the streets already flooded with support ). Thanks to NetGalley for providing me with access to an eARC and to the author for gifting me a physical book. I am leaving this review by my own choice.

[Amelia · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wild Radiance has such a unique take on electricity and magic! I love a character with anger issues who always stays ready for a fight but when faced with true violence had remorse and guilt yet still did what was needed. The poly dynamic between Ezra, Josephine, and Julian was perfectly executed! They were all so cute and endearing in their own ways. I really ate up the conflict and thought the overall story was super entertaining. A Wild Radiance is a really great standalone that touches on greed, societal politics, and what home truly means that doesn't leave you wanting by the end. I'd love to see more from Ingrande Mora in this genre - I couldn't put this book down!

Thank you to Peachtree Teen, NetGalley, and the author for sending me an early copy!

[Brittany Kilinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.25 stars

[.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡Polaris ｡˚☽˚｡⋆.]

DID YOU SAY QUEER PLATONIC

[Greer Nadeau · Rating 4 out of 5]

A Wild Radiance follows Josephine, a girl who has spent her entire life in the house of industry trying to fit in, Julian, a golden boy who was the top of his class, and Ezra, a weilder of an illegal magic, as they form an unlikely alliance to change the world. The House of Industry is willing to do anything for the sake of Progress—no matter who it harms or kills in the process—which hits pretty close to home right now. Despite taking place in a dystopian world, this book is full of hope, friendship, and love, and has such an interesting blend of magic and technology. Honestly, I'm kind of obsessed with it.

Thank you to @netgalley and @peachtreeteen for the opportunity to read and review this book, which is out January 20th!

[Rachel P · Rating 5 out of 5]

If there's one thing I can count on Maria Ingrande Mora for, apart from fabulous prose and characters so real you feel like you've met them (or been them), it's for writing books I wish I'd read as a teen. A queer poly relationship featuring both romantic and queerplatonic love, where the queerplatonic love is given exactly the same weight and significance as the romance? in a YA?? revelatory. also loved the strong neurodivergence coding on the protagonists

setting wise I really enjoyed the steampunk flavouring to a fantasy setting with a disturbingly familiar political context. the book is never afraid to shy away from the darker aspects of its setting or of oligarchy. (I'm so weak for traumatised characters who keep fighting anyway, especially if they're queer and mentally ill, which Josephine, Julian, and Ezra most certainly all are) as for the ending, all I'll say is I almost never cry in books and I choked up twice in the last third of the novel. it felt hopeful in a way beyond its pages, and that counts for a lot these days

[A · Rating 5 out of 5]

I don't tend to pick up a lot of YA as I'm not the target demographic. Curious about the relationship anarchy tag, offered an ARC, and intrigued given my enjoyment of the author's book Fragile Remedy, I do not regret picking this one up! It's a messy, tender, and lovely exploration of hope, resistance, violence, and the many shapes that love can take. The relationship the builds between Ezra, Jo, and Julian feels so real and grounded within the fantasy setting. I love that there aren't any labels put on it, it just is what it is. The tenderness that builds between them amps up the building plot and helps bring it home. This is the kind of book we need right now.

[Emmy Mae · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you, Penguin Teen Canada, for an advanced reader copy of this book in exchange for my honest review.



**SPOILER FREE REVIEW**

Rating: 3/5⭐

Quick Summary: Set in a richly imagined fantasy world shaped by industrial progress and governed by the powerful House of Industry, A Wild Radiance follows Josephine Haven, a young Conductor trained to channel radiance—an electricity-like "magic" essential to her society’s expansion. When she’s sent away from the city to the remote town of Frostbrook as punishment for her fiery nature, Josephine must confront new people and a way of life that challenges everything she’s been taught. Amid talk of a deadly disease and growing resistance to the so-called Progress, she finds unexpected connections with Julian and the mysterious Ezra.

Read if you like:
⚡️the aesthetic and vibes of Arcane (tv show)
⚡️the book Iron Widow
⚡️queerplatonic and polyamorous relationships
⚡️deadly plague trope
⚡️minimal to no technology

Overall Thoughts: I have never read a book with queerplatonic and polyamorous relationships before, so I'm glad that this book has broadened my palette. It was fun to learn along the way! Love can truly be defined in so many different ways, and I'm so glad that books portraying various types of relationships are getting their time in the spotlight.

I want to first talk about the dystopian aspects of this world. I loved the outfits that identified those who are Children of Industry. Usually, when dystopian books decide to identify groups in society, they make those groups where whole colour palettes or one specific colour. In this book, the characters wear a coloured scarf. There is just something about a high-collared shirt, a long skirt, and a neck scarf that feels so Arcane to me. I am here for it!

I will mention, though, that I had a hard time understanding the world layout at first. For some reason, in my mind, I imagined that there were more Houses than just the House of Industry. The author was very elusive and vague when describing the world at first. I wish I had gotten all the information about the world layout earlier in the book. I know how hard it is to integrate a large chunk of world-building into a book in general, so I'm glad that I eventually got all the info.

On the back of the book, it is mentioned that Josephine (the main character) is banished from the big city to a remote mission, and for some reason, I got really hung up on the word "banished". I went into the book imagining that Josephine was being stripped of her Apprentice Conductor title and exiled from society. I feel that the description of "being demoted" or even "being assigned to an undesirable" or "low-class mission" would put the reader in the right mindset before jumping into the story.

When it comes to "the wasting" (the sickness in the book), there were times in the story where it felt like it faded a bit into the background. I really wish we had a firsthand encounter with it before we learned more about the sickness. If we had witnessed someone who got sick or if we lost someone to the sickness, then the reader would feel way more inclined to get to the bottom of it/get rid of it.

Finally, Josephine is such a fun character! At first, I thought she was a little sensitive, but after finishing the book, I realized that she was just fighting her rising anger and her rising craziness. She made some wild choices by the end, and I was eating up every minute of it. Honestly, I kind of wish she turned a little whack earlier in the book!

This is, overall, a very well-structured dystopian book, and I'm excited to be adding another LGBTQIA+ book to my shelf and to my list of recommendations. As for the letter from the author... yes, I did like the kissing stuff lol.

Do I recommend it? yes

Who would I recommend it to? anyone looking for an LGBTQIA+ dystopian book

Age Category: young adult

POV: single POV, first person, past tense

Romance: queerplatonic and polyamorous relationships (straight, sapphic, and MM romance)

Spice: 2/5🌶️

Series/Standalone: standalone

Trigger Warnings: grapphic de@th, de@th, child @buse, implied sexu@l @ssault, fire injury, pandemic/epidemic, vi0lence, t0rture

Quotes Worth Remembering: “When you show me the hot spring, be sure to show me where to avoid getting my skeleton jammed.”
“I’m weary of wealthy men building their fortunes on the bones of good people.”
“It is possible to regret one’s idea.”
“Who better to voice the truth than someone who has only just seen it?”

[Eloise · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5/5 - A Wild Radiance is a beautiful tale of electric magic, queer love, and the fight against oppression.

The worldbuilding and electricity-based magic system, known as “radiance,” are fascinating. I love this alternate Industrial Revolution setting, where people power an oligarchic state with their own abilities, and the story’s focus on taking that power back from their oppressors.

I also loved how queernormative this world is, and how polyamorous and queerplatonic relationships are shown in such a beautiful light. These characters love each other deeply, and not always romantically, which feels so refreshingly real and tender.

While the story is wonderful as it stands, I couldn’t help but feel it had the potential to be even bigger. Perhaps as a duology or a full series, it could have explored the magic system and the characters’ relationships in more depth, letting both breathe and grow.

As much as I adore the evolution of the three main characters’ relationship, there were moments when I found their emotions a little confusing, particularly Jo’s shifting feelings toward Ezra and Julian. The transitions from frustration to fondness, or from hate to platonic love, sometimes happened so quickly that I had to reread to make sure I read it right. A bit more space for those changes would have made their bond even more powerful.

Still, those are small critiques in an otherwise remarkable book. A Wild Radiance remains a fabulous story rich with queernormative love, political intrigue, and an electric magic system that crackles with originality. It’s a story that both captivates and provokes thought about power, anticapitalism, and resistance.

[Lesia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you Penguin Teen Canada and Peachtree Publishers for the advanced copy of this book!

A Wild Radiance is the queer, anti-capitalist book of my dreams! I absolutely loved every minute of this read.

Josephine, Ezra, and Julian are such wonderful characters and work so hilariously well together! I loved the grumpy x sunshine x gremlin dynamic that develops between them, and the way they come to care so deeply for one another is so beautiful. I felt that Josephine’s journey was reminiscent of Sciona’s from Blood Over Bright Haven, and I loved the way her values and viewpoints were challenged throughout the book, especially as her walls started to come down.

This book was so tender and hopeful despite also being full of grief and trauma, and the author does such a great job of allowed the duality to walk hand in hand. I will be thinking about this book for a long time, I loved it so much!

[shatterinseconds · Rating 5 out of 5]

*4.5 stars

So good!!

This was one of my anticipated reads of 2026 and it hit every expectation. I loved the poly/queer platonic dynamic so much and all the characters were engaging. It was such a tight knit standalone fantasy too. Everything was just A+.

[Anne Hampton · Rating 5 out of 5]

Dang this book was SO good! I absolutely loved the depth of the characters, the yearning and queer love, and the beautiful journey that these characters took to fight back against oppression. Amazing!!!!

[Gretal · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great vibes, great themes. I liked the first two thirds a bit more than the last third, but I also think that I had to take a break to sleep and then work also impacted that.

[richie · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75 ⭐️

[Arianne Laporte · Rating 3 out of 5]

i loved every critic on society this book presented, but i wished the whole magical system would have been explained better and that the FMC didn't fall in love with every single person she met in only a few minutes of meeting them.

[yashelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

You guys… you are NOT ready for this book. 🔥
I went in with zero expectations and came out absolutely blown away. This story grabbed me from the first page and didn’t let go: it’s powerful, emotional, and just so beautifully written. I’m still thinking about it.

[Lu · Rating 5 out of 5]

Thank you, NetGalley, Peachtree Publishers | Peachtree Teen, for the chance to read this book in exchange of an honest review.

Josephine Haven's outbrusts are famous at the House of Industry, the school for children who teach them how to wield radiance, a sort of electricity-like magic. She believes in rules, she tries to follow them, but she's curious and her emotions are volatile, so where does she fit in the march of the Progress? When she's sent at the mission of Frostbrook, she's determined to prove herself and she has to work under the cold and quiet Julian, a former golden boy at the House of Industry. And there's Ezra, a flirtatious boy curious about her and the Mission. Both boys hide something and, slowly, Josephine starts to realize not everything is like what she has learned at her school. There's a disease spreading and not everyone is willing to embrace progress. And, maybe, her radiance can cause more problems than ever. As she starts to ask questions, form relationships, going against the rules she was raised to obey, Jo starts to understand the secrets at the core of the Progress and what's doing to people and country. And letting her curiosity and desire go free mean growing up and chance. And she's ready for it. But not alone.

A wild radiance is a romantic fantasy that reimagines the War of the Currents, set in a world where radiance, a kind of electricity magic, is used for the Progress and those who have it are raised to believe in the oligarchic state and in its rules. Josephine starts as a piece of a machine, willing to do the Progress' works, believing in it, but when she comes in Frostbrook and comes to face with the nature, people. Ezra and Julian, everything change and she's start a laborious process of shedding her previous beliefs and being open to others, to be willing to fight against what she was raised to believe.
Mixed with a magical industrial revolution, made of protests, people fighting against the House of Industry and revealing its dark secrets, like how dangerous the radiance is and all their lies, there's a polyamorous relationship between the characters and I loved how it grew in the book.
From the clumsy and quiet Julian, who shares a past, but never lost, relationship with Ezra, to Ezra himself, flirting with both Julian and Josephine, to Josephine, who learns what it means to loved and be loved against all she was taught before.
Josephine grows from being indoctrinated to think with her own head, to fight for herself and others, to be able to recognize the truth and reality around her and to love and be loved.

A sweet and compelling romantic fantasy adventure, with amazing characters and their bonds. I love these three so much and they are amazing in supporting, helping and loving one other. A big shout to Nikola, who is incredible and I want her as a friend!
Class revolution themes, queer relationships, a cute sunshine, a grumpy shy boy and an exhuberant young woman set to change the world. What could you ask for more?

[RP]

Frothing at the mouth to read this book thanks 🙏🙏🙏