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, Young Adult Fantasy, Fiction

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!

[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!

[Fanna]

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

[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........

[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.

[Helen I. · 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."

[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.

[maddie's reading · Rating 4 out of 5]

Thank you to Penguin Teen Canada for the arc!

4.5 stars, rtc!

[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

[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.

[Caitlyn · Rating 4 out of 5]

ARC review

A Wild Radiance follows Josephine Haven, a Radiance-wielding student at the House of Industry. Her inability to adhere to the status quo and follow rules has come around to bite her when graduation comes and she is banished - ahem, stationed - to a far-off mission in Frostbrook. In addition to being far-away from the city she thought she was training so hard to help after graduation, she is now under the command of standoffish Julian, one of the most successful alumni from the House of Industry. Away from the city and propaganda machine, Josephine uncovers horrifying truths about the effects of Radiance and the sickness that is tearing through the countryside. Now is the time for rebellion, breaking all the rules and not holding your heart back.

This books features a lot of themes and tropes that are popular in YA fantasy but the author puts her own spin on them and I thought it was fantastic! Add in an abundance of nuanced queer characters and experiences (see author’s note on the last slide because it hyped me up so much when I started reading) and it’s a winner for me. I think Josephine toes the line between naive and cunning really well, and there weren’t really any “why the hell did you do that?!” moments that you get from most YA protagonists.

I also loved that the romantic relationships felt really genuine and and played a large role in each characters’ arc but they didn’t take over the main storyline. The values and motivations of the lead characters are all clear but it didn’t make the plot of their actions predictable. Also an APPLAUSE for the plot twist because I was genuinely shook!!

This is another fantastic example of why you should not be sleeping on the YA fantasy shelf!! I am very glad to see the author has a couple other novels (and a graphic novel series if that’s your thing) on their backlist because I need more of their magic!

[Izzys_Internet_Bookshelf · Rating 2 out of 5]

2/5

I really had an odd time with this book. At first I did enjoy it but I guess I wasn't fully into the world building and it was just hard for me to be really into the characters and what has going down in the book. Not to say they were wrong for their actions because they obviously weren't, but the way it was written was difficult. I also had a bad two weeks or so, so everything I've been reading has just felt difficult to get into and finish.

[Shannon · Rating 4 out of 5]

Talk about powerful, talk about romantic!

[Amelia · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was sooooo excited to read this one. A polyamorous relationship with queer platonic elements? Sign me up! Teens learning to challenge the system they grew up in? Love it! But in the end, the execution fell a bit flat for me personally.

For a book I would consider to be a romantasy, the romantic elements were just not very engaging. I think this book very badly needed to be multi-POV. We get the story solely through the lens of Josephine, which meant that I never felt like I knew Ezra or Julian very well. And since I never felt like I knew them, I never really bought into their connection with Josephine. In fact, I felt the chemistry better between Ezra and Julian than Josephine and either of the boys, and the story is being told from Josephine’s perspective :(

I liked the dystopian world that Ingrande Mora developed, although it could have done with a bit more subtlety. I did feel often that the system was too perfectly evil, and especially that Josephine abandoned her upbringing so quickly and completely barely a third of the way into the book. I just think it was missing a LOT of complexity that could have elevated it. And before you come from me that this is a YA book and those tend to be simpler, I would counter that young adults deserve to be challenged by complex narratives just as much as adults do.

3/5

[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.

[Joanna · Rating 4 out of 5]

I liked this! It was a well written and unique concept and I really enjoyed reading it. I loved the queer polyamorous and queer plutonic soulmates elements but I think a tad more could've been done with it - most of that fell away by the last 1/4th and while it was still clear they all cared about each other the relationship development stalled.

However, this same criticism can be made for whole final third of the book (not just the relationship), the story sort of fizzled for me near the end and it just didn't hit as hard as I thought it would. But nonetheless this was still a really enjoyable read and a great new YA option!

Also this book is marketed as having 'enemies to lovers tension' and bro be so fr no it doesn't, we gotta stop slapping that on every book that has a pairing that doesn't immediately begin as them being friends.

[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!

[benjamin kade · Rating 3 out of 5]

This had a lot of really good messages and good concepts (with the magic system especially), but the execution and writing were not there. This has been on my GR tbr since 2023 an I'm sad to see it get a lower rating (though I still think I might keep it cause the cover is just so pretty)

[natália ✿ · Rating 4 out of 5]

So so so so so good. My only issue, and it's a very minor one, is that I liked one romantic duo better than the other.

[.⋆｡⋆☂˚｡Polaris ｡˚☽˚｡⋆.]

DID YOU SAY QUEER PLATONIC

[Makayla Crockett · Rating 2 out of 5]

Easily one of the worst books I have ever read. Everything was named in the most basic manner, no one has any distinctive personality, and they all started making out way too fast. Nothing made sense, they were just in some sort of void with no scenery, and knew each other so well two pages after meeting. Trash.

[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.

[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.

[Brittany Kilinsky · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 stars

[The Bookish Chimera - Pauline · Rating 5 out of 5]

“We were made to be something, not given the opportunity to step into something that we were meant to be.”

A Wild Radiance is such a powerful book (yes, pun intended). I felt connected with the writing style and the characters immediately, and loved the narrator’s performance just as much as the author’s work.

The setting is super close to the Industrial Revolution, with Universal Exhibition, the rise of technology… and of capitalism —with, of course, all the collateral damages you can imagine on people and the environment. The magical system is electrifying and the children are “at the service of progress”, which makes the book feel equally terrifying and full of serenity.
Josephine’s experience is at the core of the book. She’s impulsive —which makes her quite dangerous considering her magic— and asks too many questions. Yet, at the same time, she also has no clue about the meaning of some things happening around her (as an autistic person, it talked to me SO MUCH!).

The story articulates around her awakening, as she opens her eyes to another reality. This awakening happens when she’s sent to the countryside, and it’s hypnotizing.
As I said, some parts of the book are (very) hard, as it challenges a system that uses (ensl*ave!) children, just in order to ensure the fortune of a handful of men, no matter all the repercussions on them —and the rest of the population. These kids are cut from reality, the information is controlled, they’re not allowed to truly connect with anyone: they’re orphans, and they can’t form friendships… and even less fall in love. Yet, Josephine will discover these relationships anyway, no matter if she can’t name what she feels.

That forbidden love (well, loves) is intensely beautiful as this transgression becomes a real form of resistance. There is so much tenderness here —and in the descriptions of Nature— and it becomes the comfort against the raw violence, it crawls beautifully under your skin, to hug you, support you, make you able to go further, and it finally becomes one of the things that ignite the Revolution as she slowly opens Josephine’s eyes, her lighthouse in the sea of her struggle and her rage (a very cathartic one).
The balance is just perfect, and this book comes —unfortunately— in a time it is very much needed. I’m glad it found me now and I know I’ll reread it more than once.

[mouwwie · Rating 5 out of 5]

i waited for this book for years.

i have been there from the moment of the first book deal announcement. i was there when i tentatively asked if the book was polyamorous and the author themself responded with a “yes”. i was there when it was delayed and then delayed and then delayed again.

i have read it, and i cannot begin to describe how much the waiting paid off. if there was a six star rating, id give it to this book. completely seriously and unironically, this is going to be one of my favourite books of all time.

i was maybe a quarter into this book when i started dreading it being over. i knew that i would be ravenous for this world, for its complexity and colour, for the sincerity of the author's message, for the heartwrenching and healing relationship between the main characters. this book brought me joy. this book made me sob. this book made my heart sing because an unapologetically queer, unapologetically anti-establishment polyamorous fantasy has made into onto the shelves and in my hands.

i have just finished reading it and im still writing this review in tears. less because the book was depressing and more because it not only made me so unbelievably emotional on so many levels but because it reignited my love for writing that i felt like i lost somewhere along the way for the past year or so.

i wish i had this book when i was younger. i wish i had a book to validate my senseless anger at the system, my queerness that somehow constantly felt too queer even for other people in my own community. but i read it now and i think it healed something in me i didn't know needed healing

please please PLEASE read this book. if i can beg of you to read one ya book even if you don't enjoy ya please let it be this one