Lightmare

The Incorruptibles #2

by Lauren Magaziner

Fiora’s world has been turned upside down in this second book in the exciting upper middle grade fantasy series The Incorruptibles, for fans of Keeper of the Lost Cities and The Marvellers.

Still reeling from recent tragedies, Fiora and her Thistle teammates are on the run and living in seclusion. Times are difficult, and the Thistles are more vulnerable to the sorcerer threat than ever. But all is not lost. The Thistles are forming a plan to fight back.

But when terrible truths are revealed, deep fractures form within the team. When one of their own makes a choice Fiora never saw coming—and cannot possibly understand—Fiora and her friends are forced to reexamine what is good and what is evil…as well as the gray space between.

Genres: Middle Grade, Fantasy, Queer

448 pages, Kindle Edition

First published June 16, 2026

About the author

Lauren Magaziner is the internationally bestselling author of four series: This Book Is Trying to Kill You, The Incorruptibles, Case Closed, and The Mythics. She is also the author of three stand-alone middle grade books: The Only Thing Worse Than Witches, Pilfer Academy, and Wizardmatch.

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 with her cats (Olive and Feta) in Philadelphia, where she writes full-time.

You can visit her at laurenmagaziner.com or follow along with her newsletter at laurenmagaziner.substack.com.

Reviews

[The Page Ladies Book Club]

✨📚 A secret resistance academy, powerful sorcerers, betrayals, twists, and friendships tested at every turn? Count me in!

I had so much fun reading The Incorruptibles and Lightmare by Lauren Magaziner. These upper middle grade fantasy books delivered exactly what I look for in the genre: imaginative world-building, high-stakes adventure, memorable characters, and plenty of surprises along the way.

In The Incorruptibles, I was immediately drawn into Fiora's story. Living under the rule of powerful sorcerers, she finds herself at a resistance academy where not everyone believes she belongs. Watching her fight to prove herself while navigating secrets, danger, and suspicion kept me turning the pages. The academy setting gave me all the magical school vibes I love, while the mystery of who could be trusted added an extra layer of excitement.

Lightmare raises the stakes even higher. Fiora and her friends are no longer just training, they're fighting to survive. I loved seeing the characters grow as they faced difficult choices, heartbreaking revelations, and questions about what truly makes someone good or evil. The story explores loyalty, friendship, and the gray areas between right and wrong in a way that feels accessible for younger readers while still keeping older readers invested.

What stood out most to me across both books was the fast-paced storytelling and strong character development. Fiora is easy to root for, and the emotional moments hit just as hard as the action-packed scenes. Fans of magical academies, resistance movements, found-family friendships, and epic fantasy adventures will have a great time with this series.

✨️ Thank you, StoryGram Tours, Simon Kids, and Lauren Magaziner, for sharing The Incorruptibles and Lightmare with me!

[Jules (Bookishfoxes)]

Mind? Blown. Heart? Broken. Gut? Wrenched. Plot? Twisted. Breath? Taken.

I didn't think this could top the first book in the series, and yet it did. Lightmare is an action packed novel discovering the grey areas of a world pretending to be black and white, a mirror to our own society.

As always, Lauren Magaziner's writing is amazing and breathtaking, and it was easy to get lost into this world again. So many thoughtful, beautiful moments about good and evil.

(Sidenote: he already did in book 1, but Onyx has truly captured my heart)

I will forever scream at the top of my lungs that people need to read these books. I can't wait to see what's next!

[Amara]

This book is even better than the first. The characters are done excellently and I love how messy they are as people, particularly Fiona (although she was borderline unlikable at some times due to this). Overall the book was very well written and original. The prose is sometimes awkward, but that is its only real flaw. I really hope we get a third book, although I'm not sure how likely it is at this point. 9/10

[Alexander Davidson]

Lightmare has all the heart and humor of the first novel. The Thistles are found family gold for those who love this trope. While they may still be recovering from the epic conclusion of the previous novel, they haven’t given up hope and are willing to fight for what they believe in.

At first, I thought the novel was headed in one direction regarding trying to undo a friend’s choice (no spoilers here!), but they actually ended up on a side quest that needed attention first. I was thrown for a loop, but I’m looking forward to getting back to their original plan in the next installment. (More to love in the next book!)

The novel brought up some pretty solid issues, none more prominent than the duality of human nature. Is anyone ever truly evil? Can people be fully good? The thistles are finding that real life is a bit grayer, which is very relatable to today’s world.

I highly recommend checking out The Corruptibles so you can follow it up with this fun sequel.

Rating: Really Liked It

[Therearenobadbooks]

Ok. Devoured this one the moment I put my hands on it. So much happening. Let me focus on why this is one of my favorite series. Super cast of characters on both teams. It's like having X-Men, witches, factions, houses, dark/light side... but feeling that there is no safe ground (class, academy) because they fight in the real world and people die. The other side has awesome characters too.
Fiora may be the main character, but it doesn't feel like it all depends on her, like a chosen one. She works well as a team, in the community, together.
Mel's story is heartbreaking, and I would have been as devastated and hurt as her. So much action, very rich in dialogue with personality and humor. There are no pure villains or pure heroes. They are all humans, and it's their choices that make their path wicked or not. I loved that Fiora has a great conversation with Quinn and shakes her out of depression. Rowan is hilarious, and other characters are fun too.
This series has a lot of great moments, quotes, values, and lessons that are appropriate to our contemporary times: working together towards a better future, staying away from retaliation and revenge, fighting back power wanting to exploit and hurt minorities.
It's exciting, and I recommend it as an audiobook too. I ended up getting a copy of Volume 1 and will get this one as well. When I need a boost of inspiration, motivation, will to fight back or to find my voice again, I'll return to this world/friends.

[Lauren Magaziner]

I wrote this book, and I'm extremely really proud of it!!! Thank you so much for reading the sequel! I hope you enjoyed it! 💚💜💛

My review is specifically about audiobook version of Lightmare, narrated by Caitlin Kelly. I don't have input on the audiobook, nor do I get sneak peeks... I get access to the audiobook only after the book is released, which allows me to approach Caitlin's version more like a reader than an author. So here are my thoughts on the audiobook:

WHOAAAAAAA. *jaw drop*

That about sums it up. This audio was 100 out of 10, mind-blowingly excellent. I was SO EXCITED to hear Caitlin Kelly's spin on some of the gut punch emotional moments I knew were coming. And WOW--did she deliver!!! I gasped, I laughed, I cried--I love her rendition, which sometimes sounded *exactly* how I heard it in my head, and sometimes was a bit different (and maybe even better!!) than how I'd imagined it.

I think one of my favorite things about Caitlin Kelly's narration is how brilliantly she is able to distinguish each character with the pitch, accent, and tone of her voice. She's an unbelievable actress. If you're looking for an incredible and entrancing audiobook read for kids approx ages 10-14, this one is just perfect!!!! ✨🎧⚔️

[Jakki (BizzyBookNook)]

I don't even know where to begin with how incredible this book was. Book two of the Incorruptibles picks up right where book one left off, with Fiora, Quinn, and the Thistles laying low after the events of the Rainfall Ball. This story starts with a bang and doesn't let up until the very last page. The stakes are higher, and the emotional complexity of the relationships within our main crew is tested far beyond anything I saw coming. When I tell you I gasped out loud multiple times while reading, I am not exaggerating. I loved the strong theme of found family, as well as the thoughtful exploration of prejudice and what truly makes a person evil or good. I am so emotionally invested in these characters, and I cannot wait to see the chaos that is sure to ensue in book three!

[Yapha]

This second book in the Incorruptibles series picks up with Fiora, Mel, and the Thistles right where the first leaves off. You definitely need to read them in order. It is non-stop action from the beginning as they chase after the Radiance and learn more about their leader Lightmare. There are some big reveals and a deep dive into what makes a person good or evil. An excellent fantasy adventure. I can't wait for Book 3! Highly recommended for grades 4 & up.

eARC provided by publisher via Edelweiss

[Jessie]

I loved the first Incorruptibles book and this was a perfect continuation of the story! It was full of twists and turns and I was on the edge of my seat. It was the kind of book where you finish a chapter and even though it’s 2am, you think “well I can just do one more chapter…” and then all of a sudden you’ve finished the book and are wondering when you can get your hands on part three!