Review: The Incorruptibles

The Incorruptibles

by Lauren Magaziner

Aladdin (imprint of Simon & Schuster), 2025

Category: Middle Grade

Reviewer: Judy Ehrenstein

 

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Thirteen-year-old Fiora lives in Barrowburgh with her Uncle Randal, in a dystopian former United States. Sorcerers have taken over, controlling and terrorizing the town and beyond. Fiora's parents were brutally murdered and she is both enraged and deeply frightened of the Sorcerers and their powers. During an unfortunate meeting and subsequent battle with one, Fiora is rescued by Quinn, a member of the Incorruptibles, a rebel group working to defeat their cruel overlords. Taken to Inc Academy, their training school, Fiora begins to learn her own strengths, both physically and emotionally. Life at the school brings friendships, rivals, and a little romance. And also danger, with the book ending on a cliffhanger, leaving readers wanting more.

Characters are diverse: skin color and hair texture is described, as are physical disabilities such as deafness and limb loss, body size, neurodiversities, and gender acceptance. One of the Sorcerers is genderfluid, shapeshifting during encounters. Several of the characters are trans. This is all blended into this fast moving and nail-biter of a story, the first in a series, perfect for fans of Harry Potter, Percy Jackson, and The Last Kids on Earth.

Fiora periodically plays with her necklace, which is described in a way that readers will identify as a Magen David. Her memories of her parents include special meals at different times of the year which are clearly Jewish holidays. Other than those brief mentions, there is nothing else explicity Jewish, although more may come in future books. 

 

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Reviewer Judy Ehrenstein is a children's librarian in Maryland. A former member of the Sydney Taylor Book Award committee, she currently serves on the AJL Holiday Highlights work group as well as edits children's and teen book reviews for AJL News and Reviews.