Title: Spark of the Everflame
Author: Penn Cole
Rating: 5⭐️

"I am not afraid, Devourer of Crowns. Ravager of Realms. Herald of Vengeance.”

I had heard great things about this book prior to reading it, but I was not prepared for all that I was about to experience. I am not one to give many books a 5 star rating, but this one was definitely warranted.

This book was a fast paced fantasy novel full of amazing world building, magic, and so many twists and turns.

Our FMC, Diem, was a fearless healer, though sometimes maybe a bit ignorant to the things happening around her. Her life turned a bit messy following the disappearance of her mother, and she made some questionable choices (ahem, talking about you Henry).

I NEED MORE LUTHER! It would have been amazing to see some of the chapters from his perspective, so that is something I am hoping will happen in the coming books.

The cliffhanger at the end had me itching to start the next book ASAP!

Favorite quote:
"If you’re the way my fate finally catches up to me, I can’t fathom a more beautiful end.

Read this book if you enjoy:
- Slow burn
- Enemies to lovers
- Touch her and 💀
- Magic
- Amazing work building
- Grumpy princes

Definitely check out this book when it is re-released on October 8th, 2024, you will not be disappointed!

Thank you to Atria Books who provided an eARC via NetGalley for an honest review!

I loved this book—SO MUCH! I couldn’t put it down. It had everything I hope for in a fantasy romance and more. The characters were absolutely addictive, and while the storyline wasn’t groundbreaking, it completely held my attention from start to finish. I’m already craving more from this world and these characters. Please give me the next book ASAP!

Thanks NetGalley for this ARC in exchange for my honest review.

Thank you NetGalley, Atria Books, and Penn Cole for the eARC of this book!

I was so conflicted on how to rate this. The first half of the book did an excellent job with the world building and setting the tone for the relationships within the story. My biggest complaint was that I didn’t connect with the FMC at allllll. She made me want to pull my hair out.

The last half of the book was absolutely wonderful. I think our FMC grew and matured a lot by the end, and I loved the turn the story took. Overall, I enjoyed the story and can’t wait for book #2!!!!

3 / 3.5 stars!

Spark of the Everflame is a romantic fantasy set in a world where mortals are perpetually set under the thumb of the offspring of gods that colonized their mortal world and broke their land into 9 realms with varying types of power. Diem Bellator, a mortal healer who's mother has just disappeared, is presented with the opportunity to uncover secrets about her past and future when she's given an unusual opportunity to serve the Descended after being hidden from them her whole life.

After reading the summary for the book I was really intrigued by the general premise of the book and was excited to dive into this one after reading some raving reviews. The initial promise of an enemies to lovers storyline was the hook for me but after getting into it a bit more the enemies to lovers felt a bit.... one sided? Luther was down bad for this woman from the moment they met and it just felt like Diem was so slow to the punch. It was to the point where the slow burn was so painful I was losing my marbles and I just wanted her to open up her eyes!!! I had a bit of a difficult time connecting with the fmc and felt like she could be a bit infuriating with some of her decision making, but on the other hand I LOVED LOVED LOVED Luther. Looking back on this series as I'm finishing the third book, I honestly read this for him lol. He's broody, he has the big and mysterious scar, he clearly has secrets and he has the beloved shadow magic that us fantasy girlies pounce for. I think that while I didn't really fall in love with the main character (who was also the narrator) there was still a fair bit of potential with the plot. I think that it sets itself really well for the next few books and there's still lots to uncover! Despite my feelings towards the characters in this book, the author still had me binge reading the next two because I just desperately needed to know what happened!

Read this book if you like:
𐙚 an insanely (insanely) slow burn romance
𐙚 feisty fmc x super broody "touch her and you die" prince
𐙚 easy to follow world-building (with lots of politics!)
𐙚 fantasy with dragons!! (or gryverns, in this case)

I finished this book a little while ago and immediately jumped into the others and then I realized I forgot to write this review! I will say that while this book was sitting at a 3/3.5 star read for me, I really enjoy the progression in the following two books and found that it only got better!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for the eARC!

I don't know what drug is in this book, but I need SO MUCH MORE of it. I love Diem and how soft and caring she is, but how much of a baddie she still can be. I read this as an indie and it still slaps so hard.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

3.75⭐️

I had a hard time with this. Enjoyed the beginning, had so much potential, and then it kind of went downhill from there.

Diem’s character was very naive, very dumb, very reckless and made decisions she knew went against her morals and felt guilty about it and acted how a guilty conscience acts. I really had such a hard time connecting with her, she had soo much potential.

Based on the synopsis, you already get an inkling of who the love interest MMC was. For about 75% of the book, the only inkling you get that he was into her were intense stares and no consequences for her actions and that’s about it. A touch, a look, a passing scent is really the only indication that she and him were staring something whereas the other guy, was much more prominent in her life, got affection but like you can tell it’s not it. But like you couldn’t really confirm the actual love interest was bc you barely got affection from him…

Now. What I did like was when everything starting happening which is ab the last 25%. Which low key js a bummer bc if the pacing was more spread out through out the rest of the book, this would be gold. I wouldn’t have had a hard time with Diem or the romance plot. I would really compare the pacing to typical SJM plot ( like CC ) but the buildup to that end, could have been better bc it was rough. Almost DNF it before it got to the good parts

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an early copy of this book! Below is my honest review.

Summary of the plot:

Diem Bellator is a healer, just like her mother. She's also mortal, making her susceptible to the neglect caused by the Descended, children of the gods. The Descended have powers based on which god they come from and are forbidden from having children with mortals. Any half-Descended is killed. Diem's best friend/lover is Henri, who is part of the Guardians, a rebel group of mortals who want to replace the Descended. After Diem witnessed a brutal scene between a mortal and a Descended, she decides to join the Guardian as a spy. Given that she's a healer, she is able to enter the Royal Palace to heal young Descended who have not yet grown the ability to heal themselves yet. Little does she know that her world is going to turn upside down.

Thoughts on the book:

I'll be completely honest. I try to avoid books that have any kind of iteration of "BookTok sensation" written in the blurb. Often times, BookTok recommendations are not as well written or flushed out as I would like. BUT this book was a good surprise. Don't get me wrong: I don't think this book is perfect or super unique by any means. Some points of the book are easy to predict and the world building could use a bit more effort. But considering that it was popular on TikTok AND it's a pretty decent book, I'll give the author and TikTok points for that. The world and magic system are not hard to understand, and I love the strong female protagonist (Diem) in this book. Family ties and friendships are also important to the story. There's sort of a love triangle, but you'll know who Diem chooses really quickly.

I flew through this series because of how much I enjoyed it. But beware! The series is not over yet. Do not be fooled into thinking there are only three books. There is at least one more book coming out, though I have no idea if the author plans on writing more in the series. either way, I highly recommend anyone to pick it up. In my opinion, it's a perfect mix of fantasy, magic, politics, romance, family drama, and friendship.

Summary: Twenty-year-old mortal healer Diem has always looked at the Descended, the offspring of the gods, with disgust, but when she is called to work in the palace she must gracefully straddle the two worlds and find her own voice amidst the chaos.

Review: I loved this. What I loved the most was Diem’s character. Unlike many other female protagonists in fantasy books, Diem isn’t so impulsive that she creates conflict wherever she goes. She is thoughtful in her choices and the first person point of view really captured the inner struggle she felt in deciding who was friend and who was foe. She’s also hilarious with her dry humor and witty comebacks. The build up to the final sentence of the book was beautifully done and well written. The fantasy world is interesting but not impossible to understand and there’s a little enemies to lovers thing going on with the Prince. There were twists and turns and surprises a plenty.

Some people sleep on their sides, others prefer to sleep on their backs, but a lot of y'all are sleeping on THIS BOOK. I’m not kidding, how is there not more people talking about this?

This is the first book in a new series. It’s about a healer named Diem living in community of Mortals who are co-existing with another people group, the Descendeds, who are demigods with magical powers. When Diem’s mother disappears, she begins taking on more of her mother’s duties, such as medical care for the Descended living in the nearby palace.

I literally couldn’t put this down. I even stayed up until 2am finishing because I couldn’t stand to wait. It seamlessly combines all my favourite tones of fantasy novels and to me, this is the best type of fantasy. It’s a story that kept me interested and intrigued to see where it goes. The characters were wonderful, the world building was there and I felt fully immersed in almost every scene. I could truly envision every place, moment, and person. There is so much suspense. The slowest of slow burns. There are gryverns (wyvern/griffons!!). There’s not much more I could ask for.

I love the protagonist—Diem is the most amazing, real, emotionally complex, strong but vulnerable FMCs. She is so fierce, but also incredibly caring. She’s headstrong, smart, and loyal. Mostly importantly, she’s likeable. I could feel everything she was feeling, her sadness, her anger, her moments of happiness. I found myself laughing and then two pages later I wanted to scream at her because of the impulsive decisions she’s making. Looking back, I’m sure I would have made the same decisions.

Spark of the Everflame is my new favourite fantasy recommendation.

Really loved this book ! Excited to see how the series continues. The world building was great and the characters are very well written. Loving the slow burn sparks flying between Diem and Luther. Looking forward to see how they progress in the next books.

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for the digital arc in exchange for my honest review.

It’s giving “touch her and I’ll rip off your f#%^ing arms.”

Throne of Glass meets Cruel Prince. All in.

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for this advanced copy! You can pick up Spark of the Everflame on October 8, 2024.

I was immediately swept away by this stunning new romantasy! Our main character, Diem, jumped off the page and wove a tragic picture of the world she lives in. I was intrigued by the concept of the Kindred, Descended, and mortals and their relationships. I could tell right away that Diem didn't quite fit into this world in the ways others did, but the ending of the book still surprised me.

I'm so excited to see her sloooooooowburn relationship with Luther grow in the coming books. Their dynamic is sexy and playful and a little bit dangerous but with hints of tenderness and vulnerability.

I'll admit, this story as a whole could've used a bit more action throughout the middle to move things along, but overall, I'm intrigued by what will come next. Be sure to pick this up first thing on October 8!

Holy cow. Player, play on. Shoooo.

I started this and pretty quickly was just like meh, not enthused. The main character was a bratty, whiny, girl and there was A LOT of conflict building but no action.

BUT HOLD ON.

Once I realized it was part of a saga and things started heating up, literally IYKYK, I was HOOKED. The secrets, the drama, the love triangle. Slay me. I’m in. Immediately onto book two.

This book was fantastic and written so well! The world building was easy to understand and it was easy to become immersed in the book! It has some of my favorite tropes - enemies to lovers, touch her and die, and slow burn. SAY LESS. I think the book sets up the series well and I am excited for the second book to see where the story continues. That ending had me shook, but I also kind of had a feeling something like that might happen. Although the epilogue has me super curious to see what happens in book 2!

4/4.5 stars

This took a few days flying find my rhythm in reading but once I did that, I couldn’t stop. This has a lot of predictable parts but it’s not less enjoyable. A nice escape from the real world.

I am super curious about the next book.

WOW I really enjoyed this! I had heard great things and lately, am skeptical of overly hyped books, however this hit a lot of check boxes for me. I'm glad most of this series is out for me to continue.

Thank you to the author, NetGalley, & Atria Books for the eARC in return for an honest review!

As with a few other books I've read recently, this was a good, quick read. I enjoyed the characters (very character driven writing). I enjoyed the plot. I thought it was all set up to become a very good series. I will definitely continue to read.

It was refreshing to read a FMC that wasn't putting off all the damsel in distress vibes. I liked her flaming feisty attitude, whit, and then along the way the character loses this sense of independent badass. She makes horrible decisions and those decisions don't always have a rhyme or reason (ex. her irritation and hatred of MMC). It got annoying towards the later half of the book. Don't even get me started on the MMC. This slow burn romance wasn't exactly a slow burn at all and at times it just felt forced. I liked the story build in the first half, but thought it just fell a bit flat and left me a bit confused at times.

I think given a bit more time and the next book, I will get a bit more invested. I like the direction this book is going and the potential for a great, spicy love story is there. Definitely worth the read to find out for yourself!

No Regrets!!!!
Solid 3 out of 5 stars

I have so many questions…but first of all I need Justice for Diem. Diem, the FMC in this book, has been sheltered and pretty much lied to her whole life. So reading her journey and the truths she finds along with the readers makes you feel the anger she feels when reading about her.

The most real thing I read in this book was how she was totally conflicted and pulled in the middle of this rebellion of Mortals vs Descended. She has so many conflicted feelings because many people she loves are in both completely different sides. Then, we also have the question of what Diem is? Is she really mortal? I don’t think so but it was enlightening how in denial she was. Definitely a result of being gaslighted her whole life.

The major plot here is very interesting. We have a breed of deities, the Descended, taking over the realm long ago and claiming power over the mortals. Reinstating the social classes, their religions and customs. Of course this brings a major war. But we also have old gods and Descended gods involved and will probably be a big part of the story. The biggest mystery of it all what is going on with Diem’s mother and father? They definitely know something.

Luther is another enigma but it is quite obvious the Diem and him have a connection. The parts I looked more forward to were when these two met again and again. It was so random, they would be fighting each other or defending the other or maybe becoming friends. Quite the rollercoaster.

For me the mystery of it all, along with Diem’s character development of finally choosing herself plus fight what is right are what made me rate this 4 🌟

Thank you to @netgalley and @atriabooks for my free copy in exchange for an honest review. 🫶🏻

I was in a massive book hangover after finishing Two Twisted Crowns, so I immediately started reading this book and it definitely helped pull me out! I love this one and need to start book two ASAP!

Sometimes I avoid reading fantasy because it’s just so much world-building & new names and places, but in Spark of the Everflame I didn’t feel overwhelmed. Everything was clearly explained and the world-building was straightforward. I liked the idea of the Descended vs mortals and even the political aspects were intriguing.

I loved Luther, but need more of him! I’m hoping more of him is coming in book two. I also liked our feisty FMC, Diem. She definitely had moments of immaturity and stupidity, but the warring of her emotions and decisions made perfect sense to me. I liked seeing her internal struggles as she desperately tries to make the right choices but doesn’t know how. And I DEFINITELY need more Luther and Diem together. This is for sure a slow burn but not much payoff at the end of this book, so hopefully more of that to come!

I’m super interested to see where the storyline goes from here, especially with the Guardians and with Diem’s mother. I also liked Lily quite a bit and hope to see more of her and Teller.

Overall, this is an exciting and well-written fantasy book that just might pull you out of a reading slump or hangover, as it did for me. On to the next book!

Hey you. Everything they said was true. All of it.

You who love ACOTAR.
You who own multiple versions of Throne of Glass.
You who can’t stope thinking about Fourth Wing.
You who who thinks she has already read her favorite fantasy book and nothing will compare.

This series is for YOU.

Penn Cole’s Spark of the Everflame is the start to my favorite Romantasy series to date: The Kindred’s Curse Saga.

TKCS is about to be the next Romantasy social media sensation and, if I could only pick one series to recommend to my audience across book socials - it’s this one.

My EASIEST five-stars since joining Bookstagram.

Congratulations to Atria on this incredible re-release. The cover is stunning and bonus content is the best kind of teaser.

I can’t thank Atria Books, Simon & Schuster, Penn Cole and NetGalley enough for this ARC.