This was a fun read. I can tell the series is going to expand and get more intense, because it seems like this was introductory. It never slowed for me, and I was entertained until the end. The world is unique and I think readers new to fantasy will enjoy this!

4.5⭐️

I am so glad I listened to everyone recommending this book! Diem is a mortal born into a world ruled by the Descended, magical beings who descend from the gods. After her mother disappears, Diem is thrown into a dangerous new world as the palace healer where she is introduced to Luther, the handsome but dangerous heir to the throne. Through her relationship with her childhood best friend Henri, she also becomes entangled with the rebellion, and has to navigate her duty as a healer with her desire for a better world.

I absolutely love the world and characters in this book. I was immediately pulled into the story and it was almost impossible to put down. I cannot believe that this is Penn Cole’s debut novel. I was so pleasantly surprised by this story and I cannot wait to read the rest of this series. I just know that this series has the potential to be a new favourite of mine.

What to expect:
❤️‍🔥 Romantasy
❤️‍🔥 Enemies-to-Lovers
❤️‍🔥 Feisty FMC
❤️‍🔥 Touch her and die
❤️‍🔥 Slow Burn
❤️‍🔥 Magical Creatures

Thank you to Penn Cole, Atria Books and NetGalley for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Wooow. I had such a great time reading this! I was hooked from the very beginning. The world Penn has created? SO immersive and unique. The magic is magic we’ve seen before but in a way that’s wholly unique to the world, story, and characters.

3.75 ⭐️

Okay, I liked this. I couldn't quite give four stars because I think the series has the potential to really build, but this first book was incredibly predictable and felt kind of like the "romantasy blueprint."

Also, miss girly pop was so clueless the whole book. I was yelling at her to figure out what we all already knew. I'm interested in seeing her character develop over time.

5 stars for Prince Luther, though. 🖤

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

OH MY GOSH. I AM SWEATING AFTER THAT ENDING. This book has been on my list for a longgg time and I am so so grateful I was able to read an early copy of the trad edition! With that being said - I wish I would've read this sooner. The world of Emarion, the multi-layered characters and the plot are ALL CONSUMING. Diem is the perfect FMC and Luther is also an amazing shadow book boyfriend, but I need to know more about them both. The ending has me spiraling and begging for book 2!!! It left you with enough infomation to be satisfied, but not enough to want book 2 so bad it hurts. I am so excited to see where book 2 takes me!

I really enjoyed this one. I cant wait to see where this series is going. Diem is a little hard to connect with and I hope in book two I am able to grow a better connection with her.

This book pleasantly surprised me!!

The world building is so easy to follow. There’s no confusing magic or races of creatures or anything like that. It’s a book that is SO easy to get sucked into. The writing is really well paced and I was never bored!

This book also has all of my favorite romantasy cliches. It’s not the most unique read ever, but it is really well done. I instantly got a KU free trial to keep the series going!

I also loved the added bonus chapter of Luther’s POV. There was so much foreshadowing for the rest of the series, I’m impressed!

I loved this right from the beginning. The author built the world right into the story without feeling like a massive “world building” and made it feel easy to understand. I loved the characters and the way they developed…I love Diem and her strong female lead character & immediately started book 2 to see where it would take her.

What a way to start out a romance fantasy! I’ll admit, it started off a slow, but once I got close to the half way point, I ate the rest up! When Diem and Luther are together, you can feel the chemistry between them! I can’t wait to read the second book and get deeper into the story!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️💫 (4.5)
Steam Level: 🔥🔥 (fade to black scenes)

Diem is a mortal healer who struggles to respect the Descended- children of the Gods who rule over Lumnos City. When her mother mysteriously disappears after meeting with one of the royals, Diem decides it's time to learn more about the Descended in order to learn her mother's secrets. What she ends up discovering is much more than she ever bargained for...

I've had this book sitting on my shelf for months because I was so worried it wouldn't live up to the hype. Well, I'm glad to say that this was a win for me. The first half of the book left me with so many theories and predictions. While one of the secrets about Diem was a bit easy to predict, I was still extremely curious to see how it would play out and change the character dynamics. The ending only left me with more questions, so I can't wait to see what unfolds next. All of the characters were likable in this book- yes, even Henri 😉 I definitely want more from Diem's brother, Lily, and Luther. The chemistry between Diem and Luther really ramped up at the end, and I have some extra special theories about how these two are connected. The new epilogue with Luther's POV was a nice touch that added to the story even more. I can't wait to learn more about the magic system, the other royal family members, the rebellion, and Diem's mother. So, needless to say, I'll definitely be picking up book 2!

Thank you Netgalley and Atria Books for providing me with an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

This book was amazing!!! This book is in my top favorite books of the year. The story was so addictive and the slow burn romance is so good!

There were several moments where I had no idea where this story was going….in a good way. Diem is thrust into a world of secrets that she had no idea existed with the disappearance of her mother. She struggles to learn the truth of her world, while also searching for her mother.

Overall, I enjoyed the plot of this story. Diem’s character frustrated me at various points in the story, but I was able to move past it for the most part. This was a pretty solid romantasy and I will continue with the rest of the series.

Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for an eARC of this title in exchange for an honest review.

A wonderful start to an intense adventure! I love the story of Diem and her family, and all the secrets that become unraveled as Diem adapts to a whole new way of life!

I have heard amazing things about this book. And I love a great romantasy read. But unfortunately, this was not the book for me. Let me start with the good things about this series. I loved Luther. Luther was the best part about this book, he was intriguing, and caring. The bad part was he was barely in any scenes! The next great thing was Sorae the king's gryvern, who also unfortunately was only in like two scenes. I liked the intrigue of her mother going missing. Now for what I disliked about the book. Unfortunately for me, I hated the main character Diem. The best thing about her was her being a healer, which was quickly ruined when she decided to throw away her morals. Diem might take the award for the dumbest main character I have ever met. For example, she did not agree with the rebels hurting innocent children of any race or innocent people at all. However, she knows her childhood lover took part in this, and five seconds after talking to him, she is back to agreeing with him and throwing away any concern she had. The second biggest reason I disliked this book is Henri. This book has the classic love triangle where you already know who she is meant to be with. Except the ENTIRE book, we get her with the guy she is NOT meant to end up with. I hated the Henri scenes, mainly because it meant Diem was going back to being her dumbest self and not standing up to Henri at all about anything. I had high hopes for this book, but I will not be continuing the series because I do not want to continue living in Diem's head.

Thank you NetGalley and publisher for the ARC in exchange for a honest review.

Wowowowoowow this book is the easiest 5 star review I have ever given. Penn Cole is a genius and I am submitting my application to be head of her fan club! I have never picked up a second book so fast either. Rolled right into Glow of the Everflame. Diem is my savior. Luther is my religion. I am obsessed with the storyline, following Diem the mortal healer who is navigating her colonized world, feeling pulled towards the handsome descended Luther, keeping her family safe and navigating politics, power, and love. Diem's childhood friend, Henri, pulling her into the resistance. This book has everything and more. I will never stop recommending this series.

Penn Cole did such a good job with this series. The first book follows Diem through a mysterious fantasy with political intrigue, slow burn romance, and a strong female lead character. Diem's world is ruled by gods and their offspring and the power plays between them was very interesting. Diem and her love interest Luther have so much chemistry and I truly am rooting for them.

✨Book Review✨

Spark of the Everflame - Penn Cole

📖 This Romantasy book opens in a poor village centuries after the Descended have colonized the continent. Diem is our female main character and she is a healer who has trained with her mother since she could walk. Her mother has guarded her from the Descended and knowledge about them for as long as Diem can remember. When her mother goes missing Diem is forced to take on more responsibility with the Healers, leading her directly to the Palance. From there she meets Prince Luther who is as handsome as he is lethal. As Diem learns secrets of the Guardians and Descended alike, she will be forced to make decisions that she could spend the rest of her life questioning.

📚 While it takes some time to learn a new world, its magic, and all the characters in play - the payout is worth it in this story. Penn Cole is clearly setting the foundation for the next books in this series in a thoughtful way, lacing intricate details in conversations and scenes. I can sense the foreshadowing even though I’m not sure where it will lead. I finished this book and immediately placed the next one on hold at my library.

🌟 If you like the Romantasy genre then you should give this book a try! With a strong female character, mystery, magic and a bit of romance it is a perfect fit for anyone who enjoys Sarah J Maas, Rebecca Yarros, or Carissa Broadbent.

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#GoodReads #SparkOfTheEverflame #PennCole

I requested this book thinking it was the last of the series when it was actually the first! I've already read the book and absolutely LOVED it. While I wish the series was a little less YA/NA and more adult, I was obsessed with the characters, the world building throughout the whole series, and the writing style. I think it's a great fantasy series for people just starting out in the genre.

Just one of these times, I would like a heroine that sleeps in on the weekends, is a little lazy and a bit of a homebody, and who doesn't have secret magical powers or is extremely gifted in the art of combat. The 'Chosen One' trope is getting a little wearisome.
Our main character Diem (great name, though) is irrational and slightly unbearable. Our love interest Luther is supposed to be an intimidating yet Diem cuts him down, sometimes in front of his supporters. I don't believe either one would find the other attractive.
I liked it, but is it any different than any other romantasy currently on the market? I think not.

Thank you Netgalley for this book in exchange for honest feedback!

The slow-burn in this book is *chef's kiss*! The plot is fast-paced and kept my attention the entire time, and the ending, absolutely perfect. I NEED to read the next book, because I was not expecting that plot twist. I do think this book could have been 100 pages longer to further explore some points of the plot, but since this series has four books I am sure it will get into the nitty gritty. Overall, it was a fun read and I am so excited to see where the story goes!