I literally couldn’t put this down. The characters were wonderful, the world building was there and I felt immersed in almost every scene. There so much suspense. Penn does a great job at depicting urgency, sadness, all of it.

If you’re looking for spice, this isn’t the book for it. (I would say it’s maybe .5/5 on the spice, but apparently it should be ramping up in future books. 👀)

If you’re looking for a good fantasy story with an angsty FMC, this is it. I loved that the romance and love interest wasn’t the main focal point nor the main plot for the book. It’s interesting to see it take a backseat but still play some role.

I truly enjoyed the book from beginning to end and I can’t wait to read more!

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC.
This is my new Roman Empire.
I’m obsessed and I’m beyond excited to start the rest of the series.

I loved this book! There were twists and turns throughout the story. I found the MMC Luther to be a doll and enjoyed the banter between the two main characters!

I'll be honest, I struggled to get into this book. The first few chapters had me debating if I should keep reading or not, but I will say that I am glad that I pressed on because it did get good. I like all of the characters, can some be a little annoying with their actions, of course, but so can characters in other books so not really a fair judgement (at least to me).

The slow burn, enemies to lovers was nicely done.

I'll have to read the rest of the series to see where this store goes. I have some questions, that I'm hoping I'll get answers to.

I’ve seen this all over booktok and I’ve been dying to read the series, so you can imagine my surprise when it was offered up as an ARC. I assume it’s being republished, but I’m not complaining about a free chance to read this book.

This started a bit slow, which is typical of books and series like this. There’s a lot of introduction and familiarizing yourself with the customs, people, and lands of the area. I read this in two sittings, so the first was mostly exposition and the second… I devoured the second sitting. The exposition was good! We meet the characters and get some backstory to enlighten us so we can see why the characters are the way they are and their motivations. There’s a lot of obvious signs that Diem doesn’t see (and I wanted to slap her more times than I can count), and I *knew* how her and Henri would turn out. I’ve read enough shadowdaddy fiction to know exactly where this is going. This does feel very Throne of Glass-esque, which is what I was hoping for.

The plot is a bit predictable for me (as this genre is my bread and butter), which isn’t a bad thing. There are some surprising developments, and of course all sides feel like they’re doing the right thing. This was a very exciting (and frustrating) read; I am excited to continue the series, and even more excited I don’t have to wait to do so.

Definitely a slow burn. If Diem will just OPEN HER DAMN EYES, I’ll be a lot happier. 4.5⭐️

This book is all about the groundwork and the journey before the big bad something. Filled with mysteries, magic and unwise decisions this made for a fun read. It’s a “trust the process” read. Some parts I guessed what would happen and other parts really surprised me. I’m eager to read the next book in this series!

3.5/5⭐️

This was a unique and interesting fantasy and i enjoyed the read alot. This follows the fmc Diem a mortal in her village who is a healer following in her mom’s footsteps. When her mom goes missing she starts to be aware of secrets about herself, her background and the politics going on in their continent. She starts working in the kings palace and gets recruited on the side of the rebellion in the war that the kingdom is currently fighting.

The world building didn’t feel to daunting and i was able to follow the world politics, ruling class and why people we’re really. The fmc is a strong woman that is not only a skilled healer but a fighter thats good with a sword. I really liked how she takes control when it comes to relationships and things she has to do but at times i would get frustrated by some of her decisions lol. The romance was a good slow burn, the characters have chemistry and i’m really interested to see where it goes. Overall if you like wpic fantasies especially ones that deal with class differences and rebellions against the ruling class you should read this. Thanks to Atria for this earc the new special edition has character art in it and a bonus epilogue!

Read if you like:
- Slow burns
- Enemies to lovers
- Magic
- World politics
- Epic fantasy

3.75 stars

Spark of the Everflame is a great start to a fantasy series. An enemies to lovers, true reveal of heritage and coming into ones power kind of story. Sometimes in fantasy books I find that the FMC is hard to connect to. I'm either very irritated or indifferent towards them - but that was not the case for Diem. She's not perfect in anyway, frankly she could do with some self control in more than one situation. Regardless, she's a very good FMC so far, gonna have to read the remaining books to see if it stays that way.

With the MMC, I don't have any thoughts on him since we don't know much beyond the fact that he's a prince. Hopefully, we get more insight possibly a couple POV chapters in his voice.

All in all, this was a very decent start to this story. Very curious to see where this goes!

Thank you to NetGalley and Atria Books for allowing me to have this ARC

This was an amazing story that I could not put down. The main character, Diem, was a relatable protagonist and I was yearning to learn more through out the book. This also had an amazing male lead, Luther, that I hope we get to know better in later books. He seems to have an interesting background and this book scratches the surface. The world building is solid and touches upon some difficult subjects regarding class/society differences. The romance was just starting in this book so it stays true to the slow burn description. I cannot wait to devour the next book.

HELLO?? I was not ready for this! I love this devoured this in one night!! Did I lose sleep? Yes. Did I care? Yes. Could I stop? No! So good! Loved it. I’ll probably start the second book tonight and lose sleep all over again! I’ve been looking for another fantasy that could keep me interested in the entire book! Lately I haven’t found that!! But this series did!!!

Spark of the everflame is one of the most truly amazing fantasy novels i have read in quite some time. i read a lot of indie fantasy, and i read a lot of trad fantasy. this one stands out in so many ways i can't even depict it all accurately nor do i want to. everyone going into this should go in blind and experience every page unbiased.

Sometimes there just are no words to express how incredible a book is. Spark of the Everflame has brought me joy like I haven't felt since Throne of Glass - and that's a big deal!

I absolutely devoured this book, and loved every second of it. The world and magic systems are beautifully created, yet still easy to understand. The politics of this world play such a strong role, but they are accessible and my brain doesn't have to do somersaults to imagine Lumnos (or even Emarion overall). The wit and banter, the depth of these characters, it's all just so captivating. Diem is EVERYTHING and this book had me on the edge of my seat waiting to see how things with Luther (and Henri) unfold! Getting the glimpse of his POV at the end was the best treat.

And speaking of the end - that last chapter (not counting Luther's!) was a wild ride!

In summary - this series is incredible, and I'll follow Penn Cole anywhere, for all my days.

Thank you to NetGalley for this eARC in exchange for my honest review!

Spark of the Everflame is such a captivating romantasy. This is my second read through, first read was indie published and second is an ARC. Thank you to NetGalley and Artia Books for the ARC of Spark of the Everflame! I’m so happy this series got picked up for traditional publishing and congratulations to the author, Penn Cole. The Kindred’s Curse Saga is a series that will have you jumping from one book straight into the next and you won’t want to put them down.

Spark of the Everflame is a slow burn, enemies to lovers romantasy*. Spark follows Diem Bellator, an assistant healer, who is going through a lot at the moment, and Prince Luther, who is super grumpy and broody. When Diem learns a secret that her mother, who has disappeared, kept from her, she dives into the world of the descended. There’s secrets, politicking, magic, and some banter.

The first 60% of this book FLIES by but the last 40% drags a bit and I found myself skimming some scenes. In the first half everything is introduced to us and the second is to set up for the next book. Diem kept making silly decisions in the second half which sort of changes from her mature personality in the first half. Luther can do no wrong and I won’t hear anything different 🤭

This first book in the series is a set up to a much bigger plot that you won’t see coming..

*not exactly enemies more like they don’t know each other and have misinformed opinions.

Final rating: 3.5 stars ✨

Tropes:
Magic
Badass FMC
Secrets/Prophecies
LGBTQ+ rep
Slow burn

I am so glad I discovered this series!! Ever since I read ACOTAR years ago I have been trying to find something like it and I finally did! This series is SO good!

Favorite Tropes:
*Enemies to lovers
*Found Family
*Slow Burn Romance

Diem's mother has disappeared and she is desperate to find some answers. Along the way she learns that her mother had many secrets - and by the end of the book she realizes nothing was as it seemed (even as it relates to her). Luther is our MMC - he has all the best traits of a book boyfriend!

Penn Cole is the best at writing slow burn romance!

Once you start this book you wont be able to put it down! It's so fast paced!

If you are a fan of ACOTAR, Powerless and Fourth Wing.. read this!

Thank you NetGalley and Atria Books for this ARC!

Seen this book on book Tok heard it was good so I just had to read it. Read omit on Kindle unlimited loved it! Just had to get it now I can't wait to get a physical copy. Thank you net galley!

Shoot, this was good.

This is a debut??

This was REALLY GOOD.

Spoiler-free!

I loved the SASS we get from the FMC, Diem. Her banter with literally anyone she talks to is incredible and addicting. She’s incredibly self-doubtful which made me be like “GET IT TOGETHER” a few times but with the *laws* and her mother and Henri, it at least makes sense. Her character arc throughout the story was well done and now that she can’t really deny much at all anymore I’m excited to see where it goes.

I loved the fae/human civil war and the rebel human group, the political intrigue, the dark and broody cinnamon roll off-limits Prince, the pat down, The Kiss, the world building, the undercurrent of forbidden love in side characters, the secrets.

That epilogue is one to rival A House of Earth and Blood, and I am more than glad that I only have to wait about a month for book two.

I’ve been wanting to read this forever and it totally delivered! The world building was amazing and unique and the characters were awesome. It felt so fantasy and magical but also not exactly like everything else I’ve read. Would recommend this to anyone and I can’t wait to read the rest of the series now.

This book was entertaining and it sucked me right in! It is lighter on world building and magical fantasy than other books in this genre, which may appeal to some. The main character comes from a community of mortals, so magical elements are limited. But the plot journeys to a place that I feel will set up more magical depth in the later books of this series. The cliff hanger at the end was one of the best parts of the book. If I had any critique, it is that it could use more building of connection and more chemistry between the MMC and FMC. They seem to have little interaction before suddenly being enthralled with each other. Their attraction seems to go from 0-100 with no build, particularly from the POV of the MMC. Perhaps this is explained in later books, but it felt like he was enraptured with her from the start with little explanation of how or why. The enemies to lovers trope was lacking In substance. In contrast, I loved the arc of the relationship between the FMC and Henry. I initially wanted to root for him. And I am not sure I wasn’t still rooting for him in the end. I also felt that the FMC was a little too in denial. She never asked the questions that the reader wants to know. I would have like to have seen her more curious or suspicious and determined to get answers. She says she is determined to find her and she is brave enough to run into a burning building, but not ask questions of the man who is the last one seen with her mother? It is puzzling to the reader. Overall, I enjoyed the book. I’ll need to read the next books in the series to get some answers. .

I could not put this book down. I loved everything about Penn’s writing style. The beginning was a little bit slow, but we got detailed world building, and in a way that just brought you deeper into the book and didn’t leave confusion that can sometimes happen when falling into a new fantasy book.

The characters in the book were done so well. It’s so easy to understand the beliefs that each of them hold even if you don’t agree with them. And the relationships between them all are written so well. We see Diem beginning to grow into her own. She is funny and full of fire and passion and I cannot wait to see how that develops in the future books.

The epilogue left me with so many questions. I will immediately be diving into book two.

This is definitely a must read for romantasy lovers!

Thank you to Netgalley and Atria Books for a copy of the eARC.

"Don't choose a mediocre life for a mediocre man. Go be exceptional. If he's worth it, he won't judge you. And if he's really the one, he'll come along for the ride."
PREACH!

The story follows Diem Bellator, a mortal woman and healer whose mother suddenly disappears in mysterious circumstances. She finds herself intertwined with the Descendants, the rulers of the realm and children of the gods who colonized and forced the mortals into poverty as she takes a new position as healer to the dying King. There, she meets Luther, the mysterious and handsome shadow-wielding heir to the throne, and she must decide between her heart and her head as she tries to uncover the mysteries surrounding herself and the Descendants.

What I loved:
I must say, I haven't loved reading a book this much in a long time. The world building was well done, and the writing so beautiful. Diem is a great MC; courageous, witty, but she still has her demons and trauma, which made her more relatable. I really felt her anguish and torment as she got closer to Luther and the Descendants, while still trying to discover the truth about her mother and her heritage as a healer and a mortal. Luther sure delivered as a shadow daddy...he's a hard shell to crack but obviously cares for the people he loves and is willing to do anything to protect them. The slow burning and banter between the two of them was great. I also really enjoyed the bonus chapter from his pov, since he is hard to read sometimes and we don't know him that well yet. t's a great opening for the rest of the story. If you love ennemies to lovers and slow burn romance with a great plot that gets you hooked right away, this is for you!

What I didn't love:
It was a bit predictable at times, and Diem seemed a bit clueless about some very obvious things about her life and her mother.'s secrets I really didn't get her relationship with Henri, but I think it was needed for the plot. The second half was a little bit slower than I liked, and I wish we'd get even more background on Luther. I think dual pov would have been even better.