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Kindred's Curse #2
Glow of the Everflame
An unexpected gift offers the power to change everything—but keeping it could cost Diem her life.
The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a devil’s bargain with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.
But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.
Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.
War is coming, and dangerous enemies wait on all sides.. but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart.
Glow of the Everflame is the second book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.
The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a devil’s bargain with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.
But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.
Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.
War is coming, and dangerous enemies wait on all sides.. but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart.
Glow of the Everflame is the second book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.
637 pages, Kindle Edition
First published July 18, 2023
14195 people are currently reading
103756 people want to read
About the author
Penn Cole
14 books8,058 followersWhile my life has taken me through a lot of ups and downs, my love for reading and writing has forever been my true north. I’ve been writing stories since my childhood, filling mountains of notebooks with wild worlds and angsty romances. After a detour as an attorney and small business owner, I am thrilled to finally be pursuing my lifelong dream of becoming an author.
Though I’m a Texas girl born and bred, I currently live in France with my husband, where I can usually be found drinking far too much wine and eating far, far too many pastries.
Though I’m a Texas girl born and bred, I currently live in France with my husband, where I can usually be found drinking far too much wine and eating far, far too many pastries.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 14,038 reviews
October 3, 2024
Thank. God. That’s. Over. By far my most disappointing read of the year. Diem takes my number 1 spot for least favorite FMC of all time. The most upsetting part about this to me is that there were things I did like about this book, but in the end, Diem was this series demise for me and I was incapable of looking past being one of the most insufferable characters I have ever read.
Diem: I’ve never been more frustrated by a character in my entire life. Im honestly impressed with how the author just continued to make me hate her more and more over the course of two books. Not a sliver of character development. It got to the point where there was absolutely zero justification for her actions and I wasn’t even rooting for her redemption because she didn’t deserve it… I know I’m petty. It’s one thing to have trust issues because you’ve been lied to most of your life, I get that. But there comes a point where the lack of character growth makes it difficult to show any empathy towards her. She constantly made idiotic and illogical decisions and as soon as she suffered the consequences of her own actions she blamed everyone around her but herself. Every single “conflict” in this book came about because of her stupidity and it actually made me want to set my kindle on fire repeatedly. Because this is in the first person and only her POV it is very hard to look past her character, she is entirely unlikable and I think even having Luther’s POV would have helped SIGNIFICANTLY just to have some reprieve. The way this girl treats her friends and family… it made me physically recoil. She has trust issues yet blindly trusts all of the wrong people who are so obviously using her, while at the same time refuses to trust those who continue to prove they support her and are on her side. This girl is incapable of taking anyone’s advice and just blindly goes into situations and acts on her emotions alone.
Don’t even get me started on the way she treated our MMC Luther… LUTHER BABY YOU DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER!! Luther was arguably one of best parts about this book, the whole time I was rooting for him to put Diem in her place… which he never did. Unfortunately by around the 70% mark I started to like him less and less because of the way he blindly followed Diem like lost a puppy and let her walk all over him. I wasn’t even rooting for them as a couple by the end of this. The cruel way she treated him after he gave her countless reasons to trust him actually made me sick to my stomach.
Personally I wasn’t even invested in their romance at all, which obviously can be attributed to me hating Diem. But nonetheless I actually found the romance portion to be a very insignificant part of the book. The repetitive arguing took away from any romantic chemistry between them. Yes it’s a slow burn but it had none of the qualities that you LOVE from a slow burn, no tension, no angst, very little flirting and cute moments. It was mainly just Luther pining over Diem and her pushing him away in every way possible because she’s BETROTHED ….
Speaking of Betrothed oh good god don’t even get me started on Henri. A huge pet peeve of mine is when the first love interest, that you know is obviously not end game, sticks around for WAY TOO LONG, for no reason other than to cause unnecessary drama. Honestly at this point Diem and Henri deserve each other.
Okay I’m ranting I know, I apologize, but if you’re still here I appreciate you. I would have really liked to get a better understanding of how the magic system works and see Diem actually work to harness her powers. The “training trope” in this, if you can even call it that, was weak at best and consisted of Diem being too stubborn and giving up. Then her randomly coming into her power in the end without having to work for it.
What bothered me a lot throughout the book was that there was such a significant lack of setup for scenes that were supposed to have an emotional impact. It seemed like things were just happening to characters to push the story forward so I really didn’t feel anything at all. We were building up this whole time to this big “challenge” that was entirely anticlimactic. I’m still looking for who our true villain is… but there isn’t a clear enemy just a lot of shitty people.
All in all for me personally this series was not it and I will not be continuing.
Diem: I’ve never been more frustrated by a character in my entire life. Im honestly impressed with how the author just continued to make me hate her more and more over the course of two books. Not a sliver of character development. It got to the point where there was absolutely zero justification for her actions and I wasn’t even rooting for her redemption because she didn’t deserve it… I know I’m petty. It’s one thing to have trust issues because you’ve been lied to most of your life, I get that. But there comes a point where the lack of character growth makes it difficult to show any empathy towards her. She constantly made idiotic and illogical decisions and as soon as she suffered the consequences of her own actions she blamed everyone around her but herself. Every single “conflict” in this book came about because of her stupidity and it actually made me want to set my kindle on fire repeatedly. Because this is in the first person and only her POV it is very hard to look past her character, she is entirely unlikable and I think even having Luther’s POV would have helped SIGNIFICANTLY just to have some reprieve. The way this girl treats her friends and family… it made me physically recoil. She has trust issues yet blindly trusts all of the wrong people who are so obviously using her, while at the same time refuses to trust those who continue to prove they support her and are on her side. This girl is incapable of taking anyone’s advice and just blindly goes into situations and acts on her emotions alone.
Don’t even get me started on the way she treated our MMC Luther… LUTHER BABY YOU DESERVE SO MUCH BETTER!! Luther was arguably one of best parts about this book, the whole time I was rooting for him to put Diem in her place… which he never did. Unfortunately by around the 70% mark I started to like him less and less because of the way he blindly followed Diem like lost a puppy and let her walk all over him. I wasn’t even rooting for them as a couple by the end of this. The cruel way she treated him after he gave her countless reasons to trust him actually made me sick to my stomach.
Personally I wasn’t even invested in their romance at all, which obviously can be attributed to me hating Diem. But nonetheless I actually found the romance portion to be a very insignificant part of the book. The repetitive arguing took away from any romantic chemistry between them. Yes it’s a slow burn but it had none of the qualities that you LOVE from a slow burn, no tension, no angst, very little flirting and cute moments. It was mainly just Luther pining over Diem and her pushing him away in every way possible because she’s BETROTHED ….
Speaking of Betrothed oh good god don’t even get me started on Henri. A huge pet peeve of mine is when the first love interest, that you know is obviously not end game, sticks around for WAY TOO LONG, for no reason other than to cause unnecessary drama. Honestly at this point Diem and Henri deserve each other.
Okay I’m ranting I know, I apologize, but if you’re still here I appreciate you. I would have really liked to get a better understanding of how the magic system works and see Diem actually work to harness her powers. The “training trope” in this, if you can even call it that, was weak at best and consisted of Diem being too stubborn and giving up. Then her randomly coming into her power in the end without having to work for it.
What bothered me a lot throughout the book was that there was such a significant lack of setup for scenes that were supposed to have an emotional impact. It seemed like things were just happening to characters to push the story forward so I really didn’t feel anything at all. We were building up this whole time to this big “challenge” that was entirely anticlimactic. I’m still looking for who our true villain is… but there isn’t a clear enemy just a lot of shitty people.
All in all for me personally this series was not it and I will not be continuing.
December 24, 2023
Oh boy. This book started off so strong! I read for the characters, and I seriously struggled with this one about 30% in.
Diem has long straddled the line of unsympathetic MC for me and this cinched it because she made many unwise, really illogical decisions, which I get were part of her character arc, but I think what the book needed were moments of the reader actually liking her once or twice between 35% to 80%. Because it's first person and she's completely unlikable as she treats her friends and family in petulant, rude ways, it was very hard to stay engaged. Her treatment of Luther was bizarre and cruel, which made it very hard to buy her "empathetic queen of the people" persona. I found myself yelling at my Kindle and threatening to throw it out my window multiple times because of how frustratingly unbelievable her actions were.
The "I'm going to save everyone" bit, especially for the ball and the Guardians - that really just ruined my suspension of disbelief. It's completely fine if Diem thinks up an asinine idea to give away her entire country's state secrets to save 200 terrorists. What I couldn't believe is that LUTHER, who this entire time was being set up as the guy who was raised to be a smart king, thought of that brilliant idea. His blind need to agree with Diem on every turn and do whatever she needs without question pushed him into simping territory for me sadly, as he seemed to completely lose his spine around her.
I won't even get started on Henri, Aemonn, and the very confusing love square (?) that was going on.
I think my greatest issue, though, was the lack of setup and payoff. Diem's father dying one scene after we see him for the first time in a while held no emotional impact for me because there was no foreshadowing that that was about to happen. I would have loved a few more scenes with him. We see so little of him throughout both books, and most of his lines are remembrance lines that Diem remembers, so his death felt hollow and I couldn't relate to Diem and Teller's grief. There were moments when I felt things were just happening to the characters because it needed to move the plot, which really pulled me out of the novel.
I don't usually write long scathing reviews but it's clear that Penn Cole has put in a lot of effort for it to be at the level of Maas and Broadbent, and I think it's absolutely doable. Just at a macro level, I think the characterizations need major work to stay engaging.
Diem has long straddled the line of unsympathetic MC for me and this cinched it because she made many unwise, really illogical decisions, which I get were part of her character arc, but I think what the book needed were moments of the reader actually liking her once or twice between 35% to 80%. Because it's first person and she's completely unlikable as she treats her friends and family in petulant, rude ways, it was very hard to stay engaged. Her treatment of Luther was bizarre and cruel, which made it very hard to buy her "empathetic queen of the people" persona. I found myself yelling at my Kindle and threatening to throw it out my window multiple times because of how frustratingly unbelievable her actions were.
The "I'm going to save everyone" bit, especially for the ball and the Guardians - that really just ruined my suspension of disbelief. It's completely fine if Diem thinks up an asinine idea to give away her entire country's state secrets to save 200 terrorists. What I couldn't believe is that LUTHER, who this entire time was being set up as the guy who was raised to be a smart king, thought of that brilliant idea. His blind need to agree with Diem on every turn and do whatever she needs without question pushed him into simping territory for me sadly, as he seemed to completely lose his spine around her.
I won't even get started on Henri, Aemonn, and the very confusing love square (?) that was going on.
I think my greatest issue, though, was the lack of setup and payoff. Diem's father dying one scene after we see him for the first time in a while held no emotional impact for me because there was no foreshadowing that that was about to happen. I would have loved a few more scenes with him. We see so little of him throughout both books, and most of his lines are remembrance lines that Diem remembers, so his death felt hollow and I couldn't relate to Diem and Teller's grief. There were moments when I felt things were just happening to the characters because it needed to move the plot, which really pulled me out of the novel.
I don't usually write long scathing reviews but it's clear that Penn Cole has put in a lot of effort for it to be at the level of Maas and Broadbent, and I think it's absolutely doable. Just at a macro level, I think the characterizations need major work to stay engaging.
August 28, 2023
4.5 stars ✨
"I want every breath, every laugh, every tear. Every taste of your mouth, every inch of your skin. I want to kneel at your feet, soaked in the blood of your enemies, then worship your body until you scream my name. Yes Diem, I want to serve you- in every way a man can."
OH MY GOSH. This was perfect and such an improvement compared to the first book🤌
Read this if you like-
✔️ ACOMAF
✔️ The Serpent and the Wings of Night
✔️ Slowww torturous burn
✔️ Angstyyyy romanace
✔️ Found family
✔️ Dragon sidekick
✔️ Court intrigue
✔️ "Who did this to you" but she says it
✔️ Only one horse
"His touch was the changing of seasons, the dead, cold grey of winter thawing and giving way to the colorful hope of spring. The promise of something new, something exquisitely alive."
So after the disappointing first book (review already posted), this one felt like a breath of fresh air. Almost everything went right with this book. I was struggling to put it down and was fully immersed in the world and with the characters. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about this book. That's how good it was 🤌 As I mentioned in the review of the first book that this series has immense potential and this book solidifies that.
Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger and this one picks up right from that moment. No time wasted. One of the things I mentioned in my review for book 1 was that I wanted the author to elaborate more on the world, take time with characters and romance- which is exactly what the author did here and it worked brilliantly.
World building can still use some work but am not complaining much on that as the author seems to be taking it book by book. The pacing is not too fast, not too slow and is perfectly balanced. Plot wise? It's getting juicier and juicier 👀 The court intrigue was brilliantly written.
The romance was the highlight for me. Both Luther and Diem left things on a rocky ground and how sweet, torturous that slow burn and angst was. The way they looked at each other, knowing both are stuck with people who don't love them. Their hearts yearned for each other even if Diem didn't want to accept it. The touches and caresses, standing up for each other. I was swooning. Also, FYI man's was really giving her a foot massage after the ball cause she was dancing and in heels all day 👀 That scene where they look at each other's scars and open up was chef's kiss 🤌 I can't wait for the spice 😩😩
Luther makes it to the list of my book boyfriends and guys, I ain't gonna lie to you, EVERYTHING about that man is PURE PERFECTION. Am sorry y'all, am claiming him🤭❤️🔥 The way he carries himself, the way he talks, the way he ignites passion. The way he practically worships the woman he wants and will go to any lengths for her is swoon worthy. Am in love with Luther I swear 😭❤️🔥 I need me him.
Diem's character has improved a lot. I enjoyed to see her grow and the way she tackled court politics. Her exposure to vulnerability and trying to cope with a loss of loved one was so beautifully written. I would tho love to see more clarity on her magic cause it seems badass.
The supporting characters were so fun and radiated inner circle vibes. I like Diem's family except for her mother. I still don't care about her. Henri is such a shitty person, I don't know how him and Diem even got along. I swear the man is worse than any other failed love interest you know.
The Challenging towards the end was fun but the thing that made it disappointing (and the reason why it is a 4.5 star read instead of 5 ) is what the author inserted for shock value. The mini betrayal made me rethink everything but it really was not required. There was nothing really of substance there except that it comes across as shocking.
The ending- Although I won't say the cliffhanger was brutal but the way things ended, the third book will go straight to my anticipated reads. Regarding the epilogue, am gonna say it again- I don't care about her mother. Her secrets can die with her, she has done nothing except lied, manipulated, destroyed family trust not only of Diem's but Luther's too, apparently.
In short, I recommend this series but would suggest reading book 1 with low expectations. You might be missing out on something special 😉
This is going to be my new obsession. Cannot wait for the third book to release 😍😍
~•~•~
Really hoping that this is better than the first book🤞
"I want every breath, every laugh, every tear. Every taste of your mouth, every inch of your skin. I want to kneel at your feet, soaked in the blood of your enemies, then worship your body until you scream my name. Yes Diem, I want to serve you- in every way a man can."
OH MY GOSH. This was perfect and such an improvement compared to the first book🤌
Read this if you like-
✔️ ACOMAF
✔️ The Serpent and the Wings of Night
✔️ Slowww torturous burn
✔️ Angstyyyy romanace
✔️ Found family
✔️ Dragon sidekick
✔️ Court intrigue
✔️ "Who did this to you" but she says it
✔️ Only one horse
"His touch was the changing of seasons, the dead, cold grey of winter thawing and giving way to the colorful hope of spring. The promise of something new, something exquisitely alive."
So after the disappointing first book (review already posted), this one felt like a breath of fresh air. Almost everything went right with this book. I was struggling to put it down and was fully immersed in the world and with the characters. When I wasn't reading, I was thinking about this book. That's how good it was 🤌 As I mentioned in the review of the first book that this series has immense potential and this book solidifies that.
Book 1 ends on a cliffhanger and this one picks up right from that moment. No time wasted. One of the things I mentioned in my review for book 1 was that I wanted the author to elaborate more on the world, take time with characters and romance- which is exactly what the author did here and it worked brilliantly.
World building can still use some work but am not complaining much on that as the author seems to be taking it book by book. The pacing is not too fast, not too slow and is perfectly balanced. Plot wise? It's getting juicier and juicier 👀 The court intrigue was brilliantly written.
The romance was the highlight for me. Both Luther and Diem left things on a rocky ground and how sweet, torturous that slow burn and angst was. The way they looked at each other, knowing both are stuck with people who don't love them. Their hearts yearned for each other even if Diem didn't want to accept it. The touches and caresses, standing up for each other. I was swooning. Also, FYI man's was really giving her a foot massage after the ball cause she was dancing and in heels all day 👀 That scene where they look at each other's scars and open up was chef's kiss 🤌 I can't wait for the spice 😩😩
Luther makes it to the list of my book boyfriends and guys, I ain't gonna lie to you, EVERYTHING about that man is PURE PERFECTION. Am sorry y'all, am claiming him🤭❤️🔥 The way he carries himself, the way he talks, the way he ignites passion. The way he practically worships the woman he wants and will go to any lengths for her is swoon worthy. Am in love with Luther I swear 😭❤️🔥 I need me him.
Diem's character has improved a lot. I enjoyed to see her grow and the way she tackled court politics. Her exposure to vulnerability and trying to cope with a loss of loved one was so beautifully written. I would tho love to see more clarity on her magic cause it seems badass.
The supporting characters were so fun and radiated inner circle vibes. I like Diem's family except for her mother. I still don't care about her. Henri is such a shitty person, I don't know how him and Diem even got along. I swear the man is worse than any other failed love interest you know.
The Challenging towards the end was fun but the thing that made it disappointing (and the reason why it is a 4.5 star read instead of 5 ) is what the author inserted for shock value. The mini betrayal made me rethink everything but it really was not required. There was nothing really of substance there except that it comes across as shocking.
The ending- Although I won't say the cliffhanger was brutal but the way things ended, the third book will go straight to my anticipated reads. Regarding the epilogue, am gonna say it again- I don't care about her mother. Her secrets can die with her, she has done nothing except lied, manipulated, destroyed family trust not only of Diem's but Luther's too, apparently.
In short, I recommend this series but would suggest reading book 1 with low expectations. You might be missing out on something special 😉
This is going to be my new obsession. Cannot wait for the third book to release 😍😍
~•~•~
Really hoping that this is better than the first book🤞
September 10, 2023
This book would be so much better without diem in it.
December 22, 2024
“Burn, my Queen. Glow so bright, the darkness trembles.”
Whew. What. A. Book.
4.5 Glowing Stars Rounded Up 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Lemme just start by saying that, I've had a weird relationship with this series to start. When I initially read book 1 earlier this year. It shouldn't be an excuse but I'm a mood reader, and I also find that sometimes when I come off a book that really left me unsatisfied and I borderline hated it, and I jump into something else that is written by unknown to me-often an indie author, I find that my feelings from the book that pissed me off can carry over and bleed into the next book. It's not fair, I know but I just think that may be how my emotions work.
╰┈➤Book 1 review can be found here Spark of the Everflame
That said, the FMC was incredibly annoying in book 1 but probably didn't deserve all of the criticism I tossed at the book. I've since gone back and adjusted book 1 from a 2 star to a 3 star rating- because to be fair I still had a little beef.
Moving forward now to talk about what we're all here for.
╰┈➤Book 2 in the Kindred's Curse series. Honestly, as I said in my pre-review. I simply do not understand how this book is not getting more action on the scene, whether it be 카지노싸이트 or social media. It's basically crickets for this series and I think all ya'll romantasy lovers are doing yourself a solid disservice.
Glow picks up right where Spark ends so there's not too much plot wise I can go into without giving spoilers and I don't want to spoiler tag this review. I will say this, in book 1 I had an issue with the pacing and that was corrected in this book. The FMC is still extremely frustrating at times but it made more sense to me in this book.
I do have a bit of an issue with fantasy being written in first person, I'd much prefer 3rd or 3rd person limited. I truly hate being locked in the FMC's head with her POV. That is probably my only critique.
I take that back, I'd love a little more on the world building, but it's still been progressing very nicely as you continue to read through each book. The plots and plans and twists and turns. Lots of scheming and political intrigue along with some good action sequences.
The characters are amazing. But, Luther omg- ladies. Ladies, ladies, ladies. You need to meet this man. Whew.
"But rest assured, my Queen, when I do kiss you, there will be no confusion. You will know that I have claimed you - and I won't have any desire to deny it."
"If a kiss is the reward, my Queen, I'll get on my knees for you whenever you want."
"You are my Queen, and I am your sword. Point me at your enemies, and watch them fall. Lead this world, Diem, and I will follow you-into war, into death, into the tundra of hell itself."
"You are the fate my heart was spared for. As long as it beats, you will never fight alone."
"I want to kneel at your feet, soaked in the blood of your enemies, then worship your body until you scream my name."
"I want to burn alive in that fire in your eyes. I want it to melt me down and forge me into the weapon you need me to be. I want to stand by your side for the rest of my life, and I don't need you to marry me and make me a fucking king to do it."
"Perhaps, for the right person, we endure pain, because the torture of never having them at all is the more unbearable fate."
╰┈➤ The growing romance/relationship between Diem and Luther is the main event in this book. Total slow burn with all the sexy smirks and witty banter between the two. Diem has grown on me so much from book 1, again, I still have some issues with her from time to time where she can come across like a brat stomping her feet but so many positives of the book overshadowed those moments for me.
╰┈➤The side characters-I love them all! Most of them. From her brother Teller to the circle that she surrounds herself with and they would literally kill for each other. You have quite a few characters that are still unknown- we quite literally don't know exactly what role they play and as to what their intentions are, are they good, are they bad? There are also many that you are constantly questioning- who have come across as good. Have almost seemed good but are they though?
Book 1 and book 2 both leave you on a cliffhanger- for me I'm not ready to jump off a cliff over them but I know some people rage about cliffy's so beware. That being said, I have book 3 ready to go this week at the top of my list!
🔥Slow Burn
🔥Found Family
🔥Court Intrigue
🔥Action/Magical Sequences
🔥 Touch her and Die
OMG- I can't even. I'm screaming- joy, frustration, happiness, the cliffhanger-idk but I'm screaming!! Thank the gods I have book 3 on hand. RTC shortly. 🩶
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊
After having a long chat with one of my besties earlier -SK 🩷 Neither one of us understand how this book is so underrated. Look I'll be the first to say that I was a little on the fence with book 1- I think part of that was due to disappointment I had in another book and it carried over. It's not without it's flaws , but so far book 2 (this book) has been really impressive.
I started it the other day and didn't want to tag it as currently reading- just in case I was let down again. I'm still in the very beginning and have been battling a migraine today so I hope to get back to it tomorrow.
But - if you love tension, magic, hidden identity, forced proximity and some others- I think you will LOVE this
3 books available now with the 4th coming in March 2024 🩷🩷
Alright, after not being impressed with book 1 earlier this year- I'm going to go back into this series with an open mind and hope that Book 2 is as amazing as I've heard from others.
💗
Whew. What. A. Book.
4.5 Glowing Stars Rounded Up 🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟
Lemme just start by saying that, I've had a weird relationship with this series to start. When I initially read book 1 earlier this year. It shouldn't be an excuse but I'm a mood reader, and I also find that sometimes when I come off a book that really left me unsatisfied and I borderline hated it, and I jump into something else that is written by unknown to me-often an indie author, I find that my feelings from the book that pissed me off can carry over and bleed into the next book. It's not fair, I know but I just think that may be how my emotions work.
╰┈➤Book 1 review can be found here Spark of the Everflame
That said, the FMC was incredibly annoying in book 1 but probably didn't deserve all of the criticism I tossed at the book. I've since gone back and adjusted book 1 from a 2 star to a 3 star rating- because to be fair I still had a little beef.
Moving forward now to talk about what we're all here for.
╰┈➤Book 2 in the Kindred's Curse series. Honestly, as I said in my pre-review. I simply do not understand how this book is not getting more action on the scene, whether it be 카지노싸이트 or social media. It's basically crickets for this series and I think all ya'll romantasy lovers are doing yourself a solid disservice.
Glow picks up right where Spark ends so there's not too much plot wise I can go into without giving spoilers and I don't want to spoiler tag this review. I will say this, in book 1 I had an issue with the pacing and that was corrected in this book. The FMC is still extremely frustrating at times but it made more sense to me in this book.
I do have a bit of an issue with fantasy being written in first person, I'd much prefer 3rd or 3rd person limited. I truly hate being locked in the FMC's head with her POV. That is probably my only critique.
I take that back, I'd love a little more on the world building, but it's still been progressing very nicely as you continue to read through each book. The plots and plans and twists and turns. Lots of scheming and political intrigue along with some good action sequences.
The characters are amazing. But, Luther omg- ladies. Ladies, ladies, ladies. You need to meet this man. Whew.
"But rest assured, my Queen, when I do kiss you, there will be no confusion. You will know that I have claimed you - and I won't have any desire to deny it."
"If a kiss is the reward, my Queen, I'll get on my knees for you whenever you want."
"You are my Queen, and I am your sword. Point me at your enemies, and watch them fall. Lead this world, Diem, and I will follow you-into war, into death, into the tundra of hell itself."
"You are the fate my heart was spared for. As long as it beats, you will never fight alone."
"I want to kneel at your feet, soaked in the blood of your enemies, then worship your body until you scream my name."
"I want to burn alive in that fire in your eyes. I want it to melt me down and forge me into the weapon you need me to be. I want to stand by your side for the rest of my life, and I don't need you to marry me and make me a fucking king to do it."
"Perhaps, for the right person, we endure pain, because the torture of never having them at all is the more unbearable fate."
╰┈➤ The growing romance/relationship between Diem and Luther is the main event in this book. Total slow burn with all the sexy smirks and witty banter between the two. Diem has grown on me so much from book 1, again, I still have some issues with her from time to time where she can come across like a brat stomping her feet but so many positives of the book overshadowed those moments for me.
╰┈➤The side characters-
Book 1 and book 2 both leave you on a cliffhanger- for me I'm not ready to jump off a cliff over them but I know some people rage about cliffy's so beware. That being said, I have book 3 ready to go this week at the top of my list!
🔥Slow Burn
🔥Found Family
🔥Court Intrigue
🔥Action/Magical Sequences
🔥 Touch her and Die
OMG- I can't even. I'm screaming- joy, frustration, happiness, the cliffhanger-idk but I'm screaming!! Thank the gods I have book 3 on hand. RTC shortly. 🩶
₊˚ ‿︵‿︵‿︵୨୧ · · ♡ · · ୨୧‿︵‿︵‿︵ ˚₊
After having a long chat with one of my besties earlier -SK 🩷 Neither one of us understand how this book is so underrated. Look I'll be the first to say that I was a little on the fence with book 1- I think part of that was due to disappointment I had in another book and it carried over. It's not without it's flaws , but so far book 2 (this book) has been really impressive.
I started it the other day and didn't want to tag it as currently reading- just in case I was let down again. I'm still in the very beginning and have been battling a migraine today so I hope to get back to it tomorrow.
But - if you love tension, magic, hidden identity, forced proximity and some others- I think you will LOVE this
3 books available now with the 4th coming in March 2024 🩷🩷
Alright, after not being impressed with book 1 earlier this year- I'm going to go back into this series with an open mind and hope that Book 2 is as amazing as I've heard from others.
💗
February 12, 2024
I’ve never been so fricking mad at the protagonist/heroine before. Actually insufferable and constantly making the wrong decisions. Annoying in every way possible with hardly any redeeming qualities. That being said I love the story itself just wish she wasn’t so terrible :/ I think she’ll be better in the next book now that she’s finally accepted who she is and that not everyone is untrustworthy.
Just an update: she gets better! can’t wait for this newest book to come out I love this series
Just an update: she gets better! can’t wait for this newest book to come out I love this series
May 17, 2025
Diem still bothers me but I am vibiiiiiiiing with this plot. Immediately starting book 3 with that ending 🫠
This series is so bingeable
This series is so bingeable
November 14, 2024
“We’re not reborn in the flames. We’re revealed.”
ㅤ ㅤ ✦ . ⁺ . ━ 4.8- 5.0 ☆ ━ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ╰┈➤˗ˏˋㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ (updated to 5☆ after finishing Heat of the Everflame)
ㅤ I will mention this right in the beginning of my review, because I want to make sure you are all seeing this information: if you did not read the bonus chapters for this one, GO AND DO IT RIGHT NOW!
ㅤ Now, back to the review for which I am still struggling to gather my thoughts, I just want to say that I am so glad I indeed continued this series; the second book was a thousand times better than the first one and I was left utterly speechless on so many occasions. I cannot really complain about quite anything with respect to this book, but I still hesitated on giving this a 5-star rating only because I still need to see a real growth in Diem as a main character. I am not against bold, stubborn female characters (I mean, one of my most favourite FMCs ever is literally Aelin "i will do whatever i want and not say a word to anyone" Galathynius); I even respect and love them, but their actions need to be backed-up with real reasons for me to agree with them. And unfortunately, this is not yet happening with Diem. But I have a feeling she is definitely going there.
ㅤ "Glow of the Everflame" quickly picks-up right after the events of the previous book and therefore we are met by a Diem who is heavily in denial and struggles to come to terms with her new position. Unfortunately for her, she cannot hide from her new responsibilities and, when found exactly by the man she now considers to be her worst enemy, she has no choice but to accept the new truth about herself. But court intrigues prove to be way harder to navigate than she expected and she finds herself, once again, depending on no other than Luther, the man which her head screams to keep very far away from; but, as we all already know, Diem is not very good at using her brain and, luckily for us, this finally prove to be a good thing, since listening to her heart pushes Diem far into some very delicious and interesting experiences.
ㅤ With new loyal allies, people she slowly starts to call family, Diem finally manages to slowly survive her grief and come to love herself in one of the most powerful and inspiring ways I've ever seen. But being thrown into the Den of Vipers that is House Corbois is not easy; and when love walks hand in hand with betrayal, when secrets pile atop each other, and when one is forced to doubt even those with the most sincere intentions, only proven loyalty has the power to survive. And maybe even true love has a chance at blooming...
ㅤ I might not even be able to coherently talk about some of the things below, and I truly hope I can be forgiven because I am just excited to get to the next book as soon as possible; therefore, please excuse my eagerness.
ㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ world-building, writing and action ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤ As I mentioned in my review for the first book, I genuinely enjoy the world-building in this series. Each book just brings the perfect amount of new information concerning how the world works and how it is constructed and organised, while also withholding the ideal amount of new details as to keep you intrigued until the moment they will be revealed. I just love a series that slowly builds its plot and brings new revelations and information constantly instead of dumping everything on you from the very first moment.
ㅤ I have to admit I enjoyed the writing in this book far more than I did for the first one in the series. Apart from the still very easy-to-read writing, Glow of the Everflame also brings some really beautifully written paragraphs that will just make you brim with emotions. I admit, I genuinely devoured every page of this book and I don't think it lacked in absolutely anything in regards to beautiful word-usage.
ㅤ Great Divine, how much better the action in this book was, comparing it to its prequel. I love a good book that brings me everything from loyalty, to love, to betrayal and sheer grief. I love experiencing everything through the plot of a book, and this one definitely did not disappoint in terms of that. I honestly do not want to spoil anything, but if you love slowly discovering a new found family, then go and read this.
ㅤ Admittedly, I would have preferred the time frame for which the action in the novel takes place to be a little bit longer. This is one of my minor dislikes. I occasionally thought that some things were going somewhat too quickly and that everything was getting a bit too hurried. Perhaps a little slower pacing would have made some of the storylines and character development aspects feel much more real.
ㅤ ㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ characters ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤ Well now, THIS is how you make me fall in love with some characters. I started this book genuinely not being attached to any of the characters here, and I ended it by being willing to sacrifice half of the planet for them. (maybe not yet for Diem, but I am still being patient.)
ㅤ ❇ Diem - I do love a flawed character, because that only makes their development and their reactions feel genuine. However, I do not like childish characters that, due to their own unnecessary stubbornness, end up creating needless issues. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Diem's strong persona and determination, and her refusal to back down at times. But I did not enjoy how these exact things sometimes reflected and hurt those around her, people who never gave her any reason to be treated that way. She was still childish in her judgement, she was naive to the point of hurting people that genuinely cared for her, and she lacked self-control at times; and while the pressure constantly placed on her might justify some of her reactions, not all of them get the same excuse. I just feel like a slower pace of the book itself might have served better in building her character and her relationships with those around her in a genuine way. I still cannot wait to see the truly developed Diem.
ㅤ ❇ Luther - I cannot find the suitable words to describe this man and feel satisfied with what I might have to say about him. The loyalty, the pure adoration, the constant self-sacrifice, and the love this man has for those dear to him is unmatched. I have not met such a selfless and beautifully established, purely loyal character since Rowan Whitethorn. I would have loved to get the chance to see at least a bit into his POV, but I genuinely fear that would have honestly ruined me in the best way possible. I have absolutely nothing to reproach this character. And the way this man uses words to describe whatever it is that he is feeling, and his actions to show that he truly means those words is absolutely maddening.and I am not sure if I want to hold him, or fuck him (I am sorry).
ㅤ ❧ I love a good slow-burn and a slowly-developing, blooming romance. I am an absolute sucker for such things. And despite having all the things I absolutely adore, I was not fully satisfied with the progress of the romance in this book. And I am coming back to what I previously said regarding the pace of the book itself. I feel like there is somehow a paradox for this aspect in the book: we have a very beautiful slow-burn romance that is bound to make you swoon and cry and giggle (all of the perfect ingredients), but at the same time, the entire action of this book doesn't last more than 30 days. So, you see where I am coming from? I loved the way the romance was progressing, but I could not help but feel like the ending of the book brought quite too many and too sudden feelings and realisations at once; especially since they were all constantly put into comparison with Henri fucking Albanon ┿may his exit from this series be swift and as painful as he deserves.
ㅤㅤ ❇ I love a very good found family and it never misses to warm my heart. Therefore, you can imagine how much and how deeply I absolutely loved everything about Taran, Alixe, Eleanor, Lily and the amazing little brother, Teller. I just, truly, cannot wait to read more about these characters in the future. If any of these people die, I am dying with them. And I may, or may not, need a redemption arc for Aemonn; i see the potential there.
ㅤ ❇ Henri- Just mentioned him so I could say that I genuinely hope he dies in the next book.
ㅤ ㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ ending and conclusions ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤ As I mentioned above, my only issue with the ending of the book is that it brought some elements that felt slightly rushed to me. However, this is only based on my personal taste, and this definitely does not mean this is a bad ending in any way. It was honestly a perfectly chosen finale that matched the entire action of the book so insanely well, and it pushes you to look forward to whatever is coming next, while also raising so many new questions. Maybe the elements of shock were not as strong for me, as I quite expected some of these things, but that definitely did not make it less enjoyable.
ㅤ I will say it: this is one of the best books I've read this year; and maybe if I wasn't such a pretentious little b* I would have given this a complete 5-star rating without looking back. But even so, I can still appreciate when I see a novel that truly deserves to be praised, and I will also go on and give credit where credit's due, because this book is truly good and this is so promising as a series. You can bet I am going to jump straight into starting the next book immediately without even blinking.
ㅤ Special thanks to SK for making me pick this up and to all of you for screaming at me to continue this series. Truly love you all! ♥
┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ i really hope you all did not lie to me when you said this is getting much better with the second book
ㅤ ㅤ ✦ . ⁺ . ━ 4.8- 5.0 ☆ ━ . ⁺ . ✦
ㅤ ╰┈➤˗ˏˋㅤmight contain spoilers ❗
ㅤ (updated to 5☆ after finishing Heat of the Everflame)
ㅤ I will mention this right in the beginning of my review, because I want to make sure you are all seeing this information: if you did not read the bonus chapters for this one, GO AND DO IT RIGHT NOW!
ㅤ Now, back to the review for which I am still struggling to gather my thoughts, I just want to say that I am so glad I indeed continued this series; the second book was a thousand times better than the first one and I was left utterly speechless on so many occasions. I cannot really complain about quite anything with respect to this book, but I still hesitated on giving this a 5-star rating only because I still need to see a real growth in Diem as a main character. I am not against bold, stubborn female characters (I mean, one of my most favourite FMCs ever is literally Aelin "i will do whatever i want and not say a word to anyone" Galathynius); I even respect and love them, but their actions need to be backed-up with real reasons for me to agree with them. And unfortunately, this is not yet happening with Diem. But I have a feeling she is definitely going there.
ㅤ "Glow of the Everflame" quickly picks-up right after the events of the previous book and therefore we are met by a Diem who is heavily in denial and struggles to come to terms with her new position. Unfortunately for her, she cannot hide from her new responsibilities and, when found exactly by the man she now considers to be her worst enemy, she has no choice but to accept the new truth about herself. But court intrigues prove to be way harder to navigate than she expected and she finds herself, once again, depending on no other than Luther, the man which her head screams to keep very far away from; but, as we all already know, Diem is not very good at using her brain and, luckily for us, this finally prove to be a good thing, since listening to her heart pushes Diem far into some very delicious and interesting experiences.
ㅤ With new loyal allies, people she slowly starts to call family, Diem finally manages to slowly survive her grief and come to love herself in one of the most powerful and inspiring ways I've ever seen. But being thrown into the Den of Vipers that is House Corbois is not easy; and when love walks hand in hand with betrayal, when secrets pile atop each other, and when one is forced to doubt even those with the most sincere intentions, only proven loyalty has the power to survive. And maybe even true love has a chance at blooming...
ㅤ I might not even be able to coherently talk about some of the things below, and I truly hope I can be forgiven because I am just excited to get to the next book as soon as possible; therefore, please excuse my eagerness.
ㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ world-building, writing and action ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤ As I mentioned in my review for the first book, I genuinely enjoy the world-building in this series. Each book just brings the perfect amount of new information concerning how the world works and how it is constructed and organised, while also withholding the ideal amount of new details as to keep you intrigued until the moment they will be revealed. I just love a series that slowly builds its plot and brings new revelations and information constantly instead of dumping everything on you from the very first moment.
ㅤ I have to admit I enjoyed the writing in this book far more than I did for the first one in the series. Apart from the still very easy-to-read writing, Glow of the Everflame also brings some really beautifully written paragraphs that will just make you brim with emotions. I admit, I genuinely devoured every page of this book and I don't think it lacked in absolutely anything in regards to beautiful word-usage.
ㅤ Great Divine, how much better the action in this book was, comparing it to its prequel. I love a good book that brings me everything from loyalty, to love, to betrayal and sheer grief. I love experiencing everything through the plot of a book, and this one definitely did not disappoint in terms of that. I honestly do not want to spoil anything, but if you love slowly discovering a new found family, then go and read this.
ㅤ Admittedly, I would have preferred the time frame for which the action in the novel takes place to be a little bit longer. This is one of my minor dislikes. I occasionally thought that some things were going somewhat too quickly and that everything was getting a bit too hurried. Perhaps a little slower pacing would have made some of the storylines and character development aspects feel much more real.
ㅤ ㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ characters ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤ Well now, THIS is how you make me fall in love with some characters. I started this book genuinely not being attached to any of the characters here, and I ended it by being willing to sacrifice half of the planet for them. (maybe not yet for Diem, but I am still being patient.)
ㅤ ❇ Diem - I do love a flawed character, because that only makes their development and their reactions feel genuine. However, I do not like childish characters that, due to their own unnecessary stubbornness, end up creating needless issues. Don't get me wrong, I absolutely loved Diem's strong persona and determination, and her refusal to back down at times. But I did not enjoy how these exact things sometimes reflected and hurt those around her, people who never gave her any reason to be treated that way. She was still childish in her judgement, she was naive to the point of hurting people that genuinely cared for her, and she lacked self-control at times; and while the pressure constantly placed on her might justify some of her reactions, not all of them get the same excuse. I just feel like a slower pace of the book itself might have served better in building her character and her relationships with those around her in a genuine way. I still cannot wait to see the truly developed Diem.
ㅤ ❇ Luther - I cannot find the suitable words to describe this man and feel satisfied with what I might have to say about him. The loyalty, the pure adoration, the constant self-sacrifice, and the love this man has for those dear to him is unmatched. I have not met such a selfless and beautifully established, purely loyal character since Rowan Whitethorn. I would have loved to get the chance to see at least a bit into his POV, but I genuinely fear that would have honestly ruined me in the best way possible. I have absolutely nothing to reproach this character. And the way this man uses words to describe whatever it is that he is feeling, and his actions to show that he truly means those words is absolutely maddening.
ㅤ ❧ I love a good slow-burn and a slowly-developing, blooming romance. I am an absolute sucker for such things. And despite having all the things I absolutely adore, I was not fully satisfied with the progress of the romance in this book. And I am coming back to what I previously said regarding the pace of the book itself. I feel like there is somehow a paradox for this aspect in the book: we have a very beautiful slow-burn romance that is bound to make you swoon and cry and giggle (all of the perfect ingredients), but at the same time, the entire action of this book doesn't last more than 30 days. So, you see where I am coming from? I loved the way the romance was progressing, but I could not help but feel like the ending of the book brought quite too many and too sudden feelings and realisations at once; especially since they were all constantly put into comparison with Henri fucking Albanon ┿may his exit from this series be swift and as painful as he deserves.
ㅤㅤ ❇ I love a very good found family and it never misses to warm my heart. Therefore, you can imagine how much and how deeply I absolutely loved everything about Taran, Alixe, Eleanor, Lily and the amazing little brother, Teller. I just, truly, cannot wait to read more about these characters in the future. If any of these people die, I am dying with them. And I may, or may not, need a redemption arc for Aemonn; i see the potential there.
ㅤ ❇ Henri- Just mentioned him so I could say that I genuinely hope he dies in the next book.
ㅤ ㅤ -ˋˏ ༻ ending and conclusions ༺ ˎˊ-
ㅤ As I mentioned above, my only issue with the ending of the book is that it brought some elements that felt slightly rushed to me. However, this is only based on my personal taste, and this definitely does not mean this is a bad ending in any way. It was honestly a perfectly chosen finale that matched the entire action of the book so insanely well, and it pushes you to look forward to whatever is coming next, while also raising so many new questions. Maybe the elements of shock were not as strong for me, as I quite expected some of these things, but that definitely did not make it less enjoyable.
ㅤ I will say it: this is one of the best books I've read this year; and maybe if I wasn't such a pretentious little b* I would have given this a complete 5-star rating without looking back. But even so, I can still appreciate when I see a novel that truly deserves to be praised, and I will also go on and give credit where credit's due, because this book is truly good and this is so promising as a series. You can bet I am going to jump straight into starting the next book immediately without even blinking.
ㅤ Special thanks to SK for making me pick this up and to all of you for screaming at me to continue this series. Truly love you all! ♥
┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿┿
ㅤ ᯓ ✿ pre-reading ⪼ ㅤ i really hope you all did not lie to me when you said this is getting much better with the second book
June 22, 2024
4.5 ⭐'s rounded up!!
Whew what a rollercoaster ride this book was, the highs and lows and the angst on the way there!😍 I was giddy with the banter, I was dying from the tension between our FMC and our MMC, and I was screaming inside with the twists that came.
This book starts off right where the last one ended. We continue to follow Diem as she struggles with her own inner battles, as well as battle with everyone else, while war is approaching. Diem continues to grow and develop while learning about not only herself but those around her. I loved seeing the relationships between Diem and the side characters develop. Taran is absolutely hilarious and had me laughing throughout this whole story, I think he is my favorite side character! While there were characters I absolutely adored there were also ones I wanted to reach into my kindle and strangle, Henri and Taran's brother to be exact!🤬🤬
I said in the last book that I wanted to see how our MMC Luther develops and the author absolutely delivered with this one. First off, the slow burn and tension betwen Diem and Luther is to die for 😍I LOVE LUTHER💖🔥😍 This man and the things he does and says...PERFECT BOOK BOYFRIEND!!
💖💖💖💖💖This book was everything!! I can't wait for the next one!!👀
"For every spark that has lost its light and needs a little help remembering how to glow."
"We do not fear the flames, for the hotter we burn, the higher we fly.”
Whew what a rollercoaster ride this book was, the highs and lows and the angst on the way there!😍 I was giddy with the banter, I was dying from the tension between our FMC and our MMC, and I was screaming inside with the twists that came.
This book starts off right where the last one ended. We continue to follow Diem as she struggles with her own inner battles, as well as battle with everyone else, while war is approaching. Diem continues to grow and develop while learning about not only herself but those around her. I loved seeing the relationships between Diem and the side characters develop. Taran is absolutely hilarious and had me laughing throughout this whole story, I think he is my favorite side character! While there were characters I absolutely adored there were also ones I wanted to reach into my kindle and strangle, Henri and Taran's brother to be exact!🤬🤬
I said in the last book that I wanted to see how our MMC Luther develops and the author absolutely delivered with this one. First off, the slow burn and tension betwen Diem and Luther is to die for 😍I LOVE LUTHER💖🔥😍 This man and the things he does and says...PERFECT BOOK BOYFRIEND!!
“But rest assured, my Queen, when I do kiss you, there will be no confusion. You will know that I have claimed you—and I won’t have any desire to deny it.”
“I want every breath, every laugh, every tear. Every taste of your mouth, every inch of your skin. I want to kneel at your feet, soaked in the blood of your enemies, then worship your body until you scream my name.” His hands slid to my hips and tugged me closer. “Yes, Diem, I want to serve you—in every way a man can.”
“You are the fate my heart was spared for. As long as it beats, you will never fight alone.”💕
“I would have walked into the flaming heart of the sun itself,” he shot back. “If you are suffering, nothing will keep me from coming to your aid. Least of all something as trivial as death.”
“That if a man made you doubt whether his love for you would survive anything, he does not deserve you.”
💖💖💖💖💖This book was everything!! I can't wait for the next one!!👀
February 23, 2025
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5
Maybe one of my favourite sequels to any series ever?! I adore this for all of its political intrigue, found family, amazing world building and the sloooooooow burn!!! despite being 600+ pages, I FLEW through this and hadn't felt the excitement to stay up until 3am and read a book for YEARS. (would've been 5 stars if Diem wasn't absolutely insufferable sometimes)
Maybe one of my favourite sequels to any series ever?! I adore this for all of its political intrigue, found family, amazing world building and the sloooooooow burn!!! despite being 600+ pages, I FLEW through this and hadn't felt the excitement to stay up until 3am and read a book for YEARS. (would've been 5 stars if Diem wasn't absolutely insufferable sometimes)
May 31, 2025
“You are my Queen, and I am your sword. Point me at your enemies and I will follow you—into war, into death into the tundra of hell itself You are the fate my heart has spared for.”
Although this book is better than the first, I still am disappointed. The plot and pacing was much better in this book. I was more engaged in the book and the plot was less chaotic. I also enjoyed the further exploration of the world and the magic, although I was expecting a bit more of an explanation of the world. I enjoyed more of the characters in this book and I’m glad we were introduced to other interesting characters. I still have mixed feelings about Diem, on one side she is protective, brave and cares about her family/community, but on the other hand she is hot headed, stubborn, doesn’t think about the consequences of her actions, and changes her mind all the time without explanation. Her character development was well done at first, she realized the mistakes she made, but then she completely flipped her attitude and her development went backward. I loved Luther in this book, he is protective, mysterious, brave, noble, powerful, and he’s such a sweetheart to Diem. I loved learning about his past and seeing his development throughout the book. I enjoyed many of the side characters especially Eleanor, Taran, Alixe, Teller and Lily. I loved that they all stood behind Diem no matter what. The tension and the slow burn between Diem and Luther was great. I’m glad that their feelings for each other developed over time. I wasn’t happy with how Diem acted with Luther in some situations, but thankfully she apologize. The ending was interesting and surprising. I do not think I will continue this series. Overall this book was better than the first in terms of plot, pacing and side characters, but I was disappointed by one of the main characters and her character development was lacking.
Although this book is better than the first, I still am disappointed. The plot and pacing was much better in this book. I was more engaged in the book and the plot was less chaotic. I also enjoyed the further exploration of the world and the magic, although I was expecting a bit more of an explanation of the world. I enjoyed more of the characters in this book and I’m glad we were introduced to other interesting characters. I still have mixed feelings about Diem, on one side she is protective, brave and cares about her family/community, but on the other hand she is hot headed, stubborn, doesn’t think about the consequences of her actions, and changes her mind all the time without explanation. Her character development was well done at first, she realized the mistakes she made, but then she completely flipped her attitude and her development went backward. I loved Luther in this book, he is protective, mysterious, brave, noble, powerful, and he’s such a sweetheart to Diem. I loved learning about his past and seeing his development throughout the book. I enjoyed many of the side characters especially Eleanor, Taran, Alixe, Teller and Lily. I loved that they all stood behind Diem no matter what. The tension and the slow burn between Diem and Luther was great. I’m glad that their feelings for each other developed over time. I wasn’t happy with how Diem acted with Luther in some situations, but thankfully she apologize. The ending was interesting and surprising. I do not think I will continue this series. Overall this book was better than the first in terms of plot, pacing and side characters, but I was disappointed by one of the main characters and her character development was lacking.
May 2, 2024
Wow. I have a lot to say so please bear with me.
When I reviewed Spark of the Everflame (book 1), I mentioned it was in my top 5 favorite books of 2023. Glow of the Everflame just took the spot as my #1 favorite book I have ever read in my life. Sailing high above acomaf/koa (which both previously held that title)
This book made me laugh out loud (yes, she did it again), blush and swoon (ch. 20 vibes for sure), cry, stress (so hard) and develop the worst case of daddy issues I ever ever experienced (listen, pls don't ask).
When I tell you I could not put this down, I mean I seriously did not do a lick of work for my 8 hour shift (don't tell my boss) and was so invested there is not a force on earth that could've pulled me away from this book.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I told myself "omfg no way this is not happening" while I was reading. I was genuinely stressed for about 80% of the story and the way this book was written truly forced me to experience every single emotion the characters were going through (against my will). I don't think I will ever find relief from the second-hand embarrassment Diem is adamant to put me through. I am so fragile.
The absolutely scalding 3rd degree slow burn I was exposed to was absolutely torturous and I demand retribution for my agony and suffering.
Going back and rereading the dedication after finishing this book brought tears to my eyes.
At this point, there isn't a single written work by Penn Cole I would not read. High school essay? Give it to me. Grocery list? Hand it over right now. I will devour anything and everything I can get my hands on.
This is one of those books that will stay with you long after you read it. I could not recommend this book enough. I am so honored to have had the opportunity to read this as an ARC and I cannot wait to experience the absolute gut-wrenching chaos that Penn drags us through with the rest of the series.
When I reviewed Spark of the Everflame (book 1), I mentioned it was in my top 5 favorite books of 2023. Glow of the Everflame just took the spot as my #1 favorite book I have ever read in my life. Sailing high above acomaf/koa (which both previously held that title)
This book made me laugh out loud (yes, she did it again), blush and swoon (ch. 20 vibes for sure), cry, stress (so hard) and develop the worst case of daddy issues I ever ever experienced (listen, pls don't ask).
When I tell you I could not put this down, I mean I seriously did not do a lick of work for my 8 hour shift (don't tell my boss) and was so invested there is not a force on earth that could've pulled me away from this book.
I cannot even begin to tell you how many times I told myself "omfg no way this is not happening" while I was reading. I was genuinely stressed for about 80% of the story and the way this book was written truly forced me to experience every single emotion the characters were going through (against my will). I don't think I will ever find relief from the second-hand embarrassment Diem is adamant to put me through. I am so fragile.
The absolutely scalding 3rd degree slow burn I was exposed to was absolutely torturous and I demand retribution for my agony and suffering.
Going back and rereading the dedication after finishing this book brought tears to my eyes.
At this point, there isn't a single written work by Penn Cole I would not read. High school essay? Give it to me. Grocery list? Hand it over right now. I will devour anything and everything I can get my hands on.
This is one of those books that will stay with you long after you read it. I could not recommend this book enough. I am so honored to have had the opportunity to read this as an ARC and I cannot wait to experience the absolute gut-wrenching chaos that Penn drags us through with the rest of the series.
June 19, 2025
RTC 👀
The drama? The magic? The unhinged emotional damage? I had to start book two immediately.
And Luther….sir. I’m about to risk it all for him 🧎♀️💖
I don’t know what Diem’s about to walk into, but I’m buckled in ✨
My Ratings for The Everflame Series-
Spark- 4.25 Stars
The drama? The magic? The unhinged emotional damage? I had to start book two immediately.
And Luther….sir. I’m about to risk it all for him 🧎♀️💖
I don’t know what Diem’s about to walk into, but I’m buckled in ✨
My Ratings for The Everflame Series-
Spark- 4.25 Stars
April 1, 2025
4.5 stars
SO FREAKING GOOOOOD. Luther literally on his knees for Diem!?!? I do think Diem is her own worst enemy and is the one who is going to be responsible for things going wrong in the next book, but this series is so much fun and I'm eating this romance up. I love Luther helping teach Diem about her powers and the looming threat throughout this book. The political dynamics are also fun and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book!!
SO FREAKING GOOOOOD. Luther literally on his knees for Diem!?!? I do think Diem is her own worst enemy and is the one who is going to be responsible for things going wrong in the next book, but this series is so much fun and I'm eating this romance up. I love Luther helping teach Diem about her powers and the looming threat throughout this book. The political dynamics are also fun and I can't wait to see what's going to happen in the next book!!
March 28, 2024
5⭐️
For every spark that has lost its light and needs a little help remembering how to glow.
THE PLOT
Diem's mother is still missing, and now the threat of war is on her doorstep. After a new secret is revealed that changed Diem's entire life, she must do whatever she can to protect the ones she loves. However, she did not expect to form unlikely alliances: those of House Corbois, the royal Descended family. Diem must juggle her life-changing secret, her mother's secrets as well as her disappearance, and her new forming allies. She must do this while trying to deny the growing attraction between her and the forbidden Prince, Luther.
MY THOUGHTS
The Plot: This book was a wild ride and a half. This delivered everything and more that the first book was missing. I can confidently say this is one of my favorite romantic fantasy series I have read so far entirely. The way Penn Cole write this plot just draws you in from the very beginning. The world is absolutely beautiful. It truly does transport you to this world and once you're in it, you really don't want to leave. This is such a perfectly written slow-burn. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!!! Diem and Luther...my ride or die babies. It does not get better than them. The lengths he goes for her in this book just warmed my heart and made me giggle and squeal. This book truly was *chefs kiss*. I will say though, this series is very heavy. I definitely need a breather and a break after this long book before jumping into almost DOUBLE the size of the next book. This really reminds me of the likings of SJM books and the way her plots and characters are written out. There was little to no spice just a few comments here and there, but if you're a true slow-burn fan...boy do I have a recommendation for you. The ending of these books never cease to leave me on the edge of my seat. I always leave wanting more and more and more. I'm convinced there are drugs in this book because of how addicting this series is. 100/10 would recommend!!!
The Characters: It's so hard not to love everybody in this book (besides Henri if you like Henri we cannot be friends sorry I don't make the rules). To witness the progression of Diem's struggles and see her blossom into her new role in this book was just so magical to see. Her character development was SO. WELL. WRITTEN. She is a certified badass. Luther is my baby boy and I would do anything for that man. I loved seeing the roles of family and new found family blossom in this book as well. The friendships that were formed and even the enemies that were made just fit so well and everything just made sense. Everything had a purpose, and I LOVED that!!
Overall, I liked this better than the first book!! I think it included more politics and the magic system made more sense and the writing just overall was better. I will forever be recommended this series to everyone who can sit down and read a long book cause this entire series is a long and heavy one. If you can handle it, absolutely read this you will not regret it!! 🧡
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I started reading this days ago and forgot to update goodreads oops 😭
For every spark that has lost its light and needs a little help remembering how to glow.
THE PLOT
Diem's mother is still missing, and now the threat of war is on her doorstep. After a new secret is revealed that changed Diem's entire life, she must do whatever she can to protect the ones she loves. However, she did not expect to form unlikely alliances: those of House Corbois, the royal Descended family. Diem must juggle her life-changing secret, her mother's secrets as well as her disappearance, and her new forming allies. She must do this while trying to deny the growing attraction between her and the forbidden Prince, Luther.
MY THOUGHTS
The Plot: This book was a wild ride and a half. This delivered everything and more that the first book was missing. I can confidently say this is one of my favorite romantic fantasy series I have read so far entirely. The way Penn Cole write this plot just draws you in from the very beginning. The world is absolutely beautiful. It truly does transport you to this world and once you're in it, you really don't want to leave. This is such a perfectly written slow-burn. THIS IS HOW YOU DO IT!!! Diem and Luther...my ride or die babies. It does not get better than them. The lengths he goes for her in this book just warmed my heart and made me giggle and squeal. This book truly was *chefs kiss*. I will say though, this series is very heavy. I definitely need a breather and a break after this long book before jumping into almost DOUBLE the size of the next book. This really reminds me of the likings of SJM books and the way her plots and characters are written out. There was little to no spice just a few comments here and there, but if you're a true slow-burn fan...boy do I have a recommendation for you. The ending of these books never cease to leave me on the edge of my seat. I always leave wanting more and more and more. I'm convinced there are drugs in this book because of how addicting this series is. 100/10 would recommend!!!
The Characters: It's so hard not to love everybody in this book (besides Henri if you like Henri we cannot be friends sorry I don't make the rules). To witness the progression of Diem's struggles and see her blossom into her new role in this book was just so magical to see. Her character development was SO. WELL. WRITTEN. She is a certified badass. Luther is my baby boy and I would do anything for that man. I loved seeing the roles of family and new found family blossom in this book as well. The friendships that were formed and even the enemies that were made just fit so well and everything just made sense. Everything had a purpose, and I LOVED that!!
Overall, I liked this better than the first book!! I think it included more politics and the magic system made more sense and the writing just overall was better. I will forever be recommended this series to everyone who can sit down and read a long book cause this entire series is a long and heavy one. If you can handle it, absolutely read this you will not regret it!! 🧡
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I started reading this days ago and forgot to update goodreads oops 😭
January 6, 2025
Wow! A book that evokes every emotion imaginable is a rare find, and this one did just that! What an exhilarating experience it was to dive into these pages. After the first book set such a high standard, my expectations were through the roof—and I’m thrilled to say this sequel didn’t just meet them, it exceeded them spectacularly.
In my review of the first book, I mentioned how intrigued I was to see what the characters had in store for us next. Well, let me just say, they blew my mind. Not only did the original cast deliver on all fronts, but the introduction of so many new characters added even more layers of tension, angst, joy, and heartbreak. Watching my beloved Diem face challenge after challenge was both thrilling and heart-wrenching. My emotions were all over the place—I wasn’t sure how much more I could take! I know it’s just a book, but the fact that I was so deeply connected to every page, every event, every twist, and every reveal speaks volumes about how incredible this story is. I was constantly on edge, eagerly anticipating what would happen next, who would do what, and what secrets would unravel. The entire journey was a breathtaking, emotional rollercoaster, and by the end, I was completely spent in the best possible way.
Of course, I still adore Diem. In my first review, I said I was in awe of her, but after this book, I’m officially pledging my undying devotion to her. Sure, she can be incredibly frustrating at times (let’s be honest), but her resilience is unmatched. Her ferocity? Absolutely magnetic. Now, I don’t usually gush over male leads because enough people already do—but oh, Luther! What a man. I love how he and Diem complement each other so perfectly. Their intense passion drives everything they do, and after some interesting revelations, I respect their bond even more. The other characters—whether good, bad, or downright ugly—also brought their A-game, adding even more intensity and raw emotion to the story.
As for the pacing, while it’s not terrible, I’ll admit there were moments when I was like, “Alright, let’s pick it up!” That said, even the slower parts usually had something meaningful to contribute, so it wasn’t a huge issue. And oh, that ending—wow! I literally screamed. It was so satisfying, so jaw-dropping, and yet it left me with so many questions. I cannot wait to see how everything unfolds in the next book.
Yes, the next one is over 1,000 pages (oof), but after this thrilling ride, I’m ready. Let’s hope it’s worth every word!
In my review of the first book, I mentioned how intrigued I was to see what the characters had in store for us next. Well, let me just say, they blew my mind. Not only did the original cast deliver on all fronts, but the introduction of so many new characters added even more layers of tension, angst, joy, and heartbreak. Watching my beloved Diem face challenge after challenge was both thrilling and heart-wrenching. My emotions were all over the place—I wasn’t sure how much more I could take! I know it’s just a book, but the fact that I was so deeply connected to every page, every event, every twist, and every reveal speaks volumes about how incredible this story is. I was constantly on edge, eagerly anticipating what would happen next, who would do what, and what secrets would unravel. The entire journey was a breathtaking, emotional rollercoaster, and by the end, I was completely spent in the best possible way.
Of course, I still adore Diem. In my first review, I said I was in awe of her, but after this book, I’m officially pledging my undying devotion to her. Sure, she can be incredibly frustrating at times (let’s be honest), but her resilience is unmatched. Her ferocity? Absolutely magnetic. Now, I don’t usually gush over male leads because enough people already do—but oh, Luther! What a man. I love how he and Diem complement each other so perfectly. Their intense passion drives everything they do, and after some interesting revelations, I respect their bond even more. The other characters—whether good, bad, or downright ugly—also brought their A-game, adding even more intensity and raw emotion to the story.
As for the pacing, while it’s not terrible, I’ll admit there were moments when I was like, “Alright, let’s pick it up!” That said, even the slower parts usually had something meaningful to contribute, so it wasn’t a huge issue. And oh, that ending—wow! I literally screamed. It was so satisfying, so jaw-dropping, and yet it left me with so many questions. I cannot wait to see how everything unfolds in the next book.
Yes, the next one is over 1,000 pages (oof), but after this thrilling ride, I’m ready. Let’s hope it’s worth every word!
November 28, 2023
I really hate Diem. She is so stupid and immature. She doesn’t think about anything before she does it and is constantly making the most asinine, contradictory statements.
Henri is even worse. I almost threw up in my mouth when she asked Henri to be her king consort. I can’t stand either one of them . Even after the guardians kill all those people in book1 and Diem feels (allegedly) horrible about it, she spills even more secrets to twat goblin Henri, who OF COURSE immediately starts talking about using that info to kill people . And she’s like “okay yea sure” WHAT??? I literally can’t even .
Nothing that happened in this book was surprising. The plot is so predictable. The guardians do something shitty, Diem gravitates towards the descended ; the descends do something shitty , Diem starts working with the guardians and people die . This just goes back to Diems immaturity. Life is not black and white , nothing is all good and all bad; horrible things happen to everyone . She gets great advice from her dad and from Luther but she doesn’t take any of it . I literally can’t. Horrible . This is definitely YA .
And Diem couldn’t figure out her mom was the female leader of the guardians that’s been on a super secret mission for several months, especially after it became very clear her mom wasn’t dead and left on her own accord ?? Come on!
Also I can tell they’re setting it up for Luther and Diem to be mates, which also makes me want to vomit because I hate her so much. She is so ignorant and have a mentioned stupid and immature . Just throw the whole Diem away and give Luther a FMC he deserves. She hates him for literally no reason. Other Descended she has no problem with but Luther gets disrespected by her at every single turn . She has to be the worst FMC I’ve ever read.
I really don’t understand how this has gotten so many good reviews . I only started the second book because people were saying it’s better than the first . Umm no
Henri is even worse. I almost threw up in my mouth when she asked Henri to be her king consort. I can’t stand either one of them . Even after the guardians kill all those people in book1 and Diem feels (allegedly) horrible about it, she spills even more secrets to twat goblin Henri, who OF COURSE immediately starts talking about using that info to kill people . And she’s like “okay yea sure” WHAT??? I literally can’t even .
Nothing that happened in this book was surprising. The plot is so predictable. The guardians do something shitty, Diem gravitates towards the descended ; the descends do something shitty , Diem starts working with the guardians and people die . This just goes back to Diems immaturity. Life is not black and white , nothing is all good and all bad; horrible things happen to everyone . She gets great advice from her dad and from Luther but she doesn’t take any of it . I literally can’t. Horrible . This is definitely YA .
And Diem couldn’t figure out her mom was the female leader of the guardians that’s been on a super secret mission for several months, especially after it became very clear her mom wasn’t dead and left on her own accord ?? Come on!
Also I can tell they’re setting it up for Luther and Diem to be mates, which also makes me want to vomit because I hate her so much. She is so ignorant and have a mentioned stupid and immature . Just throw the whole Diem away and give Luther a FMC he deserves. She hates him for literally no reason. Other Descended she has no problem with but Luther gets disrespected by her at every single turn . She has to be the worst FMC I’ve ever read.
I really don’t understand how this has gotten so many good reviews . I only started the second book because people were saying it’s better than the first . Umm no
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 26, 2023
I'm really enjoying this series and I will definitely read the next books too, but I liked this second book less than the first: I think it's way too long, very little happens and I have mixed feelings about Diem. Anyway, I like the premise of this story so much, that I'm looking forward to reading the third book.
(Attention spoilers)
What I loved:
Sorae: My favourite character!! Perfect adviser in everything! Even in fashion! Loved it.
Luther: (Perhaps too perfect?) So wonderful that, as far as I'm concerned, there's not even a love triangle because of him. Henry doesn't hold a candle.
This world and its history: I hope it will be described in more detail. I would like to know about the ancient gods, the Blood war..
The visions and all the secrets: I can't wait to know everything!!
What I didn't like:
I believe the book could have been at least 200 pages shorter. The story dragged too much, for me. Especially the part of the diplomatic meetings with the other families of the kingdom.
Diem: sometimes I like her and sometimes I don't... I love her courage and her love for others, her selflessness, but I don't understand some of the choices she makes. They're incomprehensible and very immature. She blindly trusts some of the Corbois cousins, from the beginning, without ever questioning their sincerity, but not with Luther. She always seems to change her opinion, despite him showing her many times how much he cares about her and how ready he is to serve her as queen.
At some point she says to him:
"Stop trying to be my advisor, Luther. Be my friend."
And then, a few lines later, she says to herself:
"I wondered if he would make the same offer if he knew Henri had sworn to kill him. If he knew I had sworn to kill him, too."
WTF, DIEM! You've just asked him to be your friend!!
And what about their first kiss??
“I didn’t kiss you,” I hissed, whirling to face him, “you kissed me. Maybe I didn’t push you off as quickly as I should have"
...yeah, sure, Diem. You were so very slow at pushing him off, that in the meantime you had time to put your fingers through his hair and wrap yourself around his body...
Anyway, since from the beginning of the first book she's been in denial about her Descended nature, I can accept that she's also in denial about her feelings for a Descended man that she doesn't completely trust...
In many situations I found Diem very naive and immature and this contrasted a lot with the image of Diem as a healer, I think.
Towards the end of the novel, when she helps the Guardians once again by showing them how to get out of the castle by boat I would have literally screamed!!
With Henry she behaves very immaturely... Even before discovering that she is Descendant she knows she doesn't want to marry him and doesn't love him, but when she becomes queen, in order not to lose him, she proposes to marry him and make him king consort!! I understand the fear of change, her wanting to cling to her previous life and not accept that part of herself that she has recently discovered and which belongs to a world that she detests, I also understand that it may have served to slow burn, because in this way Diem was even more inaccessible to Luther, but it is a choice that I found very silly and out of the character that I thought she was.
However, what I really don't understand about this book and Diem in particular is how she never asked and never investigated the words that both the queen of Umbros and the late king said to her before he died. At the beginning of this book he says these mysterious words to her that she had already partly heard from the queen of Umbros in the first book, but for almost all of the 600 plus pages of this book she practically forgets them, it doesn't occur to her that they might be important, that the fact that she has eyes the same color as the Kindreds is curious and that maybe it means something. I understand wanting to lengthen the story for future books, but I found Diem's lack of interest really absurd.
Other than that... everything else I really liked and I'm super curious. That's why I wish I liked Diem more. I really hope she becomes more mature and sensible in the next books.
(Attention spoilers)
What I loved:
Sorae: My favourite character!! Perfect adviser in everything! Even in fashion! Loved it.
Luther: (Perhaps too perfect?) So wonderful that, as far as I'm concerned, there's not even a love triangle because of him. Henry doesn't hold a candle.
This world and its history: I hope it will be described in more detail. I would like to know about the ancient gods, the Blood war..
The visions and all the secrets: I can't wait to know everything!!
What I didn't like:
I believe the book could have been at least 200 pages shorter. The story dragged too much, for me. Especially the part of the diplomatic meetings with the other families of the kingdom.
Diem: sometimes I like her and sometimes I don't... I love her courage and her love for others, her selflessness, but I don't understand some of the choices she makes. They're incomprehensible and very immature. She blindly trusts some of the Corbois cousins, from the beginning, without ever questioning their sincerity, but not with Luther. She always seems to change her opinion, despite him showing her many times how much he cares about her and how ready he is to serve her as queen.
At some point she says to him:
"Stop trying to be my advisor, Luther. Be my friend."
And then, a few lines later, she says to herself:
"I wondered if he would make the same offer if he knew Henri had sworn to kill him. If he knew I had sworn to kill him, too."
WTF, DIEM! You've just asked him to be your friend!!
And what about their first kiss??
“I didn’t kiss you,” I hissed, whirling to face him, “you kissed me. Maybe I didn’t push you off as quickly as I should have"
...yeah, sure, Diem. You were so very slow at pushing him off, that in the meantime you had time to put your fingers through his hair and wrap yourself around his body...
Anyway, since from the beginning of the first book she's been in denial about her Descended nature, I can accept that she's also in denial about her feelings for a Descended man that she doesn't completely trust...
In many situations I found Diem very naive and immature and this contrasted a lot with the image of Diem as a healer, I think.
Towards the end of the novel, when she helps the Guardians once again by showing them how to get out of the castle by boat I would have literally screamed!!
With Henry she behaves very immaturely... Even before discovering that she is Descendant she knows she doesn't want to marry him and doesn't love him, but when she becomes queen, in order not to lose him, she proposes to marry him and make him king consort!! I understand the fear of change, her wanting to cling to her previous life and not accept that part of herself that she has recently discovered and which belongs to a world that she detests, I also understand that it may have served to slow burn, because in this way Diem was even more inaccessible to Luther, but it is a choice that I found very silly and out of the character that I thought she was.
However, what I really don't understand about this book and Diem in particular is how she never asked and never investigated the words that both the queen of Umbros and the late king said to her before he died. At the beginning of this book he says these mysterious words to her that she had already partly heard from the queen of Umbros in the first book, but for almost all of the 600 plus pages of this book she practically forgets them, it doesn't occur to her that they might be important, that the fact that she has eyes the same color as the Kindreds is curious and that maybe it means something. I understand wanting to lengthen the story for future books, but I found Diem's lack of interest really absurd.
Other than that... everything else I really liked and I'm super curious. That's why I wish I liked Diem more. I really hope she becomes more mature and sensible in the next books.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 8, 2025
Ok aside the fact that this was so long and it dragged I LOVED IT... EVERYTHING ABOUT IT especially the romance and character development sososo good 😍❤️🔥 ( might do a longer review soon )
August 3, 2023
This book was not nearly as good or consistent as the first. It felt like a corny YA hot mess snooze fest:
Diem desperately needs to grow up. She was a extremely immature and overly emotional character. Her family and Luther deserved a lot better. She also clearly didn't love Henri and still insisted on calling him her fiancé for most of the book which was frustrating AF to keep reading about. She constantly made contradicting statements that she wanted to be a queen of justice and equality for all but would still refuse to accept the Guardians were a radical terrorist organization. She also had a horrible habit of interrupting everyone especially at the end.
The ending was so over the top, corny and DUMB. I was relieved when it was over.
It did not break my heart that her father died because the author didn't set up that relationship very strong. What broke my heart was the potential this book could of had given how amazing the first one was.
Diem desperately needs to grow up. She was a extremely immature and overly emotional character. Her family and Luther deserved a lot better. She also clearly didn't love Henri and still insisted on calling him her fiancé for most of the book which was frustrating AF to keep reading about. She constantly made contradicting statements that she wanted to be a queen of justice and equality for all but would still refuse to accept the Guardians were a radical terrorist organization. She also had a horrible habit of interrupting everyone especially at the end.
The ending was so over the top, corny and DUMB. I was relieved when it was over.
It did not break my heart that her father died because the author didn't set up that relationship very strong. What broke my heart was the potential this book could of had given how amazing the first one was.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
August 1, 2023
DNF 30 percent
Cole spends way to much time trying to make MC witty and badass, than having her function like an actual human being with even a lick of sense. All her interactions with MMC are utterly dumbfounding, and this constant "tell me what you know" being interrupted on EVERY page is a nusiance. It wasn't tension building, it was just frustrating.
Insta love, I like him but I hate him made no sense in this book, and the MC interactions with all the other characters were childlike and badly written. After the full funeral scene of absolute drivel, I couldn't do it to myself anymore.
Cole spends way to much time trying to make MC witty and badass, than having her function like an actual human being with even a lick of sense. All her interactions with MMC are utterly dumbfounding, and this constant "tell me what you know" being interrupted on EVERY page is a nusiance. It wasn't tension building, it was just frustrating.
Insta love, I like him but I hate him made no sense in this book, and the MC interactions with all the other characters were childlike and badly written. After the full funeral scene of absolute drivel, I couldn't do it to myself anymore.
May 31, 2024
everythigng hurts so bad after this GOD
April 14, 2024
I’m am so conflicted about giving this book only three stars because some parts were amazing and I LOVED the new characters as well and Teller and Lilly’s development 🥹. But it just stopped making sense.
The mother - this is the second time she has been written about sporadically and just as an afterthought in the epilogue. There’s no true desire to get to know Aurelie as a character I’m sorry. When there’s too much mystery and too little focus on the storyline it loses its impact and the addition of it in the epilogue is more confusing than it is interesting. This is a word heavy book with a lot of content…to still not know what’s really going on is a bit silly.
Diem - Diem is written so well that her decisions don’t make sense. I’d rather she come across a little stupid so it syncs up with her choices 😂. She kept doubting the only loyal person in her corner on SEVERAL occasions. And had this desperate need to please Henri, who she KNEW she had no real feelings for. And it wasn’t an understandable desperation, just stupid. He hates you and everything about him was off. There was a decision she made with Henri and father Vance (don’t want to add a spoiler) that upset me so much. It was such a betrayal to the people she called her new family? All for people who didn’t like her? And who she RAN FROM in the first book.
Henri - I think what I really disliked about the addition of this ‘Ex’ storyline is that it didn’t match up with what was happening. It was almost like the author just wanted some OM drama so threw it in. Henri was an awkward and unnecessary addition to the plot I’m sorry. More of a nuisance than a complex character.
Luther - Luther was excellent. Not much to critique here cause he made all the right decisions even when I wished he just gave up cause Diem was annoying me.
Overall, so many parts of the story felt like added obstacles to simply prolong the book. There was no good reason why Diem’s Godhood wouldn’t appear. And it just made the challenge so unnecessarily dramatic 🤣😂 like what was the reason she couldn’t summon it until the end? (the concept of her not embracing it didn’t do it for me sorry). And why did they keep cutting each other off when needed to say important information? Just TALK.
This could have easily been a 5 ⭐️ and I’m so disappointed! Every other relationship and character was worth the read. The biggest shout outs for this book go to Sorae, lily, and Eleanor 🥹💗 they really brought it home for me.
The mother - this is the second time she has been written about sporadically and just as an afterthought in the epilogue. There’s no true desire to get to know Aurelie as a character I’m sorry. When there’s too much mystery and too little focus on the storyline it loses its impact and the addition of it in the epilogue is more confusing than it is interesting. This is a word heavy book with a lot of content…to still not know what’s really going on is a bit silly.
Diem - Diem is written so well that her decisions don’t make sense. I’d rather she come across a little stupid so it syncs up with her choices 😂. She kept doubting the only loyal person in her corner on SEVERAL occasions. And had this desperate need to please Henri, who she KNEW she had no real feelings for. And it wasn’t an understandable desperation, just stupid. He hates you and everything about him was off. There was a decision she made with Henri and father Vance (don’t want to add a spoiler) that upset me so much. It was such a betrayal to the people she called her new family? All for people who didn’t like her? And who she RAN FROM in the first book.
Henri - I think what I really disliked about the addition of this ‘Ex’ storyline is that it didn’t match up with what was happening. It was almost like the author just wanted some OM drama so threw it in. Henri was an awkward and unnecessary addition to the plot I’m sorry. More of a nuisance than a complex character.
Luther - Luther was excellent. Not much to critique here cause he made all the right decisions even when I wished he just gave up cause Diem was annoying me.
Overall, so many parts of the story felt like added obstacles to simply prolong the book. There was no good reason why Diem’s Godhood wouldn’t appear. And it just made the challenge so unnecessarily dramatic 🤣😂 like what was the reason she couldn’t summon it until the end? (the concept of her not embracing it didn’t do it for me sorry). And why did they keep cutting each other off when needed to say important information? Just TALK.
This could have easily been a 5 ⭐️ and I’m so disappointed! Every other relationship and character was worth the read. The biggest shout outs for this book go to Sorae, lily, and Eleanor 🥹💗 they really brought it home for me.
October 7, 2023
CANNOT stand the heroine! Acts like a petulant child and lacks basic deductive reasoning skills as well as common sense.
November 7, 2024
I devoured this!! Loved much more than book one. I loved that there were some surprises in this book! Looking forward to see where things go after that ending?! I am scared, but I am excited.
I may have rated this higher but Diem is still so annoying to me. BUT ALL THE SIDE CHARACTERS ARE SO GREAT. Give me more of T & L please. I love them dearly. And Taran is the cutiest & makes me LOL I just wanna be his best friend.
I see what the hype is about it! Immediately running to book 3.
I may have rated this higher but Diem is still so annoying to me. BUT ALL THE SIDE CHARACTERS ARE SO GREAT. Give me more of T & L please. I love them dearly. And Taran is the cutiest & makes me LOL I just wanna be his best friend.
I see what the hype is about it! Immediately running to book 3.
June 9, 2024
Wow Penn Cole, just create a cliffhanger and push me off of it why don't you?
Diem wasn't my 100% favorite in this one. But you can tell she is holding onto her past of who she once was and working through insecurities of herself.
The slow burn is still happening....
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Diem wasn't my 100% favorite in this one. But you can tell she is holding onto her past of who she once was and working through insecurities of herself.
The slow burn is still happening....
Connect With Me:
BLOG ⟫ ⟫ ⟫ YOUTUBE
December 13, 2024
✨I am very tentatively putting this at a 4-4.25 stars✨ LUTHER CORBOIS. THE MAN THAT YOU ARE. he successfully brought back yearning! in the year 2024 I have never seen a man as down bad as this one!!!!! please have my children!!!
truthfully this book would’ve been an EASY 5 stars for me, but sometimes the slow burn burns a liiiiiitttle too slow even for me. and Diem (the FMC) needs intensive cognitive behavioural therapy more than any other character I have read about in recent memory. holy sh*t. but… i’m holding out until book 3 in the hopes that it’s just building towards a sick character arc 🤞🏼
the found family storyline here has been done absolutely immaculately in my humble opinion. I feel like I have the perfect amount of insight into every single one of these side characters while the spotlight remains on this beloved main couple that I’m rooting so hard for 😭
I fear book 3 is going to gut me and I’m so ready for it <3
truthfully this book would’ve been an EASY 5 stars for me, but sometimes the slow burn burns a liiiiiitttle too slow even for me. and Diem (the FMC) needs intensive cognitive behavioural therapy more than any other character I have read about in recent memory. holy sh*t. but… i’m holding out until book 3 in the hopes that it’s just building towards a sick character arc 🤞🏼
the found family storyline here has been done absolutely immaculately in my humble opinion. I feel like I have the perfect amount of insight into every single one of these side characters while the spotlight remains on this beloved main couple that I’m rooting so hard for 😭
I fear book 3 is going to gut me and I’m so ready for it <3
July 10, 2024
5+⭐️ OH. MY. GODDDDDDDD!!!?!?!! I am SCREAMING. This book was pure perfection. I am so impressed by this series it just keeps getting better and better. The slow burn romance, the plot, the TWISTS?! I cannot wait for more Diem & Luther in the next book 🥵 I am absolutely feral over them. This will forever be a favorite of mine.
June 16, 2024
This is one of the best fantasy romance sequels I have ever read!
The found family, the banter, the romance, the plot everything was entertaining and engaging.
Luther…what a man! Papa Bellator…what a man! Taran…what a man! I love them all
Found family will get me every time and getting to know the descended more after they were so mysterious in book 1 was fun.
Theres a lot of political manoeuvring in this book which I really enjoyed seeing Diem trying to balance both sides.
Its hard to say what I enjoyed without spoilers so I’m just gonna say this is definitely worth the read and will go down as one of my favourite romantasy series
The found family, the banter, the romance, the plot everything was entertaining and engaging.
Luther…what a man! Papa Bellator…what a man! Taran…what a man! I love them all
Found family will get me every time and getting to know the descended more after they were so mysterious in book 1 was fun.
Theres a lot of political manoeuvring in this book which I really enjoyed seeing Diem trying to balance both sides.
Its hard to say what I enjoyed without spoilers so I’m just gonna say this is definitely worth the read and will go down as one of my favourite romantasy series
February 5, 2024
This book made me so angry for the first 70%. I know the MC is new to the magic/world & second guessing literally her whole life but she frustrated me to no end. She lies to herself more than the people around her do (whom she accuses hourly of). She seems to trust everyone except the one person who is so obviously trustworthy it hurts. & she doesn’t really try to ask any questions to understand, except where her mother is, the person who lied to her for her entire life 💀🤡
I think more than anything the book just needed to be shorter. We repeated the same day 42 times and then the MC finally figured it out & the book took off.
Am I reading Book #3? Duh.
I think more than anything the book just needed to be shorter. We repeated the same day 42 times and then the MC finally figured it out & the book took off.
Am I reading Book #3? Duh.
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