Spark of the Everflame

Lords, wth was this. 400+ pages of nothing, with the actually worst main character in history. Avoid it.

I needed to take a break to digest everything that happened in “Spark of the Everflame” before writing this review. Cole's writing style is so beautiful and easy to digest, making this tale easy to fly through. The story is unique, with lovable and hateable characters that keep you engaged from start to finish. As a romantasy novel with rich political intrigue, it stands out as a must-read for any fan of the genre. The only qualm I have is how slow the slow-burn romance is—Cole gives slow-burn romance a whole new meaning. Despite this, the payoff is worth the wait, and the tension between the characters adds depth to the plot. “Spark of the Everflame” masterfully blends romance and fantasy, creating a world that feels both magical and real. Whether you're a long-time romantasy fan or new to the genre, this book will captivate you with its intricate plot, well-developed characters, and Cole's lyrical prose. It's a journey you won't want to miss.

so much fun and such an interesting world. i love the FMC so much, her personality and banter with the other characters is SO GOOD. cannot wait to continue this series!

Very poor written, extremely boring and full of bad cliches.

OBSESSED.

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

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

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

Best series I read in 2024!
This is like a pre-story and then everything really takes off in book 2 and 3.
Ending of book three is an insane cliffhanger!

Summary of plot:
World is ruled by the so-called Descended and Diem is living with her family. Before the story starts, her mother has gone missing and nobody knows anything.
Diem works as a healer and is helping the King as her mother did before where she meets Luther, the prince.

I was scared so scared to read this book with the immense hype surrounding it at the moment. Before I go crazy with my thoughts, the premise: an ancient magical pact was made leading to the separation of kingdoms and two types of people, the descendant and mortals aka magical and none magical beings. There is a shit ton of animosity between these people leading to wars, killings, unfair rulings, and a rebellion. Our FMC, Diem is a healer and finds herself in the midst of a mystery when her mother goes missing. There is a childhood love and specks of an enemies of lovers in the works. There is practically ZERO romance felt in this book but plenty of banter and set up for a delish time.

The writing of this author was beauty, the intent in her words is what kept me enraptured in the story. Much of this story is focused on the path of Diem and finding where her loyalties truly lie and making choices for herself. I found it slightly irritating with her back and forth but I HOPE this sets us up for a lot of character growth for her.

The SPECKS I got of Mr. Luther was finger licking good. I can't wait to get more of their romance. I truthfully am so confused by the ending of the book. The pacing and overall plot changes at the end took me by surprise, not sure if it was good or bad. Overall, such an enjoyable story and I'm praying the next book brings answers to some of my many questions.