Review: Spark of the Everflame

Author: Penn Cole

Genre: Fantasy, Romance

Rating: 4.5 / 5

Features:

• Slow burn, enemies to lovers Romantasy

• Feisty FMC x Broody MMC

• Discovery of hidden abilities and true identities

• Court intrigue and political espionage

Summary

The day that her mother disappeared with a mysterious man down an alley never to be seen again was the day Diem Bellator felt her world begin to shift. In order to keep her mortal brother in the school meant for the Descended, children of the Gods, and uncover the secrets her mother was hiding, she will have to take up her mother’s mantle as healer to the Descended. But with the King dying and the heir to the throne uncertain, the Descended court has become even more treacherous to navigate than ever. Chief among Diem’s concerns is Prince Luther, the one everyone thinks will be next on the throne and the last person Diem saw her mother talking to before her disappearance. As tensions between the mortals and Descended rise, Diem finds herself caught in the middle of the conflict as she tries to unravel the web of secrets her mother left behind. 

Thoughts

I’m not going to lie, I definitely picked up Spark of the Everflame because of the gorgeous cover and I was not disappointed! This book is a perfect example of a story being more than the sum of its parts and I was hooked all the way through. The world that Cole creates is intriguing and has an incredible sense of history that we get to uncover as the story unfolds. Though Diem often feels like a bull in a china shop on many occasions, it is fitting for her character and the lack of experience she has. I found myself rooting for her even when she was making some questionable decisions because she has so much potential and I can’t wait to see how she continues to grow throughout the series. 

In terms of romance, ‘slow burn’ is almost an understatement. This book is very much a set up for the rest of the series, and that seems to include the actual romance as well. This is a slow burn in the sense that sparks don’t start to fly until the end of the book rather than because there is a slow build up throughout the story. I am sure that the romance will feature a lot more centrally in the following books, but readers should be aware they only get a little taste of it in this particular installment. Despite that, I found this a really fun read and am looking forward to starting the next book in this series!

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Special thanks to NetGalley and Atria Books for providing this ARC in exchange for an honest review!