Can't Wait for Burn of the Everflame

Can't-Wait Wednesday is a weekly meme hosted by Wishful Endings to spotlight and talk about the books we're excited about that we have yet to read. Generally they're books that have yet to be released as well. It's based on Waiting on Wednesday, hosted by the fabulous Jill at Breaking the Spine. Find out more here.

Burn of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, # 4)

By: Penn Cole

Expected Publication: July 14, 2026

550 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--War has overtaken Emarion. In the north, Ophiucae and his army of bloodthirsty mortals seek to eradicate all Descended from the continent. In the south, the Guardians of the Everflame lie in wait, plotting a rebellion generations overdue.

In Lumnos, Realm of Light and Shadow, the Crowns are gathering. Caught between two deadly foes, they must form an unlikely alliance to save their people.

But the Crowns have a secret—and a heart without its mate will burn the world down to fulfill its fate.

Hatred reigns. Hope seems lost. With the future in darkness, can a flame emerge to bring the light?

What are you guys waiting on this week? Let me know!

All Things Halloween Review - Heat of the Everflame

Heat of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, # 3)

By: Penn Cole

Expected Publication: September 9, 2023 by Penn Cole

776 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--The war has begun. Both sides demand Diem’s allegiance—or her death.

After her disastrous coronation, Diem finds herself at the center of the conflict between the Descended and the Guardians. With her newfound friends and the man she’s falling for on one side, and the mortals she has vowed to protect on the other, Diem must walk a careful line to save the people she loves… even from each other.

The mystery of her unusual heritage begins to unravel, sending Diem and Luther on an unexpected journey across the realms. The answers may hold the key to winning the war, but finding them will require her to face painful truths about her mother, her bloodline, and her fate.

Meanwhile, the Crowns have set Diem in their sights. Some could be her greatest allies—while others want her dead. To end their oppressive reign, Diem must sort friend from foe and risk it all to build an army of her own.

But a powerful figure in the north has plans that could change everything...

Heat of the Everflame is the third book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book epic fantasy romance series that follows our fiesty, bad*ss heroine Diem Bellator in her fight against injustice, her struggle to survive in a royal palace full of betrayal and intrigue, and her journey of self-discovery and finding true love. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers series is perfect for fans of unique magic systems, dragons and other mythical creatures, angst and romantic tension, and hilarious banter. 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.

Glow of the Everflame ended not exactly in a cliffhanger but in a pretty big event. Diem's father (at least the man who raised her) was murdered as a message to Diem. She's getting too powerful, and she has enemies on every side that want to crush her and her movement. But Diem can't stay down for long. She has a mission, and even if she wasn't active in pursuing her purposes, her enemies wouldn't let her rest unmolested.

Diem and Luther have to flee Lumos. And their journey leads them through several other realms. Diem can't quite help making her presence known. I can't discuss much of anything that happened within the plot in detail as it would spoil the story too much. Some woke agenda messages were persistent throughout this book. I can't mention them besides in vauge terms because Amazon will block me when I share my review there.

Favorite quotes:

-“Hello, Prince,” I gasped. “I missed you, too.”

-“You cannot solve a problem you refuse to look at,”

-“Don’t you dare mistake compassion for lack of courage,” he growled. “Anyone can slaughter their enemies. Hate is easy— it’s mercy that requires the greater strength.

-“It is not just my body that craves you, Diem. It is my heart.” He clutched at his chest. “My scarred, ruined scrap of a soul. Your smiles, your affection, the way you look at me, the way you see me... that is my lifeblood. I would sooner wither without food or water, sink into the sea until my lungs burst, abandon my magic and let my godhood burn me alive from within than endure one more day of life without you in it.”

-“Desire?” He gave a dark, throaty laugh. “Desire is a pathetic word for what I feel for you. I require you. I am sustained by you. You are the flame that fuels my fire. Don’t you dare question that— not for a second.”

-“Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all.”

-“I respect it, too. I’d rather have your honesty than your loyalty.”

-“It takes being denied what you want to understand the power of wanting more. Satisfaction is the death of curiosity. And this group has been satisfied in abundance.”

-“You,” she said simply. “My successor will be your most difficult adversary. They will stand in the way of what you need to do. They will drive a wedge between you and those you love, they will cost you a terrible price, and there’s a strong chance they’ll put you in a premature grave. I fear telling you now will only make it worse.”

-You don’t have to be perfect, Aemonn. Just honorable.”

-“My mother, Auralie... she taught me to heal— to save lives every chance I get. My father, Andrei, taught me to fight— to end lives, but only when I must. And my brother, Teller, taught me to think— to lead with reason, not prejudice. That is the Queen I strive to be. I will not demand that you bend your knee. Past Crowns have done enough of that. I will only vow, on my blood and my soul, on all that I am, and all that I hold dear, if you give me your faith, I will do my best to earn it—” I crossed my swords at my chest. “— and I won’t stop until my dying breath.”

-“I want there to be no part of you that you hide from me because you fear it’s a part I will not love. I treasure your darkness as much as your light.” He dropped his mouth a breath away from mine, his words a whisper on my lips. “Show me your worst, my darling, and I’ll show you how far my love can go.”

-“Don’t mistake the pain of change for failure.”

-“Your daughter is everything to me, Auralie,” Luther said quietly. “All that I am, it belongs to her.”

-“Let all those who might try to tear us apart see this and know how far my devotion will go. I will suffer for you, bleed for you, but most of all, I will survive for you. My body can be carved in two, open and dying, and still I will crawl from the ruins of my flesh and fight my way back to your side. Death itself could not keep me away.

I do remember getting increasingly frustrated with Luther through this book. He claims to love Diem so fiercely, yet he pushes her away pretty constantly. There's a reason for that, but it was a little frustrating for me.

I briefly mentioned above that this book had some woke ideaology, but it also increased in spicy scenes. I was frustrated with this because the series was so good without having to add this in. And it wasn't even added in just between the main characters, but there's one scene in particular when they're visiting a different court that was utterly unnecessary.

All things considered, I enjoyed the plot enough to still give Heat of the Everflame 4 Stars. I like the building of Diem and Luther's relationship. This book ends in a negative cliffhanger--meaning things end in a bad place for our characters and we don't know how they are going to make it out of this horrible situation. The wait for the final book in this series feels so terribly long. But I can't wait to get my hands on it and see how things end. Have you read Heat of the Everflame? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

All Things Halloween Review - Glow of the Everflame

Glow of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, # 2)

By: Penn Cole

Expected Publication: December 3, 2024 by Atria Books

608 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

Source: Personal Kindle Library

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--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.

Just like Spark of the Everflame, I read Glow of the Everflame in March. I am writing my review of this book in October. That being said, I also read Spark of the Everflame right before this book and Heat of the Everflame right after this book. So the events of the series are what I remember, but which events happened in which book are harder to remember. Plus I've read some other books since that have had similar plots. I'll do my best.

Glow of the Everflame begins with Diem having just found out that she is the new Queen of Lumos. The old king died and the magic chose her as the next leader. She's learning that she must be Descended or partly. Her mother is still missing so she can't exactly ask her questions about her father. She now has the power to change things for her people, the mortals left forgotten by the Descended. But those who have been accustomed to having power or on the fringes of power aren't happy to give up with little power they've had. They will do everything they can to oust her. At the same time, Diem now sees that she must have some Descended blood of some kind or other. And that means that Descended don't necessarily need to be hated just because they are Descended. Shouldn't they be judged off their actions and not how they were born? She meets some Descended that aren't inheritantly evil. They begin to change her perception.

Luther and Diem have a hard time knowing where the other stands and what the other's motivations are. It's hard to trust given what they each have been through in their lives. Luther is definitely in a "he falls first" category. Diem is struggling with her relationship with Henri. Henri isn't reacting to her change of circumstances as well as she'd like. He wants her to use her knew powers and situation to further the rebellion, but Diem has never been as strong in her feelings towards joining the Guardians as Henri has and she's beginning to see things differently. Diem is torn in her new position between where she used to be and her understanding and where she is now.

Favorite quotes:

-“I should put all four of your heads on a pike for treason. I just assaulted the Queen, and you cowards stood there and watched me do it. The next time someone lays a hand on her and you don’t kill them where they stand, I’ll carve out your eyeballs and feed them to the [...] hounds. It doesn’t matter if it’s me or the Regent or Blessed Mother Lumnos herself. Do your [...] jobs and protect our Queen.”

-“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.”

-“Wait until you’re coronated,” he said finally. “Get through the Challenging, take the full authority of the Crown, then...” He let out a heavy, loaded sigh. “Then we’ll plan. If he is what you want, I’ll help you find a way.”

-“And you... if you were my friend and nothing more, what would you tell me?” His answer came without missing a beat. “That if a man made you doubt whether his love for you would survive anything, he does not deserve you.”

-“Do not mistake my support as agreement with your choices,”

I love this quote because our culture has equated support with agreement, and they simply aren't the same thing.

-“It’s not easy for me to let go when I care about someone. To watch them choose something I know will hurt them.”

-Then why does flirting with Aemonn or Taran feel harmless, but one glance from Luther and I’m swimming in shark- infested waters with a bucket of bloody chum?

-My place is with you. Wherever that leads.” His fingers curled around mine. “Whatever it costs.”

-“You’re my Queen. Everything I do is for you.”

-“Patience, my Queen.” His thumb stroked a slow trail up my spine. “The most precious rewards come from the battles most fiercely fought.”

-“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.” He took my palm and set it against his chest, just above the patch of unscarred skin that lay beneath his jacket. “You are the fate my heart was spared for. As long as it beats, you will never fight alone.”

-“Every person in this room wants something from you,” he said after a heavy pause. “They look at you, and they see the things they want to take. I know, because I lived it. From the moment I became heir, everyone wanted to be either my friend or my lover. When you took the Crown, I swore to be different— to serve your goals, not mine. I told myself that even if you had no one else, you would at least have me. I never wanted to become just another person who wanted to steal a piece of you for themselves.” He let out a shuddering sigh. “And I have failed. Completely, irreversibly failed. I don’t just want a piece of you— I want them all.” His thumb raked across my lower lip. “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...

-“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 [...] king to do it.”

-“Does your anger actually help those people, or does it make you feel righteous while the situation gets worse?”

-“Being a leader is about more than barking orders when people don’t do what you want. And how many times have I taught you that giving in to your emotions is the fastest way to lose a battle? You should know better.”

-“You make so many promises, but the only thing I ever really wanted was honesty. And it’s the one thing you still refuse to give.”

“Even good men can lose their way.”

-“...perhaps...” He paused, his gaze heavy on mine. “Perhaps, for the right person, we endure the pain, because the torture of never having them at all is the more unbearable fate.”

-...what peace could I possibly achieve with a people so unified in their hatred?

I love when books have a good transition from an original love interest into a new, better suited love interest. We grow and change, and if we're not growing together with our partner then we can grow apart. You can easily see the difference between someone who is trying to support you and your goals and someone who is determined to use you to achieve their own goals.

Glow of the Everflame is actually one of my favorite books in this series. Even though I rated it the same as Spark of the Everflame with 4 Stars, I still enjoyed this one more. I was so excited to find out what was going to happen next that I moved right into the next book in the series, Heat of the Everflame. Have you read Glow of the Everflame? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.

All Things Halloween Review - Spark of the Everflame

Spark of the Everflame (Kindred's Curse, # 1)

By: Penn Cole

Expected Publication: October 8, 2024 by Atria Books

416 pages

Genre: Adult, Fantasy, Magic, Dragons

Source: Prime Reading

( Goodreads | Amazon )

*Note: The above link to Amazon is an affiliate links. Affiliate links support giveaways for Somewhere Only We Know readers.

Goodreads description--When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

In a mortal world colonized by the gods and ruled over by the Descended, their cruel offspring, Diem Bellator yearns to escape the insular life of her poor village.

Her mother’s sudden disappearance—and the discovery of a dangerous secret about her past—offer Diem an unexpected opportunity to enter the dark world of Descended royalty and unlock the web of mysteries her mother left behind.

With the dying King’s handsome, mysterious heir watching her every move, and a ruthless mortal alliance recruiting her to join the growing civil war, Diem will have to navigate the unwritten rules of love, power, and politics in order to save her family—and all of mortalkind.

Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred's Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic is perfect for lovers of magic, dragons, angst, and banter and will appeal to fans of books like A Court of Thorns and Roses, From Blood and Ash, Gild, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.

Let's be real. I've been progressively getting worse at writing book reviews in a timely manner. I finished Spark of the Everflame in March 2025, and I am just now writing my review for it in October of 2025. And not only that, but I read the next two books in the series without writing my review for any of them. Thus, I might remember details of the overall series and storylines, which makes it harder to keep track of which events happened in which book.

Here's what I remember. Diem is the main character. She works as a healer alongside her mother. They live in Mortal City, which is basically a human slum area. Her father was a military man. And her mother was also in the military for a while, but has been working as a healer for some time. Diem has a relationship with Henri. They used to be best friends, but their relationship has grown into more lately.

This world is split into 9 realms. Each realm has a king or queen. And each realm has two types of magical powers that are associated with that power. Only the Descended have magical power. And the Descended rule each realm. The way humans are treated varies from realm to realm, but overall, Descended are at the top of the hierarchy and humans are at the bottom. Luther is the prince of Lumos. His uncle is the King, but Luther is expected to be next in line to the throne. The magic chooses who will be king or queen, and it usually chooses whoever is most powerful after the current ruler.

Diem's mother goes missing one day after an encounter with the prince. And Diem is determined to find out what the prince knows. Her mother was sometimes summoned to work as a healer at the palace, even helping the king himself. Diem takes her place after she's gone, but Diem can't just be quiet. The king has a lucid moment, if you can call it that, where he makes an almost prophecy concerning Diem before he dies.

To add to the mystery, Diem's mother has been giving her some kind of concoction all of her life, and the side effects are quite terrible, but Diem does what she's told. Only now her mother is missing, and she's running out.

At the same time, Henri seems to be joining up with a group of humans looking for rebellion. They are tired of the Descended treating them like scum. They are tired of their old religion being suppressed. Henri wants Diem to join up, and Diem is considering it due to the brutality of some Descended.

Diem isn't one to be submissive. She's been trained to fight by her father. She can't stand to follow orders or to fall in line with what's expected of her. She has to go about things the hard way. And Diem is sure that Luther is hiding information about her mother. Despite all of that, she's seen Luther be soft with his sister, Lillian, whom her brother, Teller, has the biggest crush on. Diem and Luther definitely have some chemistry and some very slow burn going on. Luther seems to always be touching her, yet he doesn't seem to trust her either.

Diem tries to use her opportunities to be at the palace as a healer to spy out the layout of the palace for the Guardians, the rebel group that Henri has joined. Diem finds herself at a crossroads with the Guardians. She wants the Descended dethroned. She wants justice for their treatment of humans, but the Guardians are going about their mission in a way that is hurting people and that is at odds with everything she's been taught as a healer.

Case in point of feeling discombobulated in writing this review. I kept thinking that Diem seeing King Ulther happened early on in the book, but it was in fact towards the end of the first book. So early in the series, but late in this first book. Which makes sense, because that leaves room for the giant cliffhanger of what's going to happen once the king is gone? Will Luther become king as everyone assumed? Will he be a good king or the same as Ulther?

Favorite quotes:

-True darkness can destroy even life itself.”

-To be a wife— to be relegated to a man’s side instead of standing on my own, to abandon myself and my own goals in service of a husband’s authority and a wife’s duty. It was the life expected of most women in Mortal City.

This was not a favorite quote. And I have to remind myself that this is fantasy and part of Diem's character arc...not a review of the true role of a wife.

-We both froze in place as something ancient, something profound passed between us. It was a primal force that transcended word and thought, as powerful as a crack of lightning, a child’s first breath, the endless depth of the sea. It was not of this world but entirely woven within it. It warmed my blood with a calming peace I’d never known, yet filled me with the terrible dread of a fate I could not avoid.

Spark of the Everflame was better than I expected. There was only one scene in this book, if I remember correctly, of the spice variety, and I don't remember it being very descriptive. Of course, this was months ago, so my memory is terrible at this point. Language was high, though. The romance wasn't quite as present as I prefer, but I can see the potential, and I'm here for it. (I write this as if I don't know what happens in the next two books.) Spark of the Everflame gets 4 Stars. Have you read Spark of the Everflame ? What did you think? Let me know!

This review is part of my All Things Halloween event--a month of fantasy, paranormal, supernatural, mystery/thriller, etc reviews and books.