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Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole proves that this series only continues to get better and I don’t even know how to deal with the fact that it isn’t complete yet. 

I found that Glow of the Everflame was even more interesting to read than Spark of the Everflame because this second book found Diem more deeply immersed in the world of the royals, the group of people she has loathed her entire life, and having her being a part of the politics and everything that comes with being surrounded by the royals was enough to have me dying to see every turn of events. And boy does the plot ever twist and turn constantly.

This makes for an intensely anxiety ridden read, but also one that is so impossible to turn away from because you just have to see what comes next. Diem has to deal with the consequences that come with the events that occurred at the end of the previous book, which means she is constantly in danger and forced to question who she can trust at every moment. 

The characters are everything a great book needs and I was so in love with a number of them. I thought I already loved Luther, but frankly it only grew with this book and now I’m just unrealistically smitten with him. He epitomizes the MMC who would burn the world down for the person he loves and god I needed every second of his presence in this book. All I could possibly ask for with Luther is more of him because why isn’t he in every scene? 

Something that always makes a good book great in my opinion is also when the side characters are so incredible and completely set themselves apart with their distinct personalities to the point that they also manage to be some of your favourite characters that you just want more of them, and this book/series also manages to make that a reality. There are so many characters that I adore (and quite frankly fear for the lives of because I never know what’s going to happen next) and I just think that makes a phenomenal read. On the flip side, the author also manages to write characters that you can’t help but loathe the mere presence of and that is a talent all its own that contributes to my love of this book, and the overall series. 

Now Diem. I love her as a female lead and the point of view character. She’s fiery with an awful temper, she’s her own person, unique and opinionated, with her distinct opinions of things that I can’t help but admire. She’s strong, she’s a fighter and she will do anything for the people she cares about. I love these things about her. And she’s also flawed. Which is both a strength as far as making her a realistic character, and of course a flaw because it times you want to smack her across the head. I’ll be honest and say it’s some of the decisions she makes and the shift between what she says she will do versus what she actually ends up doing that made this a 4.5 star read for me over a full 5. 

To explain further, she really frustrated me at times. She would make the dumbest feeling decisions and decisions that really didn’t make a lot of sense and I really didn’t get it at times. And again, she would be all in on doing something one way and then when it came down to it she would do the complete opposite of what she said she’d do. I’m sorry to Henri and to Penn Cole, but he was one of the, if not the most frustrating aspect of her poor decision making. I really just wanted him to go away. Again, this in a way is a strength because I felt so strongly about how much I disliked him, particularly for Diem, but certain aspects of this whole relationship just brought the story down for me. For example, she blatantly has no interest in Henri beyond their physical relationship and friendship, and tells herself this many times, but she agrees to marry him? And somehow suddenly feels this is a great decision? Didn’t make sense to think marrying someone you know you don’t love is suddenly a great idea. But I digress, and don’t want to spoil too much, so just an example of why this otherwise for sure 5 star read was not in the end. 

Ohh, and did I forget to mention this is the slow burn of all slow burns? Because I thought I knew what a slow burn romance was, and then I read this and now my idea of what a slow burn has been shooketh. It is glacially slow, which is both hilariously frustrating, and somehow makes the moments between Luther and Diem so much more meaningful, intense, and dare I say hot? It’s all about those steamy glances, am I right? So yeah. This one is glacially slow folks. You’ve never known slow burn until you read this. 

Suffice it to say, I adore this book, I am obsessed with this series and I did not know what to do with myself when I finished it. Definitely the kind of book that leaves you thinking about it for eons afterwards. I’m both desperate to read the next book (hello cliffhanger) and also absolutely terrified of what will come next and how much worse the cliffhanger will be in the next book. 

Rating

By Danielle Plant

An avid reader and runner. I like to spend my spare time with my dogs Reese and Orion.

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