Glow of the Everflame: The Kindred's Curse Saga, Book 2

LouOnBooks

Stronger Than Book One—Tense, Layered, and Full of Promise

"This is book two in the Kindred's Curse Saga, and I really enjoyed it. We continue following Diem as she works to understand her new role in the world. I won’t give too much away, so I’ll keep things a little cryptic. For me, this installment was even stronger than book one—the plot felt more engaging, the side characters had more depth, and we were introduced to several new ones worth hating or caring about - jury's still out. I especially loved seeing Diem face off against some truly arrogant Descendants—those confrontations were so satisfying to read. The slow burn romance is still very much a slow burn, but we do get to peel back more layers on Luther. Even with the new revelations, there are still plenty of questions left unanswered, which keeps the tension alive. Unlike some series that drag things out unnecessarily, this one feels like it needs multiple books to tell the story properly—and that’s a huge plus in my opinion. The ending was both fun and surprising, leaving me eager (and a little desperate) to know what’s next. There are still so many threads to pull on, and I can’t wait to see how the people closest to Diem react as things unfold. Book three is already on its way to me, and I’ll be diving in as soon as it arrives. ["

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October 31, 2025 Verified Purchase

Literary Lure

Enemies to lovers, political intrigue, and heartbreak.

"📖 Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole Rating: ★★★★½ Wow. Just, wow. Finishing *Glow of the Everflame* left me absolutely devastated, in the best possible way. This book is an emotional journey unlike anything else I've read recently, still a slow-burn, still intricate world-building, and still so, so good. I was drawn to this one because Book 1 was fantastic, and let me tell you, this sequel absolutely met my expectations. The way the author developed Diem's political alliance and her personal transformation was masterful. The intricate political negotiations and Diem's character growth were so effectively woven together, creating a compelling narrative that kept me fully engaged throughout the thirty-day alliance. What really stood out for me was how emotionally invested I became in every character. Seriously, the writing here is just fantastic. Even the side characters seem to have added value and intrigue in a way that is rare and truly appreciated. Diem Bellator, our fierce protagonist, finds herself entangled with a member of the royal family she initially despises, Luther. Her journey of self-discovery amidst all that political intrigue, confronting her prejudices and grappling with her true identity, was incredibly resonant. It really challenges her understanding of loyalty and forces her to make difficult choices. There's a line that really stuck with me, "That if a man made you doubt whether his love for you would survive anything, he does not deserve you." It perfectly encapsulates some of the emotional stakes Diem faces. This book truly affected me, and yes, I highly recommend this book and the entire series. It's ideal for romantasy fans who love slow-burn plots with complex world-building and are comfortable with emotional intensity and character-driven narratives. If you enjoy political intrigue, morally complex characters, and gradual romantic development with high emotional stakes, you need to dive into this. 📦 What to Expect ✨ Epic Fantasy 💖 Slow Burn Romance 🔥 Grumpy/Sunshine Dynamic 🤯 Complex Politics & Power Struggles 💔 Deep Emotional Growth 🦴 Magical Beasts or Sentient Magic ⚔️ A Lead Who Fights for More Than Survival 📚 Book Tags Keywords: Dark Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Political Intrigue, Found Family, Survival, War Tropes: Grumpy/Sunshine, Enemies to Reluctant Allies, Found Family, Mentor/Protegé, Slow Burn, Power Couple Triggers: Slavery, Violence, War Themes, Grooming (discussed), Sexual Assault (mentioned, not shown), Emotional Abuse, PTSD 🎯 Final Thoughts If you're hungry for fantasy with teeth and tenderness, this belongs on your shelf. Read it. Feel it. Let it ruin you a little. ["

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November 8, 2025 Verified Purchase

Nicole Trimbur

Infinity stars

"Infinity stars. ∞🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟 I have a lot to say about this book so grab a snack and relax. It's been over 2 weeks since I finished this and I still can't find the right words to adequately express how amazing this book was. Even attempting to turn my thoughts into a review seems like a disservice to the author. Penn's writing has such a captivating and enthralling way of taking you into her world to the point where you feel like you're actually there watching it all play out. I was already a fan after the first book, Spark of the Everflame. It's one of my favorite books of 2023. But then....THEN...Glow of the Everflame came out. And when I tell you I was sat on my ass for this book. Not my favorite book of July, not my favorite book of 2023, but one of my favorite books OF ALL TIME. I could not put this masterpiece down. Responsibilities? Don't know her. Eating? If I can pull myself away. Sleeping? Absolutely not. Taking care of my kid? She's around here somewhere, she's fine. Diem comes back in Glow with all of the growth and evolution you can only hope for in subsequent books in a series. But don't think that means she's lost her sass or sarcasm. If anything it's only bumped it up a notch. Diem is fighting her own inner battles and coming to terms with who she really is all while trying to do right by the people who need her the most which she finds out might be more than she was expecting. What happens when you find out the villains in your story might just be victims too? Diem is put through the wringer and comes out even stronger than before. She's a badass that has you constantly rooting for her (and sometimes - a lot of times- wanting to shake some common sense into her.) Getting to dive deeper into Luther's identity and chipping away at his stone exterior was everythingggg I wanted and more. You're telling me this man smiles? He smirks? He MAKES JOKES? He takes control (🌶️🥵) Need I say more? The anguish Penn was able to make me feel for him during this entire book was almost too much to bear. If I thought I was simping for him in book 1, book 2 has me on my knees for this man. Speaking of having me on my knees, Glow had me BEGGING for the spice in the best way. This was one of my favorite slow burns ever. If you thought Spark had you hot and bothered over a weapon pat down you will be a feral street cat for the way this man can take off a shoe. I think I'm still blushing 15 days later. The side characters that we get introduced to are the icing on the cake of this already delicious story. Taran is bae and the comic relief you'll need after Penn drags you into an anxiety induced rage. Between him, Eleanor, Teller, Lily and Sorae (her snarky gryvern DRAGON. Yeah this book has dragons) I want to be a part of this found family so bad. Please adopt me? I laughed out loud againnnn, which is extremely hard to do for me when reading a book. The humor is so natural and not forced or cringey. I cried. I stressed. I swooned. I was hot and bothered - thank you Luther. I was giggling and kicking my feet. I was up until 2am because I couldn't even begin to force myself to put this book down for a single second. If you’re looking for a book that will make you keep thinking about it days, weeks, months after you read it, this is it. If you’re looking for a book that will make you wish you had the author on speed dial so that you could call her and ask her 9 million questions about the background in-depth thoughts and details on pretty much everything that happened in the book because you just feel like you need to know every last shred of information about each of these characters and what's happening inside their heads? Then yeah, this is the book for you. I'm emotional just thinking about it because this is what books are meant to do. THIS is how books are supposed to make you feel. This book is a reminder for why I love reading and that feeling will stick with me forever. I can never repay Penn for the experience I had with Glow. Please for the love of everything holy, read this book. If you don't, I'll assume it's because you enjoy punishing yourself and dislike everything good in this world? Also if you read this book and aren't recommending the series to quite literally everyone you know... why do you hate them? Love, action, high stakes, politics, found family AND dragons? Honestly why am I still talking. Just go read it. ["

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July 22, 2023 Verified Purchase

Sandy Farmer

4 Stars

"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! ["

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October 21, 2025 Verified Purchase

Erin C.

✨ Book Review: Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole ✨

"Glow of the Everflame is the second installment in Penn Cole's Kindred's Curse saga, continuing the enthralling journey of its protagonists through a richly imagined fantasy world. Building upon the foundations laid in the first book, this sequel delves deeper into the complexities of its characters and the intricacies of its plot. Plot and Pacing: The narrative picks up momentum as the protagonists face new challenges that test their resolve and relationships. The pacing is well-balanced, with action sequences interspersed with moments of introspection, allowing readers to connect with the characters on a deeper level. Character Development: Cole excels in character development, providing depth and nuance to both returning and new characters. The evolution of the protagonists is particularly noteworthy, as they grapple with internal conflicts and external pressures that shape their growth. World-Building: The author's world-building is immersive, with vivid descriptions that bring the setting to life. The magical elements are intricately woven into the fabric of the world, enhancing the sense of wonder and adventure. Themes: Themes of loyalty, sacrifice, and the struggle between light and darkness are explored with sensitivity and insight. The moral dilemmas faced by the characters add layers of complexity to the narrative. Conclusion: Glow of the Everflame is a compelling continuation of the Kindred's Curse saga, offering a blend of action, emotion, and fantasy that will satisfy fans of the genre. Penn Cole's storytelling prowess ensures that readers remain engaged from start to finish. ["

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May 1, 2025 Verified Purchase