Spark of the Everflame

Darci's Review

Spark of the Everflame, the first book in the Kindred’s Curse Saga, is my new favourite romantasy. Penn Cole weaves a story brimming with intricate world building, political intrigue, and mystery. Cole also inspires a captivating romance between the main characters, matched with a fast pace that keeps you enthralled. 

Spark of the Everflame is set in the land of Emarion, a place where humans once lived peacefully in worship of the Old Gods. Then came the Descended, a race of power bearing ancestry of fallen ‘Kindred’ gods from a world far away. Ever since the introduction of this powerful bloodline, mortals have been treated as second class citizens – inferior to those with pure Descended lineage – and any relations between a mortal and Descendent are forbidden, with ‘half-breeds’ murdered at birth.

Cole introduces us to Diem Bellator, a young strong-headed woman from the decadent mortal city. Forced into a healer role from a young age by her mother Aurelia, Diem assists with mortal healing issues, while Auralie tends to the healing issues of the Descendent. When mother disappears, Diem is thrust into a new world of politics and rage, as she starts to see herself as her own person without her mother’s protective and controlling presence. Against her mother’s prior wishes, Diem gets involved with the Descendent and takes up the responsibilities left behind in her mother’s stead. While Diem’s world view is heavily challenged, her relationships with her family, childhood friend Henri, and Prince Luther develop in ways she does not expect, further flipping her world upside down.

Cole ensnared me with her eloquent writing style, able to create beautiful filmlike images on every page. Her characterisation was also astonishing, keeping consistent personalities in each character while exploring moral injustices which challenge their hard-set beliefs. The political landscaping was gorgeous, and I cannot wait to explore it further in the upcoming sequel, Glow of the Everflame. With the addition of an anticipatory romance, Cole ensured this book was gripping in all aspects. Overall, a must read for any fan of romantasy.

Publisher's Review

Beloved by readers on TikTok and Instagram, Spark of the Everflame is the first book in The Kindred’s Curse Saga, a slow burn, enemies-to-lovers epic romantasy series. Now in an exclusive paperback edition featuring a never-before-seen bonus chapter and collectible design.

When old secrets catch fire, everything will burn.

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

When her mother suddenly disappears and Diem discovers a dangerous secret about her past, she seizes 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, enigmatic heir watching her every move, and a ruthless rebel 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.