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etymoye's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
tense
slow-paced
4.0
Genres: New Adult Fiction, Fantasy, Romance, Paranormal / Supernatural
Tropes: Enemies to Lovers, Love Triangle, Magic, Slow Burn
Available on Kindle Unlimited
This was a quick, fun read for the most part. I liked the setting and worldbuilding, both of which were fairly unique. The biggest drawback IMO is the heroine, Diem, who frankly acted more like 16 than 20. It’s pretty obvious to the reader within the first 20% or so what the big “revelation” is going to be (I can’t really call it a twist since the only person surprised by was Diem), yet for some reason it never even occurs to our heroine. Also, her behavior doesn’t always line up with the way other characters describe her. For example, Diem is a healer, and her mentor says how patient and good she is with patients, even the difficult ones. But we almost never see this side of Diem, and more often than not, she’s temperamental and impulsive.
Complaints about Diem aside, I immediately jumped into book 2 to see what would happen next. So clearly that cliffhanger of an ending worked on me.
Safety Stats:
Ages:Diem is 20. Prince Luther’s age is not specified though he is referred to as “several years older” than Diem. So he’s presumably in his mid to late twenties.
Cheating: See OM/OW note.
Other OM/OW: Love triangle. Diem has a boyfriend, Henri, but is attracted to Luther. There is a kiss scene between Diem and Luther, and a sex scene between Diem and Henri.
Separation: This is a slow burn, so the couple isn’t really a couple yet in this book.
Triggers: Some mention/description of violence, including the death of children. Additionally, due to the love triangle, some people might consider Diem's behavior cheating.
HEA/HFN?:Cliffhanger. First book in a series.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Sexual content, and Violence
Some mention/description of violence, including the death of children.ek2011's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
funny
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death and Violence
kaitlinroses's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
medium-paced
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
I’m still not convinced that I like Diem. Normally I love a feisty FMC who doesn’t take anyone’s crap. Diem makes some really questionable decisions that I really hated, and she seems to flip flop too much. It’s like she’s easily convinced to have compassion for the descended, but then easily convinced to utterly hate them. I think it’s possible to feel both ways at once without the flip-flopping, but she isn’t there quite yet as a character.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
howboutjane's review against another edition
adventurous
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
This was really good! More focused on fantasy than romance so it's not a spicy one - although the romance is still good with a healthy amount of tension and steam. Strong FMC but reckless. This story really sees her grow and struggle with trying to find her path in life. Interesting world and political dynamics. Morally grey everywhere. Solid plot, however, I did find it a bit predictable. There's a lot of repetition and the foreshadowing is more direct than I think was intended, making it feel a bit like telling and overexplanation. Overall though, a great read!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Gore, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Child death and War
sadraven's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Started off strong really enjoyed the world building. Though as we got farther in the story it felt like FMC was very naive and refusing to grow which got a little annoying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death and Murder
oobergoober's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
emotional
informative
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Loved the pace and just enough drama at every turn to keep me hooked. Did the FMC make some decisions that I immediately knew she was about to regret....yes. I also feel like it humanized her more and made her relatable. Excited to see what book 2 has in store!
Content Warnings
Minor: Child death
mallorykate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death
bookishntea's review against another edition
dark
emotional
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.5
I de.vow.ered this book! Great character building, great world building, great plot. The main character Diem is a fierce, fiery woman and I so enjoyed her attitude and wit. I am hoping for a bit more romance building between the characters in the next book, because while I got throughout the book that Luther likes Diem and that Henri wants to marry Diem I didn't feel a ton of connection to the romantic aspect of this storyline. Which isn't a bad thing but if we're going to go down that road then I'd like to know a bit more about their feelings towards each other before we get to the handsy handsy stuff. I thoroughly enjoyed reading The Spark of the Everflame and I cannot wait to get my hands on Glow of the Everflame!
Content Warnings
Moderate: Child death, Death, Physical abuse, and Death of parent
lovebookish's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Child death, Fire/Fire injury, War, and Injury/Injury detail
kammorgan's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
3.75
I feel like if I had read this in one sitting maybe it would’ve hit different. But it just fell flat - I thought my mind was gonna be blown. The world building at the beginning was cool, the magic was intriguing; even the old history had me on the edge of my seat. But then it just stops…? I wanted more of Luther - barely got him?! Wanted less of Henri. All in all…. Not running to the next book 😅
Content Warnings
Graphic: Child death