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bookishntea's reviews
41 reviews
Heat of the Everflame by Penn Cole
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
"... satisfaction is the death of curiosity..."
"...don't forget why they banned these books for mortals in the first place." "Why is that" "Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all"
"But I was the queen of Lumnos.
And I would be controlled by no man."
Tropes:
๐ฅ High stakes
๐ฅ Unlikely allies
๐ฅ "That's my good girl"
๐ฅ Shadow daddy
๐ฅ Side quests
Spice level:
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ5.0โญ
What a ride! I think about where this book started and where we ended and I feel like I've somehow lived a whole year in the span of the two weeks it took me to read this book. Heat of the Everflame is an action packed, slow burn romantasy, that gives us some great plot twists with new views of the world of Emarion.
Heat picks up right from where the author left us at the end of Glow of the Everflame. Immediately we are thrown into the tension and power struggle between the guardians, the Crowns, and Diem. From there the thrill continues throughout the whole book and the pressure that everyone continually puts on Diem seems to solidify Diem's position for the way she chooses to rule.
And rule she does! Our Diem has grown up! Previously the reader could tell she was a bit uncomfortable and unsure of herself in her new position as queen but in Heat of the Everflame she's grown VERY comfortable and has no more eff's to give. Her dominant attitude and unwavering position is powered further by some unexpected plot twists that gives the reader something new to chew on.
Something else that's new, the author gives us an up close and personal view of many of the realms of Emarion. I am so grateful that the author went there with Heat, it was exactly what I wanted. We get a good detailed view of not only multiple of the Emarion realms but of their seated crowns as well. This gives the reader new characters, a more detailed world, and it thickens the plot and our understanding of Emarion, the Kindred, the mortals and a bigger issue looming in the distance.
On the other hand, our brooding overly protective MMC, Luther, is back as well and his and Diem's flirtatious banter, tension and slow burn romance is โจ everything โจ! He continues his, true to self, unwavering position to protect his Queen in all ways, at all costs, and together they try to take on the world seemingly ready to crumble at their feet.
I very much enjoyed Heat of the Everflame. I feel like out of the three books in The Kindred's Curse Saga so far, Heat was my favorite. I cannot wait to read the fourth book, Burn of the Everflame, coming this summer! (P.s. the first three chapters are available at www.penncole.com for those who sign up for her newsletter ๐ซถ๐ผ)
--------------------------------------------
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IG: @bookish.n.tea
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"...don't forget why they banned these books for mortals in the first place." "Why is that" "Because an education is the most powerful weapon of them all"
"But I was the queen of Lumnos.
And I would be controlled by no man."
Tropes:
๐ฅ High stakes
๐ฅ Unlikely allies
๐ฅ "That's my good girl"
๐ฅ Shadow daddy
๐ฅ Side quests
Spice level:
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Rating: โญ5.0โญ
What a ride! I think about where this book started and where we ended and I feel like I've somehow lived a whole year in the span of the two weeks it took me to read this book. Heat of the Everflame is an action packed, slow burn romantasy, that gives us some great plot twists with new views of the world of Emarion.
Heat picks up right from where the author left us at the end of Glow of the Everflame. Immediately we are thrown into the tension and power struggle between the guardians, the Crowns, and Diem. From there the thrill continues throughout the whole book and the pressure that everyone continually puts on Diem seems to solidify Diem's position for the way she chooses to rule.
And rule she does! Our Diem has grown up! Previously the reader could tell she was a bit uncomfortable and unsure of herself in her new position as queen but in Heat of the Everflame she's grown VERY comfortable and has no more eff's to give. Her dominant attitude and unwavering position is powered further by some unexpected plot twists that gives the reader something new to chew on.
Something else that's new, the author gives us an up close and personal view of many of the realms of Emarion. I am so grateful that the author went there with Heat, it was exactly what I wanted. We get a good detailed view of not only multiple of the Emarion realms but of their seated crowns as well. This gives the reader new characters, a more detailed world, and it thickens the plot and our understanding of Emarion, the Kindred, the mortals and a bigger issue looming in the distance.
On the other hand, our brooding overly protective MMC, Luther, is back as well and his and Diem's flirtatious banter, tension and slow burn romance is โจ everything โจ! He continues his, true to self, unwavering position to protect his Queen in all ways, at all costs, and together they try to take on the world seemingly ready to crumble at their feet.
I very much enjoyed Heat of the Everflame. I feel like out of the three books in The Kindred's Curse Saga so far, Heat was my favorite. I cannot wait to read the fourth book, Burn of the Everflame, coming this summer! (P.s. the first three chapters are available at www.penncole.com for those who sign up for her newsletter ๐ซถ๐ผ)
--------------------------------------------
Check out my profile for other reviews and my socials
IG: @bookish.n.tea
Tiktok: @bookish.n.tea
A Wildfire in the Grove by Esmeray Sultan
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
This was my first ARC book and A Wildfire in the Grove came out of the gate swinging! The book starts out very historical romance like, with the reader following Aiya the 26 year old heir to the throne who's to be married off to the eligible suitor of her father's choosing. She's begrudgingly accepted her fate and plays along until she meets one suitor in particular that changes everything. I thoroughly appreciated that the author offers the reader an exciting element of surprise by giving us a few events that allows us to get to know various bachelor's and Aiya's open-minded thoughts on them while keeping which bachelor exactly it is that Aiya might fall head over heals for in the mix but concealed for some time.
As the book progresses the fantasy aspects start to appear in greater detail and thus the plot deepens further and becomes even more interesting. The reader gets to know Aiya better, her history and heritage as well as that of her suitor and secrets begin to unfold. The magic aspect allowed for a great amount of world building that I was able to picture as I read and very much enjoyed.
The only critique I have for A Wildfire in the Grove is there were some scenes, including some critical moments, in the book where I was left wanting more and wasn't quite ready to move on from. For example, I wanted see when a certain character gets injured his progress from injury to getting better in a little bit more detail.
A Wildfire in the Grove, gives the reader forbidden love, strong female and strong male friendships, a very lovable and strong MMC and FMC who completely burn and melt for one another (and it's whew! ๐ฅต), secrets, scandal, treachery and edge-of-your-seat scenes.
Spice level:
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Tropes:
๐ธ Forbidden Love
๐ธTouch her and ๐
๐ธ "That's my good girl"
๐ธ Secrets
๐ธ Scandal
Rating:
โญ 4.25โญ
-----------------------------
Check out my other reviews and follow along on my bookstagram @bookish.n.tea
As the book progresses the fantasy aspects start to appear in greater detail and thus the plot deepens further and becomes even more interesting. The reader gets to know Aiya better, her history and heritage as well as that of her suitor and secrets begin to unfold. The magic aspect allowed for a great amount of world building that I was able to picture as I read and very much enjoyed.
The only critique I have for A Wildfire in the Grove is there were some scenes, including some critical moments, in the book where I was left wanting more and wasn't quite ready to move on from. For example, I wanted see when a certain character gets injured his progress from injury to getting better in a little bit more detail.
A Wildfire in the Grove, gives the reader forbidden love, strong female and strong male friendships, a very lovable and strong MMC and FMC who completely burn and melt for one another (and it's whew! ๐ฅต), secrets, scandal, treachery and edge-of-your-seat scenes.
Spice level:
๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ๐ถ๏ธ
Tropes:
๐ธ Forbidden Love
๐ธTouch her and ๐
๐ธ "That's my good girl"
๐ธ Secrets
๐ธ Scandal
Rating:
โญ 4.25โญ
-----------------------------
Check out my other reviews and follow along on my bookstagram @bookish.n.tea
Bonus Chapter for Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.25
Just do yourself a favor and read these bonus chapters after Glow of the Everflame! ๐ฅ
I always enjoy a little reprieve after a really emotionally impactful book. These chapters did just that. In the first chapter we get a short and sweet, intimate look into our characters in the hours after the challenging rite. The second chapter is written in Luther's POV, which I loved because the reader gets to see the world through Luther's eyes for a bit. This personally helped me to understand and connect with Luther as a character even further.
If you read ACOTAR I'd say these chapters similar to the book ACOFAS (bonus chapters) after having read ACOWAR (Glow of the Everflame).
I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book of The Kindred's Curse Saga! ๐
I always enjoy a little reprieve after a really emotionally impactful book. These chapters did just that. In the first chapter we get a short and sweet, intimate look into our characters in the hours after the challenging rite. The second chapter is written in Luther's POV, which I loved because the reader gets to see the world through Luther's eyes for a bit. This personally helped me to understand and connect with Luther as a character even further.
If you read ACOTAR I'd say these chapters similar to the book ACOFAS (bonus chapters) after having read ACOWAR (Glow of the Everflame).
I cannot wait to get my hands on the third book of The Kindred's Curse Saga! ๐
Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
Glow of the Everflame was everything I want in a book! โจโค๏ธโ๐ฅThe romance, the fantasy, cozy at times yet often tense and unpredictable. The emotions and feelings I felt when reading were everythinf I hoped for and the plot was spectacular.
We're back in the second book of The Kindred's Curse series with Diem our feisty FMC and Luther our brooding MMC. There is a fantastic slow burn romance between these two and I'm here for it. I was afraid the relationship between Luther and Diem was not going to flourish enough before we'd get to a spicy scene after the somewhat intimate scene in Spark of the Everflame but Penn Cole put that worry to rest in Glow of the Everflame.
This book made me feel all of the emotions from elated to sadness to terror and betrayal. What I love about Diem is also what I dislike about her but in the best way. She is my firey girl but oh.my.goodness. does she frustrate me sometimes! She has her life clearly laid in front of her and stubbornly chooses the opposite all the time!
The plot was amazing, the story of her trying to navigate her own realm and houses in Lumnos then add in the juggling of the relationships with all of these realms. The world building is incredible and I hope to see more of Emarion. Her interactions and the growth of her relationships with her new inner circle give the reader a cozy homey sort of feel. Taran gives the dry humor, sibling, witty banter and Eleanor is the best wing girl ever! I need a Taran and Eleanor in my life! ๐งก
Do yourself a favor and go get this book in your hands now!
โญ4.5โญ
We're back in the second book of The Kindred's Curse series with Diem our feisty FMC and Luther our brooding MMC. There is a fantastic slow burn romance between these two and I'm here for it. I was afraid the relationship between Luther and Diem was not going to flourish enough before we'd get to a spicy scene after the somewhat intimate scene in Spark of the Everflame but Penn Cole put that worry to rest in Glow of the Everflame.
This book made me feel all of the emotions from elated to sadness to terror and betrayal. What I love about Diem is also what I dislike about her but in the best way. She is my firey girl but oh.my.goodness. does she frustrate me sometimes! She has her life clearly laid in front of her and stubbornly chooses the opposite all the time!
The plot was amazing, the story of her trying to navigate her own realm and houses in Lumnos then add in the juggling of the relationships with all of these realms. The world building is incredible and I hope to see more of Emarion. Her interactions and the growth of her relationships with her new inner circle give the reader a cozy homey sort of feel. Taran gives the dry humor, sibling, witty banter and Eleanor is the best wing girl ever! I need a Taran and Eleanor in my life! ๐งก
Do yourself a favor and go get this book in your hands now!
โญ4.5โญ
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
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
Heartless Hunter by Kristen Ciccarelli
emotional
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
3.75
I enjoyed this read, it was a fun quick read but I am struggling a bit with it too. I enjoyed the characters especially Rune, Alex and Gideon but I wanted a bit more world building. I wish I knew more about the characters as well as the world they live in.
A Court of Silver Flames by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
ACOTAR โ
I loved this book, I loved the third person point of view, I feel like it gave us a great opportunity to see things through the eyes of the other characters. I felt like Rhys was my book boyfriend but now I'm over here like... well helloooo, Cassian ๐ and I enjoyed being able to be in the heads of the other characters. Overall, this was the spiciest book of the series and at one point I was kind of wondering when we would get to more of the action but not THE action, if you know what I mean. But it picked up quickly after that thought had passed me and did not disappoint.
I loved this book, I loved the third person point of view, I feel like it gave us a great opportunity to see things through the eyes of the other characters. I felt like Rhys was my book boyfriend but now I'm over here like... well helloooo, Cassian ๐ and I enjoyed being able to be in the heads of the other characters. Overall, this was the spiciest book of the series and at one point I was kind of wondering when we would get to more of the action but not THE action, if you know what I mean. But it picked up quickly after that thought had passed me and did not disappoint.
A Court of Frost and Starlight by Sarah J. Maas
emotional
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
relaxing
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.5
The past three ACOTAR series books are so action packed and have a lot of plot, especially with the last ACOWAR book, ACOFAS gives the reader a much appreciated breather. It's a nice, light, easy read that's fun and brings the reader even closer to the Inner Circle by way of an intimate holiday. I enjoyed the way the book was written not just in Feyre's POV but we now get to see things through Cassian, Rhysand and Morrigan's eyes as well. Another much appreciated change from the last three ACOTAR books.
A Court of Wings and Ruin by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
challenging
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
Oh my gosh, I felt EVERY.SINGLE.EMOTION. with this book, especially at the end. So well written *chefs kiss*! Accompanying Rhys, Feyre and their friends (and enemies) on this journey was a treat. SJM takes you and makes you feel like you're sitting in the same room as if you are one of the Inner Circle. I cannot wait to start the next book and see where this adventure leads.
A Court of Mist and Fury by Sarah J. Maas
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0