Review: Glow of the Everflame (Kindreds Curse #2)

Glow of the Everflame, Book 2 in the Kindred’s Curse Series by Penn Cole

Published By: Atria Books
Publication Date: July 18, 2023
Date Read: July 9, 2025
Genre: NA – Epic Fantasy / Romantasy
Source: Bought
Format: Audiobook
Pages: 637

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An unexpected gift offers the power to change everything—but keeping it could cost Diem her life.

The threat of war has arrived at Diem’s doorstep, along with a new discovery that could save her people. To use it, she must survive the next thirty days by forming a devil’s bargain with the people she hates most: the royal family of House Corbois.

But as she dives into the world of the Descended elite, Diem quickly realizes good and evil aren’t as simple as they seem. Old prejudices are challenged, and new loyalties blur the line between friend and foe.

Meanwhile, her mother is still missing, and the secrets she left behind can no longer be ignored—and neither can the Guardians and their demands. Caught between an old flame and a sizzling new spark, Diem must confront the truth about who she is and what she wants before time runs out.

War is coming, and dangerous enemies wait on all sides.. but the most deadly battle Diem faces may be the one for her heart.

Glow of the Everflame is the second book in The Kindred’s Curse Saga, a four-book fantasy romance series. This book will appeal to fans of plot-heavy, character-driven romantasy such as A Court of Thorns and Roses, Throne of Glass, From Blood and Ash, Gild, Shadow & Bone, and The Serpent & the Wings of Night.

Please Note: There will be spoilers from Book 1: Spark of the Everflame in this review. This will be spoiler free for Book 2.

“Remember who you are, Diem Bellator. But remember you are a phoenix, too. We do not fear the flames, for the hotter we burn, the higher we fly.”

The Kindred Curse Saga is a new series to me this year. I read Spark of the Everflame back in January 2025, and I fell head over heels in love with it. I couldn’t wait to continue the series, but I really wanted to spread this out due to it not being a completed series. I am glad I waited a little while before diving into Glow of the Everflame, but also so glad I didn’t leave it too long as I loved every single moment of this second instalment.

Glow of the Everflame picks up right where Spark left off, with Diem taking the Crown of Lumnos. She is suddenly thrown into the very different world of Descended and having to play their games in order to save her life. She doesn’t know who to trust, if anyone. But she also is faced with the knowledge that not all Descended are evil as she has been led to believe all her life. This book was a true journey of challenging your ingrained beliefs from childhood, and growing as a person.

Before starting this series completely I had heard so many things about how Diem was so annoying, she was really bad and nobody could like her. When reading Spark I didn’t really know where these comments were coming from. I didn’t agree at all! After reading Glow of the Everflame… I kind of get it. My god was she frustrating in this one. A part of me totally gets it, she’s starting to learn that everything she has ever known is wrong, and she is struggling with her loyalty to the humans and her new Descended subjects. But she went back and forth between the two and between people too much. I remember just being like GURL…. REALLY? Multiple times. I totally get that we needed this to see her growth as a character but man did she make me ANGRY! There were points where characters who has proven they were trustworthy and who she did trust, if one dodgy character said something slightly negative she suddenly didn’t trust tehm anymore? Like girl… why you so stupid? On the bright side, I do feel like by the end of the book she has developed and grown a lot so I’m hoping this is the last of the idiocy and we get to see her as a confident Queen in book 3.

One of the things I love about this series so much is that the plot is so strong. If you’re a fan of fantasy romance books where the plot is more of a focus than the romance, then this is the series for you. It was absolutely fantastic! Despite my frustrations with Diem, I couldn’t put this book down as the plot was so good, and action packed. There was twist and turn after twist and turn, and I couldn’t wait to see what was going to happen next. I’m already dying to see what happens in book 3, and I am not usually a binge reader. Penn Cole is the queen of slow burn, action packed Romantasy and I am here for it!

Glow of the Everflame was such a fantastic follow up to Spark of the Everflame. This is my kind of Romantasy and I think this may be one of my all time favourite Romantasy series. I adore the characters so much (not you, Henri!) and I can’t wait to see what is going to happen next. Despite me not usually being a binge reader, I will be diving into Book 3 very very soon, as I really cannot wait to see what is going to happen. If, like me, you’re usually on the fence with Romantasy books as you feel like the plot suffers due to the focus on romance, then I highly recommend that you try this one. It’s fantastic and I really cannot express my love for this series enough. The ending had me reeling and I am left dying on that cliffhanger. It was superb!

“You are the fate my heart was spared for. As long as it beats, you will never fight alone.”