Take a photo of a barcode or cover
A review by savage_book_review
Spark of the Everflame by Penn Cole
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
This book has been on my WTR list for a while. But the universe clearly wanted me to read it sooner rather than later. I've been lent the physical copy; I'm finally catching up with the Fantasy Fangirls podcast, whose next deep dive is into this series; and the author is going to be attending #RARE25London. And while I'm not obsessing yet, it does seem like a real possibility if the next books in the series are as good as people say...
The premise of this book at the outset felt very familiar (definitely akin to 'Quicksilver') and as such it was easy to slip into the world and Diem's character. Although I'm not sure I connected as well to Diem as the author might hope, I still found her an interesting, nuanced personality and felt her conflicting emotions and beliefs were really well illustrated. I really enjoyed her snarky attitude and her ability to get into conflicts and then own those who dare try to lay hands, whether in her or others; again, while a lot of these character traits are shared widely across FMCs within the genre, the author has managed to give Diem that spark of life that keeps her unique and memorable.
There is a nice variance of pace throughout the book, with a flow that gives you a big, heartstopping moment followed by a little bit of time to decompress and possibly even have a laugh. And while the plot is relatively predictable, by now this die hard romantasy fan is well aware that it's not necessarily about the plot itself, but the trip the author takes you on to hit all of those well-trodden paths.
I am a bit concerned about my reaction to Luther though. He ticks all the right boxes (although, no wings), but right now I'm just a bit "eh" about him. I found him to be more of a stock character, with depth and development being severely lacking - kind of an 'insert your favourite shadow daddy here' deal. I am really hopeful that he gets more page time and consideration in the next books! Because I WANT to like him!
It's definitely a good book, but it also reminded me of the first book in the 'Black Magician's trilogy by Trudi Canavan, in that overall it felt like one long introduction. And while it certainly fulfilled its purpose, equally I don't necessarily believe it achieved the depth of worldbuilding that might have been expected. It just feels a bit hollow in places. There are a couple of info dumping moments that don't quite fit seamlessly within the narrative, and there are other elements that could do with expansion.
But overall I remain intrigued by the series and will be reading the follow ups soon (sorry to all the other books on my TBR list that are screaming of attention right now!).
The premise of this book at the outset felt very familiar (definitely akin to 'Quicksilver') and as such it was easy to slip into the world and Diem's character. Although I'm not sure I connected as well to Diem as the author might hope, I still found her an interesting, nuanced personality and felt her conflicting emotions and beliefs were really well illustrated. I really enjoyed her snarky attitude and her ability to get into conflicts and then own those who dare try to lay hands, whether in her or others; again, while a lot of these character traits are shared widely across FMCs within the genre, the author has managed to give Diem that spark of life that keeps her unique and memorable.
There is a nice variance of pace throughout the book, with a flow that gives you a big, heartstopping moment followed by a little bit of time to decompress and possibly even have a laugh. And while the plot is relatively predictable, by now this die hard romantasy fan is well aware that it's not necessarily about the plot itself, but the trip the author takes you on to hit all of those well-trodden paths.
I am a bit concerned about my reaction to Luther though. He ticks all the right boxes (although, no wings), but right now I'm just a bit "eh" about him. I found him to be more of a stock character, with depth and development being severely lacking - kind of an 'insert your favourite shadow daddy here' deal. I am really hopeful that he gets more page time and consideration in the next books! Because I WANT to like him!
It's definitely a good book, but it also reminded me of the first book in the 'Black Magician's trilogy by Trudi Canavan, in that overall it felt like one long introduction. And while it certainly fulfilled its purpose, equally I don't necessarily believe it achieved the depth of worldbuilding that might have been expected. It just feels a bit hollow in places. There are a couple of info dumping moments that don't quite fit seamlessly within the narrative, and there are other elements that could do with expansion.
But overall I remain intrigued by the series and will be reading the follow ups soon (sorry to all the other books on my TBR list that are screaming of attention right now!).