Honest Book Review of Heat of the Everflame
Author: Penn Cole
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After absolutely flying through the first two books, Heat of the Everflame ended up being my least favorite in the series so far. I still had a good time reading it, but this was the first book that left me feeling more exhausted than excited.
If you’re still catching up on the series, be sure to read my Spark of the Everflame Review, Glow of the Everflame Review, and my Glow of the Everflame Book Recap before diving into this one.
Before I get into my complaints, I have to give Penn Cole credit where it’s due.
The world building continues to be one of my favorite parts of this series. Every time we learned something new about the Descended, the kingdoms, or the history of this world, I was completely invested. Penn Cole has built a fantasy world that feels expansive without becoming overwhelming, and I never got tired of uncovering new pieces of the lore.
The action scenes were another highlight. Whenever the story shifted into battle mode, I was hooked. The stakes felt high, there were several twists I didn’t see coming, and those moments reminded me exactly why I fell in love with this series in the first place.
At a Glance āØ
Now…my biggest complaint.
This book is long.
Not just long, but long in a way that felt unnecessary at times. There were several sections that could have been trimmed down without changing the overall story. The pacing constantly bounced between high-intensity action and long stretches of relationship drama, making it feel uneven from beginning to end.
If you’re tackling chunky fantasy books like this one, check out my tips on How to 10 Ways to Read More Books to make even the biggest reads feel more manageable.
Speaking of relationship drama…
Luther honestly threw me for a loop in this book.
He suddenly became the stereotypical broody, misunderstood MMC who pushes everyone away because he’s carrying some huge secret. We eventually learn what that secret is, but I don’t think it justified how drawn out the conflict became. Then, somewhere around the second half of the book, it felt like his personality completely flipped. One minute he’s distant and overbearing. The next he’s happily following Diem around, calling her “My Queen” every other sentence and agreeing with everything she says. It almost felt like I was reading two different versions of Luther.
Even after all that, he’s still creeping into Shadow Daddy territory. If you’re wondering where he ranks against Rhysand, Xaden, Ruhn, and the rest, check out What Is a Shadow Daddy? and take my Who’s Your Shadow Daddy? Quiz.
Now let’s talk about the slow burn.
Penn Cole deserves some sort of award for writing one of the longest slow burns I’ve ever read. By book three, I was begging these two to either kiss already or just accept they were going to stay emotionally constipated forever.
Thankfully, the slow burn finally pays off in this book.
Was I happy it finally happened? Absolutely.
Did I think we had to wait three books for it? Not really.
The payoff was satisfying, but I think it would have landed even better if there had been a little less back-and-forth getting there. If you’re a fellow slow-burn lover (or someone who enjoys yelling “JUST KISS ALREADY!” at fictional characters), you’ll probably understand my pain.
If you’ve read this series, I need to know, did the payoff feel worth the wait? This would make a fun discussion for your next book club, so if you’ve been thinking about starting one, check out my guide on How to Start a Book Club.
Diem was another character I struggled with.
It took her multiple books to really learn how to use one power, but suddenly she’s unlocking new abilities left and right and becoming an expert with them almost overnight. At the same time, she’s walking around threatening everyone with all this newfound power while insisting she’d never hurt innocent people. Those two sides of her personality didn’t always feel like they fit together, and I found myself getting frustrated with some of her decisions.
Even with those frustrations, I never stopped caring about the overall story.
I still want answers. I still want to know how the prophecy ends. I still want to see what happens to all of these characters. That’s ultimately why this stayed a 3-star read instead of dropping lower. The world Penn Cole has created is still one of my favorites in romantasy, and it was enough to keep me invested even when the pacing wasn’t.
Overall, Heat of the Everflame earns 3 stars from me. The world building continues to shine, the action scenes are some of the strongest in the series, and the slow burn finally gives us the payoff we’ve been waiting for. I just wish the journey to get there had been tighter, with less repetitive relationship drama and more consistent character development.
I’ll definitely be picking up the final book because I’m far too invested to quit now. I just need a little breather before jumping back into this world.
If you’re looking for more fantasy romance recommendations while deciding what to read next, check out my Ultimate Guide to Spicy Fantasy Romance, browse my Spicy Fantasy Romance Book Library, or see Fantasy Romance that actually have a plot.
