Kindred's Curse Saga Character Guide
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If you’ve ever picked up the next book in Kindred’s Curse Saga and immediately thought, Wait…who is this person again? you are definitely not alone.
Penn Cole created a pretty massive cast throughout Spark of the Everflame, Glow of the Everflame, Heat of the Everflame, and Burn of the Everflame. Between the Bellators, the Corbois family, Guardians, Crowns, Descended, gryverns, Kindred, and approximately 47 people who seem to be related to Luther somehow, there is a lot to remember.
So I created this character guide as a quick reference for the major characters throughout Kindred’s Curse Saga.
Need to remember who someone is? What realm they’re from? How they’re connected to Diem? Why you’re supposed to hate them?
You should be able to find them here.
And if you need more than just the characters, head over to my Ultimate Kindred’s Curse Saga Guide. That’s where I’m keeping everything together, including my realm breakdowns, story and lore guides, detailed book recaps, reviews, and more.
Want to go straight to the source? You can also visit Penn Cole’s official website for more about the series and the world she created.
⚠️⚠️⚠️ MAJOR SPOILER WARNING: This guide covers all four books in The Kindred’s Curse Saga, including Burn of the Everflame. Character descriptions may reveal relationships, deaths, identities, mating bonds, family connections, and some VERY major plot twists. If you haven’t finished the series, proceed carefully!
Before we jump into the approximately one million people you’re expected to remember, you might also be wondering whether The Kindred’s Curse Saga is romantasy or fantasy romance.
The line between the two can get pretty blurry—especially with a series this heavy on both romance and fantasy plot. If you’ve ever wondered what actually separates them, check out my Romantasy vs Fantasy Romance: What’s the Difference? guide.
Main Characters
Diem Bellator
Who is she? The main character of The Kindred’s Curse Saga.
Diem begins the series as a mortal healer living in Mortal City in the realm of Lumnos. Her life changes when her mother, Auralie, mysteriously disappears and Diem begins developing powers that shouldn’t be possible for a mortal.
That mystery becomes one of the biggest threads running through the entire series.
Diem eventually learns that she isn’t simply mortal. Her biological father is Ophiucae, also known as Omnos, the forgotten tenth Kindred. Andrei Bellator may not be her biological father, but he is the man who raised her—and the person Diem ultimately considers her true father.
Over the series, Diem goes from healer to reluctant political figure to Queen of Lumnos and eventually becomes one of the most powerful people in Emarion.
She also develops the ability to take the Crowns of other rulers, earning herself some pretty intimidating titles along the way.
Important Relationships:
- Luther – mate and love interest
- Auralie – mother
- Andrei – father who raised her
- Ophiucae/Omnos – biological father
- Teller – younger brother
- Henri – childhood friend and former fiancé
- Sorae – bonded gryvern
- Eleanor – close friend and political ally
- Alixe – High General and ally
What you need to remember: Diem’s heritage is at the center of the entire series. Her connection to mortals, Descended, and the Kindred places her directly between the different sides fighting for control of Emarion.
Her heritage also explains a LOT about her unusual magic. If you’re trying to figure out why Diem is different from the other Descended. That is where the mysterious tenth realm fits into all of this. You can read my 10 Realms of The Kindred’s Curse Saga Explained.
Luther Corbois / Luther Bellator
Who is he? Prince of Lumnos, Diem’s primary love interest, and professional champion of saying something infuriating while somehow still being attractive.
Luther is a member of the powerful House Corbois and the son of Remis Corbois. He initially appears secretive, arrogant, and suspiciously interested in Diem.
Which, obviously, means we know exactly where this is going.
Luther is Descended but also has mortal blood. He possesses powerful shadow and illusion magic and becomes one of Diem’s most important allies as she navigates Descended politics.
Eventually, it is revealed that Diem and Luther are mates.
By Burn of the Everflame, Luther’s role extends far beyond being Diem’s love interest. He becomes one of the central leaders in the fight for Emarion and ultimately takes the Bellator name.
Important Relationships:
- Diem – mate
- Remis – father
- Lily – sister
- Taran – cousin and closest friend
- Alixe – cousin
- Ophiucae – enemy
- Teller – friend and eventual brother-in-law
What you need to remember: Luther’s loyalty is ultimately to Diem rather than House Corbois. His relationship with his family—particularly Remis—is complicated throughout much of the series.
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The Bellator Family
Auralie Bellator
Who is she? Diem and Teller’s mother.
Auralie’s disappearance at the beginning of Spark of the Everflame is what sets much of Diem’s story into motion.
But Auralie is much more involved in Emarion’s political conflict than Diem originally realizes.
She is a healer, rebel, and leader within the Guardians, an organization fighting against the oppression of mortals.
One of the biggest revelations surrounding Auralie is her past relationship with Ophiucae/Omnos, which resulted in Diem’s birth.
She later married Andrei Bellator and had Teller.
Important Relationships:
- Diem – daughter
- Teller – son
- Andrei – husband
- Ophiucae – former lover and Diem’s biological father
- Vance – former Guardian ally
- Cordellia – Guardian ally
What you need to remember: Auralie knows considerably more about Diem’s heritage than she tells her daughter early in the series.
Andrei Bellator
Who is he? Diem’s adoptive father and Teller’s biological father.
Andrei is one of the most important emotional influences in Diem’s life.
Although Ophiucae is Diem’s biological father, Andrei is her dad.
He is Auralie’s husband and a former military commander whose beliefs heavily influence Diem’s views on equality, morality, and leadership.
His death becomes a major turning point in the series.
Henri is responsible for killing Andrei while acting under pressure and orders connected to Vance and the Guardians.
Even after his death, Andrei remains incredibly important to Diem, Teller, Auralie, and eventually Luther.
What you need to remember: Biology doesn’t change Diem’s feelings about who her father is. Andrei remains her father regardless of what she discovers about Ophiucae.
Teller Bellator
Who is he? Diem’s younger brother and Auralie and Andrei’s son.
Teller starts the series as Diem’s younger brother who desperately wants to prove that he can take care of himself.
That becomes increasingly complicated as he gets pulled into the larger conflict.
Teller is intelligent and develops an important understanding of substances such as flameroot and godstone, knowledge that becomes increasingly useful during the war.
He also develops a relationship with Lily Corbois, Luther’s younger sister.
Important Relationships:
- Diem – older sister
- Auralie – mother
- Andrei – father
- Lily – love interest
- Luther – friend and brother figure
Teller ultimately sacrifices himself during the confrontation with Ophiucae.
His death becomes one of the most devastating losses for Diem and the rest of the Bellator family.
House Corbois
House Corbois is one of the most powerful families in Lumnos and held the Crown for generations.
Unfortunately, remembering which Corbois is related to which other Corbois sometimes requires a family tree, caffeine, and possibly divine intervention.
Here are the ones you actually need to remember.
Remis Corbois
Who is he? Luther and Lily’s father.
Remis is the brother of King Ulther and Garath Corbois and becomes an extremely powerful political figure following Ulther’s death.
His relationship with Luther is complicated.
Remis is ambitious, proud, politically calculating, and heavily invested in maintaining House Corbois’s influence. Because of this, he and Diem are frequently at odds.
However, his character becomes more complicated as the series progresses.
Despite his many faults, Remis loves his children and eventually becomes an important ally during the larger war.
Important Relationships:
- Luther – son
- Lily – daughter
- Garath – brother
- Ulther – brother
- Taran and Aemonn – nephews
- Diem – eventual daughter-in-law
Lily Corbois
Who is she? Luther’s younger sister.
Lily is much softer than many of the other members of House Corbois and becomes increasingly involved with Diem’s family.
She trains as a healer and develops a romantic relationship with Teller Bellator.
Lily becomes pregnant with Teller’s child before his death.
Their son is named Andrei Teller Bellator, honoring both Teller and his father.
Later, Lily develops a relationship with Sarla, a healer and midwife.
Taran Corbois
Who is he? Luther’s cousin, Aemonn’s brother, and one of Luther’s closest friends.
If Luther is brooding in a corner somewhere, there is a decent chance Taran is nearby trying to make the situation approximately 30% less miserable.
Taran is the son of Garath Corbois, and his relationship with his father is deeply abusive.
Despite coming from House Corbois, Taran becomes fiercely loyal to Luther, Diem, and the family they create around themselves.
He eventually chooses to separate himself from his father’s legacy.
Taran also develops a relationship with Zalaric Hanoverre.
Important Relationships:
- Luther – cousin and best friend
- Aemonn – brother
- Garath – father
- Zalaric – mate
- Diem – friend and Queen
Aemonn Corbois
Aemonn initially comes across very differently from Taran, but much of his behavior is shaped by the abuse and control he experiences from Garath.
His relationship with Taran is complicated, especially after the truth comes out about Taran’s former betrothed.
Aemonn eventually begins standing up against his father and becomes an ally to Luther, Taran, Diem, and Zalaric.
What you need to remember: Aemonn paid Taran’s former betrothed, Baird, to leave before their mating, something that contributes heavily to Taran’s belief that he isn’t worthy of being loved.
Garath Corbois
Who is he? Taran and Aemonn’s father.
Garath is the older brother of Remis and King Ulther.
He’s also one of the Corbois family members you are absolutely allowed to dislike.
Garath is controlling, abusive, power-hungry, and obsessed with the standing of House Corbois.
His treatment of Taran and Aemonn plays a major role in both brothers’ stories.
King Ulther Corbois
Who is he? Former King of Lumnos.
Ulther is the brother of Remis and Garath and uncle of Luther, Lily, Taran, and Aemonn.
His reign and death play an important role in the political instability that eventually results in Diem becoming Queen of Lumnos.
Alixe Corbois
Who is she? A powerful member of House Corbois who eventually becomes Diem’s High General.
Alixe doesn’t immediately fall into the Diem fan club.
Her loyalty and political position make her relationship with Diem complicated at first.
Over time, however, Alixe becomes one of Diem’s most valuable military commanders and trusted allies.
She is particularly skilled with illusions and military strategy.
Alixe dies during the final war while helping kill Xipherus, Ophiucae’s gryvern.
Eleanor Corbois
Who is she? Diem’s friend and eventual Regent.
Eleanor becomes one of Diem’s strongest political allies.
Unlike many of the Descended nobles who fight to preserve the existing system, Eleanor becomes increasingly supportive of Diem’s attempts to change it.
She eventually becomes Regent of Lumnos and grows into a much more confident political leader.
She also forms Eleanor’s Embers, a group of Descended willing to support Diem and her reforms.
What you need to remember: If you’re trying to remember which Corbois woman becomes one of Diem’s political besties—that’s Eleanor.
House Hanoverre
Zalaric Hanoverre
Who is he? Taran’s mate.
Zalaric is half-mortal and the son of Jean Hanoverre and a mortal woman.
His father abandoned him because of his mixed heritage, and Zalaric eventually builds a life among other half-mortals.
He is an illusionist and becomes an important part of Luther and Taran’s chosen family.
His relationship with Taran is one of the major secondary romances of the later books.
Important Relationships:
- Taran – mate
- Jean Hanoverre – father
- Luther – friend
- Aemonn – ally
- Diem – Queen and friend
Jean Hanoverre
Jean is a member of House Hanoverre and the brother of Iléana.
He abandoned Zalaric because he was half-mortal and becomes one of the more vicious members of the Descended nobility.
His relationship with Zalaric eventually puts him directly against Taran, Aemonn, and Luther.
Iléana Hanoverre
Who is she? Jean’s sister and a commander in the Royal Guard.
Iléana was previously considered a potential romantic match for Luther.
She comes from the powerful House Hanoverre and remains involved in the political and military conflicts surrounding Lumnos.
Marthe Hanoverre
Who is she? Matriarch of House Hanoverre.
Marthe is one of Diem’s biggest political headaches.
She strongly opposes many of Diem’s reforms and fights to maintain the influence of the Twenty Houses.
She is grandmother to Jean and Iléana and represents much of the old Descended political establishment that Diem is trying to change.
The Guardians
Vance
Who is he? One of the leaders of the Guardians and eventually one of Diem’s enemies.
Vance begins as part of the mortal resistance against Descended oppression.
But his desire for vengeance becomes increasingly extreme.
He is connected to Andrei’s death and manipulates Henri into participating in it.
Eventually, Vance allies himself with Ophiucae, believing that eliminating the Descended is necessary to free mortals.
That alliance does not exactly go according to plan.
Ophiucae eventually takes control of Vance’s mind.
Vance
Who is he? Diem’s childhood best friend and former fiancé.
Henri and Diem grow up together, and for a large part of Diem’s early life, marrying Henri seems like the obvious future.
Then Luther Corbois walks into the story and ruins that nice simple plan.
Henri becomes involved with the Guardians and is manipulated by Vance.
He eventually leaves with Lana, who is pregnant with his child.
Important Relationships:
- Diem – childhood friend and former fiancé
- Lana – partner
- Vance – Guardian leader who manipulated him
- Andrei – killed by Henri
- Teller – understandably not a Henri fan
One of the most devastating revelations is that Henri killed Andrei.
Despite this betrayal, Henri later helps Diem and seeks forgiveness for what he’s done.
Cordellia
Who is she? Guardian leader from Arboros.
Cordellia is one of Auralie’s important allies within the larger Guardian movement.
She is deeply committed to freeing mortals from Descended oppression and initially distrusts Luther and other Descended characters.
As the war grows, she eventually fights alongside Diem’s forces.
Brecke Holdern
Who is he? One of Diem’s old friends and an extremely useful smith.
Brecke helps Diem during her journey and eventually distances himself from the Guardians because of their increasingly violent actions.
His skill becomes incredibly important when he helps create godstone armor.
He remains loyal to Diem and eventually joins her forces.
Francis
Who is he? One of Vance’s officers.
Francis initially works under Vance and participates in capturing Diem.
Unlike some of Vance’s followers, however, Francis begins questioning what the Guardians are doing and eventually allows Diem and her allies to escape.
Brant
Who is he? Vance’s second-in-command.
Brant is one of the Guardians directly involved in Andrei’s death and remains violently opposed to Diem.
He eventually dies at Diem’s hands.
Wondering where The Kindred’s Curse Saga falls on the spice scale? You can also browse my Romantasy Spice Library to find spice ratings for your next read.
Friends, Healers & Allies
Maura
Who is she? Healer and maternal figure in Diem’s life.
Maura is one of the more stable presences throughout all the chaos.
She works as a healer and becomes a mentor to other healers, including Lily.
Diem considers her almost like a second mother.
Lana
Who is she? Henri’s partner.
Lana becomes pregnant with Henri’s child and is caught in the consequences of everything Henri has done.
She pleads for Henri’s life and ultimately leaves with him.
Sarla
Who is she? A healer from Fortos.
Sarla serves as Lily’s midwife and eventually becomes her romantic partner following Teller’s death.
She becomes part of the larger Bellator/Corbois chosen family.
Lonard
Who is he? A mortal soldier who initially questions Diem’s authority.
Instead of simply punishing him for challenging her, Diem gives Lonard an opportunity to prove himself.
He eventually becomes a Commander in her army.
The Crowns
The Crowns are the rulers chosen to carry the power of their realm’s Kindred.
As Diem’s power grows, her relationship with the other Crowns becomes a major part of the story.
And this is where things can get confusing FAST.
If you’re sitting there thinking, Wait, which Crown rules which realm again?, keep my 10 Realms of The Kindred’s Curse Saga Explained open too. I break down each realm’s magic, Kindred, Crown, gryvern, eye color, culture, and more.
Yrselle
Who is she? Queen of Umbros.
Remember the mysterious elderly woman Diem encounters all the way back in Spark of the Everflame?
Yep.
That’s Yrselle.
She becomes far more important than she initially appears and has a deep connection to the Kindred Umbros.
Doriel
Who are they? Former Crown of Sophos.
Doriel is scholarly, knowledgeable about history, and mate to Obaneryn.
Following the destruction of Sophos and the larger conflict with Ophiucae, Doriel eventually fights alongside Diem’s forces.
Obaneryn
Who is he? Former King of Meros and Doriel’s mate.
Obaneryn possesses wind-related magic and becomes another of the former Crowns drawn into the war against Ophiucae.
He carries enormous grief over what happens to Meros and its people.
Mireille
Who is she? Former Queen of Arboros.
Mireille begins as one of Diem’s political adversaries and is involved in trapping her on Coeurîle.
Eventually, the shifting power throughout Emarion forces Mireille to submit to Diem.
She later acts as Diem’s emissary to Arboros.
Mireille
Who is she? Former Queen of Arboros.
Mireille begins as one of Diem’s political adversaries and is involved in trapping her on Coeurîle.
Eventually, the shifting power throughout Emarion forces Mireille to submit to Diem.
She later acts as Diem’s emissary to Arboros.
Ailani
Who is she? Former Queen of Faunos.
Ailani has a powerful connection with animals and initially has a difficult relationship with Diem.
Eventually, she becomes an ally during the war and sends the creatures of Faunos to fight against Ophiucae.
The Gryverns
No, they’re not just dragons.
The gryverns have their own histories, relationships, loyalties, and—as we eventually discover—very good reasons to be angry.
Their story also becomes much more important once we learn the truth about the Forging and why the gryverns are bonded to the Crowns in the first place. I go much deeper into that history in my Kindred’s Curse Saga Story & Lore Guide.
Sorae
Who is she? Diem’s bonded gryvern.
Sorae becomes one of Diem’s most important companions.
Initially, their relationship exists because of the Forging bond, which forces gryverns into magical servitude.
As Diem learns the truth about the Forging Spell, her understanding of Sorae and the other gryverns changes dramatically.
Sorae is fiercely protective of Diem.
She is also the mate of Tybold.
Eventually, Diem destroys the system binding the gryverns and gives Sorae her freedom.
And Sorae chooses to remain connected to Diem.
😭
Tybold
Who is he? Gryvern of Ignios and Sorae’s mate.
Tybold might seem hostile toward Diem, but his story becomes much easier to understand once the truth about the gryverns is revealed.
He saves Diem’s life more than once.
Once the Forging bond is broken, Tybold and Sorae are finally able to choose their own lives.
Xipherus
Who is he? Ophiucae’s gryvern.
Unlike Sorae and Tybold, Xipherus remains one of the major threats during the final war.
He is incredibly dangerous and capable of devastating entire groups of soldiers with dragonfyre.
Alixe ultimately kills Xipherus, sacrificing herself in the process.
Vexes
Who is he? Gryvern of Sophos.
After Diem breaks the Forging Spell, Vexes struggles with his freedom and everything he was forced to do while bound.
His reaction shows that simply freeing the gryverns cannot erase the trauma caused by the Forging.
Ophiucae / Omnos
Ophiucae
Who is he? The Forgotten Kindred—and Diem’s biological father.
Ophiucae is one of the biggest revelations in the entire saga.
He is also known as Omnos and is essentially the forgotten tenth member of the Kindred.
His history with the other Kindred, the Forging Spell, the heartstone, and the creation of the current power structures within Emarion becomes central to understanding what is actually happening in the series.
He once had a relationship with Auralie, which resulted in Diem.
Ophiucae wants Diem to join him, but his vision for Emarion is drastically different from hers.
He becomes the primary antagonist of the final portion of the saga.
Important Relationships:
- Diem – daughter
- Auralie – former lover
- Lumnos – sister
- The Kindred – siblings
- Xipherus – gryvern
- Vance – ally turned controlled servant
- Luther – enemy
And yes, Omnos means there were technically ten realms rather than nine.
If that revelation had you mentally rearranging the entire map of Emarion, my 10 Realms of The Kindred’s Curse Saga Explained breaks down the forgotten tenth realm, the Forgotten Lands, Omnos’s magic, and how everything fits together.
The Kindred
The Kindred are the godlike beings behind Emarion’s realms and the source of the Descended’s powers.
For most of the series, they exist more as mythology than actual characters.
That changes dramatically once Diem begins learning what really happened to them.
If you want to explore the author’s official worldbuilding alongside my guides, Penn Cole also has an Enter Emarion section on her website dedicated to the world of The Kindred’s Curse Saga.
Lumnos
The Kindred associated with the Realm of Light and Shadow.
Lumnos is Diem’s aunt and Ophiucae’s sister.
She becomes one of the Kindred who communicates most directly with Diem and helps reveal the truth about her family’s history, the Forging Spell, and what happened between the Kindred.
Umbros
The Kindred associated with Umbros.
He has a particularly important connection with Yrselle, his favored Crown.
Fortos
The Kindred associated with Fortos.
He is proud and carries regret over choices made by the Kindred.
He also reveals that he traditionally chose men to carry his Crown.
Montios
The Kindred associated with Montios.
Montios places enormous importance on stories and preserving history and offers Diem insight into the Kindred’s past.
Arboros
The Kindred associated with Arboros.
His history includes the devastating loss of his firstborn after the child was poisoned with godstone.
Meros
The Kindred associated with Meros.
She has an important connection to Obaneryn and asks Diem to show kindness toward him.
Faunos
The Kindred associated with Faunos.
Faunos is less sympathetic toward mortals than some of the other Kindred and initially questions whether Diem can be trusted because she is Ophiucae’s daughter.
Ignios
The Kindred associated with Ignios.
Her history includes a relationship with a mortal man connected to the resistance against the Kindred.
Sophos
The Kindred associated with Sophos.
Sophos is heavily associated with knowledge and eventually helps Diem understand what destroying the heartstone actually accomplished.
Other Characters Worth Remembering
Nidara
High General from Ignios who eventually becomes an important military ally.
Nidara is practical, direct, and carries significant grief over the death of her younger sister, Tallurah.
She becomes increasingly important to Diem during the final conflict.
Symond
Former Chief Centenary of Umbros.
Symond is not particularly fond of Diem, and the feeling isn’t exactly warm and fuzzy in the opposite direction either.
However, he eventually becomes an important ally.
During the final battle, he helps lure Xipherus into position so Alixe can kill the gryvern, sacrificing himself in the process.
Drusila
A Centenary and mother who seeks protection for her child.
Her story helps show the human—or Descended—cost of the war outside Diem’s immediate circle.
Norwick Benette
A member of House Benette who initially opposes Diem.
His connection to Perthe becomes important because of a life debt, eventually influencing his decision not to side completely with the Houses against Diem.
Evrim Benette
A powerful member of House Benette and political opponent of Diem.
Evrim represents another part of the traditional Descended power structure fighting against Diem’s reforms and the growing influence of half-mortals and mortals.
Dristan
A man Diem had a brief romantic fling with before the larger events of the saga.
Unfortunately, Ophiucae later uses Dristan as a vessel.
So that reunion is considerably less fun than it could have been.
Stuart
A mortal from Sophos who once worked in a library and had a crush on Diem.
Ophiucae eventually takes control of his mind, leaving Diem unable to truly save him.
His fate becomes another example of the cost of Ophiucae’s war.
Kéani
A Faunos Descended woman caught under Ophiucae’s control.
She betrays Diem in an attempt to protect her niece, making her another character whose actions aren’t as straightforward as they first appear.
Ready to leave Emarion but not fantasy romance? If you’re looking for your next read after Kindred’s Curse Saga, browse my Fantasy Book Reviews for my honest thoughts on more fantasy romance and romantasy book.
This is including the ones I loved, the ones that were just okay, and the occasional book that made me question all of my reading decisions. 😂
Quick Kindred’s Curse Character Relationship Cheat Sheet
If you just need the “WAIT—WHO IS RELATED TO WHO?” version, here you go.
Diem Bellator
Luther
Teller
Taran
Zalaric
Sorae
Burn of the Everflame Spoilers
MASSIVE SERIES ENDING SPOILERS
Characters Who Die
Only open this if you really want to know.
MASSIVE SERIES ENDING SPOILERS
Where the Main Characters End Up
Want to know where everyone ends up after the final battle?
