Committing to the TBR

Going into Heat of the Everflame, I was honestly ready to fly straight back into the world of Emarion and figure out what the hell was going on– especially after that absolute shitshow of a coronation. I did not expect it to take me forever to finish, but here we are.

(Spoilers Ahead)

World-Building: A Tour of Emarion

One of the strongest aspects of HOTE is the immersive world-building. I loved seeing more of Emarion as Diem traveled through the deserts of Ignios, the jungles of Arboros, and icy tundra of Montios. Experiencing the different regions and elemental landscapes through her eyes helped me stay engaged, even when the plot dragged. The way each region’s magical properties aligned with Diem’s challenges was clever and gave the setting more meaning– especially during her so-called “rise to power”– if we can even call it that.

Crowns: They Suck

Can we all agree that every crown in this world just… sucks? We meet the faces of Emarion’s fractured leadership, and wow– a walking, taking checklist of red flags. Umbros is probably the only semi-redeemable one, and… well, we all see how that went. I won’t spoil anything further but let’s just say: Fuck Sophos and Ignios. That’s it.

Diem & Luther: The Slowest Slow Burn That Ever Burned

The romance? Painfully slow. And not in the angsty-good way– more in the “please let them catch a break for once” way. Penn Cole has us 2,000+ pages in, and we’re still running in circles. And that ending was just rude for how long we have had to wait. Can he just admit that they are mates already? He’s always like “You are my-” and then boom, something interrupts. Every. Single. Time.

I’ve followed Diem’s journey through all three books, and while I respect her and Luther’s restraint, it’s just not clicking for me emotionally. Same goes for her overall journey. She seems to make the same reckless choices over and over, expecting the people who love her to just deal. Her growth in this book didn’t land for me– it felt repetitive, not revelatory.

Theory Time (Spoilers)

Let’s talk Ophiucae. I’m convinced he’s going to save Diem again, because she’s marked. But will it count as her “third” save? He said something ominous about that, but I’m not convinced he meant it. There’s too much weight in that connection for it to just fizzle. Anyone else?

The Struggle Was Real For Me With This One

I genuinely almost DNF’d. The book felt bloated, like it was trying to do too much without giving me enough payoff. I stuck with it mostly out of sheer commitment to finishing something this massive, but I closed my kindle with more questions than answers after that ending– and not in the satisfying, “give me book four now” kind of way.

Heat of the Everflame is a book I respect more than I enjoyed. It’s ambitious, rich in world-building, and clearly made with care, but pacing, repetition, and frustrating character choices dragged it down for me. I’ll probably keep reading– because at this point, I have to know how it ends. But I sincerely hope the next installment tightens the story and gives Diem (and us!) a real breakthrough.

My Rating: 3.5/5 Stars