Review: Burn of the Everflame

Burn of the Everflame by Penn Cole
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

This is the book I've been waiting for, the book I've been yearning for, and it did NOT disappoint. After four books of war, prophecies, impossible choices, and two main characters that I can't get enough of, Burn of the Everflame finally brings everything crashing together.

This book picks up where the previous book left off. Emarion is at war on multiple fronts. The Descended face annihilation; rebellion is spreading; the Crowns are forced into alliances that once seemed impossible; and Diem and Luther are caught at the center of a conflict where personal love and the fate of an entire world have become inseparable.

What worked best for me was the scale. This feels like a finale. The politics expand, the magic deepens, familiar characters finally step into roles the series has been preparing them for, and the multiple perspectives give the conflict a much broader emotional reach. I also appreciated that Diem remains imperfect. She still makes choices that can be frustrating, but they feel consistent with the person she has been throughout the series rather than changing simply because the plot needs her to.

And Luther remains Luther. No complaints.

This is a very long book, however, and not every section needed the amount of space it received. Some of the buildup felt more drawn out than necessary, while pieces of the final resolution moved surprisingly quickly. I can also see the ending being divisive. But, having waited so long for this one, I'm glad it was so long. I didn't want to rush through it. I wanted it longer; I wanted to linger. I loved these characters; I loved the multiple points of view.

But emotionally? It worked on me. After spending four books with these characters, saying goodbye hurt. Definitely a 5-star emotional reunion with these characters!

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