Glow of the Everflame by Penn Cole

Here is a summary with spoilers of Glow of the Everflame

Spark of the Everflame follows Diem Bellator after a glowing Crown suddenly appears above her head, marking her as the new Queen of Lumnos. Diem is overwhelmed and convinced the Crown has made a mistake. Her half-brother Teller urges her to either find Prince Luther Corbois or tell their father, Andrei Bellator, but Diem avoids Andrei because of a recent argument between them. Princess Lily Corbois arrives soon after and confirms that the Crown is real, meaning Diem must possess Descended blood. Lily explains that Diem will soon face the Period of Challenging, where rival royal houses can challenge her right to rule and force her into deadly magical combat. If she survives, she must complete the Rite of Coronation. Diem immediately worries about Henri Alban, the mortal man she loves, knowing he despises the Descended and everything they represent. Lily and Teller convince Diem to retreat to a cabin on the royal hunting grounds while she tries to understand what is happening.

At the cabin, Diem struggles to sleep as fear and confusion consume her thoughts. Luther soon appears, reigniting the tension between them. Diem demands answers about her missing mother, Auralie, but Luther refuses to tell her where she is or what role she played in the growing unrest surrounding the Crown. The two ride together to the palace, where Diem feels both drawn to Luther and furious with him because she believes he is responsible for enforcing laws that led to the deaths of half-mortal children. At the palace, Diem meets the Corbois family, including Remis Corbois, who pressures her to align with House Corbois so they can protect her against the other royal houses. Diem refuses to commit immediately, unwilling to trust any of them. Later, she forgives Lily for revealing her location to Luther after Lily apologizes. During another confrontation with Luther, Diem hears a mysterious voice urging her to fight, and Sorae, the dragon tied to the Crown, appears beside her. Luther immediately scolds the guards for failing to protect her, reinforcing how dangerous her position has become.

The next morning, Eleanor Corbois offers to help Diem navigate palace life. Eleanor becomes one of Diem’s closest allies and advisors, explaining the importance of the Ascension Ball and the House Receptions, where Diem must gain the support of the Twenty Houses or risk being destroyed politically. Aemonn Corbois tells Diem that she needs a Descended standing beside her if she wants the houses to take her seriously. Diem also learns more about Luther’s position as Keeper of the Laws and realizes he has enforced the same laws that resulted in half-mortal children being executed. The revelation horrifies her and deepens her distrust. Later, Diem visits the dungeons where Teller and Lily warn her about the brutality of the Challenging, explaining that contestants often fight to the death using magic. When Luther arrives, Diem is overcome with the urge to attack him. In that moment, she finally stops denying what she is and accepts that she is Descended. She agrees to align herself with House Corbois only if Luther promises to protect her family and friends during the Challenging.

The following morning, Luther brings Diem breakfast and reveals more about his connection to Auralie. He explains that he had secretly helped her spy on Ulther, the former king, and worked beside her to protect mortals from the Descended elite. However, he still refuses to reveal where Auralie is because he believes exposing her secrets would endanger her. Luther promises Diem that if Auralie does not return on her own within two months, he will bring her back himself. Although Diem remains uncertain about trusting him, she begins believing that Luther genuinely wants to help her. Eleanor later helps Diem prepare for the Ascension Ball while explaining the personalities and strengths of the Corbois family members. Taran is kind and sensitive, Alixe is a feared warrior in the Emarion Army, and Aemonn is polished and politically calculating. Alone afterward, Diem reflects on the Descended and wonders if her powers could eventually help her protect mortals rather than oppress them.

As Diem struggles to adjust to palace life, Remis encourages her to let him control the House Receptions and speak on her behalf to prevent further political conflict. Diem reluctantly agrees to consider it but dislikes surrendering control. While wandering through the palace, she unexpectedly reunites with Henri. Overcome with emotion, Diem explains everything about the Crown and swears that she still loves him despite what she has become. She asks Henri to become her King Consort, and he agrees before they are interrupted by Luther. Luther warns Diem that publicly associating with a mortal could put Henri’s life in danger, which leads to another argument between them. Later, Luther shows Diem a hidden book containing the names of half-mortal children he secretly saved from execution. He explains that he and Auralie had worked together for years trying to protect mortals from the cruelty of the Descended system. This revelation forces Diem to question her assumptions about Luther. Before the Ascension Ball, Luther urges Diem to choose Aemonn as her escort because it will strengthen her political standing with the houses, and Diem reluctantly agrees.

Diem writes Henri a letter warning him not to attend the ball for his own safety, though she promises she still loves him. She later meets Teller and Lily in the dungeons, where they discuss the possibility that Garath may challenge her during the Challenging. Teller asks Diem to demonstrate her magic, but she still cannot summon it. As Ulther’s funeral approaches, Eleanor warns Diem that wearing black is offensive in Descended culture. At the ceremony, Luther recites a poem written by Ulther’s late mate Rapheol, and Diem begins learning more about the powerful love bonds shared by Descended mates. When Remis asks her to light Ulther’s funeral pyre with magic, Diem freezes after spotting Andrei and Maura in the crowd and fails to summon her powers. Sorae steps in and ignites the pyre instead. Later, Andrei visits Diem privately, and the two reconcile after their earlier argument. Diem insists that he become her advisor, though Alixe warns that the court will reject a mortal in such a role.

Diem later confesses to Luther that she cannot control her powers, and Luther worries this weakness will encourage the houses to challenge her claim to the Crown. During the conversation, the tension between them becomes impossible to ignore, and they kiss before Eleanor and Taran interrupt them. Eleanor, Taran, and Alixe begin helping Diem train her magic, though Diem continues struggling to summon anything substantial. At a Corbois family dinner, Diem becomes increasingly uncomfortable watching Luther interact with Iléana Hanoverre, especially after hearing rumors about possible marriage alliances between their houses. After dinner, Diem searches for Luther only to discover he has left with Iléana, intensifying her jealousy and confusion over her growing feelings for him.

Later, Diem encounters Luther arguing harshly with the guards before he helps her after she trips and injures herself. He brings her to her room, massages her feet, and asks what he can do to earn her trust. Diem demands honesty above all else, and Luther promises his loyalty before leaving before things between them go further. As preparations for the Ascension Ball continue, Diem practices dancing with Lily and Teller. Luther apologizes for his previous behavior, and the attraction between them continues growing despite Diem repeatedly reminding herself she is engaged to Henri. Luther hints that the visions they have shared together are meaningful, though he never fully explains them. Meanwhile, Teller continues researching the Descended while Diem studies his notes, increasingly convinced that war between mortals and Descended may soon erupt.

Before the ball, Aemonn gifts Diem a pendant bearing the Corbois sigil, promising to protect her during the event. On the way to the palace, Diem encounters Henri, who reveals that the Guardians of the Everflame plan to attack the Descended during the Ascension Ball. Terrified for his safety, Diem orders Luther to imprison Henri in the dungeon until the danger passes and vows to kill anyone who harms him. She informs Luther about the Guardians’ plans, and Luther promises he will stop the attack without bloodshed. When Diem and Aemonn finally enter the ballroom, she is overwhelmed by the grandeur and the political tension surrounding her. The royal houses present her with gifts, including a magical compass said to guide her heart toward its deepest desire. When Diem meets the Queen of Umbros, she recognizes her as the woman who prophesied Auralie’s disappearance years earlier.

Throughout the Ascension Ball, House Hanoverre and House Benette repeatedly question Diem’s legitimacy and pressure her to prove her powers publicly. Diem calmly refuses, privately realizing House Hanoverre appears to be preparing for war. Later, she overhears Iléana encouraging Luther to claim the throne for himself, but Luther rejects the idea and reaffirms his loyalty to Diem. Diem shares her first dance with Aemonn while struggling to determine whether he genuinely supports her or simply sees her as a political opportunity. Later, Luther asks Diem to dance, and the two discuss plans for helping her survive the Challenging and eventually create peace between mortals and Descended. Luther reassures her that Henri is safe and reminds her that together they could change the kingdom. Diem is overwhelmed by emotion and finds herself increasingly torn between Henri and Luther.

As the House Receptions continue in the following days, Diem repeatedly defends mortals against nobles who advocate expelling or oppressing them. She asks Andrei again to serve as her advisor, but he refuses because he knows the court will never accept him. Soon afterward, Alixe urgently brings Diem to her old home, where she discovers the house destroyed and her father murdered. Devastated by grief and rage, Diem unleashes uncontrollable fire magic across the ruins while Luther kneels beside her in the wreckage. Andrei’s death hardens Diem’s resolve and becomes the emotional turning point that pushes her toward embracing both her Crown and her powers.

After Andrei’s funeral, Diem visits Henri’s home, where his father warns her that Henri is becoming increasingly consumed by hatred and violence. Shortly afterward, Henri and Vance confront Diem about her alliance with the Descended. Henri suggests they move forward and forget their disagreements, but when he kisses her, Diem feels trapped rather than comforted and flees back toward the palace. Meanwhile, she continues failing to control her magic despite constant training with Taran, Alixe, Eleanor, and Luther. Henri and Vance later reveal plans to steal one of the Crown’s ships, ignoring Diem’s pleas to stop escalating the conflict. At the same time, House Byrnum pressures Diem into approving political marriages while threatening to challenge her if she refuses. Luther disappears for several days after losing his titles and council position, leaving Diem isolated and furious.

Seeking clarity, Diem uses the magical compass from the ball, which leads her to Luther’s sword at her destroyed childhood home. She realizes that more than power or revenge, what she truly wants is a home, family, and love. Teller later reminds her that survival sometimes means fighting for what you want instead of sacrificing it. Using the Orb of Answering, Diem learns that both Auralie and her unknown birth father are still alive. On the eve of the Challenging, Luther returns with a note from Henri wishing Diem luck and reveals he had considered marrying Iléana Hanoverre in a bonded bargain to stop House Hanoverre from challenging her. Diem begs him not to sacrifice his happiness for politics.

Shortly before the Challenging, Diem visits Mortal City with her friends and discovers Henri has already left on a secret mission without informing her. When the day of the Challenging finally arrives, Diem dresses for battle while Luther gives her another medallion mirroring Aemonn’s earlier gift, though his bears dark gray diamonds instead of sapphires. Emotional and overwhelmed, Diem kisses Luther before Remis interrupts them. At the arena, every one of the Twenty Houses challenges Diem’s claim to the Crown. The greatest shock comes when Luther steps forward and challenges her himself on behalf of House Corbois. Chaos erupts as Remis accuses Diem of betraying their magical bargain. Luther later privately confesses that he intended to die during the duel so Diem could gain the houses’ loyalty by defeating him. Diem refuses to let him sacrifice himself and instead chooses to fight Rhon Ghislaine, the Descended who murdered his own half-mortal child.

During the duel, Rhon brutally overwhelms Diem while mocking her weakness. Eventually she loses consciousness and experiences a vision of a gray-skinned man who calls her the Daughter of the Forgotten and commands her to fight for him. Diem rejects him completely, swearing she will rule only for her people. When she awakens, she finally embraces her magic fully. Her power explodes outward, effortlessly binding Rhon with chains of light and shadow. Diem initially spares him, choosing mercy over vengeance, but when Rhon attempts to stab her anyway, she kills him with her magic. She then rises above the arena surrounded by branches and fire, forcing the royal houses to kneel and swear allegiance to her Crown.

After the Challenging, Diem and Luther travel together to Coeurîle for her coronation. During the journey, Luther reveals he is also half-mortal and that Remis murdered his mother after an affair. Luther explains that he has spent his entire life trapped between worlds just like Diem. Their connection deepens as they discuss their shared visions, their growing feelings for one another, and the burdens they carry. At the Temple of the Kindred, Diem is greeted by the rulers of the other realms and again hears references to her as the Daughter of the Forgotten. During the Rite of Coronation, lightning suddenly strikes the temple and shatters the heartstone, the sacred relic connected to the Crowns. Chaos erupts immediately as the rulers accuse Diem of being an imposter. In the middle of the destruction, Diem hears her mother’s voice warning her to run.

In the epilogue, Auralie waits near the temple carrying stolen flameroot powder meant to suppress Descended abilities. Luther confronts her and is shocked to discover she never even knew Diem had become Queen. Vance also appears nearby, revealing that multiple conspiracies and missions have been unfolding around the Crown and the kingdoms. As lightning strikes the temple again and panic spreads across Coeurîle, Auralie screams for Diem to flee while the future of Lumnos and the Descended realms collapses into uncertainty.