No flames are not bad.
You have to get the stove up to temperature. You have to get the flue up to temperature
Then you can close it down a bit.
Smouldering glow is bad , its the worst most ineffiecent way to burn and dangerous as your sending incompletely burnt gas up the fluw to condense into tar and condensate on your flue .
Local store being a general store ? Wood will not be dry, there in lies the problem .
Stoves are not use and forget , they require preparation and in use need attention reasonably often, if you have used a boiler all your life you may be in for a shock.