#56: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re diving into chapters 16–32 of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros and BUNCHIES… things just went from unsettling to straight-up unhinged.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

We start picking up on something Rebecca literally warned us about—there’s a double meaning in the epigraphs—and suddenly EVERYTHING feels like a clue. Letters from Asher? Cryptic. Lilith’s unsent messages? Worse. And the deeper we go, the clearer it becomes… Violet has never been told the full truth. Not even close.

Meanwhile, enter: JEALOUS XADEN.

Because Halden is back, asking Violet out like nothing ever happened, and Xaden? Oh he handles it. Shadows, threats, slammed-against-the-wall energy… we are absolutely feral. But beneath the tension, there’s something darker building, because Xaden isn’t just protective anymore. He’s shifting.

And we need to talk about that shift.

His power is different. Stronger. Colder. Controlled… until it’s not. The gold flecks in his eyes? Gone. The way he reads Violet? Sharper. And when things go down in Deverelli… he doesn’t hesitate. At all.

Yeah. We’re not okay.

As the squad heads to the Isles, the vibes somehow get even weirder. No magic. No connection. No dragons communicating, except Violet and Tairn. And yet, for Xaden… it’s peaceful. Which is maybe the scariest part of all.

We meet Narelle, uncover more of Asher’s hidden plans, and everything we thought we understood about the gods gets reframed—because in the Isles, it’s not divine… it’s something else entirely.

Because according to the Isles?
It’s not divine.
It’s science. It’s alchemy.
And whatever is happening between Violet and Xaden… might be something entirely new.

Oh, and then there’s the temple.

Silver-haired priestesses. Six pillars. A goddess calling Violet to choose her path. And when Violet says, “I choose him”… something answers back.

Lightning. Power. A force she swears she didn’t summon.

So who did?

Because by the end of chapter 32, we’re left with one terrifying realization:

Xaden might be becoming the storm…
but Violet?

She might be something even more powerful.

We’re breaking down jealous Xaden (bless), the Deverelli chaos, the venin evolution, the growing “cure” theories, and the very real possibility that Violet’s destiny has been set in motion long before she ever knew it.

Let’s get into it, Bunchies!

#55: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re diving into the prologue and chapters 1–15 of Onyx Storm by Rebecca Yarros and BUNCHIES… something is OFF. Like… deeply, unsettlingly OFF.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

We pick up in the aftermath of absolute devastation, and immediately the vibes are wrong. Jesinia is translating everything, secrets are surfacing, and Andarna casually drops that she may have altered a venin by changing her scales?? I’m sorry—WHAT? If that’s true, that could change everything we thought we knew about defeating them.

Meanwhile, Violet is no longer saying “I will not die today”… it’s now “I will save him.” And that shift? It tells you everything. Because at the center of all of this chaos is Xaden—and the terrifying possibility of what he’s becoming.

Because let’s talk about it.
The pull of power.
The connection to the earth.
The fact that he can sense venin.

Yeah… we’re not okay.And things only get weirder from there. Venin are infiltrating Basgiath, targeting the weak, and we meet a mysterious silver-haired figure who can wield lightning?! I’m sorry—since WHEN can venin do that? And why does she feel… connected to Violet?

The worldbuilding is going absolutely feral again—ancient journals, hidden runes, missing truths about Navarre, and repeated mentions of “the six”… except now we know there’s actually a seventh. (Hi, Andarna??)

We also get MAJOR red flags across the board:
Brennan looks exhausted in a way that feels familiar…
Xaden is unraveling—emotionally and physically
And Violet’s mother?? The more we learn, the less anything makes sense.

Oh—and can we TALK about that unsent letter from Lilith? Because not only does she clock Violet’s poor taste in men (same), but it raises a million questions about her past, her knowledge, and what she’s been hiding this entire time.

On the political side, things are escalating fast. Violet is charged with treason, alliances are shifting, and Xaden is officially named Duke of Tyrrendor—which is terrifying now that he is venin.

And then there’s the magic.
Signets are getting rarer. Stronger. Stranger.
We’re hearing about once-in-a-generation powers appearing at the same time.
And the balance of magic? Yeah… that might be breaking.

By the time we hit chapter 15, the tension is unbearable. Because Xaden himself basically admits that if it came down to it… he would choose Violet over everything. Over the war. Over morality. Over everyone.

And if that’s not foreshadowing something absolutely devastating… I don’t know what is.

We’re breaking down all the early clues, the venin infiltration, the Andarna implications, and of course… the growing fear that Xaden might be slipping into something we can’t come back from.

Let’s get into it, Bunchies!

#54: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re covering chapters 53–66 of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros and BUNCHIES… I don’t even know how to emotionally process what we just read. The reveals? The heartbreak? The absolute spiral we’ve entered?

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

We jump right back into chaos as the battle intensifies and new powers begin to emerge—hello Sloane and that RARE siphon signet?! The stakes are higher than ever as alliances start shifting, especially between Cat and Violet (did hell freeze over?), and tensions explode both on and off the battlefield.

But the real emotional gut punch? Violet and Xaden.

These two are barely holding it together as secrets continue to unravel, and when Violet finally asks the question we’ve ALL been waiting for… the answer changes everything. Trust is shattered, lines are drawn, and suddenly love isn’t the only thing at stake anymore.

Meanwhile, the worldbuilding goes absolutely feral. We’re talking wyvern, venin, hidden runes, ancient journals, and the horrifying realization that Navarre has NOT been telling the full story. Like… at all.

And then there’s General Sorrengail.

Something is off. The physical changes, the secrecy, the knowledge she’s been holding onto… we get MAJOR clues that there’s more to Violet’s mother than we ever realized—and we are diving deep into the theory that could change EVERYTHING.

As the final battle at Basgiath erupts, it’s pure chaos. Dragons falling, riders risking everything, sacrifices being made—and one moment in particular that will absolutely destroy you.

The wards are on the brink. The truth is out. And just when you think we might make it out alive…

we get hit with THAT ending.

Like… Rebecca?? Be so serious.

We’re breaking down ALL the major reveals, the emotional fallout between Violet and Xaden, and of course… our unhinged theories (including the Lilith Sorrengail situation because I have QUESTIONS).

Let’s get into it, Bunchies!