#53: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re covering chapters 40–52 of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros and BUNCHIES… the tension? The betrayals? The absolute chaos? We are so deep in it.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

We pick up with the aftermath of everything shifting, Andarna’s wing isn’t fully healed, Brennan is alive and thriving under a new identity, and Mira officially joins the rebellion after a very justified punch to the face. Family reunions here are… aggressive.

Violet realizes she might know how to raise the wards, but when it fails, she makes a bold move: Tecarus. Enter a literal palace, luxury vibes, and Xaden dramatically reappearing like the shadow daddy he is… only for things to spiral when we learn Catriona is his ex—and Tecarus’s niece.

Cue tension, jealousy, and THAT dress moment, when Xaden takes one look at Violet and says, "that dress… you’re playing dirty, Violence.”

But things turn deadly fast when Tecarus forces Violet to prove her power… by unleashing a venin. Casual. She survives, but at a cost: an alliance forcing riders and fliers together.

And spoiler... they hate each other.

On the journey back, everything goes wrong. A trap is triggered, Luella falls, Ridoc is injured, and wyvern close in, confirming the venin now know everything. The war isn’t coming… it’s already here.

Back in Aretia, tensions explode. Cat and Violet finally throw down, emotions are manipulated, secrets about Xaden’s past come out—and just when Violet is about to lose control…

Xaden steps in. And this man makes a statement.

After breaking up the fight, he takes Violet straight to the throne and reminds her exactly where he stands: “My house. My chair. My woman.”

Meanwhile, the bigger picture comes into focus: venin rankings, runes, rebellion relics, and the terrifying realization that this war has been building for much longer than anyone thought.

Then Violet cracks the code. The wards were never about riders, they’re about dragons.

And just when she’s ready to act—Xaden returns from battle barely alive… and immediately knows she’s figured it out. The question is… are they already too late?

Let's get into it, Bunchies!

#52: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re covering chapters 27–39 of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, and you guys… the emotional damage? The secrets? The chaos? We are officially in the deep end now.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

After the attack scare, Violet races to find Xaden, only to discover him completely fine and sparring like nothing happened… while she’s spiraling. What follows is an intense reunion where Violet finally lays her heart out, and while she still can’t say the three little words, she gives him three of her own: “I need you.” And let’s just say… the tension breaks.

But reality hits fast. The mission continues, and we meet Catriona—Xaden’s stunning, very not-over-him ex. The tension is immediate, and things escalate when we learn the truth about the luminary and the dangerous cost it would take to get it… a cost that centers around Violet.

Back at Basgiath, Violet finally tells her friends everything, and instead of betrayal, she gets loyalty. Together, they uncover a hidden vault tied to the First Six, leading to a high-stakes heist that ends in success… briefly.

Because Violet makes one fatal mistake—trusting Nolan.

She’s captured, cut off from Tairn, and thrown into a brutal interrogation where Varrish tries to break her, but she doesn’t. Somehow, Liam is there with her, keeping her grounded, until Dain steps in, sees the truth, and in a shocking turn… kills Varrish.

Chaos erupts. Xaden arrives. And in the aftermath, Violet takes her power back and for the first time, she and Xaden are fully aligned.

Then finally… he says it. He loves her!

But the truth about Violet’s mother changes everything, revealing deals and sacrifices that have been shaping her life all along. With secrets exposed, Violet shares the truth through Tairn, and dragons and riders choose sides, following her to Aretia.

And just when it feels like everything is shifting…

Andarna wakes up.

The war isn’t coming anymore—it’s here.

Let’s get into it, Bunchies!

#51: This week on A Novel Bunch, we continue our deep dive, covering chapters 14–26 of Iron Flame by Rebecca Yarros, where Violet Sorrengail’s second year at Basgiath escalates from stressful to straight-up sinister. Because the real enemy might not be across the border… but inside the Riders Quadrant itself.

*SPOILERS AHEAD*

The Riders Survival Course kicks off with a twist no one sees coming. Violet and her squad are drugged with an herbal concoction that severs their connection to their dragons and signets, forcing them to survive the wilderness like ordinary cadets. No lightning. No dragons. Just a forest full of hunters.

It’s supposed to be a test.

But when infantry cadets start dying, it becomes clear this “exercise” is something else entirely.

Back at Basgiath, the questions keep piling up. Why are professors suddenly capable of cutting riders off from their dragons? Why are historical records about wyvern mysteriously missing from the archives? And why does it feel like the leadership of Navarre is hiding something bigger than anyone imagined?

Jesinia might be an ally… or she might be another loose thread in a system designed to bury the truth.

Meanwhile Violet finally gets the chance to visit Xaden, only for Varrish to sabotage the reunion before it even begins. Punishments are piling up. Surveillance is tightening. And the message is clear: someone powerful wants Violet under control.

Or dead.

When Xaden and Violet finally reunite, the tension between them explodes. The chemistry? Still undeniable. The trust? Completely shattered.

He wants three little words.

She refuses to give them.

And if fixing Aretia’s failing wards means digging into forbidden knowledge about the First Six, Violet may be forced to risk everything—including the people she loves—to find the answers.

But the real danger arrives when Varrish drags Violet and her friends into interrogation.

Poisoned drinks. Brutal beatings. Dragons cut off. Secrets demanded.

And just when it feels like things can’t get worse…

Jack.
Freaking.
Barlow.

The cadet Violet watched die is suddenly alive again—and Nolan looks like a man who’s been trying to resurrect the impossible.

As the chapter closes, another attack hits the border. Mira’s unit is involved. Xaden’s post is under fire. And Violet runs across Basgiath with one terrifying thought in her mind:

If he’s dead, nothing else matters.

The second year isn’t just testing riders.

It’s breaking them.

Let’s get into it, Bunchies!