Onyx Storm | Live Reading (Ch 65–66) + Recap (Ch 50–66): “Don’t Look for Me.”

Crescent City: House of Sky and Breath: (Ch 1-15): Ruhn Danaan Knew Three Things With Absolute Certainty

#063: This week on A Novel Bunch, we're diving into chapters 1–15 of House of Sky and Breath and BUNCHIES... Sarah J. Maas gave us approximately five minutes of peace before throwing us headfirst into another conspiracy. *SPOILERS AHEAD* We kick off Crescent City 2 with a brand-new mystery as Sofie Renast is running for her life carrying information so explosive it could bring down the Asteri themselves. We're talking secret rebel intel, death camps, missing children, and the reveal that Sofie is part Thunderbird—a nearly extinct line capable of wielding and absorbing energy. Oh, and her little brother Emile apparently has the same powers.  Meanwhile, back in Crescent City, Bryce and Hunt are somehow MORE frustrating than ever because despite surviving demons, Archangels, city-wide destruction, and literal death... they've decided to make a pact to wait until Winter Solstice before physically being together. WHY, SARAH. WHY. The tension is absolutely tensioning as Bryce's Starborn light randomly flares to life at the ballet. Hunt covers the glowing light on her chest like the protective king he is, while Bryce spends every waking second regretting the bargain she made. At Ruhn's house, we get our first major bombshell when an unexpected visitor crashes the party: Prince Cormac Donnall of Avallen. And not only is he Bryce's cousin... HE'S HER FIANCÉ. The Autumn King apparently decided to arrange a political marriage without consulting literally anyone involved, and Bryce is about as thrilled as you'd expect. Hunt is trying to remain calm, but we all know our angel is one inconvenience away from committing several felonies. Things get even worse when Bryce and Hunt return home to find Ithan Holstrom beaten nearly to death after defending Bryce against Sabine and the wolves. Poor Ithan has officially entered his Sad Boy Era, and somehow Bryce has once again become Crescent City's unofficial shelter for every emotionally damaged male within a fifty-mile radius. Elsewhere, Tharion is sent on a mission to recover Sofie's body—except there's one tiny problem. There is no body. The chains meant to drag her to the bottom of the sea are empty. And suddenly everyone is asking the same question: What really happened to Sofie Renast? As the investigation begins, connections start appearing everywhere. Danika's name surfaces again. Sofie's emails contain references to mysterious projects, hidden truths, and something called "Dusk's Truth." Tharion discovers evidence that Sofie's younger brother may still be alive, while Bryce finds herself pulled into yet another dangerous mystery that absolutely does not concern her but that she fully intends to solve anyway. Because apparently Bryce Quinlan learned nothing from the events of the last book. We also finally meet Crescent City's new Archangel, Celestina, who seems surprisingly kind, reasonable, and competent—which naturally makes us suspicious. At the 33rd, Hunt is forced to work alongside Pollux Antonius, the Hammer, and Baxian Argos, the Helhound, two former members of Sandriel's elite Triarii. Tensions explode almost immediately, fists are thrown, cells are occupied, and Celestina calls Bryce to come pick up Hunt. Meanwhile, Ruhn Danaan knew three things with absolute certainty. Iykyk. He is busy dealing with his own problems, including an arranged engagement to Hypaxia, mounting pressure from the Autumn King, and the realization that Cormac may not be exactly who he claims to be. Because BUNCHIES... Cormac is secretly Agent Silverbow. You know, the mysterious rebel operative from the prologue. The same operative who helped Sofie. The same operative who's supposed to be marrying Bryce. WHAT. And then Sarah J. Maas decides we haven't suffered enough and drops the biggest lore bomb of the entire book so far. Aidas returns. Our favorite suspicious demon cat casually reveals that Bryce is a direct descendant of Theia, the last Starborn Queen, and that everything they've been taught about history may be a lie. According to Aidas, the war against the Asteri never truly ended.The Asteri rewrote history. They erased the truth. They buried Theia's legacy.And the legendary Great Library hidden within Jesiba's gallery may contain proof of everything. Even crazier? Aidas claims Hel isn't the enemy. The Asteri are. And if Bryce chooses to fight, the armies of Hel will answer her call. EXCUSE ME??? By the end of chapter 15, we discover that the mysterious rebel network Ophion may be far closer than we realized, because standing at Bryce's door is Prince Cormac Donnall. Or should we say... Agent Silverbow. WE HAVE QUESTIONS. WE HAVE THEORIES. AND WE ARE ABSOLUTELY NOT OKAY. Let's get into it, Bunchies!

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood: (Ch 73-97): "Light It Up, Bryce! Light It Up!"

#062: This week on A Novel Bunch, we're covering chapters 73–97 of House of Earth and Blood and BUNCHIES… we genuinely don’t know how Sarah J. Maas expects anyone to emotionally recover from this ending.  *SPOILERS AHEAD* The final stretch of Crescent City absolutely DESTROYED us as Bryce uncovers the horrifying truth behind Micah’s plan, the Horn, and Danika’s sacrifice—and then proceeds to become the most iconic female character alive. Everything starts spiraling at the Asteri Summit while Bryce is trapped inside Jesiba’s gallery with Micah… and OH MY GOD the reveals. We learn the gallery is secretly the lost Great Library of Parthos, filled with banned books that challenge everything the Asteri want the world to believe. Micah reveals Danika secretly tattooed the Horn into Bryce’s back to hide it from everyone… meaning Bryce herself has unknowingly been carrying one of the most dangerous magical objects in existence this entire time. Casual!!! And then Micah CONFESSES EVERYTHING. He manipulated Danika, used Synth to push her beyond her limits, orchestrated the deaths of the Pack of Devils, and planned to use the Horn to open portals and unleash armies from the other side. Meanwhile the entire city is literally watching Bryce interrogate him through the gallery security feed while absolute chaos unfolds. But emotionally? Nothing could’ve prepared us for Lehabah. LEHABAH. Our tiny fire sprite queen sacrifices herself to save Bryce and Syrinx in one of the most heartbreaking scenes SJM has ever written. “My friends are with me and I am not afraid”??? WE WERE SOBBING. FULL BODY TEARS. And Bryce? Oh she enters SAVAGE MODE. She shoots Micah in the head, slices him in half with Danika’s sword, burns his body to ash, AND VACUUMS HIM UP. Cinema. Actual cinema. But of course things get even worse because Micah succeeds in opening the Gates before dying, unleashing demons across Crescent City while the Asteri prepare to basically bomb the entire city—including Bryce—to cover it all up. Meanwhile Hunt finally breaks free from his slavery after Hypaxia removes the halo from his brow… and BUNCHIES when Hunt kills Sandriel!? The Umbra Mortis is BACK. Then comes Bryce’s final stand. Alone outside the shelter gates, Bryce calls Hunt to say goodbye, tells him to tell her family she loves them, forgives Ruhn, and admits the feelings she’s been too terrified to say out loud. And then she runs straight toward the Gate while literally glowing with Starborn light. “I am Bryce Quinlan, heir to the Starborn Fae.” CHILLS!!!!! We finally learn Bryce’s power was hidden all these years and that she alone can wield the Horn because of her Starborn bloodline—meaning she could potentially open portals to OTHER WORLDS. And yes BUNCHIES… we are absolutely spiraling over the ACOTAR crossover implications because THE BOOK OF BREATHINGS casually appearing in Jesiba’s library cannot be a coincidence. And then Sarah J. Maas somehow gives us the most stressful sequence of all time. Hunt sacrifices himself to save Bryce from the missiles. Bryce makes the Drop completely untethered. Danika appears as her Anchor beyond death. Bryce channels the power of every Gate in Crescent City to heal the city, close the portals, and literally LIGHT IT UP. Meanwhile Hunt is giving her chest compressions screaming at her to come back because she waited until he was almost dead to finally admit her feelings!? ARE YOU KIDDING ME!!!!! Bryce makes the Ascent with literally 0.003 seconds left, Hunt is healed, the city survives, and for one glorious second we think everyone might finally get peace… Until the Asteri basically warn Bryce and Hunt to stay quiet, stay obedient, and never use the Horn again. And then the epilogue casually drops MORE INSANE REVEALS when Jesiba meets with Aidas and we learn Bryce carries Theia’s true light… while Hunt’s mysterious father may be far more important than we realized. WE ARE NOT OKAY. Let’s get into it, Bunchies!

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood: (Ch 49-72): The Clue Danika Left… “Through Love, All Is Possible”

#061: This week on A Novel Bunch, we covered chapters 49–72 of House of Earth and Blood and BUNCHIES… Sarah J. Maas officially chose violence. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Bryce and Hunt’s investigation into Danika’s death spirals into absolute chaos as new clues reveal the truth behind the Horn, Synth, and what REALLY happened the night the Pack of Devils died. First of all… WHAT DO YOU MEAN Danika may have been involved with Synth!? We uncover terrifying footage from secret Synth trials, learn the drug is basically synthetic magic capable of turning humans into monsters, and discover Danika was secretly investigating it long before her death. But every answer only raises more questions. Meanwhile Bryce summons Aidas, Prince of the Chasm—aka one of the most suspiciously hot demon princes ever—and he drops cryptic warnings about Bryce’s future, her power, and the fact that the Oracle “did not see” what he did. Casual!!! We also get MAJOR lore reveals: Ruhn’s legendary starborn sword was forged from the same meteorite as a missing dagger tied to an ancient prophecy… and yes BUNCHIES, we are absolutely spiraling over the possible ACOTAR connection. And emotionally? These chapters DESTROYED us. Bryce opens up about the motorcycle crash that nearly killed her and Danika, Hunt reveals the heartbreaking truth about his mother and why he joined Shahar’s rebellion, and the two somehow become even more emotionally codependent while pretending they’re “just roommates.” Oh—and then comes the kiss. THE KISS!!!!! After Bryce endures excruciating pain to extract venom from her leg wound, Hunt talks her through it, comforts her… and gives her the softest little kiss that had us LOSING OUR MINDS. But naturally SJM rips our hearts out immediately after. Because Hunt has been hiding the truth. Not only did he know about Synth… he secretly worked with Viktoria and Justinian to try to overthrow the Archangels using it. And worst of all? He believed Danika may have taken Synth the night she died and accidentally slaughtered her own pack before summoning the kristallos demon. Bryce is devastated. Furious. Betrayed. And then things somehow get EVEN WORSE. Justinian is brutally executed. Viktoria’s soul is trapped forever. Hunt is handed back over to Sandriel. Bryce offers MILLIONS to buy his freedom—and even offers herself in exchange—but Hunt rejects her to protect her. Then, in true SJM fashion, the chapters end with Bryce being attacked by a kristallos demon while everything around her completely falls apart.  WE ARE NOT OKAY. Let's get into it, Bunchies!

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood: (Ch 35-48): Wait... WHO Really Stole the Horn!?

#060: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re diving deeper into Crescent City House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas and BUNCHIES… the plot officially THICKENED. *SPOILERS AHEAD* Bryce and Hunt’s investigation into Danika’s murder takes a dangerous turn after a bombing at the White Raven leaves Bryce injured—and forces Hunt into full protective mode. Suddenly our reluctant duo is living together, sharing late-night banter, trauma dumps, and enough tension to power Crescent City itself. Meanwhile, the mystery surrounding the Horn gets WAY bigger. We learn Danika was secretly investigating the Horn before her death… the temple footage was tampered with… Sabine Fendyr may be hiding something… and ancient legends reveal the Horn can only be wielded by someone Starborn. As Bryce and Hunt dig deeper into demon attacks, rebel groups, underground tunnels, and hidden truths, we also get some MAJOR emotional reveals—Bryce’s heartbreaking visit to the Oracle, Hunt opening up about Shahar, and the two of them slowly becoming each other’s safe place whether they want to admit it or not. Oh—and the flirting? OFF. THE. CHARTS. From Jelly Jubilee unicorns and jealous Hunt moments to almost-kisses constantly getting interrupted, these two are driving us insane in the best way. But then SJM drops the bombshell of all bombshells: Danika Fendyr stole the Horn. And suddenly… nothing we thought we knew about that night feels true anymore. Let’s get into it, Bunchies!

Crescent City: House of Earth and Blood: (Ch 1–24): We Were NOT Ready for Chapter 5…

#059: This week on A Novel Bunch, we’re kicking off Crescent City House of Earth and Blood by Sarah J. Maas—and BUNCHIES… we were not prepared. *SPOILERS AHEAD* We meet Bryce Quinlan: party girl, art dealer, and absolute IT girl of Crescent City—living her best life alongside her ride-or-die, Danika Fendyr. And then… everything is ripped away. What starts as a lush, chaotic world filled with Houses, angels, Fae politics, and ancient power quickly turns DARK when a brutal, inhuman massacre wipes out Danika and the entire Pack of Devils in a single night. And Bryce? She comes face-to-face with the horror that did it.  From there, we spiral into grief, mystery, and a city that feels anything but safe. Enter Hunt Athalar—Umbra Mortis, enslaved assassin, and walking weapon—assigned to watch Bryce as a new murder surfaces… identical to Danika’s. Coincidence? Absolutely not. Now Bryce is pulled into an investigation she never asked for, forced to confront the truth about that night, Danika’s secrets, and the chilling reality that the killer never stopped hunting. We’re breaking down the emotional devastation, the insane world-building, Bryce and Hunt’s tension-filled dynamic, and all the early clues (because you KNOW SJM is planting seeds). Because one thing is clear already: This wasn’t random. And it’s far from over. Let’s get into it, Bunchies!