Zodiac Academy: the white whale of fantasy novels

Obsession is an understatementWelcome back, friends! I did promise that we’d get here eventually. I am so excited for the endeavour before me: to explain the Zodiac Academy book series and why you should add it to your TBR list.


I started reading book one, The Awakening, in January. I bought it on a whim because, well, FOMO. I’d seen it in bookstores and online for years. But it took the endless drain of January for me actually to execute the purchase.

There was one thing that shocked me before I even opened the first page.

A Harry Potter reference on the back page blurb.

Harry Potter exists in another fantasy world. I can die happy.

I had almost no idea about this series going in. There was magic, and it was based on your zodiac sign. A trait I have as a reader is jumping in without any foresight, typically after I’ve bought the whole series.

So here’s the deal: the main characters, Tory and Darcy, are twin sisters. Their parents died in a fire years ago, but they survived. They’ve been through the foster system and now live on their own in a bad part of Chicago.

Darcy broke into an old foster home to steal money they stashed. However, she ends up losing the money in the ensuing police chase. Tory steals bikes and gets a cut when she sells them for parts.

But so far there’s no magical academy with magical courses for magical powers.

UNTIL…

Tory sees a very attractive man watching her at the bar. She hightails it out of there.

THEN…

Mr. No Name FOLLOWS HER HOME.

He has a whole monologue but here’s the to the point version in the most unhinged delivery ever:
Tory and Darcy are not actually Tory and Darcy. They are fae princesses switched at birth. Their birth parents were the King and Queen of Solaria
Solaria is a world that runs parallel with the human world, but there’s magic—their magic acts like a homing beacon, which is how the ‘politicians’ of Solaria found them. So then Mr. No Name persuaded them to come with him again. They travel by stardust to Zodiac Academy (imagine Floo Powder in Harry Potter).

Got all that?
It’s a lot to take in, especially as the book starts on a normal note.

I truly love the magic system in this series! Your abilities stem from your star sign. That power development over the first few books is so cool to see.
And the love interests bring chaosThere’s also the romantic element that adds more tension to the plot. It’s a bullies-to-lovers story, which I know doesn’t sound fun. The first book can be challenging to read because of it. As you come to understand motivations, the reasoning for this specific trope becomes clear—a ‘good intentions, horrible plan’ type.

This entire world consists of three separate series.

1. Zodiac Academy
2. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac (set five years before ZA)
3. Darkmore Penitentiary (set five years after ZA).

I researched many ways to read all of them because, while they don’t follow each other, there is some crossover.

This video is super informative for reading order.

I’m onto Vicious Fae, the third overall Ruthless Boys book, but number four in the three series universe extravaganza. I like the plot of it, but I am not vibing with the romance trope.
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Please let me know if I’ve piqued your interest. Some parts might be a little on the vague side, but spoilers are for another time.