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Complete Series Reading Guide
Zodiac Academy Books in Order
By Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti · 9 main books · Complete
Read the 9 main Zodiac Academy books in order, then see exactly where Beyond the Veil, Live and Let Lionel, The Awakening As Told By The Boys, and other optional entries fit.
Start with: The Awakening
About this series
Zodiac Academy is Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti’s dark academy romantasy series, built around fae politics, rivalry, power struggles, and high-intensity relationship drama across a long-form nine-book arc.
If you are new to the series, start with The Awakening and continue through the 9 main books in publication order. The companion entries are optional, and this guide places them separately so the core story stays easy to follow.
9 main books · Main story complete · Optional companions
Read more about this series
If you are new to the series, start with The Awakening and continue through the 9 main books in publication order. The companion entries are optional, and this guide places them separately so the core story stays easy to follow.
9 main books · Main story complete · Optional companions
Zodiac Academy Main Books in Order
Zodiac Academy Reading Order: Quick Answer
For a first-time read, follow the 9 main books from The Awakening through Restless Stars. The main story is complete, and no companion is required to understand it.
Complete
Main story
9
Required books
Optional
Companions
The Awakening
Start here
Which Zodiac Academy Reading Order Should You Use?
Best for first-time readers
Main Series Only
Read the 9 numbered main books in publication order. This is the cleanest way to experience the central story.
Best for completionists
Main Series + Companions
Add the meaningful novellas and alternate-POV material at the spoiler-safe points below.
For most readers, this is the only list you need. The 9-book main series follows one continuous story from The Awakening to Restless Stars.
- 1
The Awakening
2019
- 2
Ruthless Fae
2019
- 3
The Reckoning
2020
- 4
Shadow Princess
2020
- 5
Cursed Fates
2021
- 6
Fated Throne
2021
- 7
Heartless Sky
2022
- 8
Sorrow and Starlight
2022
- 9
Restless Stars
2024
Complete Zodiac Academy Reading Order
Use this completionist path for every meaningful standalone companion. The labels keep optional material visibly separate from the 9 main novels.
Origins of an Academy Bully
Best time: After Ruthless Fae, or save it until after Fated Throne. Required: No.
The Awakening As Told By The Boys
Best time: After Fated Throne for the safest first read. Required: No.
The Big A.S.S. Party
Best time: After Cursed Fates. Required: No.
Beyond the Veil
Best time: After Sorrow and Starlight and before Restless Stars. Required: No.
Live and Let Lionel
Best time: After you finish the main series. Required: No.
Where Do the Zodiac Academy Companion Books Fit?
Origins of an Academy Bully
What it is: Prequel novella. Best time: After Ruthless Fae, or save it until after Fated Throne. Spoiler risk: Low after Book 2; lower emotional risk later.
A prequel centered on Darius and Lance. It is useful context, but it is not the first book for a new reader.
The Awakening As Told By The Boys
What it is: Alternate-POV companion. Best time: After Fated Throne for the safest first read. Spoiler risk: High if read before the later main books.
A retelling of The Awakening from the boys’ perspectives. Read the original first, then return to this when you know the wider character arc.
The Big A.S.S. Party
What it is: Novella. Best time: After Cursed Fates. Spoiler risk: Low after Book 5.
A short optional story for readers who want more of the cast between the middle and later main books.
Beyond the Veil
What it is: Optional companion. Best time: After Sorrow and Starlight and before Restless Stars. Spoiler risk: Read after Book 8.
Readers often label it 8.5 because it sits between Books 8 and 9. That shorthand is useful, but it is not one of the nine core novels.
Live and Let Lionel
What it is: Optional anthology companion. Best time: After you finish the main series. Spoiler risk: High before Restless Stars.
Treat it as extra Solaria material rather than a required numbered step. The 8.6 label is community or retailer shorthand, not a core-series number.
How This Reading Order Works
The core list uses the 9 main novels in publication order. Companion labels are kept outside that count because they retell, expand, or sit alongside the central story rather than replace one of its books.
Why do some listings show 12 books?
Retailers and reader lists do not always count the same way. They may include the alternate-POV retelling and companion books alongside the 9 novels. For the main story, the useful answer remains 9 books.
Is there a tandem read?
Reader-created guides sometimes pair Sorrow and Starlight with Beyond the Veil, but there is no single author-endorsed tandem sequence. The safest simple path is to finish Book 8, read Beyond the Veil, then read Restless Stars.
Solaria Shared-World Reading
The authors describe Zodiac Academy as part of Solaria, alongside connected series. You can still read this page on its own: no other series is required before The Awakening.
Set before Zodiac Academy
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac
Five-book completed series in Solaria. It can be read on its own and is not required before The Awakening.
Set after Zodiac Academy
Darkmore Penitentiary
A later Solaria series. Read Zodiac Academy first if you want the cleanest shared-world context.
For most readers, Zodiac Academy has 9 main books. Some retailer listings show 12 because they also include related entries like Beyond the Veil, Live and Let Lionel, and The Awakening As Told By The Boys in the broader series count.
Reading Order Notes
These Zodiac Academy reading order notes help first-time readers choose the clearest main path while understanding where the companion books fit.
For most first-time readers, the main books are the core reading path. This guide also includes companion and novella entries for readers who want the fuller world-level order.
Why publication order works
For most new readers, the cleanest reading path is the 9 main books from The Awakening through Restless Stars. The authors describe the wider Solaria series as readable on its own, so you do not need another series first.
The simplest place to start
For most readers, publication order is the best Zodiac Academy reading order because it keeps the emotional escalation, relationship tension, and major world reveals in the clearest sequence. Add companions only after their spoiler-safe point.
Can you skip any books?
Yes, you can skip the optional companion entries on a first read. The best beginner path is the 9 main books only, then add extras later if you want more world context, bridge material, and completionist bonus content.
New to this series? Start here
The Awakening
Start with The Awakening. Read the 9 main books in order; no Ruthless Boys or Darkmore Penitentiary book is required first. Save the companion entries for their spoiler-safe points.
Buy first book on BookshopSeries at a glance
9
Main books
Complete
Main story
The Awakening
Start here
Several
Optional companions
Audience: Adult dark romantasy
Story balance: Fantasy-led with major romantic arcs
Frequently Asked Questions
What is the correct Zodiac Academy reading order?
For most readers, read the 9 main books from The Awakening through Restless Stars. Add the optional companions only at their spoiler-safe points.
Is Zodiac Academy complete?
Yes. The main Zodiac Academy storyline is complete at 9 books, ending with Restless Stars. The authors’ wider Solaria world continues in connected series and optional companion material.
How many Zodiac Academy books are there?
The clearest core count is 9 main books. The wider Zodiac Academy material also includes optional novellas, an alternate-POV retelling, Beyond the Veil, and Live and Let Lionel, so retailer totals can be higher.
Is Beyond the Veil part of Zodiac Academy?
Yes, as an optional companion. Read Beyond the Veil after Sorrow and Starlight and before Restless Stars. Readers commonly call it 8.5 because it sits between Books 8 and 9, but it is not one of the 9 core novels.
Where does Live and Let Lionel fit in the order?
Treat Live and Let Lionel as optional extra Solaria material and read it after the main series. The 8.6 label is shorthand used in some reader and retailer lists, not a core-series number.
Do I need to read The Awakening As Told By The Boys?
No. It retells The Awakening from the boys’ perspectives. Read The Awakening first, then save the retelling until after Fated Throne if you want the safest first-read experience.
Where does Origins of an Academy Bully fit?
It is an optional prequel novella set before The Awakening. It can be read after Ruthless Fae, but many readers get more from it after they know the characters, so it is also fine to save for after Fated Throne.
Do I need to read the companion books?
No. Most first-time readers can follow only the 9 main books. Companion and bonus entries are for readers who want extra scenes, context, or a completionist path.
What is the first Zodiac Academy book?
The first book is The Awakening. It is the correct starting point for most new readers.
Are Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Darkmore Penitentiary required first?
No. Both are connected Solaria series that can be read independently. Ruthless Boys is set before Zodiac Academy and Darkmore Penitentiary is set after it, but neither belongs inside the 9-book core order.
Is there an official Zodiac Academy tandem read?
There is no single author-endorsed tandem sequence to follow. Reader-created guides mainly discuss pairing Sorrow and Starlight with Beyond the Veil, but the spoiler-safe choice is to finish Book 8, read Beyond the Veil, then read Restless Stars.
Is Zodiac Academy romantasy?
For most readers, yes. It is usually described as dark romantasy or dark fantasy romance because romance is a major part of the reading experience.