Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

Okay, so if you know me, then you know that I LOVE astrology. I love deep diving into people’s star charts to get to know them and what makes them tick. When I started Zodiac Academy, I wasn’t sure what the vibe of the series was going to be - based heavily on the cultural and historical aspects of the beginning of Western astrology? horoscopes? constellations? I knew nothing.

Upon first introduction to our main characters, two twins named Tory and Darcy, the reader is left wondering when the magic is going to happen. We meet these two on the last few days in the mortal world where everything seems to be going to shit and no one is on their side. Suddenly, a mysterious (and hot) stranger appears and kicks the twins asses all the way to the land of the Fae - specifically, Zodiac Academy. Upon arrival, Tory and Darcy are horrified to find out that they are the long lost princesses of the most recently deceased king. This makes them not only princesses by birthright, but also in immediate succession to the throne upon graduation from Zodiac Academy.

From there, we’re immediately introduced to our next set of main characters, the Heirs. These are four sophomores who are, for lack of better words, devastatingly attractive. Between the four of them, there’s everyone’s type. Tall, tan, and tattooed? Check. Blue eyes and blonde curls? Check. Messy brown hair and muscles for days? Check, check, and check. You might be wondering though, why are they called “the Heirs?” Good question. That’s because they’ve been trained their whole lives to lay claim to the throne that was left absent in the supposed deaths of Tory and Darcy.

Now that we have the plot, let’s get into the review, because boy oh boy, do I have a lot of thoughts.

This first book didn’t immediately have me enthralled in the same way that other longer fantasy series have (Three Dark Crowns, Covet, ToG, etc). But, because I love fantasy and astrology, I was determined to push through. If reading ACOTAR taught me anything, it was that you can never judge a series by the first book.

A big problem I have with this book isn’t the plot or the writing style - it’s the poor editing. The first page of every chapter is written in white ink on a grey page that has white artwork behind it, making the first page of every chapter hard to read. Additionally, there’s spelling errors and grammar mistakes. I’m convinced that the authors don’t believe in commas. Eventually, the reader gets used to it, but it is annoying starting out the series. I had to get into the mindset that it was like reading an online fiction or a fantasy story from Wattpad.

I also feel that in the first book, there’s a weird sexual undertone with some parts that definitely should not have a sexual undertone. There’s not really steamy scenes, but the vibe was off putting in some parts.

Now that I said that, let me get on with what I do like. First, we have alternating POVs from Darcy and Tory. Maybe it’s from reading too many werewolf / mafia / millionaire wattpad stories or maybe it’s from reading Rick Riordan’s entire Percy Jackson universe religiously, but I’m a sucker for books where I get to see multiple people’s POVs. Even better, it’s written in first person, so you really feel like you’re experiencing the story as the characters do.

There’s also so many different characters and fantasy creatures throughout even just the first book that show the authors cared about world-building and creating diversity in their characters. This isn’t a Harry Potter world where everyone is a witch or wizard; it isn’t a Sarah J Maas world where all of the main characters are Fae and Fae only. It’s a little different and it’s a refreshing theme to read.

The first book takes place in about two weeks, a little less maybe. As I’m writing this now, I’ve already read the second book and some of the third, so I can confidently say that the first book serves almost as a prequel to start the rest of the series off. I’m super excited to write the next few reviews of this series for you guys- I hope that you enjoyed this one!

Talk soon,

Mary