Zodiac Academy
Twelve zodiac warriors are thrust together at an academy where they must master their powers and cope with impossible attraction. Political intrigue, ancient enemies, and romance complicate their mission to save the world. Each sign brings different magic and conflict, making teamwork nearly impossible until they learn to trust.
Everything You Need to Know About Zodiac Academy
Tory and Darcy Vega thought they were normal human twins until the day they found out they're fae princesses with a claim to a stolen throne. They get shipped off to Zodiac Academy to learn what they are, but someone doesn't want them there, namely, the four most powerful guys at the school: the Celestial Heirs, who've been groomed to keep any challenge to their power from existing. So they bully the twins ruthlessly, trying to intimidate them into submission. Except Tory and Darcy don't submit easily. What starts as survival becomes something thornier: attraction, power, identity, and the messy reality of wanting the people who've been trying to destroy you.
The world is complex, Peckham and Valenti build a full magical academy with genuinely complex lore, multiple paranormal types, and a mythology that matters. The twin dynamic is the emotional core; watching Tory and Darcy deal with betrayal and belonging together gives the romance weight beyond just the guys. The enemies-to-lovers tension sings. The series has sparked BookTok obsession for a reason: the writing is addictive, the stakes feel real, and the romance is hot enough to match the intrigue.
Bullying is a central plot element. Sexual content increases later in the series (S3 in book 1, escalates). Violence is present but not graphic. Themes of trauma and manipulation in the larger plot.
The anonymous informant Falling Star turns out to be Professor Astrum, the Tarot teacher. He tells the twins that certain fae conspired with the Nymphs to kill their parents, and that the biggest threat is Lionel Acrux, Darius's father. He also warns them not to trust Darius or Professor Orion. Then the school dance goes fully feral. Seth gets close to Darcy, pins her down, and cuts off her hair. The Heirs give Tory one last chance to leave, and when she refuses, Darius uses Coercion to force her into the pool at Lunar Terrace, where they hold her underwater until she passes out. Orion pulls her out and heals her. That's the ending, no redemption arc yet, just proof of how far the Heirs will go. The enemies-to-lovers payoff and the fated mates reveals come much later in the series.
If you loved Fourth Wing's academy setting and enemy dynamics, start here. If you want a reverse harem-adjacent romance where both twins have their own love interests, this series is built for that. If you want dark academia mixed with paranormal stakes and genuine mystery, grab book 1. Skip if you need everything to be light or standalone.
Book 1 of a 9-book main series, running from The Awakening (2019) through Restless Stars (2024), with optional companion books like The Awakening As Told By The Boys. Nothing here is standalone. The story builds continuously and book 1 ends on a gut punch, so have book 2 (Ruthless Fae) ready. If you love the academy setting, this is the deep end of it.
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