The Ultimate Zodiac Academy Reading Order

Zodiac Academy and its many spin-offs take place in a dark-academia fae realm full of magic and magical creatures. Written by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti, this is a universe I’ve been wanting to dive into for the longest time. Given its popularity, I was intimidated by the sheer number of books and spin-offs.

So I did some digging. (No seriously, you should see my TikTok and Insta ZA folders.) After a lot of scrolling and comparing, I finally landed on a reading order that made sense. I’ve finished book one, and so far it’s giving very much Gossip Girl meets Harry Potter, more on that later though.

I wanted to drop this guide now because it’s way too easy to get lost in Solaria if you don’t have a map. Here’s our Zodiac Academy universe reading guide with the best reading order I could piece together.

Scroll for a series order visual reading guide you can save!

What is Zodiac Academy?

Zodiac Academy follows Gemini twins Tory and Darcy Vega, two orphans who discover they are the lost princesses of the fae realm Solaria. In order to claim their throne and inheritance, they must enroll in the prestigious Zodiac Academy, a brutal magical school where they are awakened to their powers and trained to harness their potential.

Tory and Darcy begin learning about the fate, stars, and ancient powers that shape their destiny.

But in the twenty years since their disappearance, a powerful council of Celestial rulers has been governing Solaria. Their sons, Darius, Max, Caleb, and Seth, are students at Zodiac Academy, preparing to take their place as rulers.

Feeling threatened by the return of the rightful heirs, the Celestial Heirs make it their mission to hold onto what they believe is theirs. As Tory and Darcy fight to survive their new reality, they uncover far darker secrets and sinister forces that could destroy everything fate has planned for them.

Zodiac Academy Universe Ultimate Reading Guide

If you wanted to read every book ever published in Zodiac Academy Universe, below is a reading guide based on our research.

While our research does divide the series up into multiple chunks, it does not split up the short stories in Live and Let Lionel.

Zodiac Academy Complete Series Order

1. Zodiac Academy 1: The Awakening
2. Zodiac Academy 2: Ruthless Fae
3. Zodiac Academy 3: The Reckoning
4. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac 1: Dark Fae
5. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac 2: Savage Fae
6. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac 3: Vicious Fae
7. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac 4: Broken Fae
8. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac 5: Warrior Fae
9. Zodiac Academy 0.5: Origins of an Academy Bully (Prequel)
10. Zodiac Academy 1.5: The Awakening by the Boys (Events of Book 1 told from the boys’ perspective)
11. Zodiac Academy 4: Shadow Princess
12. Foxy Tales (Limited Edition Charity Collection): We’re not sure if this is publicly available anymore since it was a limited edition charity collection. There are some rumors around resales during holidays but will keep you posted!
13. Zodiac Academy 5: Cursed Fates
14. Zodiac Academy 5.5: The Big A.S.S. Party
15. Zodiac Academy 6: Fated Throne
16. Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky
17. Zodiac Academy 8 [Tandem]: Sorrow and Starlight (see tandem guide below)
18. Zodiac Academy 8.5 [Tandem]: Beyond the Veil (see tandem guide below)
19. Zodiac Academy 9: Restless Sky
20. Darkmore Penitentiary 1: Caged Wolf
21. Darkmore Penitentiary 2: Alpha Wolf
22. Darkmore Penitentiary 3: Feral Wolf
23. Darkmore Penitentiary 4: Wild Wolf
24. Sins of Zodiac 1: Never Keep
25. Sins of Zodiac 2: Echo Fort
    

If you don’t want to dive into the other series, you can just read the Zodiac Academy books in the order listed on this reading order!

Zodiac Academy Sorrow and Starlight / Beyond the Veil Tandem Reading Guide

Some series have books you can read in tandem. This usually means the events of two books happen at the same time, but from different characters’ points of view.

You can read them in the order listed above, or follow a chapter-by-chapter tandem guide that lets you switch between the books as the story unfolds. This approach gives you a deeper emotional hit and helps you experience the full scope of what’s happening in real time.

Below is the tandem reading guide for Sorrow and Starlight (Zodiac Academy Book 8) and Beyond the Veil (Zodiac Academy Book 8.5), which take place over the same timeline from different perspectives.

Series in the Zodiac Academy Universe

Zodiac Academy

Zodiac Academy is about Tory and Darcy Vega, twin sisters and Geminis, who discover they are lost fae princesses. In order to harness their powers and reclaim their throne, they must attend Zodiac Academy, a brutal magical school where power determines everything.

Zodiac Academy Main Series Books

There are 9 main books in the Zodiac Academy series:

1. The Awakening
2. Ruthless Fae
3. The Reckoning
4. Shadow Princess
5. Cursed Fates
6. Fated Throne
7. Heartless Sky
8. Sorrow and Starlight
9. Restless Stars

Zodiac Academy Novellas

There are 2 novellas set during the main series timeline:

• Origins of an Academy Bully (Book 0.5)
• The Big A.S.S. Party (Book 5.5)

Zodiac Academy Companion Books

There are also 3 companion books that explore additional characters and moments in the Zodiac Academy world. Most of these are in Live and Let Lionel.

• The Simmering Springs
• Seth on the Moon
• Foxy Tales

Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Series

The Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series is a reverse harem romance that follows one Elise a vampire girl and four shifter boys caught in the middle of a deadly murder mystery. This series takes place five years before the events of Zodiac Academy and ten years before Darkmore Penitentiary.

Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Books

1. Dark Fae
2. Savage Fae
3. Vicious Fae
4. Broken Fae
5. Warrior Fae

Darkmore Penitentiary Series

Darkmore Penitentiary is set five years after the events of Zodiac Academy, in a prison built for the most dangerous criminals in Solaria. The series follows Rosalie, a fae girl thrown into the heart of a brutal system, alongside a pack of dangerously unhinged alpha males who rule the prison. This series is another reverse harem.

Darkmore Penitentiary Books

1. Caged Wolf
2. Alpha Wolf
3. Wild Wolf
4. Feral Wolf

Sins of the Zodiac Series

The Sins of the Zodiac series is an enemies-to-lovers fantasy romance set in the Zodiac Academy universe, taking place at a new school with an even more villainous edge. This series introduces new characters and darker themes, while still feeling connected to the chaos of Solaria.

This series is not complete yet, with only the first two books currently released.

Sins of the Zodiac Books

1. Never Keep
2. Echo Fort

---

Have you read Zodiac Academy, Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, Darkmore Penitentiary or Sins of Zodiac? What do you think of the reading order? I just finished the first book this morning and I’m so in this series! To read my review when it’s ready or get notified when we add the character guide sign up for our newsletter below!