The Awakening As Told by the Boys is an interlude novel in the Zodiac Academy series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. Written as a complete retelling of book one of Zodiac Academy, The Awakening As Told by the Boys offers alternative points of view that explore why the boys are the way they are as the Vega twins return to Solaria. Each Celestial Heir, along with Orion, faces immeasurable pressure as so much hangs in the balance.
I didn’t expect to like this book after finally getting past the era of Darius, Orion, Caleb, Seth, and Max being insufferable bullies. And that assumption was partially correct. The hundreds of words of additional content do not make the bullying the boys inflicted in the first book any more excusable, but it does offer important context into their motivations and the intense parental and political pressure they were under during the events of The Awakening.
If you are on the fence about whether you can tolerate the dark minds of the Zodiac boys, this post may nudge you one way or the other. This interlude includes a significant amount of original content, helps flesh out the characters, and makes it easier to root for their growth in the following books.
Read our ful summary, review and ending explained of Zodiac Academy: The Awakening As Told by the Boys. This post contains spoilers.
Zodiac Academy: The Awakening As Told By The Boys
Description
The Vega twins are alive.
Those five words circle in my mind like an oncoming storm. They change everything about the future we thought had been set in stone. They challenge everything we were raised to be and the stability of the entire kingdom.
They’re coming to our academy looking for the life that was stolen from them, but we can’t let them take it back.
So much hangs in the balance and we can’t risk the arrival of two naïve princesses destroying everything we worked so hard for.
I have trained in dark magic, overcome all challenges and stood in the shadow of Lionel Acrux for far too long already. I won’t let them come between me and his downfall.
Which means they have to go before they discover how powerful they truly are.
This is a retelling of the first book in the Zodiac Academy series from the point of view of Orion and the Heirs and should be read after you have finished the original story. It includes scenes from alternative points of view as well over 50k words of additional content and scenes which have never before been revealed. So prepare to step into the dark minds of the Zodiac boys and watch out for the heartbreak and carnage that will ensue.
Tropes
- Dark Academia
- Bully Romance
- Enemies to lovers
- Forbidden Love
- Found Family
- Lost Heir
Review
Who's Your Favorite Zodiac Academy Character? ♊
Who's Your Favorite Zodiac Academy Character? ♊
Overall Impressions 😊
I’m normally hesitant about retelling books, especially if it’s all from men’s POV. They usually let me down, try to excuse their bad behavior, and feel like a cash grab. Or worse, it’s a bunch of events in the men’s lives nobody cares about.
I want every author who ever writes men’s retelling books earlier on in the series to take note. This is the golden standard. The blueprint. The map.
I want two things from a boys retelling book, excessive, disgustingly sappy pining yet being enemies at the same time, and a more clear perspective on why they were so mean in the first book. This book delivers an A+ on both accounts.
I was pretty much a hater at the end of The Awakening, with what the boys did to Tory and Darcy being inexcusable, and it still is. I still am very angry with them, but I understand why a bunch of eighteen year olds and a professor who got his life stolen felt like they had no choice.
At the time of the story they were in, it made sense for them to make the bad choices they made, and it set the stage up for their growth and healing. You don’t leave the book feeling for the boys or having their actions justified, but they are humanized and explained enough that you see room for them to grow and become better versions of themselves thanks to the Vegas.
I loved all of this, especially the way it made me hurt in different ways all over again.
I consider this book an essential read in the Zodiac Academy series. It is the perfect setup before returning to the main storyline with Shadow Princess, especially after reading Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Origins of an Academy Bully.
Perfect For Fans Of… 🌟
Anybody who enjoys the universe of Solaria, loves diving deep into lore, and could not get enough of my two favorite narrators, Darius Acrux and Lance Orion, should read this book.
Not to mention, there is plenty more worldbuilding around what the boys were like before the Vegas arrived and the emotional carnage truly began. If you enjoy looking behind the curtain and love “I can fix him” MMCs, this will be your jam.
Anybody who enjoys the universe of Solaria, loves diving deep into lore, and could not get enough of my two favorite narrators, Darius Acrux and Lance Orion, should read this book.
Not to mention, there is plenty more worldbuilding around what the boys were like before the Vegas arrived and the emotional carnage truly began. If you enjoy looking behind the curtain and love “I can fix him” MMCs, this will be your jam.
Reading The Awakening was hard with how mean the boys are, and we have come a long way since then. They are definitely more childish in this book and have not yet experienced the character development we have seen from them later in the series, so if you do not want to relive those moments or are affected by bully romance triggers, this is not an easy read.
We have a reading order on the site, but I highly recommend reading this after Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Origins of an Academy Bully to get a chronological view of what happened before The Awakening in the Zodiac Academy universe.
Characters 👥
I was already a goner for Darius Acrux, Lance Orion, and Caleb Altair, but The Awakening As Told by the Boys kind of solidified it.
Let’s start with Darius, who is under the shadow of Lionel Acrux. Of course, we knew the pain he endured under his father’s hand, but the growth we have seen in the future books is nothing short of a miracle. He could have so easily turned out to be like his father, which this book shows how close he was to giving up.
It makes Darius’s relationship with Tory Vega even more special because she was his anchor to humanity. Which brings me to my next point, Darius is pathetically down bad from pretty much the moment he sets eyes on Tory. The conflict he feels between his pull for her (they have to be Elysian Mates, right?) and his supposed duty is painful to read in the best way.
Then there’s Lance Orion, the professor who has a guardian bond with Darius. Surprise, surprise, he is also pathetically down bad from the moment he meets Darcy Vega. Of course, his situation is more forbidden and filled with pining, but seeing how close Orion was to doom before Darcy arrived makes their relationship in future books even better.
Caleb continues to be a strong contender for favorite. I already knew I liked how cool, calm, and collected he could be, but honestly, he is more grounded from the get go, and I appreciate him as a voice of reason. He likes Tory, but not more than Darius, obviously, and I feel for him. That said, his chemistry with Seth Capella is kind of off the charts, so I hope we get a pairing there.
Max Rigel and Seth still feel like side characters, although I really enjoy seeing Max’s intuition and how he quietly keeps the group together, while Seth is a goofball with no redeeming qualities. Yet. I’m sure I’ll change my tune.
I really appreciated seeing the book from the boys’ perspective and witnessing their relationships before they met the Vegas. I love good worldbuilding, and this book delivered.
Plot 🗺️
The plot is a mirror of The Awakening, with tidbits of what the boys were doing when they were off page. There is a prologue where they are put under the pressure of their parents, and other stress inflection points explaining how they managed to make such horrible choices. Spoilers, they had terrible parents and did not know any better.
I was surprised to see how involved Gabriel Nox was, considering how he was a sucker for not intervening with fate in Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, but I was glad to see he was the nudge Orion needed toward Darcy.
Darius’s story is so tragic. He has anger issues, and he has to compete with both his nature and nurture to become a better man. It is impossible to not root for him.
Nymph hunting has a big part in this. Normally in The Awakening, we are new to the world, so we do not see the bigger nymph implications from Darcy and Tory’s POV. But here, the Heirs are aware of everything that is going on, and they truly think the girls are clueless, even though they might be nice girls. It adds a lot of tension and context, and I really liked that.
I also really liked reading the boys’ POV of all the kicking my feet moments. Orion witnessing Darcy with Seth at the bar, Darius’s POV while he dances with Tory, and of course, Darius at the pool. It could have gone so right, and you can almost hear the stars telling him how he changed fate.
I think because of the bullying and everything Darius has done, he and Tory are going to become star crossed (if they are even Elysian Mates, but they have to be, right?), and it was really satisfying to see where fate was altered.
All in all, great plot. The new additions mixed with all the POVs I wanted to read from the boys’ perspective in The Awakening were perfectly done.
My Favorite Quote to Hook You 📣
“Fuck, if her hate makes me this savage, one drop of her love would corrupt me to my core.”
Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti, Zodiac Academy: The Awakening As Told By The Boys.
Writing Style and Narration ✍️
This is a multi POV book just like Zodiac Academy. Zodiac Academy: The Awakening was written entirely from Darcy Vega and Tory Vega’s points of view, while The Awakening As Told by the Boys is told exclusively from Darius Acrux, Max Rigel, Seth Capella, Caleb Altair, and Lance Orion’s perspectives.
The Celestial Heirs and Professor Orion are great narrators because you can see their inner conflicts so clearly, especially when it comes to their choices and the pressure they are under.
There are plenty of funny moments as well, and the authors did a phenomenal job with the writing. I think I was laughing with tears in my eyes at the scene where Darius calls Gabriel Nox a half plucked turkey (lmao). Moments like that add great character development and make their inner voices feel much more human.
I loved all of the points of view, especially because Max and Seth really needed more character depth, and this retelling of the first book delivers that. Reliving the cringe moments and seeing how they experienced them internally added a lot to the story.
Synopsis
Time to pick your magical destiny: which Order do you belong to?
Time to pick your magical destiny: which Order do you belong to?
Vega Twins Arrive at the Academy
Darius and Orion are fighting nymphs. Orion is about to travel to the mortal land in search of the Vega twins, whose magical signatures awakened on their eighteenth birthday. Orion promises Darius that one day he will be trained enough to take on Lionel.
Orion spends months in the mortal realm watching Darcy and Tory. He is trying to understand their lives. He eventually gets to Tory and Darcy’s apartment after Tory steals the bike. He tells them who they are. They learn that they are the Vega twins, the presumed dead Savage Princesses, and that they need to go to Zodiac Academy to claim their inheritance.
From there, it is pretty much the same as The Awakening. The important thing is that Orion feels pulled to Darcy this entire time. He has to physically restrain himself from claiming her. He takes them to their Awakening.
After the Awakening, the boys are in the orb, putting on a show to make it look like they are not worried about the Vegas. Their fathers and mothers have told them they need to break the twins. Darius sees Tory and is immediately drawn to her. He is gone for her from the start.
Caleb bites Tory. The girls choose their houses. Darius is already super into Tory. Seth takes Darcy to the Air House and challenges her. It does not work out. Seth does not want to be cruel, but the pressure is getting to him. Darcy jumps off the tower instead of cutting her hair. Seth is pretty much done with Kylie much sooner than expected.
Tory arrives at Ignis House. Darius plans on putting her through hell. Marguerite is all over him, and he does not want that. He stacks the challenges against Tory, and she succeeds at everything. Darius is impressed. No one has ever challenged him like this before. He likes the chase and the fact that Tory truly dislikes him.
Adjusting Life at the Academy and Being Bullied by the Celestial Heirs
Orion teaches their first Cardinal Magic class. He is very attracted to Darcy, and he keeps trying to convince himself it is because of her power level. He tries to figure out how to interact with her without doing anything wrong. He is assigned a tutoring position and chooses Darcy, calling her Blue.
The next day, the fire wielding class happens. Darius and Caleb are practically fighting over Tory. After drinking from her, Caleb becomes extremely into her. His mother told him he can be challenged by her and that he does not necessarily need to destroy her. He claims Tory as his Source. Darius and Caleb fight during class over Tory. Caleb realizes Darius and Tory are drawn to each other and becomes jealous. He later learns that Darius is assigned as Tory’s tutor in fire magic, which he has no intentions of fulfilling.
The heirs are in pitball practice and have a moment of levity. Everyone goes to dinner, but Darius stays behind and calls his father. Lionel tells him he is disappointed and that he must deal with the twins, threatening him and Xavier.
Later, Darius walks through the woods and runs into Darcy. She asks him to walk her out because she is scared. Darius wants to be decent, but his father’s pressure is overwhelming. The other heirs arrive and pull a prank on her. Darius still lets Darcy leave the woods.
Orion tutors Darcy and feels drawn to her despite knowing better. He keeps reminding himself she is the Savage King’s daughter. During a meeting, he bites her despite her asking him not to. He is even more attracted afterward. He tells Darius that if the twins are trained, they are all in trouble because of their power. He reads Darcy’s palm and sees a great love filled with hardship and strength.
The next day, Tory confronts Milton about the photos. Darius is shocked by how much power she wields and how effectively she uses it. He is deeply attracted to her.
Darius and Orion go nymph hunting. A house is set on fire and someone dies. FIB arrives and catches them. They call Lionel to get out of trouble. Lionel is furious and promises retribution later.
Back at the academy, the heirs talk in the woods. Tory overhears a conversation. Darius later goes to Orion’s house to plan nymph attacks. Orion says he consulted the Dark Coils and believes they must wait. Lionel pressures Orion to deal with the Vegas.
Orion asks Francesca to investigate the nymph nest. He is in a bad mood. In class, he bites Tory to test his feelings, then claims Darcy as his source when he realizes only her blood affects him. Caleb storms into the classroom furious.
Darius is summoned home and beaten by Lionel for failing. Lionel threatens Xavier as well. Darius is ordered not to heal his wounds until morning.
The next day, Darius returns to Zodiac Academy and runs into Tory in the mail room. Even when she insults him, she makes his day better.
During Earth lessons, Seth and Caleb plan a prank on Tory. Caleb realizes he does not actually want the twins gone. He wants to challenge them. He is very attracted to Tory, and he wants to claim her as more than just his source.
Gabriel visits Lionel and tells him to follow the sunlight. He hints Lance has a happy path if he follows it.
A Night in Tucana
Orion goes to dinner with Francesca. Darcy, Tory, and Sofia are there. Orion realizes Darcy warms the room. Francesca later says her request to hunt the nymph nest was denied. She asks Orion to be her boyfriend, and Orion, distracted by Darcy, agrees accidentally. Francesca grows jealous because Darcy is his source.
Orion watches Darcy with Seth and becomes jealous.
The Celestial Heirs declare a temporary truce with the Vega twins. Darius and Tory dance, their attraction nearing a tipping point, the two of them nearly kissing. Caleb interrupts, telling Darius Orion is there to see him. He dances with Tory as Darius has to go see Lance.
Orion and Darius decide to hunt the nymphs in Tucana. Darcy overhears the word “killing” and thinks he wants to kill the twins. He lets her go without biting her in that moment.
Darius and Orion hunt the nymph who attacks Geraldine Grus. Orion is taken to give a statement.
Darius hunts nymphs alone with Francesca and kills six of them. Their night at the club leaks to the tabloids, and Lionel calls him home. Lionel later punishes Xavier instead of Darius for the scandal. Darius becomes more determined to take down the twins.
Zodiac Academy: The Awakening As Told by the Boys Ending Explained
Darius goes back to the academy, refusing to heal his injuries after his father took out his fury on him as well as Xavier.
Seth decides that he has a crush on Darcy and starts worrying that they are taking things too far. His mother calls him and tells him that he needs to stop messing around and get Darcy out. She bans him from Moon March and from seeing his family until they deal with the girls. Seth is conflicted between his crush on Darcy and his need to see his family. He cozies up to Darcy again, but Darcy does not trust him.
Orion is drinking heavily again because Darius told him to stay away, even though he can feel how hurt he is. He is very drunk when he realizes he is late to his tutoring session with Darcy. Darcy accuses him of trying to kill her and Tory and reveals that it was the nymphs that were attacked and that she was wrong. Orion is impressed that Darcy is now resistant to coercion and is still very attracted to her. They have a small argument, and Orion realizes he is deeply into her.
Orion teaches Darcy about the Orders and realizes that being around Darcy is the only time he actually feels good. Darius is brooding in his room. Eventually, Tory arrives because he did not show up to their tutoring session again. He shows her his Order, the dragon.
After Darius goes to the Hollow and tells the boys how bad things are, Max realizes that Darius is hiding more than he lets on and that something is deeply wrong. Max admits that he does not like feeding on people’s emotions like other sirens because he is empathetic, and he understands how serious this is for Darius.
The heirs decide to use the girls’ worst fears to drive them away. Max goes to siren class and learns about Tory’s fear of drowning and Darcy’s fear of rejection. He tells the boys, and they decide on a plan to nearly drown Tory and cut Darcy’s hair.
Tory walks into a classroom confronting Caleb. Caleb realizes he does not truly care about taking the twins down. He would rather challenge them and prove that he is better. He is very into Tory, and eventually Tory and Caleb hook up.
Orion throws himself a pity party and is assigned to chaperone the Lunar Ball. Gabriel arrives and finally knocks some sense into him, warning that if he continues drinking the way he does, he will lose everything. Gabriel tells him he needs to attend the ball and leave the heirs and the Vegas alone at 9 p.m. for ten minutes. Lance realizes that he is going to have to save the Vegas from the heirs.
At the ball, the pool plan is put into motion. Darcy is in the gardens. Lionel calls, and everything feels serious. Darius is upset about Tory and about what his father has said. He puts on the mask his father wants him to wear and plays the role his father expects, even though it goes against what he wants to be.
Orion follows Darcy, knowing it is inappropriate because she is his student. He realizes he only has a few months before Gabriel’s warning comes true. He wants to warn her but realizes he is about to kiss her. There is undeniable attraction between them, and he feels pulled toward Darcy by something bigger. He knows this moment is meant to happen, even if it hurts.
Seth takes Darcy outside. He is conflicted and knows cutting her hair is wrong, but the pressure from his parents overwhelms him. He cuts her hair, and Darcy is devastated.
Orion rushes to her, realizing he has crossed a line and that something has gone terribly wrong. Screaming breaks out.
Darius takes Tory to the pool. He does not want to do this, but he does it anyway. He wants to walk away, but he cannot. The pressure of his father and fate pushes him forward. Max does not intervene, knowing what Lionel would do if he did. Max already understands what Lionel has done to Darius, even if he is not allowed to speak about it.
Darcy’s part is completed. Tory is held under the water. Darius knows in his heart that this moment will never leave him. He does not want to hurt her, but Max urges him on. Darius feels himself becoming his father and knows the stars are changing the path.
Orion finds Tory drowning in the pool and saves her. He lashes out at everyone and promises retaliation, even though it feels useless. The Celestial Heirs still hold power regardless of what he does.
The twins refuse to leave. Darius hates himself and hates the blood on his hands. He fears he is becoming his father. He spirals, consumed by guilt and self loathing. He wants to go kill his father, ending this once in for all, but Orion arrives telling him if he tries now, he will cause both of their demise.
The story ends with the understanding that fate has been altered forever, the damage has been done, and there is no going back.
Spicy Chapters
How Spicy is Zodiac Academy: The Awakening as Told by the Boys (Prequel): 🌶️🌶️🌶️
- Chapter 8
- Chapter 24
Tinfoil Hats On: My Zodiac Academy Predictions
- No guesses this time! We know exactly what happens next!
If you love to feel bad for men who doesn’t deserve your sympathy…😈📖
What did you think of the The Awakening As Told by the Boys? Did it make you better understand the boys or were they insufferable yet again? Let us know in the comments!
Make sure to check out our other Zodiac Academy and RBOTZ posts we cover these pretty thoroughly. And if you enjoy these recaps and deep dives, you can sign up for the newsletter so you never miss a new review or summary.
See you in the next post!
Leave a Comment