Zodiac Academy reading order
Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti’s Zodiac Academy novels in publication order through Restless Stars — extras and Ruthless Boys labeled so they do not become book one.
Start here
The Awakening
It is Zodiac Academy book one (2019). The later novels assume that first term. Do not start with Restless Stars. Do not start with Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac. Do not start with Origins of an Academy Bully.
Nine main novels. Publication order is the first-read path. The Solaria shop window also holds novellas, a boys’-POV companion, and neighboring series. Those are extras and other streets. They are not a new book one.
Fan “complete universe” charts interleave Ruthless Boys and Darkmore Penitentiary through the middle of Zodiac Academy. That is a completionist project. It is not the on-ramp.
The nine novels
| # | Title | Year | Notes | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 |  The Awakening | 2019 | Start here. | Amazon |
| 2 | Ruthless Fae | 2019 | Amazon | |
| 3 | The Reckoning | 2020 | Amazon | |
| 4 | Shadow Princess | 2020 | Amazon | |
| 5 | Cursed Fates | 2020 | Amazon | |
| 6 | Fated Throne | 2020 | Amazon | |
| 7 | Heartless Sky | 2021 | Amazon | |
| 8 | Sorrow and Starlight | 2022 | Amazon | |
| 9 | Restless Stars | 2024 | Latest main novel when this page was checked. | Amazon |
Read them in this order. The Reckoning is book three of this series. It is not Lightbringer, and it is not a standalone.
A later festive book, On the Cursed Day of Christmas, has been announced after Restless Stars. It is not an on-ramp. Do not invent it as required homework before book one.
Extras — after book one, or not at all
| Title | Year | Notes | Amazon |
|---|---|---|---|
| Origins of an Academy Bully | 2019 | Prequel novella. After The Awakening, not before. | Amazon |
 The Awakening as Told by the Boys | 2021 | Companion. After The Awakening. Not book 1.5 required. | Amazon |
Other shorts (The Big A.S.S. Party, Beyond the Veil, and later bonuses) sit beside later novels. Optional. Not a numbered tenth column.
Neighboring Solaria series
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac (beginning Dark Fae) and Darkmore Penitentiary share the setting. They are designed so you can visit them. They are not Zodiac Academy 2.5, and they are a poor place to meet the Vegas for the first time.
House rule: read the nine. If you want more Solaria, pick a neighboring series after you already like the school. Do not open a universe spreadsheet and postpone The Awakening.
Common mistakes
- Starting with Dark Fae because the cover looks like book one of the franchise.
- Starting with Origins of an Academy Bully because it is “0.5.”
- Starting with Sorrow and Starlight because it is the thick one people argue about.
- Treating The Awakening as Told by the Boys as a replacement for book one.
What to read next
- The Empyrean (Rebecca Yarros) — If you want another unfinished-feeling romantasy school with a strict first book.
- ACOTAR (Sarah J. Maas) — If you want courts instead of a zodiac campus, longer and still growing.
- Shatter Me (Tahereh Mafi) — If you want another long YA voice that keeps going past a trilogy.
- Shadowhunter Chronicles (Cassandra Clare) — If you want another hidden-world academy shelf with a second cycle that looks like book one.
- Stop after you have had enough of the nine. The later extras are optional aftercare.
FAQ
Do I need Ruthless Boys first?
No.
Origins first because it is a prequel?
Not for a first read.
Is the series finished?
Nine main novels are published. Later Solaria books may exist. They will not be The Awakening.
Which cover says Zodiac Academy versus The Awakening?
Same book one. Search either, plus the authors’ names.
Sources
- Caroline Peckham — author site for the Zodiac Academy titles. Opened 2026-09-13.
- Susanne Valenti — co-author site. Opened 2026-09-13.
Same shelf
