Title: Zodiac Academy: The Awakening
Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Publisher: Dark Ink Publishing
Publication Date: July 13, 2019
ISBN: 9781916926257
Synopsis:
I’m a Gemini. Impulsive. Curious. Headstrong. A twin. Heir to a throne I know nothing about. And it turns out, I’m Fae. But of course there’s a catch – all I have to do to claim my birth right is prove that I’m the most powerful supernatural in the whole of Solaria. And sure, technically that’s true as I’m the daughter of the Savage King. But the bit they didn’t put in the brochure was that every single Fae in this Kingdom would claim my throne if they could.
The school they’ve sent me to is both dangerous as sh*t and one helluva party. Vampires bite weaker students in the corridors, the Werewolf pack has orgies in the Wailing Wood at every full moon and don’t even get me started on the dark and twisted ways the Sirens use their powers on people’s emotions, or how my sinfully tempting Cardinal Magic teacher hosts detentions that leave people needing therapy.
My biggest problem is the drool worthy Dragon shifter who has his eyes on my throne. He and his three psycho friends are determined to make my time here hell. All I’ve got to do is survive. But fate might have other ideas.
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I wanted to love this book, I truly did. I’ve seen it recommended around the Internet and there is a lot of hype out there, so I thought I was in for a great read. While it is an entertaining story, and the plot itself is very intriguing, the characters truly leave something to be desired. Perhaps I’ve been reading too many adult-oriented stories lately, but returning to a more typically young adult book, I found the characters to be vapid and annoying, with the dialogue to be a struggle to engage with. It left me feeling disappointed.
I listened to this book as a graphic audiobook, which is a really cool experience. It’s almost like watching a movie with the background music, sound effects, and different actors. It’s really helpful for building a beautiful picture of the world and characters in your head. The voice actor for Darian though, sounds like he’s 45 years old and it made it incredibly difficult to get on board with this character being a teenager, let alone being any kind of possible love interest.
The world building is one of the coolest aspects of this book. It’s got a Harry Potter meets Gossip Girl kind of vibes, but with the full gambit of magical characters and power based in the elements. I do love a school-based setting and Zodiac Academy does not disappoint there. The classes are cutthroat and there’s no guarantee that any student will make it to graduation. It’s clear, this place is deadly, and only the strongest survive.
There certainly are some positives to it, and I’m willing to give it another chance. I am curious to see where this story goes in the subsequent books. I know I’m vastly behind everyone else reading these, and even though I was disappointed, if I can get my hands on the audiobooks, I know I’ll likely continue. It’s still got the fantastic fantasy elements that grip you and pull you in. It’s a sinister world and it does pull you in with enough mystery and unknowns to keep the story pushing forward.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 