Title: Zodiac Academy: Sorrow and Starlight
Authors: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valaenti
Publisher: Dark Ink Publishing
Publication Date: December 10, 2022
ISBN: 9781914425615
Synopsis:
Bloody, lost, broken. We live to fight another day. But with so much stolen from us, can the fates ever twist in our favour again? My sister and I have been torn apart by shadows and despair, and now we each stand alone. Our sorrow is spun like a web, trapping us tight, and I fear our enemies will soon come to feast upon our souls. But if I have my way, the merciless sky will have dealt us its final fortune. It’s time for us to take back the power that’s been ripped from our grasp and turn the tide of this war. All stars must fall, and all Phoenixes must rise. Long live the Savage Queens.
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I think I may have reached the part of the Zodiac Academy series that becomes particularly unhinged. Sorrow and Starlight seems to have gone of the rails just a bit, in the aftermath of the bloody battle between the rebels and Lionel Acrux’s army. In this eighth book in the series, we find the Vega princesses torn apart and completely at the mercy of a horribly cursed destiny, nearly guaranteeing that they will not be able to succeed in the war for the crown.
If I’m honest, this book was a real struggle to get through. It was over 30 hours of audiobook listening and the hope is ripped away repeatedly, leaving the reader in a dark, sad spiral with no real light at the end of the tunnel. Even at the end, when it’s thought that maybe things are beginning to look up, a new curve is thrown into the road, taking the story in an entirely wild turn. It’s hard to know which was is up throughout this entire novel and the plot becomes progressively more ridiculous as it goes on. It’s really the first book in the series that I haven’t enjoyed. I even found myself skipping chapters near the end with the gratuitous violence and racy scenes.
This series has been entertaining, heart-racing, and engaging all the way along, but this book throws everything imaginable at the reader. Nothing is impossible in Solaria and it becomes far too implausible for even a fan to believe in. The authors ask us to stretch our imaginations far beyond the rules that this world has defined—and it’s already asking us to suspend disbelief quite drastically to begin with. This book fell prey to overused tropes, subpar plot, and felt more like a writer capitalizing on an eager fandom that someone committed to a compelling story. There are so many POVs from characters that have been, and likely will continue to be, irrelevant. It’s impossible to keep track and is a departure from the already plentiful voices throughout this novel. I guess if you kill off some main characters you have to try and keep readers engaged somehow? It leaves the reader wanting more when there aren’t enough of the characters that we’ve come to know and love.
Still, despite my disappointment, there is only one book left in this series (minus all the point 5 books) so I have to get to the end of it. I’ve already begun the final instalment and I hope that it’s a bit more coherent and please, oh, please, a bit more hopeful. I could use a bit of happiness and fluff. And perhaps more chapters from some fan favourite POVs.
Happy reading!
Worn Pages and Ink 