Book Review - Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti

If I had read this book like 10 years ago I probably would've thought it was the best thing I've ever read. But after reading so many amazing fantasy books recently, this book just didn't impress me. It kept me entertained, I mean I read the whole thing, but it just wasn't the best. It very much reminded me of the type of fantasy Wattpad stories I was reading around 2014. 

My first complaint with this book is that there are so many main characters that it begins to get a little confused. The two main characters are Tory and Darcy, twins who grew up in foster care after their parents died when they were young. One day they get a visit from a handsome mysterious man who claims to be a professor at someplace called Zodiac Academy. Tory and Darcy are the children of the murdered King and Queen of the Fae, and heirs to the throne (if they can graduate from Zodiac Academy). The competition at the school is fierce. The school is essentially run by four guys, the celestial heirs, who are the children of the most famous and powerful Fae families. And these guys are as mean as bullies get. They're also almost love interests at the same time, so it's just really confusing. 

I think that Tory and Darcy were good main characters, they just had bad judgment. I just don't know how either of them could give any of the four guys attention or trust them at all after all the cruel hazing and literal abuse that they put the girls through. I just found it weird that they'd go out drinking and dancing with the same guys who were literally talking about killing them. 

I will say though, that I thought that the magic system and world-building were pretty good. The whole magic system that includes the elements is really unique and not something that I've read before. There was so much going on with each person, they had a zodiac sign that affected their behavior, they also had control over one or more elements, and they also belonged to an order (e.g.: vampires, werewolves, sirens, etc.). 

Overall, this is a good book but not great in my opinion. I'll probably read the sequels but I won't rush to do so.