Order To Read Zodiac Academy Novels & Stories

Alright, so you're diving into 'The Zodiac Academy'—good choice, but the order can be a bit of a maze if you're just starting out. The core series you need is straightforward: start with 'The Awakening' (Book 1), then go through 'Ruthless Fae', 'The Reckoning', 'Shadow Princess', 'Cursed Fates', 'Fated Throne', and 'Sorrow and Starlight'. That's the main eight-book arc.

Now, here's where it gets messy—the extended universe. There's 'The Awakening: As Told By The Boys', which is a parallel novel retelling the first book from the Heirs' perspectives. You can read it after Book 1, but honestly, I'd save it for after you finish the main series. It's more of a bonus treat that adds depth once you already know the full story and have strong feelings about those characters. Jumping back and forth might disrupt the pacing.

Also, there's 'The Big A.S.S. Party', a novella set after Book 7. It's fun fluff, but skippable if you're just powering through the plot. My strong recommendation? Stick to the numerical order of the main eight books for your first read. Ignore all the side stuff until you're done. The series is a commitment, and bouncing around can dilute the emotional punches the authors carefully set up. Just plow through from 'The Awakening' to 'Sorrow and Starlight' in a straight line.

I've seen this pop up a few times in the FB group. Honestly, you could probably jump around if you're desperate, but it'd be a mess. The series is basically one giant continuous soap opera split into books. Major plot points, character developments, and betrayals build directly from the previous installment. Skipping 'The Reckoning' because you heard 'The Awakening' is slow? You'll miss the entire foundation of the elemental magic system and why the twins are even a big deal.

Some argue you could read the spin-off, 'Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac', first since it's a prequel. That's a bit more feasible timeline-wise, but the tone is different—more mafia romance in a school setting—and you'd get cameos spoiled for the main series. Reading out of sequence in the core seven books feels like tuning into a telenovela halfway through; you'll get the dramatic screams but have zero clue why anyone's crying or who set whose car on fire. I tried skimming 'Sorrow and Starlight' for a specific scene and spent an hour backtracking because I had no context for the political alliances at play. The reading order exists for a reason with this one.

Okay, so you're asking about the reading order for 'Zodiac Academy' after Book 2, which usually means the 'Ruthless Fae' series and the spin-offs. It gets a little messy.

The core series is straightforward: just keep going with 'Zachary' and 'The Reckoning'. But where it gets fun is with 'The Awakening As Told By The Boys', which is 'The Awakening' (book 1) from the Heirs' perspective. You can read it anytime after book 1, but a lot of fans, myself included, think slotting it in right after you finish 'The Awakening' enriches everything that comes after because you get all their motivations upfront.

Then there's 'Dark Fae', the first book of the 'Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac' series. It's a prequel set five years before ZA, with different characters. You can start it after ZA book 2, or even after book 1, honestly. It's a separate story but set in the same world, and it explains a ton about the world's politics and some familiar families. I jumped into it after ZA2 and didn't feel lost at all; it was a nice breather from Tory and Darcy's drama.

So my suggested order would be: ZA1, 'As Told By The Boys', ZA2, then 'Dark Fae' (Ruthless Boys #1). After that, you can either continue with Ruthless Boys or go back to ZA3. I mixed them and liked seeing the connections pop up.