Zodiac Academy Book Order: 9 Main Books & 3 Novellas (2025)

Three distinct reading guides, four different series counts, and one persistent question: are there nine or twelve Zodiac Academy books? The pattern is clear — the fandom is split between counting the main series only and including the full narrative universe.

The key facts are laid out below.

Are There 9 or 12 Zodiac Academy Books?

Both numbers are correct, depending on whether you count the main series alone or include the novellas. The main Zodiac Academy series consists of nine novels, following Tory and Darcy Vega through their entire journey at Zodiac Academy. Adding the prequel novellas and side stories brings the total to twelve titles that form the complete narrative arc.

The distinction matters because some novellas are essential for understanding character motivations, especially for Orion’s backstory. A reader who skips Origins of an Academy Bully misses crucial context for why Darius acts the way he does in the main books.

Main Series Books

• Book 1: The Awakening
• Book 2: Ruthless Fae
• Book 3: The Reckoning
• Book 4: Shadow Princess
• Book 5: Cursed Fates
• Book 6: Fated Throne
• Book 7: Heartless Sky
• Book 8: Sorrow and Starlight
• Book 9: Restless Stars

Novellas and Side Stories

• Book 0.5: Origins of an Academy Bully
• Book 1.5: The Awakening As Told by the Boys
• Book 5.5: The Big A.S.S. Party

For anyone tracking the timeline, novellas are labeled with decimal numbers to indicate where they fall between the main books, not as standalone entries. This numbering system is what trips up new readers who see “0.5” and assume it’s optional.

“The main series consists of 9 books; the novellas bring it to 12.” — Bookish Goblin

The implication: the 9-book count is safe for the core arc, but the 12-book total fills out character motivations.

What Is the Correct Reading Order for Zodiac Academy?

There are three defensible reading orders: publication order, chronological (in-universe) order, and the “read-along” order that incorporates spin-offs. For a first read, most guides recommend publication order because it respects the authors’ gradual world-building and prevents spoilers about character reveals that happen in later novellas.

The series’ chronology is not strictly linear—novellas fill gaps between books. The novella Origins of an Academy Bully is set before the main series begins, while The Awakening As Told by the Boys retells book one from the male characters’ perspectives.

Publication Order (Recommended for First Reads)

The table below shows the order that matches the authors’ intended pacing.

“Reading in publication order respects the authors’ intended pacing.” — Never Enough Novels (Medium)

Publication order creates a clean, linear read with no detours. Each book ends on a cliffhanger that H2s directly into the next installment. Bookish Goblin, a reading-guide site, notes that this order matches the authors’ intended pacing and gradually releases plot twists. The downside? You’ll meet novella characters like the Heirs’ friends before understanding their full backstories, which can feel minor if you’re a completionist.

The trade-off: Publication order builds suspense exactly as the authors intended, but readers who skip the novellas may find certain late-series character choices abrupt. A strict publication-order reader loses the novella context until it’s too late to apply it to fan-favorite characters like Darius and Orion.

The catch: you can always add novellas on a re-read.

Chronological Order (For Re-reads)

Chronological order shuffles novellas to happen sequentially in the story timeline. One easy way to think about it is to start with Origins of an Academy Bully (0.5), then read books 1 and 2, then the novella The Awakening As Told by the Boys (1.5), and so on. According to a guide on Medium, this order is the best for spotting narrative connections and foreshadowing.

For readers who already finished the main series and want a fresh perspective, chronological order provides that. The downside is that some novellas contain spoilers for events in later books—so starting “in order” can ruin reveals that the authors deliberately staggered.

The “Interleaved” Order (With Spin-offs)

Some fan-created reading orders weave the Zodiac Academy main series together with the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac spin-off. This interleaving approach is popularized by Lemon8 community experience, which notes that Ruthless Boys is a prequel series that references events and characters in the main Zodiac Academy books, helping fill in details about how the four orders were formed.

One common interleaving sequence: read Zodiac Academy books 1–3, then Ruthless Boys books 1–5, then return to Zodiac Academy book 4. This interleaving order keeps the pacing brisk and—according to Never Enough Novels (Medium)—prevents feeling like you’re taking a long break from the main plot.

The trade-off of interleaving: you’re asking the Zodiac academy authors to hold off on retconning certain details for five additional books. Some readers find Ruthless Boys less essential and prefer to read the main series first for the emotional impact. What stands out is the choice: either follow the authors’ rhythm, or follow the timeline.

The catch: Interleaved orders are not endorsed by the authors, and no single “correct” order has been verified by the publishers. Every guide that supports interleaving explicitly recommends it as a recommendation, not a rule.

How Many Zodiac Academy Books Are There Total?

As of late 2024, the Zodiac Academy series—including novellas, Origins of an Academy Bully, plus the two companion retellings—numbers 12 total titles within the main series and its extensions. The count confirms with multiple sources: Goodreads lists the main series at 9; Never Enough Novels (Medium), a reading-order guide, includes three additional novellas, bringing the total to 12.

The authors’ official website further separates the “Zodiac Academy Universe” to include the spin-off series Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Darkmore Penitentiary, bringing the broader Solaria universe to 12+ books. For readers counting strictly “Zodiac Academy” branded titles, 12 is the correct total; for the full Zodiac universe, the count extends further into spin-off territory.

Are There 9 or 12 Books in the Collection?

Both figures are used, depending on whether the count is for the main series only (9) or the full Zodiac Academy book universe (12). The series’ main arc—the story of Tory and Darcy—is contained within those 9 main books. Novellas provide extra content but are not required to reach the main plot’s conclusion. Official author communication and publisher pages support the 9-book main series; only fan communities and reading guides push the count to 12 by including novellas and side stories.

What’s not up for debate: the main books are consistently numbered 1–9, and no ninth main book was planned as missing in any official listing. The 9-book count is the safest claim, while the 12-book figure requires explicitly listing which novellas count. A reader who finished Restless Stars and says “I finished the whole series” is correct in both senses.

The implication: clarity depends on defining “series” vs. “universe.”

What Is the Zodiac Academy Reading Order with Novellas?

To read every Zodiac Academy title in order, follow this exact sequence drawn from the Never Enough Novels (Medium) guide and Bookish Goblin:

1. Origins of an Academy Bully (Novella 0.5)
2. The Awakening (Book 1)
3. Ruthless Fae (Book 2)
4. The Awakening As Told by the Boys (Novella 1.5)
5. The Reckoning (Book 3)
6. Shadow Princess (Book 4)
7. Cursed Fates (Book 5)
8. The Big A.S.S. Party (Novella 5.5)
9. Fated Throne (Book 6)
10. Heartless Sky (Book 7)
11. Sorrow and Starlight (Book 8)
12. Restless Stars (Book 9)

This interleaved order places novellas exactly where they fit chronologically. Within the main series, the 0.5 novella slots at the very start, while the 1.5 retelling fits after book 2, and the 5.5 novella drops between books 5 and 6. The payoff: readers experience the story in close to the order the authors intended, catching every character-beat without spoilers.

For a first read, skipping the novellas is common practice—many Reddit discussions on r/zodiacacademy debate whether the extras are essential. The spine of the series remains the main nine books, with novellas providing texture rather than crucial plot advancements.

What About the Other Extras?

Beyond Origins of an Academy Bully, the authors released a second novella, Live and Let Lionel, which takes place after Restless Stars and serves as a bridge into the next wave of stories. Its placement is debated across guides; some place it after novella 5.5, others after book 9, depending on timeline vs. publication release. The safest guidance: read Live and Let Lionel after Restless Stars, or save it as a bonus if you’re immune to spoilers.

Does Zodiac Academy Have 12 Books in a Box Set?

With 9 main books plus 3 novellas, readers often search for a complete box set. However, the series was not released as a single 12-book box set—at least not that’s been verified. Each book was published individually, and the authors used a mixture of Kindle Unlimited (KU) and print formats to distribute the novellas, which are sometimes only exclusive to Amazon.

The short answer: there is no official 12-book box set of Zodiac Academy currently on the market. Readers looking to “buy in bulk” typically do so through the Kindle bundle of the main 9 books, which is often labeled as “Zodiac Academy Books 1–9” by third-party sellers. The novellas, being 50-100 pages, tend to be sold individually or bundled with other titles in the universe.

One box set that exists on Amazon has gained some traction—it’s typically a 4-book paperback of the first few titles, but not the complete series. Checking the Goodreads listing for the main series confirms this. If you’re building a physical library, the best approach is to buy the main books individually (they’re long enough to warrant single purchases) and collect the novellas in ebook form.

What Is the Order of the Zodiac in Zodiac Academy?

Each Zodiac Academy student is sorted into one of four elemental orders—Fire, Air, Water, or Earth—shaping their powers and alliances. The series establishes that the four orders are the foundation of the Zodiac’s magic system.

The Four Orders of Solaria

The table below outlines the characteristics of each order.

What Is Your Order in Zodiac Academy?

Your order is determined by your elemental affinity at the sorting ceremony. The protagonist twins Tory and Darcy are initially assigned to different orders, which drives much of the early conflict. Readers often wonder which order they would be sorted into, but the books focus on the four houses rather than a one-to-one zodiac sign mapping.

What Is the Most Powerful Order in Zodiac Academy?

No official tier list exists, but Fire is often considered dominant due to the Heirs’ influence. However, each order has unique strengths; the plot shows that the “weakest” order can become essential for survival. The power hierarchy is more narrative than mechanical.

Are There 9 or 12 Orders?

While the zodiac signs are 12, the book series only details the four orders in practice. The Zodiac Academy universe plays fast and loose with the zodiac—some fae characters have powers that seem to exceed their primary element (like the ability to compel or control air despite being Fire-aligned). The four orders do NOT map 1-to-1 to the 12 signs; instead, the orders are the political factions that rule the fae academies, and a character’s birth sign may give them a secondary affinity.

To put it bluntly, the “most powerful order” depends entirely on the plot: the Fire Order is often the dominant political bloodline (the Heirs), but the plot inverts this repeatedly, making the “weakest” order the most essential for survival. What’s certain: every order has a specific role in the plot’s power hierarchy.

What Is the Zodiac Academy Reading Order?

The answer to the reading order has three answers depending on your goal: strictly the main series (9 books), the full Zodiac Academy order with novellas (12), or the broader Solaria universe (which adds the Ruthless Boys prequels). The table below contrasts each.

Here is a comparison of the three approaches.

Unless you’re allergic to male POVs, the full Zodiac Academy order (12) is rarely the wrong choice—it patches plot holes without spoiling much. The full Solaria universe is the ideal re-read after finishing the main series. Just don’t start with Ruthless Boys unless you want to read five prequel novellas before the main bullies show up. Crew Fiction, a reading-guide site, echoes this by recommending the 12-book path as the most satisfying.

The implication: choose based on how much backstory you want before the main plot.

Are There 9 or 12 Zodiac Academy Books: A Reader’s vs. Purist Debate

Ask this on Reddit or a Facebook group, and you’ll get both answers. The 9-book crowd values completion of Tory and Darcy’s arc; the 12-book crowd argues that skipping novellas leaves character motivations unexplained. Both sides have valid points—and the answer changes depending on whether you’re asking the Goodreads database or the author’s private email.

The core disagreement is cause and effect: novellas are side features, not main-line installments. They exist to feed superfans but not the casual reader. Their placement is never plot-essential to the core conflict between the twins and the Heirs. A purist would say “9” to avoid giving undue weight to side stories; a reader’s librarian would say “12” to prevent the moment in Fated Throne where Darius suddenly has a backstory you missed.

Why the Confusion Fuels Fan Debates

The authors themselves leaned into the confusion—releasing novella 0.5 as a pre-order only after book 1 became a hit. This created a feedback loop: fans who started later had to play catch-up, while early readers get confused by inconsistent labeling. The series is complete, but the marketing doesn’t always clarify what counts as “complete,” which is why forums keep arguing.

The catch: there’s no wrong answer, but awareness of novella content is key.

Which Zodiac Academy Book Is Number 9?

Book 9 in the main series is Restless Stars. It was originally released in November 2024, concluding the main series arc that began with The Awakening. Zodiac Academy’s ninth main book is also the finale of the “Order of the Zodiac” story. Because it’s titled Restless Stars (after the prophecy of the same name), many assume it’s a novella, but it’s a full-length novel into the 600-page range.

Restless Stars is both the highest-stakes book and the most divisive—if you’re invested in the original 9, you’ll want to reach it before reading any further online. It resolves the main conflict: the final war between the Heirs and the Twins. Reading order books list this as the end of the “main” arc, with spin-offs picking up later.

Zodiac Academy Origin of an Academy Bully: Novella Details

Origins of an Academy Bully sits as Book 0.5 and details the time before the twins arrive at the academy, focusing on the head bully Darius. It’s a prequel novella, often puzzling readers because it’s a prequel to the whole Zodiac series but covers Darius’s entire origin story during his first year. It transitions from a standalone novella into the main books’ plot. For a complete read, it should be consumed before the main books—despite being released 0.5, it’s set chronologically before everything in the main series.

The book is exclusive to Amazon and uses zodiac sign names; it’s often mistaken for a separate spin-off. The novella works as a bridge between the previous spin-off Ruthless Boys and the main series but can easily be skipped by pure romance readers. It’s vital for the Heirs’ backstory but skippable for the central romance (Tory and Darius’s).

Do I Have to Read Zodiac Academy Books in Order?

For the main series, yes—this is not an anthology of interchangeable one-off stories. Each book ends on a cliffhanger and the plot thickens directly into the next. You could read the novellas at some point before or after, but the main arc is designed to be read in order. The Zodiac Academy series was plotted as a single, continuous story, and the authors themselves have commented on how the books are meant to be consumed sequentially.

For the novellas, reading them in order is less critical, but it helps. The Big A.S.S. Party (5.5) occurs after book 5 and follows the Heirs’ relationships; reading it later will be mildly confusing if you want the full context for why characters act the way they do. Generally, novella placement matters more for emotional continuity than for plot.

The pattern: the main series is sequential; novellas are optional but additive.

Zodiac Academy: Total Books and Reading Order

To recap the exact numbers based on the verified date: the full Zodiac Academy main series totals 9 books. Rather than leaving it ambiguous, the authors and publisher have clearly structured the Zodiac Academy universe into 9 main novels plus 3 supplementary novellas, for a total of 12 Zodiac Academy titles. If you’re planning to read just the core story, reading just the main books—from The Awakening to Restless Stars—is acceptable. For the “complete” experience, you’ll want the novella placement order:

1. Origins of an Academy Bully (0.5)
2. The Awakening (1)
3. Ruthless Fae (2)
4. The Awakening As Told by the Boys (1.5)
5. The Reckoning (3)
6. Shadow Princess (4)
7. Cursed Fates (5)
8. The Big A.S.S. Party (5.5)
9. Fated Throne (6)
10. Heartless Sky (7)
11. Sorrow and Starlight (8)
12. Restless Stars (9)

For zodiac academy book order with novellas, this is the most authoritative sequence. Many reading guides, including Bookish Goblin, note that this order aligns with the authors’ intended continuity. You can also check the original sources for verification, but this is the consensus from the broader reading community.

The implication: the 12-book order is the definitive experience.

Is Zodiac Academy a Complete Series?

Yes, the main series is complete. Restless Stars (Book 9) brought the core narrative to a conclusion in 2024. Novellas, side stories, and a spin-off series (Darkmore Penitentiary) are finished as well. This makes Zodiac Academy a complete fantasy romance universe for readers to start without waiting.

With the main arc done, the authors have pivoted to the interconnected novellas and novella collections that fill in character POVs. As of now, the Zodiac Academy publication order is fully past the main series. This completion status is pivotal for readers who get burned by incomplete series and want to binge-read.

The catch: spin-offs continue, but the main 9 are done.

What Is the Correct Reading Order for Zodiac Academy?

Start with the novella and then begin the main series, or ignore novellas entirely? For first-time readers, the answer is a slow, clear order: the main 9 books first, without novellas, to get the core plot. Then, on a re-read, add the novellas. If you’re starting fresh since it’s complete, start with Zodiac Academy book 1, and don’t read the spin-off Ruthless Boys until after you’re a few books in, because reading the spin-off too early will spoil the darkness of the Zodiac universe.

Should You Read Ruthless Boys or Darkmore after Zodiac Academy?

Developed in a companion guide by Crew Fiction, the distinction is drawn between the “main series” (9 books) and the “extended universe” (12+ books).

After finishing the Zodiac Academy main series, the most common next steps are the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac (spin-off, set in the past) and the Darkmore Penitentiary (present-day tie-in). The recommended chronology is Zodiac Academy 1–8 → then spin-off novellas → then book 9. This protects you from spoilers because Ruthless Boys ends right before the final plot twist of Book 8.

The true canonical reading order is: Zodiac Academy 1–2, then Ruthless Boys 1–5, then Zodiac Academy 3–9. This gives you the lore and character context for the later books without missing the Heirs’ presence.

The trade-off: For a Zodiac Academy first-time reader, the ideal is to split the difference—read the main books in sequence, slotting in the 0.5 novella at the start, and deferring Darkmore until after the main story. This preserves both the authors’ narrative momentum and the full emotional payoff. For the reader who wants to finish the entire Zodiac Academy arc in one sitting, the 12-book order is the only correct one.

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Zodiac Academy Books, Characters, and Reading Order FAQ

Conclusion: The Correct Order

Final Zodiac Academy Reading Order Summary

The Zodiac Academy universe comprises 9 primary books in the main series. The 9-book order is the canonical minimum you need to complete the core storyline. For maximum engagement and to catch the foreshadowing, the full 12-book order—which includes three novellas—is the best path. For first-time readers, the novellas are best enjoyed if you stick to the main series first and then loop back.

There is no wrong answer. The Zodiac Academy series is complete, so readers can confidently start with either the 9-book main series or the full 12-title universe, depending on their appetite for backstory.

(Note: This guide was last updated October 2025. For changes to the release of spin-offs, always check the official Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti website.)