The Awakening (Zodiac Academy 1)

The Zodiac Academy series from the Twisted Sisters and Amazon and Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling authors Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti is a Booktok phenomenon. This print re-issue includes an exclusive bonus chapter and a new cover. As well as the stunning interior chapter pages which were included in the previous edition.

Amazon.com and Wall Street Journal #1 bestselling enemies to lovers fantasy romance series from authors Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti - a Booktok sensation!

"It’s dark, spicy, and completely addictive"— Raven Kennedy

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.

Classes are totally interesting if you manage to live through them. And that Gemini star sign I mentioned? It now determines my elemental magic and affects my destiny, so learning astrology is essential if I’m going to beat down my classmates – which is actively encouraged by the way.

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.

Dammit, why couldn’t I have gotten a letter to Hogwarts?

Perfect for fans of:
Slow burn romance
Dark Academia
Enemies to lovers
Found family
Elemental powers
Morally grey characters
Bully romance
Fated/Rejected mates
Dragons, Vampires, Werewolves, Sirens, Pegasus and more
Forbidden Love

Hello! I am Caroline Peckham and I write with my sister Susanne Valenti! We're best selling co-authors of all things dark romance - fantasy and contemporary, M/F and RHs, there’s something for everyone, as long as you love characters who will break your heart, stomp on it and laugh over the pieces before putting them all back together in the end.

We live in the South East of England, kinda near London but far enough out to be able to look at fields all wistfully and shit if the mood takes us. We work together from our countryside office through the week, writing down most of the madness that exists in our heads on paper, so that you can come and escape to our imaginary worlds for a little bit too. We don’t shy away from twisted cliffhangers, and love an Alpha asshole, but our leading women are of the badass, take no shit lying down variety, so it’s always a rollercoaster of a ride. We can’t wait for you to buckle up with us!

Zodiac Academy: The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti is a dark fantasy romance set in a magical world where power, bloodlines, and cruelty shape everyday life. The novel follows twin sisters Darcy and Tory Vega, who have grown up in the human world believing they were ordinary girls, though their lives have been marked by hardship, instability, and loss. They were orphaned young, passed through foster care, and forced to become tough in order to survive. Tory is more rebellious, fierce, and quick to fight, while Darcy is more thoughtful, cautious, and emotionally observant. Their bond is one of the strongest parts of the story. No matter how different they are, they rely on each other completely, and that loyalty becomes essential once their lives are suddenly transformed.

The story begins when the twins discover that they are not human at all, but Fae, and not just any Fae. They are in fact the lost heirs to a powerful royal bloodline in Solaria, a hidden magical realm ruled by celestial magic, elemental powers, and strict social hierarchies. This revelation turns their world upside down. They are taken from the life they know and brought to Zodiac Academy, a brutal school where young Fae learn to control their gifts, fight for status, and prepare for a world in which weakness is punished. Instead of receiving a warm welcome, the twins enter an environment filled with suspicion, hostility, and open aggression. Their royal claim makes them a threat to those who currently hold power, and from the moment they arrive, it becomes clear that many people would rather see them fail than accept them as rightful heirs.

At Zodiac Academy, the twins must quickly learn the rules of a society that values magical strength above all else. The academy is not a safe place of learning in the ordinary sense. It is harsh, competitive, and often openly violent. Students are encouraged to dominate one another, and the strongest rise by humiliating or defeating the weak. This creates an atmosphere of constant danger. Darcy and Tory, who entered this world with no training and no understanding of its customs, are at an immediate disadvantage. They are powerful by birth, but power alone is not enough when everyone around them has years of experience and sees them as targets. The academy becomes a place where every lesson is tied to survival, not just education.

A major source of conflict in the novel comes from four powerful male students known as the Celestial Heirs. These boys represent the ruling families who stand to lose influence if the Vega twins reclaim their place. Each of them is arrogant, privileged, and dangerous in his own way, and together they form the central force opposing Darcy and Tory. Their treatment of the twins is cruel, manipulative, and often deeply personal. They test them, torment them, and try to break their confidence. This bullying dynamic shapes much of the story’s emotional intensity. The twins are not simply adapting to a new school; they are fighting to preserve their dignity in a world that wants to crush them before they can rise.

What makes the book compelling for many readers is the way the twins respond to this pressure. They do not become passive victims. Even when they are frightened, outmatched, or humiliated, they keep resisting. Tory’s anger often pushes her into direct confrontation, while Darcy’s quieter strength helps her endure and think more carefully. Their reactions feel shaped by the hard life they lived before discovering Solaria. Because they have already survived neglect and struggle in the mortal world, they are not easily destroyed, even by magic and power games. This gives the novel an emotional core beneath all the fantasy elements. At its heart, it is about two sisters refusing to let a cruel system define them.

The world-building in The Awakening is one of its biggest draws. Solaria is built around astrology, elemental magic, and magical Orders, which are supernatural forms that individuals eventually discover within themselves. Different Fae can belong to different Orders, such as vampires, werewolves, sirens, harpies, and other magical beings, and these identities affect both abilities and status. The academy teaches students to master the four elements and uncover their deeper powers, which creates a sense of excitement and mystery. The magical system gives the novel richness, and much of the appeal comes from watching Darcy and Tory begin to understand what they are capable of. There is a strong sense that their true power has not yet fully emerged, which adds anticipation to the story.

At the same time, the book leans heavily into themes of class, privilege, and inherited power. Solaria is not presented as a fair or ideal magical kingdom. It is a deeply unequal society where noble blood carries enormous weight and where cruelty is often justified as strength. The twins’ sudden rise in status does not protect them, because social power is not only about title but about influence, alliances, and fear. The Heirs have all of these advantages. Darcy and Tory may have the stronger claim by birth, but they have no support system, no training, and no political experience. This imbalance gives the story much of its tension. Every small victory they achieve feels hard-won because the system itself is against them.

Romantic and sexual tension also play an important role in the novel, especially in the charged interactions between the twins and the Heirs. The relationships are not straightforward romances in this first book, but the attraction, hostility, and emotional conflict create a dark, addictive energy that drives much of the reader interest. The story often blurs the line between hatred and desire, power and vulnerability, making the emotional atmosphere intense and dramatic. This element is central to the book’s appeal for readers who enjoy fantasy with strong enemies-to-lovers undertones and morally messy relationships.

By the end of the novel, Darcy and Tory are still very much at the beginning of their journey. The Awakening functions largely as an introduction to the world, the conflict, and the emotional stakes that will shape the series. The twins have not yet fully come into their power, nor have they defeated the forces against them. Instead, the book ends with the sense that their real struggle is only just beginning. They understand more about who they are, but that knowledge has made their situation more dangerous rather than easier. Their enemies are clear, the academy remains hostile, and Solaria is still a world that expects them to either conquer or be crushed.

Overall, Zodiac Academy: The Awakening is a dramatic and emotionally intense fantasy novel about identity, survival, and power. It combines magical-school world-building with royal inheritance, dark bullying dynamics, and strong sisterhood at its center. Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti create a world that is glittering on the surface but vicious underneath, and they place two resilient heroines in the middle of it. The result is a story that is harsh, addictive, and full of tension, setting up a larger saga about whether the Vega twins can claim the place that was stolen from them and survive the brutal world that never wanted them back.