Book · in order
Zodiac Academy Books in Order
Zodiac Academy spans a ten-book main series (book 10 arrives October 13, 2026), the four-book prequel Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, and the four-book sequel Darkmore Penitentiary, plus optional novellas. Main series first; Darkmore strictly last.
Zodiac Academy Books in Order: complete list
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Why this order?
The main series is the spine: The Awakening (2019) through Restless Stars (2024), nine books that were billed as complete until the authors announced a tenth, On the Cursed Day of Christmas, dated October 13, 2026. That announcement quietly broke every older reading guide, so here is the current map.
Read Zodiac Academy 1 through 3 first, no exceptions: they carry the world-building everything else leans on. From there the popular hybrid path takes the prequel quartet Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac (set five years before the academy, following Dark Fae through Broken Fae, plus Warrior Fae), then returns to Zodiac Academy 4 through 9. The prequel works fine after the whole main series too, but reading it mid-run deepens several later reveals.
Darkmore Penitentiary is the one with a hard rule: it is set five years AFTER the main series (and a decade after Ruthless Boys), so it goes last, after Restless Stars, despite some blogs stating its timeline backwards. Its fourth book, Wild Wolf (2024), closes that story. The novellas, from Origins of an Academy Bully to Live and Let Lionel, are all skippable bonus material; we list each under the book it accompanies. Finally, Sins of the Zodiac (Never Keep, Echo Fort, Cinder Vale) is a new series in the same universe with a new cast, readable independently; we will give it its own guide as it grows.
Timeline 2019-2026
Every entry by release year: rows that share a year are a cluster, and the long droughts are called out on the rail.
- 2019 The AwakeningRuthless FaeThe Reckoning
- 2020 Dark Fae (Ruthless Boys)Savage Fae (Ruthless Boys)Shadow PrincessCursed FatesFated ThroneCaged Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary)
- 2021 Vicious Fae (Ruthless Boys)Broken Fae (Ruthless Boys)Heartless SkyAlpha Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary)Feral Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary)
- 2022 Sorrow and Starlight
- 2024 Restless StarsWild Wolf (Darkmore Penitentiary)
- 2026 On the Cursed Day of Christmas
Where to play it today
- The series is in paperback, ebook (long a Kindle Unlimited staple) and audio; newer editions come via Simon & Schuster, so duplicate editions of the same book exist
- Check regional stores; the S&S editions are rolling out market by market
Availability changes often and varies by region - links search each platform for Zodiac Academy.
Frequently asked questions
How many Zodiac Academy books are there?
The main series is ten books: The Awakening (2019) through Restless Stars (2024), plus On the Cursed Day of Christmas arriving October 13, 2026. Around it sit the four-book prequel Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, the four-book sequel Darkmore Penitentiary, and six optional novellas.
What order should I read Zodiac Academy in?
Main series books one to three first, then optionally the Ruthless Boys prequel quartet, then main series four to ten, and Darkmore Penitentiary strictly last. The full sequence is on this page, with novellas listed under the books they accompany.
When should I read Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac?
It is set five years before the academy and works two ways: after Zodiac Academy book three (the popular hybrid path, which deepens later reveals) or after the whole main series. Just not first; it assumes you know the world.
Is Darkmore Penitentiary before or after Zodiac Academy?
After: it is set five years after the main series and about a decade after Ruthless Boys, so it reads last, despite some blog guides stating the timeline backwards. Its finale is Wild Wolf (2024).
Do I need the novellas?
No: all six, from Origins of an Academy Bully to Live and Let Lionel, are optional bonus material. We list each under the main-series book it accompanies so completionists can slot them in.
What is Sins of the Zodiac?
A newer series in the same universe with a new cast (Never Keep, Echo Fort, Cinder Vale, with Oracle Bay planned). It reads independently of Zodiac Academy, and we will cover it separately as the series completes.
Last verified · Sources: en.wikipedia.org, zabooks.fandom.com, Wikidata
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