Recent Reads: Zodiac Academy- The Awakening by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

The Awakening by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti 

Series: Zodiac Academy #1
Publisher: Dark Ink Publishing
Publication Date: August 2, 2019 

 

Format: Ebook
Source: Kindle Unlimited

Rating:


Goodreads Synopsis: 

You have been selected to attend Zodiac Academy, where your star sign defines your destiny.

If you're one of the Fae, elemental magic is in your blood. And apparently it's in ours. As twins born in the month of Gemini, we're a rare breed even in this academy of supernatural a-holes.

Changelings were outlawed hundreds of years ago but I guess our birth parents didn't get the memo. Which means we're totally unprepared for the ruthless world of Fae.

Air. Fire. Water. Earth.

No one has ever harnessed all four of them, until we arrived. And it hasn't made us any friends so far.

As the rarest Elementals ever known, we're already a threat to the four celestial heirs; the popular, vindictive bullies who happen to be some of the hottest guys we've ever seen. It doesn't help that they're the most dangerous beasts in the Academy. And probably on earth too.

Our fates are intertwined, but they want us gone. They've only got until the lunar eclipse to force us out and they'll stop at nothing to succeed.

We never knew we had a birthright to live up to but now that we do, we intend to claim our throne.

We can't expect any help from the faculty when it comes to defending ourselves. So if the dragon shifters want some target practice, the werewolves want someone to hunt or the vampires fancy a snack then we have to be ready. But we've been looking after each other for a long time and fighting back is in our blood.

Today's horoscope: totally screwed.

Review: 

Booktok made me do it... I have Book 2 on my Kindle now but I am not sure... we will see.

This book follows the Vega twins - as they are pulled from the mortal world into the Zodiac Academy. They are the missing heirs of the throne to this world and they had no idea, but life in the real world is rough on them and this come with an inheritance if they can pass the school. That is all they want, they don't care about this place or their throne. There are already back-up heirs in place to take it once they graduate. Turns out they are all a-holes who now have it out for the girls but they are stronger than they realize in a lot of ways. They are pulled into this school knowing nothing but coming in with the ability to wield a lot of power. 

This was so much cringe but I feel somewhat invested now. I hated the power dynamics of the groups. I also hated the heirs, they were all a-holes and I am not sure the emenies to lovers hype and trope will be worth it. I want to know waht happens to the Vegas though. The plot overall was ok, gripping at soome points, the writing was pretty bad but the stroy was enough to keep me going. I wish we sould have gotten more about their real world lives before being thrown into Zodiac. I think that would make me more invested in them overall. 

I found it really hard to tell them apart even with the chapter headers they needed more distinguishable personalities and maybe those will come with time... we will see.  

That being said, twins being pulled into a magical fae worls that they have been missing from to retake their thrown is pretty epic an idea. Iliked that they are thrown into the school, but the world is all new and they are thrown in without any information about anything. Was this a high school ? I can't tell. At times it felt like too much for me as a reader, so I was able to experience (seemingly) what they were - far too many creature - vampires, werewolves, dragons, pegasus, sirens, fae... like geeez). Aside from all the heir cringe, and writing cringe.. there was also cringe around the teachers... do not like. I wanted them to take more responsibility for these girls to help guide them.