Title: The Reckoning (Zodiac Academy 3)
Author: Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti
Genre: Fantasy, fantasy romance
Publisher: N/A- Independent
Publication Date: October 2021
Format: Paperback Print
Length: 635 pages

Rating:

I’ve said it before and I’ll say it again: The Zodiac Academy is one of the most addictive series I’ve read. It’s dramatic and full of early adulthood angst, but the over-the-top nature of the books is part of the series’ charm. Now that so much of the magic system and universe is established, I found this third book in the series was able to start delving into deeper plot twists and relationship dynamics, giving both the narrative and the characters more depth. In typical ZA fashion, the book also led to a massive action-packed peak that had me turning pages so fast that I was barely taking it all in.

In my opinion, this third installment was the best yet. It delivered on all of the promise that was built heading into the Reckoning and the reveal of Tory and Darcy’s orders was in and of itself absolute perfection. I am still thoroughly in love with this series and have already ordered book four.

Fair warning: spoilers ahead for anyone who hasn’t read this book or any of the other books in this series.

The Book: The Reckoning by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti

The Reckoning begins just after the deadly nymph fight that revealed both Darcy and Tory have powers far beyond what their peers had anticipated. The girls successfully wielded fire power that was strong enough to kill the nymphs on its own (particularly when amplified by Lance Orion and Darius Acrux), a power that no other order is known to have. Despite this tragic event though, in which several Zodiac students died, the school moves forward as usual and the girls quickly find themselves wrapped up in Hell Week, the week leading into The Reckoning.

During Hell Week, older students are encouraged to torture freshmen in any way that they know how. As the Fae are known for only respecting the strongest among them, Hell Week is a way to add extra pressure to an already stressful week, thereby helping to filter out those not strong enough to succeed. Over the course of the week, the students are all required to perform tasks related to their elements, and only those who succeed in the tasks will be permitted to participate in the final Reckoning at the end. Anyone who can’t pass the elemental tests or who doesn’t get the final score needed at the Reckoning will immediately be sent packing.

While trying to prepare for their tasks and the Reckoning, Darcy and Tory are also still attempting to solve Astrum’s clues, while simultaneously trying to handle the continuing attention of the Heirs. Their pranks have succeeded in ostracizing the Heirs beyond anything they’ve experienced before, but they also are both increasingly seeing a softer side to the boys. While still capable of vicious actions and taunting, the girls have done a fair bit of damage to their egos, and the boys find themselves being more vulnerable, seeing Darcy and Tory less and less as simply collateral damage. Several of them have become entangled with the twins emotionally in one way or another and inflicting pain and suffering on the girls no longer feels simple or uncomplicated to any of them.

As the girls crush each of their elemental tasks, particularly the one related to fire, it becomes evident that they’re likely to pass through the Reckoning, and that their orders are on the precipice of revealing themselves. Heading into the Reckoning, which is immediately followed by a Lunar Eclipse known to bring out all of the most base desires of Fae, the twins must face their pasts, and their present, and decide what they wish their futures to be if they wish to stay at Zodiac. They’ll also be wrapped into a sinister plot of which they weren’t even aware that will change the trajectory of both of their lives from here on out.

The Review

Ugh these books are SO GOOD. I love the way that Peckham and Valenti have built so many loveable characters, and I love that the perspectives now rotate through more of them on a regular basis. There was so much growth and change in the relationship dynamics in this book, and so much depth was added to the girls, to the Heirs, and to Orion, that I was completely absorbed in the story, constantly excited about how their relationships would next evolve. It’s like watching a fantasy novella or soap opera and I’m totally hooked.

I also love the slow build that’s come to the magic system over the course of the three books. Barely any time has actually passed, but so much has happened and so many aspects of the magic have been revealed that each time there’s a new evolution (like in the nature of Darcy and Orion’s relationship, or Tory and Darius, or in the orders), I find myself thinking back to the small nuggets of information that have been periodically dropped through their various classes or lectures. You can start to see the puzzle pieces coming together in such a satisfying way, during this book especially I found myself flipping back through the first book for references to magic that is only now appearing.

I also LOVED the end of this book. It was epic in at least three ways. The actual event that occurs, where everything changes almost instantaneously, and then in the relationship dynamics between the four that are caught in it, and then of course, in terms of the orders that Tory and Darcy emerge in. It all happens so quickly, but it’s explosive in terms of what it means for the girls, the plot, and the next book. I love Valenti and Peckham’s tendency to build massive reveals like this, it’s so gratifying.

I was just as hooked to this book as I was to the two preceding ones, perhaps even more so. I literally finished the last page and then immediately added the next book to my cart so that I can continue on. While the drama of it all feels a little intense at the beginning of the series, by now, I just find it addictive. I can’t wait for the fourth book to arrive, it’ll move straight to the top of my TBR when it does!