Sins of the Zodiac Review: The Dark Romantasy Series You're Sleeping On
Hey girl, hey. We need to talk about Sins of the Zodiac, because you are missing out and I refuse to let that stand. This is Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti's follow-up to Zodiac Academy, and it does not play around. If your TBR pile is a mess and you need something to bump straight to the top, this is your sign.
Here's the business: three books are out right now, a fourth is coming, and every single one of them slaps. No sophomore slump, no filler arc, no "it was fine I guess." You'd expect a series to lose steam by book three. Sins of the Zodiac does the opposite, and I'm not exaggerating.
What Is Sins of the Zodiac About?
Set in the same universe as Zodiac Academy but in an entirely different corner of it, Sins of the Zodiac follows fae conscripted from four warring elemental nations and shipped off to Never Keep, a gothic, ice-cold academy in the Waning Lands. Think elemental magic, brutal politics, and characters who would rather die than admit their feelings. It's giving dark academia. It's giving chaos. It's giving exactly what this genre promises and rarely delivers.
Sins of the Zodiac Books in Order
Bookmark this, because you'll want it:
| Book | Release | Status |
|---|---|---|
| #1 — Never Keep | 2024 | Out Now |
| #2 — Echo Fort | 2025 | Out Now |
| #3 — Cinder Vale | 2026 | Out Now |
| #4 — Oracle Bay | March 16, 2027 | Coming Soon |
Four books total, planned. Yes, that means the wait for Oracle Bay is officially on. Set a reminder now so you're not the last one to know when it drops.
Cinder Vale: That Ending Is Not a Drill
Cinder Vale is my favorite of the three, no contest, and it's not close. I will not spoil a single word of that ending, but I will say this: readers across every review platform are gobsmacked. People are rereading the last chapter just to make sure they processed what actually happened. That's the kind of ending that makes a series, not just a book.
Full credit to the character work here too. This is a stacked lineup, and the slow-burn pining is doing damage.
The Romance: Every Trope You Actually Want
If you're here for the tropes, Sins of the Zodiac brings the full menu:
Slow burn that earns every second of tension
Enemies to lovers, done right
Forced proximity
Off-limits, "we absolutely should not be doing this" energy
The romance is genuinely fire. But the thing that separates Peckham and Valenti from a lot of romantasy is that the plot pulls just as much weight as the romance does.
The Plot Actually Goes Somewhere
Here's my one real gripe with a lot of long-running fantasy series: they wander. They stall. They introduce fifteen storylines and never circle back. (Looking at you, George R.R. Martin — A Song of Ice and Fire fans know exactly what I mean.)
Sins of the Zodiac does not do that. You'll care about these characters, watch them actually grow, and none of it feels forced or padded. Every book is building toward something, and you can feel the authors delivering on that promise instead of stalling for time. That's rarer than it should be, and it's the reason this series has stayed this strong three books deep.
The Representation Is Doing the Work
This series has serious main-character energy, and it comes with real, unapologetic queer representation. There are LGBTQ+ characters whose relationships are simply treated as normal — no side-eyeing, no "very special episode" moment, no coming-out arc played for drama. The characters accept themselves, the world around them accepts them, no question asked. That's exactly how it should be written, and it's part of why this series has built such a loyal, feminist-leaning fanbase.
Sins of the Zodiac vs. Zodiac Academy: How Are They Connected?
You're probably wondering how this ties into Zodiac Academy, so here's the breakdown:
Same world, different region. Zodiac Academy is set in Solaria. Sins of the Zodiac takes place in the Waning Lands, a separate territory within the same universe.
Shared magic system. Both series run on the same elemental magic and fae biology, so the world-building rules carry over.
Different timeline and technology. Sins of the Zodiac takes place later, but the Waning Lands has been cut off from the rest of the world, which means it's noticeably more primitive and behind on the kind of modern conveniences Solaria has.
Do You Need to Read Zodiac Academy First?
Short answer: no. Long answer: also no, but let me explain.
You do not need to read Zodiac Academy before starting Sins of the Zodiac. They both slay on their own, and you're free to jump into whichever one calls to you first. That said, I'm a chronological reader by nature, so my personal preference is Zodiac Academy first. Just know what you're signing up for: Zodiac Academy is nine main books, while Sins of the Zodiac is currently planned for four (subject to change, because these authors love to surprise us).
If commitment scares you, start with Sins of the Zodiac. If you want the full lore experience, start with Zodiac Academy. There's no wrong answer here.
The Verdict
Three books in and Sins of the Zodiac has not missed once. The romance is fire, the plot actually pays off, the representation is done right, and Cinder Vale's ending alone is worth the read. If you've been on the fence, this is your push. Go read it. Thank me later.
FAQ
How many books are in the Sins of the Zodiac series? Four books are planned. Never Keep, Echo Fort, and Cinder Vale are out now, with Oracle Bay releasing March 16, 2027.
Do I need to read Zodiac Academy before Sins of the Zodiac? No. The two series share a world and magic system but can be read in either order.
Is Sins of the Zodiac connected to Zodiac Academy? Yes. Both are written by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti and share the same universe, elemental magic, and fae biology — Zodiac Academy is set in Solaria, while Sins of the Zodiac takes place in the more isolated Waning Lands.
When does Oracle Bay come out? Oracle Bay, book four in the Sins of the Zodiac series, releases March 16, 2027.