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Zodiac Academy [Dramatized Adaptation] #1
The Awakening [Dramatized Adaptation]
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?
This is a dark, bully romance – don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
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?
This is a dark, bully romance – don’t go expecting a sweet school for magic with friends around every corner. Fae fight for everything they own and Zodiac Academy is a cutthroat school for students aged 18+ where only the strongest prevail. There’s no Dumbledore here to save anyone’s ass and Lionel Acrux will give Voldemort a run for his money in the evil dictator category. So hold onto your stardust (broomsticks not required) and get ready for a bumpy ride.
Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!
1 pages, Audio CD
Published July 26, 2024
About the author
Caroline Peckham
120 books33.5k followersI'm a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Zodiac Academy series. I write all things dark romance, from fantasy to contemporary, high school bully to mafia, there's bound to be a book for you!
Me and my sister Susanne Valenti now write books together and we've built the most amazing, fun, crazy reader group on Facebook which we would LOVE you to join. Be the first to get teasers of upcoming books, plus interact with us daily, asks us questions, make friends with other book junkies and find your reader home.
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Sign up to our newsletter here >>
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For all business inquiries please contact us at>>
mail@kingshollow.co.uk
For more information, special editions, signed books and more, check out my website here >>
www.kingshollow.co.uk
Me and my sister Susanne Valenti now write books together and we've built the most amazing, fun, crazy reader group on Facebook which we would LOVE you to join. Be the first to get teasers of upcoming books, plus interact with us daily, asks us questions, make friends with other book junkies and find your reader home.
Join here >> https://www.facebook.com/groups/19697...
Sign up to our newsletter here >>
https://landing.mailerlite.com/webfor...
For all business inquiries please contact us at>>
mail@kingshollow.co.uk
For more information, special editions, signed books and more, check out my website here >>
www.kingshollow.co.uk
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 333 reviews
September 5, 2024
4.5 stars
I wish all audiobooks were graphic audios! I always feel like I’m watching a movie 👀.
For my review on the book, go here
While I looooooove me a graphic audio, I was not the biggest fan of Darius’s voice 😬😅🫣. He sounds older than he is😬. Orion’s voice grew on me, but yeah… I wouldn’t have minded if it was… sexier 🤣. The original audiobook’s voices were pretty good at being… growlier 😅🤣 and deeper 😅.
I kind of wish Caleb’s voice actor was Darius 😬😅🫣. I couldn’t wait to hear his voice 👀. And yeah… I definitely reheard the ONE 🔥 scene we get (although, I’m bummed they tamed it down though 😒. I was following with the ebook, and they took some of the raunchiness away 🤣).
I don’t know if I’m the only one that feels all this ^^, but… I also miss Geraldine’s voice actress from the original audiobook 😭. She has an amazing accent that fits her quirkiness so well 😭. The one here sounds older, but I also know that Geraldine’s an old soul 🫶 so maybe she’ll also grow on me.
Also… Diego’s Spanish was pretty good…. But I can tell the narrator isn’t completely fluent 🤣 (since Spanish is my first language), but he did good 🤷🏻♀️.
Overall, I luuuurved it 😮💨
I wish all audiobooks were graphic audios! I always feel like I’m watching a movie 👀.
For my review on the book, go here
While I looooooove me a graphic audio, I was not the biggest fan of Darius’s voice 😬😅🫣. He sounds older than he is😬. Orion’s voice grew on me, but yeah… I wouldn’t have minded if it was… sexier 🤣. The original audiobook’s voices were pretty good at being… growlier 😅🤣 and deeper 😅.
I kind of wish Caleb’s voice actor was Darius 😬😅🫣. I couldn’t wait to hear his voice 👀. And yeah… I definitely reheard the ONE 🔥 scene we get (although, I’m bummed they tamed it down though 😒. I was following with the ebook, and they took some of the raunchiness away 🤣).
I don’t know if I’m the only one that feels all this ^^, but… I also miss Geraldine’s voice actress from the original audiobook 😭. She has an amazing accent that fits her quirkiness so well 😭. The one here sounds older, but I also know that Geraldine’s an old soul 🫶 so maybe she’ll also grow on me.
Also… Diego’s Spanish was pretty good…. But I can tell the narrator isn’t completely fluent 🤣 (since Spanish is my first language), but he did good 🤷🏻♀️.
Overall, I luuuurved it 😮💨
February 19, 2026
✅ Strong & resilient main characters
✅ Awesome sisterly bond
✅ Pace
✅ Addictive & quick read
✅ World-building
✅ Magic / Faes
✅(🆗) Plot
✅(🆗) Asshole male characters
🆗 Mean girl drama
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: bullying, almost drowning, mentions of past child neglect, foster care system failure, mention of past car accident and death of parents (past)
🔥 Spice level : 🌶️ / 5
_______________________
Second read/listen: It's a good thing I know what's to come and how the Heirs will regret their actions, because the bullying is intense in this book. They are despicable.
_______________________
Ok, this was not the best book I’ve read this year plot-wise, but it has this strangely addictive quality, and I can’t help but want to know what will happen next…
Tory and Darcy are trying to survive in Chicago with no job and no money. That is until the mysterious professor Orion tracks them down and brings them to his realm because they are none other than the lost heirs to the throne of Solaria. Tory and Darcy want nothing to do with the throne and ruling Solaria; they only want their inheritance, but before they can have it, they need to go to the Zodiac Academy to learn to control their powers. They also need to survive the four celestial Heirs who were supposed to rule the country until the twins were back and who are currently the kings of the Zodiac Academy.
The world-building is a strength of this book. The complexity of this parallel world, with all the species, the different magic, and the influence of the stars and zodiac signs, was well thought out and developed, and I loved it. I am not a believer in horoscopes, but I liked how it was integrated into the student’s everyday life, and how it had a real impact on their powers, their personalities, and even whom they got along with.
Tory is the feisty twin who’s always standing up for herself and can’t back down from a fight. She and Darcy are very different, but I loved them both. Her strengths are so different from Darcy’s, but they complete each other, and they rely on each other so much; it was heartwarming to see their sisterly love and how they were always there for each other.
Darcy is calmer and quieter, but she is no pushover, and I loved her quiet strength. She has moments when she is bold and can be quite a badass when she is pushed. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she could defend herself and even had a “mean” side to her when she was being bullied because I was a little afraid at first that she would be a pushover. I relate to her more than to Tory, but I still love them both.
I will not talk about the Heirs separately as they are all jerks for now. I imagine that in my reviews of the next books I might have different paragraphs for each one of them as their personalities become more defined, but so far, they are all pretty much the same. I have to say, though, that there is potential here for great redemption arcs and hate-to-love, and I am excited to see how things will evolve between the Heirs and the twins. I will say, though, that Caleb intrigued me, and Darius seems to have a nicer side hidden somewhere. I also think his scheming with Orion might not be as bad as we think it is. At least not that bad for the twins, because they were still talking about killing people. Seth is the easygoing one, but because of that I trust him even less than the others; he pretends to be nice and sweet, only to stab you in the back; that's even worse than being an outright jerk like Max.
I met Orion in the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series, and I loved what little I saw of him, but I don’t recognize him in Zodiac Academy. I am really wondering what happened to him. We saw a change in attitude at the end of Ruthless Boys, and whatever happened probably explained why he went from a sports superstar to a bitter and very unprofessional teacher. As a teacher myself, I was shocked to see what he got away with, but at the same time I wanted to applaud him at times because I’ll be honest, there are times when I wish I was allowed to whack my students’ heads on a wall too. 😅 While I find him intriguing, and I know he’s more complex than just an angry teacher, I am not 100% sure that I like him for now, but knowing the HUGE hype surrounding him, I imagine that I will fall in love with him and his sexy ass soon too.
One thing that I did not really enjoy was the jealous girlfriend drama. I don’t mind the bullying; I was expecting it, and I know it can build interesting relationships between the Heirs and the twins, but the whole jealous mean girl squad with their bitching, spreading rumors, and being stupid jealous teenagers annoyed me so much. It’s the main reason I stay away from academy/school settings, and hopefully, it will take a back seat in the next books, because I’ve been through high school and all the mean girl crap; I’m too old to relive it even if it’s through a book. It feels too juvenile for me to enjoy or relate to. At least the Heirs have a “valid” reason to hate the twins; the other girls are just being insecure and stereotypical dumb bimbos who think they’re better than everyone else, and that their boyfriend is perfect and they are meant to spend their life together when it’s clear as day that their boyfriend doesn’t give a shit about them. Can you be more cliché? I don’t think so.
While I found the plot to be a little weak, and the mean girl drama annoyed me, I am dying to know what will happen next, so I will be reading the second book for sure. There is also a side of ridiculous that I enjoy so much! The teachers all have weird names linked to what they teach, and the A.S.S. club is so intense! The authors clearly know that it’s over the top at times, but they just roll with it, and it’s honestly highly entertaining.
0.5 Origins of an Academy Bully ⭐⭐⭐
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✅ Awesome sisterly bond
✅ Pace
✅ Addictive & quick read
✅ World-building
✅ Magic / Faes
✅(🆗) Plot
✅(🆗) Asshole male characters
🆗 Mean girl drama
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: bullying, almost drowning, mentions of past child neglect, foster care system failure, mention of past car accident and death of parents (past)
🔥 Spice level : 🌶️ / 5
_______________________
Second read/listen: It's a good thing I know what's to come and how the Heirs will regret their actions, because the bullying is intense in this book. They are despicable.
_______________________
Ok, this was not the best book I’ve read this year plot-wise, but it has this strangely addictive quality, and I can’t help but want to know what will happen next…
Tears never did anyone any favours, but sometimes they just needed to fall.
Tory and Darcy are trying to survive in Chicago with no job and no money. That is until the mysterious professor Orion tracks them down and brings them to his realm because they are none other than the lost heirs to the throne of Solaria. Tory and Darcy want nothing to do with the throne and ruling Solaria; they only want their inheritance, but before they can have it, they need to go to the Zodiac Academy to learn to control their powers. They also need to survive the four celestial Heirs who were supposed to rule the country until the twins were back and who are currently the kings of the Zodiac Academy.
The world-building is a strength of this book. The complexity of this parallel world, with all the species, the different magic, and the influence of the stars and zodiac signs, was well thought out and developed, and I loved it. I am not a believer in horoscopes, but I liked how it was integrated into the student’s everyday life, and how it had a real impact on their powers, their personalities, and even whom they got along with.
“Where I’m from I found out the hard way that this life will throw all kinds of crap at you, but the one thing you don’t have to accept is other people’s bullshit.”
Tory is the feisty twin who’s always standing up for herself and can’t back down from a fight. She and Darcy are very different, but I loved them both. Her strengths are so different from Darcy’s, but they complete each other, and they rely on each other so much; it was heartwarming to see their sisterly love and how they were always there for each other.
“My deepest fear is being cast aside, my heart crushed by trusting blindly again. So I’ll never let anyone in again.”
Darcy is calmer and quieter, but she is no pushover, and I loved her quiet strength. She has moments when she is bold and can be quite a badass when she is pushed. I was pleasantly surprised to see that she could defend herself and even had a “mean” side to her when she was being bullied because I was a little afraid at first that she would be a pushover. I relate to her more than to Tory, but I still love them both.
The most important thing I’d learned in life? You can’t trust people. And you especially can’t trust boys with wicked smiles and equally wicked intentions.
I will not talk about the Heirs separately as they are all jerks for now. I imagine that in my reviews of the next books I might have different paragraphs for each one of them as their personalities become more defined, but so far, they are all pretty much the same. I have to say, though, that there is potential here for great redemption arcs and hate-to-love, and I am excited to see how things will evolve between the Heirs and the twins. I will say, though, that Caleb intrigued me, and Darius seems to have a nicer side hidden somewhere. I also think his scheming with Orion might not be as bad as we think it is. At least not that bad for the twins, because they were still talking about killing people. Seth is the easygoing one, but because of that I trust him even less than the others; he pretends to be nice and sweet, only to stab you in the back; that's even worse than being an outright jerk like Max.
And why am I even turned on by Lord Voldemort’s hotter, younger cousin?
I met Orion in the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series, and I loved what little I saw of him, but I don’t recognize him in Zodiac Academy. I am really wondering what happened to him. We saw a change in attitude at the end of Ruthless Boys, and whatever happened probably explained why he went from a sports superstar to a bitter and very unprofessional teacher. As a teacher myself, I was shocked to see what he got away with, but at the same time I wanted to applaud him at times because I’ll be honest, there are times when I wish I was allowed to whack my students’ heads on a wall too. 😅 While I find him intriguing, and I know he’s more complex than just an angry teacher, I am not 100% sure that I like him for now, but knowing the HUGE hype surrounding him, I imagine that I will fall in love with him and his sexy ass soon too.
“Don’t worry, Marguerite,” I said soothingly. “It’s not your fault that he needs them to get his motor going. I’m sure your hairy bush does it for him once you start bouncing about on his lap.”
One thing that I did not really enjoy was the jealous girlfriend drama. I don’t mind the bullying; I was expecting it, and I know it can build interesting relationships between the Heirs and the twins, but the whole jealous mean girl squad with their bitching, spreading rumors, and being stupid jealous teenagers annoyed me so much. It’s the main reason I stay away from academy/school settings, and hopefully, it will take a back seat in the next books, because I’ve been through high school and all the mean girl crap; I’m too old to relive it even if it’s through a book. It feels too juvenile for me to enjoy or relate to. At least the Heirs have a “valid” reason to hate the twins; the other girls are just being insecure and stereotypical dumb bimbos who think they’re better than everyone else, and that their boyfriend is perfect and they are meant to spend their life together when it’s clear as day that their boyfriend doesn’t give a shit about them. Can you be more cliché? I don’t think so.
“Remember the A.S.S love you!” she cried and several people who heard her started laughing. Really? That was the name she went with? The ass club?
“Asses,” I breathed in horror. “They’re a group of asses and they don’t seem to realize it.”
While I found the plot to be a little weak, and the mean girl drama annoyed me, I am dying to know what will happen next, so I will be reading the second book for sure. There is also a side of ridiculous that I enjoy so much! The teachers all have weird names linked to what they teach, and the A.S.S. club is so intense! The authors clearly know that it’s over the top at times, but they just roll with it, and it’s honestly highly entertaining.
0.5 Origins of an Academy Bully ⭐⭐⭐
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July 27, 2024
the vibes in this graphic audio are SO GOOD. what a fun way to reread one of my favorite series. hearing the characters’ voices for the first time was such an emotional experience 🥹
i literally had the grandest ‘ol time, hence the 5 stars.
while not all of the voice actors’ voices matched how i heard them in my mind while reading, the narrators did a phenomenal job. i can’t wait for when we have the entire series on graphic audio!
i literally had the grandest ‘ol time, hence the 5 stars.
while not all of the voice actors’ voices matched how i heard them in my mind while reading, the narrators did a phenomenal job. i can’t wait for when we have the entire series on graphic audio!
January 25, 2026
Honestly I had a great fucking time with this. The plot is so fun and cool I like that it’s a modern age fantasy with magic, astrology, different kind of beings and with the modern mortal kind of aspects. The way I was falling for these damn boys charm and charisma just to get my heart torn open by the betrayal was gutting. I was so stressed for the girls at the end. I live for the drama and couldn’t get enough! Also I think I’m in love with Orion… The voice actors as always were amazing! Can’t wait to start the next book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
September 7, 2024
**Audiobook Review: *The Awakening of Zodiac Academy (Dramatized Adaptation***)
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 star)
As a huge fan of dramatized audiobooks, I went into *The Awakening of Zodiac Academy* with high expectations, especially given how much I love this series. Unfortunately, the dramatized adaptation was a massive disappointment, and I found myself struggling to finish it—purely because I had already used my credit and love the original story.
One of the major issues here is the voice casting. It felt like the producers either hadn't read the series or didn't understand the characters at all. The voices simply don't match the personalities or energy of the characters. Darius sounds disturbingly like an old man, which completely ruins his strong, youthful, and commanding presence from the books. Lance, a fan-favorite character, is portrayed with an unsettling "creepy professor" vibe that strips him of his charisma. Geraldine, who should have a lively and confident charm, is given a dorky voice that makes her hard to take seriously. When the nicest-sounding voice is that of a washer—yes, you read that right—something has gone very wrong in the production.
Overall, the performances were so distracting that it detracted from the immersive experience I usually expect from dramatized adaptations. The only reason this gets one star is because I genuinely love the *Zodiac Academy* series itself. I just can’t recommend this adaptation to any fellow fans. If you’re looking to enjoy this series, it’s best to stick with the written versions or a different audiobook narration. This one just misses the mark entirely.
Rating: ★☆☆☆☆ (1 star)
As a huge fan of dramatized audiobooks, I went into *The Awakening of Zodiac Academy* with high expectations, especially given how much I love this series. Unfortunately, the dramatized adaptation was a massive disappointment, and I found myself struggling to finish it—purely because I had already used my credit and love the original story.
One of the major issues here is the voice casting. It felt like the producers either hadn't read the series or didn't understand the characters at all. The voices simply don't match the personalities or energy of the characters. Darius sounds disturbingly like an old man, which completely ruins his strong, youthful, and commanding presence from the books. Lance, a fan-favorite character, is portrayed with an unsettling "creepy professor" vibe that strips him of his charisma. Geraldine, who should have a lively and confident charm, is given a dorky voice that makes her hard to take seriously. When the nicest-sounding voice is that of a washer—yes, you read that right—something has gone very wrong in the production.
Overall, the performances were so distracting that it detracted from the immersive experience I usually expect from dramatized adaptations. The only reason this gets one star is because I genuinely love the *Zodiac Academy* series itself. I just can’t recommend this adaptation to any fellow fans. If you’re looking to enjoy this series, it’s best to stick with the written versions or a different audiobook narration. This one just misses the mark entirely.
August 6, 2024
4.5 stars
I was worried I wouldn't like this because I was very apathetic about the prequel, but am really glad I listened to this one.
I was worried I wouldn't like this because I was very apathetic about the prequel, but am really glad I listened to this one.
April 15, 2026
2,5 ⭐️ alltså… jag vet inte! den dramatiserade ljudboken var underhållande JA, men storyn? känns som det man ville ha mer om slängdes åt sidan enbart för den ständiga mobbningen 😬 hoppas tjejerna tuffar på sig hahahha
September 21, 2024
I love Zodiac Academy, and this rating is for Graphic Audio only, which did a great disservice to the series.
Casting for this was ROUGH. The voices for Tory and Darcy were fine, the voice for Kylie was perfect, and Caleb was pretty good (but he might have been a better choice for Orion), but I really struggled with a lot of the others. I’m sure they are all talented voice actors, but they just didn’t fit the characters at all, most of whom are supposed to be late teens/early twenties.
Given the casting choices, it also gave the impression the Graphic Audio team has not read the entire series and wasn’t familiar with the characters and their development as the series goes on. For example, I just can’t see Seth’s voice actor meshing with Seth’s goofy antics in the later books. Actually, the voice for Seth would have been better for Washer because it kind of gave me the creeps, and Washer was not the creepy, pervy voice he should have been.
Geraldine, while quirky, also needs to be believable as a badass and companion for a certain bothersome barracuda later on, so she can’t sound like a mentally handicapped person of indeterminate gender, even if she was presented as awkward in the text of book 1.
I think Gabriel Michael just isn’t my cup of tea. He seems to be in every single Graphic Audio book and he seems to always be overacting. He sounds the same for every character he plays, and it just never sounds natural. I want to like his voice, but there’s just something about his delivery that drives me bonkers.
The voice actor for Orion has some strange intonation and he doesn’t sound “hot” enough for the main character he becomes, but there was definitely more egregious casting than him.
But the most offensive of all the casting was by far Darius. You cannot tell me that was the best option for him. It’s completely laughable. He would have been a fine voice for an elderly professor, but he was so far from a tattooed, muscular 20 year old dragon shifter. I read on Reddit that the voice actor for Darius is likely to change, so I’m happy about that.
There were also random things that gave me pause. At one point, one of the girls said they were in “forest care” when it should have been “foster care.” The pronunciation of Grus was all over the place between characters. There were points where the last words were cut off. The background music seemed repetitive, and there were times where what was chosen was super awkward and didn’t fit.
I’d love to hear the whole series in Graphic Audio, but there is SO much work to be done.
Casting for this was ROUGH. The voices for Tory and Darcy were fine, the voice for Kylie was perfect, and Caleb was pretty good (but he might have been a better choice for Orion), but I really struggled with a lot of the others. I’m sure they are all talented voice actors, but they just didn’t fit the characters at all, most of whom are supposed to be late teens/early twenties.
Given the casting choices, it also gave the impression the Graphic Audio team has not read the entire series and wasn’t familiar with the characters and their development as the series goes on. For example, I just can’t see Seth’s voice actor meshing with Seth’s goofy antics in the later books. Actually, the voice for Seth would have been better for Washer because it kind of gave me the creeps, and Washer was not the creepy, pervy voice he should have been.
Geraldine, while quirky, also needs to be believable as a badass and companion for a certain bothersome barracuda later on, so she can’t sound like a mentally handicapped person of indeterminate gender, even if she was presented as awkward in the text of book 1.
I think Gabriel Michael just isn’t my cup of tea. He seems to be in every single Graphic Audio book and he seems to always be overacting. He sounds the same for every character he plays, and it just never sounds natural. I want to like his voice, but there’s just something about his delivery that drives me bonkers.
The voice actor for Orion has some strange intonation and he doesn’t sound “hot” enough for the main character he becomes, but there was definitely more egregious casting than him.
But the most offensive of all the casting was by far Darius. You cannot tell me that was the best option for him. It’s completely laughable. He would have been a fine voice for an elderly professor, but he was so far from a tattooed, muscular 20 year old dragon shifter. I read on Reddit that the voice actor for Darius is likely to change, so I’m happy about that.
There were also random things that gave me pause. At one point, one of the girls said they were in “forest care” when it should have been “foster care.” The pronunciation of Grus was all over the place between characters. There were points where the last words were cut off. The background music seemed repetitive, and there were times where what was chosen was super awkward and didn’t fit.
I’d love to hear the whole series in Graphic Audio, but there is SO much work to be done.
August 4, 2024
GraphicAudio is a GAME CHANGER when it comes to audiobooks. This experience was so fun and entertaining, my friend Maja and I co-listened to this almost without break and finished it in two days. While I’m not happy with the voice of Darius and Orion, it was otherwise very entertaining. 4⭐️
Now we just have to patiently wait until the next book.
Now we just have to patiently wait until the next book.
Read
September 2, 2024DNF @ 60% unrated
I felt mildly entertained for the first 30% which was aided by the dramatised audio. From there, it felt repetitive, trope-y to a ridiculous extent. Bully romance isn't my thing anyway but I thought I'd give this a go as I had book one. I find myself pleased to not be needing to read the other nine books!
I felt mildly entertained for the first 30% which was aided by the dramatised audio. From there, it felt repetitive, trope-y to a ridiculous extent. Bully romance isn't my thing anyway but I thought I'd give this a go as I had book one. I find myself pleased to not be needing to read the other nine books!
October 3, 2024
The casting is SOOOOOO bad. Highly suggest sticking to the original audios if you want to listen to the audio version of this series. I couldn’t even make it 30% because Darius’s creepy old man voice was giving me such an ick 🤮
October 4, 2024
Basically men are trash
February 15, 2025
So entertaining!! 🙂↔️
February 19, 2025
Freaking hooked! Ready to read all of this series 🔥🔥🔥
January 15, 2026
Incredibly entertaining especially as an audiobook. It reads or listens likes a ya drama tv series. Absolutely loved it.
August 20, 2026
Took a while to get into this, just like any series like this. Have to learn who is who and what things mean and get a sense of the new world.
Graphic audio can never fail, it’s my fav way of listening to an audio book, especially one in this context but one thing I wasnt a massive fan of, was the background music. Distracted me from what people were saying, especially the characters with more of a softer voice.
Really looking forward to learning more about Zodiac Academy
Graphic audio can never fail, it’s my fav way of listening to an audio book, especially one in this context but one thing I wasnt a massive fan of, was the background music. Distracted me from what people were saying, especially the characters with more of a softer voice.
Really looking forward to learning more about Zodiac Academy
February 15, 2026
5⭐️
damn. maybe I should have listened to the graphic audio the first time around as well, because this was so much better than reading it myself 🔥
I am obsessed. And can we please talk about Lance Orion??? He is my Hero. I love him. 🥹✨️
damn. maybe I should have listened to the graphic audio the first time around as well, because this was so much better than reading it myself 🔥
I am obsessed. And can we please talk about Lance Orion??? He is my Hero. I love him. 🥹✨️
October 3, 2025
I listened to the graphic audio version of this and im very glad because i think i would have found it a bit too silly if i was reading it in a different format. As it was it was super entertaining and i laughed a lot, though I dont think that was the author’s intention.
This was definitely like junk food or trash tv for me. It’s basically adult Harry Potter with zodiac themed magic and set in a world of fae instead of wizards and with the horniness dialled all the way up to ten. I couldnt help but laugh every single time one of the twins mentioned how hot someone was, especially when that someone had just or was in the process of bullying, torturing, or trying to kill them 😅
I also cackled demonically when i found out why Darcy dies her hair blue - im sorry the scene was just so dramatic and it didn’t seem at all on the same level as Tori’s fear 😅 Before this i’d been calling Darcy the generic twin and Tori the try-hard bad girl but after this i started referring to Darcy as the dramatic twin.
I also dont understand why authors feel the need to make their protagonist’s poor orphans all the time and then have Tori judging the free underwear she gets for not being pretty enough and bemoaning not having workout gear. I can assure that when you grow up poor such things are not something you think about. If you have to make your protagonist a poor orphan at least stick to the bit.
Honestly there’s not much going on here. It’s pretty standard tropey romantasy and i dont think i could sit down and read it but it definitely made all the gardening I needed to do a lot more entertaining so it served its purpose. Also the pegasus scene was funny.
This was definitely like junk food or trash tv for me. It’s basically adult Harry Potter with zodiac themed magic and set in a world of fae instead of wizards and with the horniness dialled all the way up to ten. I couldnt help but laugh every single time one of the twins mentioned how hot someone was, especially when that someone had just or was in the process of bullying, torturing, or trying to kill them 😅
I also cackled demonically when i found out why Darcy dies her hair blue - im sorry the scene was just so dramatic and it didn’t seem at all on the same level as Tori’s fear 😅 Before this i’d been calling Darcy the generic twin and Tori the try-hard bad girl but after this i started referring to Darcy as the dramatic twin.
I also dont understand why authors feel the need to make their protagonist’s poor orphans all the time and then have Tori judging the free underwear she gets for not being pretty enough and bemoaning not having workout gear. I can assure that when you grow up poor such things are not something you think about. If you have to make your protagonist a poor orphan at least stick to the bit.
Honestly there’s not much going on here. It’s pretty standard tropey romantasy and i dont think i could sit down and read it but it definitely made all the gardening I needed to do a lot more entertaining so it served its purpose. Also the pegasus scene was funny.
Read
July 30, 2024I am not a fan of bullying and I’m even less a fan of miscommunication with bullying and tormenting. I am EXTREMELY picky about bullying romances and this was like the very opposite of the small few I actually enjoy.
So if that’s your bread and butter then this might be for you.
For me, I hated this. I made half way before deciding I was NOT going to try to force myself to finish it. Tori and Darcy were fun characters but I was not interested in a single character outside of the two of them. Even with both of Darcy and Tori’s comments about these men being “sooo hot”. I personally think these men would be even HOTTER if they were a little nice, I get it their position feels threatened but do they seriously have to torment the girls at EVERY single turn and corner? Ugh, no thanks I’ll pass.
So many people love this series but I am unfortunately not in that category. The whole concept is extremely interesting, a magic school full of fantasy mythical beings that are placed in the different zodiac sign houses. Normally I would be so interested in this but I didn’t love this enough to continue of 9 more books of this.
It was a hard no from me, dawg.
So if that’s your bread and butter then this might be for you.
For me, I hated this. I made half way before deciding I was NOT going to try to force myself to finish it. Tori and Darcy were fun characters but I was not interested in a single character outside of the two of them. Even with both of Darcy and Tori’s comments about these men being “sooo hot”. I personally think these men would be even HOTTER if they were a little nice, I get it their position feels threatened but do they seriously have to torment the girls at EVERY single turn and corner? Ugh, no thanks I’ll pass.
So many people love this series but I am unfortunately not in that category. The whole concept is extremely interesting, a magic school full of fantasy mythical beings that are placed in the different zodiac sign houses. Normally I would be so interested in this but I didn’t love this enough to continue of 9 more books of this.
It was a hard no from me, dawg.
Read
February 21, 2026Nope. No. DNF. Absolutely not. Made it to 37% and had to throw my headphones off. Thank god people who love this series have admitted how absolutely awful the casting was for this so I don’t feel like such a massive asshole. I usually enjoy graphic audio and this was just … cringe fest.
Every school girl sounded like Moaning Myrtle both in baby talk and weird ass wail and laugh. Male voices were just as bad and the bullying moments made them sound like Batman comic book or anime villains. I actually enjoyed the voices for the twins.
So… to the physical book it is.
Every school girl sounded like Moaning Myrtle both in baby talk and weird ass wail and laugh. Male voices were just as bad and the bullying moments made them sound like Batman comic book or anime villains. I actually enjoyed the voices for the twins.
So… to the physical book it is.
December 14, 2024
Oooo I love the dramatized audio! This is my fourth re read/listen of The Awakening and I love it just the same as always!
The things I would give to read this series for the first time again. 🤣 I'll forever stand on business with ZA being TRUE enemies to lovers. 🤌🏼💋
The things I would give to read this series for the first time again. 🤣 I'll forever stand on business with ZA being TRUE enemies to lovers. 🤌🏼💋
December 5, 2024
3.5 ⭐️ rtc
December 17, 2024
Apart from the fact that Caleb's voice was creepy af and of course the boys are insufferable in this one, I loved it and I want to go to Zodiac Academy please.
November 2, 2025
god, how I love graphic audio audiobooks
September 25, 2026
Can't wait for their revenge 🔥
Something about Diego i do not like and dont think he should be trusted lol
Something about Diego i do not like and dont think he should be trusted lol
July 13, 2026
This book would’ve gotten a zero star rating if it wasn’t for one thing that got me really feeling anything for this book.
And that was the moment that Darius flew out and transformed into a dragon. I thought that was a nice scene.
Other than that, this is my second read of this book and I really thought it might’ve been better but I know that when I first read this one I didn’t like it so I was being way optimistic.
Our female characters, which are twins, have no character development throughout this whole story. They just let these guys just take advantage of them. And I just feel like they were written really dumb.
I also felt very lost with the world building and the magic system that is in the story. It just felt so rushed and thrown at us.
I really felt no sympathy towards the female characters who were being bullied. And I just felt so disappointed how the male characters were written. They had nothing going for them. They were right out bullies and I did not like any of them.
I will not be continuing this series. Heck it’s what 12 books, no thank you.
And that was the moment that Darius flew out and transformed into a dragon. I thought that was a nice scene.
Other than that, this is my second read of this book and I really thought it might’ve been better but I know that when I first read this one I didn’t like it so I was being way optimistic.
Our female characters, which are twins, have no character development throughout this whole story. They just let these guys just take advantage of them. And I just feel like they were written really dumb.
I also felt very lost with the world building and the magic system that is in the story. It just felt so rushed and thrown at us.
I really felt no sympathy towards the female characters who were being bullied. And I just felt so disappointed how the male characters were written. They had nothing going for them. They were right out bullies and I did not like any of them.
I will not be continuing this series. Heck it’s what 12 books, no thank you.
August 4, 2024
EDIT: They changed the narrator that I didn't like, and OMG that was the right call!!
Oh my! I LOVE Graphic Audio and this just solidified my love for it even more 🤭
I’ve heard that this series does not have the best writing and therefore an audiobook is the perfect solution 😍 The storyline was intriguing, the characters funny and lovable (and mean - but we love that), the "bully romance" that’s building is far too interesting and I can’t wait until book two releases in October 🤝🏼
As a person who normally figures out plot twists beforehand, there were actually some twists I didn’t see coming, which was a bonus!
However, as always, I don’t agree with all the casting, but I have a feeling the voices will grow on me!
Oh my! I LOVE Graphic Audio and this just solidified my love for it even more 🤭
I’ve heard that this series does not have the best writing and therefore an audiobook is the perfect solution 😍 The storyline was intriguing, the characters funny and lovable (and mean - but we love that), the "bully romance" that’s building is far too interesting and I can’t wait until book two releases in October 🤝🏼
As a person who normally figures out plot twists beforehand, there were actually some twists I didn’t see coming, which was a bonus!
January 19, 2026
My first read through of the graphic audio. I really liked all the added music and side effects, it truly added another layer to the story. The GA doesn’t exactly word for word follow the book so I wouldn’t do it for a first read but it makes for a fun reread. My only gripe was I had gotten attached to the voice actors in the originally audios and I liked them a little bit more. Especially the voices for Geraldine and the guys. Super fun read tho and I can’t wait to finish with the rest of them. As always there is crack in these books. I’m ready to see all my babies again but not ready for all the pain they are about to go through.
February 7, 2025
Ok. Ive read this series multiple times and have listened to the audio books prior to this. This is one case where if someone wants to listen to audio version, I'd recommend the regular audiobook! No hate to the cast at all, but with so many characters, it got confusing at parts who was talking, and IMO, some of the voices just don't match the characters at all. 😂 The cast does a great job, but I personally love Bridget and Jake Bordeaux's version better 🤷♀️
I'll probably still listen to the others to see if i get used to them 😂
I'll probably still listen to the others to see if i get used to them 😂
July 10, 2025
Got me invested, I like that it was fast paced so I’m far into a story already. I need that since this is such a big series commitment. I love the graphic audiobooks! It started off kinda cheesy and youthful sounding, but once I got used to the character voices, and into the plot some more, I felt totally into it!
🚨 Sort of spoilers 🚨
Those boys are so mean and I can’t wait for their downfall into toxic love 💘 There are 2 FMC’s and I’m still trying to decide which one I relate to more, but I do like both of them!
🚨 Sort of spoilers 🚨
Those boys are so mean and I can’t wait for their downfall into toxic love 💘 There are 2 FMC’s and I’m still trying to decide which one I relate to more, but I do like both of them!
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