The Reckoning (Part 2 of 2) [Dramatized Adaptation]

Zodiac Academy [Dramatized Adaptation] #3, Part 2

by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti, Khaya Fraites

“The answer to your question will be revealed on the Lunar Eclipse. But when discovering the truth, do not let the shadows take you.”

Hell Week has begun.

Senior students have been tasked with making the freshmen's lives pure torture as we prepare to face The Reckoning - the assessment that will decide whether we stay at Zodiac Academy or lose our places here forever.

With the Lunar Eclipse on the horizon, my sister and I have more to worry about than just passing our exams.

A dark plot is unfolding and the shadows are drawing closer. It looks like our enemies could be more powerful than we ever realised.

Damn, who would have thought being a princess would be this hard?

Adapted from the novel and produced with a full cast of actors, immersive sound effects and cinematic music!

Genres: Audiobook, Fantasy, Magic, Romance, Romantasy, Fae, Vampires

7 pages, Audiobook

Published March 18, 2025

About the author

I'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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For more information, special editions, signed books and more, check out my website here >>

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Reviews

[♡karabear♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

OMG!! just finished the 3rd book and its fire. still a tory and caleb fan and im absolutely obsessed with orion and darcy like I got through this so fast I have an actual addiction but its a good healthy addiction 🤭

also can I just say Diego can go f--- himself after the way he treated darcy

also freaking Seth drooling all over the guys hahaha his addiction is hilarious

[Ari · Rating 4 out of 5]

Zodiac Academy: The Reckoning – GraphicAudio Edition (part one and two)
⭐ 4 stars

From the first sound cue, I knew this wasn’t just an audiobook — it was full-on magical theatre in my ears. The cast brings every snarky insult, every growled threat, every “I probably shouldn’t but I will” moment to life. Add in sizzling magic effects, dragon roars, and the occasional door-slamming-for-emphasis, and you’re basically living in the Academy yourself — dodging spells and side-eye from the Heirs.

The banter? Savage. The tension? Enough to power the Fae realm for a century. The Reckoning itself? A deadly, magic-drenched gauntlet designed to weed out the weak and humiliate anyone who steps wrong. And guess what? Tory and Darcy are very much in the Heirs’ crosshairs — still. The love/hate dynamic between the twins and those infuriating, gorgeous, occasionally-sympathetic heirs is exhausting in the “don’t stop” kind of way.

We finally get the Reckoning trials — the moment all freshmen have been dreading. Survive, and you’re officially part of the Zodiac elite. Fail… and let’s just say no one will miss you. The twins have trained, schemed, and suffered enough to want this bad. But of course, the Heirs aren’t about to let them breeze through. There are brutal magical battles, betrayals mid-trial, and a couple of moments that made me want to hurl my headphones (looking at you, Seth). We also get more hints of the deeper prophecy hanging over the Vega twins — and some cracks in the Heirs’ united front, because it’s very clear at least a couple of them feel something they shouldn’t. By the end, the sisters survive… but with new scars, more enemies, and a few reluctant allies who might just matter later.

I can't get enough of Seth and Caleb! especially whoever does the narration for Caleb... ❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥❤️‍🔥

Is this deep literary fantasy? No. Is it addicting, messy, drama-packed, and even better with GraphicAudio’s over-the-top performance? Absolutely. Solid 4 stars, it's exactly what I needed...

[Dayna | daynas.bookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

graphic audio kills it yet again, this one was AMAZING! the voice actors just keep getting better and better- i really feel like they’re embodying the characters now, especially darius.

BOOK 4 WHEN?? 😩 i’m wildly unprepared for the emotions yet to come

[Stefani Tomova · Rating 5 out of 5]

The graphic audio is amazing. I really miss those goofy characters!

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I hate Lionel

Seriously 🤬. He has NO, and I mean NOOOOONE, redeeming qualities, and the actors/the graphic audio did an amazing job conveying that.

I rarely wish the death of a character, but he's one of the few that I do wish it on 🤬. Other characters gross me out- like Orion's mom... seriously... 🤬

And the Orion/Francesca/Darcy/Diego scenes still angered me (more specifically, the Orion/Francesca one). Darcy forgave him WAY too easily IMO 😑 sure, he suffered, but he needed to suffer more 🤣. Yes, I am petty 🤣.

I LOOOOVE how amazing these graphic audios are. Gah... I can't wait til they all come out.

Here's my review for the entire book

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

(Reread) the graphicaudio adaptation really shines with these books — with the full cast & magic, it’s so special. lance orion was single-handedly responsible for my stress-cleaning my room in one afternoon. darius…on my knees & clutching my pearls & screaming internally. i’m NOT ready to hear the next book in high def surround sound, but HERE WE GO.



(ignore the dates on this — this was full of starts & stops with my libby hold lapsing but ugh it was SO GOOD)

[Misha Lowenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

kk so I do enjoy these books. my only complaint is making the girls strong and weak at the same time. you don't sleep with me that try to abuse you. you also don't sleep with your teachers....NEVER EVER

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This shit is wild. I love it. 4.5 stars

[Mariah Greeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best one I heard so far

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

Basic Plot: Tori and Darcy continue their elemental tests while navigating their relationships with the heirs.

That was an absolutely criminal cliffhanger ending and I am both annoyed and impressed by the way it was accomplished.

I find the characters to be more than a little wishy-washy in the way they deal with each other (all of them- the heirs, the Vegas, everybody). But they are all very young, so that kind of makes sense. The toxic society of the fae, plus the lives they've led, do not lend themselves well to healthy relationships. It is like a train wreck, and I cannot look away. I feel like I shouldn't be fascinated by these young people's shenanigans, and yet, here I am. And I plan to continue.

[bek.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

As always, these books just get better and better.
The dramatised version of this is honestly one of my favourite things! The sound effects, the full cast is just perfect. It’s like a movie in your mind.
Part 2 of the Reckoning starts off exactly where we ended in part 1 and takes us on the journey of Tory and Darcy completing their elemental trials and the reckoning. With a very unexpected twist at the end.
As Caroline and Susanne are well known for, there is an epic cliff hanger but that’s why we love them right!?

Definitely recommend the Dramatised Graphic audio of this series. Can’t wait for the next one to be released

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Minaa07 · Rating 5 out of 5]

Ok I'm officially invested in this series. Thought this was one of the better books so far. Of course, as always, love graphic audio. I did feel like the end was super rushed. The whole ritual came a bit out of nowhere, and the proces itself was not really explained. Also their order was predictable but I'm glad it is finally out there. Gonna miss the (voice) characters as the next graphic audio for this series is not due until june.

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

Story is fantastic! Narrators, amazing! Editing? WTF?? The last 1/5 of the book has weird alternate narrators for certain lines, the book itself like stops with an 1hr 45m left and I had to manually scrub to find my place (I checked on 3 different platforms and asked friends to check theirs so it wasn’t my file).

Boo. Do better Graphic Audio.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

This is my favorite book of the series so far. It’s still beyond juvenile but I’m loving the relationship between Darcy and Lance. It’s giving Dimitri & Rose from Vampire Academy. I’m very interested to see what will happen in the upcoming books.

[Steph Spone · Rating 4 out of 5]

Love this series so far. This one had a couple slow parts, but still good.

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

Sååå bra den här med! Har lyssnat nonstop we love it. Slutet också OTROLIGT!! Inga spoilers men man får svar på en del av det som gnagt heeela tiden

[Amanda Scherr]

they just keep getting better

[Rachel Kwiatkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

I loooooved this one!! The story is getting so good!!! Except Tory and Darius’s slow burn is killing meeeee

[Kayle Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

That’s it. I’m hooked.

[Mandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

I am enjoying this series. Powers and magic while at a school teaching how to use those powers.

[Neko.ta.ta · Rating 5 out of 5]

I can't wait for the rest of the series to come out in GA.

[Beverly · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book rating - 5 ⭐

Graphic Audio came out with another banger! I did feel like we didn't need this in two parts but it is what it is. The cast were pheromonal and GA does a excellent job really immersing you into the book. GA is what has gotten me hooked to this series for sure!

I thoroughly enjoyed this one, my favorite one so far. There's so much I can comment on.
- Lance and Darcy 👑 - The Lance and Darcy moments were chef's kiss. Him getting jealous over Darcy and Diego's friendship, him sending her flirty messages and asking if she plans to color her hair blue again. I feel like it's setting up that they are Elysian Mates and i'm all for it.
"Blue means you like me."
"In Solaria, blue means royal. To me, blue means you."
“If you don't kiss me, I'll go mad.”

- Caleb and Tory 🧛‍♂️ - I actually really like them together lol Like i know a little bit of what's to come in the series so i'm preparing myself for a brief little thing but i'm not gonna lie, i really do like Caleb and her together. Him standing up to the other heirs for her is everything. And again, the hide and seek game is HOT and i'm eating it all up.
"Do you want me to beg? Do you like the idea of getting me on my knees for you?"
"I didn’t know what it was about Tory Vega, but I was fast becoming addicted to it."
"I wasn’t even sure I could deny it at this particular moment. Tory Vega was getting under my skin, and I wasn’t sure I could do much to stop it."

- Tory and Darius 🐲 - There tension is soooo good. I wanna hate him so much and i just can't. i can't even, i feel like i'm getting whiplash! I feel like it's setting up that they are Elysian Mates as well and it kills me and fills me cause i love her with Caleb lol But there is something about Darius that gets under my skin in a good and bad way.
"Roxy Vega might have been the most irritatingly rude and stubborn girl I’d ever met but she was fucking hot."
"Fuck it’s like someone picked apart my deepest desires and brought every fantasy I’ve ever had to life."
"I’d known before the sun rose this morning exactly where it would be pushing me. I just couldn’t tell if she’d fall under its spell for me too."
"She wasn’t just a girl though. Not to me. She was the one girl I shouldn’t want, the one I couldn’t have, the one I didn’t need. And yet I did. And everything in my life could be damaged so badly by that need that I’d fought it tooth and claw up until this point."
"Roxy Vega, I’m gonna make you mine."

Honorable Mentions:
- Diego has taken a turn and i don't know how to take it! I know what he ends up as but i need to know why and now?!
- Tyler Corbin's commentary is HILARIOUS! I die laughing every time!
- Getting the tease about Seth and Caleb was a shock to my nervous system. Like what?!
- Geraldine and Max...? Not what i expected! How does this play out?! I need to know!

[Abigail Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

🎧 The Reckoning (Part 2 of 2) Dramatized Adaptation by Caroline Peckham
⭐ Rating: 4/5 🖤💢🎙️

📖 Summary:
The Reckoning has arrived.
The Vega twins are in survival mode.
And the Heirs? Whew. The emotional repression breaks — and so do hearts.

In this finale:

We get major power moments from both Tory and Darcy

Darius... makes choices (and you might've yelled into your headphones)

Fights go full beast mode, and the voice acting slaps

That final scene??? Absolutely gut-wrenching with the dramatization

This is the part where the stakes go from petty to deadly.
And yeah — you were holding your breath the whole way through.

💖 Character / Audio Reactions:

Tory's heartbreak? Audible. Destroying.

Darius’s voice actor? Ruined you with every pained growl and broken whisper

Darcy’s steady glow-up gave you chills in surround sound

Orion’s moral crisis was somehow hotter with reverb

Geraldine’s dramatized absurdity = comic relief perfection

Themes you felt in your chest cavity:
✨ Power doesn’t protect you from heartbreak
✨ Fated pain still cuts deep
✨ Enemies to lovers to liars to ✨ emotional carnage ✨
✨ "I loved you while I hurt you" — and you were screaming

🔥 Smut Level:
Still not graphically explicit, but sweet chaos, the audio tension POPPED OFF.
Voice acting made every gasp, whisper, and slow-burn confrontation unreasonably hot.
#SmutTags: #DariusGetInTherapy #EmotionalRuinIsForeplay #AngstInHD #ScreamWhisperEnemies #BathtubSceneStillEchoes #OneBedOneBreakdown

⚠️ Trigger Warnings:
Bullying, magical violence, betrayal, emotional trauma, coercion, heartbreak, verbal cruelty, death themes

🏷️ Tags:
#ZodiacAcademyAudio #TheReckoningFinale #EmotionalWreckInStereo #ToryDeservesJustice #DariusICantDefendYouRightNow #VoiceActedAngst #DarcyLevelUp #EnemiesToHeartbreak #BathtubTensionLivesOn #DramatizedDestruction

[Carline · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is my second time reading this book, first time as a graphic novel and the cast is great although Orion sounds older than the character is written. I’ll admit I was pretty harsh with my first rating, mainly because of the order I originally started in. After finishing Ruthless Boys 1–5, I feel like I finally had the insight I needed to tolerate the heavy bullying in the first three Zodiac Academy books. Shifting my mindset also helped; this is a magical realm with its own culture and rules, so I had to stop comparing it to my reality. Plus, seeing familiar characters from Ruthless Boys show up here added more depth and kept me engaged. Even though none of these early ZA books hit 5 stars for me, I still chose to reread 1–3 before moving on. These books are long and complex, with so many characters and moving parts, and since it took me about three months to get through ZA 1–3 and RB 1–5, I knew I’d forget important details if I just jumped straight into ZA 4. Rereading helped refresh my memory and made the continuation feel less overwhelming. Honestly, it didn’t feel like a waste of time, it actually helped me enjoy ZA 4 more while I was physically reading it alongside the reread.

[Jurnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finished this one so quick! WOW! I just still really appreciate how well the voice actors do in this, they bring these characters to life. I don’t even know if I’ll want to consume this story any other way lol which is a bummer since all the books aren’t out in this format yet.

Romances are heating up and the boys are catching the feels. I don’t really like any of the heirs as romantic leads, they’re still assholes that don’t feel completely redeemed, but the fleshing out of their characters has been really enjoyable. All of the side characters are getting more interesting as well, especially Geraldine.

The sisters are growing as fae and as women and I love to see it! Darcy is still my favorite to watch, especially because it feels like Tory just wants to keep making destructive decisions until it kills her. Darcy has set her heart on Lance, and though I love him as a character, he isn’t proving to be the best and most loyal guy. I want to see how far their relationship can go, but I think A LOT needs to be discussed and come to light.

Now off to read the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac as I’ve seen suggested in many different reading ordersz

[Haley Kimbrough · Rating 3 out of 5]

I love these audiobooks but please tell me why they practically skipped the whole scare house scene between Caleb and Tori? And had the wrong voice actors for certain lines?? Max’s voice said Caleb’s line once and then Tori spoke for Darcy when she wasn’t even in the scene. And during the lunar eclipse, some random voice I don’t even recognize that sounds like it was filmed on an iPhone with no editing spoke just one random line for Seth during his POV while he’s alone💀 same thing for one of Tori’s lines later on. wtf happened to this whole half of the book

Side note: I also can’t stand Caleb’s voice, they got this nasally high pitched voice for a supposedly sexy character. And Darius sounds like he’s about to lose his voice 75% of his lines

[Núria Azanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

10⭐
“The answer to your question will be revealed on the Lunar Eclipse. But when discovering the truth, do not let the shadows take you."
"La respuesta a tu pregunta te será revelada en el eclipse de luna, pero cuando la verdad sea descubierta, no dejes que las sombras te lleven"

Así es la profecía que Tory y Darcy descubrieron. Y es que a parte de tener que pasar los exámenes para poder seguir en la academia, el eclipse lunar se acerca y los fae empiezan a sentir los efectos de la luna y a alterarse.... Pero algo oscuro se cierne sobre Solaria.

Madre mía! menudas escenas, no podía parar de leer, no podía bajar los niveles de tensión, este libro no es para personas cardíacas! y el final.... ese final, la cosa está empezando a ponerse realmente oscura.

[Logan · Rating 4 out of 5]

Rating is for Graphic Audio version only. I’ve already read this book on Kindle and regular audiobook, and it’s my favorite in the series.

The productions continue to improve. I think they even added some new music for the backgrounds that wasn’t 80s music, so that was appreciated. A lot of the background noises were still too loud though (like when people were laughing in the Orb or when there were crowds).

There was at least one instance where the wrong person spoke — it should have been Caleb but it was Max (when talking about how Tory got into Caleb’s room). And sometimes Lionel sounded too much like Orion.

But it was a fun listen. Looking forward to the rest of the series.

[Mandy · Rating 4 out of 5]

Finally finished the graphic audio for ZA 3 - this is definitely the way to consume this series! I read it all last summer and had a blast, but hearing it all come to life in your head is an even better experience.

Lance and Darcy - MY BABIES! The voice actor for Lance keeps getting better, there were a few times I was like "lemme just listen to that again real quick" because I was folding like Darcy.

As for Tory. Girl. You have a 100 reasons to be stay mad at Darius, I get it. But what happened at the end of this book was NOT one of them. She's about to be her own worst enemy with how she holds a grudge.

[Baz · Rating 5 out of 5]

Zodiac academy series is like marmite, you either love them or hate them. Just like marmite, I love the series so far! This books amazing, gave me so much anxiety, but was amazing!

Susanne and Caroline did an amazing job, I thought I was obsessed with Caleb but Ive definately been swayes by Darius! Loved the tension of this book! Had to skip the spice cuz of Ramadan but I bet it was great! The lunar eclipse scene was wild and hella crazy!

BUT THE ENDING! THE ENDING GAVE ME SO MUCH STRESS AND ANXIETY! I HATED AND LOVED DARIUS AND ORION BUT WTF LIONEL?! WHAT A POWER HUNGRY ASS!