The 13th Zodiac: Book One

The 13th Zodiac #1

by L. Krauch

Series is currently undergoing Revisions through a publisher for rerelease in 2023

Genres: Fantasy

405 pages, ebook

First published August 13, 2021

Reviews

[Rebecca Crunden]

“White hair, and Eternity on her shoulder.”

This is the first book I’ve read by L. Krauch and it’s a strong start to what looks to be an awesome, fantastical series! I saw the recently released covers for the next books and they look fabulous, I must say. If this book is anything to go by, the next two will be just as steeped in mythology, world-building and heart.

GENERAL SPOILER WARNING

I’m not sure how much of this review is *actually* spoilery, but since I wanna go into some of the worldbuilding and backstory that you don’t get at the start, heads-up. :)

Single-shot rifles were no match for a madwoman and her axe.

For those looking for a fantasy romance, The 13th Zodiac is it. With a truly unique twist on the notions of Fate, Time and Eternity, this builds a tale that feels both familiar and fresh. I was really struck by the backstory and basis for the world, and I love the mythos employed by Krauch in the shaping of it.

Time was freed. Now, she seeks her other half so she can repair the Eternal Clock and return things to the way they were, before Urth and Sky made man.

I’ve been spending a lot of time lately thinking about worldbuilding and how different authors approach it, and I really like Krauch’s take. Especially the shattering of the Keeper of the Stars and the whole backstory of Time ripping her soul in half and creating Eternity (the 13th Zodiac).

Someone with one black and one white wing wielded the Spear of Stars. But it was not the same Fate I knew. They stood over the bloody body of Time.

The story begins with our lovely prince, one Jase Raion, reaching the island kingdom of Aria and meeting Liya, the lost princess of the kingdom. He literally runs into her, ha, and their lives quickly become entangled. And very quickly we get our OTP.

“All right, princess. It’s time to go.” He gently gathered Liya into his arms.

I MEAN— (/◕ヮ◕)/



The prince and the princess are indeed adorable, shippable characters to be sure, although many of the side characters don't quite agree! There's a scene towards the end that perfectly encapsulates this, although I shan't spoil ya!

From fantasy to mythology to action/adventure to found family to romance, Krauch manages to pack an impressive amount into her debut novel and I can't wait to see what fantastical tales this author comes up with next!

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[Jamie Jackson · Rating 5 out of 5]

Fantastic story! If you're a fan of anime or Final Fantasy, this is the story for you. Engaging and the author had me gasping at the reveals. Definitely recommend!

[E.P. Stavs · Rating 4 out of 5]

I thought this was a fun book with a lot of potential. The first half kept me engaged, and I really enjoyed the premise of the hidden princess / zodiac member, as well as her connection to Jase. The cast of characters was colorful and the plot imaginative. The second half slowed down a touch, but to be fair my overall focus at this time wasn’t the greatest. I would have liked to have gotten a better feel for the MC’s life before shit hit the fan, as well her relationship with her pseudo family. But overall I think with a little revision this could be a really cool book. Will definitely consider reading more by this author!

3.5 stars

[Rance Denton · Rating 5 out of 5]

If you're a fan of anime, energetic prose, and Final Fantasy, then The 13th Zodiac won't disappoint!

It took me awhile to finish my reading of the novel because of some life-stuff, but when I finally got a chance to sit down and devour it, devour it I did. This is a series-beginning on a deeply epic scale and an absolutely ambitious approach to POV. Occasionally I found myself wondering whether Krauch had bitten off more than they could chew with juggling the different plot-threads, but rarely did they come undone!

The writing is snappy, fun, and carries some of the same excitement of good text-based roleplaying games of yore! The characters are all intensely realized, too, with Tokei being my not-so-secret favorite.

Keep in mind, if large and sprawling universal stakes aren't up your alley, then you'll want to focus on the individual character interactions. Characters such as Jase are fully-fleshed out, and the personal struggles are what bring a deeply human side to this huge story!

[K Dezendorf · Rating 3 out of 5]

DNF at 40%

This was rough, mainly because I really wanted to like this book. I am a hardcore fan of astrology, so when my book club nominated it for book of the month, I was excited.
First the positives. This book has a lot of promise and interesting concepts involved in world-building; concepts of Time, Fate, and Titans. I was even fortunate enough to see a couple of interesting instances of magic that was described really well.
Unfortunately, I found the prologue to be confusing, and even when the main story starts, the confusion kept piling on. Characters would do things, and I would have little understanding as to why. The narrative jumps into multiple peoples' heads, yet I never really got to know them. There was also a consistent problem of information being withheld until it was dumped at random points in time, creating a jarring narrative.
I will reiterate that this book shows a lot of promise, and if a revised edition is ever released, I may give it another try, but as is, it's just not for me.

[M.E. Aster · Rating 3 out of 5]

I picked up The 13th Zodiac as a monthly book club read and I was intrigued by the premise.

This story pulls no punches and drops you directly into the world of the 13th Zodiac filled with Queens, Titans, and Prophets. As excited as I was by this fantasy filled world, I also quickly became very overwhelmed.

I tried to press on since I sensed the potential in this book, but I decided to put it down after continuing to feel adrift and confused after the first quarter of the story.

I do want to state that my brain has been struggling reading lately and my decision to DNF this book isn’t because it was a bad story. In fact, I might try to pick it up again in the future, but right now I couldn’t get into the plot and I decided not to force myself to continue it at this time.

[Peter · Rating 5 out of 5]

What an incredibly refreshing read this was, it has such a unique take on Fate, Time and Eternity, a slow burn romance, an intriguing magic system and wonderful primary and secondary characters and also effective worldbuilding. Essentially this ticked every single box for me. The worldbuilding is wonderful, the backdrop of everything you need to know is covered very early in the book and the prologue really sets the scene for you as this is where I was really pulled in at this point.

The story is told in a multi POV format, arguably one I prefer, but as a consequence you get to meet the wonderful characters who are the POV’s from Jace, Lyia, Tokei and many others. This is a wonderful work of character driven fantasy, yes there are quite a few POV’s but Lacey handles this wonderfully. The writing is snappy, exciting and emulates classic RPG games, and speaking of this the book is influenced by anime and final fantasy games. Would you realize this if you hadn’t watched, read or played these? Possibly not and while it wears it influences on its sleeve, it is wonderful, unique and awesome!

The characters themselves are also a wonderful part of this book, Jace, Lyia, Tokei, June and Jemi and many others. They are 3 dimensional, flawed and wonderfully human characters that I found myself rooting for, screaming at and enjoying all their journeys and arcs. Lacey does a wonderful job of keeping all of this together, as this is the first book in a series I am excited to see where these journeys go. While there are a lot of characters, the pacing in the books allows the reader to really keep a good grasp on everything going on.

I also found the action scenes were very easy to picture and imagine, Lacey’s prose is wonderful here, it’s energetic, pacey and accessible. This is brilliant as the action scenes can be intense, but Lacey’s ability to create vivid scene’s is sublime and keeps some very intense action scenes in check and easy to visualise. This makes the book that bit more enjoyable and combining everything together easily one of my favorite reads of the year so far.

I also really enjoyed the magic system, which revolves around the Zodiac and the characters tap into it to access a certain power. This is a cool part of the book but I don’t want to say too much more as this would push me into spoiler territory and I really want you to enjoy this book as much as I did.

So there you are, my review of The Thirteenth Zodiac by Lacey Krouch! Easily one of the best books I have read this year, with some wonderful effective world building, an intriguing magic system and amazing characters, it really did tick every box for me! The added bonus is the anime and Final Fantasy influence which makes the book even better. This easily leads me to say this is in my highly recommended read pile, I am really looking forward to where this story goes next.

[Matthew P · Rating 4 out of 5]

"Angry and hurt, Time divided her own soul in two. Thus the 13th Zodiac was born: Eternity"

The 13th Zodiac by L. Krauch, chronicles what happens after Time makes this fateful decision. It is a wonderful story that focuses on Eternity and her companions as they literally fight against Time herself.

The story begins when young Liya meets the charismatic stranger Jase. Unbeknownst to Liya, he is the King's son and is searching for her. This seemingly chance encounter sets Liya and her companions on a journey that will forever change their lives. During the journey there is betrayal, sacrifice, and new found love.

The human protagonists including Liya, and her three adoptive siblings Jemi, Tokei, and Jiroo are all flawed three-dimensional characters that make you care about what happens to them. The more mythological Titans are not quite as developed and we as readers don't get to know them as well. But isn't that true with larger than life figures in general.

Krauch has a talent for writing action scenes. There are several battles that play out and they are very well written. The final battle is quite cleverly done and will have you cheering at the end!

This book was a solid first installment of the planned series that I recommend to anyone that enjoys fantasy and action & adventure stories. I can't wait to return to this world and revisit these characters. Those that survived that is!

[Kimberly Morehouse · Rating 5 out of 5]

I am not even sure where to start. I enjoyed this book so much and am so excited to know that there will be more to come. The characters, the world and the adventures within are just fantastic. I bonded with each of the characters, became invested in their plight and wanted to see them through to the end. It offered up a slow burn romance, magical powers, friendships, betrayal, loyalty, love, death and so much more. I found myself instantly drawn in and turning pages into the wee hours of the morning. Truly a wonderful book and story written very well. Multiple POV's really helps the reader see the big picture and see whats going on, even when the other characters don't. My heart broke and was put back together, love when a book can impact me like that.

[Caroline Fleur · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book from the beginning to end. I fell in love with the unique cast of characters- it was fun to see each one's personality unfold as they navigated this fascinating journey. I don't usually read this genre, but maybe I haven't been reading the right books! I loved the authors gift of cinematically describing the world and events as the story unfolds. Every time I thought I knew what would happen next - I didn't. I could easily see this book as a movie, and I will definitely buy any other books this author writes! Easy 5 stars!!

[K.P. Roberson · Rating 5 out of 5]

The 13th Zodiac is an epic-fantasy with well-developed characters, a beautifully built world, and a plot that will have your head spinning. The villain is one you will love to hate, the princess wants to learn more of her fuzzy past, and the hero just wants to be able to eat his red apple in peace. This book kept me engaged, gave me all the feels, and ruined my mascara. I now have another fandom for life. Long live Tokei!

[Sara Cleveland · Rating 2 out of 5]

The 13th Zodiac has a lot of potential with interesting worldbuilding and lore. I found the general premise to be intriguing and was excited to read it. Unfortunately, the actual execution of the book is somewhat lackluster. Overall, the writing, characters, and plot lacked the polish I would hope to see in a published work, indie or otherwise. I found myself struggling to get through the book and often confused. I also failed to connect meaningfully with any of the characters. I didn't care about them enough to want to keep reading.

At this time, I don't plan on picking up the next book in the series. However, if this one is ever revised and re-released, I would consider trying again. I'd love to see the author give all the cool lore the storytelling it deserves.

[Jenny Sandiford · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 13th Zodiac is an enjoyable epic fantasy with great world building and a mythology that has clearly had a lot of thought put into it.
I’m rating this 3.5 stars because I found the first third a little hard to get into. I found it hard to keep up with the large cast of characters and all the world building details. But I think this many people would actually enjoy this aspect of the story. 
Once I got past 33% mark, I found the story more fun to follow. It very much falls into the category of epic fantasy with the detailed plot, and constantly changing settings that were all part of the journey. 
There are multiple POVs in this story which can get confusing at times and make it hard to latch onto one character to invest in. The character I most like and got attached to was Jase, he was a well rounded character and the one I was most interested in following. 
This book will appeal to epic fantasy lovers who want to delve deep into a new world.

[K.R. Bowman · Rating 5 out of 5]

A fast-paced, heart-pounding thrill ride from start to finish! The author weaves together multiple POVs that keep you turning each page. Liya is a strong and sassy female heroine. Jace is a total hottie... I loved this story so much and thoroughly recommend it to anyone who loves a good romance, tons of action, and adventure.
Can't wait for book two!!

[R. Ramey · Rating 5 out of 5]

I was lucky enough to have an advanced copy of this book, and let me tell you, I was surprised by the plot.
The characters really come alive in this fantastic novel. I really felt like I could sit down with a sliced apple and chat with Jase, Liya, June, Tokei, and Jemi. I loved the vibrant imagery in each chapter, bringing the places to life.
Also, did you notice the theme of thirteen? There’s even thirteen chapters. How cool is that?
This book is a MUST READ if you like battles between Fate and Time.

[Ryan · Rating 5 out of 5]

I absolutely loved this book. It was a page turner from the first to the last and cannot wait for more. The additional character stories at the end just cemented how real the author made the characters feel. My personal favorite is Tokei, hands down. I can't wait for the next two books in the series.

[Cat Bowser · Rating 3 out of 5]

I enjoyed this story but it was definitely a complex experience.

First off, I adore the world building and magic system in here. The use of the zodiac and inclusion of entities for so many concepts works so well. I deeply enjoyed learning about how the mythology worked.

The writing could be frustrating at times. I found the prose to be choppy quite often but I think the writer could improve on this easily simply by varying the style and length of sentences in the future. There was also quite a bit of head hopping which could make some scenes difficult to understand as the POV would shift.

But the characters were wonderful. They felt so real and apparently the author took influence from real life people and you can tell. There were little quirks and traits that added that little flavor all characters need.

Overall, I’m still invested in this world and will certainly check out the author’s future works.

[Kristi · Rating 4 out of 5]

In the 13th Zodiac, the titan Time makes a decision that sets the foundation for the rest of the story. And, what a story it is.

This high fantasy book features some wonderful world-building and a diverse set of interesting characters. The main characters Jase Raion, the Crown Prince of Chall, and Liya Fairaway, the lost princess of Aria, have layered, interesting backstories and well-developed personalities. Krauch does a great job getting you invested in these two, as well as other important characters like Jemi, Liya’s sister, and her adoptive brothers Tokei and Jiroo.

In addition to the main characters, another thing I enjoyed about this book is that I could really picture the action scenes – and there’s a lot of action in this book. I can sometimes get bogged down reading, rather than watching, action scenes but that wasn’t the case in The 13th Zodiac. Krauch's vivid descriptions made the conflict scenes easy to visualize.

Be prepared for the fact that this story features a large number of characters. If you’re like me, it can sometimes be a challenge to keep a lot of characters straight, but this story is written in a way that you can easily focus on the primary cast to keep from getting confused.

I’m looking forward to reading the next installment in the series. I also think this book would make a great movie - I’d love to see it on the big screen one day.

I read and review books in a wide range of genres. To see more of my reviews, visit www.bookpicksandpics.com.

[L. Krauch · Rating 5 out of 5]

From Amazon user:
5.0 out of 5 stars Awesome!!
This book was my first foray into the adventure/anime genre and I loved it! The cast of characters was amazing and the story grabbed me from the very beginning with twists and turns that kept me interested the whole way. Definitely recommend, can't wait for the sequel :))

[Rachel · Rating 5 out of 5]

Book Review
Title: The 13th Zodiac: Book One
Author: L. Krauch

I was instantly intrigued by this one. After reading the first few pages where it tells this story of the 4 Titans I knew I was in for a great read. I have read a few books that have created these characters out of Death, Fear, The Fates, Love, etc. So I really enjoyed the aspect of Time and Fate. But I’m getting ahead of myself. So where do I begin and how do I review it without giving too much of the book away?

This is a multi-POV slow burn romance fantasy with a hint of Anime. Since this is in a multi-POV format you meet a lot of different characters. But the author does a great job at this. The characters are so well written. Jace, Lydia, Jemi, June, and many more. I loved them, I hated them, I rooted for them, I screamed at them, I cried with them. These three dimensional characters are flawed and so human. You become so invested in what happens to each of them.

The pacing of the book was great as well. The action scenes are well written. The author writes these different scenes of the book with such great detail that it’s easy to imagine and visualize. The world building was beautifully done. The use of the Zodiac was an awesome element. Such an adventure with twists and turns that keep you turning the pages. I don’t want to say anymore because I really want people to read and experience this book for themselves. If I continue on I feel like I’ll rob you of that experience. So read this book!!

I rated this book 4 stars only because I felt that at times it was a bit hard to keep up with the different characters. If you struggle with multi-POVs keep that in mind. However after writing this review I’m reminded of everything I loved about this book. So excuse me while I go change my rating to 5 stars and go in search of an apple.

[T.M. Kohl · Rating 3 out of 5]

I had seen several positive reviews for this book, and based on the blurb and premise, it seemed right up my alley. I love fantasy books with a romance subplot, and the usage of the Zodiac, Time, Fate, and Prophets sounded super interesting.

The worldbuilding was quite fascinating and a joy to read when allowed to be explored for longer than a few paragraphs. I enjoyed the lore about Time and Fate, of Zodiacs and all the other special roles in this world.

The description states there is an influence of anime, and I certainly see it through certain tropes and motifs used. I could envision this being adapted easily into a visual format.

However, as I read, I found it harder and harder to keep track of what was going on. I enjoy multiple POVs, but this book jumps very frequently between them and leaves little time to get to know the characters or digest. I often had to go back and reread a few paragraphs because the transitions to new POVs would be a bit jarring. Ultimately, it made me pause reading this book for now at around halfway through.

Overall, this story has some really cool ideas and characters, but with the snappy and slightly jarring way it is written, it was difficult to connect with those characters and ideas. Some editing and revision would help clean up the narrative.

[M.A.S. Silvestris Pizzuto · Rating 5 out of 5]

I'm a sucker for a good mythology, and if you are like me, then this is the book for you, while the story is clearly 100% original, I wouldn't be surprised if the author got influenced by Xena the princess warrior, but that's not all, the story traps you, and the characters are likeable; usually I'm not a fan of prophesies, which this book makes use of, however the author makes a great job at making it interesting. Overall a book worth reading.

[A Night Bird]

The best thing about The 13th Zodiac was Liya and Jase. Liya was a likeable character, and she felt so real I could almost feel the way she moved, the way her hair hung around her face, hear the tones and nuances of her voice. Jase was vivid and inspiring, and his story is heart-breaking and heart-warming all at once, and I want to know more of his backstory. I really enjoyed every moment of Liya. Her personality is spunky and heart-warming and gentle all at once. I liked how she took pity on Jase, and the development of the relationship between them. It was very genuine, and Jase is heart-warmingly protective, while also not being over-bearing, which is good, because Liya has had more than enough of that. I liked how drawn to and tender towards each other they are, without being protective in a bad way. I really, really liked these two characters, in different ways. There’s more pain and darkness to Jase’s past and to how he lives and copes with things now, but he’s got fire and light. And Liya is so sweet and full of a good energy, and they’re both strong. And it’s a very wholesome romance, without any toxicity and drama, but just a few moments of healthy tension.

Compared to Jase and Liya, the side characters were disappointingly flat, or at least not real. They were not unreal or anything. They had personalities, and the personalities weren’t flat in the sense of being really one-dimensional, and they didn’t act out of character. They’re actually quite well developed. But they didn’t jump off the page at me in a good way or a bad way (and both are appropriate for different characters). I suppose it was kind of like if they were black-and-white people, whereas Liya and Jase were full colour. It was a bit of pity, since I really wanted to like some of them, like Jemi and June and Tokei. I thought Jemi’s fierceness and loyalty and her protectiveness of Liya was awesome and sweet, and I liked things about the others, too. But, whereas I feel like I’d know Liya or Jase if they were to become real people and I’d meet them in a crowd, I don’t feel like I’d know Jemi or June or any of the rest. I might recognize something about them – like Jemi’s axe – but that’s different from knowing someone. So I liked Jemi a lot, and some of the others also, but not in the same way I liked Liya and Jase (not that I like those two in quite the same way either).

As for the world-building and the plot, the world-building was rich and beautiful and consistent, and I liked the myth-poem about the Titans, and also the Mother Tree. But the world-building and the plot felt, I don’t know how to say this, but a little superficial. Frivolous isn’t the right word, since I think frivolity is actually a beautiful thing. But it felt like the plot just existed to … be a plot. I don’t mean I noticed any plot holes or deficiencies in the plot. But I like what I read to be about something, to be an exploration or journey, sometimes an aimless exploration, a journey with no goals or direction in mind. This one did not feel like that. And, there was something else that ties into this that really disturbed me, but it’s a spoiler, so …

This review appeared first and in full on Enthralled By Love (Raina Nightingale's Paths of Fantasy).

[Michele Quirke · Rating 4 out of 5]

The 13th Zodiac was the book chosen for the book club I co-host and I had been looking forward to reading it for quite some time. I thought the premise was great and I had heard many positive things about it.

I particularly enjoyed the characters, Jase most of all. Sometimes it became a bit overwhelming with all the different POVs we were given, however as it says in the description, the author is currently doing a revision of the book so perhaps that will be adjusted.

Overall, this was a fun read with BIG anime vibes. I believe fans of anime would enjoy this book. The whole idea of a princess growing up not knowing her true identity was really interesting and had tons of potential. I definitely plan to reread this book once the revisions have been made.

[Melissa · Rating 2 out of 5]

I got to 20% before I had to stop.

I really wanted to like this book, but I couldn't engage with the story. The prologue made no sense and nothing is explained. Entirely too much time is spent describing each and every character down to their specific hair/eye colour and the material their clothing is made from.

Liya's mark is described as being on her shoulder blade, but in a few scenes it reads like it's on her shoulder.

I might try to read this again at another time, but it feels too much like Final Fantasy fanfic and I can't handle that right now.

[Heather Theisen · Rating 4 out of 5]

I actually enjoyed this book.
I'm kinda hesitant about book bought a fair but this one was enjoyable.
May have to look for rhe sequels