Zodiac Academy is spicy. The Zodiac Academy spice level is best described as high (about 4 out of 5 peppers by our editorial scale), and reader guides consistently describe the series as open-door, meaning the sex scenes are shown on the page rather than faded out. The heat is not even across the series. The Awakening leans on tension and rivalry, the first fully explicit scene is reported in Ruthless Fae, and the later books are described as consistently steamy. This guide covers each book, the chapters readers flag as spicy, content warnings, age suitability, reading order, and how the spin-off Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac differs.
How to read this guide: ratings here are our editorial assessments, not author or publisher ratings. Where we could not confirm a chapter number or a scene, we say so.
Is Zodiac Academy Spicy?
Short answer: Yes. Zodiac Academy by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti is an adult romantasy series with open-door scenes that build gradually from a slow-burn, bully-romance start.
The series mixes several things at once: a magic academy setting, enemies-to-lovers tension, fae court politics, dark fantasy violence, and romance. Plenty of chapters contain no sex at all. The spicy scenes tend to sit inside a larger plot, so you will not find them in every chapter or even every book at the same intensity.
Our five-pepper scale
| Rating | Label | What to expect |
|---|---|---|
| 1/5 | Very mild | Kissing and tension, no on-page sex |
| 2/5 | Mild | Heavy making out, fade-to-black or very brief scenes |
| 3/5 | Moderate | A few open-door scenes, limited detail |
| 4/5 | Hot | Regular open-door scenes, explicit language |
| 5/5 | Very explicit | Frequent, detailed scenes and high heat throughout |
Open-door means sex is depicted on the page. Closed-door means it happens off the page. Slow burn means physical intimacy is delayed while tension builds.
How Spicy Is Zodiac Academy?
Romantic tension and explicit content are different things, and this series separates them clearly. In the early books you get a lot of the first (rivalry, longing, forced proximity, bully-romance dynamics) and relatively little of the second. As relationships deepen, the scenes become more frequent and more open.
Based on the review and guide sources we checked, the pattern looks like this :
- The Awakening is described as mild, mostly tension.
- Ruthless Fae is described as the point where the first full explicit scene arrives.
- The Reckoning is described as opening the series up further.
- From Shadow Princess onward, guides describe a steady high-heat plateau.
Is it primarily fantasy or romance? Both carry real weight. The war, academy politics, and magic plot do not disappear when the romance heats up, so readers who want a purely romance-driven pace may find the early books slower than the spin-offs. Readers should expect spice to be a regular part of the story in the second half of the series, not an occasional extra.
Zodiac Academy Spice Level by Book
Ratings are provisional editorial assessments built from secondary sources, not from a full read-through. Confidence reflects how well the rating is supported. Replace with reviewer-confirmed ratings before publishing.
| Book | Spice rating (provisional) | Romance development | Notes | Confidence |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1. The Awakening | 1 to 2 /5 | Rivalry, first sparks, early kisses reported [VERIFY] | Mostly tension. One reported chapter reference in the research (see chapter section). | Medium |
| 2. Ruthless Fae | 2 to 3 /5 | Relationships escalate | One guide reports the first full explicit scene here [VERIFY]. | Low to medium |
| 3. The Reckoning | 3 to 4 /5 | Intimacy becomes a bigger part of the story | Multiple scene references reported, including from reader video edits [VERIFY]. | Low to medium |
| 4. Shadow Princess | 4 /5 | Established couples, higher scene frequency | Guides describe consistent explicit content from this book on. | Low to medium |
| 5. Cursed Fates | 4 /5 | Established relationships continue | No verified chapter data found. Rating rests on series-level guide descriptions. | Low |
| 6. Fated Throne | 4 /5 | Established relationships continue | One guide groups Books 6 to 9 as high spice. | Low |
| 7. Heartless Sky | 4 /5 | Established relationships continue | Same basis as Book 6. | Low |
| 8. Sorrow and Starlight | 4 /5 | Established relationships continue | Same basis as Book 6. | Low |
| 9. Restless Stars | 4 /5 | Series conclusion | Same basis as Book 6. | Low |
Reading the table: romantic development and explicit content do not move together. A book can advance a relationship a great deal and still contain few open-door scenes. We have not assigned any book a 5/5, because we found no source that supports a book-level rating at that level for the main series.
Zodiac Academy Spicy Chapters List
Chapter numbers below are reader-reported and unverified. Ebook, paperback, audiobook, and special editions can use different chapter divisions, so a number that is right for one edition can be off in another. Always check against your own copy. Nothing here reproduces text from the novels.
The Awakening spicy chapters
| Chapter | Couple | Scene (summary) | Heat | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 19 | Tory and Caleb; Darcy and Seth | A hookup and a kiss, per competitor research | Low | Mix of intimate and tension |
Ruthless Fae spicy chapters
| Chapter | Couple | Scene (summary) | Heat | Type | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 23 | Tory and Caleb | Reported intimate scene | Moderate | Likely explicit | |
| 25 | Darcy and Orion | Reported pool scene, described in research as a kiss | Low | Romantic tension |
The Reckoning spicy chapters
| Chapter | Couple | Scene (summary) | Heat | Type |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 12 | Not confirmed | Reported car scene | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
| 13 | Darcy and Orion | Reported first time. Also the subject of reader video edits. | High | Explicit |
| 23 | Tory and Caleb | Reported arrangement between the two | Moderate | Not confirmed |
| 30 | Not confirmed | Reported | Not confirmed | Not confirmed |
Shadow Princess spicy chapters
Reported chapters: 9, 10, 12, 22, 27, and 40. The research ties these to scenes involving Darcy and Orion, Tory and Caleb, and Tory and Darius, but does not match each chapter to a specific couple or scene. We are not publishing a chapter-by-chapter table for this book until each reference is checked against the text.
Cursed Fates, Fated Throne, Heartless Sky, Sorrow and Starlight, and Restless Stars
A complete verified chapter list for Books 5 to 9 is not currently available. We found no consistent, checkable chapter data for these books and we will not guess. If you need a closed-door read, the safest approach is to check a trusted reader’s list for your exact edition, or skim chapter by chapter in a first read.
When Does Zodiac Academy Get Spicy?
Notable romantic tension shows up early in The Awakening. A first intimate moment is reported around Chapter 19 of that book, but the first fully explicit scene is reported by one guide to be in Ruthless Fae. Those are four different milestones and should not be treated as the same thing:
- First romantic tension: from the opening chapters, through rivalry and attraction.
- First kiss: reported in The Awakening .
- First intimate scene: reported in The Awakening, with limited heat .
- First explicit scene: reported in Ruthless Fae .
If your question is "when does Zodiac Academy get spicy in a way that matters," the practical answer is Book 2 onward, with a clear jump in Book 4.Which Zodiac Academy Book Is the Spiciest?
We cannot name a single verified winner among the nine main books. Here is what the evidence does and does not support:
- Several guides describe Shadow Princess onward as a plateau of high heat, which suggests the spiciest main-series book is somewhere in Books 4 to 9, not at the start.
- Shadow Princess has the longest list of reported spicy chapters among Books 1 to 4, but a longer chapter list does not automatically mean more explicit content. A chapter can include romance without being explicit.
- Two companion and spin-off sources are described as hotter than the main books: the “as told by the Boys” retelling of Book 1 and the Ruthless Boys series.
If you want the most explicit option, start with the spin-off. If you want the spiciest main-series book, a full read-through with scene counts would be needed before we can give a defensible answer.
Related Post:
- The Serpent and the Wings of Night Spicy Chapters: Is It Spicy?
- Two Twisted Crowns Spice Level: Spicy Chapters, Romance & Content Warnings
Zodiac Academy Couples and Their Romance Development
Mild spoiler warning for the early books.
- Tory Vega and Darius Acrux: one of the central couples. Reader reviews describe it as a heated, angry-then-tender dynamic, and mention scenes in Tory’s bed and a “moon mating” later.
- Tory Vega and Caleb: an early friends-with-benefits connection reported in the research.
- Darcy Vega and Orion: a forbidden, teacher-student romance that is central to Darcy’s storyline. Review sources point to a build-up that begins in the earliest books and reaches major scenes in The Reckoning .
- Darcy Vega and Seth: a kiss reported in The Awakening.
The romance drives the spice curve. Early books pair sexual tension with rivalry and bullying, and later books move toward mutual trust and on-page intimacy. The Vega twins each have an individual love story, which is part of why the series is not a reverse harem.
Is Zodiac Academy Reverse Harem or Why Choose?
No. The main Zodiac Academy series is not a reverse-harem or why-choose romance. It follows Darcy and Tory Vega, each with her own romantic storyline. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, in contrast, is described as a why-choose (reverse harem) romance, where one heroine has multiple love interests.
Quick definitions:
- Why choose romance: the heroine ends up with more than one partner and does not have to pick.
- Reverse harem: a similar structure, usually with several male love interests for one female lead.
- Polyamorous romance: relationships with multiple partners who are all aware of each other.
Both series sit in the same fae-focused universe, with vampires, werewolves, shifters, and elemental magic, but their romance structures differ.
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac Spice Level
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac is a five-book prequel series set about five years before Zodiac Academy, following Elise Castillo and four heirs at Aurora Academy: Gabriel, Leon, Dante, and Ryder. Guides describe it as explicit adult romance and hotter than the main series . It is a good fit for readers who want a faster, more spice-forward read. Do not mix its characters or chapters with the main series.
The chapter references below come from a single competitor page (Bookish Goblin, dated October 27, 2025). They are unverified. Treat them as a starting point only.
| Book | Reported chapter references | Competitor’s pepper rating (not ours) |
|---|---|---|
| Dark Fae | 12 | 2 |
| Savage Fae | 5, 26, 33, 35 | 3 |
| Vicious Fae | 9, 12, 14, 18, 22, 26, 36 | 4 |
| Broken Fae | 1, 3, 16, 18, 22, 23, 24, 26, 30, 37 | 4 |
| Warrior Fae | 10, 16, 17, 18, 21, 23, 24, 35 | 4 |
Discrepancy to resolve: the supplied research lists Chapter 47 for Warrior Fae, but the Bookish Goblin page we retrieved does not. Do not publish Chapter 47 until a reviewer confirms it against the book.
Zodiac Academy Content Warnings and Trigger Warnings
This section is spoiler-conscious. Warnings marked “corroborated” appear in at least one secondary guide beyond the original research. Everything else is from the supplied competitor research and needs checking.
Corroborated by a secondary guide:
- Explicit sexual content
- Graphic violence
- Bullying
- Psychological manipulation and coercion themes
- Grief
- Dark power dynamics
From supplied research only, [VERIFY]:
- Harassment and sexual harassment
- Near-drowning
- Non-consensual hair cutting
- Teacher-student relationship
- Physical and emotional abuse
- Torture
- Child abuse in backstory
- Forced magical bonds
- War and character deaths
- Vampire biting
- Substance use
- Heavy swearing
Main series versus spin-off: do not apply this list to Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac without checking, because the spin-off has a different cast and plot. Treat this list as incomplete, not exhaustive.
Is Zodiac Academy Appropriate for Teenagers?
Editorial recommendation: no, not for younger teens. The series is set in a school, but the content is adult. It includes explicit sex, bullying, abuse, graphic violence, strong language, and dark power dynamics. One secondary guide states it is written for readers 18 and over and advises parents to treat the whole series as 18+.
We could not verify any official publisher age rating, so we are not stating one. The 18+ guidance above is from a third-party guide, and our own recommendation is a judgment call, not an official classification. Parents who want to decide for their own teen should read the content warnings above and review the first book themselves.
Zodiac Academy vs. Other Popular Romantasy Books
These comparisons are subjective editorial impressions, not official ratings.
| Book or series | Open door? | Romance-to-plot balance | Notes |
|---|---|---|---|
| Zodiac Academy | Yes | Balanced, with a slow start | Academy setting, bully romance, large cast |
| A Court of Thorns and Roses | Yes | Romance-forward | Series heat grows across books |
| Fourth Wing | Yes | Plot and romance intertwined | War-college setting |
| Quicksilver | Yes | Romance-forward | Fae setting |
| Haunting Adeline | Yes | Romance-dominant, not romantasy | Contemporary dark romance, much darker themes |
Zodiac Academy Reading Order
Main series, publication order:
- The Awakening
- Ruthless Fae
- The Reckoning
- Shadow Princess
- Cursed Fates
- Fated Throne
- Heartless Sky
- Sorrow and Starlight
- Restless Stars
Guides generally say the nine novels are enough for the core Vega twins story, and that novellas and other Solaria series add context but are not required.
Companion material named in the sources we checked: The Awakening as Told by the Boys (a retelling of Book 1, sometimes labelled 1.5), Origins of an Academy Bully, Beyond the Veil (reported as Darius’s point of view), and On the Cursed Day of Christmas. Exact placement of each novella needs checking with the authors’ own reading-order page before publication.
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac: Dark Fae, Savage Fae, Vicious Fae, Broken Fae, Warrior Fae. Sources place it about five years before Zodiac Academy, and Darkmore Penitentiary after it. Publication order and chronological order differ, so state which one you are recommending.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is Zodiac Academy spicy?
Yes. It is an adult romantasy with open-door scenes, and our editorial rating is about 4 out of 5 peppers overall.
How spicy is the Zodiac Academy series?
High overall, but uneven. Early books lean on tension, and later books are described as consistently explicit.
Does Zodiac Academy have smut?
Yes, guides describe explicit on-page sex scenes, especially from the middle of the series on.
Is Zodiac Academy open-door?
Yes, with mild early books and more explicit later ones.
What are the spicy chapters in Zodiac Academy?
Reader-reported chapters exist for Books 1 to 4 and are listed above, but they are unverified and edition-dependent. No verified list exists yet for Books 5 to 9.
What chapter has the first spicy scene?
Reports point to Chapter 19 of The Awakening for a mild first moment, and to Ruthless Fae for the first fully explicit scene. Both need verification.
Does the first Zodiac Academy book have spice?
A little. Guides describe The Awakening as mild and mostly tension.
Which Zodiac Academy book is the spiciest?
We cannot name one with confidence. Shadow Princess onward is described as a high-heat plateau.
Does Zodiac Academy get spicier?
Yes. The heat generally rises from mild in Book 1 to high from about Book 4.
Is Zodiac Academy reverse harem?
No. The main series follows the Vega twins’ separate romances. Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac is the why-choose series.
Is Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac spicier?
Guides describe it as more explicit, but this is not independently verified.
Is Zodiac Academy appropriate for teenagers?
We recommend it for adults. It contains explicit sex, abuse, and graphic violence, and no official publisher age rating was verified.
What are the content warnings for Zodiac Academy?
Explicit sex, graphic violence, bullying, coercion, manipulation, and abuse are the main ones. See the full list above.
What order should I read Zodiac Academy?
Read the nine main books in publication order. Add novellas and spin-offs afterward if you want more.
What should I read after Zodiac Academy?
Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Darkmore Penitentiary, set in the same universe, are the obvious next steps.
Hi, I’m Nisbah – a blogger with over 2 years of experience creating content and a fantasy enthusiast who loves exploring magical worlds, fantasy books, captivating stories, and unforgettable characters. I share book recommendations, reviews, fantasy insights, and story discussions and creating guides to help readers discover their next great adventure.
