Zodiac Rising

Descendants of the Zodiac #1

by Katie Zhao

At a secret Manhattan boarding school, the Descendants of the Chinese zodiac have hidden away since the source of their magic—the twelve zodiac statues—was vandalized and lost to time. Thus, a curse befell the Descendants, and they’ve lived as creatures of darkness . . . until now.

When the lost statues suddenly resurface and a powerful classmate is found dead, all signs point to foul play from the fae. The Descendants finally have the chance to take back what's rightfully theirs and break the curse. To pull this deadly heist off, though, they must assemble an elite crew:

THE VAMPIRE: After a century of burning hunger, Evangeline is out for blood.

THE SHAPESHIFTER: Nicholas yearns to restore justice to his people—and make peace with his past.

THE MORTAL: Alice seeks the truth of her mysterious heritage, and this mission may be the key.

THE WEREWOLF: Tristan will do anything to break free from the monstrous wolf inside.

Only these four have the power to save the Descendants, but the wrath of the fae waits at every turn. One wrong move and the fate of their kind will come crashing down. . . .

Genres: Fantasy, Young Adult, Mythology, Dark Academia, Vampires, Paranormal, Urban Fantasy

416 pages, Hardcover

First published October 8, 2024

Reviews

[Jenny · Rating 5 out of 5]

Guys, this book is so freaking amazing! From the moment I cracked open the pages, I was transported into a world of magic, mystery, and Chinese mythology that had me totally hooked.

The premise alone had me hooked—secret Manhattan boarding school, Descendants of the Chinese zodiac, hidden magic, and a curse? Sign me up! But it's the characters that truly stole the show. Evangeline, Nicholas, Alice, and Tristan each bring their own unique struggles and strengths to the table, and following their journey was an absolute thrill.

The whole crew assembled to break the curse is just so amazing: Evangeline, the vampire with a century of hunger behind her; Nicholas, the shapeshifter on a quest for justice and redemption; Alice, the mortal searching for her mysterious heritage; and Tristan, the werewolf desperate to control the beast within.

I absolutely loved the multiple points of view in this book. It gave me such a deeper understanding of each character and their personal journey. Plus, it added this whole extra layer of intrigue and suspense to the story that kept me turning the pages late into the night.

As a first book in a series, Zodiac Rising does an incredible job of setting the stage, introducing the main characters, and laying the groundwork for an epic adventure. And can we talk about the illustrations? They were seriously next level! Not only did they bring the story to life in a whole new way, but they also added this gorgeous visual element that I couldn't get enough of.

Of course, it wouldn't be a YA fantasy without some juicy drama, and Zodiac Rising delivers in spades. Love triangles, secrets, betrayal—you name it, this book has it all! And the pacing was spot-on, keeping me on the edge of my seat without ever feeling rushed.

I wholeheartedly recommend this book to anyone who loves YA urban fantasy with a healthy dose of adventure and mystery. And now, the agonizing wait for the sequel begins...

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for the eARC in exchange for my honest opinion.

[Nilufer Ozmekik · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book is a captivating blend that appeals to readers of all kinds who have a penchant for paranormal fantasies. With vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, and a mortal human with mind-reading abilities, intertwined with elements of Chinese mythology, history, astrology, and a dash of dark academia, it's a concoction that's simply irresistible.

The plot's echoes of "A Deadly Education," "Legendborn," and hints of "Gen V" intrigued me from the start. I've always been drawn to well-crafted dark academia thrillers with meticulously planned action scenes.

Having enjoyed Katie Zhao's previous works and her poignant writing style, I was eager to see how she would craft an action-packed, mind-bending fantasy with a diverse cast of characters.

Of course, there's the classic love triangle, secrets, betrayal, and plenty of twists to keep you guessing. The pacing is well-balanced, allowing readers to formulate their own theories about the unfolding mysteries without stumbling in the dark.

The plotline revolving around the aftermath of the Second Opium War in 1860, the destruction of the Wrathlings' Circle of Twelve, and the theft of the five zodiac fountainheads sets the stage for an intriguing story. Julius, Chancellor of the High Council of the Descendants, finds himself ensnared in a trap set by a vengeful faerie, lured by a stake—the only weapon that can end his life.

As we are introduced to the main characters, including Evangeline Long, a powerful vampire from the dragon house, and her ex-lover Tristan She, a werewolf with exceptional thieving skills, along with Nicholas Hu, her best friend and a tactical genius, and Alice Jiang, a mortal with surprising powers like mind reading, raised by her protective mother—the stage is set for an epic adventure.

Together, this unlikely band of allies must unite to defeat the looming threats facing the Descendants, even as they grapple with their own secrets and motivations.

Overall, I thoroughly enjoyed this first installment, and the tantalizing cliffhanger left me eagerly anticipating the sequel.

A heartfelt thank you to NetGalley and Random House Children’s / Random House Books for Young Readers for providing me with this digital review copy in exchange for my honest thoughts.

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[Zana · Rating 1 out of 5]

I enjoyed this as much as I enjoyed Fourth Wing!

So... There isn't a nice way to say this, but I regret requesting this arc. At least this was a buddy read with Mai so I had someone to commiserate with.

As someone who has read a ton of books, nowadays I don't expect my reads to be life-changing or anything. Hell, I can even get down with something that's cliche and tropey if the characters are interesting or the worldbuilding is top notch.

Zodiac Rising is none of the above.

It's like Twilight meets magical school, but make it Chinese American. The writing is boring. The story is boring. The characters are boring. At least the worldbuilding was somewhat passable.

I guess this book is great if you have limited experience with POC authored YA urban fantasy. But if you're looking for something fun or exciting with memorable characters, better look elsewhere.

I feel like this book really tried with its mixture of Chinese and Western lore, but in the end, it read so bland. Vampires? Werewolves? Magic? Fae??? Nothing made sense at all, other than the fact that the novel hit all the right story beats in a very formulaic way, so at least that part made logical sense.

Why are these 160+ year old supernaturals going to a private high school with teenage human Descendants? Why aren't they running multinational corporations, or sitting on boards, or, idk, pulling a Carlisle Cullen and raking in money by playing the stock market?

Instead, they're going to regular classes all day to learn... Advanced Mandarin? Even though they've been alive for 160+ years and were born in China. JFC. Make it make sense!!!! They aren't even going to grad school. This shit blows my mind. And all of this is only in the first 20% of the novel.

I thought I'd at least like Evangeline because she's a girlboss, but I draw the line at being mean to the help and others who literally didn't deserve it. Talk about girlboss, gatekeep, gaslight. Yuck.

One of the MCs, Alice, had the personality of a wet sock, even though people kept saying she was "interesting." It was probably supposed to be foreshadowing, but after reading until the end, I still found her boring.

As an OG lover of Twilight (Millenials, rise up!), I actually got so sick and tired of all the Twilight references (high school, playing baseball, vampire piggyback rides, Alice being so Bella coded that I can't even [oh no, she's clumsy~~]).

There was another huge reveal that was literally recycled from one of the author's previous books. It felt cheap, tbh. Like the author ran out of ideas and decided to do the same thing again. Hell, the entire novel felt like an amalgamation of all the popular YA fantasy tropes and cliches from the past 20 years.

The existence of fae in this novel felt very shoehorned. Like the author had to add in a popular trope to rope in more readers. It didn't make sense because the vibes in this novel were very Asian American and then suddenly, fae!

I think the one overarching theme I hated was that everything was solved so easily. Oh no, the main characters are being attacked? The bad guys are knocked out in an instant. They're being chased by their rivals? No one actually gets captured.

The prison break was boring. The heist was boring. The Six of Crows gang could easily outwit these supernaturals. Two characters almost start a fight with each other in the middle of said prison break. Two characters make out in the middle of said heist. Like, can we not? Are we not in life or death situations with extreme time constraints??

I only finished this because it was an arc. I stopped caring early on in the story. By the end, I wanted Marcus Niu and co. to take over the Descendants. Give me a villainous world domination story that might or might not include using Alice as a broodmare.

I'm getting too old for this shit.

Actually, there was one thing I liked. When a character was described as "Slenderman," that shit sent me.

Thank you to Random House Books for Young Readers and NetGalley for this arc.

[rina · Rating 4 out of 5]

── ✶ 3.75 STARS !
content warnings ; murder, violence, bullying, blood, shapeshifting

finished: 12/10/25

“ evangeline allowed herself one extra moment to glance at each of them, memorizing the expressions of her comrades. no matter what happened next, she would always remember this moment, before they attempted the impossible. ”

--

「 01. overall thoughts 」

zodiac rising surprised me in the best possible ways. the 3.29 rating and the first 5 chapters made me feel a bit skeptical at first, but the rest of the book left me pleasantly surprised and completely invested. i am so glad i pushed through and resisted the urge to immediately dnf because it was worth it! once the story settles into its rhythm, the book becomes genuinely addictive. by the end, i was fully sold.

the last 80% is packed with action, plot twists, friendships, banter and betrayals 🤭 i love when a book catches me off guard, and this one managed to shock me more than once. what impressed me the most was how there were 7 pov's and still each of them managed to pull me in. ya with multiple perspectives often has the problem of one or two boring characters you skim through (or dread returning to), but here? every character's internal world brought something meaningful.

「 02. plot summary 」

generations of zodiac descendants at a secret manhattan boarding school have lived under a curse ever since their sacred statutes disappeared, twisting their powers into something monstrous. when a student turns up dead, evangeline long must break the curse by pulling off a dangerous heist and retrieving the zodiac statutes.

four students take on the mission:
evangeline, a starving vampire fighting for control
nicholas, a shapeshifter burdened by guilt
tristan, a werewolf terrified of his own beast
alice, a mortal girl desperate to learn her origins

the atmosphere is wonderfully dark-academia coded: secret shamans, ancient curse, elite boarding school. and the betrayals hit HARD.

「 03. characters 」

the majority of the characters are sharp, clever, and added so much witty banter. finally a book with witty character representation. we need more characters like these that are actually done well!

— evangeline long ⊹ “ i'm going to rob them, and then i'm going to kill them. ”

she stood out the most to me from the novel. i mean she is the mc. her character is razor-sharp, cold, and yet equally vulnerable. usually i ADORE unhinged female rage but evangeline embodied the opposite: a more controlled fury. strategic rage that i found so refreshing. she hungers for autonomy, and a chance to prove herself and she's perfectly morally gray.

— tristan she ⊹ “ one of us has a sense of humor, and you seem to have misplaced yours, perhaps up your ass. ”

tristan she is a mix of self-loathing, humor, vulnerability, and charm. what makes tristan specifically so compelling was how charismatic and witty he was. his wit is unmatched. he provided comedic relief at the best times and i found myself annotating so many things he said.

— nicholas hu ⊹ “ i have had decades of experience over you in fighting others for the bill. ”

nicholas hu is soft-hearted but burdened with guilt and responsibility. his pov is quieter and more introspective and offered a nice contrast to the other characters. i really liked how loyal he is to evangeline and i can see his character growth expanding even more in book 2.

— alice jiang ⊹ “ i knew the dangers when i signed up. i wouldn't have come along if i didn't want to. ”

tbh her pov is the one i enjoyed the least. she's a bit more insecure, clumsy, bland and she kind of pissed me off. i didn't enjoy her "chosen-one-trope," especially given how she's the least competent of the characters. however, i can in some ways sympathize with her, as she is the only human and it makes sense to provide an "outsider perspective" to contrast the supernatural characters. i don't find her character compelling, but i can acknowledge that her pov might be necessary.

really at the core, all these characters are just broken people looking to fix different aspects of their lives and prove themselves in different ways. they are able to find some comfort in each other making the perfect dysfunctional crew and found family <3 very six of crows-esque vibes.

「 04. romance 」

— evangeline + tristan ⊹ “ evangeline washed over him, and he was suddenly like a parched man desperate for water and couldn't get close enough to her. ”

the tiny crumbs of romance between evangeline and tristan was CHEF'S KISS. keep in mind, going into the heist evangeline and tristan were exes, so imagine the amount of tension and angst you can expect. an abundance 🤭 evangeline's cold restraint + tristan's messy vulnerability = elite chemistry. their banter ? unmatched. they sharpen each other. they irritate each other. they understand each other in ways no one else does. i am so ready to see where this goes in book 2. i also suspect there are some other relationships that are being kindled, but tbh all i care about are these 2.

「 05. final thoughts 」

ending was brutal. multiple moments made me sit there like ???? somehow katie zhao even managed to make me feel incredibly hurt by some of the betryals 👀 anyways, loved this and def will read 2nd book asap!

--

pre read: 12/06/25
the 3.29 rating. oh! wish me luck anyways.

[Sarah (berriesandbooks) *semi hiatus*]

netgalley i thought we were friends and yet you deny me😭

—————————

NETGALLEY LOOK AT HOW LOVELY MY RATIO IS PLEASE

[Mai H. · Rating 1 out of 5]

What is it about Asian fantasy that keeps disappointing me?

This is labeled YA, and while that is partially to blame, the crux of this novel centers around Descendants, all of whom are immortal. As such, I expected them to be mature. They are not. They still attend school like the high schoolers they pretend to be, and though born in China in the 1800s, still take classes such as Advanced Mandarin. The math isn't mathing. (Even stupider, there is a class named So You're a Descendant, So What? I'm not making this up.)

Chinese mythology is rife with its own stories and creatures, and this book chooses to become Cassandra Clare Lite with the immature high schoolers continuously butting heads with the fae. I hated the heist. I hated the characters. I hated the twist. I hated the lack of resolution.

I was enjoying the vampire resurgence in fiction as of late, but these vampires are so vapid, shallow, and stupid, I didn't know what to make of them. Instead of drinking blood like "normal" vampires (I give a little leeway to TWILIGHT, because it was actually entertaining), we have incredibly laughable means of consumption, e.g. blood coffee and blood baos.

🥃 Take a shot every time someone mentions the midsummer's sprout
🥃 Take a shot every time an alleged immortal does something immature
🥃 Take a shot every time I hate an East Asian fantasy
🥃 Take a shot every time I am bamboozled into supporting Asian diaspora fiction

+1 for not being a colonizer romance

PS The werewolf/wet dog comparisons will never not be funny to me

PPS I didn't think I'd read something I'd hate more than THE GOD AND THE GUMIHO so soon, but here we are

📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers

[kylie’s been jinxed ౨ৎ · Rating 2 out of 5]

“ɪᴛ ɪs ᴀ ᴛᴀʟᴇ ᴀs ᴏʟᴅ ᴀs ᴛɪᴍᴇ: ᴛʜᴇ ᴅᴇsᴛʀᴜᴄᴛɪᴠᴇ ʜᴜʙʀɪs ᴏғ ᴀ ᴍᴀɴ ʙʀɪɴɢɪɴɢ ᴀʙᴏᴜᴛ ᴄᴀᴛᴀsᴛʀᴏᴘʜɪᴄ ᴄᴏɴsᴇǫᴜᴇɴᴄᴇs.”

*ੈ✩‧₊˚ 𝒁𝒐𝒅𝒊𝒂𝒄 𝑹𝒊𝒔𝒊𝒏𝒈 *ੈ✩‧₊˚

🧧 ᴄʜᴀʀᴀᴄᴛᴇʀs:

⤷ This section brings me to my first complaint in this review. There were too many characters in this book to follow. They weren’t very well fleshed out, making it difficult to tell them apart. I lost track of individual character arcs and what they were working for and towards. The amount of point of views would’ve been understandable if the book had been another 300 pages longer, but alas it was only 416 and too short for those characters.

⤷ It feels necessary to also mention that the characters were incredibly flat. In my opinion, the characters lacked dimension and true conflict that would’ve convinced me to continue onwards.

🐲 ᴏᴠᴇʀᴀʟʟ ᴛʜᴏᴜɢʜᴛs:

The second complaint of this is - the book is not a heist. It’s marketed as such but feels like a normal plot line. If the characters were more tolerable, the heist may have been more realistic and enjoyable. It may appeal to younger audiences who enjoy flat characters, writing and plot.

I guess this was also supposed to be an Asian fantasy? but felt lacking in Asian culture (except for the zodiac portion). There are so many beautiful legends and stories from Asian culture, but the author chose to write about vampires, werewolves and shapeshifters??

Also, where was the world building? I felt like I was thrown in without context, but was never given any. There was no immersion.

This was also super boring. I have a decent attention span (right now) and I had to pick it up like five times in order to get into it. Finishing this book felt like a chore and I was basically just flipping pages at the end.

The writing was decent but much overlooked by its tedious content. I’m not going to even touch the pacing - I was so bored.

🧧 sᴇʀɪᴇs:
⤷ Zodiac Rising ★★☆☆☆
⤷ Zodiac Legacy

🐲 ʀᴀᴛɪɴɢ:
⤷ 1.5 stars ★★☆☆☆

🧧 sɪᴍɪʟᴀʀ ʙᴏᴏᴋs:
⤷ City of Bones (Cassandra Clare)
⤷ Twilight (Stephanie Meyer)

PS: Do I continue with the series in the hope that it gets better or do I stay far away?

———————————————————————-

rtc but lowk pmo | i’ll lock in for reviews when i have my computer and once i get back home from italy

[hamna · Rating 1 out of 5]

you know how bland a book has to be that i can't even find the words in me to review it. what do i write? inconceivably pitiful characters who have been unironically going to high school every day for 200 years; a plot that's cartoonish and asinine, with zero stakes, even though they're attempting this big scary thing no one has had the nerve to attempt for the past two centuries. girlboss main character who hasn't done anything ever but everyone is always, nonsensically, in awe of her. bad writing. random internet slang from people who were like 120 years old when the internet was invented. i honestly can't think of a single thing anyone could possibly like in this book, and it definitely tries to be liked by all: it copies everything almost any ya book has ever done in the past decade, all shoved into one pretty failpackage of 400 pages. the worldbuilding is awful, you don't really get a sense of the background construct before you're pushed along; the characterization is a mess, all of them are just bullet points (sassy™️, boring™️, sarcastic™️) tied up into unbelievably immature people-shaped caricatures. it's mind-numbing, and i wouldn't recommend this book to anyone.
thank you to random house for the arc and the headache that came along with it.

[Mia · Rating 1 out of 5]

This one just wasn't for me. There is just way too much going on; the author seems unable to balance it all in an organic and compelling way.I would classify this book as a fantasy that is surely to appeal to a wide variety of audiences. As for me, no.

ARC kindly provided by the publisher via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review.

[Chantal Variot · Rating 1 out of 5]

I found nothing in this story to be believable. I didn't buy the plot, the world-building, the characters, and their relationships. So much of Zodiac Rising exists without much explanation or depth.

Many reviews on here already touch upon the strange concept of 100-year-olds attending high school year over year—one would think that they might do this to blend in with mortal society, but the Descendants attend a private school meant solely for their kind, so what's the point? If you want to give them a structured environment, why not make the school a compound? They're run by a council, go on Assignments, and fight these things called Wrathlings (though we never see the characters do any of this), all with the stated purpose of keeping humanity safe. It's mentioned on a few occasions that these characters are heroes/saviors, so why not make the environment more militant, like an academy? They're already conscripted in combat training, which is at least plot/world relevant; then you can do away with the silly notion that these ancient Chinese prodigies need Advanced Mandarin in their curriculum.

The world beyond the school remained a structural mystery to me. We have the Descendants, sequestered in their school, the Fae in Faerieland, and the Shamans in the Underground. How can you tell a Descendant, Shaman, and Faerie apart? Well, idk. Faeries have pointy ears, I guess, and Shamans have red robes and striking eyes, though that part is inconsistent (at one point their eyes are described as blue then later as red). Other than the Descendants despising the Shamans for past discretions, the three different factions don't seem to interact or overlap much outside of a handful of select characters. Relations between all three seem strained, so I often wondered about their conflicting politics or the ways in which they're drawn together around the mortal world.

The Descendants and their curses confused me as well. They're the descendants of the 12 Chinese Zodiac, but what does that mean? Each Descendant is part of a House, like House Dragon, House Sheep, etc., but what purpose does this serve? All I know is that House Long (dragon) is the House that leads all other Houses, but what parts do the other Houses play? How do they differ? It's implied that the Descendants' powers are waning, to the point where no power remains at all, but there is no in-depth exploration of this.

Okay, so... the curses. All the immortal Descendants are cursed with either vampirism, lycanthropy, or a fox spirit. Why these three specific curses, I will never know. What is especially weird is that two, vampirism and lycanthropy, originated as Western concepts, while fox spirits are Eastern in origin. At first I thought, since Westerners stole the fountainheads, maybe the curses are a reflection of this particular conflict, but the fox spirit throws off this assumption, so idk.

Each curse comes with a handful of abilities, yet for some reason, the main characters seem to be the only ones who know how to use their abilities. No other fox spirit besides Nicholas uses their shadow/fire powers or shapeshifting, and no other Shaman besides Lei uses magic; Tristan is the only werewolf who transforms, despite the MCs encountering antagonists of each type. Throughout the novel, the MCs wonder about how easy their mission is, and it's not hard to ascertain why; the dangers they face are non-existent.

I didn't care for any of the main characters. None were confusing to understand, as their entire personas were surface level: vampire—cold and calculating, but hiding a soft side to conceal her weakness; werewolf—frumpy, loyal boy who struggles to control the beast; human—awkward and clumsy, seeking her place in the supernatural world. Oh, and Cecil and Lei are there too, I guess, but their POVs serve little purpose. Tristan was the only one who I kind of liked, as he was the most realized, but the turmoil that each character endured based on their tragic backstories is explained to us rather than shown, so I found it difficult to connect with them. Not only that, but they often behave in opposition to their characterization, resulting in a disjointed narrative. At one point, Alice discovers a major plot point relating to her heritage. In each of her chapters, she laments over the father she never knew and makes choices throughout the novel that will bring her closer to him, yet when all is finally unveiled, she doesn't think about him at all.

My greatest frustration was with Nicholas, who, based on his character design, I assumed would be my favorite, but the boy is an absolute mess. He's described as intelligent and competent, but rarely shows these qualities. In his first POV chapter, he's looking for Evangeline, who was pulled out of class, and in his search for her afterwards, he asks his brother, Dylan, who was in the same class, if he'd heard from Evangeline. What are you talking to Dylan for? He has the same information as you, Nicky boy! (It's made clear that this scene's only purpose is to provide backstory, but it leaves the execution feeling super awkward. Not to mention Dylan is irrelevant for the remainder of the book.) Then Nicholas asks Tristan, but Evangeline and Tristan aren't on speaking terms? Nick, why aren't you seeking out Cecil or Elder Shu, the two most likely people to know Evangeline's whereabouts? He's also described as someone who maintains his cool, but we see him lose his temper on numerous occasions, so...

If anything, all the characters read the same. Their POVs had no unique voice; their dialogue was interchangeable. They all had this bland, personality-less narration, yet they talked and acted like spiteful teenagers. It was so weird and discombobulating. They're 100-year-old immigrants! They shouldn't all sound like Alice. Even Lei, the Shaman introduced in Act 2, is interchangeable with the rest of the gang.

The writing in general was like reading a hastily written, all-nighter-fueled school essay; it's pumped full of unnecessary language to bloat the word count. So, so many repetitious words, over-reliance on useless phrases like "in fact," an abundance of adverbs, filter words, etc. It made the book easy to breeze through, but at the expense of letting me feel or think anything for myself.

I doubt anyone will read this, but I had to get all my thoughts out. Every single page I had a thought, some gripe or frustration. Zhao had a cool concept in the palm of her hands, but Zodiac Rising desperately needed an editor and several more revisions.

[Lee [Bibliophile Tings] · Rating 3 out of 5]

Thank you so much to Random House Books for Young Readers sending me a copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

I had high hopes for Zodiac Rising. I love Asian-inspired fantasy and urban fantasy. I love an ensemble cast and multi-POV. I even loved an earlier novel written by Katie Zhao.

Despite all of that, I was slightly disappointed by Zodiac Rising.

For starters, there is so much going on.

The multi-POV is interesting, but seven perspectives is unnecessarily excessive. Just as I was getting to know a character, it switches again. The idea is there, but it needs to be scaled back to be enjoyable.

My top two favorites are Nicholas and the shaman. Here’s hoping they get even more page time in the next book!

Zodiac Rising is the start of a series, so it is possible that these questions will be addressed. Even so, I want to put them out there and get some reassurance that I am not the only confused reader.

The main characters, with the exception of Alice, are all hundreds of years old. They were alive during the Opium War and yet they still go to school.

Why? What more is there to learn?

I understand that they’re trapped in teenage bodies, but nothing is stopping them from straying from typical teenage activities. What’s the point in putting up a front if they don’t interact with other people?

Also, it is mentioned that Alice is enrolled in Mandarin 101, but she manages to overhear and understand a conversation in Mandarin. If she’s still a beginner, how is this possible? Maybe this is a consistency error or maybe her powers need more clarification. Either way, I couldn’t get this out of my head.

The sequel is expected to be released in 2025, but I have yet to decide whether I want to continue with this series.

Bottom line: Maybe I’ll have settled on what I want to do by then...

༝༚༝༚
my blog!

[Stevie]

this is just bad..
- writing is bland
- characters are not even remotely interesting
- plot is forced already
- the world just doesnt make sense?? (ex: the immortal high council leading descendants are also students?? what??)

so dnfing at 10%!

[trishla ⚡ | YourLocalBookReader · Rating 4 out of 5]

oh this was SOOO good. I love a good heist plot and fantasy elements of fae, vampires and werewolves was SOOO fun. I wish the ending had been a little different (I hate family betrayal!!) but I'm hoping that changes in book 2.

[Lay]

none of us are ready for the brilliance Katie is going to hit us with, I just know this book is going to ruin me in the best way possible.

[Megan Decaire · Rating 1 out of 5]

DNF at 65 pages. There is way too much going on yet I feel like there has been no progression in the plot. 65 pages to talk about one characters death? Nope.

[Lastblossom]

tl;dr
A super packed novel filled with an intriguing ensemble cast, tons of world mythology, and so many plot twists.

Thoughts
A lot of heist stories are secretly about grief. This one is, instead, overtly about grief, along with identity and living in the diaspora. It's an absolute panoply of the supernatural: Chinese mythology sits at the center, but we've also got vampires, werewolves, shapeshifters, the fae, and... more??? It all clicks in better than one would expect, as the varied supernatural elements mirror the world our leads live in. It's a mix of culture and history, and the characters all struggle to find their place in it. It's probably the most relatable part of the story. The less relatable part for me is all the messy romance drama. I'm aware this is a me problem. I've never done well with high drama romances, but if that's your thing, I think you'll be delighted. We've got hot exes, a love triangle, and secrets galore, all set on a dark academia background. Add in extra plot twists, betrayal, and prophecies for a fast-paced story that covers a lot of ground in a short amount of time.

Thanks to NetGalley and Random House Books for Young Readers for an advance copy. All thoughts in this review are my own!

[h i n d]

Magic meets dark academia at a New York boarding school that’s hidden from mortal eyes
Vampire, shapeshifter, mortal, werewolf, fae??? Heist??
This sounds so good

[The.Book.Monster · Rating 2 out of 5]

Thank you PRH International for sending me a free e - ARC in exchange for an honest review.

Well, I think I did myself dirty with picking this book. The premise sounded so promising and interesting, but unfortunately, it didn't work for me.

I liked the idea of the book, and the world sounded interesting, but it wasn't developed enough. I thought with the fact this book had ancient (over one hundred years old) beings, such as vampires and werewolves, it wouldn't be as YA, but it was painfully so. The thing that's baffling me the most is, why do they still go to school? And why do they act like teenagers? While they are literally over one hundred. I didn't get attached to any of the characters, and that's my biggest problem, well, with any book. I need a good character development, and here, it was pretty basic. I think one POV would have worked better, it was unnecessary to split this story so much.

Despite my rating, this was a fairly fast paced book and the only reason I finished it. It's easy to follow, and it does have some smart plot twists at the end there.

Not saying it's a bad book, it just wasn't for me.

I do think you might enjoy this if you don't read fantasy a lot, if you're just starting with the genre, or if you enjoyed other books by this author.

[Helen ⊹₊⟡⋆ · Rating 3 out of 5]

it feels like half the vibe and world of the shadow hunter books meets six of crows (but literally just the heist) and then make it asian.

i want to love it a lot but i think i just had way too high expectations going in. maybe more review to come maybe not 💀

[Chantel · Rating 3 out of 5]

I was so excited for this book and desperately wanted to love it. An urban fantasy about descendants of the Chinese Zodiac (powerful warriors in their day) stealing important artefacts from the Fae? Sounds incredible!

And for parts, it really was. I adored the characters and learning more about the mysteries in their lives. However, the world building (and by extension, most of the plot) was ... Confusing. After finishing the book, I still don't understand why these immortal being who are hundreds of years old are at a school, attending lessons? And the people in charge of their whole society appear to be ... Also attending school? The twists towards the end of the book were brilliant, but didn't quite detract from my confusion.

Thank you to the publisher for providing a review copy

[Catherine]

a while back i got to read a short excerpt of this book and I'm not sure what has changed in it since then but it was so good and I'm so ready for this book to ruin my life (I'm just sad we gotta wait 2 years)

[maryyy]

DNF at 13%. (started: 21. 10. 24 - finished: 24. 10. 24)

[Dorothy · Rating 2 out of 5]

*1.5 stars. The only thing I’m impressed by is how the author managed to cram every fantasy concept under the sun and still end up with the blandest story I’ve ever read. Truly didn’t know that was possible.

[Hannah (Hannah, Fully) · Rating 2 out of 5]

Zodiac Rising was a disappointment; I wish I could say otherwise.

This is the first book in Zhao’s newest YA fantasy series, Descendants of the Zodiac. It’s based on the Chinese zodiac, which was something that instantly appealed to me. The synopsis gives off nostalgic 2010s YA vibes — namely The Mortal Instruments by Cassandra Clare, which I also didn’t enjoy, so I guess we’re not surprised why I didn’t like this one as much as I hoped I would. But I’m a firm believer reading tastes change over the years, and sometimes that nostalgic vibe? It works out, like it did with Fourth Wing*. I mean, that one didn’t with the sequel, but at least it was good fun.

*It’s not my intention to compare Zhao to Yarros or vice versa; Fourth Wing just turned out to be the first book that popped up into my head in recent books that give nostalgic YA vibes of the early 2010s.

Zodiac Rising was not it. So where did it go wrong for me?

The writing felt… bland? I was talking about this with a friend while reading this and they put it as “very baby fanfic writer” which I feel sums the writing pretty accurately (except I don’t read fanfiction so it’s choppy and not flowing well). The plot and pacing felt off, and I don’t think the writing style helped either, even if it was easy to read when I actually sat down and had no other books available to read without WiFi; it ultimately felt like the book was dragging its shoes in the sand.

The characters? Honestly, I don’t remember any of them, outside of maybe Tristan. And an unknown character that we get introduced to at the beginning of Part Two that gave ominous villain vibes. They didn’t seem to have anything other than surface-level personality.

The world? It feels like there’s a lot going on and some of the logic doesn’t make sense. I feel like this is my biggest pain point in books that have this nostalgic vibe.

We have this secret school in Manhattan (Earthly Branches Academy) where the descendants of the Chinese zodiac have been hiding in since the twelve zodiac statues got vandalized and five of them were stolen, resulting in everyone but the House of Boar getting turned into various creatures. That’s dandy and all, but what truly grinds my gears here is we have the High Council going to school for like 100+ years, just like… all the other students?

It’s like they have nothing else better to do — surely there’s only so much content about Vampire Nutrition and Advanced Mandarin that you can go through before it just starts getting repetitive. And they’re the high council leading the descendants. There’s got to be better things than attending classes, but I honestly just got a Mean Girls vibe if there was a plot to overthrow them from one member.

I think if I read Zodiac Rising ten years ago, I’d probably have a much better time enjoying this and wouldn’t question the writing or world building choices. But for now? I just didn’t vibe with it, and I feel like I was in denial for longer than I wanted before I decided to call it quits.

This review and more posted on my blog, Bookwyrming Thoughts.

[Amber (seekingdystopia)]

DNF @ about 80 pages in

The use of a magical school in this book felt like a square peg in a round hole. Why was the last heir of the dragons asking for permission to leave school she didn’t actually have to be at? Why weren’t the old important Descendants the ones who were running the school?

[Val · Rating 3 out of 5]

Wasted Potential with few bright spots.

This book left me with mixed feelings. While the book had the potential to be a captivating adventure, the execution fell short in several ways. The writing style felt a bit too aggressive, as if it was constantly trying to prove something. Unfortunately, this made it difficult for me to connect with the characters, and I never really grew to care for them deeply.

However, I will say that Julius stood out as the most intriguing character—he had a depth that made me want to know more. On the other hand, Evangeline was a significant disappointment. It seemed like she was meant to be a badass character, but instead, she came off as an arrogant, incompetent leader with an inflated ego that wasn't backed up by her actions or skills. The other characters, while brimming with potential, left too much to be desired, except for tristan and in some ways, alice. Another side character that caught my attention was cecil, who i suspect will play a small but bigger role than the one in this, to be a key piece.

Overall, Zodiac Rising had its moments, but it left me wishing for more nuanced storytelling and character development.

[Eileen · Rating 2 out of 5]

I hate to rate a book by this author as less than 3 stars, but honestly, according to Goodreads, "it was okay". I received this as an ARC and started reading it, but kept losing interest, mainly because the characters just weren't compelling. I absolutely loved her first Winnie Zeng book and was captivated by the way she honestly portrayed the Asian American experience in middle school while incorporating many of the cultural traditions that Winnie's family celebrated. It was a blast from start to finish and I think I was expecting something like this. Sadly, that was not the case. For one, the "mythology" was such an amalgam of different things that I was confused by what she was going for. We had Vampires, Fae, Decendants, Shapeshifters, the 9-tailed fox (Korean mythology if I remember correctly), the Chinese Zodiac, and I don't know what else. Perhaps some might like having an author create an entire mythology from a mix of different sources, but for me, it just wasn't very solid and it made it hard for me to fully immerse myself into the story. Honestly, if it hadn't been for the fact that I eventually found the audiobook, I would have had a hard time finishing it.

The school thing was also a bit odd. The description mentioned a secret Manhattan Boarding School where the Descendants train and I was expecting something more like Harry Potter where they would learn about their arts. But the one thing that stood out for me was the advanced Mandarin they were all supposed to take. I don't understand why that would be considered a course that supports their development and why the immortals at least (okay Alice is a mortal girl so this doesn't apply to her) wouldn't be fluent in Mandarin or any other language that they would find useful to their field. And what exactly were they training for? All I could see were rivalries between the immortals, at least until the heist part. Again, I think part of my not "getting it" was that the so-called mythology was too much of a mishmash.

The other thing that bugged me was that I didn't really like any of the characters. None of them were particularly compelling or easy to cheer for. I mean, Alice, maybe, but she really needed to grow a backbone, which maybe is coming in the second book? I hope so! Some of the other characters had their moments as well, but the most amusing one was the Prince Fae. I have no idea if he will have a significant impact on the rest of the story, but he was at least amusing. Oh, actually, I did kind of like Cecil, although I hated the way Evangeline treated her, which makes her decision at the end make a kind of a sick sense. I don't want to say more because I don't want to spoil anything, but maybe you reap what you sow.

Anyway, I kind of doubt I will be continuing with this series, unless someone tells me the second book is so much better than the first. In the meantime, I might revisit her Winnie Zeng book and read that full series instead.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book from NetGalley. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

[Delia Balas · Rating 4 out of 5]

Many thanks to the PRHInterantional team for providing me a digital ARC.

“𝘠𝘰𝘶 𝘬𝘯𝘰𝘸, 𝘐’𝘷𝘦 𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘦 𝘵𝘰 𝘢𝘴𝘴𝘰𝘤𝘪𝘢𝘵𝘦 𝘺𝘰𝘶𝘳 𝘱𝘳𝘦𝘴𝘦𝘯𝘤𝘦 𝘸𝘪𝘵𝘩 𝘧𝘰𝘳𝘵𝘩𝘤𝘰𝘮𝘪𝘯𝘨 𝘤𝘩𝘢𝘰𝘴.”
– 𝘒𝘢𝘵𝘪𝘦 𝘡𝘩𝘢𝘰, 𝘡𝘰𝘥𝘪𝘢𝘤 𝘙𝘪𝘴𝘪𝘯𝘨

A group of four young people, descendants of the Chinese zodiac signs, must recover the lost zodiac statues to break an ancient curse. Hidden in a Manhattan boarding school, these teenagers will have to face mythical creatures and unimaginable dangers to save their kind and unravel the secrets of one’s past.

This review is based on fresh thoughts 💭 , because I finished the book last night. 🤭

As you might already know, we have this group of four descendants (a vampire 🧛‍♀️ , a werewolf 🐺, a shapeshifter 🦊 and a mortal 👩‍💼 ) who must pull a heist in order to restore “The Circle of Twelve” and return to their mortal form.

The characters are complex and relatable, each with their own distinct personalities and motivations.

Evangeline — the vampire — was a likable character. 😌 She appeared strong at first, but was hiding in her brother’s shadow and had to learn to take the lead (which is a pretty difficult job). 😅

Tristan — the werewolf — was also likable, but very annoying at the beginning. However, he was funny throughout the whole book. 😆

Nicholas — the shapeshifter — was my favorite character. 🧡 He was the “nerd” of the group and the nicest person when he was in a good mood. When he’s in a bad mood, you better be running. 😏 I like everything about this man. He is caring, has a good heart, is very protective and is the definition of a green flag. I would have loved to tell you about my favorite scene with him, but it’s a spoiler. I’ll just mention that it has to do with a meme I posted on my Instagram. 🤭

Alice — the mortal — was such a sweetheart. 🥹 She and Evangeline had the biggest character development in this book, both being kept in the dark for many years. 🥺 I loved where this journey took her and I am eager to learn even more about her in the next book. 🤯

The worldbuilding blended urban contemporary and ancient Chinese elements nicely. Manhattan (the human world), the Underground and Faerieland piqued my interest. 🙂‍↕️

The plot was filled with twists and turns that kept me engaged until the very end. The second half of the book was very gripping and I couldn’t put it down. 🤌

The story’s pacing is well-balanced, with both slower and exciting moments. The only reason I lowered my rating is that I found a few scenes too slow for my liking, which almost made me lose interest (but not quite). 🤭

The book ends with a HUGE cliffhanger that will leave you gasping for more. 🤯 At least that’s what it did to me. Miss Zhao, how could you? How could you leave me like this after what just happened? Not nice… 😩
But I love what turn took the story. 😏

Do I recommend this book? OF COURSE! It will make you forget about your chores, stress and overthinking. It will transport you to one of the biggest heists in Manhattan’s history. 😎

[♡ A ♡ · Rating 3 out of 5]

Zodiac Rising follows the Descendants of the Chinese zodiacs at a secret Manhattan boarding school after the source of their magic was stolen. The Descendants are cursed and must live as creatures of darkness. Evangeline is a vampire out for blood and vengeance. Nicholas is a shapeshifter desperate to restore justice to his people. Alice is a mortal who seeks the truth of her heritage. Tristan is a werewolf who will do anything to free himself from the monstrous wolf inside him. Together, these four Descendants team up to take back the stolen zodiac statues and break the curse. But the wrath of the fae linger around every corner and one wrong move could destroy their world as they know it.

I have a lot of mixed feelings about this book. It wasn’t bad, and there were parts I enjoyed, but I had some issues. I do think a lot of people will love this book—it just wasn’t my favourite. I enjoyed the world and the world-building. It was really fascinating, and I am interested in reading the sequel as the author crafted a complex and intriguing world. I enjoyed the writing style and I am curious to read the author’s other books as a result. The plot twist was pretty obvious to me, but it does set things up to make for a fast-paced, action-packed sequel.

I thought most of the characters were just okay. I wasn’t fond of Evangeline—she was so arrogant and it turned me off her. I did think her coldness was interesting as she’s a vampire—I enjoyed the take on vampires being more cruel since they’re undead. I did Nicholas, Tristan, and Alice. They had interesting arcs and personalities.

Overall, if you like urban fantasy or heists then you should definitely give this book a try!

Thank you to Penguin Teen and Netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

[Jenna · Rating 3 out of 5]

**I was sent an electronic ARC from the publisher through NetGalley.**

Katie Zhao begins a new YA fantasy series with Zodiac Rising. With inspiration from the Chinese Zodiac, a secret boarding school is unveiled in Manhattan where magic-users called Descendants attend school alongside magical beings like vampires, werewolves, and more. Readers follow a ragtag group of characters as they pursue a heist in the name of breaking a curse. Evangeline (vampire) leads the team after her brother is discovered dead and the fae are suspected. Secrets can be deadly, especially within fairy.

Full disclosure, I had a hard time connecting with this writing style and waited for the audiobook to be released to submit my review. I did complete the audiobook, but it was at this point where I realized the writing was not the issue.

The story here isn't anything mind blowing or groundbreaking. But it doesn't have to be. As a young to middle ranged YA, it can simply be a good story. The highlight here is absolutely the cultural influences. This is what sets this book apart. I had fun with my read through, but I doubt this one will stick with me long term.

I would not hesitate to recommend this book to the target audience, as I'm sure they would get more out of a story like this than someone who is very much well-versed in the conventions of this genre. I appreciate the fun time and the opportunity to read this book early.