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

Zodiac Academy [Dramatized Adaptation] #3, Part 2

by Caroline Peckham, Susanne Valenti

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

Hell Week has begun.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Audio CD

Published March 18, 2025

About the author

I'm a #1 Wall Street Journal bestselling author of the Zodiac Academy series. I write all things dark romance, from fantasy to contemporary, high school bully to mafia, there's bound to be a book for you!

Me and my sister Susanne Valenti now write books together and we've built the most amazing, fun, crazy reader group on Facebook which we would LOVE you to join. Be the first to get teasers of upcoming books, plus interact with us daily, asks us questions, make friends with other book junkies and find your reader home.

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Reviews

[♡karabear♡ · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

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

[Madyfay · Rating 5 out of 5]

The girls are Phoenixes!!!! I love it!! Also what a wild ending to that book… i wonder how things are gonna be between the 4 of them now 👀

Lance and Darcy need to just figure out they’re mates already they’re so damn crazy for each other I need them to finally realize what they are 😍 Seth is just kinda pathetic now with his obsession with Darcy he needs to get the hint that she’s not interested

Also I’m soooo in for the slow burn enemies to lovers with Darius and Tory strap me the fuck in to this ride and let’s gooo (also not sure how I feel about Caleb after the super creepy scene before the fair he’s definitely been demoted a bit in my eyes)

ALSO FUCK DIEGO FOR WHAT HE SAID ABOUT THE GIRLS I DONT LIKE HIM ANYMORE BAD FRIEND AWARD

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

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

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

[Stefani Tomova · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Sonia · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh how I hate Lionel

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

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

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

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

Here's my review for the entire book

[Sarah · Rating 5 out of 5]

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



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

[Misha Lowenstein · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Jessica · Rating 5 out of 5]

This shit is wild. I love it. 4.5 stars

[Mariah Greeno · Rating 5 out of 5]

This is the best one I heard so far

[Kat · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

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

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

[bek.reads · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

[Minaa07 · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Kristy · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

Boo. Do better Graphic Audio.

[Deanna · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

[Steph Spone · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Louise · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Amanda Scherr]

they just keep getting better

[Rachel Kwiatkowski · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Shelby Brown · Rating 5 out of 5]

This series is taking over my life and I’m loving/hating every second of it.

[Kayle Hahn · Rating 5 out of 5]

That’s it. I’m hooked.

[Mandy Smith · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Neko.ta.ta · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

[Lucie V. · Rating 5 out of 5]

✅ Awesome main characters
✅ Sweet and awesome secondary characters
✅ Romance and sexual tension (and some smut)
✅ Multiple POVs
✅ World-building
✅ Pace
✅ Villains that we hate
✅ Plot
✅ Magic and faes
❗️❗️Trigger warnings: bullying and child abuse

4.5 stars

Yep. I am officially hooked. 😅
While the plot is objectively not the best, this series is addictive. It took me a few days to post my review because I couldn’t take the time to sit down and write it, I had to read the next book ASAP. The pace felt slower at times, and there were a lot of details added that were not always relevant, yet there is so much happening that it didn’t feel like an over-500-pages novel.

After the nymphs’ attack on the academy, the students don’t have time to mourn and deal with their emotions. With the Reckoning fast approaching, they need to remain strong and show no weakness. Before the Reckoning, the freshmen have to go through Hell Week, where all the older students are allowed and encouraged to make their life a living hell. After all, only the strongest deserve to remain at Zodiac Academy. Hell week is not that different from the usual for Darcy and Tory, but the nymphs are still circling, and the Celestial Council is not done with the twins, meaning their life might be in danger because Lionel Arcrux will stop at nothing to protect his position and power.

I have to admit that now that the mean-girl jealous drama has been toned down, I am enjoying the magical academy vibe of this series. It’s just so ruthless, students have to survive on their own and it’s just normal if a few of them do not make it out unscathed because you know, that’s the way of faes. Survival of the strongest and the fittest.

Tory and Darcy Vega💧🌱💨🔥
We finally know Darcy and Tory’s order, and it is so badass and awesome!! I love those two and I love how strong they remain despite everything that happened to them. They always bounce back and they have each other’s back no matter what. Their sisterly bond is so, so, so beautiful and it’s one of my favorite aspects of this series.

Geraldine Grus 🐕💧🌱
Geraldine becomes even more important in this book, and I get the feeling that she is underappreciated..? I knew about the twins, Orion, and the Heirs before I even started the first book, but I’d never heard about Geraldine and I don’t understand why?! She is so awesome and funny with her silly expressions. She is much stronger than I thought when I read the first book, and she actually can kick asses when she wants. I really like her and I would LOVE to have some chapters in her POV in the future. Please and thank you.

“We have a serious fucking problem. Corbin, tell me what it is.” He pointed at Tyler who remained dead silent, shrugging his shoulders.
“Polaris?” Orion asked Diego who shook his head. His eyes skipped onto me.
“Miss Vega?”
“That our Cardinal Magic teacher is a psycho?” I offered, rage still simmering in me from him attacking my sister. His jaw ticked in a deadly way and my heart thumped out of rhythm.
“I prefer the term unbalanced and frankly it's the least of your problems.” His mouth twitched with amusement as he looked away.

Lance Orion 🧛💨💧
That’s it.
I am in love with Lance Orion. I mean… I was already half in love with him after reading the Ruthless Boys series, but I was not that impressed with him in the first book. Sure, I loved his “I don’t give a shit” attitude and I found it funny how he was just brutal and abusive with his students, but I like it even more when he interacts with them and there is a kind of sassy banter going on. It makes him more likable, while still keeping the “badass teacher that doesn’t give a crap” vibe. The fact that he had to teach that specific lesson was also the cherry on the cake. I was cackling. 😂

Caleb appeared between us in the blink of an eye, perching on the edge of our table and inspecting his fingernails. “We have a problem, sweetheart,” he said to me, though he continued to inspect his nails.
“I know. There’s a Vampire sitting on our dinner,” I replied and Darcy giggled in response.

Caleb Altair 🧛🌱🔥
I don’t know exactly how I feel about Caleb’s obsession with Tory. On one hand, I find it funny to see how desperate he is for her attention and how she has him wrapped around her finger, but on the other hand, I find him obnoxious and he just doesn’t fit with Tory at all. Then again, it adds some romantic drama to the plot, because Tory will inevitably end up stuck between him and Darius, and I’m fine with the extra drama. 😈

Max Rigel 🧜🏽‍♂️💧💨
He was not as bad as I thought he would be, but he was still not present enough for me to like or dislike him. I am waiting to see how his character will develop in the next book because for now, he lacks depth, to be honest. Not that the character is not developed, but we just don’t know much about him, or see much of him in general.

Seth Capella 🐺💨🌱
Meh. I still hate him. He has this goofy and cuddly side that comes out when his wolf is more in control, which is kind of cute I’ll admit, but under the light and smiley appearance, he is dark, cruel, and twisted, and the fact that he pretends to be nice makes it even worse. I want to like parts of him, but it is just so hard because he is the one that seems to enjoy torturing the twins the most. He’s a cold bastard.

“And most of all I was sick of wanting her and hating her all at once.”


“There are countless people who would say I’m not allowed to want you,” Darius breathed. “But you make me want to burn the whole world down so that I can claim you for my own.”
“Then we should burn it down,” I agreed.

Darius Acrux 🐉🔥💧
I really liked him in this book. He has much more depth and personality than in the other books, and he is becoming very interesting. He is so much more than a cold, power-hungry jerk, and we can see it more with each book. The ending with the Eclipse night, the scene on the beach, and the aftermath of Lionel’s shitshow showed how intense and protective he could be, and I can’t wait to see more of his sweeter side.

I am much more involved in Tory and Darius’ potential romance after this book than I was after book 2. In this one, we could feel the sexual tension between them. But we were also able to see how well they would fit together. They like the same things, and complete and understand each other so easily. There is still much work to do for them to come even close to admitting their attraction and feelings, but I hope we’ll get there sometime in the next books.

Darcy and Orion are so cute together, I will honestly cry if anything happens to them and they can’t end up together and have their happily ever after. They both deserve to be happy and I hope they will be able to live their love “for real” soon instead of being forced to sneak around and hide their feelings… But I admit that the fact that they have to be sneaky adds some tension to their romance, and I am not disliking it…

I am so excited to finally know the twin’s order, and I loved Geraldine and Xavier so much as secondary characters, I want more of them. This series is really addictive, and I am going to go continue the 4th book now (I am almost done with it already 😅). I also can’t wait for Lionel, and also the Heirs, to get what they deserve… but mostly Lionel. He needs to suffer and dies a slow painful death.


0.5 Origins of an Academy Bully ⭐⭐⭐
1. The Awakening [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐
1.5 The Awakening as Told by the Boys ⭐⭐
2. Ruthless Fae [Dramatized Adaptation] ⭐⭐⭐.5


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[Abigail Buchanan · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

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

In this finale:

We get major power moments from both Tory and Darcy

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

Fights go full beast mode, and the voice acting slaps

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

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

💖 Character / Audio Reactions:

Tory's heartbreak? Audible. Destroying.

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

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

Orion’s moral crisis was somehow hotter with reverb

Geraldine’s dramatized absurdity = comic relief perfection

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

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

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

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

[Jey · Rating 5 out of 5]

The Reckoning (Dramatized Adaptation, Part 2) delivers a powerful and emotionally intense continuation of the story, and the dramatized format makes every moment feel immediate and visceral. Hearing the final events of this arc performed with a full cast, music, and sound design adds a level of tension and atmosphere that really heightens the impact of the story.

Part 2 carries some of the most dramatic and emotionally heavy scenes so far in the Zodiac Academy series. The conflicts between the characters feel sharper, the stakes feel higher, and the consequences hit harder. In audio form, the anger, fear, and heartbreak come across with striking intensity—there were moments that genuinely gave me chills.

The performances are a major highlight. GraphicAudio does an excellent job bringing the characters to life, and the voice acting helps reveal nuances in relationships that are easy to miss on the page. The pacing also works well in this format, keeping the tension building steadily toward the climax.

What stood out most to me was how immersive the experience felt. The sound effects and music don’t just decorate the story—they pull you directly into the world, making the trials, confrontations, and emotional turning points feel almost cinematic.

Overall, this dramatized adaptation of The Reckoning, Part 2 is gripping, intense, and deeply engaging. It’s a fantastic way to experience one of the most pivotal sections of the series, and it left me eager to continue on with the next installment.

[Carline · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

[Jurnee · Rating 4 out of 5]

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

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

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

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

[Theughost · Rating 5 out of 5]

Okay that ending?! 🐦‍🔥 YAAAAS!!

I absolutely loved this book and I was scared at first that we’d get left hanging on a cliffhanger and omg I need more! This book series is quickly becoming like a drug I can’t get enough of. A total 5/5⭐️ read and I’d say this part is a 🌶️🌶️/🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️🌶️.

The twins are now facing the last trials and one last step before completing the thing stopping them from being seen as Fae. That and the trouble lurking beneath those close to them. Can they fight it off this time? Or are they doomed to fail and never find out their order? 🐦‍🔥

I absolutely devoured this book, I felt like there were more carry this time on when you read as who or maybe I’m just starting to catch on, I don’t know. But I’m absolutely hooked, The story has you on the edge of your seat and the tension is tensioning! If you haven’t fallen in love with the series after listening to this then I don’t know what will!😍

[Haley K · Rating 3 out of 5]

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

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

[Núria Azanza · Rating 5 out of 5]

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

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

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