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The 13th Zodiac #2
The Torn Zodiac
Dominion Academy tried to chew Jupiter Black to pieces and spit her back out. But they didn’t realize who they were dealing with.
She walked in as something no one believed existed, and she proved it in front of all of them. She fought, held her ground, and gave them every reason to trust and respect her. But they didn’t. The Nightfall Shield saw her power and chose to question it. They made her fall in love, and then ripped the rug out from under her feet.
Without looking back, she fled Dominion and found herself at the gates of Imperium Academy in London. This place didn’t run on reputation, money or old names. If you had power, you proved it. If you didn’t, you didn’t last. Simple as that. Jupiter fit in, finally able to prove her worth. For the first time, no one was trying to decide what she should be or where she belonged. She got to choose that for herself.
And people noticed.
Jupiter didn’t make it easy for the men of the Stardust Shield to get close. She’d been burned before. If anyone wanted a place beside her, they were going to work for it. But these men weren’t your average shield warriors. They were raised and trained in an ancient order dedicated to finding the 13th Zodiac that would lead them home. But they never expected to feel this strongly for her. To have their worlds turned inside out with a single look into those silver eyes.
Back at Dominion, things didn’t go back to normal. The Nightfall Shield was fractured, hurting and heartbroken. Their guilt ate them alive from the inside out, and they would do anything to repair what they'd broken. Because she was gone, and the bond didn’t just disappear with her. It lingered and tugged on their souls, begging them to make it right.
She walked in as something no one believed existed, and she proved it in front of all of them. She fought, held her ground, and gave them every reason to trust and respect her. But they didn’t. The Nightfall Shield saw her power and chose to question it. They made her fall in love, and then ripped the rug out from under her feet.
Without looking back, she fled Dominion and found herself at the gates of Imperium Academy in London. This place didn’t run on reputation, money or old names. If you had power, you proved it. If you didn’t, you didn’t last. Simple as that. Jupiter fit in, finally able to prove her worth. For the first time, no one was trying to decide what she should be or where she belonged. She got to choose that for herself.
And people noticed.
Jupiter didn’t make it easy for the men of the Stardust Shield to get close. She’d been burned before. If anyone wanted a place beside her, they were going to work for it. But these men weren’t your average shield warriors. They were raised and trained in an ancient order dedicated to finding the 13th Zodiac that would lead them home. But they never expected to feel this strongly for her. To have their worlds turned inside out with a single look into those silver eyes.
Back at Dominion, things didn’t go back to normal. The Nightfall Shield was fractured, hurting and heartbroken. Their guilt ate them alive from the inside out, and they would do anything to repair what they'd broken. Because she was gone, and the bond didn’t just disappear with her. It lingered and tugged on their souls, begging them to make it right.
284 pages, Kindle Edition
Published May 18, 2026
About the author
Penn Cassidy
49 books552 followersI spend 95% of my life huddled in my little office, at my little desk, vividly hallucinating about characters and scenarios that don't exist. Then I write it all down for you to enjoy!
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 98 reviews
May 18, 2026
"But I’d never been the kind of woman who let her heart lead her around on a fucking leash. No, I had too much respect for myself."
THAT'S RIGHT GIRL. I loved every second of her choosing better for herself and making her old shield suffer. They were miserable and it glorious.
“You’ll be staying in Ophiuchus Tower. One of thirteen dormitory towers, one for each designation...Imperium is much older than Dominion. We remember things the American branch of the Assembly has simply chosen to forget.”
Okay 💅🏽 this is the type of treatment my girl deserves. She's one of a kind and they know it here. Imperium is already off to a good start.
“You deserve to know what and who you are, Ms. Black. The full truth of your designation, not just their version. Anything less would be a disservice to not only you but to our species as a whole.”
Read: in which she finally starts getting answers.
“That is not my problem. Your inability to function without the bond you betrayed is not my burden to bear!"
TELL 🔥 HIM 🔥
She shot them down so many times in this book and I loved it.
“I am telling you to leave,” I said, dropping my voice to a trembling whisper. “Go back home. Go back to Dominion. I deserve to feel peace, even if it’s temporary. I have fought for my sanity every single day since you destroyed it, and I am not going to let you ruin it for me now.”
Mmhmm 🍿
“You know what’s worse?” Eris finally said, voice muffled by the blood-soaked towel he held to his face. “It was how fucking happy she sounded.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha they deserve this.
There's still another book and I'm ready to RECEIVE.
At this point I'm not even reading for the plot (though I'm still interested in that too), I'm just here for the dramatics because they are giving.
To explain my tags:
- OM drama tag is bc the new potential shields are technically OM for now even though she'll end up with all of them.
- OW drama tag is bc the sister of one of her old shield members and the old potential of her current guys is at this new school but these new guys aren't idiots like the last ones and are 💯 for the FMC from the beginning.
-Grovel sucked tag is bc it does suck. They just mope around and then try to force her to take them back. The amount of sadness and jealousy and doom they feel is really doing it for me though.
-Dubious cheating tag is bc she's still bonded to the old shield, and if I considered their antics after dropping her in the last book cheating, then I also have to consider hers cheating...but I added dubious, because I'm okay with double standards when they're reversed. 😅
THAT'S RIGHT GIRL. I loved every second of her choosing better for herself and making her old shield suffer. They were miserable and it glorious.
“You’ll be staying in Ophiuchus Tower. One of thirteen dormitory towers, one for each designation...Imperium is much older than Dominion. We remember things the American branch of the Assembly has simply chosen to forget.”
Okay 💅🏽 this is the type of treatment my girl deserves. She's one of a kind and they know it here. Imperium is already off to a good start.
“You deserve to know what and who you are, Ms. Black. The full truth of your designation, not just their version. Anything less would be a disservice to not only you but to our species as a whole.”
Read: in which she finally starts getting answers.
“That is not my problem. Your inability to function without the bond you betrayed is not my burden to bear!"
TELL 🔥 HIM 🔥
She shot them down so many times in this book and I loved it.
“I am telling you to leave,” I said, dropping my voice to a trembling whisper. “Go back home. Go back to Dominion. I deserve to feel peace, even if it’s temporary. I have fought for my sanity every single day since you destroyed it, and I am not going to let you ruin it for me now.”
Mmhmm 🍿
“You know what’s worse?” Eris finally said, voice muffled by the blood-soaked towel he held to his face. “It was how fucking happy she sounded.”
Hahahahahahahahahahahahahaha they deserve this.
There's still another book and I'm ready to RECEIVE.
At this point I'm not even reading for the plot (though I'm still interested in that too), I'm just here for the dramatics because they are giving.
To explain my tags:
- OM drama tag is bc the new potential shields are technically OM for now even though she'll end up with all of them.
- OW drama tag is bc the sister of one of her old shield members and the old potential of her current guys is at this new school but these new guys aren't idiots like the last ones and are 💯 for the FMC from the beginning.
-Grovel sucked tag is bc it does suck. They just mope around and then try to force her to take them back. The amount of sadness and jealousy and doom they feel is really doing it for me though.
-Dubious cheating tag is bc she's still bonded to the old shield, and if I considered their antics after dropping her in the last book cheating, then I also have to consider hers cheating...but I added dubious, because I'm okay with double standards when they're reversed. 😅
May 27, 2026
This book is a filler
I prefer quality over quantity. Book 2 was a waste of my time. Nothing significant happens. I would have rather waited till December 2026 to read something decent.
Jupiter has collected too many MMCs none of them are standing out. You can't tell me 9 men all have the same temperament. Again more focus needed on quality.
Noodle had some quips in book 1 that made him funny, this time he barely had a presence. Also he's a familiar not a pet, for some reason in book 2 he doesn't sound intelligent at all.
I'm underwhelmed by this offering. Depending on my reading mood when book 3 comes out I may not bother.
I prefer quality over quantity. Book 2 was a waste of my time. Nothing significant happens. I would have rather waited till December 2026 to read something decent.
Jupiter has collected too many MMCs none of them are standing out. You can't tell me 9 men all have the same temperament. Again more focus needed on quality.
Noodle had some quips in book 1 that made him funny, this time he barely had a presence. Also he's a familiar not a pet, for some reason in book 2 he doesn't sound intelligent at all.
I'm underwhelmed by this offering. Depending on my reading mood when book 3 comes out I may not bother.
May 19, 2026
no bc I was so ready to love this one…. :( something about book 2 rhs and being anticlimactic bc why was this so Flat. like the characters to me were so boring. i was so intrigued by the stardust shield in their introduction towards the end of book 1 but reading this they genuinely feel like a copy and paste of each other. even the nightfall shield to me were so one dimensional. maybe it was the lack of character development from everyone but especially jupiter but it just lost all the spark of emotions the first book brought out. whole ass filler book 2. 2.5/5⭐️
May 22, 2026
3⭐️ while I didn’t love this book as much as the first, I’ll still be back for book 3😭. I feel like nothing truly happened in this book and even the reveal at the end from the guys to Jupiter was so brushed over that i feel like it’s so contradictory to what happened with the OG MMC’s. Everything was just a bit anticlimactic.. But, i really am so here for the plot and them getting to their home worlds, so ill be back for book 3 lmao.
Read
May 23, 2026Kind of a snoozer!
May 18, 2026
Appreciate that we need the grovel, however the amount of times Jupiter repeats the same thing to her shield is getting ridiculous.
The actual plot has moved very little? We've only added 5 more potential mates to the mix and no sense of how reconciliation will play out.
The actual plot has moved very little? We've only added 5 more potential mates to the mix and no sense of how reconciliation will play out.
June 14, 2026
Not bad. Felt a little bored, less happened in this one compared to the first one.
Also there’s no way she’s actually gonna have 9 mates…right…?
Also there’s no way she’s actually gonna have 9 mates…right…?
May 29, 2026
1 star. Yeah, I don't think I'm going to finish this series. There is no meat to this at all, and no character building or real tension. The 5 new guys that were introduced at the end of the last book? Can't tell them apart. One of them, Jamie, gets more description (stars, more reserved) but besides him I can't tell you what the others look like, how their personalities are different (hint, they're not), or anything unique about them. And there's no foundations to this "love" that they all fall into. We as readers barely know them, so I'm not sure how they're so obsessed with each other.
The plot is meh. The spice is meh. Jupiter is fine, and glad she doesn't roll over for the first 4 guys (but also, I would be fine if those guys just never came back, I feel no connection to them). While we got a bit more information on how the magic for Aquarius and Pieces work, I still don't understand how the rest of it works. And honestly the banes? They feel very vague. All in all, basically nothing happened in this book and it was less than 300 pages.
The plot is meh. The spice is meh. Jupiter is fine, and glad she doesn't roll over for the first 4 guys (but also, I would be fine if those guys just never came back, I feel no connection to them). While we got a bit more information on how the magic for Aquarius and Pieces work, I still don't understand how the rest of it works. And honestly the banes? They feel very vague. All in all, basically nothing happened in this book and it was less than 300 pages.
May 31, 2026
Wait… what happened?? Book 1 was SUCH A VIBE and then this? Not only did we acquire five, yes FIVE more mmc’s in this book but it was all filler. I honestly couldn’t even remember all of their names or what they looked like. I personally try to stick with 3-5 mmc’s in a why choose, maybe 6 if the books is amazing. It’s just a personal preference. So I wasn’t too thrilled to have to try and keep track of 9 men. Plus- while I love a badass fmc who doesn’t let her men walk all over her, I felt like she was being a little too much here. What they did was messed up for sure. But like- there is more nuance than them just “throwing her away” idk it felt so forced.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 7, 2026
What in the filler book was this. Spoilers.
Okay I don't need the angst of her previous bond or the "enemies to lovers" vibes but this book felt so bland when it comes to the new set of Mates. We have some stand out moments but how can any writer do 9 men well. Here's the answer...they can't. No one can balance a hefty plot line while trying to make us care for 9 guys. If you had a gun to my head after two books and asked me to name all 9 and give details about them I would be dead.
I also was pretty clear that the cheating idiots don't deserve a chance at all from last book and I haven't exactly changed my mind on that, but she jumped from devastated to sleeping with 4 new men pretty quickly, quickly enough that I'm not sure she has much room to talk, and again I'm surprised by her level of trust and naive behavior. You just had your heart ripped open and jump back into it even knowing they are hiding things from you. At some point you have to be wary of people and not jump right into relationships but hey what do I know.
As for the plot I think that is something that has frustrated me. We are focusing so hard on trying to make 9 mates work that the plot is pretty basic. She's the one that will get them home, and the guys dads are mean. Which fine don't reinvent the wheel but I just feel like it's been on repeat for two books without clear movement or change because we are so wrapped up in men. Which again not that mad about, but if I knew more about them or understood how she has a connection to them I may overlook the issues with plot. But again 9 mates does not a good plot make.
We shall see how this wraps up, because we have one book left in the trilogy to wrap up the fight with the guys from America, fight the assembly because obviously that's coming, transport worlds and fall in love with 9 men. Attainable in 300 pages right?
Okay I don't need the angst of her previous bond or the "enemies to lovers" vibes but this book felt so bland when it comes to the new set of Mates. We have some stand out moments but how can any writer do 9 men well. Here's the answer...they can't. No one can balance a hefty plot line while trying to make us care for 9 guys. If you had a gun to my head after two books and asked me to name all 9 and give details about them I would be dead.
I also was pretty clear that the cheating idiots don't deserve a chance at all from last book and I haven't exactly changed my mind on that, but she jumped from devastated to sleeping with 4 new men pretty quickly, quickly enough that I'm not sure she has much room to talk, and again I'm surprised by her level of trust and naive behavior. You just had your heart ripped open and jump back into it even knowing they are hiding things from you. At some point you have to be wary of people and not jump right into relationships but hey what do I know.
As for the plot I think that is something that has frustrated me. We are focusing so hard on trying to make 9 mates work that the plot is pretty basic. She's the one that will get them home, and the guys dads are mean. Which fine don't reinvent the wheel but I just feel like it's been on repeat for two books without clear movement or change because we are so wrapped up in men. Which again not that mad about, but if I knew more about them or understood how she has a connection to them I may overlook the issues with plot. But again 9 mates does not a good plot make.
We shall see how this wraps up, because we have one book left in the trilogy to wrap up the fight with the guys from America, fight the assembly because obviously that's coming, transport worlds and fall in love with 9 men. Attainable in 300 pages right?
May 30, 2026
pretty decent
This was a pretty good book. This book saw some grovelling Nightshade warriors. Which i felt was almost too long and or how degraded they became, sick even, it became to much. I wanted to read when she forgave them. Which I hardly ever feel. Normally the fmc forgives so easily. Especially with how dire things became. All of them basically dying a slow death due to the separation and murder attempts. I typically perfer longer grovelling scenes but there wasn’t many chapters that even had the nightshade group, and i think that’s what I didn’t like about it. Hence my 4 star rating. Give them a chance to at least grovel. To make up for what they did. And why didn’t Jupiter get super upset with the Stardust guys for holding back the truth about their super secret order that centers around her. Got close to her, they slept with her before they told her the truth. I expected at least some negative fallout, so it just didn’t fit with her character in my thoughts.
There wasn’t enough scenes with Noodle. I skipped the sex scenes with the stardust guys because it just hurt my heart knowing the nightfall guys were falling to pieces. I did enjoy her learning new things at this academy. The education is more intense at Imperial than Dominion. The welcome she got at Imperial was standards higher than the welcome she got Dominion. I did like the ending though. It didn’t destroy my soul, it actually lifted it up with the decision to bring Nightshade to Imperial, even if it was strictly non romantic, warrior bond only, to make her stronger to open the portal to their home worlds. I am curious as to how it will work. Do Aquarius only go to the Aquarius planet, Taurus only to Taurus planet etc. there’s not a lot of discussion or even thought process on how intergalactic travel works… so I do look forward to reading more.
This was a pretty good book. This book saw some grovelling Nightshade warriors. Which i felt was almost too long and or how degraded they became, sick even, it became to much. I wanted to read when she forgave them. Which I hardly ever feel. Normally the fmc forgives so easily. Especially with how dire things became. All of them basically dying a slow death due to the separation and murder attempts. I typically perfer longer grovelling scenes but there wasn’t many chapters that even had the nightshade group, and i think that’s what I didn’t like about it. Hence my 4 star rating. Give them a chance to at least grovel. To make up for what they did. And why didn’t Jupiter get super upset with the Stardust guys for holding back the truth about their super secret order that centers around her. Got close to her, they slept with her before they told her the truth. I expected at least some negative fallout, so it just didn’t fit with her character in my thoughts.
There wasn’t enough scenes with Noodle. I skipped the sex scenes with the stardust guys because it just hurt my heart knowing the nightfall guys were falling to pieces. I did enjoy her learning new things at this academy. The education is more intense at Imperial than Dominion. The welcome she got at Imperial was standards higher than the welcome she got Dominion. I did like the ending though. It didn’t destroy my soul, it actually lifted it up with the decision to bring Nightshade to Imperial, even if it was strictly non romantic, warrior bond only, to make her stronger to open the portal to their home worlds. I am curious as to how it will work. Do Aquarius only go to the Aquarius planet, Taurus only to Taurus planet etc. there’s not a lot of discussion or even thought process on how intergalactic travel works… so I do look forward to reading more.
May 31, 2026
I liked this better than the first book. Our MFC has left the bond and society that betrayed her and has arrived at her new academy in England. Here she gets closer to guys that actually respect and like her. I am not sad at all the other guys don't have a large part in this book. It's hinted at the end that she'll forgive them, but honestly, I kind of wish she wouldn't. 🤷♀️
June 4, 2026
Same issues as the first, not bad
This had the same issues as the first one, but better? You can really see her progression as an author with slowing things down. I just would prefer slower 😅
This had the same issues as the first one, but better? You can really see her progression as an author with slowing things down. I just would prefer slower 😅
May 30, 2026
I need the third book expeditiously!!!
Also, personal opinion, those boys suffered enough. It's time to stop torturing them.
Also, personal opinion, those boys suffered enough. It's time to stop torturing them.
July 5, 2026
I agree those Dominion boys needed to grovel but there was no need to rub it in. Not sure I agree with some of Jupiter's moves.
June 25, 2026
A FMC that actually stands up for herself against her bonds and holds too it??? Oh I ate it UP.
Jupiter refuses to take shit and I love her for it. It was incredibly refreshing to see A FMC who doesnt take the grovel and instead respects herself enough to know what she deserves.
I devoured this in a couple hours and now have no clue what im going to do while I wait for the final book.
Jupiter refuses to take shit and I love her for it. It was incredibly refreshing to see A FMC who doesnt take the grovel and instead respects herself enough to know what she deserves.
I devoured this in a couple hours and now have no clue what im going to do while I wait for the final book.
May 20, 2026
Decent
But also things dragged. And yeah, I read the reviews & I also felt that there was some hypocrisy going on with Jupiter.
Particularly, with Aiden's sister, Eliza. FMC was willing to overlook - and even sympathize with the bully, mean girl, seconds after said mean girl called her old shield guys her "sloppy seconds". FMC decided after catching some physical tells that Eliza was miserable, worried & afraid with her current shields & FMC understood that her & Aiden's father was highly manipulative.
What Fmc's original shield did was terrible- however it was more than a prank- it was a huge scheme fronted by a millionaire & his hackers or whatever to make those messages look real. Partnered with the fact thatvtgey had horribly, controlling & manipulative fathers & the total lack of knowledge of the 13th zodiac, i can get why & HOW the guys fell for it.
I feel like Jupiter should've had some sympathy about this but she has sympathy for Eliza?
Jupiter sleeping with Lucas & Rowan at the same academy with her shield close by was cold. Jupiter no longer blocking her smexy times with any of the guys is cold to me. Im glad she's moving on etc but she's killing her shield as well.
Now im worried that a 3rd book wont be enough to wrap up the soon to be 9 mates & not have it feel rushed. Not a lot happened here until after the 50% mark & then bam, sex with several guys. Which felt rushed to me.
The assassination attempts were good but it was brushed aside & a week later, FMC is still thinking about Draco's proposal. Like really? Just going to leave the guys there with killers sneaking around.
Noodle is still the best!
But also things dragged. And yeah, I read the reviews & I also felt that there was some hypocrisy going on with Jupiter.
Particularly, with Aiden's sister, Eliza. FMC was willing to overlook - and even sympathize with the bully, mean girl, seconds after said mean girl called her old shield guys her "sloppy seconds". FMC decided after catching some physical tells that Eliza was miserable, worried & afraid with her current shields & FMC understood that her & Aiden's father was highly manipulative.
What Fmc's original shield did was terrible- however it was more than a prank- it was a huge scheme fronted by a millionaire & his hackers or whatever to make those messages look real. Partnered with the fact thatvtgey had horribly, controlling & manipulative fathers & the total lack of knowledge of the 13th zodiac, i can get why & HOW the guys fell for it.
I feel like Jupiter should've had some sympathy about this but she has sympathy for Eliza?
Jupiter sleeping with Lucas & Rowan at the same academy with her shield close by was cold. Jupiter no longer blocking her smexy times with any of the guys is cold to me. Im glad she's moving on etc but she's killing her shield as well.
Now im worried that a 3rd book wont be enough to wrap up the soon to be 9 mates & not have it feel rushed. Not a lot happened here until after the 50% mark & then bam, sex with several guys. Which felt rushed to me.
The assassination attempts were good but it was brushed aside & a week later, FMC is still thinking about Draco's proposal. Like really? Just going to leave the guys there with killers sneaking around.
Noodle is still the best!
May 18, 2026
If there’s any grammatical errors, I did text to speech for most of this or if words don’t make sense.
So I read someone’s review before I started book 2 just to see if it was gonna end on a really bad cliffhanger. I wanna say how utterly annoying this person’s review was. They stated that Jupiter was a total hypocrite and that they couldn’t stand the hypocrisy she had. That’s basically all they said. So I’m gonna assume they were alluding to the fact that in book 2 Jupiter goes from America to the UK and is at a different academy now. Specifically Imperium which in our honesty has a small smaller class is a lot more ancient and her zodiac designation has an actual tower accepting her not tossing her side and pretending like her designation didn’t exist or wouldn’t possibly come back one day. The American Assembly basically tried to erase her designation fully. Whereas the UK branch did not do the same and embraced her designation and knew one day that they would return.
Now in regards to the person talking about the total hypocrisy on Jupiter’s part, I believe it has to do with the fact that she felt as her first shield cheated on her which they did. And they think she basically did the same with Stardust and I have to say it’s not the same. Yes she still has a bond with her original shield, but they utterly broke her trust, almost killed her in the first book because of the bond sickness and then when they show up and book 2 (spoiler alert) they distract her during a bane incursion and literally almost killed her because they were so goddamn desperate to be by her side. I don’t think she’s a hypocrite at all. She’s taking the time she needed to heal or was trying to take the time she needed to heal in order to figure out how to break the bond to her original shield because like I said, utterly broke her and book one and they followed her without even giving her a month. You’re talking about four guys who tried to sleep with other women three actually Draco didn’t do that. But the other three tried multiple times to sleep with other women, whether or not they could because their bodies were against them. It’s still the fact of the matter is they believed a girl who was not their bond mate, and believed that Jupiter was such an evil mastermind that they didn’t even let her explain herself and then proceeded to try and cheat on her for weeks. It does not matter if they did not succeed in cheating the point is three of them still tried to cheat on her. And then they didn’t let her explain herself. Nor did they give her time to try and settle into her new life or even try to find a way to cope without them. Draco is honestly one of the only ones I don’t find fault in completely. So if you’re like me and read other people’s reviews to not read that person’s review.
Well, we’re also on the subject of how I don’t think Jupiter is a hypocrite. I also wanna point out that she made a good point when her original shield showed up and almost had her killed while she was in the field. She told them that they don’t know a damn thing about her and it’s true. They never bothered to even learn anything about her nor did they even bother to tell her anything about themselves. And that’s one thing that bothered me about book one which is why I didn’t rate it Fivestars. I am the type of person that loves to take notes while I read a book especially if it’s something I absolutely love and I absolutely enjoyed the series. I like to go back and read my notes and add things that maybe I forgot last time it’s just something I like to have. So for me book one didn’t get rated five stars because of the fact that we got to know absolutely next to Nothing about her original shield. And I kind of hope that going forward maybe we’ll learn more about them, but I don’t have high hopes.
I did enjoy the fact that in this book we learned about some of her guys lives. I just wish we got more from all of them. I hope that by the end of this series we learn about their lives.
Aside from all that I wrote above lol. This story picks up where book one ended. Jupiter is now across the world at a new academy and realizing things now that she’s had some space. Like someone purposely forced the bond between her and Nightfall by putting her life in literal peril danger and they do something similar to Draco toward the end of this one. So it begs the question of who and why? He guess is Percy and or Aiden’s fathers. If Eliza was to be believed my moneys on her dad.
Nightfall is definitely suffering the consequences of their actions and dealing with the aftermath and her getting close to the Stardust Shield (imo it’s what they deserve). But she’s suffering too.
A LOT happened in this book. Not only did she realize that someone orchestrated her bond to N. She also realized that they’re purposely hiding information from her for some reason. So again, it begs the question of who and why? What is their goal and are they trying to stop her from being able to open a portal back to their home realms? It also makes you wonder if they are behind the bane. Because why else would you go to all these links to stay on a planet where you have to hide? Makes me feel like it’s more than just power. It could just be me though.
The end of the book leaves, you reeling in a way. Draco has given her proposal to transfer to IA. Not in a romantic way, but just as a warrior bond. And in the same breath Lucas and the other gave her a different proposal. One that I’m not sure I want to spoil. But let’s just say she has a lot of decisions left to make.
The author said that the next book will be out before August and I’m excited for that. My only hope is that it’s a lot longer than book 1 and two. And my other hope is that we get to know the characters more. Even find out more information about the home planets what exactly the Assembly is and things like that.
This has the potential to be a really awesome five star trilogy if we were just given a bit more details. But I immensely enjoyed this book. I also wanna point out that Lucas and his shield are a lot more mature than Percy and his but trauma is the thing and living under someone who manipulates and makes you fear them, definitely played a part with the later
So I read someone’s review before I started book 2 just to see if it was gonna end on a really bad cliffhanger. I wanna say how utterly annoying this person’s review was. They stated that Jupiter was a total hypocrite and that they couldn’t stand the hypocrisy she had. That’s basically all they said. So I’m gonna assume they were alluding to the fact that in book 2 Jupiter goes from America to the UK and is at a different academy now. Specifically Imperium which in our honesty has a small smaller class is a lot more ancient and her zodiac designation has an actual tower accepting her not tossing her side and pretending like her designation didn’t exist or wouldn’t possibly come back one day. The American Assembly basically tried to erase her designation fully. Whereas the UK branch did not do the same and embraced her designation and knew one day that they would return.
Now in regards to the person talking about the total hypocrisy on Jupiter’s part, I believe it has to do with the fact that she felt as her first shield cheated on her which they did. And they think she basically did the same with Stardust and I have to say it’s not the same. Yes she still has a bond with her original shield, but they utterly broke her trust, almost killed her in the first book because of the bond sickness and then when they show up and book 2 (spoiler alert) they distract her during a bane incursion and literally almost killed her because they were so goddamn desperate to be by her side. I don’t think she’s a hypocrite at all. She’s taking the time she needed to heal or was trying to take the time she needed to heal in order to figure out how to break the bond to her original shield because like I said, utterly broke her and book one and they followed her without even giving her a month. You’re talking about four guys who tried to sleep with other women three actually Draco didn’t do that. But the other three tried multiple times to sleep with other women, whether or not they could because their bodies were against them. It’s still the fact of the matter is they believed a girl who was not their bond mate, and believed that Jupiter was such an evil mastermind that they didn’t even let her explain herself and then proceeded to try and cheat on her for weeks. It does not matter if they did not succeed in cheating the point is three of them still tried to cheat on her. And then they didn’t let her explain herself. Nor did they give her time to try and settle into her new life or even try to find a way to cope without them. Draco is honestly one of the only ones I don’t find fault in completely. So if you’re like me and read other people’s reviews to not read that person’s review.
Well, we’re also on the subject of how I don’t think Jupiter is a hypocrite. I also wanna point out that she made a good point when her original shield showed up and almost had her killed while she was in the field. She told them that they don’t know a damn thing about her and it’s true. They never bothered to even learn anything about her nor did they even bother to tell her anything about themselves. And that’s one thing that bothered me about book one which is why I didn’t rate it Fivestars. I am the type of person that loves to take notes while I read a book especially if it’s something I absolutely love and I absolutely enjoyed the series. I like to go back and read my notes and add things that maybe I forgot last time it’s just something I like to have. So for me book one didn’t get rated five stars because of the fact that we got to know absolutely next to Nothing about her original shield. And I kind of hope that going forward maybe we’ll learn more about them, but I don’t have high hopes.
I did enjoy the fact that in this book we learned about some of her guys lives. I just wish we got more from all of them. I hope that by the end of this series we learn about their lives.
Aside from all that I wrote above lol. This story picks up where book one ended. Jupiter is now across the world at a new academy and realizing things now that she’s had some space. Like someone purposely forced the bond between her and Nightfall by putting her life in literal peril danger and they do something similar to Draco toward the end of this one. So it begs the question of who and why? He guess is Percy and or Aiden’s fathers. If Eliza was to be believed my moneys on her dad.
Nightfall is definitely suffering the consequences of their actions and dealing with the aftermath and her getting close to the Stardust Shield (imo it’s what they deserve). But she’s suffering too.
A LOT happened in this book. Not only did she realize that someone orchestrated her bond to N. She also realized that they’re purposely hiding information from her for some reason. So again, it begs the question of who and why? What is their goal and are they trying to stop her from being able to open a portal back to their home realms? It also makes you wonder if they are behind the bane. Because why else would you go to all these links to stay on a planet where you have to hide? Makes me feel like it’s more than just power. It could just be me though.
The end of the book leaves, you reeling in a way. Draco has given her proposal to transfer to IA. Not in a romantic way, but just as a warrior bond. And in the same breath Lucas and the other gave her a different proposal. One that I’m not sure I want to spoil. But let’s just say she has a lot of decisions left to make.
The author said that the next book will be out before August and I’m excited for that. My only hope is that it’s a lot longer than book 1 and two. And my other hope is that we get to know the characters more. Even find out more information about the home planets what exactly the Assembly is and things like that.
This has the potential to be a really awesome five star trilogy if we were just given a bit more details. But I immensely enjoyed this book. I also wanna point out that Lucas and his shield are a lot more mature than Percy and his but trauma is the thing and living under someone who manipulates and makes you fear them, definitely played a part with the later
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
June 13, 2026
The Torn Zodiac was another easy 5-star read for me. While I loved The 13th Zodiac, I think this sequel expanded the world and character dynamics in ways that made the story even more compelling. One of my favorite aspects of this book was seeing the contrast between Imperium Academy and Dominion Academy.
The difference between the two academies was eye-opening, both for Jupiter and for the reader. Seeing how welcoming, supportive, and genuinely positive Imperium was made it impossible to ignore how much corruption and manipulation existed within Dominion. Through Jupiter’s eyes, we get to see what a healthy environment actually looks like, and that realization highlights just how much the Assembly has poisoned Dominion Academy. I loved watching Jupiter slowly realize that many of the things she had accepted as normal at Dominion were anything but normal.
Another reason I loved this book was the Stardust Shield. From the moment they were introduced, their care for Jupiter felt genuine. They didn’t just say they cared about her—they consistently showed it through their actions, support, and respect for her choices. Their dynamic with Jupiter felt healthy and refreshing, especially after everything she experienced with Nightfall.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the discussion surrounding the possibility of combining Stardust and Nightfall into a single Shield. What I appreciated most was that this idea didn’t come from Jupiter at all—in fact, she was initially against it. She wasn’t interested in reconnecting with Nightfall in that way and didn’t want them staying at Imperium. However, Stardust recognized that Jupiter’s immense power required a stronger support system and pointed out that now that Nightfall was back near her, she was no longer experiencing bond pain.
When Percy suggested that any future relationship between Jupiter and Nightfall could simply be a working relationship rather than a romantic one, Stardust was willing to seriously consider it. What made this moment so powerful for me was the maturity behind their decision. Stardust understood there was a very real possibility that Jupiter and Nightfall could eventually reconcile romantically, yet they still put Jupiter’s needs first.
Rather than acting possessive or insecure, Stardust approached the situation with confidence in both themselves and their relationship with Jupiter. They trusted the bond they had built with her and didn’t feel the need to control her choices. Their willingness to prioritize Jupiter’s well-being over their own fears demonstrated a level of emotional maturity that I rarely see in fantasy romance. They wanted what was best for Jupiter, even if it wasn’t necessarily the easiest path for them.
Jupiter continued to be an incredible protagonist throughout this book. I loved watching her grow, challenge her assumptions, and learn what healthy relationships and communities look like. Despite her power, she remains relatable, compassionate, and deeply human, which is one of the reasons I love her character so much.
Overall, The Torn Zodiac delivered everything I wanted from a sequel: expanded world-building, meaningful character development, and relationships that felt authentic and earned. The contrast between Imperium and Dominion was fascinating, the Stardust Shield quickly became one of my favorite groups in the series, and Jupiter’s journey continued to be incredibly compelling. This was another fantastic installment, and I cannot wait to continue the series.
The difference between the two academies was eye-opening, both for Jupiter and for the reader. Seeing how welcoming, supportive, and genuinely positive Imperium was made it impossible to ignore how much corruption and manipulation existed within Dominion. Through Jupiter’s eyes, we get to see what a healthy environment actually looks like, and that realization highlights just how much the Assembly has poisoned Dominion Academy. I loved watching Jupiter slowly realize that many of the things she had accepted as normal at Dominion were anything but normal.
Another reason I loved this book was the Stardust Shield. From the moment they were introduced, their care for Jupiter felt genuine. They didn’t just say they cared about her—they consistently showed it through their actions, support, and respect for her choices. Their dynamic with Jupiter felt healthy and refreshing, especially after everything she experienced with Nightfall.
One of my favorite parts of the book was the discussion surrounding the possibility of combining Stardust and Nightfall into a single Shield. What I appreciated most was that this idea didn’t come from Jupiter at all—in fact, she was initially against it. She wasn’t interested in reconnecting with Nightfall in that way and didn’t want them staying at Imperium. However, Stardust recognized that Jupiter’s immense power required a stronger support system and pointed out that now that Nightfall was back near her, she was no longer experiencing bond pain.
When Percy suggested that any future relationship between Jupiter and Nightfall could simply be a working relationship rather than a romantic one, Stardust was willing to seriously consider it. What made this moment so powerful for me was the maturity behind their decision. Stardust understood there was a very real possibility that Jupiter and Nightfall could eventually reconcile romantically, yet they still put Jupiter’s needs first.
Rather than acting possessive or insecure, Stardust approached the situation with confidence in both themselves and their relationship with Jupiter. They trusted the bond they had built with her and didn’t feel the need to control her choices. Their willingness to prioritize Jupiter’s well-being over their own fears demonstrated a level of emotional maturity that I rarely see in fantasy romance. They wanted what was best for Jupiter, even if it wasn’t necessarily the easiest path for them.
Jupiter continued to be an incredible protagonist throughout this book. I loved watching her grow, challenge her assumptions, and learn what healthy relationships and communities look like. Despite her power, she remains relatable, compassionate, and deeply human, which is one of the reasons I love her character so much.
Overall, The Torn Zodiac delivered everything I wanted from a sequel: expanded world-building, meaningful character development, and relationships that felt authentic and earned. The contrast between Imperium and Dominion was fascinating, the Stardust Shield quickly became one of my favorite groups in the series, and Jupiter’s journey continued to be incredibly compelling. This was another fantastic installment, and I cannot wait to continue the series.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 18, 2026
4.5⭐️
I really liked this one. I feel like the pacing slowed a bit but I don’t find it that bad. I waited for this book since I finished the first one and for me, it met all the expectations.
I have to start by saying that I didn’t read many fantasy/paranormal books so my view of the genre is not that in depth. These are my thoughts on this book and series specifically.
Spoilers ahead!
I loved that this book was the opposite of the first one. The plot got bigger and the MMCs were the polar opposite of the MMCs from the first books. It was refreshing seeing the way the guys treated Jupiter in this book vs the first one. I don’t think it was meant to make us feel less for the first guys, but it was meant to give us a new perspective. I have to say that at times the guys were a bit interchangeable, that’s one of the reasons I gave this book 4.5 ⭐️
I feel like the FMC was written very good. I loved the fact that she didn’t fold immediately and she actually did her best to move on. I understand her completely, and I think she is justified in her actions. That being said, I did miss the guys and I am hoping that by the end of the series Jupiter will have her HEA with all 9 of the guys. I hope they redeem themselves enough for her to give them one more chance.
I loved the uniqueness of the series. As I mentioned above, I don’t usually read a lot of fantasy/paranormal books but this plot is very interesting and I am curious what will happen next and what will happen when Jupiter finally opens the portal and how will they find their new normal.
The other reason I deducted some point from my overall rating is related to the pacing of this book. I am not really sure how long has passed since the ending of the last book. Some actions make it seem like very little time has passed while others make it seem like a long time has passed. I don’t think it would have bothered me this much, but if we are to assume some time has passed(a few months let’s say) very little has happened. I feel like this will make book 3 either very long or very rushed. There wasn’t really a conclusion to the relationship between the guys and I think that needs to be developed to have a strong and believable ending. I have faith in the author making book 3 just as good as the other 2.
Overall, I loved it and I highly recommend the book and the series!
I really liked this one. I feel like the pacing slowed a bit but I don’t find it that bad. I waited for this book since I finished the first one and for me, it met all the expectations.
I have to start by saying that I didn’t read many fantasy/paranormal books so my view of the genre is not that in depth. These are my thoughts on this book and series specifically.
Spoilers ahead!
I loved that this book was the opposite of the first one. The plot got bigger and the MMCs were the polar opposite of the MMCs from the first books. It was refreshing seeing the way the guys treated Jupiter in this book vs the first one. I don’t think it was meant to make us feel less for the first guys, but it was meant to give us a new perspective. I have to say that at times the guys were a bit interchangeable, that’s one of the reasons I gave this book 4.5 ⭐️
I feel like the FMC was written very good. I loved the fact that she didn’t fold immediately and she actually did her best to move on. I understand her completely, and I think she is justified in her actions. That being said, I did miss the guys and I am hoping that by the end of the series Jupiter will have her HEA with all 9 of the guys. I hope they redeem themselves enough for her to give them one more chance.
I loved the uniqueness of the series. As I mentioned above, I don’t usually read a lot of fantasy/paranormal books but this plot is very interesting and I am curious what will happen next and what will happen when Jupiter finally opens the portal and how will they find their new normal.
The other reason I deducted some point from my overall rating is related to the pacing of this book. I am not really sure how long has passed since the ending of the last book. Some actions make it seem like very little time has passed while others make it seem like a long time has passed. I don’t think it would have bothered me this much, but if we are to assume some time has passed(a few months let’s say) very little has happened. I feel like this will make book 3 either very long or very rushed. There wasn’t really a conclusion to the relationship between the guys and I think that needs to be developed to have a strong and believable ending. I have faith in the author making book 3 just as good as the other 2.
Overall, I loved it and I highly recommend the book and the series!
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 24, 2026
“I hope you feel me under your skin for the rest of your lives.”
That line has been living in my head rent-free ever since I read it. And its the only line you need to stop reading this review and go and pick up this series for yourself!
This! THIS story was exactly what I needed. Absolute 10/10 read - I already need more. Honestly, where is the Kickstarter for a full-cast duet narration audiobook adaptation? Because this series deserves it.
I love a FMC who knows her worth and my girl Jupiter knows her worth!
I’ve been stuck in one of the worst reading slumps lately where nothing has been working for me, but the 13th Zodiac series by Penn Cassidy completely pulled me out of it. This was one of those reads that reminded me why I love reverse harem books in the first place. I was constantly thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading and rushing back to pick the book up again whenever I had the chance.
And Noodle? An absolute gem. <3 must protect at all costs!
The characters, the chemistry, the emotional intensity, the tension - everything just worked for me. With such a large cast, it would have been easy for some of the mates to fade into the background, but every single one felt distinct and important to the story and the relationships. The dynamics between everyone were so entertaining and addictive to read.
Also… why stop at 9 mates? Give our girl all 12 members of the zodiac immediately.
This series completely broke my reading slump and reminded me what it feels like to become fully obsessed with a story again. If you love why choose/reverse harem books with a large cast, intense relationships, emotional moments, and addictive chemistry, I highly recommend giving this series a try.
Now I’m just impatiently waiting for the third and final book - there has to be an ARC reader sign-up link hiding somewhere :)
That line has been living in my head rent-free ever since I read it. And its the only line you need to stop reading this review and go and pick up this series for yourself!
This! THIS story was exactly what I needed. Absolute 10/10 read - I already need more. Honestly, where is the Kickstarter for a full-cast duet narration audiobook adaptation? Because this series deserves it.
I love a FMC who knows her worth and my girl Jupiter knows her worth!
I’ve been stuck in one of the worst reading slumps lately where nothing has been working for me, but the 13th Zodiac series by Penn Cassidy completely pulled me out of it. This was one of those reads that reminded me why I love reverse harem books in the first place. I was constantly thinking about the characters when I wasn’t reading and rushing back to pick the book up again whenever I had the chance.
And Noodle? An absolute gem. <3 must protect at all costs!
The characters, the chemistry, the emotional intensity, the tension - everything just worked for me. With such a large cast, it would have been easy for some of the mates to fade into the background, but every single one felt distinct and important to the story and the relationships. The dynamics between everyone were so entertaining and addictive to read.
Also… why stop at 9 mates? Give our girl all 12 members of the zodiac immediately.
This series completely broke my reading slump and reminded me what it feels like to become fully obsessed with a story again. If you love why choose/reverse harem books with a large cast, intense relationships, emotional moments, and addictive chemistry, I highly recommend giving this series a try.
Now I’m just impatiently waiting for the third and final book - there has to be an ARC reader sign-up link hiding somewhere :)
July 14, 2026
If you wanted to have 10 main characters, you should have made this into a 10-book series. Nine MMCs in 3 books is insane. I don't know or care about most of the Stardust Shield because they weren't well developed, and I still had the Nightfall characters attached to this story in my brain.
And the MFC annoyed the hell out of me. Were the Nightfall Shield wrong for quickly believing she was manipulating them and kicking her to the curb? Absolutely. Their relationship broke as quickly as it developed. HOWEVER, they did not cheat on her.
They dumped her and then unknowingly punished her by trying to sleep with other girls to forget about her "betrayal." But as soon as they realized she was set up and they were hurting her, they apologized and tried to make it right.
Now, it's more than fair for her not to want them back, but for her to intentionally punish/hurt them by sleeping with another shield and having sex with Aiden so they "feel her under their skin for the rest of their lives..." is cruel and gross.
Many might disagree, but I think Jupiter is far crueler than any of the men in these books. And the self-righteous bullshit is getting old.
And, I'm sorry, she's mad at the Nightfall Shield for hurting her unknowingly, but does not blink an eye when the Stardust Shield reveals that they have been lying and manipulating her for the entire book? WHAT??
I'll read the last book, but I don't have high expectations. Trying to cram this much world-building and character development into 3 books is never going to end well.
Overall, I'm disappointed because I really liked the first book, but then it just went downhill. Even Noodle's presence/humor severely dwindled in this book.
And the MFC annoyed the hell out of me. Were the Nightfall Shield wrong for quickly believing she was manipulating them and kicking her to the curb? Absolutely. Their relationship broke as quickly as it developed. HOWEVER, they did not cheat on her.
They dumped her and then unknowingly punished her by trying to sleep with other girls to forget about her "betrayal." But as soon as they realized she was set up and they were hurting her, they apologized and tried to make it right.
Now, it's more than fair for her not to want them back, but for her to intentionally punish/hurt them by sleeping with another shield and having sex with Aiden so they "feel her under their skin for the rest of their lives..." is cruel and gross.
Many might disagree, but I think Jupiter is far crueler than any of the men in these books. And the self-righteous bullshit is getting old.
And, I'm sorry, she's mad at the Nightfall Shield for hurting her unknowingly, but does not blink an eye when the Stardust Shield reveals that they have been lying and manipulating her for the entire book? WHAT??
I'll read the last book, but I don't have high expectations. Trying to cram this much world-building and character development into 3 books is never going to end well.
Overall, I'm disappointed because I really liked the first book, but then it just went downhill. Even Noodle's presence/humor severely dwindled in this book.
June 8, 2026
Ugh idk mann... 3.75 ⭐️
I think I definitely prefer the new shield team over the old. I definitely feel like somehow I know them all better than we got to know the first?
Now I'm ALL for groveling. Always. Here for it! And I definitely 100% think her actions initially were completely justified. But I honestly felt, and I'm likely the odd one out here, pretty fucking bad for nightfall by the end of the book. I feel like Imo Jupiter lost sight of the reason she was stretching the bond and instead just started being a bitch 🤷🏽♀️
And unless I missed it, she didnt address the fact that she wasn't trying to block the bond when having sex with stardust shield team. But yet nightfall could feel it all. So initially I thought maybe she didnt know that she wasnt blocking it? But then Percy mentions that he felt it, and she STILL doesn't block afterwards, so thats just when I was like ok yah I'm not really alright with this anymore.
I know its that 'they did it first' thing but to me that doesn't make it right. But then, if they are as 'broken up' as they can get because of the bond, then its not cheating.... idk UGH this is just all so messy and honestly I don't know how to feel other than SHOOK
And this book just had like no progression. Like nothing happened. We learned very little until the last bit and had lots of sex and well that was that.
Disappointed, I was so excited and this let me down a bit 😞 I knew going into it reading the 'tws' it was going to be messy, I guess I just didn't realize the FMC would end up like this. I dont know, she's just not a badass anymore and is becoming kind of insufferable
I think I definitely prefer the new shield team over the old. I definitely feel like somehow I know them all better than we got to know the first?
Now I'm ALL for groveling. Always. Here for it! And I definitely 100% think her actions initially were completely justified. But I honestly felt, and I'm likely the odd one out here, pretty fucking bad for nightfall by the end of the book. I feel like Imo Jupiter lost sight of the reason she was stretching the bond and instead just started being a bitch 🤷🏽♀️
And unless I missed it, she didnt address the fact that she wasn't trying to block the bond when having sex with stardust shield team. But yet nightfall could feel it all. So initially I thought maybe she didnt know that she wasnt blocking it? But then Percy mentions that he felt it, and she STILL doesn't block afterwards, so thats just when I was like ok yah I'm not really alright with this anymore.
I know its that 'they did it first' thing but to me that doesn't make it right. But then, if they are as 'broken up' as they can get because of the bond, then its not cheating.... idk UGH this is just all so messy and honestly I don't know how to feel other than SHOOK
And this book just had like no progression. Like nothing happened. We learned very little until the last bit and had lots of sex and well that was that.
Disappointed, I was so excited and this let me down a bit 😞 I knew going into it reading the 'tws' it was going to be messy, I guess I just didn't realize the FMC would end up like this. I dont know, she's just not a badass anymore and is becoming kind of insufferable
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
May 19, 2026
obsessed 😍
🚨spoiler alert 🚨
Dont read if you haven’t read both books!!!
Honestly these books are absolutely amazing!! I was hooked immediately from the first book counting down the days for book 2 tp be released when i seen the date change i was super excited! I read both books in one day each bc i couldn’t put them down! I was praying to god she would end up with both teams and im super excited to see ot sounds like its headed in that direction now! But it would honestly make it even better if she ended up with one guy for each zodiac sign plus hers. I feel like that would be needes for them to open a portal to home. I cant wait for book 3 honestly im praying we get at least 4 books out of this series bc its so darn good!! I will definitely be rereading this series no doubt when its completely finished its unlike any other series I’ve read so far and I’ve read so many series just on kindle alone. I cant wait to see how the 2 teams come together and how well they will work together and merge to one team. You are truly a brilliant writer and i look forward to reading mamy more series by you!! 🩷💙💜🧡💚🩵❤️💛🩶
🚨spoiler alert 🚨
Dont read if you haven’t read both books!!!
Honestly these books are absolutely amazing!! I was hooked immediately from the first book counting down the days for book 2 tp be released when i seen the date change i was super excited! I read both books in one day each bc i couldn’t put them down! I was praying to god she would end up with both teams and im super excited to see ot sounds like its headed in that direction now! But it would honestly make it even better if she ended up with one guy for each zodiac sign plus hers. I feel like that would be needes for them to open a portal to home. I cant wait for book 3 honestly im praying we get at least 4 books out of this series bc its so darn good!! I will definitely be rereading this series no doubt when its completely finished its unlike any other series I’ve read so far and I’ve read so many series just on kindle alone. I cant wait to see how the 2 teams come together and how well they will work together and merge to one team. You are truly a brilliant writer and i look forward to reading mamy more series by you!! 🩷💙💜🧡💚🩵❤️💛🩶
May 19, 2026
Nah.
So, I really enjoyed book one of this series, The 13th Zodiac, and I was really looking forward to this book. Maybe that was the problem? Maybe I set my expectations way too high. Regardless, I didn't really enjoy this book. I skimmed through a lot of it, and I lost interest in the plot. 9 guys in a harem is normally more than I like, and this book is why...I feel like we lose any connection to the characters and they all just become a jumbled mess of big cocks. I can't say that I really like or know too much about the newest Shield--what I know is...
Don't get me wrong, I love a female lead that takes no shit and will stand up for herself. Full stop. However, for me, in this book Jupiter felt less badass and more just unpleasant overall. During about midpoint, I really just wanted the guys from her original Shield to just cut ties with her and move the fuck on.
Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of this one.
So, I really enjoyed book one of this series, The 13th Zodiac, and I was really looking forward to this book. Maybe that was the problem? Maybe I set my expectations way too high. Regardless, I didn't really enjoy this book. I skimmed through a lot of it, and I lost interest in the plot. 9 guys in a harem is normally more than I like, and this book is why...I feel like we lose any connection to the characters and they all just become a jumbled mess of big cocks. I can't say that I really like or know too much about the newest Shield--what I know is...
Don't get me wrong, I love a female lead that takes no shit and will stand up for herself. Full stop. However, for me, in this book Jupiter felt less badass and more just unpleasant overall. During about midpoint, I really just wanted the guys from her original Shield to just cut ties with her and move the fuck on.
Needless to say, I wasn't a fan of this one.
May 25, 2026
Honest review (emotionally held hostage by suffering gays)
Against my better judgment, I read the second book. And you know what? It was actually better. Not “I will build a shrine in its honor” better, but “fine, take my time and emotional stability again” better.
First of all, THANK YOU for not making her forgive the first shield immediately just because he looked sad in the rain or whatever. The second shield? Way better chemistry. Finally a connection that doesn’t feel like HR should get involved.
The world-building also remembered it exists, which was refreshing. The tropes were trope-ing beautifully, the smut was surprisingly decent (meaning I didn’t have to physically put the book down from secondhand embarrassment), and we even got a little groveling. Barely enough to heal my wounds, but I respect the effort.
Also the gays? Still going through it. At this point their collective suffering is basically part of the magic system.
Was it dragging at times? Absolutely. Could some chapters have been emails? Yes. But somehow I still had fun.
3.5⭐ and unfortunately I will be reading book three because this series has grabbed me by the throat and refuses to let go.
Against my better judgment, I read the second book. And you know what? It was actually better. Not “I will build a shrine in its honor” better, but “fine, take my time and emotional stability again” better.
First of all, THANK YOU for not making her forgive the first shield immediately just because he looked sad in the rain or whatever. The second shield? Way better chemistry. Finally a connection that doesn’t feel like HR should get involved.
The world-building also remembered it exists, which was refreshing. The tropes were trope-ing beautifully, the smut was surprisingly decent (meaning I didn’t have to physically put the book down from secondhand embarrassment), and we even got a little groveling. Barely enough to heal my wounds, but I respect the effort.
Also the gays? Still going through it. At this point their collective suffering is basically part of the magic system.
Was it dragging at times? Absolutely. Could some chapters have been emails? Yes. But somehow I still had fun.
3.5⭐ and unfortunately I will be reading book three because this series has grabbed me by the throat and refuses to let go.
May 18, 2026
Great continuation to book 1, we get a lot and I mean A LOT of new information, some very good plot and character development. I would not say this book contains any "grovel" because the first 4 MMCs are physically away from her except for a couple of incidents (wont spoil) so we mostly get her POV and the new MMCs POV with a mix of the OG MMCs and how they are handling their side of the semi broken bond. My only complaint is that I struggle with some of the characters' descriptions being incomplete. I always keep a txt document open on the side where I write the names of the characters and their physical descriptions because with so many people in a book I tend to forget details, and by the end of it I dont know for example, what color is James's hair, only his eyes. I get with 5 new characters, it can get redundant very fast very quick but small details like this can make it harder to "imagine" a character and fully get a mental image of interactions when I have to "make up" features so in my head the FMC is not interacting with a blob.
May 27, 2026
Absolute emotional whiplash, but I really enjoyed it!
After the heartbreaking betrayal by the Nightfall Shield in Book 1, watching Jupiter stand her ground and refuse to fold was so incredibly empowering. The new Stardust Shield feels like a total breath of fresh air at first because they actually take the time to get to know her—unlike her old pack. However, even with their good intentions, their secrets show a different side that is bound to cause friction. This book is a fast-paced, addictive ride filled with intense longing and a beautifully written grovel arc. Now that Jupiter is navigating a massive dynamic with nine different potential mates, I can't help but wonder about the missing zodiac signs and how the final harem math will shake out. There is no major cliffhanger here, just a perfect crest to the end of the book. I am genuinely hoping she eventually forgives the Nightfall clan and brings everyone together to make the ultimate mega-shield. A fantastic, messy, and highly recommended continuation of the series!
After the heartbreaking betrayal by the Nightfall Shield in Book 1, watching Jupiter stand her ground and refuse to fold was so incredibly empowering. The new Stardust Shield feels like a total breath of fresh air at first because they actually take the time to get to know her—unlike her old pack. However, even with their good intentions, their secrets show a different side that is bound to cause friction. This book is a fast-paced, addictive ride filled with intense longing and a beautifully written grovel arc. Now that Jupiter is navigating a massive dynamic with nine different potential mates, I can't help but wonder about the missing zodiac signs and how the final harem math will shake out. There is no major cliffhanger here, just a perfect crest to the end of the book. I am genuinely hoping she eventually forgives the Nightfall clan and brings everyone together to make the ultimate mega-shield. A fantastic, messy, and highly recommended continuation of the series!
June 4, 2026
Middle books can be a snooze fest but we needed a shit ton of groveling from her first set of 🍆🍆🍆🍆 & also needed her to spend time w her second set of 🍆🍆🍆🍆🍆. 🤷🏻♀️
So. A middle book HAD to happen here. Not sure what else the author could have done. Make it two giant books? Idk. This middle one worked for me-not only with where we left off with that first book but also how we end it going into last book!
Yes, it was a bit slower than book one but not as bad as I always expect either with middle books.
She needed to learn about her history, the background of this Order of Ophicus, get to know her next harem members and in general we needed the other dudes to really truly grovel and suffer.
They are pitiful and it👏🏼is👏🏼delicious👏🏼
Everyone always asks for a good grovel then you get it and people are like …it’s boring. 🤦🏻♀️😩🙄Make up your minds! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Final book will be released start of August 2026. So it’s safe to start this series as it will be finished here soon.
No cliffhanger for this book.
So. A middle book HAD to happen here. Not sure what else the author could have done. Make it two giant books? Idk. This middle one worked for me-not only with where we left off with that first book but also how we end it going into last book!
Yes, it was a bit slower than book one but not as bad as I always expect either with middle books.
She needed to learn about her history, the background of this Order of Ophicus, get to know her next harem members and in general we needed the other dudes to really truly grovel and suffer.
They are pitiful and it👏🏼is👏🏼delicious👏🏼
Everyone always asks for a good grovel then you get it and people are like …it’s boring. 🤦🏻♀️😩🙄Make up your minds! 🤣🤣🤣🤣
Final book will be released start of August 2026. So it’s safe to start this series as it will be finished here soon.
No cliffhanger for this book.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
July 9, 2026
Well, wasn't this jam packed with so many revelations...
The Torn Zodiac starts as The 13th Zodiac concludes. Our poor Jupiter sets off to London to start fresh after The Nightfall Shield caused her so much heartbreak.
Jupiter soon realises that London is so much better and finds comfort in the Stardust Shield. The Stardust Shield consists of Jamie, Rowan, Phoenix, Theo and Lucas. These guys, love them so much. They see Jupiter for who she is not what power she possesses and they fall hard and fast for her.
Whilst in London, Jupiter learns more about her magic and the history. She also has to deal with the Nightfall Sheild, and all the emotions associated with the strayed bond.
Much more happens but I want you to read it for yourself, it's so good, can't book for book 3, i've preordered it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶🌶🌶
🤍 why choose
🤍 powerful fmc
🤍 fated mates
🤍 academy based romance
🤍 enemies to lovers
🤍 bonds
🤍 fantasy
🤍 obsessed mmc's
🤍 spicy
The Torn Zodiac starts as The 13th Zodiac concludes. Our poor Jupiter sets off to London to start fresh after The Nightfall Shield caused her so much heartbreak.
Jupiter soon realises that London is so much better and finds comfort in the Stardust Shield. The Stardust Shield consists of Jamie, Rowan, Phoenix, Theo and Lucas. These guys, love them so much. They see Jupiter for who she is not what power she possesses and they fall hard and fast for her.
Whilst in London, Jupiter learns more about her magic and the history. She also has to deal with the Nightfall Sheild, and all the emotions associated with the strayed bond.
Much more happens but I want you to read it for yourself, it's so good, can't book for book 3, i've preordered it.
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️ / 🌶🌶🌶
🤍 why choose
🤍 powerful fmc
🤍 fated mates
🤍 academy based romance
🤍 enemies to lovers
🤍 bonds
🤍 fantasy
🤍 obsessed mmc's
🤍 spicy
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