I don't know what else to say other than this book has so thoroughly broken me.

At the end of Zodiac Academy: The Reckoning, Tory and Darcy Vega were brought before their worst enemy yet, and though they ended the night with the knowledge of their order emerging, the events of the evening only brought forth more questions and more issues. It's time for them to step into the world of Solaria as fae, and potentially, as queens with their eyes set on the throne and the men who can help them secure it - all while battling an overwhelming darkness that grows stronger at every moment.

I'm genuinely sitting here in tears because I don't know what to say or think about the last ten percent of this book. Actually, I don't even have a star rating logged right now as I type this because I don't know if the sheer emotional weight has settled on my shoulders yet, or if it'll turn to rage the moment I give myself some time to process the sheer events in this book. I think I'm finally grasping the absolute wrecking ball of events that happen in these books. It falls into a sort of pattern - especially with my knowledge now after reading Ruthless Boys of Zodiac, I know for every impossibly wonderful high, there is a truly crushing low that makes you question everything.

This book was (I believe) written to be the true climax of the series. Which, again, falls in line with what I know from Ruthless Boys. I knew it would get bad, but I think I was too stupid to realize just how bad I had it coming. And now I'm baffled because on one hand - I absolutely adored the way Tory's character was written in this book. I know a shit-ton of people do not agree with me on this, if other reviews are to be believed, but the sheer darkness in her character and the movement of her arc left me a little breathless, especially at the end. I have more than enough room in me to be mad, but also impressed that the authors committed to the decision and went full-throttle with it - because when does Tory Vega ever do anything half-assed?

I think I'm just going to ramble now about my favorite scenes, which are all the ones in the palace. Because I've read RB and had it spoiled, I know about the boy and the mystery surrounding that, and I had a lot of sheer freaking hope we'd get that moment in this book. Instead, I found myself sinking into the tidbits of knowledge we did get about the Savage King, the Vega's mother, and what potentially might lie in their futures from glimpses hidden away in the past. The entire section from Christmas onwards was one of my favorite portions of anything in this series, including the absolutely devastating ending. It emotionally wrecked me, but in a way that I have to be a little bit impressed over.

I simply don't know what to think. So I won't. But I think I've at least come to the conclusion that this is getting five stars from me for the sheer weight I feel resting on my chest right now. Gone are silly pranks and careless hookups - the fight for the throne is upon us.

Also, Seth Capella can choke. Leon Night would never.

Content Warnings: blood, mild violence, suicidal thoughts and self harm (present throughout this book heavily), sexual content, alcoholism, drugging (brief scene halfway through, antidote is given), physical and emotional abuse by a parent, and probably more that I'm missing.