Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

Explore the significance of fate and free will in the novel. How do characters react to their horoscopes or tarot readings? To what extent do they challenge or accept these predetermined destinies? To what extent do they challenge them?

Analyze the power dynamics and hierarchies among the students and teachers at Zodiac Academy. What do these structures reveal about the broader societal values in Fae society?

Many of the characters throughout the story confirm their particular zodiac sign. How do these signs influence their identities or relationships in the story? In what ways do these signs help inform readers of these characters and potentially predict their future behaviors and actions?

Search the novel for examples where the twins’ magic is replenished or experiences a surge. Orion asserts that these moments can indicate the Order that Fae might belong to and the form they might take. Theorize what mythological form or magical being the twins might transform into in the following installments.

Explore the theme of power and deception in the novel. How do the characters’ secret agendas drive the plot forward? Consider Darius and Orion’s conspiring and the difference in their ultimate actions. What does this reveal about their characters and whom the twins should trust moving forward?

Gender roles and expectations are often covered in fantasies and fantasy romances. The Awakening explores many gender-specific societal and social themes. How do characters challenge or conform to traditional gender norms within the context of their treatment of others in the novel?

Explore the symbolism of shapeshifting further. Choose one shapeshifter from the story and explain how their shifting abilities might be an amplifier to the distrust the twins feel toward that character or the ambiguity that character holds to the story even while not being an explicit suspect to the twins.

Because Peckham and Valenti enjoy including dark and complex themes in their stories, view The Awakening as a social commentary on the real world. How do elements such as hierarchy, societal norms, character interactions, social media, etc. reflect real-world contemporary concerns?