Zodiac Academy 7: Heartless Sky Paperback – December 15, 2021

My whole heart has been ripped from my chest. I have never sobbed as hard as I have in the last 100 pages of this book.I knew that this ending was coming. I knew what lied ahead for our sweet heroes, but the way these authors literally ripped my soul out of my body and sent it beyond the veil was uncalled for. I am not ok and truthfully I think I will need at least 3 business days to recover from this book.Pros:•The absolute love in this book is beyond amazing!•The love between the main characters is literally so spellbinding that it keeps me wanting to continue reading the series.•The heirs, Orion, Geraldine, and the Twins finding peace for the first time in this series was literally the best part of this book.•If I’m being honest, I should have stopped reading this book at chapter 46! It was the best chapter of the whole book and I could have ended this series with that chapter and been none the wiser!•The humor in this book is unmatched! I absolutely love how funny some of these scenes are!Cons:•The whole last 100 pages of this book is the biggest con!•The amount of point of views is insane in this series! Also along those lines, no one and I mean no one wants to be in Lionel Acrux’s slimy head!•Not enough Tory and Darius scenes. They deserved better especially after what these authors put them through.•Lavinia’s curse.•Caleb and Seth’s relationshipIf you decide to read this series, please be warned that you are going to cry so much that you will think you’re crazy and so will your family. Do I recommend this series, yes. Do I think you have to be tough to read it, also yes.

Okay, so the writing is rough, the grammar and repeated use of words really bothers me. So much. I have to read lines in a different way all the time.However, the story is captivating and I have torn through these books in the last month wanting to see where it goes and if we are gifted w a satisfying ending.The amount of sex is, well, a lot. I would have stopped reading a few books back if I didn’t like the main story and each of the good characters so much.This book though, it has laughs and tears and action and more tears. I told myself I wouldn’t jump into book 8 right after bc I know there’s only 9 so far and I am assuming there will be 12 based on the Zodiac title, but here I go…

I laughed. I cried. I got rowdy. This book takes you on an emotional roller coaster and I was not prepared for what happened. My heart is broken and I’m mad as I don’t know what. I’m going to finish this series because I need to know that everything works out. But just know I’m going into book 8 mad and furious

I finished this book last night & I was too much of a wreck to write the review at that time. This book had some of the highest of highs, but the last 10 to 20 percent was just brutal, watching all of the characters you've come to adore be smashed on the rocks below that titular Heartless Sky.Before I get deeper into the review, I just have a few words to say about Caroline Peckham & Susanne Valenti. Aside from their obvious sadistic tendencies towards their characters (& therefore our hearts!) & the psychopathic apathy towards their readers' pain (just kidding ... Sort of.... 🤔), these two ladies are absolutely EPIC writers. The world of Solaria is that rarest of gems for readers: a truly original, fully emersive world filled with vividly drawn, relatably flawed characters undertaking the most amazing of adventures. SO much more than just a simple Academy romance. I love these gals, they are so worth the pain they put me through!BE WARNED: FROM THIS POINT FORWARD THERE WILL PROBABLY BE SPOILERS.So, the end of the previous book was pretty grim, & Heartless Sky picks up right where it left off. What follows is about 4\5ths of the book watching things (for the most part) go right for our heroes for once. There were so many of CP & SV's signature hilarious events. It was freaking amazing to see Darius & Tory finally be able to be together & love each other with all of their beings, the way they were always meant to. Not to mention how incredibly rewarding it was, after ALL the hell they've been through, to see Darcy & Orion finally get their divine moment & Orions' power shaming to end. Xavier finally got the best dijazzle & the Dom position in the herd. Kitty & Hamish were so lovely. Caleb & Orion's accidental brotherhood was an unexpected pleasure as well. If only Seth could get his shit figured out & tell Caleb how he feels... especially now that it seems Caleb feels the same way.As always, the book was a great read, but with all of the positivity & beginnings of HEAs, I have read enough of these diabolical ladies' other works to realize it was all way too good to be true. Only this time, instead of sprinkling unbelievable atrocities throughout the book at every turn, CP & SV saved all of the despair, horror, heartache & hopelessness for the final 5th or so if the story. I don't think I have ever read a book during which I cried quite so much. I can't even list all of the times that I had to put my phone down & just let the sobs stop so my eyes would be dry enough to start reading again. Waiting for the final book is going to be a bloody torture, & there are so many hurdles for our beloved Heirs, Vegas, & crew to overcome before we will receive the pleasure of reading the HEA endings these poor, beloved yet beleaguered characters so desperately deserve.Definitely this is the best book in the series so far (but I've pretty much felt that way after reading every single book leading up to this one as well). I just don't know what will be more painful: the agony of what I just read, or the torture of waiting for the release of book 8 & the story's conclusion! Highly, highly recommended!One final thing! Caroline & Susanne, keep up the good work! And give me more of Solaria! I'm awaiting the next book in Darkmore Penitentiary almost as eagerly as I am ZA8 (how could you do that to Roary, after everything he's been through?!) but I've already read Elise's (& Gabriel's & Leon's & Ryder's & Dante's) story. And I would be so sad if this is all we ever get to see of this amazing magical world!!

The detail and world are fascinating but this book drags so long. While there are many happy moments it culminates into what has become a predictable end. All the happy gets torn away by a constant barrage of bad, leaving a hopeless feeling again. Honestly I'm struggling to finish the series and have begun skimming the pages as it's just becoming a trial to continue it.What was a awesomely written, attention stealing story has become so drawn out and ragged, the predictable nature of the it has left a bad taste behind. Here's hoping it gets better, but I'm not expecting much.,

The book is good and the spice is great but it’s just constantly so much loss for the main characters. There is never any hope at the end of the book and barely any hope in them. I read spoilers constantly because my heart can’t take the constant loss. I’m so thankful I am going to this series late and can find the answers rather than having to wait.