The Zodiac Academy series begins when Professor Lance Orion retrieves twin sisters, Tory and Darcy Vega, from the human realm and brings them to the magical kingdom of Solaria. He reveals that Tory and Darcy are Fae (a magical species) and the daughters of the late King of Solaria, Hail Vega. During King Hail’s reign, he was served by four Celestial Councillors (one of whom was Lionel Acrux). When Hail died, there were no apparent heirs to the throne because the princesses had vanished (it is eventually revealed that Lionel murdered King Hail and hid the twins). 

The Councillors ruled Solaria as a council oligarchy and raised their firstborn children to be the “Celestial Heirs.” The return of Darcy and Tory thus significantly disrupts the power structure within the kingdom and initially renders them the enemies of the Heirs. Darius cruelly bullies Tory. Darcy and Tory do make some genuine friends, including Geraldine and Diego (who is later revealed to be a Nymph, and who is referenced in Fated Throne). 

Darius and Lance Orion have a close-knit relationship, cemented by their magical Guardian Bond. Long before the full extent of Lionel’s treachery is revealed, Darius hates and resents his father. All Fae are members of an Order, which is what determines what specific powers they possess and what shape they can shift into. When Xavier learns that he is a Pegasus (whereas other members of the Acrux family, including Darius, are Dragons), Lionel cruelly taunts and abuses his younger son. The emotional trauma of these family dynamics is reflected in some of the central conflicts of Fated Throne. The mystery surrounding Clara Orion begins to develop in Ruthless Fae (the second book in the series). Clara has mysteriously vanished and Lance Orion (her brother) begins to suspect that his mother, Stella (who is Lionel’s mistress) and Lionel were involved. 

In The Reckoning (the third book of the series), the twins learn that they belong to the Phoenix Order, which is extremely rare and confirms their immense magical power. In the same book, Lionel (with assistance from Stella) enacts a powerful dark magic ritual, granting him access to the Fifth Element, the power of shadows. (shadows and shadow magic are frequently referenced in Fated Throne). The fallout of this ritual also leaves Darcy, Tory, Orion, and Darius with “shadows” (a form of dark magic), explaining comments from characters about attempts to “burn out” shadows. In The Shadow Princess (the fourth book of the series), Lance Orion helps Darius and the twins learn to control their shadow magic. In this same book, the twins also meet their half-brother, Gabriel Nox, who is a powerful Seer and a professor at the Academy (and who appears as a significant character in Fated Throne). Meanwhile, Darcy falls in love with Lance Orion, while Tory and Darius experience an “enemies to lovers” dynamic.

Events in The Shadow Princess and Cursed Fates (the fifth book in the series) lay crucial groundwork for the events in Fated Throne. In The Shadow Princess, Orion learns that his sister Clara is not dead but rather trapped in the magical Shadow Realm (their mother, Stella, and Lionel previously tried to use Clara in a ritual to access shadow magic and trapped her there by accident). Using magic, Orion and Darcy successfully bring Clara back from the Shadow Realm. However, she returns in a corrupted and violent state. Consumed by shadow magic, Clara reunites with Lionel Acrux, becoming his lover and ally (and displacing her mother, Stella, from the role of his mistress). Clara was Guardian-bonded to Lionel before her disappearance and serves him loyally. 

Meanwhile, Darius has revealed to Tory that she is his Elysian Mate (his one true, fated love). However, she is unable to forgive his past cruelty and rejects him. This rejection enacts the curse of transforming them into Star-Crossed lovers (fated mates who have missed their chance to be together), marking their eyes with permanent black rings and cursing them never to love or be loved by anyone else. The black rings on their eyes is a detail referenced in Fated Thrones (these rings disappear at the end of the novel when Darius ends the curse).

When Darcy and Orion’s relationship is revealed, he is arrested and put on trial for behaving inappropriately with a student. He pleads guilty, falsely claiming he used magical coercion on Darcy. He is sentenced to 25 years in Darkmore Penitentiary and stripped of his position. His sacrifice ensures Darcy is seen as a victim rather than a willing participant, protecting her claim to the throne; when she tries to visit him in prison, he rejects her (leading to the pain and mistrust that dominates their emotional dynamic in Fated Thrones). 

The twins and the Heirs learn that Lionel is close to finding the Imperial Star, a legendary artifact said to grant its possessor invulnerability to magical attacks. Gabriel receives a vision confirming that if Lionel finds the star, he will seize the throne and plunge Solaria into darkness. The group has three weeks to find it first. Before they can do so, Lionel and Clara capture Tory and begin administering Order Suppressant, which prevents Tory from accessing her Phoenix powers. Diego’s Nymph identity is revealed, and he dies while protecting the twins and their allies. Lionel performs a Guardian Bonding ritual on Tory against her will, magically compelling her to defend him (this magical bond is present between them throughout Fated Throne). To save Darcy and the Heirs from Lionel's Nymph army, Tory bargains herself: She will surrender to Lionel in exchange for their freedom.