Restless Stars is the ninth and final novel in the Zodiac Academy series by Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti. The first book in the series, The Awakening, was self-published in 2020 and became a phenomenon on BookTok, a popular literary community on TikTok. Upon its success, the novel and successive series entries were later distributed by Simon & Schuster. Beyond the novels, including Ruthless Fae and Sorrow and Starlight (the book that precedes Restless Stars), the series also features six novellas and short stories that expand on elements of the main series.

Solaria, the kingdom featured in the series, is populated by the Fae, who have magical powers, and the Nymphs, who are ostracized and hunted by the Fae because they steal Fae powers. The Zodiac Academy universe has a magic system derived from Western astrology and the four elements of air, water, fire, and earth, which determine the characters’ powers and social standing. In addition, the Fae belong to Orders that are determined when they Awaken, many of which include shape-shifting capabilities, like Dragon, Wolf, and Cerberus. These Orders also determine a level of connection between those of the same Order, and often result in packs, herds, or covens that develop alongside other personal relationships.

Restless Stars concludes the overarching narrative established in the series’s first book, The Awakening, which introduced the magical world of Solaria and its central conflict. The series follows the journey of twin Fae princesses, Tory and Darcy Vega, who were raised in the mortal realm, unaware of their royal heritage and powerful Phoenix abilities. Upon their arrival at the titular academy, they enter a struggle to reclaim their throne from the tyrannical Dragon Shifter, Lionel Acrux, who usurped power after murdering their parents. At the Academy, Darcy and Tory are confronted by the Heirs, four Fae boys (Darius, Seth, Caleb, and Max) whose parents formed the Celestial Council after the death of Tory and Darcy’s parents. They are destined to assume power as a part of their lineage and are reluctant to give it up to the newly returned princesses. Over the course of the series, Darcy and Tory struggle to learn about their powers and their family’s legacy, and face the bullying and abuse of the Heirs. However, as the true conflict becomes clearer, the twins and the Heirs ally to face down Lionel Acrux and bring his rule to an end.

The series is part of a larger interconnected universe that includes the Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac and Darkmore Penitentiary series, all set within the same world and featuring some overlapping characters. Much like other expansive modern fantasy sagas, such as Sarah J. Maas’s interconnected Crescent City and A Court of Thorns and Roses series, the Zodiac Academy series relies on extensive world-building and long-running character arcs. Restless Stars serves as the culmination of these arcs, resolving the primary conflict between the Vega twins and Lionel Acrux while exploring themes of destiny, found family, and the balance between light and darkness.