Where to Start with Caroline Peckham
Caroline Peckham is best known for her high-stakes, emotional, and intensely romantic series co-authored with her sister, Susanne Valenti (together known to fans as the "Twisted Sisters"). Because many of her series are set in shared universes with complex timelines, choosing where to start can be daunting. Readers generally begin with one of two flagship entry points depending on their preferred genre:
- For Fantasy and Romantasy: Start with Zodiac Academy: The Awakening. This is the ultimate gateway into Solaria, Peckham's most famous and sprawling fantasy setting. Since the main characters enter this magical realm as outsiders, you learn the rules of Solaria's magic, Fae hierarchy, and houses alongside them.
- For Dark Contemporary Romance: Start with Kings of Quarantine, the first book in the Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep series. This series kicks off the contemporary "United States of Anarchy" universe and introduces the authors' signature reverse harem romance and high-drama style.
The Solaria Universe Reading Order
The Solaria universe consists of four interconnected series: Zodiac Academy, Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, Darkmore Penitentiary, and the spin-off Sins of the Zodiac. While the authors designed each series to stand on its own, reading them in chronological order allows you to spot character crossovers, cameos, and Easter eggs as they happen.
Option 1: The Chronological "Full Chaos" Order (Recommended)
This order follows the timeline of Solaria from past to present, giving you the complete picture of the lore and relationships as they develop:
- Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac: Read books 1 to 5 (Dark Fae, Savage Fae, Vicious Fae, Broken Fae, Warrior Fae). This series is set five years before the events of Zodiac Academy and follows the gritty underbelly of Solaria's gang wars.
- Zodiac Academy: Origins of an Academy Bully: This prequel novella is best read after finishing the Ruthless Boys series but before starting the main Zodiac Academy books.
- Zodiac Academy (Books 1–5): Read from The Awakening through Cursed Fates.
- The Big A.S.S. Party: A fun holiday novella set during the events of the main series.
- Zodiac Academy (Books 6–9+): Continue reading Fated Throne, Night, Heartless Sky, Sorrow and Starlight, Beyond the Veil, Live And Let Lionel, and Restless Stars.
- The Awakening As Told By the Boys: An alternate perspective of the first book, best read after book 6 to avoid early spoilers while getting fresh context.
- Darkmore Penitentiary: Read books 1 to 4 (Caged Wolf, Alpha Wolf, Feral Wolf, Wild Wolf). This series is set five years after the start of Zodiac Academy.
- Sins of the Zodiac: Read Never Keep (and subsequent releases), which follows a villainous storyline set after the main events of Zodiac Academy.
Option 2: The "Zodiac Academy First" Path
If you prefer to focus strictly on the main storyline of the Vega twins before branching out, you can start directly with Zodiac Academy 1: The Awakening and read through the main series first. Many readers choose to pause after Book 3 (The Reckoning) or Book 5 (Cursed Fates) to read the 5-book Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac series. This provides valuable context on characters who cross over into the later books of the main series.
The United States of Anarchy Universe
For readers who prefer contemporary dark romance over fantasy, Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti created the "United States of Anarchy" universe. The series in this contemporary setting overlap in timeline and characters, making a specific order highly recommended to avoid major spoilers:
- Brutal Boys of Everlake Prep (Books 1–4): Start with Kings of Quarantine, followed by Kings of Lockdown, Kings of Anarchy, and Queen of Quarantine. This forms the foundation of the contemporary universe.
- Dead Men Walking Duet: Read The Death Club and Society of Psychos. The timeline of this duet begins during the events of Kings of Anarchy and runs parallel to the end of the Everlake Prep series, introducing key characters who will cross over next.
- The Harlequin Crew (Books 1–6): Start with the prequel novella Devil's Pass, then read Sinners' Playground, Dead Man's Isle, Carnival Hill, Paradise Lagoon, and Gallows Bridge. This series is set chronologically after both Everlake Prep and Dead Men Walking and contains major spoilers for both if read out of order.
- Boys of Sinners Bay: Read Beautiful Carnage and Beautiful Savage. This series features dark standalone mafia romances following the Romero brothers in the same contemporary universe.
Other Fantasy, Sci-Fi, and Vampire Series
Beyond Solaria and the United States of Anarchy, Peckham has written several standalone series and collaborative projects:
The V Games (Vampire Games)
This post-apocalyptic vampire series is structured in "seasons" following different couples, though they share the same world and timeline:
- Prequel: A Game of Vampires
- Season 1 (Selena and Varick's Story): V Games, V Games: Fresh From The Grave, V Games: Dead Before Dawn
- Season 2 (Cass and Jameson's Story): Wolf Games, Wolf Games: Island of Shade, Wolf Games: Severed Fates
- Season 3: Hunter Trials
Age of Vampires
A post-apocalyptic dark fantasy series co-authored with Susanne Valenti. It should be read in straightforward publication order: Eternal Reign, Eternal Shade (also published as Immortal Prince), Eternal Curse (also published as Infernal Creatures), Eternal Vow (also published as Wrathful Mortals), Eternal Night (also published as Forsaken Relic), Eternal Storm (also published as Ravaged Souls), and Eternal Love (also published as Devious Gods).
A Game of Malice and Greed
A dark fairy-tale retelling series featuring Fae, gods, and palace intrigue. The reading order is: A Kingdom of Gods and Ruin (prequel novella) followed by A Game of Malice and Greed.
Forbidden Fairytales
A completed dark fantasy trilogy containing: Kingdom of Thieves, Kingdom of Wishes, and Kingdom of Shadows.
The Rise of Isaac
Caroline Peckham's solo debut YA fantasy series. Read in order: Creeping Shadow, Bleeding Snow, Turning Tide, Weeping Sky, and Failing Light.
Clarification on the Mafia Wars Collaborative Series
While the Mafia Wars series features multiple books by different authors, Caroline Peckham and Susanne Valenti only wrote Book 5, Forget-Me-Not Bombshell. It is a standalone reverse harem mafia romance that can be read completely independently of the rest of the multi-author project.