Review: Zodiac Legacy by Katie Zhao

This sequel was dark, intense, and full of tension. The Descendants are still cursed, still hunted, and the lines between ally and enemy are blurrier than ever. I loved the mix of gothic magic, high-stakes betrayal, and found-family bonds unraveling under pressure.

Evangeline’s journey is messy and emotional—she’s trying to hold everything together while the world around her falls apart. The characters are haunted and complex, and the London setting adds an eerie edge.

If you’re into dark academia, supernatural twists, and stories that ask what power is really worth, this one’s for you.

Zodiac Rising

I enjoyed the first book, though I didn’t love it. I was curious about what would happen next after the ending. I was given Zodiac Rising as an ARC and was excited to dive in and find out what happens next.

I made it to about 55% and just got bored. I found myself skimming more than reading. This book felt like it was geared towards even younger readers than the first one.

I wanted to enjoy this and have enjoyed many YA novels, so it’s not the target audience that causes my issue. This may be a great read for some, but for me, it just wasn’t the right fit.

I gave this 2 stars because the premise is good, the characters are fun, and it did keep my attention to about the 50% mark.

Thank you to NetGalley and Penguin Teen for the opportunity to view this as an ARC. This review and opinions are solely that of my own.

High stakes battle for returning the decendants back to their full power with the fate of the world hanging in the balance. The duology concluded on a good note, but hopefully we could see some more out of the Fae.

This was such a great book! The story was very well written and had great world building. I would highly recommend this book.

I cancelled plans so that I could continue reading this book all in one sitting! Not only is the story still interesting and filled with didn't-see-that-coming twists, The characters get so much more depth and exploration. Redemption for Evangeline!

This was a strong sequel in the Descendants of the Zodiac series, it had that writing style that I've enjoyed from Katie Zhao and the other books from her. It had that element that I was expecting and enjoyed from the first book and from the genre. It uses the Zodiac elements perfectly and was glad it was everything that I enjoyed. The characters were written perfectly and am excited for more.

I thought this was very good and I will have to add this to the shop shelves. Thank you for the chance for us to review.

A quick easy read and wonderful continuation. The storytelling was amazing and kept me hooked the whole time.

The conclusion of the Descendants of the Zodiac duology falls into the style of storytelling started in Zodiac Rising. We expand the world to travel beyond New York to London for part of the story, but keep mostly to the same central characters. The adventure plays out in a way that is perhaps predictable but also an easy read. I overall like the premise of this duology, but the one thought that strikes me about the execution is that the target audience feels to be on the lower side of YA, perhaps leaning toward middle grades. I was left curious by another detail, that though this book is described as the second of a duology, the end seems to leave a hook for a follow up.
I received advanced digital access to this book thru NetGalley (for which I want to thank NetGalley and the publisher, Random House Children's, Random House Books for Young Readers) for an honest review. The opinion expressed here is my own.