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!!

Freaking freak freak freak…fill that in with your own curse words. I’m getting seriously depressed about this stinking series. It doesn’t make any sense. How is it possible for the bad guy to always get one up on the good guys. Aren’t the hero’s always supposed toto prevail?!!!! Not in this universe 😭. It’s just curse after curse with a sprinkle of death. The authors are out to torture us with unspeakable military levels of torture. Honestly, there were two deaths that had me sobbing like a little baby. I don’t know if I will recover. On a brighter note, the first half to three quarters of the book has the whole gang together plus Xavier. They get up to nonsense and have fun for a little while. Xavier’s story line is so great. I love him so much. His extreme dijazzle and untimely reveal is amazingly hilarious. Tory and Darius get to be together. Lance and Darcy get to be together. And then the bomb drops and the devastation occurs. No one survives unscathed. In fact I think only one person really survives at all. (See my frustration in the previous paragraph.) I hope the starts are ripped from the heavens while Tory laughs maniacally at them with darkness in her eyes. Will this book end with a world in shambles and every character heartbroken?! 😭 Please tell me that the dastardly dragoon will not thwart the efforts of the true queen and their loyal A.S.S. Members! Oh my stars, I cannot take the heart ache.

I've been on a Caroline & Susanne (We'll call them the Twisted Sisters, TS for short) binge for about two months now. I have read the entirety of Zodiac Academy, Ruthless Boys of the Zodiac, and the Harlequin Crew. This is BY FAR my favorite of them all. Let's get into it. SOME MINOR SPOILERS AHEAD-NOTHING MAJOR TO THE STORY . . . . . . . It was the best times, and it was the worst times. And I am a glutton for punishment. SO many amazing moments happened among the Vega Twins and the Heirs. The bond they have all developed over the last 7 books is so beautiful. The character crossovers from Ruthless Boys were some of my favorite moments. If you haven't read RB I highly suggest taking the time to read it before reading Heartless Sky, if you can wait that long. Seth and Caleb have my whole heart but they need to JUST TALK TO EACH OTHER. Tory and Darius went through so much and I hope they get the chance to be together in the end of it all. They deserve it so much. Lance and Darcy's relationship grew so beautifully as well, but Lance at the end was a stupid, careless, individual who says he will do anything to protect Darcy, then intentionally puts himself in danger, knowing she would HATE IT. UGH. On to the next..Geraldine is the most loyal and supportive friend and the Twins deserve more of those. Her theatrics can be a little *much* at times but I know that's the point and I love it. I hope she can swallow some pride and realize her mother would want her to be happy even if it meant breaking her word. Getting to know more about Xavier was also one of my favorite parts of the whole series. He is seriously so sweet and funny and his timing is always so poor, it's hilarious. One of my favorite scenes in the whole book was when Lionel was humiliated on national television thanks to Dante and the rest of the RB harem. That was PURE GOLD. Enough about the characters, onto the plot (no spoilers)... When I say I'm a glutton for punishment, I mean it. and the TS really know how to deliver. If you want to laugh your head off, soothe your soul, scream into the void, cry like a blubbering baby, and blush like a schoolgirl, this book is for you. Buyer beware, the cliffhanger is HARD to get through. There is hope for a bright ending, but the path to get there will make you question your sanity. I love you, Caroline and Susanne. You've made it to the top of my favorite authors list and I cannot wait to read every single book you've even written and will write.