Zodiac Academy · 2023
Beyond the VeilSpice level, tropes & is it dark romance?
by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham
Spice 4/5 (Explicit) · Darkness 3/5 (Dark) · 8 trigger warnings flagged · Series: Zodiac Academy, novella 8.5
From Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham, 2023: Beyond the Veil, book 8.5 of Zodiac Academy. Expect academy, romantasy, fae and vampire. We score it spice 4 (explicit) and darkness 3 (dark). The heaviest flags readers report are death, grief, blood. Our scores lean on what readers report, not on a full reread, so treat them as a guide. This note is ours. It is not a publisher blurb.
First published: 2023. Book 8.5 of Zodiac Academy.
Beyond the Veil tropes
On this shelf, Beyond the Veil is filed under Dark academy romance, Dark romantasy, Fae romance and Vampire romance. Each tag opens more books with that trope.
Beyond the Veil spice level
Is Beyond the Veil dark romance?
Yes. Beyond the Veil scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark).
Spice and darkness are separate scores. More dark books. How we rate.
Beyond the Veil trigger warnings
Book-specific flags taken from reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 16 readers), grouped by us. Also on that list: sexual content, death of parent, cursing, injury/injury detail. See the reader-submitted list.
Graphic (3) — open before you read
Open this before you read. These are the flags most likely to be a hard stop.
Moderate (5)
Harm, control, or obsession that is common in this lane.
Minor (0)
Present, and usually not the reason someone puts the book down.
None flagged in this band.
Full Beyond the Veil trigger warnings
Zodiac Academy reading order
Beyond the Veil is a novella (book 8.5) in Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham's Zodiac Academy series. Read it after book 8.
- Book 3 The Reckoning · 2019
- Book 6 Fated Throne · 2020
- Book 8.5 · novella Beyond the Veil (this book) · 2023
Order checked against the StoryGraph Zodiac Academy series page on 13 October 2026. The Zodiac Academy series in order.
Who it's for
Shelf note written for this site. We do not copy reviews or publisher blurbs. Outbound links are search pages, not quoted ratings. Kindle Unlimited and endings are only flagged when we were willing to mark them. How we rate.
Missing a book? Suggest it.
Books like Beyond the Veil
Matched on shared tropes, then the closest spice and darkness scores. Other books in the same series are listed above, not here.
- Blood & Betrayals
Blood & Betrayals
Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark academy romance, Vampire romance
- The Exorcism of Faeries
The Exorcism of Faeries
J.L. Vampa
Spice ●●●○○Dark ●●●●○
Shared: Dark academy romance, Fae romance
- The Coven
The Coven
Harper L. Woods
Spice ●●●●●Dark ●●●●●
Shared: Dark academy romance, Dark romantasy
- Nectar of the Wicked
Nectar of the Wicked
Ella Fields
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Fae romance, Dark romantasy
- The Poison Daughter
The Poison Daughter
Sheila Masterson
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Vampire romance, Dark romantasy
- Viciously Yours
Viciously Yours
Jamie Applegate Hunter
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Fae romance, Dark romantasy
- Amid Clouds and Bones
Amid Clouds and Bones
Ella Fields
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Fae romance, Dark romantasy
- Psycho Shifters
Psycho Shifters
Jasmine Mas
Spice ●●●●○Dark ●●●○○
Shared: Fae romance, Dark romantasy
Books like Beyond the Veil, with a reason for each
Questions readers actually ask
What is the spice level of Beyond the Veil?
Beyond the Veil spice level is 4 of 5 (Explicit). On-page sex, clearly written. Darkness is a separate score: 3 of 5 (Dark).
What are the Beyond the Veil trigger warnings?
Graphic: Death, Grief, Blood. Moderate: Violence, War, Torture, Captivity, Murder. Minor: none flagged. These are book-specific flags reported by readers on reader-submitted content warnings on The StoryGraph (top flag reported by 16 readers), grouped by us. The author's own note may list more. Read it before you start.
Is Beyond the Veil dark romance?
Yes. Beyond the Veil scores 3 of 5 on our darkness scale (Dark). Harm is part of the romance, not a footnote.
What tropes are in Beyond the Veil?
On this shelf Beyond the Veil is filed under Dark academy romance, Dark romantasy, Fae romance and Vampire romance.
Who is Beyond the Veil for?
For a reader who wants academy and romantasy with explicit spice. Look at the warnings before you commit. Start earlier in Zodiac Academy if you can.
What are some books like Beyond the Veil?
Matched on shared tropes and similar spice and darkness: Blood & Betrayals by Jeanette Rose, Alexis Rune; The Exorcism of Faeries by J.L. Vampa; The Coven by Harper L. Woods; Nectar of the Wicked by Ella Fields; The Poison Daughter by Sheila Masterson; Viciously Yours by Jamie Applegate Hunter. More read-alikes, each with a reason, are on zademasked.com/like/beyond-the-veil.
Is Beyond the Veil a standalone?
No. Beyond the Veil is a novella (book 8.5) in the Zodiac Academy series by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham. The series starts with The Reckoning.
What order should I read the Zodiac Academy series in?
3. The Reckoning; 6. Fated Throne; 8.5. Beyond the Veil (novella).
How many books are in the Zodiac Academy series?
The Zodiac Academy series by Susanne Valenti, Caroline Peckham has 2 main books, plus 1 novella or bonus story.
What is the Beyond the Veil age rating?
We'd say 18+. Spice sits at 4/5 (explicit) and darkness at 3/5 (dark). That's our recommendation, not an official rating, so read the trigger warnings as well.
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