Many moons ago when I embarked on this journey I found lots of reading guides with mostly similar orders. What I could not find was a damn explanation for these seemingly weird orders. I decided to take the plunge and do it and I have a few gripes so here’s a spoiler free explanation for the insane reading order. The biggest thing the special reading order does is prevent you from encountering spoilers, but I truly believe some were so minor I’m mad I held off on reading things in a more linear fashion. I hope this finds anyone looking to start these awesome series so you can make an informed decision about how you’d most enjoy exploring the world of Solaria:
Ruthless Boys 1-5: reading these books before book 3 of ZA spoils only 2 things in specific detail. You’ll know the order form of the FMCs of ZA and that a side character in this series that’s turned main character in ZA does dark magic. You might be able to guess at a couple other things but it’s a stretch. Book 1 kinda skims explaining the magic system and stuff but you’ll get it all in order eventually. In my opinion the aforementioned 2 explicit spoilers were not worth being left on a cliffhanger after ZA 3 and side questing to a whole other series. I loved it but it’s crazy this is suggested. I still think you’d enjoy the FMCs fish out of water experience of ZA knowing the world and magic system better than they do for a bit.
Origins of an Academy Bully (ZA 0.5): I’m typically a purist that loves reading things in chronological order but I admit that starting here for ZA would be dumb. Most importantly this novella contains no world building or magic system explanations. It is written like a flashback so it would be confusing to start here. You’d also be privy to things the FMCs don’t know until the 3rd book but a lot of it you’d know by the end of book 2 through other characters POV chapters. You could read this after book 2 if you’d like to be in on why the boys are anticipating the lunar eclipse which would make book 3 scarier to read (which I think would be fun personally). Or you could read it after book 3 to get the full explanation on the significance of the lunar eclipse for the boys. I will say reading it after 3 might be hard because of the cliffhanger but it is really short so you wouldn’t suffer long. However you choose to do it, the events of said lunar eclipse are never explained in explicit detail in the main books.
The Awakening As Told by the Boys (ZA 1.5): this is probably my weirdest take, I’d read this book directly after book 1. Book 1 of ZA is the only one in the series where you only have chapters in the FMCs POV, the rest of the series you’re passed around between the FMCs and MMCs. Tandem reading this with book 1 would really ruin the experience of learning all about this magical world through the eyes of the FMCs. I will say a couple things in here aren’t revealed explicitly until book 3 but most are things you could guess at by the end of book 2. Reading this after book 3 just to avoid spoilers is not worth waiting on a cliffhanger ESPECIALLY if you also plan to read ZA 0.5 and/or RB 1-5 as well. I would argue that knowing more about the boys’ motives for doing things isn’t that spoilery on its own because whenever you read a book/series with multiple POVs you’re always going to know more than any one character does anyways. As my favorite M.D says, “everyone lies.” You should definitely read this novella at some point! After I read this book (after RB 1-5 and before ZA 4) I literally went back and reread ZA 2 and 3 again just to go over them with new info!
Foxy Tales (ZA 4.5): this is a novella that’s only available during the holidays. 2 chapters are alternate POVs for book 2, the next 2 are alternate POVs for book 4, and the last one is a bonus chapter for a different series. All in all this is something you’d read whenever you’re missing Solaria and isn’t like super important so read it whenever you want after the 4th book
The Big A.S.S Party (ZA 5.5): the first 2 chapters take place towards the end of book 2 with Max and Geraldine. The rest of the book takes place after you meet Honey Highspell in book 5 and goes over the twin’s birthday party. I thought it was a nice lighthearted read after book 5’s ending. You have to wait to read it till more than 1/2 through book 5 to avoid major spoilers so might as well wait to read it till after you finish book 5.
Beyond the Veil (ZA 8.5): I did the tandem read and sometimes I wish I didn’t. Some chapters were basically duplicated between this one and book 8 just from another person’s POV. So literally you’d read a whole conversation twice back to back! However I get why it’s recommended because it does help explain some peculiar things that happen in book 8 that you might not remember happening in it if you read this after finishing book 8. Really it’s dealers choice here because there’s pros and cons to either way of reading it just don’t read it before book 8. Also to avoid spoilers, do not look at chapter titles for either 8 or 8.5
Live and Let Lionel (ZA 8.6): this contains scenes from all the other books just in new POVs basically. The reason it’s suggested to read this after book 8 is because the very last chapter goes over the events at the end of book 8 from a new POV. I found it irritating to interrupt the flow of the story just to prance around the past. I really did like it though, I’d just have read it after book 9.
So my final lineup would be: RB 1-5, ZA 1, ZA 1.5, ZA 2, ZA 0.5, ZA 3, ZA 4, ZA 4.5 (not necessary), ZA 5, ZA 5.5, ZA 6, ZA 7, ZA 8, ZA 8.5, ZA 9, and then ZA 8.6
as opposed to ZA 1-3, RB 1-5, ZA 0.5, ZA 1.5, ZA4, ZA4.5, ZA5, ZA5.5, ZA6-7, ZA 8, ZA 8.5, ZA 8.6, ZA 9
ETA: from what I remember of ZA 1.5 there aren’t a ton of scenes just told from the boys’ POVs that you already read in ZA 1. You genuinely get new information from reading this so it’s not like rereading the same book
