Zodiac Academy: The Awakening

Darcy is a protagonist of the novel. She and Tory share green eyes the exact same shade, “like everything about [them]. Bronzed skin, [their] lips full and wide. [They] [a]re a mirror version of each other” (12). Though she is identical to Tory, Darcy’s midnight-blue tips on her ebony hair set her apart. Darcy is softer and more sensitive than Tory and has diplomatic and sociable skills that Tory lacks.

Despite Darcy’s softer nature, she isn’t afraid to defend herself or her loved ones. Darcy’s past of unstable foster homes and an ex-boyfriend who used her for sex facilitated a distrust of others. The midnight-blue tips of her hair serve as a self-reminder to not trust easily or act naïvely. Her empathetic, loyal nature presents a challenge, as Darcy is inclined to see the best in people and help anyone in distress.

Though Darcy’s character remains relatively static, she experiences a short negative arc at the end of the novel, alongside Tory. Just as they start to believe that they may fit in at Zodiac Academy, the Celestial Heirs break their spirits by turning their greatest fears against them. The twins’ confidence and perseverance against daily bullying are stamped out, but they are foreshadowed as being restored in later installments in the series.