This was all over social media so that is why I wanted to read it. It looked so intriguing and the rave reviews from everyone was definitely a reason why I wanted to read this. I was really intrigued with the dark academia vibe since I really enjoy books with magic schools included and this was no exception. I liked the competition in this book and the multiple POVs where really interesting and that you don't know who can be trusted and who will make it through.

Thanks to Tor and Netgalley for the complimentary copy of this book in e-book form. All opinions in this review are my own.

I want to be neutral on this because this book was SO popular on booktok for so long and it was so hyped up, I felt like I had to love this book and when I read it I just felt a bit disappointed. It's a really good book, I liked it, the plot the characters their relationships and competition; I guess I just had such high expectations for this book which is why maybe I felt it wasn't as good as I thought it would be? I don't know how to explain it. I'm giving it 4 stars because it is truly a good book and deserves good reviews, just try to go into it without any expectations.

Steamy and smart, twisty and magical, The Atlas Six had me hooked every time a new character walked onto the page. With secret societies, personalities that are bound to clash, and high stakes there was bound to be a little drama and I never knew for sure where this book would take me. Loved it, even when I wasn't as smart as the characters!

This started off extremely slow and I just couldn't get into it. It definitely has potential. I wanted to experience more of the magic and very little description of the setting.

I feel this book was overhyped and much longer than necessary. None of the characters are at all likeable, all just coming out with utter rubbish that doesn't really have any meaning, though its supposed to be deep and meaningful. A chore to read.

I didn't know what to expect of this when I went into it aside from Dark Academia vibes. It was a weird one for me - part of me was invested and sucked in. The other found it pretentious and didn't care which made it interesting to read as it took me longer than I'd have expected.
Overall, this book definitely has it's audience but not me

This is a great example of the pros and cons of #BookTok. While the book itself wasn't bad or unenjoyable, there was just something about this that I'm not clicking with. When I tried to read this, I had to FORCE myself to read. Not something I enjoy, so I will not be continuing with the series.

6 are selected and no one knows why or where they are going. They are given a chance to change their lives, as they hover at the precipice of adulthood. What magic do they bring to the group, and will it be used to help or harm.

TLDR:

The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake is a Fantasy novel that went viral on TikTok. The book was originally published independently but was recently purchased by Tor Books to be revised and edited with additional content.

Notable elements:

- Secret Societies
- Dark Academia
- Mind Games
- Time & Space

What I liked:

- Strategic Alliances — If you like the show Survivor, you’ll love this book. The six initiates engage in a similar style of strategic side-conversations in the spirit of self-preservation. Some characters are severely underestimated while others are assumed obvious threats, but are their assessments correct? If not, what might their misjudgments cost them?
- “Knowledge is Carnage” — The cutthroat nature of the candidates as they seek admission into the Alexandrian Society is deliciously addictive. I clung to the edge of my seat as I witnessed just how far each initiate is willing to go for this once-in-a-lifetime opportunity.

Reminds me of:

- All of Us Villains by Amanda Foody and Christine Lynn Herman
- Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo

Content warnings:

- Suicide, Death, Murder, Infidelity, Sexual Coercion

Final thoughts:

I devoured The Atlas Six, but my interest faltered briefly around the 25% mark. Fortunately, at the 50% mark, the spark was reignited, and it propelled me to the finish. This book is engrossing and imaginative, and I’m so glad TikTok gave it the attention it deserves.

Boring, pretentious writing. Boring annoying characters. I kept rolling my eyes. Hard to get into. I didn’t like any of the characters. DNF.

Always a fan of dark academia novels and especially novels with multiple POVs. I really enjoyed the concept of the competition in this book and the different abilities each character had and how they worked alongside each other. My favorite POVs were Libby and Nico. My least favorite were Tristan and Callum. There was quite a few filler chapters of the characters mainly just interacting. I wish there were more action scenes but I will definitely pick up the second to see where the story goes.

I wanted to like this book so much. The premise was fascinating but I just couldn't find a character to root for. When there's multiple protagonists and I can't find a single one to root for (not necessarily like) it's a no for me. I ended up dnf-ing this one about 40% of the way through.

This book was SO HYPED UP on bookstagram, even before the official release, and it made me so excited to receive an ARC! Unfortunately this just wasn’t for me. I’m glad there are so many out there who love this book, but as this is my second dark academia book, I’m thinking it may just not be my style.

The characters all hated each other which I thought would be interesting (I guess I was expecting more zodiac academy vibes which I LOVE) but they all ended up being a bit annoying and I couldn’t relate to any of them.

I’m sad this didn’t work out for me. The cover is absolutely beautiful, but I’ll skip the next dark academia book.

Thank you so much for the arc!

Thanks to NetGalley for the advanced reader copy.

DNF. Unfortunately this book wasn’t my cup of tea. Not what I was expecting considering the social media interest in this during pre-release. I think it caters to a small niche of readers but lacks a substantial plot and engaging characters for wider popularity.

This book was so intriguing! I loved all the nerd talk and the discussion on time travel. It was a great pallet cleanser from the normal high fantasy that I read. Parisa was a top character for me, which might be controversial BUT she was Persian who flips between French and Farsi. As someone who grew up in a home with those languages, I was easily drawn to her.

I am completely team Libby and Nico but also team Libby and Tristian. I love them all and loved their characters. It is important to note that this book is extremely character driven. There is quite literally next to no plot. Honestly nothing really happened until the last 30 pages. That was where it was disappointing to me. I am hoping book two has more plot. What was revealed in the last few chapters I was not expecting. I really enjoyed this section of the book.

Sequels are hard. You have to win back the audience that was captivated with the first book and keep them coming on their toes. The sequel gives you time to spend fleshing out relationships and characters - to give them more dimension and to make them come alive for the reader again.

Blake’s <i>The Atlas Paradox</i> did not do any of those things. The first half of the novel literally read like stereo instructions. I was <b>so. bored. </b> The characters, who learn a bit more about {thanks to a stunt that literally served no purpose}, suddenly are all flat and boring. Their individual storylines are for lack of a better term - uninspired and boring. Time has no bearing (in one plane!) and MONTHS go by in the blink of an eye. Most of what happens in the first 60% of the novel had no bearing on the rest if the novel - at all.

Now, the book <b>finally</b> picks up its snails pace and the action is in FULL swing. For the last 10 percent. To end with a haltingly fast moment that literally felt like a scene from "Back to the Future".

I was so psyched going into this, it sounded incredibly exciting and mysterious, and the characters seemed so intriguing. Sadly, I was a little disappointed. The reason this book ended up being a 3-star read for me was mostly the lack of drive it had. The plot felt very weak and the characters were good at talking and not very good at doing, which made for a very little engaging or compelling story. Indeed, the mystery it was supposed to contain evaded me for most of the story. It wasn’t bad enough to make me want to stop reading, but it didn’t provide any encouragement to keep reading either.

The writing was also full of telling instead of showing, which I despise in books. I want to experience for myself how powerful and magical these characters are, instead it just kept being stated that they were. There was a distinct lack of action to this story, and it was mostly filled with deep thoughts about life and the human condition. The characters were also very arrogant and difficult to grasp, because while it was stated that they all had good reasons to want to be initiated into the Society, some of them never actually showed us this reason. I understand that this book lays the groundwork for the next two books in the series, but I still wished it stood a little stronger on its own.

When it comes to the things I did like, I wanna mention both the moral grayness of the characters and the ending of the book. I loved how complex the characters were in that none of them are truly good or bad, they are all in the gray-zone of morality. I also think the ending definitely made the book a lot more exciting! It gave a much-needed lift to the pace and the action. It made me hungry for the sequel, which means it did its job well! So all in all, this book was disappointing mostly due to the high level of praise and hype it had received, when indeed it felt more like a long prequel to whatever action is to come in book two. I still recommend it to those interested in the story, it is worth the read! But if you’re looking for a mindblowing experience, this might not be it.

I really liked this book. I think that it was the perfect mix of fantasy and sci-fi which is always great when it comes to an adult audience. There was also quite a bit of theology involved which quite tickled my grey cells. I also really liked how the characters were people from across different age groups and as such the dynamics and the way they communicated with each other was just plain interacted was really fun to read. Apart from the variety in their age groups these people essentially all came from different backgrounds; some of them were working insidiously whereas some were students who have just recently graduated. Some have given up conventional or expected careers or ways of living and are instead just living and enjoying life according to their own terms. It was really interesting to see the difference in their live, in relation to sociological aspects as well. Lastly, what I think has done really well was how the author made sure to make the characters very realistic, that is, they were all very multilayered and complex and unlikable as well, which is really interesting. Overall I really enjoyed this book and I do recommend you pick it up and give it a try for yourself

Six people are thrown together for an opportunity they cannot pass up - the chance to live and study at the mythical Alexandrian Library. However, only the best may stay and there are more secrets than they know..

I love a good multiple POV, especially when you get fixated on one character. Callum never grew on me, but the others definitely did. I kept switching ‘ships to the point where I ship them all now.

Libby is the “average” one, overlooked and anxious. How many of us see themselves in her, despite how annoying she is? Nico - the loyal friend. Callum - the rich boy. Reina - the broody one. And the mysterious Tristan and Parisa.

Some complain about the lack of “anything happening” in this one, but I feel that’s the point. This book focuses on its character interactions and the reflections of everyone. It showcases people growing in a new environment and the way people mesh themselves into each others’ lives.

The ending was a bit predictable once it got going, but I’m still here for it. I can’t wait to see what book 2 brings.

I get the hype for this book- I do quite like Olivie Blake. She’s a skilled writer and young readers love her books. This didn’t quite do it for me, however. I couldn’t really get into the story!