Did the hype ruin this for me? Perhaps.
I was really interested in reading this after hearing so many thoughts on it, both good and bad. I've recently got into Dark Academia too so it was ticking all the right boxes. I enjoyed the beginning of this and how each character was introduced. They were all very different from each other and each had a unique voice despite there being many of them. The setting itself was really great too and I was excited about finding out more of its secrets.
Which leads me to why this let me down. I didn't discover anything. Their was very little plot, a beginning, a fight scene and then the ending were the only times when the pace changed. I love a slow burn so that wouldn't of bothered me if it wasn't for the fact that the rest of the time it was simply the characters talking! It felt like an episode of Downton Abby where they are all sat together slagging each other off and talking about interesting things but not doing those things. This lead me to just get sick of the characters and wasn't interested any more. So perhaps if I hadn't gone in knowing all the hype, I might of just given it a three star instead of a two because I was expecting a new favourite book.

A dark Academia novel that stretches both the imagination and the brain.
I have to admit to finding some of this book hard to understand. The in-depth discussions of linear time, alternate spaces and magic theory were dizzying as well as compelling. I so desperately wanted to understand what it was they were working on but I just don't think I'm that smart.
That didn't stop my enjoyment of the book though. And you know it had to be good because there wasn't a single likeable character in the lot. Libby was a bag of irritating neurosis, Nico was a selfish jerk, Parisa was a bitch, Reina didn't really come across as having a personality, Tristain was wet and Callum was a sociopath. Even Dalton and Atlas were unlikeable.
But you couldn't help but be swept away by the glamour and the mystery of it all and want to know what happens to them all, even if that meant your allegiances changing with each new revelation and partnership.
I'm fascinated by the world and the magic system and would highly recommend it to anyone.
I'd put it at the high end of YA due to drug use, sex and language.

I received an advance copy from Prcrow books and Netgalley. I voluntarily leave an honest review.

Unfortunately I’ve had to stop reading this one. I found each point of view character just kept repeating information we’d already been told by someone else. Yes, Libby finds Nico annoying, She said that, repeatedly, for pages and pages, in her point of view section. She also has anxiety and flicks her hair too much or asks too many questions - Nico mentions it, Callum mentions it, Tristan mentions it, Reina mentions it… argh! I got it, No need to keep shoving it down my throat. It’s a shame as the premise is intriguing but I can’t bear to keep reading the same information over and over again.

I apologise my ebook won't open pdf files. If you have an epub version or a mobi version, feel free to email it to me at - justbringbooks@gmail.com

I would love to review this title.

Many thanks,

Jess

‘The Atlas Six’ is a character study of six magicians – or medeians – each competing for a place in a highly secretive and prestigious society. Its a slow and atmospheric read, far more about people than plot – and whilst some might find it tedious and meandering, for those who enjoy psychology, philosophy, and introspective novels such as ‘The Secret History’ or ‘If We Were Villains‘, this is a highly recommended read.

The Alexandrian Society guards the lost knowledge of civilizations, its members consisting of the best magicians in the world. Each decade, six initiates are chosen, each with their own unique magical strength – of which five will be granted membership. The six chosen few must live and study together for a year, where they will have access to untold knowledge – and can either collaborate or compete as they see fit. At the end, they must decide who will be eliminated. As the six players dive into magic no-one has attempted before, advancing the field of human knowledge to untold heights, that shadow always looms over their head – after the year is up, one of them will be gone.

Olivie Blake’s worldbuilding is simple, merely adding magic to the current world with a few twists – but the atmosphere she creates with it is astounding. There are secrets upon secrets, and with illusory magic and magicians who can change how you think and feel, its never clear to either the characters or the reader exactly what’s real or who to trust.

Its the characters, though, which make the novel. They’re all delightfully morally grey – even the ones who seem pure and innocent becoming less so by the end, and those who seem heartless and scheming suggesting they might just have good intentions buried deep. Each brings something different, and its difficult to know who to root for – or against.

The relationships between the characters are complex and ever-changing, none of them fully able to trust the others. Nico and Libby orbit around each other like binary stars – neither really able to live without the other, but neither fully accepting that fact. Reina stands alone, separating herself from the crowd – despite the fact that her powers can never be fully realised in isolation. Parisa can seduce anyone, but while everyone’s secrets are visible to her she keeps her own close. Callum, capable of persuading anyone to do or be anything, is mistrusted by all – except Tristan, whose power is so niche and so difficult to understand he has difficulty believing he should be a part of it. Tristan oscillates between Callum and Parisa like a metronome, clinging to those who can know him because he barely knows himself.

This is the first in an intended series, with a twist at the end that sets up plenty of intriguing directions for a sequel. I’ll be very interested to see how the author continues it – the plot is very much secondary to character and character dynamics here, and striking the balance with characters who already know each other will be exceptionally challenging. By their nature, intimate character studies often work better as standalones, but given the strength of this I’m highly hopeful that Olivie Blake will pull it off.

Overall, ‘The Atlas Six’ is a musing, meandering tale of power, humanity, and the complexities of human psychology against a backdrop of magic and the excusivity of academia. It won’t appeal to everyone, but for those who enjoy morally grey character studies this is a highly recommended read