The Atlas Six- 4.5*

I'm always nervous about reading hyped books, and I'm nervous about Dark Academia as a genre. So you can imagine my trepidation at starting this book. I'm really glad I read it when the hype had died down as I felt I could just read and enjoy rather than be swayed by what everyone else was saying.
I loved this book! I love the magic system, and I love how academia is a main theme, but its not shoving smart stuff in your face and making me feel dumb!

I enjoyed all the characters to various extents- my edition has beautiful illustrations and I think that makes a big difference to my picturing of the characters.
Libby was great, yes she's a bit annoying, but I really like her and her drive to succeed.
Nico I liked, I really enjoyed him and Libby's dynamic
Reina felt a bit underdeveloped, this book is quite short to have 6 fully fleshed out characters, and I think Reina suffered because of this.
Tristan I adored! I want to give him a big cuddle!
Callum I love to hate
Parisa, girl...while I love the sex positivity she shows, I wish that personality was more than just sex. Again, I feel like she was done dirty with not enough development in too short a book.

I'm excited for the sequel- the ending just made me want to read more immediately!

This was such a struggle for me to finish. In theory it should be everything I like, who wouldn't like a magical based hunger games where initiates are invited to join a studious society and investigate whatever they want? Well that's kind of the problem - there's nowhere near enough plot or substance to keep the story going. The characters are either cliches or annoying, but not truly annoying enough to care about. Another reviewer summed it up perfectly - none of the characters are as cool as they think they are. I would agree with that and go further - the whole book isn't as cool as it thinks it is.

Did I love it? did I hate it? I don't know!!
Was it 2827 times more convoluted than it needed to be? Yes!
Will I be continuing the series? YES!

What could have been fantastically fantastical was packaged up in an over wordy elaborate package.

2.5 stars

Every ten years, six talented magicians are hand-picked for the chance to be initiated into the secretive Alexandrian Society.
The Society guards knowledge that cannot be found anywhere else, and offers its members the chance to develop their abilities.
The new candidates include Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, who are physicists able to affect the world around them; Parisa Kamali, a powerful telepath; Reina Mori, a naturalist able to grow and understand plants; Tristan Caine, able to see through illusions; and Callum Nova, an empath with the dangerous power to persuade people to do what he wants.
All six of the candidates were chosen by Atlas Blakely, the Caretaker of the Society. He has given them one year before five of them will be initiated, and one eliminated.
Is the Society all that it seems?
Who will be eliminated?

Having heard a lot of hype around this book, I was very excited to read it. Unfortunately, I ended up being disappointed.
The characters were an interesting mix, with Nico and Reina being my favourites. Their chapters were the ones I looked forward to the most. There weren't any characters that I particularly disliked, but Callum was my least favourite of the main characters.
The abilities of the characters, and the concepts in the book were interesting and unique.
The plot was slow, and for me it felt like not very much actually happened and that the book could have been a lot shorter. I enjoyed the first half of the book a lot more than the second half, which I found rather boring. I even contemplated DNFing the book but kept on reading in the hopes it would pick up.
I think this was an occasion where the writing style just didn't work for me, as it meant the book was very character-focused (which is not necessarily a bad thing) and I struggled to gel with it, not really caring what happened to the characters.
It feels like a bit of a missed opportunity as I liked the concept, but I seem to be in the minority with most readers enjoying this book. I'm disappointed that this didn't live up to my hopes.

Overall, this was a mixed read.

Really enjoyed the world building of this book.
The story wasn’t quite what I was expecting from the blurb but I still really enjoyed it. Looking forward to seeing what comes next!

The writing: Average
Nothing to rave about, nothing to notably criticise either. It was pretty straightforward, simply written. It wasn't anything special but nothing too much to complain about. My only complaint here is the word *ricochet* - this was so overused?? It was used far too many times by various characters. It was so jarringly used too. It did not fit.

The plot: Slow and dragged out.

The story fell pretty flat.
It starts off being intriguing and exciting but not for long. The ideas were solid, the execution not so much. It took so long for anything to happen, that I rarely wanted to continue. I never reached for this. It was a bore! It just missed every mark for me. I feel like it had so much potential, the concepts and ideas were all there but the execution was not.

It was a very very long read. It's not a long book, but boy did it feel like it.
Not even the 'romance' could save this boring book. Even that managed to be bland or very forced. I feel there was potential for a rivals to lovers subplot but of course, it didn't do that. The trio that happens... felt very forced. It came out of nowhere. It could've had potential if it was a bit more developed.

The characters - Meh
There's a whole host of completely bland characters.
Honestly, none were that interesting, I struggled to attach myself to anyone much. The best two were definitely Nico and Libby - mainly because they had banter and their rivalry was probably the best part.
Nico carried this novel alone. The others were so boring and uninteresting. I just did not care about them.

Narrators:
I listened to the audiobook, which had a full cast narration.
Not sure this worked for me. A few of the narrators were just not to my taste at all and some were okay. No outstanding performances.
I feel like there was too much going on with the narration, the constant switch of narrators didn't work for me. I'd much rather have one masc narrator, one fem, rather than six different ones.
A few of the narrator's voices just didn't work for the character for me.
I think I would've been better with the physical, though I only finished it because it was audio - so who knows!

Overall, I was super underwhelmed and very disappointed. This was very, very close to being a DNF for me. I kept going as I thought it must get better, everyone else seemed to love it. Meh, not for me. There was a whole bunch of nothing going on. I need either plot to drive me forward or well-written characters to attach to. This had neither. It's a forgettable read that I've already mostly purged from my memory.

I have decided that unfortunately, I'm no longer interested in reviewing this title but I have to write something for my ratio.

I'm sorry to let you down.

Ok I jumped on the tiktok hype so this was going to be absolutely awful or have me binging the entire book because I couldn't put it down.
I'm glad to say it was the latter.

This is magical, dark and just the right amount of suspense added.
Cannot wait to read the next instalment

I was really enjoying this book until a trope came uo that I really dislike...

It may be for some people but not for me. I won't spoil anything for those who don't know but if that trope is in a book . Depicted the way it was in this i think therr should have been a warning

I liked The Atlas Six. I listened to it on BorrowBox audiobook through my library, and I think that helped a lot - I liked the narrators voice!

The competition between the initiates is brutal - there’s an assumption that only one would survive by the end, and to them this is completely reasonable. It doesn’t put them off at all. This perfectly illustrates the kind of people they are I felt. Pretty ruthless.

There was an awful lot of dialogue that wasn’t really balanced with action. This is a fantasy book, they have magical gifts, and there just wasn’t enough magical action for me, and what there was I didn’t think showed the potential of some characters. Maybe they will be explored more in the second book. I was left not quite understanding what some of their gifts entailed. Some were obvious, others not so much. This first book, in what I assume will be a trilogy, has more of a scene-setting feel about it.

Now their recruiter, Atlas Blakely, really did intrigue me. I wish there had been more about him - perhaps there will be in the next book.

I will read the next book when it comes out. Sometimes a trilogy can be a little slow to start, and there’s enough in this book to make me want to read the next one.

This book is magnificent and I'm not sure I have the words to describe how much it made me FEEL. I was alive. I was there along side these characters. I was living my best dark academia, enemies to lovers, found-family, magic-ridden dream. And then it stopped. It ended. And every day I am tempted to reread this book because, sorry for my langauge, but goddamn it I need MORE!

Let us not even speak of that cliff-hangar because.. yeah

The hype is very much real folks and I love these characters with all my heart. The day that I read the sequel will be a glorious one, and I'm sure I'll lose my very mind.
If you haven't read this yet, what are you doing?? RUN to your nearest bookstore, download the ebook, listen to the audiobook! You need this in your life (join ussss - okay I sound culty, but read itttt)

Rating: every star in the universe because I can :)

This is the first instalment in The Atlas series.

Booktube did not lie!

The synopsis cites this as The Secret History meets Umbrella Academy and, being a big fan of both, I was hyped! I can say that it is an apt summary but it also manages to deliver so, so much more.

The Alexandrian Society, caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity, are the foremost secret society of magical academicians in the world. Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona are two vying to join their ranks. First, they must defeat the other gifted individuals who will do anything to rid themselves of their opponents and gain a place in these hallowed halls.

Deceit and betrayal and the cornerstones for all that transpires here and I was ever distrustful of the truth of what was delivered, the reasoning behind each character's actions, the promises they swore to each other, and the futures that were promised them. This is not a book for the guileless! It will play with your heart, disprove your preconcienved notions, and deliver exactly the opposite of all that is anticipated.

And, despite or maybe because of this, I fell in love with each and every character. They were truly untrustworthy, but also with heart and grit and determination that made me root for them, even when I dually yearned to do otherwise. Their interpersonal relationships became as interesting to read as the trials they were being set inside the society and I became a big a fan of seeing both play out on the page.

Tik Tok sensation The Atlas Six by Olivia Blake proves that the face of traditional publishing is changing and if you have talent and a strong idea then your fans will do the rest. But is it any good? Well yes. It’s a detailed an involved fantasy novel that fits into the growing trend for ‘Dark Academia’ novels. Told from the perspective of six characters you will need to have your wits about you in the early stages to keep up with the characters, plot and intricate magic system, but the fantastical journey is worth it. The ending may be frustrating however this is part of a planned series that I am looking forward to seeing unfold.

Interesting and exciting debut that lives up to the hype four out of five

thought I’d try something different for me. The magic in this world is so complex, sometime its intriguing and other times it just washed over me as I was too tired to engage my brain and work it out. Mainly I loved it. This is definitely a very engaging story. I enjoyed each of the 6 perspectives and but I found the end very infuriating. It was like being at a party with people whose company you’re really enjoying, but just as everything starts to get exciting, someones boring boyfriend plonks down next to you and starts a 1-on-1 chat. Shame, as the build up was really very promising.

This is a hard review to write. I enjoyed it, but basically very little happens for the first 85% of the book! To call it dark academia is misleading - it’s just academia! I did enjoy the world and seeing it all play out but the characters didn’t do enough for me to like any of them much and as I said - very little happens.

That said, I loved the last 15% or so! Finally we see it play out and I did NOT see that twist coming. Th is is the part that’s going to make me pick up book two.

Character wise, I liked Libby and Nico sparring mostly, loved Nico and Gideon, and didn’t care massively about anything else. I feel Callum was a bit poorly drawn out as a bored but powerful empath too - he says he can make you do anything but it’s only demonstrated too far in to have the impact it should have. I wanted more from Raina too.

I will be reading on, but I will probably borrow from the library rather than purchase book two. We’ll see.

3 stars.

An interesting dark academia book. I can understand the hype that has surrounded this book. I liked how all the characters were chosen although it felt a bit slow in places.

This gave me strong How To Get Away With Murder vibes with the group being chosen, and any one of them potentially having the urge to murder everyone else. Libby and Nico are definitely going to be going head to head, what with their dynamic being like Hermione Granger and Draco Malfoy (though nicer.)

The six are chosen to protect the Alexandrian Society, where the library of Alexandria now resides. Only five will be selected eventually and it’s a toss up on who can’t be trusted and who is going to stop at nothing to win a spot.

I adored Nico’s character as he acts like a total Slytherin, but is actually a Hufflepuff. He’s a dramatic little badger and I love the fact that he uses the wormhole to get snacks from the kitchen. I fully expect him to have a sign up that says “Nico’s wormhole, keep out.”

Parisa scares the absolute shit out of me, as it’s like being in a room with a white tiger who hasn’t been fed in a while. She has a softer side and can be quite vulnerable, but she’s also incredibly dangerous and can do some damage.

I love how fast paced everything is. The initiation on the first night of their stay was mental and the story pulls you along before you can take a breath. Everything is thrown into the story and whilst there are charming moments, this book is definitely not a fairytale and there is a darker plot underneath. The twists are absolutely fantastic and keeps you gripped, because no one is safe and you don’t know who to trust.

This is definitely one of the best fantasy books I’ve read this year and all the characters are absolutely brilliant. Any YA/fantasy fan would really enjoy this and I wouldn’t be surprised if it’s picked up for a Netflix series.

I thoroughly enjoyed The Atlas Six. Perhaps BookTok was onto something with this one because this book was interesting, clever and full of compelling characters. I believe a lot of books with as many perspectives as this one suffer for it – the characters aren’t well enough developed as they simply don’t get enough page time and there is so much happening that plot threads are left unattended. This was not the case with The Atlas Six. Each character was unique and memorable, with a distinct voice and personality. They were well developed both within their own perspective and through the others’. They bounced off of each other well, in such a way that they felt all the more human and I adored their relationships, whether they were platonic, romantic or antagonistic.

I enjoyed the mystery and intrigue surrounding the Alexandrian Society and was left reeling with the twists and reveals towards the end. The magic system was also really interesting – I’m a sucker for secret magical societies – and I loved the scientific focus. The Atlas Six is an overall character driven book (which is my personal preference), but that didn’t mean that anything else was slacking. It was gripping and thought provoking, and I can’t wait to see what happens next.

I absolutely loved this book from start to finish, I could not put it down!

A superb fantasy novel that I would recommend to all.

The Atlas Six follows a secret society of magical academians all bestowed with more than they can imagine. Those who are chosen to be one of the six will have one whole year where they will have to undergo tests to prove themselves and qualify for initiation as one of them will be eliminated.

The Atlas Six is very much a character driven story but it is also plot driven too. It was well paced but it did get a bit slow around the middle. It felt like a cross between ‘Only a Monster’ and ‘King of Battle and Blood’ as there’s loads of drama going on throughout the book as things begin to heat up between the characters. The style of writing is also very similar to ‘Only a Monster’ writer, Vanessa Len’s style.

There’s quite a bit of sauciness throughout and you’ll find there’s characters that you’ll come across that you’ll either love or hate. There was definitely some shocking moments as the characters was faced with corruption in the school.

Filled with morally grey characters, an array of magic and lots of twists and turns along the way. Wonderfully written and

Definitely one for fans of dark academia. A brilliant read that I found hard to put down. I can’t wait to find out what happens in the second one!