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The Atlas #2
The Atlas Paradox
Six magicians were presented with the opportunity of a lifetime.
Five are now members of the Society.
Two paths lie before them.
All must pick a side.
Alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and The Society of Alexandrians will be revealed for what it is: a secret society with raw, world-changing power, headed by a man whose plans to change life as we know it are already under way.
Five are now members of the Society.
Two paths lie before them.
All must pick a side.
Alliances will be tested, hearts will be broken, and The Society of Alexandrians will be revealed for what it is: a secret society with raw, world-changing power, headed by a man whose plans to change life as we know it are already under way.
397 pages, Kindle Edition
First published October 25, 2022
About the author
Olivie Blake
33 books14.7k followersOlivie Blake is the pseudonym of Alexene Farol Follmuth, a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.
Olivie has penned several indie SFF projects, including the webtoon Clara and the Devil with illustrator Little Chmura and the viral Atlas series. As Follmuth, her young adult rom-com My Mechanical Romance releases May 2022.
Olivie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and new baby, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull.
Olivie has penned several indie SFF projects, including the webtoon Clara and the Devil with illustrator Little Chmura and the viral Atlas series. As Follmuth, her young adult rom-com My Mechanical Romance releases May 2022.
Olivie lives in Los Angeles with her husband and new baby, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull.
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Displaying 1 - 29 of 10,040 reviews
March 19, 2024
EDIT 09/23/2022: Apparently we are in 2022 and people on Booktwt are still unable to respect people's opinions (in this case, mine), and I feel like I shouldn't laugh but I am???? 😭
Original review, probably contains mild spoilers from interpretation:
I sure hope that Olivie Blake plans to name the third book "The Atlas Redemption" and fixes this book or else this series will eternally rest in my wormhole of the forgotten series.
Allow me to quote Kaul Wen, expectations are a funny thing. This is my most anticipated release of the year (yes, surpassing even Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution, how unfortunate) and now The Atlas Paradox is going to be in my least favorite books of the year. Delightful.
Let's start where Olivie Blake objectively did wrong. Throughout this book, I feel like Blake doesn't know what she wants to talk about anymore. In The Atlas Six, one of my favorite things was the academic discussions between the candidates. They show me that Blake knew what she was talking about and that she is passionate about it. In this book however, I can't even follow the new study topics introduced anymore. Too many academic topics, but too few explanations for how they might be relevant to the action of the story. In this 400-pages-book, around two thirds of them are essentially a guide of how powers work, but no real usage was seen throughout the plot (if there is, they were very, VERY vague.) It seems to be one of the main complains regarding TA6, so people who didn't like Book 1 because of its vagueness, will hate this.
Now for the things that went wrong for me, and how ultimately I can't rate this more than a 1/5. I am convinced that Olivie Blake has lost her grip on her characters. This book was heavily promoted with the pitch of "new, unlikely alliances", and maybe it seems like a good thing to spice things up, it ultimately did the unthinkable - make me hate every single character of this series.
Picture this: after the initiation, everyone now knows everything they needed about the other candidates, but no one knows that. Instead of exploiting the details as much as possible to form PLAUSIBLE alliances, everyone kinda got involved with each other. But for what? I was asking that question throughout the 400 pages too. Instead of the unique dynamic the pitch aims for, the new alliances for me are nonsense and useless.
Furthermore, this leads to some interesting (derogatory) characterization. These six characters, whom I adored in TA6, turned into one-dimensional, pure archetypical characters. I am tired of seeing the archetypes being used and repeated over and over. Most of their behavior and their thoughts didn't correlate to their characterization in TA6 (and i am not even going to talk about the info dump at the beginning and how all of the sudden they all turned into saints/devils)
Finally, the insinuated romantic relationships in this book secured its place in hell. I am not going to spoil it, but let's say that Olivie Blake made some :) questionable :) decisions.
Where I am going with this? It is such a shame that a perfectly exceptional book, a fresh take of the genre, is ruined with a sequel that tries too hard to be original, to be new, even though Book 1 was exactly that. To be honest with you, I am angry. Angry that the vision of Olivie Blake (if she even has one) is undoing exactly what TA6 accomplished in the first place: original worldbuilding, critique of the elitism and classism of the quest for knowledge, unconventional characters, and dynamic relationships.
Overall, I regret that I have read this book. TA6 might be one of my favorite books of all time but this is definitely one of the worst sequels ever. I might write a spoilery review after its release but safe to say NicoLibby will be the only redemption of this series for me.
---------------------------------------
pre-review:
it's literally homophobic that i am not holding an ARC of this in my hands rn 😔 (tor please pick me choose me love me 💔)
edit 08/08/2022: please, someone PLEASE give me an ARC i can't do this anymore. i have been away from the otp of my soul for too long.
edit 08/12/2022: I GOT THE ARC SISCSVVSHSBSBSH. PAN MACMILLAN I LOVE YOU
Original review, probably contains mild spoilers from interpretation:
I sure hope that Olivie Blake plans to name the third book "The Atlas Redemption" and fixes this book or else this series will eternally rest in my wormhole of the forgotten series.
Allow me to quote Kaul Wen, expectations are a funny thing. This is my most anticipated release of the year (yes, surpassing even Babel, or The Necessity of Violence: An Arcane History of the Oxford Translators' Revolution, how unfortunate) and now The Atlas Paradox is going to be in my least favorite books of the year. Delightful.
Let's start where Olivie Blake objectively did wrong. Throughout this book, I feel like Blake doesn't know what she wants to talk about anymore. In The Atlas Six, one of my favorite things was the academic discussions between the candidates. They show me that Blake knew what she was talking about and that she is passionate about it. In this book however, I can't even follow the new study topics introduced anymore. Too many academic topics, but too few explanations for how they might be relevant to the action of the story. In this 400-pages-book, around two thirds of them are essentially a guide of how powers work, but no real usage was seen throughout the plot (if there is, they were very, VERY vague.) It seems to be one of the main complains regarding TA6, so people who didn't like Book 1 because of its vagueness, will hate this.
Now for the things that went wrong for me, and how ultimately I can't rate this more than a 1/5. I am convinced that Olivie Blake has lost her grip on her characters. This book was heavily promoted with the pitch of "new, unlikely alliances", and maybe it seems like a good thing to spice things up, it ultimately did the unthinkable - make me hate every single character of this series.
Picture this: after the initiation, everyone now knows everything they needed about the other candidates, but no one knows that. Instead of exploiting the details as much as possible to form PLAUSIBLE alliances, everyone kinda got involved with each other. But for what? I was asking that question throughout the 400 pages too. Instead of the unique dynamic the pitch aims for, the new alliances for me are nonsense and useless.
Furthermore, this leads to some interesting (derogatory) characterization. These six characters, whom I adored in TA6, turned into one-dimensional, pure archetypical characters. I am tired of seeing the archetypes being used and repeated over and over. Most of their behavior and their thoughts didn't correlate to their characterization in TA6 (and i am not even going to talk about the info dump at the beginning and how all of the sudden they all turned into saints/devils)
Finally, the insinuated romantic relationships in this book secured its place in hell. I am not going to spoil it, but let's say that Olivie Blake made some :) questionable :) decisions.
Where I am going with this? It is such a shame that a perfectly exceptional book, a fresh take of the genre, is ruined with a sequel that tries too hard to be original, to be new, even though Book 1 was exactly that. To be honest with you, I am angry. Angry that the vision of Olivie Blake (if she even has one) is undoing exactly what TA6 accomplished in the first place: original worldbuilding, critique of the elitism and classism of the quest for knowledge, unconventional characters, and dynamic relationships.
Overall, I regret that I have read this book. TA6 might be one of my favorite books of all time but this is definitely one of the worst sequels ever. I might write a spoilery review after its release but safe to say NicoLibby will be the only redemption of this series for me.
---------------------------------------
pre-review:
it's literally homophobic that i am not holding an ARC of this in my hands rn 😔 (tor please pick me choose me love me 💔)
edit 08/08/2022: please, someone PLEASE give me an ARC i can't do this anymore. i have been away from the otp of my soul for too long.
edit 08/12/2022: I GOT THE ARC SISCSVVSHSBSBSH. PAN MACMILLAN I LOVE YOU
August 9, 2021
libby rhodes corruption arc confirmed. 5/5
Want to read
October 3, 2021nico can fucking slap me and walk all over me
August 13, 2022
must a book have plot? cant it be six people who utterly hate each other making out occasionally?
Want to read
March 30, 2022manifesting libby x nico x gideon polyamorous triad yes
September 19, 2022
If you could peer into my brain right now you would see me running around in circles at light speed, screaming, while sirens blare in the background, and everything is on fire, probably.
So, safe to say - it’s good.
So, safe to say - it’s good.
October 27, 2022
ready to collect nicogideon endgame
update: i just never lose when it comes to ships what can i say
review:
i can't write a full review for this because i don’t think i’ll ever know if i liked this or hated it. it felt like a very mediocre book to me and i wasn’t as engrossed as i was when i read book one, but hey! still finished in a day so there’s that.
i definitely enjoyed the first book in this series much more since this one kind of felt like a filler book if i’m being honest. i think that it was mostly set up for book three which is why the plot was a snooze fest at times.
one thing i did like was that all of the six—sans libby because i don’t even know what was going on with her in this book— got a lot closer and i also liked the new friendships, especially nico and tristan, truly a chaotic duo. give me the nicogideonlibby trio i’ve been wanting since book one and i guess i’ll tune in for book three.
update: i just never lose when it comes to ships what can i say
review:
i can't write a full review for this because i don’t think i’ll ever know if i liked this or hated it. it felt like a very mediocre book to me and i wasn’t as engrossed as i was when i read book one, but hey! still finished in a day so there’s that.
i definitely enjoyed the first book in this series much more since this one kind of felt like a filler book if i’m being honest. i think that it was mostly set up for book three which is why the plot was a snooze fest at times.
one thing i did like was that all of the six—sans libby because i don’t even know what was going on with her in this book— got a lot closer and i also liked the new friendships, especially nico and tristan, truly a chaotic duo. give me the nicogideonlibby trio i’ve been wanting since book one and i guess i’ll tune in for book three.
April 19, 2024
This was just as bad as the first one. Maybe even worse, I don't know. It was all over the place. There was no plot. Characters just talked and talked and it was so tedious.
All of them were so pretentious. They acted like they were so smart and philosophical but they are just not.
The only character I liked was Libby. She has always been the best character in the series. She deserves better than this. Also, in the first book, everyone hated Libby and now they are obsessed with her. How interesting. Everything keeps thinking about her but it doesn't make sense. No one really liked her in the first book and now that she's gone everyone suddenly misses her? It's mentioned that they miss her anxiety and moral compass. What??
Though Libby was the best part of this book, her arc was really underwhelming. Nothing really happened till the end. Nico, Tristan, Ezra and Belen seem to really like her but Libby doesn't really seem to care romantically about any of them. I'm interested to see whether she remains single or ends up with someone.
I couldn't really stand any of the other characters. But still, I hated Reina. She was so annoying. She acted like a petulant child and was angry all the time. She spent this entire book shouting at everyone and talking to plants. Yeah, she is more obnoxious than ever.
Other characters were bland. Also, I really thought Ezra would have a bigger role in this book. I thought he would be the main villain and would try to convince Libby to join him.
I'll be reading the third book because I'm curious and not because I liked this series.
All of them were so pretentious. They acted like they were so smart and philosophical but they are just not.
The only character I liked was Libby. She has always been the best character in the series. She deserves better than this. Also, in the first book, everyone hated Libby and now they are obsessed with her. How interesting. Everything keeps thinking about her but it doesn't make sense. No one really liked her in the first book and now that she's gone everyone suddenly misses her? It's mentioned that they miss her anxiety and moral compass. What??
Though Libby was the best part of this book, her arc was really underwhelming. Nothing really happened till the end. Nico, Tristan, Ezra and Belen seem to really like her but Libby doesn't really seem to care romantically about any of them. I'm interested to see whether she remains single or ends up with someone.
I couldn't really stand any of the other characters. But still, I hated Reina. She was so annoying. She acted like a petulant child and was angry all the time. She spent this entire book shouting at everyone and talking to plants. Yeah, she is more obnoxious than ever.
Other characters were bland. Also, I really thought Ezra would have a bigger role in this book. I thought he would be the main villain and would try to convince Libby to join him.
I'll be reading the third book because I'm curious and not because I liked this series.
December 6, 2022
Nothing happens. But, seriously, nothing happens.
This suffered from something a lot of character-driven stories go through. They had a book developing the characters and their relationships with each other. You got hooked to certain friendships and romantic entanglements. Then there's an entire book of all of those ships being separated for no good reason. You spend the entire book waiting for them to come back together. For what? What plot does this serve?
Ezra Fowler? I do not care about this man. I do not CARE about this CHILD. He's how old??? And he acts like a scraggly-ass white boy who hides poetry in his rucksack.
The territorial behavior towards Libby. I'm disgusted.
This book focused so much on the backstory of Ezra and Atlas. For what? Who cares??
BUTBUTBUT!!!
Hear me out, there were several things that happened in this book that had me GASPING. Literally flailing, throwing my arms in the sky and screaming with joy. If you know, you know. But those moments made all the rest of the tedium worth while.
What I'll say is:
I am here for the Libby corruption arc.
This suffered from something a lot of character-driven stories go through. They had a book developing the characters and their relationships with each other. You got hooked to certain friendships and romantic entanglements. Then there's an entire book of all of those ships being separated for no good reason. You spend the entire book waiting for them to come back together. For what? What plot does this serve?
Ezra Fowler? I do not care about this man. I do not CARE about this CHILD. He's how old??? And he acts like a scraggly-ass white boy who hides poetry in his rucksack.
The territorial behavior towards Libby. I'm disgusted.
This book focused so much on the backstory of Ezra and Atlas. For what? Who cares??
BUTBUTBUT!!!
Hear me out, there were several things that happened in this book that had me GASPING. Literally flailing, throwing my arms in the sky and screaming with joy. If you know, you know. But those moments made all the rest of the tedium worth while.
What I'll say is:
I am here for the Libby corruption arc.
November 18, 2022
Loved it even more than TA6. RTC
----
Watch me compulsively check for updates every day until the release date. 2022 seems too far away, I need this book now! ç_ç
----
Watch me compulsively check for updates every day until the release date. 2022 seems too far away, I need this book now! ç_ç
October 24, 2022
let’s delete twitter and start writing good books again, shall we?
Read
November 9, 2022Source of book: NetGalley (thank you)
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
Further disclaimer: Readers, please stop accusing me of trying to take down “my competition” because I wrote a review you didn’t like. This is complete nonsense. Firstly, writing isn’t a competitive sport. Secondly, I only publish reviews of books in the subgenre where I’m best known (queer romcom) if they’re glowing. And finally: taking time out of my life to read an entire book, then write a detailed review about it that some people on GR will look at would be a profoundly inefficient and ineffective way to damage the careers of other authors. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.
*******************************************
Spoilers for the first book. Very small ones for the second.
Well, I say this every time: middle books in trilogies are hard. But the truth was, I was deeply, mortifyingly happy to be back with this impossible collection of people. There’s part of me—the part that’s in my mid-thirties—that is, I think, on some level aware that they’re all obnoxious beyond reason: unnecessarily articulate, unnecessarily appealing, unnecessarily obsessed with each other, even when they’re pretending not to be, unnecessarily self-absorbed, unnecessarily shaped, driven and helpless in the face of their own trauma. But the part of me that devoured The Secret History as a teenager, who genuinely hoped I would grow up to be brilliantly and beautifully damaged (as opposed to just in need of therapy), who was so terribly needy in every way it is possible for a human being to be needy … that part of me? To that part of me, these books are a fucking feast. And y’know, it kind of pleases of me that I can put aside the ironies and detachments of having grown the fuck up just to revel in them.
I don’t read YA very often because it tends to make me feel old. The Atlas series make me feel young. Because I can (mostly guilt-free) gleefully splash about in all the shit I was desperate to experience as a teenager—anything that would make me feel special and interesting, basically—and then quietly put the book down and go back to the very banal life I adore and fought to have.
So, the actual book. Well. Something I noted in my thoughts on The Atlas Six was that I wasn’t sure if the sequel could maintain the same propulsive tension when there wasn’t a murder game happening. And I’m afraid—though your mileage may vary—I might have been correct. The Atlas Paradox has some fantastic set pieces in it (usually confrontations between the various characters) but, as a whole, it felt just a touch directionless. We also get a broadening of perspectives—including more from Gideon, Ezra and a few other characters—which is … interesting, but I missed the sense of emotional claustrophobia—the snarled yarn ball of endless unreliability—when it was just the central six (especially because when we did break away from them in the final section of the first book it was like such A Moment). Ultimately, for me, broadening the scope just made the story feel more fragmented, especially because (following the events of the first book) Libby is elsewhere for the entire book and the other five feel more isolated within their own private narratives: Reina, angry with Nico, is fucking with the archives, Nico is trying to get Libby back, Callum is falling into substance abuse, Parisa is still pursuing Dalton, Tristan is … being Tristan, which mostly involves nebulous adventures in self-loathing. (Nebulous Adventures in Self-Loathing is also the name of my autobiography, btw).
Of course, part of the point is that the group is genuinely unbalanced without Libby. She’s always been a character study in exquisite irritation, but I missed her deeply. And, honestly, I also missed everyone trying to fuck and/or kill each other all the time. I mean, yes, there’s moments where so-and-so is full of deep, murderous rage towards so-and-so but I never really believed anyone was actually going to try to knife anyone else. Unlike the first book, where I was pretty much convinced it was going to happen at least once a chapter.
On top of which, the ending of the first book—in which the scope of Atlas’s plan is revealed—kind of led me to expect significant changes to the world state in book two? And … well … there aren’t any? Like Atlas is still planning the same plan, but he doesn’t seem to be any closer to achieving it than he was at the end of book one. The Forum is still out there but they don’t do anything except … attend a party? And the remaining five researchers mostly sit around, um, putting together research proposals? Which in academia terms too real, man, too real. In terms of a story about sex, power, trauma and someone who literally wants to create a new universe … bit disappointing?
We do get a shifting of alliances within the five, following the events of the first book, and those character dynamics continue to be wholly fascinating. Put any of them in a room in any configuration to fuck or get in a fight and I was RIVETED. In terms of development, however, we only really get more insight into Reina and Callum, while Nico, Parisa and Tristan continue to act mostly as they always have. In some ways, I suspect, this was necessary because Reina and Callum were the least developed in the first book, Reina because she was so locked down, and Callum because he was portraying himself as a cackling supervillain, but the fact that we finally begin to understand Reina and Callum more makes the others feel static in comparison (as much I adore them). Similarly, Libby does make a really significant series of choice in this book, even though she’s not on page very much, but we’re not going to see the impact of them—either on the world or Libby herself—until the next book.
But here’s the thing. The reason I’ve foregrounded these issues is because … kind of … in a very real sense … I don’t give a fuck? Like, I’m aware that there are ways in which this book doesn’t quite do enough on its own to drive the whole story forward—it’s mainly treading water, set-up, and just enough new information to keep you curious—but none of it stopped me eating The Atlas Paradox right up and still being ravenous for more. I think at this point we might be in a style over substance place (something that may very well change in the third book) but … hell, the style is dazzling and it’s a pleasure, sometimes, to let yourself be dazzled. The characters are all godawful (I mean, as people, they’re wonderfully written) but I’m obsessed with them and the books themselves are just so shamelessly charismatic, their tendency towards extravagant self-indulgence always expertly balanced by this thread of dark humour. I mean, academics psychically feeding themselves to a sinister, potentially sentient library to access knowledge … that’s just fucking delightful (cf. too real, man too real).
Basically, if you loved The Atlas Six, The Atlas Paradox is more of the same. You might think it could have done with being a bit *more* more of the same. But, equally, if you’re as into the same as I apparently am then you won’t be disappointed.
Less coherent thoughts:
--I know Nico/Gideon is supposed to be, like, THE ship but Callum/Tristram? Come on. It’s not real love unless one of you might be an actual sociopath and the other has tried to literally murder you
--I have never wanted anyone, real or fictional, with the intensity I want Parisa
--I have a new appreciation for Libby
--Still #TeamCallum. All the way.
Relevant disclaimers: none
Please note: This review may not be reproduced or quoted, in whole or in part, without explicit consent from the author.
And remember: I am not here to judge your drag, I mean your book. Books are art and art is subjective. These are just my personal thoughts. They are not meant to be taken as broader commentary on the general quality of the work. Believe me, I have not enjoyed many an excellent book, and my individual lack of enjoyment has not made any of those books less excellent or (more relevantly) less successful.
Further disclaimer: Readers, please stop accusing me of trying to take down “my competition” because I wrote a review you didn’t like. This is complete nonsense. Firstly, writing isn’t a competitive sport. Secondly, I only publish reviews of books in the subgenre where I’m best known (queer romcom) if they’re glowing. And finally: taking time out of my life to read an entire book, then write a detailed review about it that some people on GR will look at would be a profoundly inefficient and ineffective way to damage the careers of other authors. If you can’t credit me with simply being a person who loves books and likes talking about them, at least credit me with enough common sense to be a better villain.
*******************************************
Spoilers for the first book. Very small ones for the second.
Well, I say this every time: middle books in trilogies are hard. But the truth was, I was deeply, mortifyingly happy to be back with this impossible collection of people. There’s part of me—the part that’s in my mid-thirties—that is, I think, on some level aware that they’re all obnoxious beyond reason: unnecessarily articulate, unnecessarily appealing, unnecessarily obsessed with each other, even when they’re pretending not to be, unnecessarily self-absorbed, unnecessarily shaped, driven and helpless in the face of their own trauma. But the part of me that devoured The Secret History as a teenager, who genuinely hoped I would grow up to be brilliantly and beautifully damaged (as opposed to just in need of therapy), who was so terribly needy in every way it is possible for a human being to be needy … that part of me? To that part of me, these books are a fucking feast. And y’know, it kind of pleases of me that I can put aside the ironies and detachments of having grown the fuck up just to revel in them.
I don’t read YA very often because it tends to make me feel old. The Atlas series make me feel young. Because I can (mostly guilt-free) gleefully splash about in all the shit I was desperate to experience as a teenager—anything that would make me feel special and interesting, basically—and then quietly put the book down and go back to the very banal life I adore and fought to have.
So, the actual book. Well. Something I noted in my thoughts on The Atlas Six was that I wasn’t sure if the sequel could maintain the same propulsive tension when there wasn’t a murder game happening. And I’m afraid—though your mileage may vary—I might have been correct. The Atlas Paradox has some fantastic set pieces in it (usually confrontations between the various characters) but, as a whole, it felt just a touch directionless. We also get a broadening of perspectives—including more from Gideon, Ezra and a few other characters—which is … interesting, but I missed the sense of emotional claustrophobia—the snarled yarn ball of endless unreliability—when it was just the central six (especially because when we did break away from them in the final section of the first book it was like such A Moment). Ultimately, for me, broadening the scope just made the story feel more fragmented, especially because (following the events of the first book) Libby is elsewhere for the entire book and the other five feel more isolated within their own private narratives: Reina, angry with Nico, is fucking with the archives, Nico is trying to get Libby back, Callum is falling into substance abuse, Parisa is still pursuing Dalton, Tristan is … being Tristan, which mostly involves nebulous adventures in self-loathing. (Nebulous Adventures in Self-Loathing is also the name of my autobiography, btw).
Of course, part of the point is that the group is genuinely unbalanced without Libby. She’s always been a character study in exquisite irritation, but I missed her deeply. And, honestly, I also missed everyone trying to fuck and/or kill each other all the time. I mean, yes, there’s moments where so-and-so is full of deep, murderous rage towards so-and-so but I never really believed anyone was actually going to try to knife anyone else. Unlike the first book, where I was pretty much convinced it was going to happen at least once a chapter.
On top of which, the ending of the first book—in which the scope of Atlas’s plan is revealed—kind of led me to expect significant changes to the world state in book two? And … well … there aren’t any? Like Atlas is still planning the same plan, but he doesn’t seem to be any closer to achieving it than he was at the end of book one. The Forum is still out there but they don’t do anything except … attend a party? And the remaining five researchers mostly sit around, um, putting together research proposals? Which in academia terms too real, man, too real. In terms of a story about sex, power, trauma and someone who literally wants to create a new universe … bit disappointing?
We do get a shifting of alliances within the five, following the events of the first book, and those character dynamics continue to be wholly fascinating. Put any of them in a room in any configuration to fuck or get in a fight and I was RIVETED. In terms of development, however, we only really get more insight into Reina and Callum, while Nico, Parisa and Tristan continue to act mostly as they always have. In some ways, I suspect, this was necessary because Reina and Callum were the least developed in the first book, Reina because she was so locked down, and Callum because he was portraying himself as a cackling supervillain, but the fact that we finally begin to understand Reina and Callum more makes the others feel static in comparison (as much I adore them). Similarly, Libby does make a really significant series of choice in this book, even though she’s not on page very much, but we’re not going to see the impact of them—either on the world or Libby herself—until the next book.
But here’s the thing. The reason I’ve foregrounded these issues is because … kind of … in a very real sense … I don’t give a fuck? Like, I’m aware that there are ways in which this book doesn’t quite do enough on its own to drive the whole story forward—it’s mainly treading water, set-up, and just enough new information to keep you curious—but none of it stopped me eating The Atlas Paradox right up and still being ravenous for more. I think at this point we might be in a style over substance place (something that may very well change in the third book) but … hell, the style is dazzling and it’s a pleasure, sometimes, to let yourself be dazzled. The characters are all godawful (I mean, as people, they’re wonderfully written) but I’m obsessed with them and the books themselves are just so shamelessly charismatic, their tendency towards extravagant self-indulgence always expertly balanced by this thread of dark humour. I mean, academics psychically feeding themselves to a sinister, potentially sentient library to access knowledge … that’s just fucking delightful (cf. too real, man too real).
Basically, if you loved The Atlas Six, The Atlas Paradox is more of the same. You might think it could have done with being a bit *more* more of the same. But, equally, if you’re as into the same as I apparently am then you won’t be disappointed.
Less coherent thoughts:
--I know Nico/Gideon is supposed to be, like, THE ship but Callum/Tristram? Come on. It’s not real love unless one of you might be an actual sociopath and the other has tried to literally murder you
--I have never wanted anyone, real or fictional, with the intensity I want Parisa
--I have a new appreciation for Libby
--Still #TeamCallum. All the way.
September 20, 2022
I received an ARC of this book via NetGalley in exchange for an honest review. Thank you very much!
When I read the Atlas Six (TA6), I wasn't sure how to rate it, because while I loved the book very much, the characters annoyed me to hell and back, so I stuck with a rating of 4 stars without any explanation.
This book (TAP) takes everything I loved about TA6, puts it in trash bags, and takes it out back to be collected.
So, when you write a book, you generally have to have something the book is about, a.k.a a PLOT. P-L-O-T. In TAP, we look for this in vain.
As a reminder, we left TA6 with Libby abducted to the past, and the other characters swearing that they will search for her. As TAP begins, they have abandoned this search completely. "We have looked everywhere!" they say "she simply isn't anywhere. Let's give up and be sexy instead."
Ok. Great.
So this book consists of five characters being incredibly bland, just existing. Callum, at least, puts it into words: He's got nothing to do, so he just idles for this year and then sees what'll come to him. I wish the others were as honest. In TA6, at least there was this looming sense of danger by them having to kill one of the six, but this has completely disappeared. There are no stakes left. None of these five remaining people have any kind of goal, nothing to work towards, no aspirations or anything they even want. And that, my friends, makes for very dull reading.
Then, once in a while, we get a breath of fresh air - A Libby Chapter!!! Now, Libby is my favorite character, anyway. It really is funny that all the others say she's the most annoying and unbearable, but then she's actually the only one who isn't pretentious as fuck. And even if I didn't like her, her chapters are just something special, because they read like an actual book, and not just an anthology of boredom. She actually has a goal she's working towards! She wants to find a way back home! How refreshing, how novel, how - utterly expected. The bar is on the floor, and yet Libby is the only one who manages to step over it.
So what do the other five do while Libby carries the book on her shoulders? Nothing. I admit, I actually quite liked the discussions of how magic worked in TA6, because I could still kind of see a connection to our own physics. It all made sense.
The discussions of magic in TAP have left the realm of understandable. This book is dark academia in a way that it feels like me reading a dissertation on quantum physics in a room with no light. Either Olivie Blake has the understanding of quantum physics of a Nobel laureate, has access to one of those, or she's talking bullshit in complicated words and hopes none of her readers understand enough of her ramblings to call her out on it.
About 80% of this book is theoretical musings on how magic works, with 15% being people sleeping wth Parisa, because she is oh-so-hot, and the other 5% being actual P-L-O-T. It's honestly quite a tragedy.
Once again: NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK. Reina thinks she's a god, and instead of getting her help, people shrug and say "okay". Callum just exists. Parisa thinks she's better than everyone. Tristan? Well, I couldn't tell you anything about him, to be honest. Nico just sleeps for the entire thing.
I can't even tell you how absolutely mind-numbingly bored I was reading this book. There's even a goddamn gala-ball situation, and nothing happens! It's done with in one POV chapter, what a goddamn waste!
One can only read so many theoretical musings on the nature of hypothetical magic.
So, yeah, in conclusion: Considering this is a trilogy, this second book was not needed at all. Why not make it a nice duology instead, where things actually happen in both books, and forget this ever existed?
When I read the Atlas Six (TA6), I wasn't sure how to rate it, because while I loved the book very much, the characters annoyed me to hell and back, so I stuck with a rating of 4 stars without any explanation.
This book (TAP) takes everything I loved about TA6, puts it in trash bags, and takes it out back to be collected.
So, when you write a book, you generally have to have something the book is about, a.k.a a PLOT. P-L-O-T. In TAP, we look for this in vain.
As a reminder, we left TA6 with Libby abducted to the past, and the other characters swearing that they will search for her. As TAP begins, they have abandoned this search completely. "We have looked everywhere!" they say "she simply isn't anywhere. Let's give up and be sexy instead."
Ok. Great.
So this book consists of five characters being incredibly bland, just existing. Callum, at least, puts it into words: He's got nothing to do, so he just idles for this year and then sees what'll come to him. I wish the others were as honest. In TA6, at least there was this looming sense of danger by them having to kill one of the six, but this has completely disappeared. There are no stakes left. None of these five remaining people have any kind of goal, nothing to work towards, no aspirations or anything they even want. And that, my friends, makes for very dull reading.
Then, once in a while, we get a breath of fresh air - A Libby Chapter!!! Now, Libby is my favorite character, anyway. It really is funny that all the others say she's the most annoying and unbearable, but then she's actually the only one who isn't pretentious as fuck. And even if I didn't like her, her chapters are just something special, because they read like an actual book, and not just an anthology of boredom. She actually has a goal she's working towards! She wants to find a way back home! How refreshing, how novel, how - utterly expected. The bar is on the floor, and yet Libby is the only one who manages to step over it.
So what do the other five do while Libby carries the book on her shoulders? Nothing. I admit, I actually quite liked the discussions of how magic worked in TA6, because I could still kind of see a connection to our own physics. It all made sense.
The discussions of magic in TAP have left the realm of understandable. This book is dark academia in a way that it feels like me reading a dissertation on quantum physics in a room with no light. Either Olivie Blake has the understanding of quantum physics of a Nobel laureate, has access to one of those, or she's talking bullshit in complicated words and hopes none of her readers understand enough of her ramblings to call her out on it.
About 80% of this book is theoretical musings on how magic works, with 15% being people sleeping wth Parisa, because she is oh-so-hot, and the other 5% being actual P-L-O-T. It's honestly quite a tragedy.
Once again: NOTHING HAPPENS IN THIS BOOK. Reina thinks she's a god, and instead of getting her help, people shrug and say "okay". Callum just exists. Parisa thinks she's better than everyone. Tristan? Well, I couldn't tell you anything about him, to be honest. Nico just sleeps for the entire thing.
I can't even tell you how absolutely mind-numbingly bored I was reading this book. There's even a goddamn gala-ball situation, and nothing happens! It's done with in one POV chapter, what a goddamn waste!
One can only read so many theoretical musings on the nature of hypothetical magic.
So, yeah, in conclusion: Considering this is a trilogy, this second book was not needed at all. Why not make it a nice duology instead, where things actually happen in both books, and forget this ever existed?
November 6, 2023
4.5⭐ *Spoiler-free review*
This blew my fucking mind. However, the first 1/4 is slow. Like, really slow. Just get through it. Shit hits the fan precisely at the 25% mark and it doesn't let up the rest of the way.
~*~*~* re-read: November 2023 *~*~*~
A highly enjoyable second pass of book two in The Atlas trilogy. I might even argue that I had more fun this time around since I was less stressed about taking everything in.
This blew my fucking mind. However, the first 1/4 is slow. Like, really slow. Just get through it. Shit hits the fan precisely at the 25% mark and it doesn't let up the rest of the way.
~*~*~* re-read: November 2023 *~*~*~
A highly enjoyable second pass of book two in The Atlas trilogy. I might even argue that I had more fun this time around since I was less stressed about taking everything in.
November 17, 2023
27/11/23
UPDATE:
i finally read this book and i'm so glad that i didn't have high expectations for this book because if i did i would have been extremely disappointed.
-----------
should i read this or not?
UPDATE:
i finally read this book and i'm so glad that i didn't have high expectations for this book because if i did i would have been extremely disappointed.
-----------
should i read this or not?
January 5, 2023
[4.75]
NICOGIDEON YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS !!!
NICOGIDEON YOU WILL ALWAYS BE FAMOUS !!!
October 30, 2022
i still might change the rating, i'm not completely sure yet
i enjoyed the writing style and pacing in TAS but not for TAP. it's the exact same, which is the problem because at this point we should be moving faster in the plot, there are no more introductions. i'm also over this antagonistic environment. just work together already😭 you don't have to kill each other anymore. and don't you still want libby back??? everyone is still at each other's necks. it's been a year now. grow up.
there was only character growth for one character and it was minuscule😞 (i'll take it. they were insufferable in TAS)
nothing happens for about 375ish pages (yes few things were attempted but were honestly fruitless so did it even happen if they gained nothing from it? NOT EVEN A SINGLE CLUE?😔). and EVERYTHING happens in the last couple of chapters. (a lot of ppl say that about TAS which i have to disagree with. olivie was getting the ball rolling. for TAP tho, we could've moved a lot faster !! TAS set everything up but it felt like we started at the beginning again)
i don't expect a lot of action in TAS like a lot of ppl did, but given the predicament they are left in at the end of book 1, i DID expect more action in TAP
now they are in their second year and have to do their own research which ??? i feel like we made absolutely no progress. tristan and nico spent all their time focusing on getting libby back, reina actually had a topic to research but it was not fruitful (on page at least, because they didn't even talk/conclude their research with atlas or dalton in the end), callum bickered with reina a lot (idek what he did besides drowning in his self-pity after the stimulation in the opening scene), parisa was all over the place yet achieved nothing
THE ENDING THOUGH😭 was so good (all in the last 25 pages. i'm crying from the pain (it wasn't angsty, i'm just sad i had to read 375 pages of nothing and wait another year for answers)). i feel like the ending should've happened midway into the book. we did NOT need almost 400 pages of no plot progression. after reading TAP, i think it would've been better as a duology
i'll still be reading book 3 bc i want to know how it ends + i'm very invested in one of the ships (SO GOOD). also just hoping this book had massive second-book syndrome and that TAC will have better pacing.
i enjoyed the writing style and pacing in TAS but not for TAP. it's the exact same, which is the problem because at this point we should be moving faster in the plot, there are no more introductions. i'm also over this antagonistic environment. just work together already😭 you don't have to kill each other anymore. and don't you still want libby back??? everyone is still at each other's necks. it's been a year now. grow up.
there was only character growth for one character and it was minuscule😞 (i'll take it. they were insufferable in TAS)
nothing happens for about 375ish pages (yes few things were attempted but were honestly fruitless so did it even happen if they gained nothing from it? NOT EVEN A SINGLE CLUE?😔). and EVERYTHING happens in the last couple of chapters. (a lot of ppl say that about TAS which i have to disagree with. olivie was getting the ball rolling. for TAP tho, we could've moved a lot faster !! TAS set everything up but it felt like we started at the beginning again)
i don't expect a lot of action in TAS like a lot of ppl did, but given the predicament they are left in at the end of book 1, i DID expect more action in TAP
now they are in their second year and have to do their own research which ??? i feel like we made absolutely no progress. tristan and nico spent all their time focusing on getting libby back, reina actually had a topic to research but it was not fruitful (on page at least, because they didn't even talk/conclude their research with atlas or dalton in the end), callum bickered with reina a lot (idek what he did besides drowning in his self-pity after the stimulation in the opening scene), parisa was all over the place yet achieved nothing
THE ENDING THOUGH😭 was so good (all in the last 25 pages. i'm crying from the pain (it wasn't angsty, i'm just sad i had to read 375 pages of nothing and wait another year for answers)). i feel like the ending should've happened midway into the book. we did NOT need almost 400 pages of no plot progression. after reading TAP, i think it would've been better as a duology
i'll still be reading book 3 bc i want to know how it ends + i'm very invested in one of the ships (SO GOOD). also just hoping this book had massive second-book syndrome and that TAC will have better pacing.
November 16, 2022
I need it now!! Nicolibby please!! They are binary stars 🥰🥰
I LOVE THE COVER!! impatiently waiting for this book
After reading:
I’m disappointed. So disappointed.
The beginning of this book was great. The initiation scenes were perfect and the alliances starting to be formed were great. Callum and Reina were unexpected, and Tristan and Nico were great. That being said, I hate how they ruined Nico and Reinas friendship and the weird dynamic between Callum, Parisa, and Tristan. Some of the characters also fell so flat for me. Parisa was all over the place and seemed pointless. I hate how she slept with Nico. And I wish her and Reina had a bigger relationship. Callum also fell of the rails. He was having some sort of identity crisis or something. He wasn’t his normal evil self and I actually hated how he was written in this book. I also really don’t care for Dalton. He makes no sense. Also Atlas was confusing af. Ok now into Libby. My fav character. Her arc could’ve been so much better. I mean she was lost in time!! Good for her for creating a life for herself. That whole thing with the Belen girl was weird, especially cause she dies later. I feel like Libby had no development. She just went kinda psycho at the end. It was actually so disappointing. But lowkey I’m excited to see her being badass and everyone being like whattt. Ok also I hate how Tristan claims he’s like in love with Libby. I kinda wish Libby’s absence had been a bigger deal. Also Reina claiming she’s a god was interesting. Ok also Gideon is eh for me. He’s supposed to be like this super good guy and yeah he actually is, but his plot lines made no sense. Like the whole stuff with the Prince? I don’t even understand. Also I know NicoGideon lovers will hate me for this, but literally Nico belongs with Libby. I was eating up the NicoLibby crumbs. And boy were there only a few. But everyone said how different he was without Libby. Like he was a shell of himself. It’s that’s not soulmates then idk what is. So while I do think the NicoGideon kiss was cute, I’m really hoping Nico and Libby will have so many interactions in the next book. That’s actually all I need. Ok so also everything plot wise by 1/2 in the book was confusing. Like the Forum wasn’t even doing anything against the Society. Ezra was lame. But he’s dead so whatever. Ok also Adrian Caine (Tristan’s dad) trying to kill everyone was wack. Doesn’t even make sense. And then at the end of the book everyone goes their separate ways. Dalton and Parisa are together doing whatever, Tristan stayed with Atlas? And Reina and Callum pay Adrian Caine a visit. And then Libby returns to kill Ezra and goes to Nico and Gideon. The plot was not developed at all and I was disappointed in all the characters and relationships and UGH. I just hope the third book is great cause I know it can be.
I LOVE THE COVER!! impatiently waiting for this book
After reading:
I’m disappointed. So disappointed.
The beginning of this book was great. The initiation scenes were perfect and the alliances starting to be formed were great. Callum and Reina were unexpected, and Tristan and Nico were great. That being said, I hate how they ruined Nico and Reinas friendship and the weird dynamic between Callum, Parisa, and Tristan. Some of the characters also fell so flat for me. Parisa was all over the place and seemed pointless. I hate how she slept with Nico. And I wish her and Reina had a bigger relationship. Callum also fell of the rails. He was having some sort of identity crisis or something. He wasn’t his normal evil self and I actually hated how he was written in this book. I also really don’t care for Dalton. He makes no sense. Also Atlas was confusing af. Ok now into Libby. My fav character. Her arc could’ve been so much better. I mean she was lost in time!! Good for her for creating a life for herself. That whole thing with the Belen girl was weird, especially cause she dies later. I feel like Libby had no development. She just went kinda psycho at the end. It was actually so disappointing. But lowkey I’m excited to see her being badass and everyone being like whattt. Ok also I hate how Tristan claims he’s like in love with Libby. I kinda wish Libby’s absence had been a bigger deal. Also Reina claiming she’s a god was interesting. Ok also Gideon is eh for me. He’s supposed to be like this super good guy and yeah he actually is, but his plot lines made no sense. Like the whole stuff with the Prince? I don’t even understand. Also I know NicoGideon lovers will hate me for this, but literally Nico belongs with Libby. I was eating up the NicoLibby crumbs. And boy were there only a few. But everyone said how different he was without Libby. Like he was a shell of himself. It’s that’s not soulmates then idk what is. So while I do think the NicoGideon kiss was cute, I’m really hoping Nico and Libby will have so many interactions in the next book. That’s actually all I need. Ok so also everything plot wise by 1/2 in the book was confusing. Like the Forum wasn’t even doing anything against the Society. Ezra was lame. But he’s dead so whatever. Ok also Adrian Caine (Tristan’s dad) trying to kill everyone was wack. Doesn’t even make sense. And then at the end of the book everyone goes their separate ways. Dalton and Parisa are together doing whatever, Tristan stayed with Atlas? And Reina and Callum pay Adrian Caine a visit. And then Libby returns to kill Ezra and goes to Nico and Gideon. The plot was not developed at all and I was disappointed in all the characters and relationships and UGH. I just hope the third book is great cause I know it can be.
This entire review has been hidden because of spoilers.
December 31, 2022
2.75 stars
all i wanted was nicolibby but no.
it took me forever to read this book. i only finished it because i love libby (and kinda nico and gideon) but the rest of the characters were constantly falling flat for me. nothing really picked up until the last 20% of the book and if you asked me what happened in the latter 80%, i would have no idea what to tell you.
if you are a nicolibby stan, read this at your own risk.
all i wanted was nicolibby but no.
it took me forever to read this book. i only finished it because i love libby (and kinda nico and gideon) but the rest of the characters were constantly falling flat for me. nothing really picked up until the last 20% of the book and if you asked me what happened in the latter 80%, i would have no idea what to tell you.
if you are a nicolibby stan, read this at your own risk.
November 4, 2022
oh olivie blake, the bar was so low it was practically a tripping hazard in hell, yet here you are, limbo dancing with the devil.
i will never forgive booktok/booktwt for what it has done to publishing. this is the most soulless piece of media i have ever had the displeasure of consuming. where is the plot? where is the message? where is the fucking character development?
to be fair, i'll start by acknowledging the one thing that worked in this book, and that's the introduction. there's a little note that recaps what happened in the atlas six and reminds the reader of the people of interest. it sort of reads like an index and, considering the dark academia vibes this book is striving for, makes for an exciting detail to include in a novel that centers, if nothing else, scholars.
in terms of plot, there is no plot. despite its length and the fact that it's a sequel (the world building and characters have already been established) blake did not use the cliffhanger the first book ended in to push the story forward. almost 4/5 of the atlas paradox consists of meaningless discussions, whereas the author counts on random deus ex machina moments to escalate the story. and i do mean random. none of the endless conversations ever lead to any revelations but instead a pov character you haven't heard from in 80 pages will reveal their plan to become a god(??) which leads me to the passage of time and how poorly it is depicted. nine povs and three separate storylines is a tall enough order but the result is only lacking in such a case, where there has not been paid any attention to the progression of the story. compulsively, a time frame is set but what difference does it make when the setting and actions are relatively unchanged. furthermore, functions that require all of the protagonists' attendance get drawn out as we literary have to read the same sequence from all possible povs. it's worth noting that this is how this book both begins and ends, which makes it quite anticlimactic to say the least.
by far the biggest failure of the atlas paradox is the writing style. it feels like blake has not found herself as a writer and this is painfully obvious here. this is more a collection of quotes that are trying extra hard to be cool and fail than a solid work of fiction. in fact, it's infuriating how little the writing style matches the style of the novel or personality of the characters with lines such as “I hate you (affectionate).” what in the tiktokification of literature is this.
also, for a book with so many monologues it's funny how absolutely none of them are noteworthy. to think that themes such as morality, power, religion and gender roles are discussed so superficially and that most characters have no aspirations or care about, i don't know, the end of the world?? by making your characters indifferent to a situation, the reader will feel the same way. this is a lose-lose situation.
the character development in general was a mess. nonexistent. call it what you want but seven hundred pages later and i know almost nothing of significance about the atlas six or the relationships between them. much like in the first book, there are just a bunch of random sex scenes to make the story edgier. i don't think i've seen two characters sleep together more than once with the exception of considering i was afraid most characters would be blindly defined by their archetype traits i have to laugh at how undefined these people's personalities are. the finale is basically two villain adjacent characters having the most boring talk ever. this didn't end in a bang, but a whimper.
i'm gonna finish off with the plot devices this story depended on and how unskillfully they were handled. there was obviously a quite laughable attempt to criticize capitalism considering all the knowledge that is not being openly shared and the fact that our protagonists have powers in a world where most people don't. but, more importantly, the science references were very poorly researched. someone said that all the scientific theories and ideas felt like reading a textbook in the dark. i feel like this goes to show how little people who do not care about physics appreciated the endless pages of rambling. as someone who does, even as a hobby, study said theories i found this abuse of science infuriating. on a practical level, you'd need a black hole with a mass at least 3 times that of the sun to create a wormhole and negative energy to keep it stable. it's safe to safe you can't make one in your kitchen, just for fun. but on an academic level as well, the atlas paradox did nothing but insult science, which at its core is about respecting your predecessors and knowledge. it is an honour to say you're standing on the shoulders of giants and there is humility in admiting the manhattan project was a mistake but the discovery of nuclear fission was not. olivie, the world is bigger than your asshole, selfish protagonists who are willing to burn it down just because they can (while being the heroes of the story).
i'm tired, you're tired. this review has gotten so long. obviously, this was a terrible, boring, insufferable experience. will i be back for the final installment? i've no fucking clue.
i will never forgive booktok/booktwt for what it has done to publishing. this is the most soulless piece of media i have ever had the displeasure of consuming. where is the plot? where is the message? where is the fucking character development?
to be fair, i'll start by acknowledging the one thing that worked in this book, and that's the introduction. there's a little note that recaps what happened in the atlas six and reminds the reader of the people of interest. it sort of reads like an index and, considering the dark academia vibes this book is striving for, makes for an exciting detail to include in a novel that centers, if nothing else, scholars.
in terms of plot, there is no plot. despite its length and the fact that it's a sequel (the world building and characters have already been established) blake did not use the cliffhanger the first book ended in to push the story forward. almost 4/5 of the atlas paradox consists of meaningless discussions, whereas the author counts on random deus ex machina moments to escalate the story. and i do mean random. none of the endless conversations ever lead to any revelations but instead a pov character you haven't heard from in 80 pages will reveal their plan to become a god(??) which leads me to the passage of time and how poorly it is depicted. nine povs and three separate storylines is a tall enough order but the result is only lacking in such a case, where there has not been paid any attention to the progression of the story. compulsively, a time frame is set but what difference does it make when the setting and actions are relatively unchanged. furthermore, functions that require all of the protagonists' attendance get drawn out as we literary have to read the same sequence from all possible povs. it's worth noting that this is how this book both begins and ends, which makes it quite anticlimactic to say the least.
by far the biggest failure of the atlas paradox is the writing style. it feels like blake has not found herself as a writer and this is painfully obvious here. this is more a collection of quotes that are trying extra hard to be cool and fail than a solid work of fiction. in fact, it's infuriating how little the writing style matches the style of the novel or personality of the characters with lines such as “I hate you (affectionate).” what in the tiktokification of literature is this.
also, for a book with so many monologues it's funny how absolutely none of them are noteworthy. to think that themes such as morality, power, religion and gender roles are discussed so superficially and that most characters have no aspirations or care about, i don't know, the end of the world?? by making your characters indifferent to a situation, the reader will feel the same way. this is a lose-lose situation.
the character development in general was a mess. nonexistent. call it what you want but seven hundred pages later and i know almost nothing of significance about the atlas six or the relationships between them. much like in the first book, there are just a bunch of random sex scenes to make the story edgier. i don't think i've seen two characters sleep together more than once with the exception of considering i was afraid most characters would be blindly defined by their archetype traits i have to laugh at how undefined these people's personalities are. the finale is basically two villain adjacent characters having the most boring talk ever. this didn't end in a bang, but a whimper.
i'm gonna finish off with the plot devices this story depended on and how unskillfully they were handled. there was obviously a quite laughable attempt to criticize capitalism considering all the knowledge that is not being openly shared and the fact that our protagonists have powers in a world where most people don't. but, more importantly, the science references were very poorly researched. someone said that all the scientific theories and ideas felt like reading a textbook in the dark. i feel like this goes to show how little people who do not care about physics appreciated the endless pages of rambling. as someone who does, even as a hobby, study said theories i found this abuse of science infuriating. on a practical level, you'd need a black hole with a mass at least 3 times that of the sun to create a wormhole and negative energy to keep it stable. it's safe to safe you can't make one in your kitchen, just for fun. but on an academic level as well, the atlas paradox did nothing but insult science, which at its core is about respecting your predecessors and knowledge. it is an honour to say you're standing on the shoulders of giants and there is humility in admiting the manhattan project was a mistake but the discovery of nuclear fission was not. olivie, the world is bigger than your asshole, selfish protagonists who are willing to burn it down just because they can (while being the heroes of the story).
i'm tired, you're tired. this review has gotten so long. obviously, this was a terrible, boring, insufferable experience. will i be back for the final installment? i've no fucking clue.
July 9, 2022
you’re never gonna catch me talking about this series again
July 12, 2023
Olivia Blake’s narration hasn't changed from the first book, and it's up to you to consider it a good or a bad thing. For me, it's not the unbearable pages of nothingness that are the issue; it's the absence of action.
While in the first book, The Atlas Six, I could excuse pages and pages of thoughts, feelings, memories, and lessons with just a little motion, this book right here could have been summed up in a hundred pages, an additional chapter to the story in the function of what will happen next.
Nothing happens, but at the same time, the alliances are made. Now we know who the real villains are and who just like to mess around.
But to reach that point, firstly, we have to go through hundreds of pages about people mad at each other that still don't communicate with each other. I know that they don't have to be friends, but it's also senseless that they hate each other; I can excuse Callum, but Reina was just being a bitch because she realised she was lonely because she pushed out everyone who tried to be friend with her.
And this made me wonder, what's the point of creating a character with a personality, ideas, beliefs and whatever just to cut to the bone her written time and, also, making it very annoying?! The worst glow-down in the history of magic, I believe.
Another reason why I came back is romance, and I have plenty to say about it too.
I'm a sucker for the little - very little - romance Mrs Blake gives us, I needed to know more since the moment I finished the first book, but I've now realised that she's just messing with our feelings, creating ships everywhere with everyone.
I thought we all considered Libby and Tristan canon as much as Nico and Gideon, but I was wrong. Now, I don't know if we've read a different version of The Atlas Six, but I can't really see Nicolibby happen after the first chapters of the book; they're friends, they’re one side of the same coin, they function better together… but romantic relationships are not always about explosions.
Also, I can't figure out a better match than Nico and Gideon, c’mon.
So, what now? We wait.
9 January 2024, mark your calendar for The Atlas Complex. I still don't understand what is coming, but I'm ready to find out how the world is gonna end.
↠ 3.5 stars
While in the first book, The Atlas Six, I could excuse pages and pages of thoughts, feelings, memories, and lessons with just a little motion, this book right here could have been summed up in a hundred pages, an additional chapter to the story in the function of what will happen next.
Nothing happens, but at the same time, the alliances are made. Now we know who the real villains are and who just like to mess around.
But to reach that point, firstly, we have to go through hundreds of pages about people mad at each other that still don't communicate with each other. I know that they don't have to be friends, but it's also senseless that they hate each other; I can excuse Callum, but Reina was just being a bitch because she realised she was lonely because she pushed out everyone who tried to be friend with her.
And this made me wonder, what's the point of creating a character with a personality, ideas, beliefs and whatever just to cut to the bone her written time and, also, making it very annoying?! The worst glow-down in the history of magic, I believe.
Another reason why I came back is romance, and I have plenty to say about it too.
I'm a sucker for the little - very little - romance Mrs Blake gives us, I needed to know more since the moment I finished the first book, but I've now realised that she's just messing with our feelings, creating ships everywhere with everyone.
I thought we all considered Libby and Tristan canon as much as Nico and Gideon, but I was wrong. Now, I don't know if we've read a different version of The Atlas Six, but I can't really see Nicolibby happen after the first chapters of the book; they're friends, they’re one side of the same coin, they function better together… but romantic relationships are not always about explosions.
Also, I can't figure out a better match than Nico and Gideon, c’mon.
So, what now? We wait.
9 January 2024, mark your calendar for The Atlas Complex. I still don't understand what is coming, but I'm ready to find out how the world is gonna end.
↠ 3.5 stars
November 23, 2022
How to review a book you're obsessed with? I never quite mastered the art.
It's a very rare occasion for me to rate two books in a series, in a row, five stars each. I was terrified this wouldn't live up to my love for The Atlas Six, but I didn't need to be worried at all. If anything it just turned me right back into the Olivie Blake fangirl I was last year. Between this series and Masters of Death, Olivie Blake may very well become a new favourite author.
This book is just everything I adore. Sardonic characters, messy relationships, complicated emotions, fantasy routed in logic, dark academia vibes, ethical conundrums...genuinely I have nothing bad to say about it. There is no shying away from complex situations, and various perspectives are woven together seamlessly. I just adore it, and every time I read more from this series I am astounded.
Now to impatiently wait for another one.
It's a very rare occasion for me to rate two books in a series, in a row, five stars each. I was terrified this wouldn't live up to my love for The Atlas Six, but I didn't need to be worried at all. If anything it just turned me right back into the Olivie Blake fangirl I was last year. Between this series and Masters of Death, Olivie Blake may very well become a new favourite author.
This book is just everything I adore. Sardonic characters, messy relationships, complicated emotions, fantasy routed in logic, dark academia vibes, ethical conundrums...genuinely I have nothing bad to say about it. There is no shying away from complex situations, and various perspectives are woven together seamlessly. I just adore it, and every time I read more from this series I am astounded.
Now to impatiently wait for another one.
May 22, 2023
This definitely had second book syndrome. It meandered a lot. The relationships between characters also struggle with a telling instead of showing aspect. I never know who actually has feelings for each other at any given moment. Characters continue to be unlikable but that’s fine for me. The writing is still flowery and pretentious at times but it really toned down from book 1.
October 28, 2022
4.5 The Atlas Six is one of my top five reads of the year, I mean I LOVE that book, so obviously I have been salivating to get my hands on the sequel. So, the big question is, did it live up to my unreasonably high expectations? Well, no. Did I enjoy it anyway? YES! Am I confused and have a million questions? Also, yes. I have a lot to talk about so I will do a general breakdown before I go into spoiler territory.
The Atlas Paradox starts where we left off, Libby is missing. The rest of the five are set to continue their second year at The Society. The story starts off with a bang with the initiation ceremony, which includes all the delicious Machiavellian mind games that I love about these books. There is also a decided shift in everyone's character arc as they deal with the fallout of the failed plan to sacrifice Callum and Libby's abduction and their overall suspicions of the actual agenda of The Society and Atlas Blakley. All the relationships in the house have been turned on its head and everyone has to now recalibrate alliances.
WARNING!!!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!
Like the Atlas Six this is very much a character driven book. Every character faces an internal struggle due to the events that have happened while simultaneously seemingly dealing with "something" draining them, leaving them all very raw and dare I say exposed. The effect of Libby's absence I found fascinating, she was like an open wound in one way or another for all of them.
The first book ended with a very real sense of urgency which I fully expected to be picked up at the beginning of book two. That's not what happens though, after the initial excitement of the initiation and subsequently thereafter finding out the whereabouts of Libby we hit the brakes. The middle half of the book is decidedly slower paced and feels like it takes a step back. Pacing was a bit of an issue, it felt like standing still and certain parts felt repetitive. (Specifically, Reina and Callum)
I absolutely didn't see Libby being missing for the entirety of the book, I definitely missed her interactions with the rest of the group.
This book didn't feel as defined as the first book and maybe that's by design and it will all make sense in the end, but it did leave me a bit confused and with so many questions.
Libby: Although I absolutely mourned her absence away from the others, I loved watching her growth. She has to overcome so much on her own, her determination and creativity to find a solution and save herself was inspiring and dare I say I felt so proud of her! Her anxiety no longer rules her orbit, and she finally seems to accept herself and owns her gifts and what she wants. I still don't know how to quite interpret the relationship with Belen. I think it's born mainly out of loneliness; Libby never really tips her hand as to her feelings with any of her relationships. Maybe she doesn't know herself what they are. I also find it fascinating how many people have a..... lets' say fixation on her! Ezra, Nico, Tristan and now Belen. I am still on the fence about her endgame. Does she have to have one? No, but I'm a girl dammit and I like the love stuff, ok?!
All that aside, Holy crap am I ready for BADASS Libby!!!!!
Nico: Ahhhh my sweet prince Nico DeVarona. He felt so stranded at sea this book. Obviously, Libby's absence has him completely off kilter. He's frustrated bc he has no real leads except to wait on Gideon with news. Nico adopting Libby's traits was adorable. I still don't completely understand the Nico/Gideon/Libby triangle but it's obvious that Gideon and Nico have feelings for each other and it's so damn sweet I can't stand it! I don't really have a dog in this fight, I will go wherever the goddess Olivie Blake tells me to go with it, I do however need an answer/explanation as to why Nico and Libby are so connected bc I am fascinated by it. Also, I became irrationally angry every time Reina used Nico as a punching bag for her unresolved childhood trauma but more on that later.
Gideon: There isn't much to say. He's just the sweetest freaking cinnamon role in the whole world and we must protect him at all costs. I love him.
Side note: Where was Max? He was hardly in the book, and we still don't know much about him.
Tristan: He was one of my favorite characters in this book bc he had some of the best development. I loved him coming into his power and his growing confidence. His desperation and commitment to find Libby was so compelling and I loved it. His forced partnership with Nico was fun and provided some really good banter.
And this quote! " Nor the fury of a man who'd just fled from Scotland, where he had seen the woman, he loved for the first time in a year and realized he would do anything for her."
I mean!!!!!!
I don't know how this is going to play out, but you have my attention!
Parisa: Parisa could basically throw hot coffee in my face, and I would say thank you my queen! She continues to be formidable, and her chapters never disappoint. I really enjoyed seeing that cold unfeeling exterior of hers crack with Gideon and Nico. Her struggle with having stayed too long in one place and therefore allowing herself to get too close was interesting and I loved seeing that side of her. I think she is also denying her actual feeling for Dalton, I'm not saying it's love but it's definitely more than just self-interest.
Callum: I was a bit disappointed with Callum. On the one hand, Wow! Callum is actually affected by Tristans betrayal and feels unlovable, fascinating! He "processes" this by drowning in alcohol and depression......... for pretty much the entire book. Which just means that he is pretty much a wet blanket the whole book when previously he was the character you loved to hate. I kept wanting him to come out and "play", but he never really did. And unfortunately, it doesn't even seem like he ultimately even had any personal growth from the ordeal if that last scene is any indication.
Reina: OK, full disclosure, I am not a Reina fan. I didn't care for her book one and I care for her even less book two. Therein lies a big part of why I had so much trouble with the pacing of this book, it is heavy on the Reina content, and I find her incredibly tedious. She is so dull and robotic, and I get that's by design bc she closes herself off to emotion bc all she really wants is to be loved and appreciated but that doesn't change that it comes off a bit stodgy on the page. And the GOD complex is unbearable! She completely lacks any self-awareness and instead projects all of her baggage on to others specifically poor Nico and Parisa. (Not that Parisa doesn't provoke her)
-I thought we would have just more on Atlas this time. We didn't really learn more then we already knew.
-The House draining them!!! It's sentient! What does it want from them? What are the consequences of no one dying?
-So, did Belen die? Was that a heart attack?
-Ezra, what a dick.
- Dalton is a still a question mark, what exactly are his intentions?
-Did Libbys sister eventually die bc of the bomb she set off?
So, in conclusion, it didn't have that rare magic the first one had but I still loved it and was happy to revisit these characters and this world and can't wait for the next book!
And holy crap this is the longest review I have EVER written so I hoped you enjoyed and thanks if you made it to the end :)
The Atlas Paradox starts where we left off, Libby is missing. The rest of the five are set to continue their second year at The Society. The story starts off with a bang with the initiation ceremony, which includes all the delicious Machiavellian mind games that I love about these books. There is also a decided shift in everyone's character arc as they deal with the fallout of the failed plan to sacrifice Callum and Libby's abduction and their overall suspicions of the actual agenda of The Society and Atlas Blakley. All the relationships in the house have been turned on its head and everyone has to now recalibrate alliances.
WARNING!!!!
SPOILERS AHEAD!!!!!!!!
Like the Atlas Six this is very much a character driven book. Every character faces an internal struggle due to the events that have happened while simultaneously seemingly dealing with "something" draining them, leaving them all very raw and dare I say exposed. The effect of Libby's absence I found fascinating, she was like an open wound in one way or another for all of them.
The first book ended with a very real sense of urgency which I fully expected to be picked up at the beginning of book two. That's not what happens though, after the initial excitement of the initiation and subsequently thereafter finding out the whereabouts of Libby we hit the brakes. The middle half of the book is decidedly slower paced and feels like it takes a step back. Pacing was a bit of an issue, it felt like standing still and certain parts felt repetitive. (Specifically, Reina and Callum)
I absolutely didn't see Libby being missing for the entirety of the book, I definitely missed her interactions with the rest of the group.
This book didn't feel as defined as the first book and maybe that's by design and it will all make sense in the end, but it did leave me a bit confused and with so many questions.
Libby: Although I absolutely mourned her absence away from the others, I loved watching her growth. She has to overcome so much on her own, her determination and creativity to find a solution and save herself was inspiring and dare I say I felt so proud of her! Her anxiety no longer rules her orbit, and she finally seems to accept herself and owns her gifts and what she wants. I still don't know how to quite interpret the relationship with Belen. I think it's born mainly out of loneliness; Libby never really tips her hand as to her feelings with any of her relationships. Maybe she doesn't know herself what they are. I also find it fascinating how many people have a..... lets' say fixation on her! Ezra, Nico, Tristan and now Belen. I am still on the fence about her endgame. Does she have to have one? No, but I'm a girl dammit and I like the love stuff, ok?!
All that aside, Holy crap am I ready for BADASS Libby!!!!!
Nico: Ahhhh my sweet prince Nico DeVarona. He felt so stranded at sea this book. Obviously, Libby's absence has him completely off kilter. He's frustrated bc he has no real leads except to wait on Gideon with news. Nico adopting Libby's traits was adorable. I still don't completely understand the Nico/Gideon/Libby triangle but it's obvious that Gideon and Nico have feelings for each other and it's so damn sweet I can't stand it! I don't really have a dog in this fight, I will go wherever the goddess Olivie Blake tells me to go with it, I do however need an answer/explanation as to why Nico and Libby are so connected bc I am fascinated by it. Also, I became irrationally angry every time Reina used Nico as a punching bag for her unresolved childhood trauma but more on that later.
Gideon: There isn't much to say. He's just the sweetest freaking cinnamon role in the whole world and we must protect him at all costs. I love him.
Side note: Where was Max? He was hardly in the book, and we still don't know much about him.
Tristan: He was one of my favorite characters in this book bc he had some of the best development. I loved him coming into his power and his growing confidence. His desperation and commitment to find Libby was so compelling and I loved it. His forced partnership with Nico was fun and provided some really good banter.
And this quote! " Nor the fury of a man who'd just fled from Scotland, where he had seen the woman, he loved for the first time in a year and realized he would do anything for her."
I mean!!!!!!
I don't know how this is going to play out, but you have my attention!
Parisa: Parisa could basically throw hot coffee in my face, and I would say thank you my queen! She continues to be formidable, and her chapters never disappoint. I really enjoyed seeing that cold unfeeling exterior of hers crack with Gideon and Nico. Her struggle with having stayed too long in one place and therefore allowing herself to get too close was interesting and I loved seeing that side of her. I think she is also denying her actual feeling for Dalton, I'm not saying it's love but it's definitely more than just self-interest.
Callum: I was a bit disappointed with Callum. On the one hand, Wow! Callum is actually affected by Tristans betrayal and feels unlovable, fascinating! He "processes" this by drowning in alcohol and depression......... for pretty much the entire book. Which just means that he is pretty much a wet blanket the whole book when previously he was the character you loved to hate. I kept wanting him to come out and "play", but he never really did. And unfortunately, it doesn't even seem like he ultimately even had any personal growth from the ordeal if that last scene is any indication.
Reina: OK, full disclosure, I am not a Reina fan. I didn't care for her book one and I care for her even less book two. Therein lies a big part of why I had so much trouble with the pacing of this book, it is heavy on the Reina content, and I find her incredibly tedious. She is so dull and robotic, and I get that's by design bc she closes herself off to emotion bc all she really wants is to be loved and appreciated but that doesn't change that it comes off a bit stodgy on the page. And the GOD complex is unbearable! She completely lacks any self-awareness and instead projects all of her baggage on to others specifically poor Nico and Parisa. (Not that Parisa doesn't provoke her)
-I thought we would have just more on Atlas this time. We didn't really learn more then we already knew.
-The House draining them!!! It's sentient! What does it want from them? What are the consequences of no one dying?
-So, did Belen die? Was that a heart attack?
-Ezra, what a dick.
- Dalton is a still a question mark, what exactly are his intentions?
-Did Libbys sister eventually die bc of the bomb she set off?
So, in conclusion, it didn't have that rare magic the first one had but I still loved it and was happy to revisit these characters and this world and can't wait for the next book!
And holy crap this is the longest review I have EVER written so I hoped you enjoyed and thanks if you made it to the end :)
September 21, 2022
two words: holy crap.
The Atlas Paradox broke me. I no longer know what’s right and wrong in that world, and how I feel about the characters. Actually, that’s a lie, Nico and Libby are still my favorites and Parisa is incredibly mediocre. But other than that, I feel like the world’s been turned upside down because what the heck just happened.
This sequel follows everyone after the events of the last book. Possibly the funniest part about reading this book was how passionately I tabbed every mention of Nico and Libby feeling lost without each other💀 Like, I’ll read a book that has an actual romance and be like “oh that was nice” and then there’s The Atlas Six that has zero romance between two characters (but perfect chemistry) and I’ll write entire paragraphs about it. Like, the majority of my notes are literally just the two of them mentioning each other. It’s quite helpful for me to freak out but quite useless for writing a review. But then again, is it my fault that they’re soulmates? IS IT*???
*team edward or team jacob, you ask? nah, team nicolibby
anyways, onto the characters!
Nico de Varona absolutely stole my heart in this book. As in, I think I might have a very minor crush on him. I certainly haven’t stared at the art of him in this book (which by the way, he’s only second in terms of looks to Ezra imo). Uh anyways…Nico’s perspectives were actually the most fun to read, beyond the fact that the missing half of his soul was gone. It doesn’t matter which character he’s talking to, I’m always fully engaged in their conversation. Tristan and Nico especially had a comically perfect relationship in this book and when y’all read this, YOU’LL KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. Also I love Gideon’s snippets sooo…
Speaking of Tristan Caine, he was another fun character to read about. He’s not really my favorite, but I enjoyed getting to watch him discover more of his magical abilities. Again, his dynamic with Nico in this book was hilarious. Before reading this book, I wasn’t really sure what advantages Tristan really brought to the table beyond seeing through illusions but oh my gosh??? Tristan’s the real MVP.
Reina Mori was another really fun character to read from. I feel like she got more pagetime in this book? Which is amazing because I’m just now realizing she’s more morally grey than I thought? She and Callum made for an interesting duo! Like, Reina is absolutely brilliant but alas, does not particularly care for the idiotic whims of the people around her. She doesn’t take any of Parisa’s crap* and I am HERE for it. I still wish we had gotten a little more insight into her abilities though!
*if half my notes are me freaking about nic0libby, the other half is comprised of me ranting about parisa and cheering on reina whenever she roasted her
okay but callum nova, ladies and gentlemen???
I’m going to be honest with you guys: Callum gives off slight Klaus from Umbrella Academy vibes in this sequel. I mean, everyone gives off Umbrella Academy vibes to an extent but Callum just really leans into it. I feel like we got to dive deeper into how his powers actually work, and the state of his emotional and mental well-being. He was just kind of drowning himself in vices and I felt so bad for him. BUT THE TEAMUP BETWEEN HIM AND REINA??? They work so well together it’s genuinely terrifying. Anyways, Callum has shot right up in my rankings and I’m shocked but also not really. I always knew he was a better Parisa.
Anyways, to hold off talking about Parisa for a while, let’s talk about Elizabeth Rhodes! This woman is a legend and I won’t hear a word against her. I missed her interactions with the others desperately and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Uh…Dalton was a lot more interesting in this book for reasons I shall not be disclosing. Also, we got a couple of Ezra (holy crap he’s hot) and Gideon (omg he’s a cinnamon roll) chapters as well! Also, Gideon totally reminds me of Ronan from The Raven Cycle for a couple of reasons. But yeah, they’re fun!
so…i guess we should be talking about parisa now…
She…uh. Okay. Look, part of me wants her to perish because of a scene that contains Spanish and FISHFIULHIUDFJ*. I refuse to spoil anything but just remember the Spanish and you’ll know exactly what scene I’m talking about. Other than that, she was mostly tolerable(?) for the majority of the book. Was she insanely hypocritical as always? Yes. Did she get chapters more often than everyone else except for possibly Libby? Duh.
*this is my extremely eloquent attempt at avoiding spoilers
I think that disconnecting from Parisa’s perspective helped a lot. Like, I literally shut down and read like a robot when it was her perspective until she did something so annoying I slammed the book shut and hyperventilated angrily. Anyways, while I dislike her very much, I have come to at least tolerate her chapters most of the time. Although honestly, Callum is just the better, more interesting Parisa so I don’t know what her purpose is.
anyways, plot time?
Just like in The Atlas Six, the plot is very vague. To be honest, the plot is the characters. When you pick up this series, you’re picking it up to luxuriate in magical academia vibes and eat popcorn while watching these unlikable (yet likable) characters talk to each other and theorize about random things. Some interesting things happen, sure, but don’t go into it expecting tons of revelations and exciting events. That’s just not the kind of book this is, and that’s okay for those who enjoy it!
My biggest complaint is spoilery so I CAN’T TALK ABOUT IT AGHHHH. Let’s just say that the number 1 thing I wanted to happen in this book…didn’t. I didn’t even get crumbs. I’m starving over here. Like, everything that could have possibly happened that I didn’t care about happened but the ONE thing I wanted to happen didn’t. I’m broken. When this book releases, I’ll post the notes I took because I marked page numbers talking about my reactions but until then, I’ll freak out in silence.
i also took note of chapter/pagetime!
Because if you’ve seen my review of the first book, you’ll know howangry passionate I was about the pagetime. And out of our main cast of characters, everyone has five chapters each except for Libby and Parisa. Libby has 6 (technically 7 but that was ONE sentence) and Parisa also has 6. Libby I understand for reasons relating to the end of the last book, but PARISA??? I know you’re yelling “BUT IT’S ONLY ONE CHAPTER MORE” but while reading it she’d get TWO chapters with a bunch of pagetime before some people ever got one! So Callum would be stuck at 4 for a while and then Parisa was already at 6! Anyways, I feel like we got more time with a couple of the others in this book so luckily her pagetime was lessened. That didn’t stop me from breathing fire in her fictional direction every time her chapter came up though.
In the end, The Atlas Paradox really made me realize that as much as I complain about this series (and Parisa) I absolutely adore it (minus Parisa). I have a similar love-hate relationship with The Raven Cycle, so there’s gotta be something there? A huge thank you to the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
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hmmm why do i kinda want to marry nico de varona and also throw this book against the wall because of ✨shipping problems✨ (i was totally a tumblr girlie)
anyways full rtc closer to pub date and not when it’s 2 in the morning🫠
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I GOT AN ARC AND I'M SCREAMING???? but really the only important thing is that nicolibby becomes fully canon and only then perhaps i will be able to tolerate parisa
The Atlas Paradox broke me. I no longer know what’s right and wrong in that world, and how I feel about the characters. Actually, that’s a lie, Nico and Libby are still my favorites and Parisa is incredibly mediocre. But other than that, I feel like the world’s been turned upside down because what the heck just happened.
This sequel follows everyone after the events of the last book. Possibly the funniest part about reading this book was how passionately I tabbed every mention of Nico and Libby feeling lost without each other💀 Like, I’ll read a book that has an actual romance and be like “oh that was nice” and then there’s The Atlas Six that has zero romance between two characters (but perfect chemistry) and I’ll write entire paragraphs about it. Like, the majority of my notes are literally just the two of them mentioning each other. It’s quite helpful for me to freak out but quite useless for writing a review. But then again, is it my fault that they’re soulmates? IS IT*???
*team edward or team jacob, you ask? nah, team nicolibby
anyways, onto the characters!
Nico de Varona absolutely stole my heart in this book. As in, I think I might have a very minor crush on him. I certainly haven’t stared at the art of him in this book (which by the way, he’s only second in terms of looks to Ezra imo). Uh anyways…Nico’s perspectives were actually the most fun to read, beyond the fact that the missing half of his soul was gone. It doesn’t matter which character he’s talking to, I’m always fully engaged in their conversation. Tristan and Nico especially had a comically perfect relationship in this book and when y’all read this, YOU’LL KNOW WHAT I’M TALKING ABOUT. Also I love Gideon’s snippets sooo…
Speaking of Tristan Caine, he was another fun character to read about. He’s not really my favorite, but I enjoyed getting to watch him discover more of his magical abilities. Again, his dynamic with Nico in this book was hilarious. Before reading this book, I wasn’t really sure what advantages Tristan really brought to the table beyond seeing through illusions but oh my gosh??? Tristan’s the real MVP.
Reina Mori was another really fun character to read from. I feel like she got more pagetime in this book? Which is amazing because I’m just now realizing she’s more morally grey than I thought? She and Callum made for an interesting duo! Like, Reina is absolutely brilliant but alas, does not particularly care for the idiotic whims of the people around her. She doesn’t take any of Parisa’s crap* and I am HERE for it. I still wish we had gotten a little more insight into her abilities though!
*if half my notes are me freaking about nic0libby, the other half is comprised of me ranting about parisa and cheering on reina whenever she roasted her
okay but callum nova, ladies and gentlemen???
I’m going to be honest with you guys: Callum gives off slight Klaus from Umbrella Academy vibes in this sequel. I mean, everyone gives off Umbrella Academy vibes to an extent but Callum just really leans into it. I feel like we got to dive deeper into how his powers actually work, and the state of his emotional and mental well-being. He was just kind of drowning himself in vices and I felt so bad for him. BUT THE TEAMUP BETWEEN HIM AND REINA??? They work so well together it’s genuinely terrifying. Anyways, Callum has shot right up in my rankings and I’m shocked but also not really. I always knew he was a better Parisa.
Anyways, to hold off talking about Parisa for a while, let’s talk about Elizabeth Rhodes! This woman is a legend and I won’t hear a word against her. I missed her interactions with the others desperately and that’s all I’m going to say about that.
Uh…Dalton was a lot more interesting in this book for reasons I shall not be disclosing. Also, we got a couple of Ezra (holy crap he’s hot) and Gideon (omg he’s a cinnamon roll) chapters as well! Also, Gideon totally reminds me of Ronan from The Raven Cycle for a couple of reasons. But yeah, they’re fun!
so…i guess we should be talking about parisa now…
She…uh. Okay. Look, part of me wants her to perish because of a scene that contains Spanish and FISHFIULHIUDFJ*. I refuse to spoil anything but just remember the Spanish and you’ll know exactly what scene I’m talking about. Other than that, she was mostly tolerable(?) for the majority of the book. Was she insanely hypocritical as always? Yes. Did she get chapters more often than everyone else except for possibly Libby? Duh.
*this is my extremely eloquent attempt at avoiding spoilers
I think that disconnecting from Parisa’s perspective helped a lot. Like, I literally shut down and read like a robot when it was her perspective until she did something so annoying I slammed the book shut and hyperventilated angrily. Anyways, while I dislike her very much, I have come to at least tolerate her chapters most of the time. Although honestly, Callum is just the better, more interesting Parisa so I don’t know what her purpose is.
anyways, plot time?
Just like in The Atlas Six, the plot is very vague. To be honest, the plot is the characters. When you pick up this series, you’re picking it up to luxuriate in magical academia vibes and eat popcorn while watching these unlikable (yet likable) characters talk to each other and theorize about random things. Some interesting things happen, sure, but don’t go into it expecting tons of revelations and exciting events. That’s just not the kind of book this is, and that’s okay for those who enjoy it!
My biggest complaint is spoilery so I CAN’T TALK ABOUT IT AGHHHH. Let’s just say that the number 1 thing I wanted to happen in this book…didn’t. I didn’t even get crumbs. I’m starving over here. Like, everything that could have possibly happened that I didn’t care about happened but the ONE thing I wanted to happen didn’t. I’m broken. When this book releases, I’ll post the notes I took because I marked page numbers talking about my reactions but until then, I’ll freak out in silence.
i also took note of chapter/pagetime!
Because if you’ve seen my review of the first book, you’ll know how
In the end, The Atlas Paradox really made me realize that as much as I complain about this series (and Parisa) I absolutely adore it (minus Parisa). I have a similar love-hate relationship with The Raven Cycle, so there’s gotta be something there? A huge thank you to the publisher for an arc in exchange for an honest review!
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hmmm why do i kinda want to marry nico de varona and also throw this book against the wall because of ✨shipping problems✨ (i was totally a tumblr girlie)
anyways full rtc closer to pub date and not when it’s 2 in the morning🫠
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I GOT AN ARC AND I'M SCREAMING???? but really the only important thing is that nicolibby becomes fully canon and only then perhaps i will be able to tolerate parisa
January 20, 2024
Masterfully written!
Certainly, the deep introspection of Olivie Blakes' characters (told seamlessly in multiple POVs; Reina Mori's chapters towards the last third of the book were pure Wisdom!) have been stepped up a notch in peril to the fluidity of her plotline when compared with the first installment.
"She tightened a fist, and the fern in the corner unfurled with the sound of a cracking whip, the branches propelling out like tentacles. There was something growing in her now, festering. Something softer than betrayal, but only in a rotting way, like a translucent peach fuzz of mold. Maybe she was annoyed with him. A spidery bite of something pestering, like the insistence of an itchy tag or whining insect hovering just out of sight. Maybe she was irritated by the discovery that apparently Nico de Varona saw nothing of consequence in her at all."
This has been well worth a read coming from a very talented writer with a stunning sequel. Highly recommended for a variety of enthusiasts; Fantasy, LitFiction, Supernatural, Sci-Fi.
2022 Read
Certainly, the deep introspection of Olivie Blakes' characters (told seamlessly in multiple POVs; Reina Mori's chapters towards the last third of the book were pure Wisdom!) have been stepped up a notch in peril to the fluidity of her plotline when compared with the first installment.
"She tightened a fist, and the fern in the corner unfurled with the sound of a cracking whip, the branches propelling out like tentacles. There was something growing in her now, festering. Something softer than betrayal, but only in a rotting way, like a translucent peach fuzz of mold. Maybe she was annoyed with him. A spidery bite of something pestering, like the insistence of an itchy tag or whining insect hovering just out of sight. Maybe she was irritated by the discovery that apparently Nico de Varona saw nothing of consequence in her at all."
This has been well worth a read coming from a very talented writer with a stunning sequel. Highly recommended for a variety of enthusiasts; Fantasy, LitFiction, Supernatural, Sci-Fi.
2022 Read
Want to read
June 11, 2021AAAAAA
i love the atlas six (which is one of my all-time favorite books) and i’ve had the absolute pleasure of hosting an interview with the incredible author, olivie blake, on my blog to talk about the writing and research magic that went into the book(s) and she reveals more about the series, what to expect, etc. + we also discuss some of olivie’s other works including upcoming next big things !!
i can’t wait to see what alexene has in store for these characters in this sequel!! <3
i love the atlas six (which is one of my all-time favorite books) and i’ve had the absolute pleasure of hosting an interview with the incredible author, olivie blake, on my blog to talk about the writing and research magic that went into the book(s) and she reveals more about the series, what to expect, etc. + we also discuss some of olivie’s other works including upcoming next big things !!
i can’t wait to see what alexene has in store for these characters in this sequel!! <3
January 30, 2024
nicolibby forever
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