Olivie Blake

The Atlas Paradox

Mahi Patel

Olympus was empty and so was hell. The devils were all here, in this house. 

Emilia Vulliamy

Alina

The loss of their sixth member was, by then, no longer fresh. It was, however, still noticeable. Like an old war wound that pained them only when it rained, the missing hum of Libby Rhodes and her anxiety seemed to haunt the standing space between the five initiates, unspoken—existing only in the promises they had made to one another. From somewhere beneath the floorboards, her absence pulsed.

Nico wasn’t the only one left unbalanced. They were all slightly different without Libby Rhodes. Without them realizing it, she had established herself as the “but” in their collective conscience, their measure of morality. But what if this happens, but what if something goes wrong, but what if someone is hurt. The effects of her displacement from their anatomy as a group seemed imperceptibly compounding, like an infection that went undiagnosed. They could go on without her, of course, but the loss would surely prove significant given enough time. Slow internal bleeding, the toxification of a kidney. A tiny puncture somewhere in the constitution of an otherwise healthy lung.

For them the purpose seemed to be here, I have perfectly encapsulated your beauty, but after several versions of noticing some divergent detail or another, one thing Parisa had come to learn was that other people’s view of her said far more about them than it ever did about her.

What was that they said, about people who had lived through extraordinary loss missing the ordinary? The little things, the trifling reassurances that made up their primary language. The culture of their own tiny nation, which had recently withstood some bombs.

Do you know how many times society has already collapsed? It will happen again and rebuild itself, but how will it rebuild? Think about it. The old gods are dead, no one believes in them, so what is left now but a broken, faithless world?

“I’m nobody’s victim,” Reina said flatly.

“Neither were they. Not in that sense.” Callum folded his arms over his chest. “But if you think about it, nobody asks for any of this. What they’re born into. We just get what we get, and that’s a tragedy in itself. Everybody’s got one.”

He missed Libby Rhodes the way he would miss having electricity. Or his left hand. He did not know how to function without her.

Again, no names. Which meant Parisa probably already knew that Nico missed Gideon like he would miss his conscience, or his ability to slip a punch. He did not know who he was when Gideon was gone.

What did he think love was—pain? Was that all anyone believed love to be? That if it didn’t hurt, if no one pined, then it was as if it did not exist and had never existed—a tree brought down in the forest with no one to hear it fall?

"In the end, the pitfall and the providence of knowing Nico de Varona was that he could not be readily forgotten, not easily parted from. Missing him was like missing a severed limb. Never quite complete and never whole, though on occasion the vestigial aches proved helpfully informative."

“Of course it’s about me.” Tristan was snarling, and from the hearth was a coincidental series of cracks and sparks. “I was there, Callum. I was fucking there.”

Tristan’s chest rose and fell with anguish and Callum sat still, bearing the unexpected weight of it.

“Whether you put it there or not,” Tristan said, his voice heavy with irony, “this—between us—it was real for me. You can pretend that it didn’t matter. That I was the one who wronged you. That you had no hand in how things happened. That I made a choice based on nothing, based on my own insecurities and flaws. But I am not such an idiot—I’m not so devoid of feeling,” Tristan spat, “to not be perfectly aware that you and I had something rare and difficult and fucking significant, and in the end it only broke because I broke it.”

Flora

Tristan might have betrayed Callum, but he wasn't the bad guy, either. This was just the world. You trusted people, you loved them, you offered them the dignity of your time and the intimacy of your thoughts and the frailty of your hope and they either accepted it and cared for it or they rejected it and destroyed it and in the end, none of it was up to you.

If in his eyes you are not the target, then you can be sure you are the weapon.

Sarah

 Parisa casually assured him, aware that Atlas could be listening in. 

Nor do I scheme. Though I do on occasion conspire.

One thing at a time. Murder first and then scholarly pursuits.

Reina couldn't begin to fathom how the two people in the house who were the most intimately familiar with human nature—the most skillful at manipulating human nature—could think of nothing more pressing than wasting away under capitalism.

The duality of their relationship meant that his love could not exist without rage, and his hatred was equally ineffective because it was brittle and porous with longing.

Nicky 

There is doom to be found everywhere if doom is what you seek.

Rina

We are our own myths, our own legends. We give things reason.

The Atlas Paradox is the long-awaited sequel to the New York Times bestselling dark academic sensation The Atlas Six—guaranteed to have even more yearning, backstabbing, betrayal, and chaos. Six magicians. Two rivalries. One researcher. And a man who can walk through dreams. All must pick a side: do they wish to preserve the world—or destroy it? In this electric sequel to the viral sensation, The Atlas Six, the society of Alexandrians is 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. But the cost of knowledge is steep, and as the price of power demands each character choose a side, which alliances will hold and which will see their enmity deepen? Praise for The Atlas Six "Lethally smart. Filled with a cast of brilliantly realized characters, each entangled with one another in torturously delicious ways, The Atlas Six will grip you by the throat and refuse to let go. Olivie Blake is a mind-blowing talent."— Chloe Gong, author of the New York Times bestseller These Violent Delights "The Atlas Six is a fantasy novel that understands that what the people want is more dark academia stories with flawless vibes and aesthetics and hot morally fraudulent characters who are constantly on the verge of either killing each other or fucking each other. I'm the people." — chai, viral book reviewer @proyearner At the Publisher's request, this title is being sold without Digital Rights Management Software (DRM) applied.

This one was harder to get through. The plot moved at a snails pace and felt unnecessarily long-winded at points. 

That said, I’m still loving these characters and I’m excited to see how the finale will pan out. 

Kierce

This one was harder to get through. The plot moved at a snails pace and felt unnecessarily long-winded at points. 

That said, I’m still loving these characters and I’m excited to see how the finale will pan out. 

Chase Leitner

Too many characters and therefore too many storylines. I can easily keep them all straight (again the 8+ narrators is such a great touch and they are all perfect for each character) but I’m genuinely interested in each string so it was a bummer they wouldn’t get the time and space they deserved because it felt like the plot could barely move by the time we would get back around to each one. And yet I cried at the end so I had to give it 4 stars. 

Abigail

I may or may not have a little crush for parisa since book 1

Aris 

Dnf. BOOORING. Second book in and i have absolutely no feelings about any of the characters. Byeee.

Christine

I have been waiting for them to kiss for two books now and I couldn’t be happier 

Pia 

At this point the author has managed to describe the way the characters view the world and each other so well that they really feel like they could be real people. 4/5 because even though there's a lot going on, there's not a lot happening. I will pick up the third book just to revisit the characters.

Moa Mattbäck

Megan

Just couldn't get through it. Boring and slow.

The ending was awesome and the story is shaping up, and is shaping up to be something really cool.

But I feel like this book brought me further away from the main characters. It is likely my fault for not understanding the book well enough but at times I felt like I was confused why that specific player made that decision. 

Blake is an amazing writer who was created a great universe and has generously shared it with us. That being said I think I need to take a step back from this series for a second because I might be misunderstanding too much of it.

Maxwell B

The ending was awesome and the story is shaping up, and is shaping up to be something really cool.

But I feel like this book brought me further away from the main characters. It is likely my fault for not understanding the book well enough but at times I felt like I was confused why that specific player made that decision. 

Blake is an amazing writer who was created a great universe and has generously shared it with us. That being said I think I need to take a step back from this series for a second because I might be misunderstanding too much of it.

Dani

** spoiler alert **
           There are (only) a couple things I am sure about. 

1) I don’t understand this whole rivals to lovers thing being projected onto Nico and Libby. They are clearly platonic lovers that play into the whole sense of purpose/fate/singularity in time that weaves together the main themes of the book. There is zero romantic/sexual tension here. We’re clearly talking about the notion of complements. Balance. The fact that together they hold incomprehensible power, and that together, all 6, can unlock things previously inimaginable. 
2) Gideon is the most interesting character in this book and I feel like moving forward the plot will make valuable use of him. There is much we don’t know about Gideon. But there’s lot of hints pointing to something Larger Than Life, filled with purpose. 
3) it was obvious and clear to me from the beginning, but even more so during this second installment of the series, that Nico & Gideon were bound to happen. The infinite tenderness, the recognition of soul outside your body, the unique quality Nico has to see Gideon for more than Gideon gives himself credit for, and the capacity Gideon has to steady Nico and hold him through anything… I just find it so curious and worthy of commentary that Gideon is said to be a creature, non human, and yet he displays the most feeling, the most compassionate & kind response out of any of them. He truly is a uniting thread and I think he will play a much bigger role in book 3. 
3) Callum is so important. I also think he will play a bigger role in book 3, and I can’t wait to see what more we can learn about him. 
4) Libby Rhodes corruption arc? Ok but… predictable? Or not predictable just. More of the same. I hope Libby and Tristan lift each other up because they’ve both been dragging on endlessly and it’s time for it to Stop 
5) plot? What plot? 
6) what was the point of Ezra 
7) Dalton I see you 👀 
8) will Reina actually stop moping about and confront her emotions 
9) Nico is everything to me 

All in all, I would’ve given it 3 stars if it wasn’t for sentimentality, but might lower it layer because it was a bit all over the place… Good ideas, way too many, I think, for it to make much sense. I will review this review (lol) when I’ve had time to collect my thoughts.

Nicogideon are my reason to stay alive til January 2024

I could fall into this chaotic story and world over and over again! 

Samantha Cummings

I loved this book so much more than the first. The first was a big too slow and character driven for me. Obviously though the characters are amazing and I wasn't ready to give up on them so I read this book. The only downside to it, and the reason it took me so long to finish, is the lack of Libby Rhodes. I love Libby and just always want more of her. I must say I love this series but I am just here for the ride and sometimes I do believe the characters are too smart for me. This though is the best book I have read in awhile.

Lucille

Hmm,, let's try and make this review as succinct as possible. 

Has there ever been a book that's felt a bit too existential? That's how this book came off to me. There is a lot happening and I fear it's at the loss of a real plot. It will tickle your sciencey cerebral fancy really well but it also feels like a conscious stream of thought instead of a book. Ezra's character is absolutely useless and didn't really add anything for me and Belen almost seems like a manic rant put to paper if that makes sense? Her character had so much potential but devolved so badly. Much appreciated the anti-colonial rant but it seemed a bit misplaced in this book. Take my review with a pinch of salt because I still read it in a night. Blake's writing is still delightfully addicting and her world-building is lovely. Her approach to friendship and love is so unbelievably open and Queer and sweet. Our main six seem a lot softer in this book but also kind of haggard though I suppose that is intentional. A lot happens but it also feels like nothing at all happens. Also not sure if I can forgive Blake for NOT giving me my NicoLibby reunion that I was absolutely DESPERATE for, howeverrrr Nico and Gideon FINALLY getting their shit together at the end softened the blow a teensy tiny bit. But yeah, by the end I kind of felt like Nico during their last week at the manor when he's just stumped that,,, this is it? All that and it's just,,, done? I read the first two books in a three day haze (that one day break was thanks to amazon's delivery service) and I think I need to take a break before I dive into the third one. Hopefully there's more Libby in general in that one :) if you made it to the end of this, you're much appreciated  xo 

Edit: also,,, it was delightfully sciencey and academic but then wasn't in the moments that it should have been ? Would have loved more deep dive into the plan to get Libby back and seen them work together. It just kind of,,, came together? And I was like oh! Ok. Also their self study work, it piqued ny interest but it just kind of faded in and out without real focus. Also WHAT HAPPENED to reina, the whole god thing is a cool premise but her chatacter kind of went,,,, wrong? And why do I low-key like Callum now? Though he needs an intervention for his drinking... also what was the actual point of their little simulation initiation thing? but yeah I swear I'm done now

Ameira Raveendran 

Hmm,, let's try and make this review as succinct as possible. 

Has there ever been a book that's felt a bit too existential? That's how this book came off to me. There is a lot happening and I fear it's at the loss of a real plot. It will tickle your sciencey cerebral fancy really well but it also feels like a conscious stream of thought instead of a book. Ezra's character is absolutely useless and didn't really add anything for me and Belen almost seems like a manic rant put to paper if that makes sense? Her character had so much potential but devolved so badly. Much appreciated the anti-colonial rant but it seemed a bit misplaced in this book. Take my review with a pinch of salt because I still read it in a night. Blake's writing is still delightfully addicting and her world-building is lovely. Her approach to friendship and love is so unbelievably open and Queer and sweet. Our main six seem a lot softer in this book but also kind of haggard though I suppose that is intentional. A lot happens but it also feels like nothing at all happens. Also not sure if I can forgive Blake for NOT giving me my NicoLibby reunion that I was absolutely DESPERATE for, howeverrrr Nico and Gideon FINALLY getting their shit together at the end softened the blow a teensy tiny bit. But yeah, by the end I kind of felt like Nico during their last week at the manor when he's just stumped that,,, this is it? All that and it's just,,, done? I read the first two books in a three day haze (that one day break was thanks to amazon's delivery service) and I think I need to take a break before I dive into the third one. Hopefully there's more Libby in general in that one :) if you made it to the end of this, you're much appreciated  xo 

Edit: also,,, it was delightfully sciencey and academic but then wasn't in the moments that it should have been ? Would have loved more deep dive into the plan to get Libby back and seen them work together. It just kind of,,, came together? And I was like oh! Ok. Also their self study work, it piqued ny interest but it just kind of faded in and out without real focus. Also WHAT HAPPENED to reina, the whole god thing is a cool premise but her chatacter kind of went,,,, wrong? And why do I low-key like Callum now? Though he needs an intervention for his drinking... also what was the actual point of their little simulation initiation thing? but yeah I swear I'm done now

i cried finishing this at 2am. olivie blake, you have done it. you have broken me to pieces.

Lots of theoretical and physical science explanations in it, but has a much better plot than I think the first one

Lillian

nina 

i searched high and low, looked under every rock and crevice, but still there was ZERO plot to be found in this book.

Dark Academia meets Fantasy. »The Atlas Paradox« ist die Fortsetzung des Bestsellers »The Atlas Six«, in dem sich sechs talentierte Magier*innen den tödlichen Prüfungen der Alexandrinischen Gesellschaft stellen. Mehr Geheimnisse. Verrat. Verführung. Herzen werden gebrochen, Allianzen geschmiedet und wieder zerbrochen, und die Alexandrinische Gesellschaft wird als das enthüllt, was sie ist: eine mächtige Organisation, die von einem Mann geführt wird, der unsere Welt revolutionieren möchte. Doch die Gesellschaft verfügt auch über mächtige Feinde, die von sich behaupten, eine bessere Alternative zu sein. Die Magier*innen werden sich für eine der beiden Seiten entscheiden müssen. Und allen ist klar: Von dieser Entscheidung hängt nicht nur ihr eigenes Schicksal ab. Für Leser*innen von Sarah J. Maas, Leigh Bardugo und V. E. Schwab.

Schicksal ist eine Entscheidung

cee 

The characters felt more alive this time around and the story overall was more engaging than the first.

sammy

I love Olivie Blake's writing, it's so calm and poetically calculated. It's perfect for slowly revealing the plot, which is so cleverly disguised behind a group of young adults hating and occasionally making out with each other! 

The characters all have their faults and are completely unapologetic about that! They feel real, and annoying at times, but I love them all (ironically, my favourite is the one the rest of them hate the most!) 

I'm so glad I waited to read this as that ending would not have allowed me to wait a year to see how this story concludes, but now I am ready (with 6 days to wait, which still feels painful!)

Victoria Justice

I love Olivie Blake's writing, it's so calm and poetically calculated. It's perfect for slowly revealing the plot, which is so cleverly disguised behind a group of young adults hating and occasionally making out with each other! 

The characters all have their faults and are completely unapologetic about that! They feel real, and annoying at times, but I love them all (ironically, my favourite is the one the rest of them hate the most!) 

I'm so glad I waited to read this as that ending would not have allowed me to wait a year to see how this story concludes, but now I am ready (with 6 days to wait, which still feels painful!)

only read this for the (few) libbynico crumbles which were basically nico going insane over libby's absence.

“something about libby’s absence had ripped a hole in the fabric of nico’s reality”

“he missed libby rhodes the way he would miss having electricity. or his left hand. he did not know how to function without her.”

anyways, the plot was somewhat interesting but dragged on for SOO LONGG zzz like it finally picked it up towards the very end. personally, the book was overshadowed by the pretentiousness and dark academia of it all. i wish the author developed the core six's relationship/friendship with each other. it felt like reading about six coworkers with magical abilities that occasionally made out with each other. also, the six characters in the first book were their own distinct person but in this book, it felt like they were all so similar to the point where they all blended together!

idk this book had potential to be more than just dark academia with mind aching vocabulary

only read this for the (few) libbynico crumbles which were basically nico going insane over libby's absence.

fav quotes hehe
“something about libby’s absence had ripped a hole in the fabric of nico’s reality”

“he missed libby rhodes the way he would miss having electricity. or his left hand. he did not know how to function without her.”

anyways, the plot was somewhat interesting but dragged on for SOO LONGG zzz like it finally picked it up towards the very end. personally, the book was overshadowed by the pretentiousness and dark academia of it all. i wish the author developed the core six's relationship/friendship with each other. it felt like reading about six coworkers with magical abilities that occasionally made out with each other. also, the six characters in the first book were their own distinct person but in this book, it felt like they were all so similar to the point where they all blended together!

idk this book had potential to be more than just dark academia with mind aching vocabulary

This book really just checks all the boxes for me. It has magic and drama and lots of cerebral, existential thinking throughout the whole novel. The characters are loveable and so unique from one another that it's hard not to love them. Blake does such a good job at balancing so many different narratives and points of view without making it confusing. So many elements of this book and its predecessor are dense and full of complex meaning, it just makes you want to pick apart every sentence to conjure as much understanding as you can. 

This book ends in an abrubt, almost incomplete way that demands a follow up, which I'm pleasantly surprised to learn comes out in January of 2024. I'm excited to see what Blake does with this story! 

Paige Leitner

This book really just checks all the boxes for me. It has magic and drama and lots of cerebral, existential thinking throughout the whole novel. The characters are loveable and so unique from one another that it's hard not to love them. Blake does such a good job at balancing so many different narratives and points of view without making it confusing. So many elements of this book and its predecessor are dense and full of complex meaning, it just makes you want to pick apart every sentence to conjure as much understanding as you can. 

This book ends in an abrubt, almost incomplete way that demands a follow up, which I'm pleasantly surprised to learn comes out in January of 2024. I'm excited to see what Blake does with this story! 

if imma be honest … this book put me in a HUGE slump (as u can probably see from the timestamps) but as i tried to read it the story was still sooo good. idk why it put me in a slump tbh but i did love the story, the characters, and THE ENDINGGGG OMG. i can’t wait for the third book!!

maria garcia 

Not as good as book one but has interesting moments