Shelf Life Chronicles

Title: The Atlas Six
Series: The Atlas #1
Author: Olivie Blake
Release Date: March 1, 2022
Genre: Fantasy, LGBTQ+
Rating: ★★★★★

Synopsis

The Alexandrian Society is a secret society of magical academicians, the best in the world. Their members are caretakers of lost knowledge from the greatest civilizations of antiquity. And those who earn a place among their number will secure a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams. Each decade, the world’s six most uniquely talented magicians are selected for initiation – and here are the chosen few…

– Libby Rhodes and Nicolás Ferrer de Varona: inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds.
– Reina Mori: a naturalist who can speak the language of life itself.
– Parisa Kamali: a mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched.
– Tristan Caine: the son of a crime kingpin who can see the secrets of the universe.
– Callum Nova: an insanely rich pretty boy who could bring about the end of the world. He need only ask.

When the candidates are recruited by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they are told they must spend one year together to qualify for initiation. During this time, they will be permitted access to the Society’s archives and judged on their contributions to arcane areas of knowledge. Five, they are told, will be initiated. One will be eliminated. If they can prove themselves to be the best, they will survive. Most of them.

Review

The Atlas Six is a TikTok sensation that I really had no interest in reading because it was marketed as a sci-fi read. Space/time things really freak me out so I tend to avoid them. After being republished though, my curiosity got the best of me. I’d definitely say it leans more towards fantasy with ideas of grandeur science mixed in. It’s was truly fascinating and I couldn’t put it down. I was never in over my head nor made to feel stupid and I was so attached to these characters. It was a mix of All of Us Villains with the morality discussions found in V.E. Schwab’s Vicious.

It is an extremely character driven book and honestly feels like a fever dream. I couldn’t tell you anything about how the magic system works, the world or well anything beyond our main characters and their lives. Look back at it now I was just drawn into the drama of the competition and between the characters. I’m a huge Libby Rhodes fan and can’t wait to see how she plays the hand she was dealt at the end of this book.