Book Tour: The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake

I’m so excited to be bringing you a review of one of my most anticipated book releases of the year! Today I’m on a book tour for The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake thanks to Tor UK and Black Crow PR. Jumping back into The Atlas series was an absolute delight, and if you can’t get enough of character-focused books with a cast of absolute unhinged disasters, you’ll love it too.

The Atlas Paradox is the long-awaited sequel to 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?”

The Alexandrian Society is a secret society with world-changing power, and five magicians are entering their final year of study even as their sixth member remains unreachable. As their bonds are destroyed and remade, each character learns the price of their knowledge.

Olivie Blake’s writing style is rich and intoxicating; it’s easy to sink into the pages of this book. It feels incredibly pretentious at times, but in a dark academia book that’s exactly the vibe you want. You’ll know what I mean if you’ve read The Atlas Six, and this one continues in much the same style.

If you love character-focused stories, particularly about morally grey disasters, this series is for you. The Atlas Paradox gives you more time with the ambitious, powerful wrecks that are the main characters. Alliances have broken apart and reformed in new ways. The group dynamic has massively shifted after the events of The Atlas Six. Now all of them must rethink who may be the most useful to be allied with.

I was most surprised by how much I enjoyed Callum’s character in this one. In The Atlas Six, he didn’t seem as well developed as the rest, but Olivie Blake made him shine. Like, the dude’s mental health is in the gutter, but suddenly he has favourite character appeal, so it’s a win for him overall.

The Atlas Paradox did feel a little slow at parts, and the overall plot of the series didn’t progress much until near the end of the book. The character development was necessary, but if you’re looking for something stronger narrative-wise you might be disappointed by this instalment. I, for one, had a great time just vibing with these pretentious disasters.
This series is so easy to fall in love with, and I need someone to give me the next book already! *grabby hands*

Thanks to Black Crow PR and Tor for providing me with an Advanced Copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

Alexene Farol Follmuth, also known under the pen name Olivie Blake, is 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 the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love.

Alexene tripped and fell into writing after abandoning her long-premeditated track for Optimum Life Achievement while attending law school, and now focuses primarily on the craft and occasional headache of creating fiction. Under her Olivie byline, New York Times and Sunday Times bestselling The Atlas Six released 2022 from Tor Books, to be followed by the sequel in October and the re-release of her viral literary romance Alone With You in the Ether in November. She has also been published as well as the writer for the graphic series Clara and the Devil and a variety of other books. As Alexene, her debut YA novel My Mechanical Romance released May 2022 from Holiday House (US) and Macmillan Children’s (UK).

Alexene lives and works in Los Angeles with her husband and goblin prince/toddler, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull.