The Atlas Six: Messy in the Best Way (for the Most Part)
I Would Kill for These Characters (and I’m Not the Only One)
Some love the perfect character who can do no wrong, while others enjoy the messy character who makes mistakes left and right and often doesn’t see their own faults. You can find me easily amongst the latter half. And boy, does The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake provide when it comes to messy characters. There’s not a put-together character in this book, in any sense of the word.
If you’re a fan of found family, you might want to look elsewhere. While The Atlas Six shows us a group of six, don’t expect them to join together and hold hands anytime soon. In fact, many of the six frequently find themselves at each other’s throats, in each other’s beds, or a combination of the two.
I’m a hardcore ship-whore, and have usually decided who I want to end up together by, at the latest, the mid-point of the book. The Atlas Six, however, took me for a ride. I had absolutely no clue who I shipped, and even when I thought I shipped a couple, things kept changing. I’m not all about that endgame, so I enjoyed the ride these characters and their questionable morals took me on, because that’s where this book truly shines: amongst the characters and their connections.
Olivie Blake Nails Character Creation
I have never been more interested in a set of characters in my entire life (except, of course Six of Crows). The Atlas Six shows us six main characters: Libby, Nico, Reina, Parisa, Callum, and Tristan. They all come from different backgrounds and have different magical specialities.
Libby and Nico are physicists (meaning they can manipulate the world around them) and two sides of the same coin, and they’ve competed for pretty much everything in their entire life. So, when they’re tapped into the Alexandrian Society at the same time, of course they both have to say yes. Where one goes, the other follows. Of course, if only to prove that they’re better than the other. Perhaps that’s where their talents shine, in constantly trying to upstage the other.
I would literally kill for Libby Rhodes. She’s soft and anxious and nearly everyone underestimates what she’s capable of. Because each chapter shows another character’s perspective, we often get to see what people think of Libby’s anxious behaviors and how they feel about her in general. You can learn a lot about these people based on their feelings toward Libby and her mental health issues.
Reina can manipulate plants (and talk to them), but for some reason, chooses not to. While I loved her character and found her incredibly complex and different, there’s simply not enough of her in this book. Seems like it could be a setup of some kind of the sequel!
Parisa (telepath) and Callum (empath) are set up as the “villains” of the group, but it’s hard to tell what they’re really trying to accomplish throughout the book. Parisa is easier to like, but there’s something about Callum that made me intrigued, even though I kind of hated his guts at the same time.
And of course, every group needs a disaster boy. We have that in Tristan. Tristan is the Kaz Brekker of the group, if Kaz had less confidence in himself. Again, I would kill someone for Tristan. He’s standoff-ish, but he stands up for the people that he cares about, and his story is interesting and different. Not only that, but he definitely has the coolest power in the entire group, but I’ll let you see that one in action.
I’m Sorry… What’s Going On?
Unfortunately, while the characters and the connections they build throughout the story are great, the plot is a little hit or miss. The magic is described in a somewhat confusing manner, and there are tons of questions left unanswered by the end of the book. With a series, I like to have a little bit of finality. Even just a smidge, but The Atlas Six really doesn’t give you much satisfaction. Seconds after putting down this book I literally said, “wait… what?” to myself, out loud.
However, while that made this book a little bit disappointing, it did get more excited about the next in the series, The Atlas Paradox, which I suppose was the point.
Who Should Read The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake?
If you’re a fan of dark academic, LGBTQ+ characters (without explicitly stating that they’re gay, bi, whatever), magic, and messy, messy bitches, than The Atlas Six is definitely the book for you. It’s a quick read, and because of the plot twists, you’ll want to keep reading into the wee hours of the night. Just, maybe don’t expect to have all your questions answered this time around.
The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake: 3/5 Stars