If you like character-driven stories that mix dark academia with magic then this might be the book for you! The prose was so pretty and the characters so interesting, I’m so invested in this world and excited for the sequel. People think it’s the meaning of life that matters,” […] “it’s not the meaning,”[…] “Everyone wants a purpose, but there is no purpose. There is only alive and not alive.” Reaching the crowd of graduates and their guests, Libby paused to conjure something terrible; a final, devastating parting malediction. Something to say that would haunt Nico as she walked away, out of his life forever. From the moment you open Blake’s novel, you cannot ignore her imaginative approach to magic. Early in the novel, we are introduced to a character named Tristan, who is technically an Illusionist, but his real power is that he can see through illusions. He can see the things that no one wants you to see, from your magically-enhanced breasts, to fake walls or false animated corpses, Tristan knows your secrets, and he can see through it all. Possibly the most interesting, and certainly my favourite, power of the book belongs to Reina. She possesses power of the highest medeian calibre, which the doctors noticed when she was born. As a baby in the hospital; 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…

THE ATLAS SIX by Olivie Black (BOOK REVIEW) | Fantasy-Hive THE ATLAS SIX by Olivie Black (BOOK REVIEW) | Fantasy-Hive

The highlight of this novel, for me, was the writing style. Olivie Blake has this uncanny ability to write with such deep, reflective thought and yet remain accessible. You cannot help but feel studious as you read, and the itch to learn more, to see what other secrets the Society holds, is relentless. Incandescence aside, this was to be a very different sort of day, as it was finally going to be the last of them. Barring any accidental encounters, which Libby was certain they’d both furiously ignore—Manhattan was a big place, after all, with plenty of people ravenously avoiding each other—she and Nico were finally going their separate ways, and she would never have to work with Nico de Varona again. She’d practically burst into song over it that morning, which her boyfriend, Ezra, presumed to be the consequence of the occasion’s more immediate matters: either graduating top of her class (tied with Nico, but there was no use focusing on that), or delivering the NYUMA valedictory speech. Neither accolade was anything to scoff at, obviously, but the more enticing prospect was the newness of the era approaching.Olivie Blake is a lover and writer of stories, and is the pen name of Alexene Farol Follmuth. Many of her stories 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.

The Atlas Series | Olive Blake The Atlas Series | Olive Blake

The Atlas Six follows 6 talented medians with unique abilities who are given the chance to compete for 5 spots in this secret society, where they can access power and knowledge behind their imagination. But when the society isn’t what they thought it would be, and the ‘elimination’ isn’t as civil as first predicted, things take a more sinister turn. The Atlas Six Age Rating and Parents Guide Libby, who’d blissfully forgotten for a second that Nico was even there, bristled at the mention of Ezra. “Why wouldn’t he be here?”He gave her a bored glance. “It’s not always me, Rhodes. I don’t go around blaming you for forest fires.” Reina is a Naturalist, the plants call to her, reach out to her and she tries desperately to ignore them. What I found most compelling about Blake’s use of plants, and the concept of Life in general (Life finds a way…), is the delicate communication between the plants and Reina: Compelling, entertaining, and addictive. The Atlas Six is academic Darwinism: survival of the smartest with a healthy dose of magic." — T.L. Huchu, author of The Library of The Dead Enter the latest round of six: Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona, unwilling halves of an unfathomable whole, who exert uncanny control over every element of physicality. Reina Mori, a naturalist, who can intuit the language of life itself. Parisa Kamali, a telepath who can traverse the depths of the subconscious, navigating worlds inside the human mind. Callum Nova, an empath easily mistaken for a manipulative illusionist, who can influence the intimate workings of a person’s inner self. Finally, there is Tristan Caine, who can see through illusions to a new structure of reality—an ability so rare that neither he nor his peers can fully grasp its implications. Plot: The Atlas Six is undoubtedly a character-driven novel that allows for a fascinating exploration of the human psyche in a world of magic and science.