deadly dark academia | the atlas six review

The Atlas Six tells the story of six magically talented individuals competing to join a powerful secret society. But little do they know that the cost of joining this society might be more than they bargained for…

Is there anyone who hasn’t heard of The Atlas Six by now? Whether you (like me) first heard of it on Tumblr or via Tik Tok or book Twitter or even saw it in your local bookstore (most likely displayed on a “Tik Tok Made Me Buy It!” table), it seems like this book has been everywhere, being talked about by everyone. So naturally, your local curious chaos queen (me) just had to check it out and see if it was worth the hype. And I’m happy to inform y’all that The Atlas Six is, indeed, worth said hype!

writing

The problem with knowledge, is its inexhaustible craving. the more of it you have, the less you feel you know

Blake’s writing is an interesting mix of lush and academic and I couldn’t get enough of it! It was the perfect balance in that it wasn’t overly decadent but it also wasn’t too plain and simple either. Her writing easily transports you into the world of The Atlas Six, leaving you absolutely intoxicated and begging for more.

characters

We are the gods of our own universes, aren’t we? Destructive ones.

As the title would suggest, we follow six main characters, alternating through each of their POVs:

• Libby Rhodes—An anxious and ambitious “physicist,” whose powers are the ability to manipulate matter
• Nico De Verona—Libby’s foil, Nico is the second “physicist,” who is a more upbeat variety of ambitious
• Reina Mori—A stoic and sullen young woman with the power to hear and control plant life
• Parisa Kamali—A young seductress and manipulative mind reader
• Callum Nova—A cold and calculating empath
• Tristan Cane—A cynical son with the ability to see through illusions

The Atlas Six is incredibly character driven, which in my case was a benefit, as I instantly fell in love with all of the characters. Although, maybe I should note: The Atlas Six is not a story with traditionally “likeable” main characters. None of our main cast could really be considered an all out “good guy.” Instead, Blake seems to strive to make her cast believably human, rather than straight up heroic, and I gotta say: she excels in this regard. The members of the crew may do things that are “morally correct” in the moment, but rarely for unambiguously selfless reasons. Nevertheless, it was perhaps because of the main cast’s gray morality and undeniable humanity that I grew to adore them so much.

world building

The world was mostly entropy and chaos; magic, then, was order, because it was control.

The world of The Atlas Six is, I think, an interesting paradox in and of itself. For readers with less of a background in science and philosophy, I think the world may seem overwhelmingly aloof in its details. Contrastingly, for readers with more of a background in science and philosophy, I think the world might come off as far too wishy-washy and undefined. For myself, as a physics and anthropology student in college, I fell in the second camp. I found myself wishing the magic and the world were slightly more defined and robust. Plainly put: I think if it had been, The Atlas Six would have left far fewer readers confused. Nevertheless, for me this was a relatively small snaggle to contend with, but I recognize that may be largely due to my own educational background.

themes

Knowledge is carnage. You can’t have it without sacrifice.

I would be lying if I said that as a college student myself, I didn’t relate to the themes of The Atlas Six. “Knowledge is power,” or so the saying goes, but there is also another adage that says “power corrupts,” and those dualling ideas are all that this book is centered around. Blake’s plot wraps tightly around those two themes, its threads weaving them into an intricate tapestry. After all, the premise of The Atlas Six hinges on the question of “Would you willingly claim power if you fully understood the corruption it takes to maintain?” We as readers see the main characters grapple with this question, with the deadly desire they sense within themselves.

This is particularly interesting to observe because several of the main characters are people of color and/or are queer. It cannot be denied that each and every one of the main cast fully understands the horrific results that such corruptive power will inevitable reap.

The moral of this story is:

Beware the man who faces you unarmed.

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

All in all, The Atlas Six not only lived up to the hype for me—it exceeded it! Blake absolutely nailed it with this intriguing, charcter driven novel and I’m eagerly anticipating the sequel now. The Atlas Six is a perfect read for dark academia fans looking to add a pinch of magic to their life.

spill the beans, friends!

• Have you read The Atlas Six?
• If so, what are your thoughts on it?
• If not, is it on your TBR?

Learn more the author of this post:

Lila @ Hardcover Haven

Lila is a 30 year old anthropology student and lover of literature who's been book blogging for an eternity. Her hobbies include reading, singing, writing, arts and crafts, and snuggling her two cats, Snoopy and Clementine.