Review: 'The Atlas Paradox'

 by Anjali Arackal

Second book syndrome: "an author's second book not quite living up to their first, particularly if it's part of a series."

While Olivie Blake's The Atlas Paradox wasn't quite in line with that description, it didn't impress me quite as much as the first in the trilogy. Originally self-published in 2020, The Atlas Six was picked up by Tor Books after a seven-way auction and re-released in 2021 after amassing a cult following and becoming a "BookTok" sensation. Despite my scepticism of Book Tok - Elissa Sussman's Funny You Should Ask (22.8 million TikTok views) was aggressively mediocre for my tastes - I gave it a chance and wow!

The Atlas Six was gripping right from the first page, character-driven to a fault and an original take on the well-used tropes of magical libraries and secret societies. The six main characters (along with several side figures) are fully fleshed out, with nuance and a distinctive narrative voice. Each chapter is from a different point of view. Though it ends with a plot twist, it was executed well: there were clues throughout the narrative, unlike some novels where it's clear the author has prioritised shock value over a reasonable plot. The Atlas Six was reminiscent of the best elements of Six of Crows (Leigh Bardugo), The Secret History (Donna Tartt) and The Night Circus (Erin Morgenstern). 

Its sequel, The Atlas Paradox, had a lot to live up to. Ultimately, it's a book that spends a lot of time in its character's heads, working out their individual changing motivations and goals. I personally really enjoyed the relationships between the main six in book one, so the copious length of time devoted here to developing there was a win for me. Although a lot of events happen (particularly in the final third) I did get the sense that the narrative could have done with some editing - at times meandering into monologues on ethics and religion that, while interesting, were a lot to wade through. Callum's chapters were by far my favourite, due to his descent into apathy contributing to his dry internal voice providing some much-needed levity. 

Clearly, this won't stop me reading the final part of the trilogy the second it's released. These have been some of my favourite fantasy reads this year, and I hope the third lives up to its predecessors!