It all started in…
The Society of Alexandria jealously guards its secrets, and every ten years six candidates vie for five places among the members of the privileged group. The most talented magicians in the world fight for access to knowledge that, according to the official version, has been lost without trace and is the key to unimaginable success and wealth.
Intriguing heroes
Nico, Tristan, Libby, Reina, Callum and Parisa face the biggest opportunity of their lives. They will stop at nothing to become full members of the Alexandrian Society. Each of them came with their own set of desires and motivations. Powerful in their field of magic and above average intelligence, they make an intriguing group. They are not easy characters to identify with or even like. Wild tigers have been locked in an aesthetic, academic cage.
In each chapter of the book, the action is seen through the eyes of one of the six main characters. They come from different backgrounds and pursue their goals by different means. It is very pleasant to follow their train of thought. The chapters are titled with names, but even without that it would be immediately clear from whose perspective we observe the world. Each of the mages plays his own game, collects allies and enemies. There are romances, complicated, toxic relationships that are far from friendship or ordinary human decency.
Success on social media
Olivia Blake wrote The Atlas Sixin 2020 and it became a sensation on BookToku almost immediately. Thanks to the TikTok smartphone app, readership is booming again. BookTok, part of a platform dedicated to books of various genres and their readers (mostly young people), sets the current trends in reading and decides what will be successful. However, we may not be able to recognize a book made famous by social media. Two years later, the next edition received a completely different cover and additional illustrations inside. I am a faithful fan of the first draft of the book, but the new version also looks nice on the shelf. The Polish translation is only available on the second cover. On the technical side, the edition I have in my hands has very delicate sides. The book weighs little, which is a definite plus, but you have to be careful so as not to crease the corners when reading. The illustrations didn’t quite suit my artistic taste. On the other hand, character representations can help readers imagine the appearance of the characters.
Worth reading
The action develops really slowly and in fact not much happens. Most of the plot takes place in one place, and the characters rarely communicate with the outside world. Before reading, it is worth considering whether the prospect of scientific discoveries and the study of seedy, lost scrolls is exciting for us. If so, this is absolutely a book worth reading. Otherwise, the slow pace of action can be an insurmountable obstacle. For me, however, the most important was the atmosphere of a secret society, a lost library. I have my criteria for judging new adult fantasy books and The Atlas Sixfulfilled them all. On the other hand, I find the pretentious academicism incredibly attractive, and I found the characters’ murderous tendencies more amusing than disturbing. It’s not an ambitious genre, it’s light and pleasant to read. The perfect book for a fall evening after a hard day.
