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bessadams's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
tense
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Gun violence, and Violence
Moderate: Alcohol, Sexual content, Murder, and Cursing
Minor: Cancer, Dementia, and Confinement
aseel_reads's review against another edition
dark
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
1.0
Everything that was possibly annoying in the first two books, was somehow 1000% worse. The sentences just waffled on, there was no plot underneath all the garbage sentences. The ending was what? Nothing, hated everything about this, only finished it because I owned the book
Content Warnings
Moderate: Toxic relationship, Sexism, Injury/Injury detail, Death, Mental illness, Toxic friendship, Suicidal thoughts, Kidnapping, Cursing, Alcohol, Murder, and Suicide attempt
emilywemily6's review against another edition
challenging
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
2.5
This book was so confusing to read. So much philosophy that was trying to sound smarter than it was. While all the characters were intriguing, I felt like the characters’ motivations were inconsistent and unclear, especially considering people changed their minds throughout the book. Reina was disconnected from everything else happening in the book. Why did Libby kill Nico??? Why didn’t she kill Dalton when she realized how much power he had? She definitely labeled him as the villain. And I was bummed when Tristan chose the not change anything in the many scenarios and he let Callum die instead of choosing a different scenario where they ended up together. There were too many perspectives throughout the book and I feel like nothing happened in this book even though it was super long. I guess I also don’t really understand the whole idea that these kind of bad people all want to both kill and have sex with every other character. The writing style is interesting and the characters are intriguing, but this book was very unsatisfying.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Bullying, Emotional abuse, Gaslighting, Murder, Violence, Cursing, Death, Toxic relationship, Classism, Kidnapping, Injury/Injury detail, Stalking, and Toxic friendship
Moderate: Sexual content, Grief, Domestic abuse, and Alcohol
Minor: Chronic illness and Medical content
aliyachaudhry's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
"I'm actually an elite member of a secret society"
Content Warnings
Graphic: Misogyny, Toxic friendship, Terminal illness, Suicidal thoughts, Violence, Murder, Chronic illness, Cursing, Injury/Injury detail, Sexism, Death, Mental illness, Sexual content, Toxic relationship, Alcohol, Death of parent, Gun violence, Blood, Bullying, Classism, Emotional abuse, Fire/Fire injury, Gore, and Grief
Moderate: Mass/school shootings, Cancer, Physical abuse, Sexual assault, Child death, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Police brutality, Rape, Vomit, and Kidnapping
Minor: Pregnancy, Miscarriage, Genocide, Dementia, and Xenophobia
caryndi's review against another edition
challenging
emotional
reflective
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
4.5
The first two books in this series were some of my favorite reads in 2023, so I was very excited when The Atlas Complex came in at the library. It did not disappoint! When you get invested in a series, there's always the possibility the final book will fail to stick the landing but this book did so and then some.
There was a decent amount of dramatic irony built up going into this book, because we as readers knew what Atlas' plan was, whereas Libby did not trust what she was told about Atlas' plan. That alone was a great setup for conflict. Libby's choices and the choices of the other characters in the book added new layers that really had me wanting to learn where it all was headed.
One thing I want to applaud the author for is how well she took as us readers along for the ride. My experience was that I came out of the first two books rooting for specific characters and against others, and a lot of that was turned upside down in this book. It wasn't even a sense of "well this person/story is just boring me now"—but of her showing the characters growing and changing in ways that was really gratifying as a reader. I never would have imagined I'd feel so strongly about certain characters or relationships but for exampleCallum's death hit SO hard.
Additionally, this series was built around character relationships and they continued to be on point. This book was perhaps the gayest of all of them (always a plus!) and explored some new character/relationship dynamics that I enjoyed. I'm also a sucker for the "everyone is a bit in love with everyone else" trope and the six main characters really had that going on. Even when it was outside of actual romantic relationships—I'm a sucker for that blurring of friendship vs. something deeper and boy did I get that!
The structure of the book and the names of the sections were clear allusions to the author's philosophical inspirations and I think this book also lived up to that promise. I am not deep enough into philosophy to have more than a surface level understanding of the various systems she referenced but in terms of calling for that kind of thought, and being an examination of choice and outcomes, I thought it was a triumph. The ending of this book was satisfyingly unsatisfying (kinda spoiler,in that it didn't provide that perfect catharsis some books do ), which I think was kind of the point of this approach/framing. The text was very upfront about acknowledging that the categories of good/bad are mostly artificial, or at least only useful in very limited contexts, and really dug into that concept throughout.
If I have one critique it would be with the very very last chapter: I just don't think it was needed. I can see the argument for putting it in there, especially knowing that readers come to things with different levels of engagement and understanding. But IMO it would have been better to leave that off—to go without that concrete "here is the moral". I think the book lead readers, at least careful ones, to that conclusion.
Final thought: I appreciate Ms. Blake doing her part to make sure everyone knew her characters were all very sexy. That's the kind of effort I respect. (Also I'm curious if color versions of the character art exists anywhere!)
There was a decent amount of dramatic irony built up going into this book, because we as readers knew what Atlas' plan was, whereas Libby did not trust what she was told about Atlas' plan. That alone was a great setup for conflict. Libby's choices and the choices of the other characters in the book added new layers that really had me wanting to learn where it all was headed.
One thing I want to applaud the author for is how well she took as us readers along for the ride. My experience was that I came out of the first two books rooting for specific characters and against others, and a lot of that was turned upside down in this book. It wasn't even a sense of "well this person/story is just boring me now"—but of her showing the characters growing and changing in ways that was really gratifying as a reader. I never would have imagined I'd feel so strongly about certain characters or relationships but for example
Additionally, this series was built around character relationships and they continued to be on point. This book was perhaps the gayest of all of them (always a plus!) and explored some new character/relationship dynamics that I enjoyed. I'm also a sucker for the "everyone is a bit in love with everyone else" trope and the six main characters really had that going on. Even when it was outside of actual romantic relationships—I'm a sucker for that blurring of friendship vs. something deeper and boy did I get that!
The structure of the book and the names of the sections were clear allusions to the author's philosophical inspirations and I think this book also lived up to that promise. I am not deep enough into philosophy to have more than a surface level understanding of the various systems she referenced but in terms of calling for that kind of thought, and being an examination of choice and outcomes, I thought it was a triumph. The ending of this book was satisfyingly unsatisfying (kinda spoiler,
If I have one critique it would be with the very very last chapter: I just don't think it was needed. I can see the argument for putting it in there, especially knowing that readers come to things with different levels of engagement and understanding. But IMO it would have been better to leave that off—to go without that concrete "here is the moral". I think the book lead readers, at least careful ones, to that conclusion.
Final thought: I appreciate Ms. Blake doing her part to make sure everyone knew her characters were all very sexy. That's the kind of effort I respect. (Also I'm curious if color versions of the character art exists anywhere!)
Content Warnings
Moderate: Violence, Cursing, Death, Gun violence, Blood, and Grief
itsheyfay's review against another edition
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
Content Warnings
Graphic: Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, and Death
Moderate: Forced institutionalization, Cancer, Cursing, Classism, Confinement, Death of parent, Police brutality, Gun violence, Sexual content, and Violence
Minor: Suicidal thoughts and Suicide attempt
barda's review against another edition
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Murder and Violence
Moderate: Injury/Injury detail, Suicidal thoughts, Cursing, Grief, Sexual content, and Alcohol
Minor: Racism and Sexism
celery's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
hopeful
informative
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
5.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Chronic illness, Body horror, Cursing, Drug abuse, Dysphoria, Kidnapping, Toxic friendship, Medical trauma, Schizophrenia/Psychosis , Dementia, Ableism, Infidelity, Toxic relationship, Vomit, Abandonment, Blood, Death, Racism, Sexual harassment, Child abuse, Sexism, Sexual content, Death of parent, Addiction, Classism, Gore, Infertility, Alcoholism, Miscarriage, Gun violence, Murder, Physical abuse, Stalking, Gaslighting, Suicidal thoughts, Alcohol, Cancer, Emotional abuse, Suicide attempt, War, Drug use, Grief, Misogyny, Suicide, Terminal illness, Confinement, Colonisation, Fire/Fire injury, Injury/Injury detail, Medical content, Mental illness, and Violence
natashaleighton_'s review against another edition
dark
emotional
tense
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
Despite the mixed reviews I actually really enjoyed this pacey, emotional rollercoaster of a read—which sees the stakes get even higher for all six of our protagonists.
And if (like me) you loved how deliciously complex and character driven the previous instalments were, then this is definitely worth picking up.
Our depth-filled cast of morally grey characters were just as complicated (and willing to lie, cheat or commit murder) as ever before. And the emotions conveyed in their strained and rocky relationships has quickly become one of my fave aspects of the entire series— which (unsurprisingly) managed to once again keep me on the edge of my seat.
But I do admit that, by the end I did feel like I’d been through the emotional wringer along with our MCs, and have needed some time to truly digest everything that happened before I could write this review.
With gloriously underhanded, Machiavelli- level plots and an opening that sees most of our characters on different continents (before eventually converging) there was literally never a dull moment. However, I do think that the pacing was a little too quick at times, which meant some of the important scenes didn’t resonate quite as much as I wanted and, as such, lost a little of that delicious, Dark Academia-esque essence that first drew me in.
That being said, I loved the buddy-comedy style dynamics that developed between Callum and Reina, and liked getting to know more about Parisa’s past and private life. But my heart is still trying to come to terms with THAT shocking turn of events. I can’t say anymore without spoilers so I’ll just say, keep some tissues handy—you’re gonna need them!
I’m also still impressed with Olivie Blake’s ability to weave a tale about six slightly unhinged, magic nerds and their dysfunctional relationships, into an intricate and timeless allegory on humanity’s innate (and perpetual) quest for power, and the corruption that ultimately arises from trying gain it.
Given the world’s current political climate; the ending, though angsty and heartbreakingly bittersweet, did feel like the perfect way to conclude this jaw-droppingly plot twisty series. Just don’t go into this expecting a happy outcome for everyone.
Also, a huge thanks to Black Crow PR and Tor/ Pan MacMillan for the finished copy.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gun violence, Violence, and Death
Moderate: Murder, Cursing, and Sexual content
Minor: Confinement, Cancer, and Dementia
writerres27's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5
4.5 stars overall. This book, and this series as a whole, was an emotional and philosophical rollercoaster. Above all else, I very much respect and appreciate Olivie Blake's ability to raise extremely contradictory yet equally valid feelings and convictions about society, existence, and human nature. I've identified heavily with many of the characters and their various imperfections and convictions across the entire series, and I found this conclusion to be an almost perfect conclusion for each of them. Perfect in the sense that it's *correct* and realistic, not necessarily that it's what we all hoped and dreamed for the characters. Also, as an aside, I recommend reading the acknowledgements if you've followed the series. It's a nice contextualization of why certain choices were made. Specifics (and spoilers) below!!!
Plot:
This is where the 4.5 fails to reach a full 5 stars. As is the risk of writing a story with many POVs, there are certainly circular, repetitive parts of the plot. This can make it confusing to follow the story's timeline and made the pacing inconsistent, though I'm sure that is somewhat intentional given the commentary the book makes about time. I just ultimately felt that, while I was in general agreement with the various plot decisions Blake made, because they felt accurate and authentic to the story, some of them weren't necessarily satisfying. I would also say that the numerous, intertwined conflicts occurring throughout the series and, specifically, this book, was also a challenge. Not an unwelcome one, as I feel they were all sufficiently explored and concluded, but it was definitely a lot going on that some readers may not do as well with as others.
Characters and Relationships:
This. This is where the bulk of the story falls. Every important character, as well as every important dynamic between characters, is dealt with one way or another. There are no loose ends, not really anyway, and the only characters whose storylines are left open are done so in a way that still gives the reader sufficient closure. At the end of the day, Blake achieves the goal of humanizing all of the characters, both for their humanity and their lack thereof. They are flawed, they are relatable, and they are real. To take such divisive and controversial characters and find a way to place them all, more or less, on equal footing by the end is a difficult thing to accomplish. Yet here we are. Normally I don't get into the nitty gritty in reviews, but I will give commentary on each of the main characters/relationships I appreciated in this story:
-Callum: The closest to understanding and redemption you could possibly get with this type of character. His ending is perfect, I can't imagine it ending any other way for him. If you'd told me at the beginning of the series that I'd be slightly misty eyed at Callum's death, I would've laughed. But Blake achieves the very difficult feat of using Callum to demonstrate that good and bad are subjective, that good people can do bad things and bad people can do good things, and that who you are and what you stand for can change and evolve from moment to moment. Callum grew on me in a way I could not have ever guessed.
-Parisa: The identity crisis we've all been waiting for. All I've wanted for Parisa all series is a sliver of authenticity, vulnerability, and humanness. We finally get it. To watch Parisa rise and fall throughout this book was affirming, to be quite honest. To watch her lose her poise, to crumple, and to still inevitably persist was validating.
-Reina: To accept the role she pushed so hard against for so long. A painful yet beautiful evolution. And for her to be able to shed her stubbornness, accept help, and embrace what is meant for her by the end was very fulfilling. Maybe it's just because she reminds me of a younger version of myself, but Reina's path was one of the hardest and, ultimately, most satisfying to follow.
-Tristan: Shockingly, I have the least to say about him. I hope (in the universe where the story continues) he gets satisfaction from the changes he's made, the things he's discovered, and the life he's able to lead now.
-Libby: Probably the most divisive character. As a reader who was frustrated by her continuously, but always ultimately understanding of her, I felt satisfied with this as the only logical ending for her. Some things, ultimately, never change, even if the entire world around us does.
-Nico: I cried. So very much. I saw so much of myself in Nico over the course of these books, especially this one. He is relatable, precioso, and deserving of goodness in a way the other characters aren't. Which is, of course, why he had to be the one to die. Despite having an itching feeling that this may happen, I was still shocked when the time finally came. Especially after all that was said between him and Libby the night before, which was perhaps one of the most *real* scenes I've ever read, it was so hard to accept and yet so prophetic.
Complex characters with even more complex relationships. I felt a strong satisfaction simultaneous with a deep ache to see their stories end how they did. As a series based on rage, pain, existential questions and no real answers, I knew I would have conflicting feelings when the end finally came. I'm just relieved none of these feelings were disappointment. I don't think the end could have gone any other way, and I feel Blake probably knew that from the beginning. I think she did a lovely job. I'm very happy to have read this series and look forward to a day down the road where I can read it again with fresh eyes and a different state of mind.
Plot:
This is where the 4.5 fails to reach a full 5 stars. As is the risk of writing a story with many POVs, there are certainly circular, repetitive parts of the plot. This can make it confusing to follow the story's timeline and made the pacing inconsistent, though I'm sure that is somewhat intentional given the commentary the book makes about time. I just ultimately felt that, while I was in general agreement with the various plot decisions Blake made, because they felt accurate and authentic to the story, some of them weren't necessarily satisfying. I would also say that the numerous, intertwined conflicts occurring throughout the series and, specifically, this book, was also a challenge. Not an unwelcome one, as I feel they were all sufficiently explored and concluded, but it was definitely a lot going on that some readers may not do as well with as others.
Characters and Relationships:
This. This is where the bulk of the story falls. Every important character, as well as every important dynamic between characters, is dealt with one way or another. There are no loose ends, not really anyway, and the only characters whose storylines are left open are done so in a way that still gives the reader sufficient closure. At the end of the day, Blake achieves the goal of humanizing all of the characters, both for their humanity and their lack thereof. They are flawed, they are relatable, and they are real. To take such divisive and controversial characters and find a way to place them all, more or less, on equal footing by the end is a difficult thing to accomplish. Yet here we are. Normally I don't get into the nitty gritty in reviews, but I will give commentary on each of the main characters/relationships I appreciated in this story:
-Callum: The closest to understanding and redemption you could possibly get with this type of character. His ending is perfect, I can't imagine it ending any other way for him. If you'd told me at the beginning of the series that I'd be slightly misty eyed at Callum's death, I would've laughed. But Blake achieves the very difficult feat of using Callum to demonstrate that good and bad are subjective, that good people can do bad things and bad people can do good things, and that who you are and what you stand for can change and evolve from moment to moment. Callum grew on me in a way I could not have ever guessed.
-Parisa: The identity crisis we've all been waiting for. All I've wanted for Parisa all series is a sliver of authenticity, vulnerability, and humanness. We finally get it. To watch Parisa rise and fall throughout this book was affirming, to be quite honest. To watch her lose her poise, to crumple, and to still inevitably persist was validating.
-Reina: To accept the role she pushed so hard against for so long. A painful yet beautiful evolution. And for her to be able to shed her stubbornness, accept help, and embrace what is meant for her by the end was very fulfilling. Maybe it's just because she reminds me of a younger version of myself, but Reina's path was one of the hardest and, ultimately, most satisfying to follow.
-Tristan: Shockingly, I have the least to say about him. I hope (in the universe where the story continues) he gets satisfaction from the changes he's made, the things he's discovered, and the life he's able to lead now.
-Libby: Probably the most divisive character. As a reader who was frustrated by her continuously, but always ultimately understanding of her, I felt satisfied with this as the only logical ending for her. Some things, ultimately, never change, even if the entire world around us does.
-Nico: I cried. So very much. I saw so much of myself in Nico over the course of these books, especially this one. He is relatable, precioso, and deserving of goodness in a way the other characters aren't. Which is, of course, why he had to be the one to die. Despite having an itching feeling that this may happen, I was still shocked when the time finally came. Especially after all that was said between him and Libby the night before, which was perhaps one of the most *real* scenes I've ever read, it was so hard to accept and yet so prophetic.
Complex characters with even more complex relationships. I felt a strong satisfaction simultaneous with a deep ache to see their stories end how they did. As a series based on rage, pain, existential questions and no real answers, I knew I would have conflicting feelings when the end finally came. I'm just relieved none of these feelings were disappointment. I don't think the end could have gone any other way, and I feel Blake probably knew that from the beginning. I think she did a lovely job. I'm very happy to have read this series and look forward to a day down the road where I can read it again with fresh eyes and a different state of mind.
Content Warnings
Moderate: Gore, Cursing, Blood, Murder, Mental illness, Toxic relationship, Gun violence, Death, and Violence
Minor: Dementia and Cancer