A review by jeyjeyyy
The Atlas Paradox by Olivie Blake

adventurous challenging dark emotional mysterious reflective slow-paced
  • Plot- or character-driven? A mix
  • Strong character development? It's complicated
  • Loveable characters? No
  • Diverse cast of characters? Yes
  • Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

2.5

Really liked the first one, this one not so much. Maybe my taste has changed, it’s been a year after all, or maybe it’s just not as good. For me this book is too pretentious, like it’s trying to info dump on purpose. If I wanted to read something hard to understand, I would read an actual physics book or a philosophy essay. This book is trying to be that, while being a fantasy book and a Secret History variant, but it doesn’t do it well. The characters are trying so hard to be morally grey and nuanced, but they’re just unrealistic and most of the time annoying. Nobody talks or behaves like they do. I get that it is part of the point, that power has made them insane and detached from the world, but it’s honestly tiring. The only relationships I liked (Tristan and Callum, Libby and Nico, Gideon and Nico) were overshadowed by stuff I had no interest in, and honestly, most of the links beteen the characters didn’t really seem to make sense or have any purpose. Too much unnecessary and uncomfortable sex too. This book wants to do too much and therefore does nothing well.
 I will say, though, some quotes in there were really smart and beautiful, shame they had to be mixed up in what was mostly an inefficient and quite boring story. 
 Olivie Blake is obviously a smart and talented writer, I just wished this book had clearer purpose. It is also quite niche so maybe it wasn’t for me but yeah, I wasn’t a fan. 
Ps: Shoutout to Belen for being the best character ever. 
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