Number 9 that I read this year was The Atlas Six by Olivie Blake. A self-published indie author who has blown up through tiktok and whose book has now been republished by a publishing house, with the second in the series due to come out this year.

P.s. sorry for the super smudged cover… sunscreen + mat book covers is not a good mix…

An attempt at a plot summary

This story is set within the secret society of the library of Alexandria, which instead of being burnt down was hidden, to save it from people who would use its secrets with bad intentions. However, over time this purpose has become muddied with the elitist society of Alexandria. Every five years, six candidates who show unusual talent in the magical arts are selected to contend to enter the society, with one being ‘eliminated’ after the first year of their training. However, the six quickly discover the more corrupt elements of the society and have to unravel what it means for them and the mysterious plans someone within the society has that involves them.

What did I think?

This book is a really interesting concept and the characters are great, I’ll definitely be reading the next one! I will say there were lots of philosophical and physics discussions, as the magic is a blend of science and the mystical, which can make some of the pages a little dry.