A hugely popular self-published dark academic debut fantasy with an established cult following that reads like The Secret History meets The Umbrella Academy, or Ninth House but with magic.
THE ATLAS SIX: Book 1 in a trilogy
by Olivie Blake
Tor/SMP, March 2022
In a dangerous post-grad world of magic, a society of chosen magicians study the secrets of the lost library of Alexandria whose books can unlock a life of wealth, power, and prestige beyond their wildest dreams. Each decade, only the six most uniquely talented magicians in the world are selected to compete for initiation. This year, the competition is fiercer than ever before.
A mind reader whose powers of seduction are unmatched. The son of a crime kingpen who can see the secrets of the universe. Two Americans whose powers to change elemental matter are unequivocally tied despite their hatred for one another. A bastard daughter who holds the power of life within her. And an insanely rich pretty boy whose charisma is so unmatched he could bring about the end of the world just by asking. Six of the best magicians enter a gauntlet for the opportunity of a lifetime. Only five will walk out.
Magic, romance, action, and intrigue all come together in a story of six characters that unfolds from rotating points of view. The ever-hungry fans of dark academia novels (The Magicians, The Ninth House, A Lesson in Vengenance) will devour this gripping and original take on the post-grad study experience, and fans of new magics, awesome queer characters, and diverse voices will all find something to love as well.
Alexene Farol Follmuth, also known under the pen name Olivie Blake, is a lover and writer of stories, many of which involve the fantastic, the paranormal, or the supernatural, but not always. More often, her works revolve around the collective experience, what it means to be human (or not), and the endlessly interesting complexities of life and love. Alexene tripped and fell into writing after abandoning her long-premeditated track for Optimum Life Achievement while attending law school, and now focuses primarily on the craft and occasional headache of creating fiction. Alexene lives and works in Los Angeles, where she is generally tolerated by her rescue pit bull. She can be loosely defined as the sort of person who picked up sparring as a means to improve writing fight scenes.