"An emotional end" - The Atlas Complex review (and meeting Olivie Blake)

By Olivie Blake

Genre: Fantasy/Dark Academia

Pages: 480

Dates read: 10 Jan 2024 - 4 Feb 2024

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5

Synopsis: In this stunning finale, it's a race to survive as the Society recruits are faced with the question of what they're willing to betray for limitless power - and who will be destroyed along the way.

General thoughts (a non-spoiler review)

This was an emotional conclusion to the very popular Atlas trilogy, a series which I'm a big fan of. The finale delivers much of the same pretentiously beautiful prose, loveably complicated characters and messy relationships as the previous instalments, but with bigger character changes, further side-plots and heightened stakes. This is a book about people, not events and the character arcs are done beautifully, coming to their ends in a really satisfying way.

Having said that, there were parts in this final instalment I felt should've been expanded on more, due to a big build up from the previous books. The culmination of certain events underdelivered and delivered too early. To put it best: the massive moral dilemmas were more theoretical than they ever were a real tangible issue.

The conclusion wasn't quite what I thought it would be but it felt aptly bittersweet and I think it was the right ending for the series. Overall, despite the fact that it didn't quite manage to deliver on the excitement and world-ending stakes it seemed to promise, I really enjoyed this final book and I loved the character progressions.

My real in-depth thoughts

Warning, this contains spoilers for the entire Atlas series, including The Atlas Complex!

Wow...

This book emotionally destroyed me. This is a series I've loved for the better part of a year now, since I read the first two books last year. And believe me when I say I was truly counting down the days until this book released. I was so excited to start reading it, and although the finale wasn't quite what I imagined, it certainly didn't disappoint.

Starting with something I always come back to, I just genuinely love Olivie Blake's writing style in this series. The pretentious yet incredibly beautiful prose, which is studded with a crude comment every now and then, feels so perfectly symbolistic of the series and the characters themselves. For all they pretend to be on the outside (superior, above everything, god-like) they're just a bunch of grown adults stuck in academia, screwing each other in a massive mansion, whilst their god-complexes reign supreme. And yet it still somehow manages to deliver some of the most beautiful quotes and sincere unadulterated dialogue between characters. There's also a sort of theological and academic layer to these books, where amongst the story they herald some really important discussions about life and morality and goodness and guilt and everything that makes humans human. Anyway, my point is these books are about academia and have some truly meaningful and important ideas, but the characters themselves are so messy (in the best way) and I love how the writing style perfectly reflects both of those things.

Moving onto the plot. As with the previous books in this series, there isn't too much of one. They're incredibly character-driven books, which really works when the characters are as complex as these ones. This is something Olivie Blake has spoken about in the acknowledgments of The Atlas Complex: "The relationships will be the plot, because relationships are all that matter. They're all we can ever take with us. They're the only real things we leave behind." The final book does have some notable plot points which anchor the story, mainly Atlas's experiment (or The Sinister Plot, as Nico calls it). However for how much this was built up in the previous books, I feel like it was underwhelming. It happened too early and was skimmed over too quickly. I think the experiment succeeding and then the Six having to work together to fix the detrimental impacts would've been really exciting to read and would've heightened the urgency of the story. Instead, everyone has their own things going on (for example, Callum and Reina are trying to influence politics on a global scale), but I prefer it when the characters are brought back together. In fact one of the few things that disappointed me about this book was that I missed all of the Six being together. I genuinely don't think there was any point at which they were all in the same place at once, and I really did miss that dynamic.

Characters! Genuinely the main reason I love these books so much (aside from the gorgeous writing) is because I love the characters. They are so much more than the archetypes they seem to represent at the beginning of the first book. Yes, Callum is a narcissist but he's also capable of love and humility. Yes, Parisa seems confident and collected but she has major insecurities eating at her. Yes, Libby may seem "good" but maybe there's no such thing as a good person. Having each chapter focus on a different character and their inner thoughts provides so much to the reader. For three books we learn everything about these characters: their likes, their strengths, what makes them tick, who they love... and it just creates a feeling of closeness that I feel with few other fictional characters. I genuinely love and care about them and I'm always rooting for them.

Another major part of what makes up the characters is their relationships. There's so many relationship pairings throughout the course of the series, the majority of which are really compelling to me as a reader. Everyone is truly in love with everyone and I am so here for it. It makes for messy drama but also for a sincere feeling of love between the group - even if they claim to hate each other most of the time, they're all a little bit in love with each other too. And although I have my favourite ships, I can still appreciate the other pairings.

Anyway, enough general discussion - let's talk about the individual character journeys in Complex:

Libby notably had a lot going on in this book, after everything that happened to her and the difficult choices she made in book two. She's sort of in her villain era (or reputation era, if you will), as we later learn that she's living with the blood of not one, but two lives on her hands. For me, Libby is a difficult character to grasp. I really liked her in the first book, and could understand the choices she made in the second, but I didn't know how to feel about her in this book. She struggled with the morals of what she'd previously done, but then agreed to do the experiment anyway, which very sadly led to Nico's death - something that she couldn't prevent, but it was also a choice she made. At the time of reading, I felt really betrayed by her character, but I think after reflecting on it more, I'm starting to understand just how difficult everything was for her after the events of Paradox. Her desperation to prove herself is constantly at war with her desire to do good, and she unfortunately changed her mind too late, and Nico was collateral damage to saving the world. To sum it up, although I struggled to understand where she was mentally at times whilst reading, my reflection brings more understanding and appreciation for what she was going through... but even then, they're all unreliable narrators so you can never quite grasp what's true and what's false. Her corruption arc was certainly a surprising and intriguing one.

"Unlike her, they still believed in what magic could do without knowing what it could cost. How many lives had she destroyed just to come here, just to stand in this room and play god? Her mistake was letting any of it happen, or maybe her mistake was coming back at all, but Atlas was right, he was right, it wasn't too late to change her path."

Next we have to talk about Nico. Poor, sweet Nico who only ever tried to look for the best in others - quite literally sunshine personified. In the end his downfall was being too trusting but also believing himself to be invincible - a lack of self-preservation he's had since book one. I genuinely love Nico so much - his relationship with Gideon in this final book was so sweet and tender, completely unlike any of the other romances we'd seen amongst these characters (I actually cried when they reunited in the dream world at the end, and for my own sanity I choose to believe they live on there and get their happily ever after - they deserve it). Admittedly, I'm a NicoLibby shipper - their dynamic is so interesting to me; they are truly each other's halves and I believe they always had and always would love each other. Even if not explicitly romantic, they are soulmates. Which is why it hurt so much for Libby to make the choices she did. After two books of tension, I was glad this love was acknowledged between them, even if it sadly didn't come to anything. The wine and fireplace scene will always stick in my memory.

"Do you ever wonder if maybe it's supposed to be us?"

It felt inevitable, that moment. That question. Like every alternate path still led them here. Like somewhere innate, they both knew they'd spent lifetimes dancing around the gravitational pull of the obvious.

"Yes," Nico Said. "I do."

If I was upset and shocked by Nico's death then I truly wasn't ready for Callum's. Callum Nova is by far my favourite character. I honestly don't know how Olivie Blake made me go from absolutely hating him to utterly loving him, but I commend her for that. Ever since book two, he has just been iconic to me. His sarcasm and sass is incredibly likeable - one of those characters you probably wouldn't get on with irl, but love to read about. Also since the second book, the relationship between Callum and Tristan has been the most compelling to me of all the romantic pairings. I adore their love/hate dynamic, which you know is serious when you're both plotting to kill each other but are also both so obviously obsessed with each other. Their text conversations were some of my favourite parts of this final book and blessed us with many an iconic quote. But in the end it was Callum's desperation to save Tristan and his internal confession that got me. Genuinely I was dying... and so was he 😅

"Not yet. Not now. Chances were too high that he might say something counterproductive, such as I miss you or forgive me. Or tell me you love me, even once."

Another of my favourite parts of the book was Tristan's timeline re-dos following Callum's aforementioned death. These were just a really interesting way to explore Tristan's dynamics with other characters, specifically his father, Callum and Libby. Him saving Callum in some scenarios and murdering him in others was weirdly one of the most romantic things I've ever read; there was just something so sensual about him stabbing Callum in the heart but in other timelines being unable to do anything but love him. Overall, Tristan isn't one of my favourite characters in this series - I quite often find his chapters a little boring and I feel like he doesn't have the most alluring personality (I especially was never a fan of Libby and Tristan's relationship and was annoyed about how much of the books it took up) but I will say that I enjoyed Tristan's chapters more in this final novel, probably because they were so Callum-centric! I cannot put into words how much I love their dynamic and how much I wanted them to be happy.

"I can feel your heart beating," said Callum.

"How does it feel?" asked Tristan.

Callum rested a hand over Tristan's pulse, fingers stretching out like the wings of a dove.

"Like madness," he said, tongue slipping over his lips.

They both felt the presence of the blade at the same moment, reaching for inevitability like a climax.

Femoral artery. "Just a nick would do it, yeah?" said Tristan, voice gravelly with effort.

Callum's laughing mouth caught Tristan's just before he fell to the ground.

Even by the end of the novel, we still don't actually know if Tristan chose to save Callum or not. There's a tiny snippet in a later chapter that suggests he may still be alive, but it's incredibly vague and I have a feeling Blake wrote it in that way to purposely keep readers guessing. But rest assured I will be meeting Olivie Blake later this month and I will be asking her! Until then, I will live in delusion and pretend the flash of platinum blonde hair was, in fact, our beloved empath.

(I have since met the author and asked her that all-important question. So if you too want answers, keep reading.)

I won't dwell on Parisa and Reina quite as much, although I will say that I enjoyed Reina's political arc in this book. However towards the end I was slightly confused with what was going on with her. After the incident at the presidential campaign rally she had a breakdown which led to... (reads notes) the trees trying to protect her? And they were getting shot at? Honestly... I don't know...

"In gratitude, the trees blossomed like spring. A slow revolution, a gradual flurry of pink that bloomed in synchronicity, in unison. If wonder were a sight, Reina thought. If it were an action. It would be a cherry tree in bloom."

Parisa's arc was less interesting to me than usual in this book, although I understand her existential crisis was put there to shake the solid foundations she had and to dig deeper into her character. I just previously loved how sure she always was of herself, and this breakdown didn't feel as much like Parisa to me. However I will say that her dance-fight scene with the assassins in that hotel lobby was iconic. It literally played like a movie in my head. I also loved Parisa and Gideon's chapter fighting in the mental wards - them driving an imaginary convertible with sunglasses and a giant chainsaw had such fun vibes! The ending for Parisa and Reina was so heartwarming. Throughout the series I wondered about the relationship between them and if it might possibly be one of love, and their final chapter was maybe the sweetest one of all. It's just sad that this was maybe the only happy ending in TAC - although I guess this is the sort of book that would discredit how realistic a "happy ending" actually is.

"Be a doll," she requested graciously, hand snapping out to pause the murderous bellhop just as she felt his thoughts taking aim at the back of her head. "Speed this up, would you?" she asked, referencing the music playing overhead. "Oh," she added on second thought, sensing the intensity of a moment's calculation as the bellhop's finger gently stroked his trigger, "and kill the lights."

I would say that one of my few criticisms of this final instalment was the greater number of random side-chapters. The Atlas ones I understood the point of, to make him more human so we, the reader, would realise he was never a villain at all, just an extremely troubled man trying to do what he thought was best for the world. I actually liked how this humanised him. But the other side chapters with the forum members and characters like Sharon felt totally unnecessary and didn't really add anything to the plot. I would have preferred more chapters from the Six instead. (Except the random book club questions - those were hilarious and can absolutely stay!)

Other than that though, I do really feel like this was the right ending for the series. Did it hurt? Yeah, absolutely. But a part of me always knew it would. We always knew at least one person would die, and that nothing good would ever come from the Society. It was bittersweet and left me devoid of feeling, but at the same time I know it was the right ending.

So, summary time! I loved this book (if you can't already tell). This series and these characters are so close to my heart, and in recent weeks my brain has just been consumed with thoughts of them. Olivie Blake has an amazingly detailed and thoughtful writing style which delivers some ideas that really make you think. In this final instalment the characters really went through so much progression and each reached the end of their arcs - which was really satisfying to see. Like I said, there were a few things I had qualms with, but none of them were really big enough to majorly impact my enjoyment of the book. It was a great ending to the series, and I think if you liked the previous books, you'd enjoy this one too. (Except I sincerely hope no one at that stage is reading this cause I just told you SO MANY SPOILERS!!!)

That's it folks, review's over... except...

Meeting Olivie Blake

So I did not plan to make this a full section on this review, but I can't not talk about it! As I previously mentioned, I attended a panel and book signing as part of her book tour for The Atlas Complex. The panel was so fun - she is genuinely one of the funniest and loveliest people ever, and she talked all about her writing and thought processes with this series, as well as her start in fanfiction writing and a little bit about her future releases. The whole event was a blur, but I will tell you some of the key things I remember.

Callum is everyone's favourite character. No, fr.

He was definitely mentioned the most in the panel. My favourite thing Olivie said was that in book 3, "Everyone else is in a drama. Callum's in a romcom." Which is just the truest thing ever spoken! She also said that she didn't intentionally make him more likeable in book 2, she just kept writing him the same way and for some reason everyone realised how iconic he is. Also, song-wise Reina is I Am Not A Woman I'm A God by Halsey, and Callum is Wage Wars Get Rich Die Handsome by the Mountain Goats, simply because of the song's title.

The book signing (and meet-and-greet)

Definitely my favourite part! Not only did I get my books signed but I finally got to ask her the all-important question: Is Callum Nova Dead Or Alive???

*Drumroll please*

He's Alive!!!

(celebratory noises)

Yes, she did confirm to me that Callum is alive. That "flash of platinum blonde" is definitely him, in fact her words were "who else would it be!" Turns out that bit wasn't supposed to be a confusing cliffhanger for the reader, it was literally supposed to be confirmation of life, just in a showing-not-telling way. We're just not smart enough to understand it! (My words, not hers.)

I also told her that her book emotionally destroyed me and that she invented the orange-peel-test with Callum's last (not really) thoughts, which I think she enjoyed 😂

And with that, this blog post comes to an end! If you hadn't gathered by now, I just love this series and I love Olivie Blake!

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If you've made it to the end of this post - wow - thank you! I know it was a long one but I've had so many thoughts about this book swirling around in my head and really wanted to get them all out on the page. Leave a comment with your thoughts if you've made it this far!