At the end of that year, only five of the six are inducted into the Society. For a year the six candidates live at the Society’s headquarters, and immerse themselves in the archives and their contents.

Every ten years, the Society chooses a new class of talented magicians (medeians) as potential initiates. The story focuses on a secret society that is responsible for protecting the archives of the Library of Alexandria, believed by many to have been destroyed. In any case, my lateness in discovering The Atlas Six is a blessing in a way, as now I only have to wait one week to read the sequel, The Atlas Paradox. But, on coming across it again in Waterstones, I was intrigued by the premise of the book, and after the first few pages I was completely hooked! If I’ve learned anything from this experience, it’s to keep an open mind. Initially, the hype surrounding The Atlas Six (and the phrase “TikTok sensation”) kind of put me off – I’ve been burned by the hype before. Most of them.Īs is so often the case, I’m late to the party with this review. And if they can prove themselves over the course of a year, they’ll survive. Here, each must study and innovate within esoteric subject areas. Following recruitments by the mysterious Atlas Blakely, they travel to the Society’s London headquarters. Finally there’s Tristan Caine, whose powers mystify even himself. And Callum Nova is an empath who can manipulate the desires of others. Reina Mori is a naturalist who can perceive and understand the flow of life itself. Paris Kamali is a telepath who sees the mind’s deepest secrets. Contenders Libby Rhodes and Nico de Varona are inseparable enemies, cosmologists who can control matter with their minds. Yet each decade, only six practitioners are invited – to fill five places. Their members enjoy a lifetime of power and prestige. Each could join the secretive Alexandrian Society, whose custodians guard lost knowledge from ancient civilisations. When the world’s best magicians are offered an extraordinary opportunity, saying yes is easy.

The atlas six book cover