Olivie Blake

Book two in Olivie Blake's The Atlas series, THE ATLAS PARADOX, is a bit of a paradox itself. While the story picks up shortly after the events of the first book and spans the initiates' second year at the Society, there isn't much in the way of action. And yet, despite the lack of action or significant plot development, the story grows ever more complex.

In my notes, I describe THE ATLAS PARADOX as a cerebral novel, maybe even more than the first book. In that, we were still meeting the show more characters, learning the world of the Society, and discovering this world's magic. In THE ATLAS PARADOX, we need none of that, and Ms. Blake wisely does not include any of it in her sequel. Instead, we get 400 pages of astrophysical theories, telepathic scenes, and dream hopping, all to explore what it means to have power and what changes having power will bring to someone.

While I am not a fan of any book that requires me to interpret what I read, I enjoyed every last page of THE ATLAS PARADOX. I might not have understood half of it and am still fuzzy on what certain characters can do, but the story is like a dream. In saying that I mean that the story feels very nebulous, very ethereal, as if you aren't supposed to understand all of it but rather pull out the salient points and learn from them. I enjoy these characters, none of whom are enjoyable, and all of whom suffer from narcissism and neuroses.

The idea we are left with as THE ATLAS PARADOX ends, that people in power or who have power will never do the right thing for the greater good, is a chilling one. At the same time, you don't have to look hard or long to find examples that fit this narrative in real life. And, just like in real life, it is difficult to discern the Big Bads in THE ATLAS PARADOX. Personally, I find the morally gray ground of the novel fascinating; I am excited to see how Ms. Blake brings it all together. show less

Olivie Blake is an author who jumped onto my radar after reading The Atlas Six. By the time I finished One For My Enemy, she was yet another of my must-read authors. She has a way with words that undoes me. I love that her publisher is releasing Ms. Blake's older novels because everyone now has the chance to discover this outstanding author for themselves.

I jumped at the opportunity to read Masters of Death before they released it in August, and I am so glad I did. It is such a crazy story, show more difficult to define or explain. However, it is funny, poignant, heartbreaking, romantic, and, at times, just plain silly. Death adopts a godson, and the godson becomes quite the character. The cast includes a cranky poltergeist, a vampire, a demon, an angel, and a reaper. They all get caught up in a power struggle that culminates in having to play a mysterious game with no rules other than don't lose.

Masters of Death is unlike anything I've ever read, and I had so much fun reading it. The banter is fantastic, and the logic of the characters' thoughts and actions dizzying. Ms. Blake charmed me with Viola, a real estate agent who happens to be a vampire but isn't letting her new lifestyle stop her from trying to sell a mansion. With an opening like that, you can't help but want to read more.

But for all its goofiness, Masters of Death is a lovely story. You wouldn't think a story about immortality with Death as a character could be beautiful, but that is the point I believe Ms. Blake is making. As the immortals rush to play this one last winner-take-all game, humanity becomes less a liability. The whole thing comes together in a way that puts life into perspective. It is funny and introspective.

Masters of Death solidifies my adoration for Olivie Blake's novels. I love that none of her novels are remotely similar, and yet they all have intelligence to them that can be intimidating. Ms. Blake always stirs my emotions and make me feel deeply for her characters, even the most unlikable. Fox and Viola are just the latest to do so. That they happen to be part of a wacky story that also makes you reflect on life, death, humanity, and immortality is just icing on the cake. show less

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake is a stunning novel. Every aspect of it hit all the right notes for me. I want to reread it to experience the magic I felt while reading it the first time. Because it was a magical reading experience. The world felt a little brighter, and people didn’t seem quite as…well, ignorant. Ms. Blake put a spell on me with One for My Enemy, and I do not care.

I had my doubts about One for My Enemy. The opening few chapters have a strong Romeo and Juliet vibe, which show more is not my favorite Shakespeare play, and I contemplated whether I wanted to sit through another retelling. Then, with one scene, everything changed. I went from questioning it to wanting to read as fast as possible and yet as slowly as possible to savor each word.

The prose in One for My Enemy. Oh, the prose! I found myself lingering over passages in a way I do not do. Taking pictures of quotes to remember them later. Rereading them to see if they are just as impactful the second time. I am not one to get excited about someone’s writing. I am not a collector of quotes, and I don’t savor words. I did both for this novel.

From the Slavic families and traditions to the revenge plots, from the dueling families to the lovers, there was nothing about One for My Enemy I did not enjoy. The story may seem similar to Romeo and Juliet initially, but there is more depth here, more of a story in Ms. Blake’s version. The characters are so much stronger and more intelligent.

Plus, I never felt the romance between Romeo and Juliet. I felt every ounce of romance between our two couples. In fact, I felt more than romance; I felt their anger, frustrations, and pain. Their pain almost did me in, as it was so intense and so visceral. I don’t expect to feel that level of emotion based on someone’s printed words, but while reading One for My Enemy, I felt all of it.

One for My Enemy by Olivie Blake was my favorite book for February and will be at the top of the list for my favorite book of the year. Ms. Blake blew me away with One for My Enemy, something I was not expecting but welcomed with open arms. It really was a magical experience. show less

Author Olivie Blake (aka Alexene Farrol Follmuth), in the Atlas Complex, the final installment in her three part trilogy, has crafted a treatise (not so much a novel) on the importance of trying one's best to avoid inflicting pain even if one has the power to cause suffering. That's right: choosing the good, the ethical, the moral despite the ultimate futility in doing so.

In her author Acknowledgements, Blake admits that she wrote her trilogy from a place of rage - rage at the politicians show more who have done nothing real to curb the current climate catastrophe and rage at corporate greed that continues to fuel the climate catastrophe. Rage at consumerism, at institutional religion, inequitable labor standards, colonialism, and a recognition of just how the wealthy as well as the hoi polloi are unwilling to even acknowledge that we all must change in order to save ourselves and our children's children.

As the reader will discover, the author believes the world will survive while humans, even those who embrace goodness, may not. Mass extinction anyone? show less