“Remember that, Alice Law. Hell is a writer’s market.”

much to say, and yet… not really, at the same time? i have issues with the way this book was marketed, because instead of getting the rom-com in hell i was promised, i was given an annotated bibliography swathed in chalkdust. which is also to say that, by virtue of rf kuang being a nerd (said affectionately), the “rom” is but a forced sprinkle and the “com” is endlessly corny, in the way that professors chuckle at themselves while making puns in lecture. i could literally see her glee flowing from the page; how unfortunate that i could not share in it.

i am floored also by kuang’s ability to produce such an ambivalent reading experience—while i do think that, with katabasis, you can see how her handle of prose has grown by leaps and bounds (her sentences have rhythm, and the form is more attentive than ever), it’s kind of amazing how she then proceeds to shoot herself in the foot by letting the book become a literature review, dropping a clunky citation in the middle of what should be high-octane action. i also think that the aforementioned marketing issue became somewhat of a stylistic one, too, because at a certain point you have to eye-roll a bit about kuang dropping the line “it is like porn” in a supposedly didactic chapter “on magick,” or when the literal god of death cracks an orpheus joke. now imagine all of this buried in between “socrates said this” and “dante said that.” referentiality is not the problem here—this would all be very well for a novel if it weren’t for the stylistic whiplash.

there is also some weird temporal stuff going on, where character motivations and feelings are obscured at the beginning of the novel and then slowly revealed through flashbacks, which, okay, fine, but that just sort of cheapens the first 30% of the book because it feels like a false reality. i think what makes it hard to connect to the story is that so much of where the plot should be satisfying just feels like anticlimax, which is what you get with the “hell has no rules” paradigm—anything can happen and thus nothing, not even the characters’ cleverness, is surprising. how’s that for a paradox.

still, i appreciate what katabasis says about academia the way i appreciated what yellowface said about the publishing industry—although i do think much of it hinges on kuang’s winking at an imagined audience of beleaguered phd students. i liked alice’s character and i liked (the idea of, less so the execution of) peter and i liked elpsbeth, even though i wish kuang spent some more time on developing the magic system they use and less on “tartarology” and math. it’s clear that kuang put a lot of herself in this book, and not necessarily in the autofictional way i am sure she will be accused of, but in the way her passion is reflected in the writing. but it’s another skill altogether to get your reader to burn for your passion the way you do. me, personally? this hell was just alright.

This was a very thoughtful, and thorough meditation on life and philosophy. I found myself thinking about the central book themes long after I had finished and ruminating on the character arcs as they pertained to life and death. I love a novel you can sink your teeth into, and R. F. Kuang fully delivered in that regard. I feel like she used the characters of Alice and Peter as tools in her plotline, walking you up to the point of frustration with their respective journeys; and just when you wanted to grab them and shout "Get over yourself!" Kuang would walk you down and turn the plot to some philosophical musings that furthered her message. It never got boring; it never got stale; I found myself eagerly following Alice's journey through Hell and the accompanied revelations with awe.

My first RF Kuang! The Dante's inferno aspect of this story was my immediate pull into it and the writing is so unique (kinda reminded me of the writing style in Ninth House)! Loved it all until the last 15% which kinda lost me and confused me but nonetheless - would recommend!

Katabasis was one of my most anticipated reads of the year, so I was so excited to start this one. Thank you so much to HarperCollins for the arc of this book!

The premise of this book is unique and captivating. The magic system is thoroughly complex and intricate. Academic rivals Alice Law and Peter Murdoch must travel to Hell to save the soul of their advisor. For those interested in reading this, I think it's important to note that this is not necessarily or heavily a 'romantic fantasy' like one of its genres labels. It is very much a subplot of romance in my opinion in comparison to typical 'romantasy' labeled books. There are also a LOT of info dumps about philosophy, theories, mathematics, psychology, moral dilemmas, etc. It did get to be a bit much at times but all of the information was still interesting and thought-provoking at times. I think these points are important to consider before diving into this book-- it reads as academia & deals with dark topics. *make sure to read trigger warnings*

I have also seen discourse on if you need to read other works before Katabasis like Dante's Inferno. As someone who has not read it, I was still able to follow along and understand what was happening. It does help if you have somewhat of a background/knowledge in Greek mythology as there are many references throughout the novel (Persephone, Orpheus, Cerberus). Knowing some of these names/creatures will also add to the experience overall. There are also a lot of references to philosophers/psychologists like Socrates, Kant, or Freud but they are easily understandable and explained in depth (if you've watched the good place you might have a leg up just because of chidi).

I did enjoy this one! A bit outside of my normal genre because of how dark it was, but R.F. Kuang is a genius and her work is incredible.
Expect to read a lot about chalk!

R.F. Kuang delivers a searing descent into academic ambition, obsession, and moral decay in Katabasis—a dark academia odyssey that’s equal parts infernal and intimate.

This is Dante with dueling dissertations, a sharp, satirical, and emotionally devastating plunge into a version of Hell that mirrors every brutal thing about climbing the ivory tower. Alice Law is ruthless, brilliant, and so single-minded in her pursuit of Magickal greatness that she’s willing to walk through fire—literally—with her academic nemesis.

With nods to Babel’s intellectual rigor and Piranesi’s eerie surrealism, Katabasis is both a genre-bending fantasy and a gut-punch character study. It’s not just a journey through Hell—it’s a dissection of what we’re willing to lose to be seen, remembered, and praised.

Insightful, unsettling, and unputdownable. Kuang has once again written the book everyone will be talking about.

THANK YOU FOR THE ARC PUBLISHERS!!

I loved it, I loved the prose and Kuang whismy writing style. I'm such a fan of her writing, and this book does not disappoint!!

So incredibly unbelievably grateful to Harper Voyager to gifting an e-ARC of this book to attendees at #BookHuddle Victoria Retreat.

Alice and Peter are two grad students in analytical magick who undertake a journey into Hell to rescue their advisor.

Grad school literally is Hell, so the concept completely fits. I loved this and appreciated the humor (I laughed out loud several times), but I don't know if things will land the same for someone who doesn't have the same experience.

I adore R.F. Kuang and this really hit home for me. I loved the magic system and the idea of magic based on paradoxes, which was a really unique system. I'm already recommending this to everyone I know who is currently in or has recently escaped from grad school.

I appreciated Kuang's take on Hell, and the inspiration she used from other media and depictions. Being able to recall these references added to my reading experience. I also appreciated how her version of Hell had more than one belief system representedWhile very close to our world, I appreciated the world building and very unique, almost logic based magic system, one of my favorite things about reading Kuang's work and the magic she creates within these world's is its application, and how it all seems to make sense even to me. Another thing that I appreciated in her writing in academia, or dark academia in particular, is her history with academics and how her lived experiences seem to bleed through the pages. Learning about Alice and Peter's motivations, their relationships with not only Professor Grimes, but academia made their characters three-dimensional, learning more about them using both flashbacks and conversations as vehicles to uncover more about them. It was not unlike meeting someone for the first time, in the beginning interactions can be very surface level but as you get more comfortable and get to know them and their layers come back. And all the assumptions that you've made about them you find may not be what you thought. This was one of the most beautiful things about this story. This book also questions what it means to be a hero, but also what it means to be a monster. When it comes to both heroes and monsters how much do your justifications that you put not only on yourself, but onto others truly mean. Katabasis is both unlike but also very similar to her other works in different ways, theres always a conversation to be had and a message beneath the surface. If you appreciate those things about her work then I think you'll appreciate that about Katabasis as well.

Katabasis (Deluxe Limited Edition) by R. F. Kuang is a haunting, incisive descent into power, grief, and the cost of ambition, told with Kuang’s signature intensity and razor-sharp prose. Dark, thought-provoking, and unforgettable.

Katabasis is a cutting commentary on the vicious nature of academia and the pressure to get ahead by any means, even if it requires descending into Hell. Kuang starts the book out with very little exposition, and the reader learns important details as she reveals them throughout the story, which retroactively explains the strange decisions of the main characters. Alice and Peter keep returning to past events in their university careers, providing more information about the trauma and resentment that they've been carrying with them. Alice in particular has to come to terms with the fact that her beloved advisor has in fact been abusing and manipulating her, and has to learn to take him off the pedestal she's kept him on. Peter's struggles with chronic illness highlight the unforgiving nature of academia and the lack of accommodations for disability. Jacob Grimes is almost a caricature of a cold and uncaring professor, behaving with such cruelty that it's hard to understand how Alice and Peter can't see what's in front of them until you realize that this has happened so gradually that they see it as nothing more than the actions of an abrasive, but brilliant man. Unfortunately, this is a common occurrence in academic circles, which is why this book hits home on the subject.
As for Hell itself, Kuang pulls from various mythologies to illustrate a literal hellscape that is nearly impossible to navigate, much less escape. Through many trials, Alice manages to triumph over the evil that lurks in every kingdom of Hell. Katabasis is a hero's journey with an unconventional setting that pushes to the forefront many unspoken realities of the world.

RF Kuang has done it again, written a book I sweated through and struggled with and ultimately loved. Alice and Peter are rivals in their Magicks Ph.D program when their advisor dies, and their trip to Hell is a full doctoral dissertation on its own! I loved the philosophical arguments, the textual clues and examinations, the bad decisions both characters can’t seem to stop making. Worth the work to savor these pages!

Review of Katabasis by R.F. Kuang — ★★★½ (3.5 stars)

Katabasis is a bold and introspective continuation of Kuang’s ambitious storytelling, but ultimately it left me feeling underwhelmed. While the writing is sharp and self-aware—as expected from Kuang—the emotional payoff and narrative propulsion didn’t quite land the way I hoped.

The metafictional elements and commentary on trauma, authorship, and memory are intellectually intriguing, yet the execution felt a bit too self-contained and distant at times. I appreciated the risks Kuang took, especially in blurring genre lines and deconstructing the idea of a sequel, but the result lacked the resonance and momentum I wanted.

That said, there are undeniably powerful moments and Kuang’s prose continues to impress. Readers invested in her previous works or those interested in literary experimentation may find Katabasis a compelling, if uneven, read.

I quite loved how academic this dark academia inspired book felt. All the dumps of theories, philosophy, lore, had me very into. The imagery of the world-building for hell was top notch and I loved how dystopian the setting felt at times. Alice and Peter's relationship was very realistic and I loved Alice's journey towards wanting to be alive.

After reading The Poppy War and Babel in quick succession, I was eagerly hoping for the ARC of Katabasis. Unfortunately, this one did not carry the same exhilarating feeling as Kuang's other books did for me.

The concept itself was intriguing to me and I was so excited for a deep dive into Kuang's take on Hell and the "hero's journey" of it all. Except I feel like only about 1/3 of the book is actually about Hell and the other 2/3 are scenes from the past. Which, in theory, would work if that's how this book had been going for. It almost feels like Kuang wanted to do dual timelines but instead a lot of the flashback scenes ended up feeling clunky and out of place.

I didn't feel put off by much of the literature and theory talk, though I am entrenched in that in my studies so it actually felt more of a comfort. However, I do see how it can come off a little much at times. There were explanations for nearly every reference made that spanned anywhere between a paragraph to three pages and this added to the clumsy pulled between scenes feeling for me. Alice and Peter were also profoundly unlikable to me for 3/4 of the book. I wanted so so badly to like them but every time they had a "rivals" moment it felt like a "well actually it's MY fault this happened...." competition and it was exhausting honestly.

Overall, I think this is the weakest of Kuang's books (though I have not yet read Yellowface) not only in character and plot development, but in prose. At times it felt more like a misguided debut than a sixth novel unfortunately. This hasn't put me off Kuang as an author because I do truly like her work but this just isn't one I can see buying for myself when it hits shelves.

Okay this whole book was a trip ! I loved the world building - I loved the way magick works but to be completely honest I didn’t understand a lot of the text. So many references and explanations of paradoxes - at first it was intriguing but by the end I was bored. How can someone be bored reading about the journey to hell and back ! Also the FMC completely unhinged !

"Hell is other people, I've heard."

What. A. Book.

Katabasis was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and I am very pleased to announce that it lived up to--and in fact, surpassed--every expectation I had for it. This is not an easily consumable or bingeable read. It is challenging and twisty and expects you to trust it in a way that is becoming pretty synonymous with most of R.F. Kuang's work. But the destination is delicious and the journey to get there, this journey through Hell, is well worth the logical paradoxes and discussions of philosophy. In fact, there were so many times where I found myself itching for a pen and paper so that I might take notes or do my own research about the topics that Kuang deftly explores. Like I said: what a book.

As it's no surprise that Kuang is a genius, I don't really need to touch on how well-researched Katabasis is. Instead, I want to talk about her character work. This is a mostly character-driven novel, so if those aren't your cup of tea, this might not be a hit for you. That said, if you're interested in complex--and by that I mean messed up--main characters, you will eat this up.

Alice is toxic and burnt out and hard on herself and, most importantly, still learning. Her character arc through this novel is absolutely fantastic and I felt silly for ever doubting how Kuang might be able to let her grow in any meaningful or substantial way. She is not an easy character to root for, but once you do, it's impossible to stop, especially as you uncover the reasons why she is the way she is. And contrasting her almost perfectly is Peter, who is also both a genius and a difficult character to truly love until you discover what makes him tick. Separate, they're fascinating. Together, they're electric.

Katabasis is not a romance novel, but it is awfully romantic. I loved every interaction between Alice and Peter, and I loved even more that this book was interspersed with flashbacks that helped craft their relationship (and rivalry!) in a more meaningful way. Anyone can say that two people have a messy history, but Kuang puts in the work to show her readers why.

I think that this novel, like Babel, critiques academia quite well. Alice has a lot to unpack and a lot of internal prejudices to unlearn, primarily about women in academia. Like I said: she's not easy to love. It shouldn't take a trip to Hell to change your life, but the beauty of this book is the irony that it does change everything for Alice.

I feel like my only complaint with this novel was the setting. It is very monotonous, which I think might be intentional, but man--I was a bit sick of dunes and sand and rocks by the time I reached the end. That said, it's such a minute little complaint that it didn't detract from the overall experience I had with this novel.

All in all, I can't recommend Katabasis more. You can just feel the passion that Kuang has for this story on each page. It's not completely perfect from an objective standpoint, but it's absolutely perfect to me.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publisher for an early copy in exchange for an honest review. All thoughts are my own!

This book was a journey through the darkest parts of the human psyche. This was a difficult read, not because of a lack of substance, quite to the contrary, it was purposeful in its trajectory and, for lack of a better phrase, "too real." Another entry into the pantheon of Cthonic literature, Katabasis confronts themes of abuse, death, and the highs and lows of human existence. It's not an easy read, but boy is it good. RF Kuang further cements herself as one of the preeminent authors in the genre yet again.

To me, the comparisons to Piranesi do Katabasis less justice than Kuang's noted like of Jonathan Strange and Mr. Norrell. this is a heady, unabashedly nerdy book about two people who value their heads more than their hearts or souls and all the trouble that gets them into. The joy is in the wondrous being pinned down and turned ordinary rather than the vastness of mystery and memory. Within its chosen lane, Katabasis is delightful. A chance to see a greedy mind at work with a sweetness that I haven't seen in anything else Kuang has done.

DNF at 33%…

I can’t do it yall im so disappointed. This book fell extremely flat for me and it’s surprising because it’s R.F. Kuang. The premise of the story sounds really interesting but the book was so boring. 90% of the book felt like an info dump of everything she learned about Greek mythology. I respect that this author is extremely educated, but sometimes too much information about a topic pulls away from the plot.

I plan to pick this back up again when my pre order comes in August but for now, it’s going to be a DNF.

I was absolutely blown away by R.F. Kuang's writing. This was my first official book by her and I adored every moment of it. The imagery of every circle of hell that Alice and Peter went through. I'd never been so obsessed with two characters before.