This was a shocking high brow read that I found absolutely delightful. The more knowledge you have about Greek Mythology the more you will enjoy this novel.

This book is so ambitious and involves so many complex themes, ideas and concepts that I feel bad giving it a 4. Let me say that the work is immense and dense and so so impressive.

But like Babel, I just feel sometimes the ideas of the author’s books get more passion from her than the characters. I just didn’t totally connect with Alice, specifically, after a promising beginning. I had a similar experience with the MMC in Babel.

I loved so much of this book though and I am sure it will be really successful.

Thank you NetGalley and Harper Voyager for the ARC!

I start by saying Babel is my favorite book of all time; and that’s where even though I did overall enjoy the book, perhaps my expectations were too high.

This isn’t the most coherent review only because I’m currently at the ER veterinarian with my dog, but I figure if I don’t write it now I’ll forget.

The magic system and academia is fascinating; I think what really threw me off compared to her other works were the characters. There’s a lot of back and forth flashbacks so that these specific details as to why we should care about them come later in the book, but ultimately besides Peter I tried really hard to enjoy the other characters. It’s the main point of Alice, but outside of magic she had no other character or personality- again, her struggles and strive for a PHD is what makes her Alice, but I think even something outside of a few Beatles songs there needed to be something a bit more.

The intention behind her relationship with grimes I think strongly emphasizes the torture behind some advisors within camera and it’s an important discussion, especially with how Alice feels immense guilt and trauma over not only his death, but his existence prior to making her own life a living hell (far before she travels to rescue him).

I enjoyed the references to a lot of academia in regards to hellish literature- I think it helps to be aware of what they are and it’s a fascinating way to incorporate into a fiction novel. I’ve never personally found RF Kuang pretentious or purposefully doing this to sound smart- I just think she is smart.

Ultimately I did enjoy reading it but I’m sad to say it’s not my book of the year, and I do feel only a tad let down- but it’s still worth the read and I recommend it to fellow Kuang and academia-fiction enjoyers!

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advanced copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own. - Freya, arc & monthly book box pick reviewer (athenafreyag on Instagram)

Initial thoughts: I will read anything by R.F. Kuang, but dark academia?! There is no way I am missing it.

What I liked 🤩: I am always amazed by R.F. Kuang's intelligence and nuanced writing. This is a masterpiece of intellect, and reading her insight on academia and everything that entails was fascinating. It is a deep book that resonated with me, it is thought-provoking, and irreverent--a delightful combination, if you ask me.

We follow Alice's pov throughout the book. Alice is an unreliable narrator, as in she confuses what happened to her with what happened to someone else. There is a reason for it but I offer no spoilers! It was interesting to see her go through her memories and struggle identifying them. Alice has a quite singular mind; she has a goal and she can only see that goal, so for her to go through her memories and evaluate them, she had to review and analyze her own self.

Peter is the rival who goes to Hell alongside Alice. It seems like he has had an easy life, but in truth, it hasn't been as easy as people might think. He has found a way to cope, a way to succeed in a situation outside his control, and I liked how in disbelief he was that it actually worked. Again no spoilers!

I liked both characters, their quirks and their passion, their determination, their intelligence, and vulnerability! If you are wondering about romance, the answer is yes and no; yes, there are feelings and etc, but no, I saw no real romance taking place. I mean, it's there, but I would name 10 things about this book before I even thought about the romance. It was more like a backdrop that was included at the end. But I did think that they made a good couple!

In my opinion, at its core, this book is about the reality of academia, its viciousness and competitiveness, and gaslighting. That even the brightest minds had to go to Hell to figure out they have been gaslighted was an unexpected but necessary for others to see nuance.

What I didn’t like 🙃: While I do believe that this is a masterpiece of intellect, it also felt like it was missing something. I wanted more from the main characters since the whole book was about a journey and to Hell of all places. We saw their minds, but not their hearts. Their decision to go to Hell and lose half of their remaining lives felt rushed and not well thought-out, and while there was a reason for that, it felt like a big loophole. I am sure that it was the author's intent, but it is just not what I'd prefer as a reader. It's a brilliant book, but not emotional, if you get what I mean.

Overall: It is not a book for everyone, but I strongly suggest you try reading it. As slowly as you need to. The nuances and messages that this book delivers need to be seen and heard. It is a book worth investing one's time and money. R.F. Kuang proves again that nobody knows or does dark academia like her. What a time to be alive and read such intelligent books!!!!!!!!!!!!

SE info: There are plenty SE to choose from. It is the fairyloot August adult pick, and it has a Waterstones, The Broken Binding, and Illumicrate SE, as well. The Waterstones signed exclusive and Illumicrate editions are soldout, but the rest are available as of now. I renewed my box and got the IC and Waterstones signed exclusive, as well.

Katabasis by R.F. Kuang is a darkly inventive fantasy that reimagines the hero's journey through a descent into Hell. Graduate student Alice Law, driven by ambition, teams up with her rival Peter Murdoch to retrieve a deceased mentor's knowledge from the underworld. Their quest challenges their intellect, morality, and burgeoning feelings for each other.

Kuang's prose is sharp and immersive, blending academic satire with supernatural adventure. The novel explores themes of ambition, power, and the complexities of human relationships, all set against a vividly imagined Hell that defies philosophical expectations.

Thank you to netgalley for giving me access to an eARC for this book.
First off, I enjoyed Katabasis by RF Kuang. It is the story of a graduate student who literally goes to hell and back to save her mentor. In addition to her physical journey through hell, she is given an emotional journey as well. That is the part that I enjoyed immensely. She grows so much from the beginning of the story to the end. She is so beautifully imperfect. One scene I particularly enjoyed was the final scene between the main character and her mentor. I did not like male main character as the love interest of our main character. I enjoyed them as partners and close friends though. I kind of wish she had left it at that. The male main character is mostly unnecessary except as it relates to our main character. His story is hid for most of the book for plot reasons. Because of that, I did not feel an attachment to the male main character. The physical journey through hell was fun and I enjoyed the explanations and pictures for a lot of it. The words pizza and anus will conjure a very specific memory forevermore. Some parts of the journey through hell could have been omitted I think. Such as after they leave the early portions of hell behind and just get into walking from dirt plane to dirt plane. It seemed like it either needed more detail or reason to show us that or just make it a passing comment. I thought it was interesting that the magic systems were kind of similar between this book and babel. They both exploited the power of the in between.

I would like to lend a warning to people with any eating disorders. More specifically, any restrictive types. They do not talk about it by name and no has an actual eating disorder. There is however, a glorification of forgetting the body which includes characters being excited that they are eating so little. It is very intentionally talked about throughout this story that the characters are eating so little or nothing.

This was another good book from RF Kuang. I would recommend it to her fans, people who like fantasy, and historical references. I would say if you were into this author for the grimdark, you will not find that here. It does have dark and sad things in it, but not the level of her other books.

"Katabasis" is a darkly imaginative fantasy that blends mythological adventure with sharp commentary on academia and ambition. Following two doctoral candidates on a journey into Hell to reclaim their advisor’s soul, R.F. Kuang explores themes of grief, purpose, and toxic academic culture with wit and emotional depth. The complex relationship between the protagonists adds heart to this thought-provoking and unique story, making it a must-read for fans of dark academia and literary fantasy.

Katabasis was good, and I wanted it to be great. Relying heavily on the readers understanding of classic texts (most specifically Dante's Inferno) this book feels like something that was written by an academic for academics with large swaths of text that feel like pieces taken directly from a lecture. I enjoyed the characters, how the author weaved in very real themes of burnout and structuring hell in the same way a university is structured was an excellent choice, Overall I enjoyed it, but it would've been nice if I wasn't made to feel like such an idiot while reading it.

Katabasis was one of the new releases I was most looking forward to this year and was beyond excited to get an advanced copy.

This book just didn’t work for me. There wasn’t enough character development for me to really care for the characters or to understand why they were doing what they were doing. It immediately jumped into the plot and I think if the book had eased the reader in, I would have felt more invested. I also felt like the writing was more YA than I am used to with this author.

I think if you are interested in some of the philosophy and religious takes in hell, this book would be a lot more interesting, I was not so I felt pretty bored the entire time.

I DNFed at 40%. I really gave it a shot but I just couldn’t force myself to read anymore.

Thank you NetGalley and the publisher for the arc

An EXCELLENT journey to hell! Kuang is clearly an academic, and sometimes the reflections in this fantasy novel are a little too real. Burnout, power dynamics + a hefty dose of philosophy offer a meaty little read with plenty of plot the keep things moving. I didn't want the adventure to end.

The word 'katabasis' originates from the Greek, meaning a descent, typically into the underworld. And that is exactly what this novel delivers: a cerebral and haunting plunge into a modern academic hellscape, as two Cambridge PhD students embark on a journey through the underworld in search of their professor.

This is very much an academic read that’s layered with references to classical literature, mythology, and critical theory. Even Hell itself is imagined through the lens of academia, with institutional structures and intellectual hierarchies echoing university life in unsettling, clever ways.

I do have some suggested reads before picking this one up. You do not need to be familiar with every referenced text to appreciate the novel. Kuang offers enough scaffolding in the prose for the story to stand on its own. However, for readers who wish to explore the intertextuality more deeply, I’ve included a list of optional background reading below.

While there is a romantic thread running through the narrative, it’s more of a subtext than a focal point. Ultimately, Katabasis is an introspective, intricate, and unapologetically intellectual descent which is perfect for readers craving a moody, thought provoking novel to usher in the fall season.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC!

List as promised:
Dante’s Inferno
Homer’s Odyssey
Virgil’s Aeneid
The Epic of Gilgamesh
Sophocles’ Antigone
Homer’s Iliad

Alice Law is in her final year of graduate school at Cambridge studying analytical Magick. The only thing stopping her from getting her degree and entering the field of her dreams is that her advisor, Jacob Grimes, has just died in a magical mishap and it might be her fault. Alice does the only logical thing and plans her trip to Hell so that she can bring him back, finish her degree, and get a stellar letter of recommendation. A slight problem with her plan is that her academic rival, Peter Murdoch, has the same one in mind. The two have to put aside their differences and put their heads together to find the professor and figure out a way for all three of them to return. A witty and academic journey through Hell.

Overall I enjoyed Katabasis, particularly the flashbacks to life at Cambridge and the stories of Alice and Peter. The story starts with the reader thinking the characters are going to be one way, but then you get to know them better and realize the depth of them. There were some trials and characters in Hell that were interesting, but a lot of it also felt quite empty. It makes sense for the Greek interpretation of Hell, but it also doesn't make for a super engaging setting for a book. The story leans very heavily into the graduate school aspects, so if readers aren't interested in that they probably won't enjoy this one. I do enjoy stories with an academic setting, so I liked reading about Alice, Peter, and Jacob's grad school woes. I would recommend this one to fans of R. F. Kuang, those who enjoy retellings of Greek myths, and fans of dark academia.

On paper, this story has so much that I wanted to love. Rivals working together to plumb the depths of hell to find the academic advisor? RF Kuang writing it? Yes! Unfortunately, a lot of this story just felt very long and dense. There was so much in terms of background building and lore dumping that some of the character work felt more like an afterthought. Besides that, it really was just an allegory for the journey through post grad work, including a dissertation defense. This did not need 500 pages and unfortunately just did not hit in the same way that some of her other work did. Thank you so much for the ARC, this is the first Kuang book I've read that has not been a five star read and I hope the only one.

I really loved this book, to the point where I think it might be my favorite of the year. I think R.F. Kuang is one of the best authors around currently and I hope she continues to write books like this. I know a lot of the comments on this book talk about how it comes off as pretentious or overly scholarly, but I don't think that's true. I think it's perfect and the true meaning of dark academia. And I really love how Kuang writes relationships, because this book wouldn't really be considered a romance by any means, but I loved the couple all the same.

Alice Law is one of the top Magick students at Cambridge, definitely on a path to a brilliant career, one she has given up almost everything to achieve. When her advisor dies in a magical accident (one that might be her fault) she refuses to let that stop her, and begins a journey to hell to get him - and his letters of recommendation - back.

Katabasis is a word from ancient Greek describing a hero's journey to hell (think Orpheus) and that's exactly what we have here. In this world the Greek tales and Dante and Eliot and all the other tales of hell are not poetry, but guidelines to build the magick (of course it's spelled that way) needed to travel to hell, guidelines that are followed by Law and her fellow grad student Peter Murdoch.

When Kuang's writing works, it's delightful, an adult version of the Phantom Tollbooth. But it too often turns into "look what I know" as if Kuang (who I feel sure must have attended Cambridge?) really, really, really wants to you to know how smart she is to the point where there's just blocks of text about non-Euclidean geometry. It's giving that guy in Good Will Hunting who hit on Minnie Driver in the bar, and no one likes that guy (how you like them apples?)

I enjoyed Katabasis and it went beyond my expectations for this book. The only book I have read from the author previous to this was Babel and while it had shades of similar themes (mostly related to academia) it was its own book. There are times where you may feel a little overwhelmed when it dives into mythology, philosophy, and the world of academia both fictionalized and real but for the most part the book stays grounded. If anything, its a testament to the author's own knowledge. I will say from a personal space, one of the characters is portrayed as having Crohn's Disease and as someone who shares that, it is a pretty accurate portrayal of the struggle and the outcomes, so I really appreciated shedding light on that through literature. Thank you NetGalley and Avon and Harper Voyage for this ARC, I greatly enjoyed it and look forward to owning a physical copy for my collection.

EXCERPT: "R.F. Kuang’s Katabasis, the latest from the author of Yellowface, is a fantasy novel about Hell. Beyond fantasy, it’s a satirical and literary observation about academia represented through Hell. Even as it tears apart the darkness and messiness of the academic world with its critical approach, Katabasis shows a profound respect for its subject and the people who belong to it. "

Full review published online at Asia Blooming.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for this eArc.

I'm going to be totally honest, this one was not for me. It is a true fantasy in a unique world. The FMC seemed rude and condescending and the MMC gave off "dumb blonde" but actually really smart vibes. I'm not sure if I just wasn't in the mood for a fantasy (I normally love fantasy, too) but it didn't hit like The Poppy War did.

Thank you NetGalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I loved this one for a variety of different reasons but mostly for the imagery and creativity that was created in Hell. It seemed some how more realistic such as a viewing pavilion or that the circles are Hell aren't eternal punishments. I also enjoyed the different religious elements that were added to make this idea work. I didn't like the characters but I don't think you were suppose to until the character development started about half way through the book.

My biggest issue was all of the name dropping and theories/ideas which we had heard of or never heard of. I don't feel that was necessary and clouded the storyline with unnecessary information. This would have definitely been a 5 star read without the jargon that wasn't important to the actually story. I requested this book because the description sounded so interesting but it fell a bit flat for me. I think it is the author's writing style. I felt like I read a dissertation about hell and she tossed in a fictional story to make you finish it.

Alice Law's goal is to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick and to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world. Until he dies in an accident that Allice may have caused. Now that Grimes is in Hell and she decides to go and rescue him with the help of Peter Murdoch, another student of Grimes because without Grimes neither one may have a future.

Does Kuang sometimes overthink her books? Yes. Will I still read every word she writes? Without a doubt.