I wanted to thank Harper Collins and Netgalley for this ARC.

Actual rating 3,5/5

A more in-depth review to come.

"Katabasis" by R.F. Kuang was my most anticipated release of 2025, and I was over the moon when it popped into my Netgalley shelf. Kuang is one of my favourite authors, so I had HIGH expectations about this novel. However, "Katabasis" didn't exactly live up to its premise, leaving me a bit disappointed.
This new novel takes place at Cambridge and follows two academic rivals who must travel through Hell to rescue their dead advisor. This review will be brief because I'll address the events and choices I didn't like in detail, and what revived my rating during the final chapters.

The beginning of this novel doesn't let the reader get acquainted with the world-building or the characters. Instead, the story jumps into action from the very first paragraphs, giving the reader sparse information. Our main character, Alice Law, is a Cambridge postgraduate who's studying magick and working with the greatest magician in the world, Professor Grimes. Unfortunately, he's dead, and she must rescue him. But her rival had the same idea, and they're forced to collaborate through this bizarre journey.

It's blatant how much research Kuang did to write this book. It seeps through every single page, and the majestic work she did has to be recognised. Still, the ever-present academic prose and info-dumping we find throughout the narration prevent the story from flowing. The constant flashbacks and facts the reader has to read in a single chapter divert attention from the plot and the characters. It felt like I was reading a paper rather than a fantasy book, and even though I love reading about academia novels that actually share some knowledge and are the product of well-done research, I also like a whirlwind plot and an atmospheric setting. Although "Katabasis" took place in Hell, and there were countless references to Dante or other equally intriguing tales, I missed a captivating background. When the characters travelled through the first two/three courts of Hell, the odds weren't as overwhelming as they should have been, and the symbolism wasn't as striking and fascinating as I hoped. The first half of the book turned out to be far too slow and accompanied by numerous info about paradoxes and as many flashbacks that didn't make me appreciate the characters, but bore me.

The magic system remains fuzzy till the end of the novel. Everything we know is that it's based on paradoxes and summoning circles written with special chalks. I don't dislike a mysterious magic system, but most of the time, I was overwhelmed by the number of paradoxes explained by the author, many of which I struggled to fathom their use.

If you're expecting a romantic relationship between the two rivals, I fear you'd be disappointed. There's a lot of banter and hatred between Alice and Peter, everything is perfectly explained throughout the novel, but I don't think the author did a great job of turning them into lovers. Even when they face one another's misunderstandings, there's nothing romantic about their bond.
Alice Law remains a well-written character with her own flaws and ruthlessness. She's a capable scholar who's compelled by Professor Grimes's promises, and she would do anything in her power to be acknowledged as a talented magician by him. I loved how Kuang portrayed Alice, and especially how she doesn't change until the very end of the book. Peter Murdorch, however, remains in the background. Since he doesn't have his pov, it was difficult to appreciate his character.

It was the ending that lifted my opinion. Alice's cleverness and the action-packed scenes are all contained from the 60% forward. But despite the plot twists marking the end of the book, I'm still deeply disappointed by this book. I expected something different, yet I'll still recommend this book if you liked Emily Wilde's Encyclopaedia of Faeries or Ninth House.

Another great book by R.F. Kuang. Was the hell as the academy metaphor a little heavy-handed? Maybe. Was the way that R.F. moved her audience and characters through the story masterful? Absolutely.

Alice is going to Hell. No, really. Alice Law and fellow academic Peter Murdoch (swoon) have to travel through all layers of Hell to find their professor and rescue him. Storywise, I was in it. I think this sounds fascinating. Yesss, give us allll the academic and religious critiques! I wanna hear it. Unfortunately, that's about where it begins and ends with its quality. Alice Law is so shallowly written I was actively rooting for her downfall. The setting was hastily put together with awkward academic references that were the same references critiqued for being elitist throughout the actual story. The pacing was incredibly disjointed, leaving certain scenes moving so fast I blinked and they were over, and others so slow I was begging for it to end. The last 30% had so much build up, only for resolution to be achieved within literal paragraphs. The main characters had no chemistry, not even platonic, let alone romantic or sexual. The development was nonexistent, and due to their lack of personalities I had a hard time being invested in their success. Additionally, they were never challenged. Literally every miniscule challenge they came across, the characters would say "we aren't doing this" and then... just didn't? They arguably had too much of an easy time in Hell. With nothing new or interesting to add to the conversation on academia and elitism - I've debated where to rate this star-wise. I'm giving it a solid 3. I think I enjoyed it more than I didn't, and while bored for a solid chunk of it, I still needed to know what was destined for my sweet boyfriend, Peter Murdoch. Kuang can, and has, done better. Thanks Harper Voyager and Netgalley for the e-ARC! KATABASIS - out August 26!

(will be posted on IG between now 5/15 and 6/1)

Did I leave a door open in the back of my mind? Genuinely, I think a ridiculously talented author got in somehow and ran away with like half of my undergrad memories.

Non-academics beware, this is a book for the English major and like it or not there is a lot of homework to be done to appreciate the brilliance of this title and it's umpteen references and allusions.

It's almost unfortunate that this book has some hefty prerequisites in order to get the most out of it. I was finding advanced theory I hadn't recalled in forever- looking at you, Heraclitis and your rivers.

I knew I was destined to enjoy this title when not even 5% of the way in Jean-Paul Satre was referenced.

It's dense and yet it left me feeling lighter than a feather.

5 years of work was worth it just to comprehend this read. For every year, I give a star.

Thank you so much Net Galley for the ARC!

I had been looking forward Kuang's new book but it fell a bit flat for me. I was initially intrigued by the premises and usually love books that feature magic or journeys through Hell. I think Kuang can get lost in the weeds of academia at the expense of the plot and character development. I also wanted the book to hit a few more emotional highs. Overall, I was just left wanting more.

Loved this! Katabasis has a lot of aspects that I loved about Babel - the academic setting and vast amount of research put into the story are some of my favorite things in both books. I also loved the themes of feminism in academia and depression, though I do almost wish these were explored even further. Overall, I really loved this! 4.5 stars ⭐️ I will def be buying the physical version once it’s out this August!

Great concept. Lackluster execution.

I was initially drawn in by the premise and beautiful cover, and for the first two thirds of the book, I was fully on board. Unfortunately, the final third lost me. The story seemed to expand in scope without a clear direction, losing its narrative balance until a brief recovery in the final chapter. Rather than advancing the plot, the book often felt like a vehicle for exploring philosophical and academic ideas—characters became mouthpieces for lessons on different interpretations of Hell. I felt like I was reading a transcript of a college lecture.

Going in, I expected something more in line with Babel, but the result felt like a hybrid of a textbook and Yellowface. That combination might work well for some readers, but it didn’t for me.

Each chapter seemed to introduce new issues for Alice, only for them to be resolved abruptly or dismissed altogether. Despite the setting—literal Hell—the stakes never felt that high. I also struggled to connect with Alice and the supporting characters, who came across as flat or unengaging.

While I can see this being a 5 star for certain readers, I feel like it will be more of a love-it-or-hate-it book. I generally enjoy Kuang’s work, but unfortunately, this one didn’t meet the high expectations I had as my most anticipated read of 2025.

Thank you to the publish for the e-arc.

“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.