I'm officially DNF'ing this....for now. I am genuinely bummed about it because I read Babel earlier this year and it's become one of my favorite books of all time. Katabasis was missing the mark for me, entirely. The premise is fantastic but the follow-through fell flat. It often felt like Kuang was shoving her academic prowess in the reader's face, except the academics are made up and the explanations confusing.

I did love the part about Alice and Peter running into the ghosts of the undergrads who refuse to move on, because what if they're not reborn as magicians?

I love R.F. Kuang, and I really enjoyed many parts of Katabasis, but just wasn't a 5-star read for me. I think the romance element isn't fleshed out enough to make it believable in the end. And certain things never get answered, like why did Peter make that joke about her sleeping with the professor to a visiting professor? He never explained that. And I think too much time was spent going back to show us things and things not getting resolved in the present between them, then they leave happily together in love.

Sometimes there are books you start reading with an expectation of what you think it will be, only for it to turn out to be so much more. Katabasis is that for me.

A book about hell–possibly every written description about it since the dawn of time, from mythology to religion, over philosophers smashed together in one magical, albeit surprisingly (is it really?) dark (under-)world–and in the middle of it Alice Law and Peter Murdoch. Alice is only one of the brilliant minds studying Magick at Cambridge, but Alice has a secret. In a bout of pure exhaustion and carelessness, she made a terrible mistake, resulting in her mentor, Grimes, being killed when they were in the middle of an incarnation. In need to bring him back, she wants to do the unthinkable: go down to hell herself and bring him back; how else is she supposed to submit her dissertation after all? When Peter, her colleague and nemesis, decides to join, she knows she's in for one hell of a ride (pun indeed).

In classic Rebecca fashion, Alice is both admirable and deeply unlikeable (at least at the beginning). She's flawed and, for all her genius, not good with people, to put it lightly. Peter is much the same at the start. Not one to sugarcoat his thoughts and quick to speak his mind, he and Alice have a hard time getting along. Distrust, misery, and the fear of the dangers looming around them, the two of them clash against each other more than once. Only slowly let they lower their walls and start to talk about all the human things, Alice likes to keep separate from her person. She's a scholar after all, so feelings are surely beneath her.

Between hunting monsters (and being hunted), they race against time to try to bring back their professor from the depths of hell itself. Love, hate, and everything in between are only some of the tests they didn't expect.

Apart from the protagonists themselves, Rebecca did a fabulous job building her world. One thing I keep loving about her work is that she trusts her readers to get it. She isn't one to chew everything up, to think her readers stupid. There is a lot of research (as her books tend to have), a lot of knowledge about mathematics, philosophy, and mythology, and one does need to be able to understand, to understand the world. She does explain a lot, but she manages to do it, so you don't feel stupid while reading it. Essentially, Rebecca manages to teach you about so much stuff while still talking about a fantastical world.

There are a lot of triggers for this book (as a book about hell itself should have), so be prepared for topics like sexism, abuse, depression, and chronic illness (to name a few) to hide under all that academic whit.

Overall, I was unable to put this down, and I am so, so deeply thankful to Avon and Harper Voyager for granting me the possibility to read one of my most anticipated reads of this year prior to publishing. I can't wait to see what else Rebecca will come up with in the future.

4.75⭐️ | Talented doesn’t even begin to describe R.F. Kuang’s writing. If that wasn’t proven with any of her previous works, Katabasis has completely knocked that title out of the park. Rebecca is able to write in this mesmerizing and eloquent way. In classic RFK fashion, she’s not afraid to show you what a well educated writer she is. This book was clearly so well researched and thought out that reading it feels like learning despite the book being fiction. It’s very lore and magic dense in the way that Babel was, but manages to feel less heavy and weighed down by the “smartness” of it. It’s pretentious, but not snobby. Despite all the information packed into this book, the pacing never stalled. Everything was so compulsively interesting, I was eating out of Rebecca’s hand this entire book.

Even more so than Babel, Katabasis was the very essence of what dark academia should be. Rebecca’s characters are cynical academic weapons. They’re geniuses and you can feel every bit of their rising instability as the book progresses. Their hunger, their obsessions, their drive—it all just flys off the page. You recognize all of their toxic thinking and self-gaslighting, but you spiral right there with them. It was such an incredible portrayal of the academy in a fictional and magical alternative. The magic system that is rooted in academia and logic just created this perfect all immersive dark academia read.

While this is Rebecca’s book with the most “romance” please be advised it is still very much so a SUBPLOT. This book highlighted so many of the broken systems in academia as well as following such strong character arcs that break down conquering ones own personal hell and reaching so much growth by the end.

Alice is willing to go to Hell and back to retrieve her Cambridge College advisor. It makes sense since it was her magic screw up that sent him there. She didn't count on Peter wanting to come nor would he have been her first choice but better not to go alone. Their relationship - both past and present will change with each level as secrets are reveled. This book is two fold. You have the race through the levels of the underworld looking for the Professor but you also have philosophical questions about the underworld where the Greek philosophers and Dante left off. As with Kuang's other tomes the story is laced with moral dilemmas, wrong turns through a maze, complex relationships and much to ponder over. Her fans as well as readers of dark academia tales like those by Lev Grossman and Naomi Novik will eat this up. My thanks to the publisher for the advance copy.

This was fine, but not my favorite book by Kuang. If you love dark academia or want a story that pokes at the academic world, this would be a good read for you. However, a portion of the novel involves the two main characters not communicating properly to each other. I always have a hard time with a conflict like that, and I know others do as well. Given that they're already in hell and have all manner of conflicts to choose from, it didn't seem like a miscommunication conflict was necessary. The way hell is depicted, however, was unique. Although I read a lot of fantasy, nothing about Alice's journey was predictable. I never knew where we were going next in the march through hell. The action sequences were engaging, although some of the described mathematical theorems and logic puzzles left me feeling a bit stupid.

** ARC review **

Katabasis is a beautifully written story filled with magic, adventure, and a deep academic setting that really pulls you in. The world-building is fantastic—super easy to visualize thanks to Kuang’s descriptive style—and it creates a setting that feels both magical and grounded. Alice, the main character, goes through a lot of growth, and it’s really rewarding to see how she changes by the end. There’s a great mix of action and introspection, which makes the story feel both exciting and meaningful.

That said, some of the academic concepts—especially the paradoxes—were a bit tough to wrap my head around and I feel like that part make this is DNF type book for some readers. This was my first time reading anything by R.F. Kuang, so I’m not sure if that’s typical for her books, but it did make parts of the story feel a little over my head and like I was not nearly as intelligent as I needed to be to understand the novel. Still, the plot was strong enough to keep me hooked, and the book offers some thoughtful life lessons that stick with you. It definitely made me think, and I appreciate that in a story.

✧₊‧˚⁀➷ 4.17/5 .ᐟ

so i loved katabasis very much, but it wasn't what i expected. i was looking forward to a plot heavy, action driven story (two grad students rescuing their advisor from hell, right?), but this was very, very slowly paced. more philosophical, contemplative than anything. still enjoyable, and one of my favorite novels i've read recently, but for me, personally, that made it less powerful than kuang's other works.

as for the characters, i haven't completely decided how i feel about them. alice, especially, is crafted entirely around peter: half her arc is her comparing herself to peter, sharing her views on peter vs everyone else's views on peter, and then learning she was wrong about peter. and the other half of her is grimes. and it makes sense, alice represents the effects of misogyny in academia in the 1980s, but it still reduces her to a victim/symbol and that's a bit sad for a character who is always fighting to be more. it is kind of poetic, though. as for peter, despite over half the story being about him, he still comes off as a prop to develop alice. especially because of that thing with the kripkes and his disappearance after. however, i do still adore them. there's just missed potential somewhere in there.

also, a note: i've read some reviews that consider kuang's depictions of various literary/mathematical/scientific/whatever theories in this heavyhanded or pretentious, and it really, truly was not. everything was woven together in a way that made perfect sense for the story, enriched the universe, and was also very easy for the reader to comprehend, or at least that's my opinion. i've always loved historical/scientific references in my books, and i adore the way kuang does it.

Katabasis is my favorite type of book-one that makes me think about the unknown and introduces factual information seamlessly. Very simply, this is a story of two magicians who go to Hell to restore the soul of their postgrad professor whom they both believe they killed. It is a very interesting take on what Hell is like as they journey through the eight levels. Mythology is introduced from various religions and civilizations about Hell and the ruler of the Underworld. My only complaint it that it is too long. I definitely feel this book could benefit from some editing. without losing any of its essence.

R.F. Kuang is one of my favorite authors, so I was incredibly excited to read Katabasis. The premise pulled me in right away. Kuang's signature intellect and prose are all over the page, and there are moments of brilliance that remind me why I love her work. Unfortunately, the book had too many storylines competing for attention, and the central plot felt muddled and unfocused. This caused the depth of the characters to flatten. I struggled to stay emotionally invested in their journey. I admire Kuang's willingness to take risks and challenge the reader. While this book wasn't a favorite, I'm still glad I read it, and I'll be picking up whatever she writes next.

Some parts of this I adored, other parts I didn't, I think the
"worldbuilding" in Hell was done very well, especially when coupled with the commentary on academia, and I enjoyed the various shades the characters encountered. I found Alice to be a great main character even though her backstory was a little underdeveloped. I empathized with her internal conflict and enjoyed her character's journey. However, Peter felt less compelling to me. The reveal about his past didn't fully explain all of his actions, which left me feeling less invested in his character. The romance was paced oddly and didn't feel built up enough to be satisfying; I think if it was strengthened, the story would have been much more emotionally resonant, The first 50% of the book was incredibly strong and compulsively readable, while the last 50% took an unsatisfying turn that felt a little too ungrounded and slow in pacing. Overall, I enjoyed the book, but I could have enjoyed it much more if certain plot points and character dynamics were handled differently.

Dark Fantasy meets Dark Academia in this journey to hell that follows Cambridge graduate Macick student Alice Law as she attempts to retrieve her dead advisor, Jacob Grimes, and save his soul. This grimly amusing adventure challenges Alice through each layer of hell, but that’s nothing compared to the challenge of her rival, Peter Murdoch showing up. If you like the nostalgia of graduate student trauma, and journeying to hell - this book is for you!

Thank you Netgalley and Avon and Harper Voyager for this advanced reader cop

RF Kuang doesn't need me to recommend her books. RF Kuang doesn't need me to criticize her books. Honestly, that's probably good for both of us.

I loved Babel, and I was hoping for more in that vein from Kuang. Katabasis was a bit more of a slog.

To start, I couldn't connect with any of the main characters. Alice was so entranced by her mentor, who was verbally, psychologically, emotionally, sexually, and physically abusive. I had a hard time understanding why she put up with so much of it willingly. Kuang would have you believe "because ACADEMIA," and I just felt like that fell a little short. I understand how trauma and abuse work, but this was just difficult to read. Also, I am the first person to find a man irritating, but Alice's extreme irritation with Peter didn't work for me. Basically, the men's motivations seemed pretty obvious to me, and I found myself frustrated with Alice's repeated willful misunderstanding of them (her mentor's in a positive light, Peter's in a negative one).

The ACADEMIA of it all was a lot for me. If I had to read one more paragraph about how brilliant Cambridge is, I was going to scream. Maybe it's just me and my past in academia, but I didn't have a lot of patience for it.

The action started to grate as well. Kuang fell into a pattern of "get to a circle of hell - explain the punishment - ACTION - ALMOST DEATH - angsting over Peter - move on" that I tired of by the fourth circle. As noted below, I did end up DNFing, so maybe she moves away from this pattern, but I wasn't particularly interested in finding out.

DNF at about 56%.

2 stars because Kuang really can write, and I enjoyed the technical writing, even if the rest left a lot to be desired for me. (Also marked "will recommend" because while I personally didn't like this book, I know exactly the type of person who will, and I try not to let my own tastes influence my RA.

This was my first fantasy book by R. F. Kuang. I loved the interplay between real science concepts and magic. I found myself googling many concepts and people to realize most were real. The world of academia was described in such great detail that I felt like I was a grad student with all the pressures that comes with. I loved the complexities of Peter and Alice, and how their insecurities caused tension in their relationship. The world and levels of Hell were also interesting. I do feel like some aspects of the journey through Hell were verbose and slow, which is why I did not give the book five stars. That said, the ending of the book came together perfectly. I will definitely go read R. F Kuang’s other books!

Dear god she does it again. I have no words for how much I adore this book. The beginning 15% took me a little longer to get into but then it all fell into place. R.F. Kuang never lets me down

I wanted to enjoy Katabasis so much more than I did. Two university student journey into Hell to bring back their professor - for purely selfish reasons of course.
But it would up feeling like as much of a slog as their own journey probably did at times. Overall, it as fine. But it could have been told with a lot less exposition and bloated wordplay. AS the story would pick up, the storyteller, it seemed, would find a way to slow it down.
I did enjoy the magic system and some of the descriptions of hell, but with those things as a basis, the adventure seemed like ti could have been a lot more .. well.. adventurous.

What an undertaking.

R. F. Kuang is a delightful person and so very intelligent. And, much like Babel, she makes sure you know it in this book. It's so very different from Yellowface, but so very much like Babel. Magical realism, dark academia...

But is it good? I quite liked it, but I think that it will feel like a bit of a slog for more casual readers. The book could likely be half the length if it were plot only, but Kuang spends a lot of time referencing philosophers and classical texts to drive her point home. For some this will be interesting or, at the very least, a neutral addition, but for others I suspect it will look like she's showing off her knowledge or will bore them to tears.

The characters are great and the easy she portrays hell is fascinating. I love that she pulls in fictional accounts of hell and frames them as non-fiction reference material in the world of this book. The pressures of academia are displayed satirically as is her way. I expected nothing less.

Overall, this is not a casual read. This is a book you pick up when you want something heavy and meaty, something to think about and discuss.

Any literary trip to Hell is as much an interior monologue as an exterior adventure. Kuang has obviously done her research on different ideas of what Hell is interpreted as in different cultures, but I feel like this novel is a little muddled in the middle. It bogged down some for me as a reader. It's definitely an achievement, but one I wish had been tightened up a bit.

I am a big fan of R.F. Kuang's books and frankly, her brain scares me a little. When I heard she was writing a dark academia story about a journey into hell, I was fully on board and excited.

I might be an outlier here, based on all of the other reviews I've read, but my favorite parts of Katabasis were the academic ponderings about hell and the criticisms about academia itself. I also really liked the magic system and I thought that the rivaling chalk preferences was a nice touch. I feel like I didn't really grasp how the paradoxes worked, but maybe that was intentional.

I am in agreement with a lot of the reviews however when it comes to the portrayal of hell itself and issues with the characters and plot structure. I think that the book was lacking in atmosphere and could have been more emotionally compelling. I think that the characters are difficult to relate to because their true motivations and complexities aren't truly revealed until almost 60% into the book. I appreciated that they were both intense academics, but not everyone is going to identify or empathize with them, even after everything is revealed. I kind of hoped that in each level of hell, they would have to reckon with the aspects of the sins within themselves, but I can see how that angle has been covered within the texts the author recommends as prerequisite.

All in all, it's not my favorite book of hers but I did still enjoy it and will recommend it to customers and followers. I'll always recommend RF Kuang, she is an auto buy author for me and a real staple in contemporary fantasy.

Alice has to go to Hell. It’s maybe sort of her fault that Professor Grimes is dead. If she wants to get her dream job in magick, she needs to beg the Ruler of the Underworld to bring her dissertation advisor back to life. Never mind the price of admission is sacrificing half her remaining lifespan. What’s worse is her infuriating ex-boyfriend Peter — naturally gifted at magick and “unfailingly nice” — insists on joining her. But even in a world that treats Dante’s “Inferno” and mythic odysseys like travel guides, Hell will force Alice and Peter to confront dark truths about themselves, Professor Grimes and academia at large. When “success in this field demanded such a forceful, single-minded capacity for self-destruction” with faculty and cutthroat graduate students stooping to cruelty at every turn, no wonder Hell looks suspiciously like a university campus. After R. F. Kuang’s 2023 novel “Babel” turned the dark academia genre on its heels, “Katabasis” is poised to do the very same. The author is currently pursuing a Ph.D. at Yale.