R.F. Kuang excels at crafting morally grey characters, and Alice is no exception - she is perfectly balanced to be deeply relatable while still complex and messy, never a perfect, heroic protagonist.

R. F. Kuang has finally done it: she has written a novel that I had a blast reading. It is apparent from her previous books that Kuang is a talented writer and gifted scholar; what was missing for me, however, was a feeling of connection to the characters, or a sense that I was reading a novel worth the emotional investment rather than a thesis. Katabasis, though, was a novel I thoroughly enjoyed. I appreciated the depth of Alice's character, arrogant and flawed with a rich interior journey. I loved Peter as a foil to Alice—Kuang understands that the most poignant form of chemistry between two academics is intellectual chemistry—and I loved Kuang's creative, well-researched conception of Hell. Yes, she is a nerd, and yes, it is obvious how delighted she was crafting paradoxes and citing Greek philosophy. I know very little about logic or Greek philosophy, and I managed to feel delighted right along with her. The pacing did feel like it dragged in parts, particularly after a certain plot line was no longer in the picture—at one point I expected to be near the end and was shocked to see I was only 75% of the way through. But overall, Kuang has exceeded my expectations with Katabasis, and I look forward to seeing more of her growth as an author.

⭐ Rating: 3.75/5
🔥 Spice: 0/5 – There’s a hint of romance, but it’s not a major part of the story.

Thank you to HarperCollins for the advance reader copy!

This book had such a strong start. The idea of a magical descent into Hell, inspired by mythology and academic rivalry, really sparked my interest. I loved how creative the worldbuilding was—each level of Hell had its own feel, and it didn’t look or work the way you’d expect. It was fresh and interesting.

Things That Stood Out:
– The worldbuilding is great. Hell is full of unexpected details and fascinating places.
– The writing is very dense. There are long sections full of academic info and references to historical figures, philosophy, and magic theory. After a while, it started to feel more like I was reading a textbook.
– The pacing is slow. Every time things got exciting, the momentum would slow for another info-heavy section.
– The characters weren’t always likable. Alice stayed stuck in the same mindset for most of the book, and her relationship with Peter didn’t feel fully earned.

I think readers who love philosophical themes and dark academia will enjoy this—but it was hard to stay engaged sometimes. I found the reading experience more draining than exciting. Still, there’s no doubt this was ambitious and thought-provoking.

The premise was compelling, and the author’s imaginative portrayal of hell stood out, especially the creative depiction of its various courts—each with distinct and intriguing traits. I particularly enjoyed the fresh takes on the seven deadly sins, which broke away from conventional interpretations in a way that felt both thoughtful and original. The early chapters drew me in with the promise of a rich, layered story.

However, as the narrative progressed, much of that initial intrigue began to fade.

One of my main issues was the excessive exposition. Rather than being drawn into the world, I often felt like I was sitting through a dense lecture. The book overflowed with references to philosophers, mathematicians, and historical figures, often delivered through long-winded info dumps that stalled the pacing and dulled the momentum of the plot. Over time, the story felt repetitive, circling the same ideas without forward movement.

Just when a scene began to build excitement, it would be abruptly interrupted by yet another heavy block of exposition, completely breaking the flow. The flashbacks, too, were problematic—intended to add depth, they often felt unnecessary and disruptive. Thrilling moments in the present were routinely derailed by drawn-out journeys into the past, which diluted the impact of the main storyline and made it increasingly difficult to stay engaged.

I sighed the BIGGEST sigh when I finished this. Jesus Christ I am so glad that is over.

thank you Netgalley for the arc, though!

At its core, Katabasis delves into the complexities of academia, ambition, and the human condition. Kuang critiques the academic system's pressures and the personal costs of relentless pursuit of success. The journey through Hell serves as a metaphor for the internal and external battles faced by those within academic circles.

eARC Review: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Rating: ⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️.5/5

“Alice Law, you naughty girl. You’re trying to go to Hell.”
— Peter Murdoch, Chapter 1

Summary:
It’s about two PhD students studying magic who can’t stand each other—but end up teaming up to travel to hell and rescue their advisor’s soul after he dies in a magical accident. Why? So he can come back and write their recommendation letters. It’s weird, chaotic, full of dark academia vibes—and somehow, also a love story.

Review:
Tropes: rivals to lovers, forced proximity, SLOWEST burn imaginable

I feel really honored to have received an eARC of *Katabasis*! This book had such an original premise and an eerie, haunting tone that stuck with me, but there were a few aspects that didn’t totally hit.

The opening totally hooked me, but I think some readers might find the worldbuilding a bit lacking. I have to admit that the magick system didn’t feel fully fleshed out,I kept wanting more clarity around how things worked, especially with elements like the pentagram and the rituals. Compared to something like Babel or Blood Over Bright Havens, it just wasn’t as immersive or concrete.

That said, you don’t need to prep or study anything beforehand to get into this book. The story gives you just enough explanation and context to stay hooked and follow along, even when things get surreal.

The prose is gorgeous but dense. There were stretches where I realized I was skimming instead of fully reading, partly because the pacing dips. The key moments of action are spaced out between heavy narration, which sometimes made it hard to stay locked in.

I did not see that ending coming, and honestly, I’ll always appreciate a sliver of hope in a dark academic fantasy.

I’m left staring at the wall after finishing. It’s dark, layered, emotionally charged, and it lingers. Totally worth the read, and I’m so glad I got to experience it early. Special thanks to Harper Voyager for an early copy of this book!

Thank you so much to Harper Voyager and NetGalley for this ARC of Katabasis!

This was one of my favorite books of the year so far and an easy five star read. I had high expectations for this book because Babel by R. F. Kuang is one of my all time favorites. This book exceeded every expectation that I had.

Some of my favorite things about the book:
- The setting of academia. Competitive magical and academic settings are some of my favorite settings for a novel and this affirmed that.
- Two words: Character. Development.
- World building. Setting a fantasy novel in Hell? So ambitious and works so shockingly well.
- Unpredictability. I can often predict where a plot is going or how issues will resolve, and I can say I predicted absolutely nothing and that was a true delight.
- The mythology woven into a more modern setting. It was really cool to see how religion and myths were woven into this world in a way that made sense. They were easy to understand even if you were not familiar with the myth or religious beliefs, and even more interesting and exciting if you were.

I was unsure how a plot that consisted of two academic rivals descending into Hell to retrieve their professor could be serious, and sure there were moments of levity, but it was so impactful and serious to me. Kuang somehow managed to weave in meaningful isights on the human experience into the experiences of these characters in a completely different world that made me as a reader feel so seen and understood.

Although this digital ARC was provided to me by the publisher, I will absolutely be preordering a physical copy for myself. I can't wait to reread it soon.

4.5 stars for one of my most anticipated reads of 2025, which I cannot believe I am SO LUCKY to have gotten to read a galley of. I generally love RF Kuang's work and how academic her writing is, while also being fantastical and this book hits that mark for me. I was able to picture all of the happenings in this book, which rarely happens for me, and I enjoyed the dynamic between Alice and Peter. I did have some disappointment with how the love story sub-plot played out, but the ending redeemed those concerns for me. I felt that Kuang could do better with her descriptions in this story, there were some instances where it would have been helpful to have more exposition especially since they were in Hell which provided so much potential for craziness. I also was a little bit disappointed with how some of the problems were resolved in ways that felt very quickly resolved and might not have fed the plot as much as Kuang was aiming for. Overall though, I can forgive those small issues because this was such a fun read that I both wanted to take my time with, but also did not want to put down.

Katabasis was exactly what I was hoping it would be.

R. F. Kuang is incredibly smart, and it shows in her writing. There was a lot of commentary on a lot of different topics in this book - some I expected, and some that I was a little surprised (but not mad) by. To me, all of the conversations on real life topics were done very well, just maybe making your brain hurt a little if you try to inhale it all in one go. She handles specific scenarios and experiences with grace and poise, and her 'side quests' the characters go on always tie in well with furthering the main plot. However, there were times that during some of these longer conversations, or flashbacks that I fear I lost the plot just a tad bit in there for a second. The commentary turned less story-telling and more just telling. But like I said, it tied back in beautifully with the main plot when it found it again, so I guess that works out fine. I think I as the reader have to go in knowing that to get an even better experience out of the story.

I won't go into spoilers, but I did feel very satisfied with the ending. I was glad the story took the turns it did, and was happy it did not end how I expected it might. The only thing that kept me from giving a 5 stars was that it felt as though it were... missing a little something something. The journey into hell was filled with a lot more flashbacks and non-hell setting scenarios than I was expecting - though the scenarios themselves were hellish, so one could argue we were in hell the whole time. And there was action and conflict; just the balance of emotional conflict and physical adventure sometimes leaned a bit too heavily towards the former.

All-in-all, I liked the story of the two grad students traveling to hell. As a former grad student myself, a lot of the hard-hitting topics resonated with me in a way that I didn't know I could appreciate so greatly. An enjoyable, thought-provoking read.

Final review - 4.5 stars

I am incredibly honored to have received an ARC of this book. Thank you to Harper Collins (specifically Danielle Bartlett), NetGalley, and R. F. Kuang for the early release edition.

"Alice Law, you naughty girl. You're trying to go to Hell."

PHEW! What a wild ride. I absolutely loved Yellowface and the plot of Katabasis really intrigued me. R.F. Kuang builds a mesmerizing hell and her mind amazes me. The world building in this novel was insane. Alice and Peter are so complex and I just wanted more and more of them.

I took my time with this book because I wanted to make sure I inhaled every single detail and every single word. It was so worth it!

I read somewhere online that R.F. Kuang wrote this book to ensure those who are not familiar with the source material are able to read along and understand (again, idk if that's true) but I can say I did not feel dumb reading this even when I didn't have a point of reference.

This was fun! I cannot wait to add this to my collection.

This has been my favorite RF Kuang book that she’s written. The depth and the world building was phenomenal! Although I have yet to personally read all of the books that this one gives a little homage to, I’m now determined to knock them out before a re read with audio on release date. The characters and their dynamics with one another really pulled you in. And that’s what mattered was their connection and the connections that we form in life. We all see ourselves in a certain light and have everything planned out for our careers and climbing the ladder to be the best, but some of us still don’t feel fulfilled and the connections we make along the way is what life is really about.

Huge thanks to HarperCollins and Voyager imprint for the early copy!

Easily one of my top reads of 2025. Coming off reading Dante’s Inferno and The Epic of Gilgamesh, this book landed with even more emotional weight. This book captures something so raw about the human condition : the fear of death even when it’s right in front of us, the aching tug between wanting to disappear and needing to leave some kind of mark behind. We compulsively edge toward darkness, while also reaching for light.

It made me think of how often we take existence for granted until we’re staring into the void and wondering how close we’ve gotten to answering its call. There’s this deep undercurrent of grief, self-worth, and what it means to be seen in the vast indifference of the universe.

Also, the relationship between Alice and Peter was so well-written. Their dynamic felt rooted in the realistic confines of academic rivalry, bitter, tense, intellectual, layered with that slow-burning need to be understood (and still one-up the other). It never veered into cliché; it felt real, flawed, and believable in that way academia tends to breed both admiration and antagonism.

Overall, Katabasis hit me with the same existential weight as Gilgamesh’s grief and Dante’s descent but in a distinctly modern, personal, and inward way. It’s a book about death, yes, but also about the brutal work of living. And I absolutely loved it.

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.