Katabasis, R. F. Kuang (Review by Caitlin Winkler)
Rating: 4.75/5 Stars
First off…I have to say this was one of my most anticipated reads of 2025 and it did not disappoint! I absolutely love reading R.F. Kuang’s books-Yellowface and Babel being the two most recent reads of mine by this author-and when I heard a new one was coming out that takes place in Hell…I knew I needed it in my hands! I was SO happy and honored to be able to review this!
Alice Law knows her path in life…graduate school with Professor Grimes as her advisor and then to be the best in her field and have her pick of Magick jobs. Her entire life has been working towards this goal, so imagine her frustration when said advisor dies in a lab related Magick accident that may…or may not…have been her fault. What is one to do when the only person who can understand your research and help you obtain your degree, is now in Hell? Why…go there and bring him back of course! However, what Alice did not anticipate was that her peer, and rival, Peter Murdoch has the same idea and is going on this journey with her.
If you think you’ve read stories about the circles of Hell…you have not read anything like this! What a uniquely fascinating story from R.F. Kuang. I absolutely devoured this book. I will admit that this author has this uncanny ability to make me feel both significantly smarter upon finishing their novel but also, at times, totally lost on the information being presented to me while reading. This may not seem like a compliment-but it truly is one. I love when I can tell that I am learning while reading a story. This book was so thoroughly researched and the attention to detail was incredible. The only reason why this book did not obtain the full 5 stars for me is because I felt there were some sections that ran a bit longer than it needed to, but again that is just my personal opinion and by no means takes away from how incredible this story was. I highly recommend getting your hands on this book when it releases!