🔥 Book Review: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
A blisteringly clever dark academia fantasy that plunges two rival scholars into Hell—literally—in pursuit of prestige, redemption, and a recommendation letter.
R.F. Kuang’s sixth novel, Katabasis, is a genre-bending descent into madness, academia, and metaphysical absurdity. Following the success of Babel and Yellowface, Kuang returns to fantasy with a satirical vengeance. With early acclaim and a strong Goodreads rating of 4.24/5, this novel is already being hailed as one of the most inventive releases of 2025.
🧠 Plot Overview
Alice Law, a doctoral student in Analytic Magick at Cambridge, is devastated when her advisor, the brilliant and monstrous Professor Jacob Grimes, dies in a magical accident—one she may have caused. Without his recommendation, her academic future is doomed. So she does what any desperate scholar would do: she descends into Hell to retrieve his soul.
Unfortunately, her academic rival Peter Murdoch has the same idea. Reluctantly, the two team up to navigate the Eight Courts of Hell, armed with chalk, spells, and a mutual disdain. What follows is a surreal, philosophical, and often hilarious journey through infernal bureaucracy, bone-dogs, and libraries of the damned.
📚 Themes & Style
- Dark Academia Satire: Kuang skewers the toxic culture of elite institutions, where students sacrifice health and sanity for prestige.
- Philosophical Depth: The novel is laced with references to Dante, Orpheus, Socrates, and Heraclitus—often with biting wit.
- Magick as Math: The magic system is built on paradoxes, algebra, and philosophical theorems, making it both cerebral and chaotic.
- Rivalry & Redemption: Alice and Peter’s dynamic evolves from antagonism to reluctant camaraderie, with emotional stakes that deepen as they confront their own flaws.
💬 Critical Reception
- “A masterful character study on obsession, ambition, and the cost of academic glory.” — Grimdark Magazine
- “Hell is a campus. Pride is a library. And Kuang makes it all feel disturbingly familiar.” — New Statesman
- “Katabasis is bitingly funny, dense with philosophical Easter eggs, and emotionally resonant.” — ArtsHub
Some critics note that the dense magical theory can slow the pacing, and Alice’s obsessive personality may alienate some readers. But most agree: this is Kuang at her most daring and imaginative.
🏁 Final Verdict
Katabasis is a dazzling, genre-defying novel that turns academic ambition into a literal descent into Hell. If you love dark academia, philosophical fantasy, and morally complex characters, this book is a must-read—and possibly Kuang’s most audacious work yet.
