REVIEW: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
R.F. Kuang first teased readers back in 2023 with the announcement of her first love story. Come 2025, it has reached the top of countless anticipated reads lists (including ours here at Grimdark Magazine), and has received an immense amount of acclaim already. Katabasis is the story of two PhD students who travel to hell with the sole purpose of rescuing the soul of their advisor, Professor Jacob Grimes, who exploded in a freak magical accident that may or may not have been one of the post-grads’ fault. However, it’s not remorse that leads Alice Law to making this journey. Why must they descend into the pits of literal hell to save their thesis advisor, you may ask? So that he can write them job recommendation letters, of course. In traversing the eight courts of hell, Alice Law and Peter Murdoch encounter time-hardened souls awaiting divine judgement, spindly blood-thirsty bone creatures, a duo of even blood-thirstier magicians, and plenty more infernal offerings, in order to save Grimes’ soul.
Alice Law is insufferable. She is a complicated and dizzying character, whose motivation is so questionable that you simply cannot seem to reason with her. Kuang has an acute talent for creating unlikable characters that you still desperately want to root for. Katabasis is a masterful character study on a woman whose lust for knowledge is so prominent and so overpowering it leads her to betraying her own morals in the process. Alongside her, you have Peter Murdoch, who felt less like a love interest and more like a mirror of reflection for Alice, in later understanding that Cambridge, the institute they so deeply internalised as their ultimate means of success, is actually one that will not hold them as dear as they hoped; and one certainly not worth travelling through hell for. At its heart, Katabasis reads like a self-cleansing ritual for those in academia; post-grads go through hell (literally), and the only people you can count on are the comrades you’ve built allegiances with during the course of your studies.
The magic system is spectacularly unique. Whilst you have the generic use of ‘magick’ through pentagrams and spells, it is through the use of chalk that the magic is given life to. This discipline of magic revolves around paradoxes, algebra, philosophy and theorems, which Kuang does try to explain, but the dense descriptions often take readers away from the story, leaving you slightly perturbed. However, the concept is enough to keep you intrigued, and I wish we spent more time exploring the use of different types of magic, rather than hearing about the history behind each spell.
The amount of research gone into this is unbelievable, and truly a feat from Kuang. I felt, however, that much of it simply was not needed. Kuang would often reference concepts in passing that never quite build towards the storyline or even aid in piecing together the backstories for the characters. Oftentimes, it read like a source book, which generally felt quite jarring to read. I personally think these references would have worked great as footnotes, like Kuang used in Babel. It would have made the novel flow a lot easier, and feel less stilted with bouts of information that simply wasn’t needed. Thankfully, the book picks up in the second half, and we begin learning more about the motivations behind each character, as well as witness actual action taking place in the underworld. This turn in action is also where the most grimdark elements jump out at readers, from corrupt magicians to pentagrams for death traps; Katabasis is grimdark in both it’s characters’ morals and the actions that follow.
For readers who are looking for a romance – look away! Whilst the novel certainly alludes to a romantic history between Alice and Peter, it is simply a thread within a very dense story. It won’t be enough to keep you tethered, if romance is all you’re expecting. Instead, jump into the story with a careful caution, and you may really quite enjoy your time in this descent into the underworld.
All in all, Katabasis is deeply reflective and challenging. It will appeal to some readers, particularly those who have felt the acute infernal environment of post-graduate academia; and I expect those who it does appeal to will love it wholeheartedly. The ending feels resolved in a very unexpected way; which is one of Kuang’s greatest talents. For anyone that knows me, knows that I’m a sucker for an R.F. Kuang book, and whilst my expectations were not met here, they will certainly not be lowered for any more of her releases. Kuang is a force, and one that will continue to take us by storm. I am eager to get swept up in more of her worlds.
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