– Katabasis: 2025’s INSTANT No.1 SUNDAY TIMES best-seller from the author of YELLOWFACE

This take on the Journey Through Hell trope was utterly compelling to me, as a Cambridge graduate in theology who, if this story was real, would have been there when the events took place. The descriptions of the town and characters are so well done that I suffered from nostalgia for a lot of the book; Alice is more like me than I would care to admit. There are one or two inaccuracies in language use, as well as some copyediting errors, but I was able to move on fairly easily (except from the repeated use of "theologist", which may have been deliberate; either way, please don't call us that.) Be that as it may, I think that the questions the book raises about identity, self-worth and purpose will give it a wider appeal than just old Oxbridge students pining for their youth. The book is chock full of classical, literary and philosophical references, some of which took me right back to my metaphysics tutorials and others of which I had to look up. Most people will need to do the same, I think, and I would encourage them to do so rather than skim; it definitely adds a layer of meaning and enjoyment. It's not a book that does the work for you; if you're not in the mood to do it yourself, read something else and come back to this one later. I've seen it said that Katabasis is very different from Babel, but I think the differences are actually superficial. They're companion pieces, as might be inferred from the observation that one references a tower built to Heaven and the other a descent into Hell. Yes, the plot of Babel is set in an alternate version of our own society and how that society as a whole might be changed, while the setting of Katabasis is something in the nature of society's collective subconscious and the focus on how it affects two individuals. (As a side note, the magic system in each book is perfectly crafted to suit the difference in emphasis. Chapeau.) But each of those things inevitably has its outworking in the other. It would be a mistake to think that Katabasis is any less political than Babel. It is an eviscerating satire of academia in particular and Western society in general; it holds up a mirror that at times I found uncomfortable to look into, which just tells me that I've yet to fully internalise the lessons that Alice learns over the course of her journey.

⭐️ 3.5/5 stars (rounded up) - spoiler free review This review really hurts because I’m such a huge R.F. Kuang fan and Babel is hands down my favourite book of all time. But Katabasis just did not land for me. Maybe it's because I went in with extremely high expectations, hoping for the same emotional punch that I got from her previous books. Overall it fell short, even though there were plenty of moments that reminded me of why I love her writing so much. But let’s start with the highlights. The magic system was easily my favourite part of the book. It was so well thought out and I loved seeing all the clever paradoxes play out. As always it was unique as hell (pun intended), and exactly the kind of thing that makes R.F. Kuang's books stand out for me. Her magical systems are just perfection! Unfortunately though, for me, the book struggled in most of the other areas. The character development was lacking and it just didn't feel like there was a strong plot at all. I also never felt a connection between Alice and Peter, their chemistry just wasn’t there. At times it felt like this story wasn't fully thought through, which made it hard to stay fully invested. Don't get me wrong though, it was an enjoyable read, and I would have given it 4 stars if not for the ending. In my opinion, it was rushed, tied up too neatly, and felt like a cop-out. It was the reason my rating was then knocked down to a 3.5 stars. So, while Katabasis has flashes of brilliance and a truly clever magical system, it just didn’t hit the same. There wasn’t a single moment that made me feel anger, pain, or heartbreak, the very emotions R. F. Kuang usually brings out in me. Instead, everything just felt bland.

So excited to read this book, based on her previous work but I was ultimately disappointed. The premise is interesting, the Cambridge-set initial stages of the book were engaging and pacey, then it became quite turgid and increasingly difficult to read in any enjoyable way. I persisted with it because of the quality of her writing but could easily have abandoned it two thirds of the way through. The ending was also dealt with summarily. Certainly not a book I’ll be recommending to anyone.

Katabasis is a gripping and beautifully written read. The story pulls you in from the first page, with well-developed characters and a plot full of suspense and intrigue. I couldn’t put it down and finished it in just a few sittings. Perfect as a gift for book lovers or anyone who enjoys smart, fast-paced fiction. Highly recommend — it deserves all the hype as the Sunday Times No.1 bestseller!

It's clever, smart, funny, shocking - a challenging read that explores many philosophical , ethical and existential issues and does it very well - but unlike Babel, it didn't capture my heart. Alice and Peter face the consequences of intellectual arrogance as they seek their dead professor in hell, but it's difficult to warm to the characters and some of the plot points and observations are quite laboured. Overall worth reading, but could have been tighter and more emotional to achieve that level of connection.

Very readable. Though it wasn't as gripping as either Babel or Yellowface, it's still lots of fun and in the end more positive than those two. Much has been made of the novel's indictment of academia but it's not written by someone who has any knowledge of anywhere other than very very old-fashioned institutions - and the author doesn't understand the many differences between UK and US systems. That's fine as long as, unlike Yellowface, you don't take it as having any reference to real-world systems (even though a lot of critics do...)!

I think this is the most satisfying of Rebecca's books to date. She started out well with 'The Poppy War' trilogy but 'Babel' and 'Yellowface' were a bit disappointing by comparison, though still worth reading. There's quite a bit of philosophy in this one (as opposed to self-flagellation) which adds to the interest. I'm pleasantly surprised to see that she's sufficiently well acquainted with numerous mathematical paradoxes, Godel's Incompleteness Theorem, and Olber's Paradox, to convey their significance to her story. Nice one. There is one slight irritant! I'm not sure whether Rebecca (a student of languages/linguistics) is being patronising, condescending, or just plain showing off her etymological knowledge when, in some of her books (including this one), she gives the definition and/or root(s) of various words; often in multiple languages and character sets, and usually of little or no relevance. It is therefore quite satisfying to come across the following at the bottom of page 125 (in the hardback) where she writes about Archimedes: "his pupils dilated to pinpricks". Dilated means expanded so she's clearly got this very wrong. Karma!

Great expectations for this book, but in the end disappointed. To long, after 300 pages I started to lose interest and the story became turgid and I lost interest in the characters, certainly not one of her best books.