Katabasis by R. F. Kuang

In Katabasis, R. F. Kuang crafts a dark and cerebral fantasy that pulls readers into a world of “analytic magick” and a unique vision of hell. The story follows two rival graduate students, Alice Law and Peter Murdoch, on a harrowing descent into the underworld to save their professor’s soul. Known for her incisive critiques of power, language, and academia, Kuang uses this mythological framework to explore the hellish landscape of intellectual hubris and personal ambition. The book is both a gripping adventure and a sharp commentary on the pursuit of knowledge, a theme that has become a hallmark of Kuang’s work. The narrative is dense and rich, demanding attention but rewarding it with a visceral, haunting journey. It solidifies Kuang’s reputation as a masterful storyteller who blends myth, history, and social critique into a genre-defying experience.