A fantasy novel for those who think they don’t like fantasy
By Katie Urban
To be honest, I’ve never been much of a fantasy reader. However, I recently picked up R.F. Kuang’s latest novel, Katabasis, and to my surprise, I genuinely loved it. I was already familiar with Kuang through her previous novels, “Babel” and “Yellowface,” two completely different reads, both brilliantly written. With “Katabasis,” which was released Aug. 26, Kuang delivers another massive hit. The novel has already claimed the number one spot on the New York Times bestseller list, and before its book debut date, Amazon MGM Studios acquired the screen rights, a strong signal of how a book is likely to perform.
Even for readers who don’t typically gravitate toward fantasy, it’s impossible to ignore how massively popular the fantasy—and its ardent next of kin—romantasy genres have become. Take Rebecca Yarros’ “Onyx Storm,” the latest installment in her five-book Empyrean series, which just became the fastest-selling adult novel in two decades. Love it or not, there’s no denying that fantasy and romantasy are driving today’s fiction market and showing real staying power. Which makes now the perfect time to pick up “Katabasis” and find out what all the buzz is about.
The Premise: Cambridge graduate student Alice Law accidentally kills her mentor, Professor Grimes, after misdrawing a pentagram. Wracked with guilt and desperate to bring him back to life, she sets out on a dangerous journey to hell to find him. Unexpectedly, she’s joined by her academic rival and former crush, Peter Murdoch. Forced to work together to survive, the two must navigate the brutal underworld, which closely mirrors the world they just descended from.
The novel explores themes of grief, loss, and the complexity of human nature, all set in a darkly imaginative version of Cambridge University, where Analytical Magick lets students bend the rules of reality through mathematics, linguistics, logic, and philosophy.
Final Verdict: If you’re skeptical about fantasy, this book might change your mind. “Katabasis” paints a hellscape that’s dark, gory, and unrelenting, but the real brutality lies in the sharp critique Kuang points at institutional systems that many readers will recognize all too well. The author maintains a relentless pace throughout this haunting and thought-provoking fantasy, exploring what it means to travel through death in pursuit of life’s deeper meaning.
Fun Fact: The novel’s title, “Katabasis,” is an ancient Greek word that means “descent.” It’s often used in literature to describe a hero’s journey into the underworld.
Category: Entertainment
