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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
I think that R.F. Kuang tends to develop some of the most interesting magic systems that I come across in fiction books. The magic system in this was more difficult for me to understand the intricacies of it because it was such a complicated thought system, but that made it extremely unique. This book felt a little more rushed than others that I've read of hers, and was not my all-time favorite. That being said, there were very blatant commentaries on females in academia and really thought-provoking discussions on death that were interesting to read about throughout the story.
So many references went whoosh over my head I'm sure but the confidence, the scope of it all!
adventurous
dark
hopeful
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
This book is stunning. It is so well written and thoughtful. After finishing reading this book I literally sat in silence for a solid 10 minutes contemplating how lucky I am to have lived in the same time period as RF Kuang and to have gotten my hands on an ARC. I am serious when I say this book might have forever changed my brain chemistry.
such an incredible book! the premise was already so much fun, and fortunately it was also incredibly satisfyingly utilised. alice won me over entirely, even though she is such an infuriating chaos of a person, and i did not expect to find peter as relatable as his backstory revealed him to be - but it was a very pleasant surprise, and one of my favourite chapters overall (though i was going to adore him either way: i knew as much as soon as we found out that he journeyed to hell without packing a blanket, but did bring a book to read). the backstories in general, i think, were very effectively incorporated into the main plot! you got just enough hints to create a tension from the very beginning, and then it felt even more rewarding once everything finally unraveled. the way r.f. kuang portrayed comradeship here felt similar to the way she did it in babel, which i also enjoyed. the parts dedicated to establishing a bond between alice and peter during the time they spent working in the lab were so lovely and intimate, and really made me believe in everything the book wanted me to believe about their feelings for one another.
the descriptions of hell's courts were so cleverly imaginative, especially when they took the starkly (and sometimes hilariously) recognisable shape of a university setting. the novel is generally very thorough in its criticism of academia: chiefly the competitiveness, the horrifically high demands, and just the general, broad unfairness of it. i thought that the chapters dealing with alice's internalised misogyny were particularly interesting, as well as the depiction of her very specific brand of asceticism and self-destructive behaviour. i appreciated the latter especially, since i have fallen into that trap in the past, and until now i've never actually heard anyone talk about experiencing anything so similar.
the descriptions of hell's courts were so cleverly imaginative, especially when they took the starkly (and sometimes hilariously) recognisable shape of a university setting. the novel is generally very thorough in its criticism of academia: chiefly the competitiveness, the horrifically high demands, and just the general, broad unfairness of it. i thought that the chapters dealing with alice's internalised misogyny were particularly interesting, as well as the depiction of her very specific brand of asceticism and self-destructive behaviour. i appreciated the latter especially, since i have fallen into that trap in the past, and until now i've never actually heard anyone talk about experiencing anything so similar.
but although the institution itself was heavily and thoughtfully criticised, everything about this story simultaneously rests on so much curiosity and love of learning! it's so delightful to read a book that is so enthusiastic about all of its toughts. i know that the most common critique of r.f. kuang's writing has to do precisely with that aspect: but personally, i never got the feeling that she was over-explaining, patronising or being overly self-indulgent with the amount of references and facts she included. sure, there were a lot of them, but i neither minded it nor found it very unusual. there are many great books in which there are long philosophical side tangents, or even entire essays that sometimes last for multiple chapters. everyone is allowed to have a preference, but that sort of style is hardly a new occurrence in literary history, and it certainly isn't inherently a mark of poor writing skills. the only parts i found to be somewhat weaker were the chapters in between peter's sacrifice and alice's encounter with the kripkes , but that might still be improved in the editing! i can't wait to read the physical copy once it comes out :)
adventurous
dark
mysterious
slow-paced
Holy shit. Holy SHIT. Phenomenal.
adventurous
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
informative
lighthearted
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
WHAT.A.BOOK
yeah, this book actually finished ME.
The character development?
The romance subplot?
The added references to real life scholars and the mythology?
1000/10
R.F Kuang can have my soul.
yeah, this book actually finished ME.
The character development?
The romance subplot?
The added references to real life scholars and the mythology?
1000/10
R.F Kuang can have my soul.
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
dark
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
When I heard RF Kuang was releasing another novel, my excitement was through the roof, and I couldn’t wait to get my hands on her writing. 5/6 of RF Kuang’s works read… she never fails to amaze me, but this one, like Babel, was just a touch disappointing. As one of my favorite authors, I hold her to a higher standard compared to others I may read. And a dark academia fantasy where 2 academic rivals journey to Hell to bring back their mentor from the dead? This should’ve been something I ate up, a premise made exactly for my tastes, but it just falls flat. While I admit I liked the execution of Katabasis more than Babel, Babel’s thesis was a lot more ingenious and clever, and the themes of colonialism presented in Babel were a discussion long needed. But Katabasis was fun in a way that Babel hardly was, at least for me.
But my main problem with this book, like Babel, was that they were so damn slow. Reading how intellectual and brilliant the theories Kuang wanted to discuss were a delight, but there were a lot of slow, dragging parts in the novel that could have been edited or even cut out,especially when Alice was alone. There were a lot of references to mythologies, philosophical ideas, and logical syllogisms, which were all interesting and all, but I feel like I missed out on a lot of the easter eggs and even bigger points Kuang might have been trying to express. I also love reading about different myths, so reading about the Weaver Girl and seeing familiar words like Hades, Cerberus, etc, excited me all over again. However, it felt like there was not enough story and too much introspection. Even the appearance of the big bad "villains" started and ended in the blink of an eye, which made them seem like a joke. Alice, as a main character, was confusing to me, and until now I can't decide if I like her, which made sense as she was a morally grey character, but being in her head for the majority of this novel felt annoying and also boring. I wish we got to know our main characters better and a LOT earlier on in the story. I wish we were given more of Peter's thoughts from his perspective. I do like Alice's arc and realizations with feminism and this internalized misogyny she had felt realistic . I appreciate what Kuang tried to discuss while relating it to women in the academe. I LOVE how things ended with Grimes, and how Alice handled things with him. Also, one last bone to pick I have was the ending, as it felt too abrupt for me, and I wished Alice and Peter had been able to be more forthcoming and open about their feelings and communicate better. So SO many things could've been fixed had they communicated. It felt like she brought him back to life, whooshed back into the mortal world, and tada, the end! I know I said the book kept dragging on, but the last few pages could've been edited better. Lastly, I love Elspeth, and I liked Gradus.
I yapped too much, but I just wanted to put all my thoughts somewhere. I still like this book, but I wish loved it like I loved The Poppy War trilogy.
But my main problem with this book, like Babel, was that they were so damn slow. Reading how intellectual and brilliant the theories Kuang wanted to discuss were a delight, but there were a lot of slow, dragging parts in the novel that could have been edited or even cut out,
I yapped too much, but I just wanted to put all my thoughts somewhere. I still like this book, but I wish loved it like I loved The Poppy War trilogy.
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
inspiring
reflective
sad
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Sexual assault, Suicidal thoughts
Moderate: Body horror, Chronic illness, Death, Abandonment