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4.01 AVERAGE
4.01 AVERAGE
challenging
dark
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Violence, Blood
Moderate: Child death, Death, Gore
Minor: Sexual assault
adventurous
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Complicated
I love how Kuang chooses the topics and develops characters, it's so refreshing.
However, I think find this story less inspiring than Babel.
However, I think find this story less inspiring than Babel.
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Complicated
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
ruined me till i felt violently sick about my existence
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
reflective
tense
medium-paced
challenging
dark
emotional
hopeful
reflective
sad
tense
medium-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:
Yes
A wondrous journey. My first R. F. Kuang book, this is truly a hero’s journey, with the modern and complex additions of academia and the struggle for validation and understanding. Being a woman in magic, akin to being a woman in STEM, comes with additional rules and regulations, often unwritten. Kuang does an amazing job of making her characters frustratingly root-able for, even when they make decisions so confusingly human you have to sit back for a moment. I would’ve loved a teensy bit more fleshing out of the romance, but it came together exactly as I hoped it would!! At times I had to google words and concepts, sometimes for understanding and sometimes because I was so intrigued I wanted to learn more! Sometimes she does jump into an exposition about a philosophical concept or magic concept that took me minimally out of the narrative, but they always added something of substance.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death, Emotional abuse, Misogyny, Panic attacks/disorders, Sexism, Torture, Violence, Sexual harassment
Moderate: Child death, Confinement, Mental illness
medium-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:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
I received a proof copy of this book, and as it’s not out for another few months there are no spoilers here!
Katabasis follows two PhD students at Cambridge in the 80s who travel into Hell to save the soul of their dissertation supervisor. Already, this seems a lot lighter than many of R. F. Kuang’s previous novels, and I would say that it is, especially in comparison to the bleakness of her Poppy War trilogy, but it is by no means lighter in page count. Honestly, this book is still fairly dark despite its hints of romance (any romance/romantasy readers will be disappointed by this one, I think, if that’s what you’re expecting), as there is a decent amount of blood and violence and generally dark themes. They are in Hell, after all. Kuang really loves a complex protagonist, and Alice is just another example. My favourite character was Peter, but I do think that the relationship between him and Alice was not really developed enough considering the size of this book, and the way it’s been marketed, in my opinion. I just wanted a bit more of their years at Cambridge together!
I did still very much enjoy this, and though it’s not my favourite of Kuang’s, I think I’ll definitely read this again and will recommend to others - especially anyone who is a bit afraid of reading her darker stuff.
Katabasis follows two PhD students at Cambridge in the 80s who travel into Hell to save the soul of their dissertation supervisor. Already, this seems a lot lighter than many of R. F. Kuang’s previous novels, and I would say that it is, especially in comparison to the bleakness of her Poppy War trilogy, but it is by no means lighter in page count. Honestly, this book is still fairly dark despite its hints of romance (any romance/romantasy readers will be disappointed by this one, I think, if that’s what you’re expecting), as there is a decent amount of blood and violence and generally dark themes. They are in Hell, after all. Kuang really loves a complex protagonist, and Alice is just another example. My favourite character was Peter, but I do think that the relationship between him and Alice was not really developed enough considering the size of this book, and the way it’s been marketed, in my opinion. I just wanted a bit more of their years at Cambridge together!
I did still very much enjoy this, and though it’s not my favourite of Kuang’s, I think I’ll definitely read this again and will recommend to others - especially anyone who is a bit afraid of reading her darker stuff.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore, Blood
Moderate: Animal cruelty, Animal death, Suicidal thoughts, Murder, Sexual harassment
adventurous
challenging
funny
informative
mysterious
reflective
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Complicated
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
hopeful
informative
reflective
slow-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