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4.06 AVERAGE
4.06 AVERAGE
Two magicians adventuring through Hell to rescue their professor sounds thoroughly fantastical and surreal, but the things the characters face in this book are entirely relatable. Burnout, measuring personal value through academic success, hiding your struggles from others to try to maintain respect and status, are all empathetically explored. I loved discovering this version of Hell - by turns silly and grim - while also watching the characters explore their own inner landscapes. R.F. Kuang excels at crafting morally grey characters, and Alice is no exception - she is perfectly balanced to be deeply relatable while still complex and messy, never a perfect, heroic protagonist. In the end, perfection isn’t required, in academia or in morality. The characters just need to see each other and feel seen, and appreciate the experience of being alive.
adventurous
dark
mysterious
reflective
tense
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
adventurous
challenging
dark
emotional
funny
mysterious
reflective
tense
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:
Yes
adventurous
challenging
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Loveable characters:
Complicated
Diverse cast of characters:
N/A
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
reflective
medium-paced
hell is quite literally grad school but i could've told you that
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
tense
Plot or Character Driven:
A mix
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
Yes
Diverse cast of characters:
No
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
dark
mysterious
medium-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
adventurous
dark
emotional
hopeful
mysterious
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
Book Review: Katabasis by R. F. Huang
Rating: 4.5/5
Okay, I’ve got to say—Katabasis was such an intense and immersive experience. This was my first time reading anything by R. F. Huang, and I was immediately hooked. The unique screenplay-style writing made everything feel so cinematic, like I was watching the scenes unfold on a big screen.
The characters were absolutely one of the best parts. They’re not your classic, squeaky-clean protagonists—they’re messy, flawed, and deeply human. Their moral complexity was fascinating; it’s like their decisions lived in this beautiful gray area where right and wrong weren’t always clear. That kind of depth made them feel so real, and I loved how much it challenged me as a reader.
One thing that stood out to me was how dense the writing could feel at times, especially with all the references to different mythologies and philosophies. But here’s the thing—you don’t need to have a PhD or a background in those topics to enjoy the book. Huang makes it all accessible, and the story works even if you’re not familiar with the referenced material. It’s like an added layer for those who get it but not a barrier for everyone else.
The pacing was spot-on, too. Despite the density, the book never felt slow or overwhelming. Every chapter had something exciting or meaningful happening, and I couldn’t put it down. And the ending? So satisfying. It tied everything together perfectly but still left me thinking about the characters and their journeys long after I finished.
Rating: 4.5/5
Okay, I’ve got to say—Katabasis was such an intense and immersive experience. This was my first time reading anything by R. F. Huang, and I was immediately hooked. The unique screenplay-style writing made everything feel so cinematic, like I was watching the scenes unfold on a big screen.
The characters were absolutely one of the best parts. They’re not your classic, squeaky-clean protagonists—they’re messy, flawed, and deeply human. Their moral complexity was fascinating; it’s like their decisions lived in this beautiful gray area where right and wrong weren’t always clear. That kind of depth made them feel so real, and I loved how much it challenged me as a reader.
One thing that stood out to me was how dense the writing could feel at times, especially with all the references to different mythologies and philosophies. But here’s the thing—you don’t need to have a PhD or a background in those topics to enjoy the book. Huang makes it all accessible, and the story works even if you’re not familiar with the referenced material. It’s like an added layer for those who get it but not a barrier for everyone else.
The pacing was spot-on, too. Despite the density, the book never felt slow or overwhelming. Every chapter had something exciting or meaningful happening, and I couldn’t put it down. And the ending? So satisfying. It tied everything together perfectly but still left me thinking about the characters and their journeys long after I finished.
challenging
dark
emotional
informative
reflective
tense
slow-paced
Plot or Character Driven:
Character
Strong character development:
Yes
Loveable characters:
No
Diverse cast of characters:
Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus:
Yes
Although I have come to expect extremely morally grey characters from R.F. Kuang, I think she went a bit overboard with this one. The MC was quite repulsive, making it hard to become invested in her journey. This, combined with the meandering plot meant I really struggled to get to the end. But I did and, as usual, Kuang nailed the ending, hence the extra .5 of a star. Oh, and I also loved Peter Murdoch.
If you like psychological horror, deep philosophical ponderings and slow meandering plots, you might enjoy this. It unfortunately just wasn't my cup of tea.
If you like psychological horror, deep philosophical ponderings and slow meandering plots, you might enjoy this. It unfortunately just wasn't my cup of tea.
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
Utterly devastating in the best way.