A review by rg9400
The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks

adventurous dark mysterious tense fast-paced

• Plot- or character-driven? Plot
• Strong character development? No
• Loveable characters? No
• Diverse cast of characters? Yes
• Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

This book starts out similarly to Dungeon Crawler Carl. A sudden tower appears, people need to climb it, ascending past multiple levels, each different. However, it doesn't really have any other litRPG elements. Instead, it goes for a much horror-driven approach, with each level being very different and associated with a different style of nightmare. This is pretty effective at first with some really strong imagery and creative threats/level designs. Unfortunately, the characters aren't super complex, and as the book progresses, it tries to give them arcs and conflicts that tie into an overarching theme of the story. At just slightly over 300 pages, I was impressed that the author was able to make the character journeys, mystery behind the tower, and his themes come together in alignment. Unfortunately, it's just not enough time for them to have actual depth, and it ends up meaning the last 1/3rd of the book moves away from the horror aspects which I felt were its strong suit. Still, an easy breezy read that does have some cool imagery and progresses very quickly