$37.99
20 in stock
20 in stock
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld.
Grad student Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become the brightest mind in the field of analytic magick.
But the only person who can make her dream come true is dead and – inconveniently – in Hell. And Alice, along with her biggest rival Peter Murdoch, is going after him.
But Hell is not as the philosophers claim, its rules are upside-down, and if she’s going to get out of there alive, she and Peter will have to work together.
That’s if they can agree on anything.
Will they triumph, or kill each other trying?
2025’s most unexpected love story is going to be hell in the new novel by Sunday Times Number One Bestseller R.F. Kuang. Coming August 2025.
‘Katabasis is a formidable, timeless work, destined to be a modern classic’ OLIVIE BLAKE
‘Katabasis is more than a novel to savor. This book is an experience. I envy those who get to read it for the first time’ REBECCA ROSS
‘A witty, gory, harrowing ride’ LEIGH BARDUGO
Format: Paperback
Pages: 560
Imprint: HarperVoyager
Publication date: 26/08/2025
Katabasis
By R.F. Kuang
Review by Sophie
Some books were written to be savoured; every sentence, every word needs to be fully absorbed. I am not usually a fantasy reader, but I loved the world created by Kuang!
Alice Law, a graduate student of Magick, descends into Hell to retrieve her brilliant-yet-problematic professor, Dr Jacob Grimes. In the academic world, the old adage ‘It’s not what you know but who you know’ still rings true and this is one of the core themes of Katabasis. Their relationship is slowly teased out in flashbacks throughout the book, leading the reader to understand the reasons for her desperate quest.
This story intertwines dark academia with a mix of mythology, philosophy and a dash of romance. It is about decisions, regrets and learning to live with imperfection. But it leaves you wondering – what would you sacrifice to be the best?
This novel is one of the reasons I read. To finish a book satisfied but longing for more. The characters come to life and we, the readers, travel alongside them.
Perfect for fans of Ninth House by Leigh Bardugo, or, for those interested in the source material, Dante’s Inferno.
