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Katabasis

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Katabasis

By: R.F. Kuang
Narrated by: Morag Sims, Will Watt
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Prepare for one hell of a journey…

'A big, bold fantasy romp' GUARDIAN

'R.F. Kuang is making magic' ELLE

'[A] truly original and spellbinding hero's-journey story' VOGUE

' I devoured it' RED

One of the BBC's 25 best books of 2025

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 No.1 Sunday Times bestselling novel by R.F. Kuang.

'Literary super-stardom doesn't seem too far out of her reach' THE HERALD

‘Mind-bending fantasy’ GRAZIA

©2026 R.F. Kuang (P)2025 HarperCollins Publishers Action & Adventure Asian Creators Dark Fantasy Editors Select Epic Fantasy Witty
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Editorial Review

A descent I longed to stay in
R.F. Kuang has been an auto-download for me ever since The Poppy War trilogy broke my little soul, so I knew Katabasis would hit hard. But I didn’t expect it to stay with me like this. A dark, cerebral descent into the underworld, the story is layered with mythology, philosophy, and academic tension so sharp it hurts in the best way. Alice Law accidentally kills her mentor in a magical mishap and will do anything to bring him back, including venturing into literal Hell. Unfortunately for her, Peter Murdoch—her academic rival and former crush—is on the same path. What follows is a spellbinding blend of dark academia, mythic horror, and enemies-to-lovers romance in which every level of suffering mirrors the sins they are trying to outrun. Narrators Morag Sims and Will Watt deliver powerful performances that amplify the stakes and intimacy. Intense, brilliant, and emotionally consuming, Katabasis has easily become one of my favorite listens of the year.—Patty R., Audible Editor

Critic reviews

‘It’s Dante’s Inferno meets The Secret History and it’s at the top of our read-next pile’ Elle
'A novel to savour … I envy those who get to read it for the first time' Rebecca Ross
'A witty, gory, harrowing ride' Leigh Bardugo
'A formidable, timeless work, destined to be a modern classic' Olivie Blake
‘A sprawling, erudite tale of magic … teeming with intelligence, ideas and humour’ Marie Claire
'The unrolling of a daring concept' Daily Mail
'An arresting and deeply affecting novel' SFX
' A rich novel of romance, history and magic’ iPaper
'An immersive, worldbuilding adventure … I devoured it' Red
'Profound … Linger[s] on the mind' New Statesmen
'Bitingly funny dark academia' Arts Hub
KATABASIS IS A RADIO 2 BOOK CLUB SUMMER SELECTION, ELLE'S BOOK OF THE MONTH, AND INCLUDED IN THE GUARDIAN'S ROUND-UP OF MOST ANTICIPATED 2025 FICTION.
BABEL WAS A BRITISH BOOK OF THE YEAR, BLACKWELL’S BOOK OF THE YEAR, A WATERSTONES BOOK OF THE YEAR FINALIST AND THE DAILY MAIL BEST BOOK OF 2022
All stars
Most relevant
Well what a disappointment. If you want a book about going to hell let me recommend Leigh bardugo’s hell bent. That book is extraordinary. This book is not. RF kuang is overhyped as an author her only good book is babel.

Nope

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Was so worried, having read/heard the many negative reviews that came my way before the book's official release. But I'm glad I read it anyway. I had so much fun!!! So much of Alice's emotions and experiences are relatable. I didn't think her character would be so familiar, while so delusional and faulty. Realy loved her and Peter. I thought he was flat at the beginning, but came to understand him better later. So nice. I really recommend it. I also enjoyed yhe naration. Both narators do an excellent job. Really enjoyed the final chapter - such a release from all the tension !

I had so much fun

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I listened to around 9 hours of the novel, but started to feel like the story was really going nowhere. I found it quite frustrating as it felt less like a novel, and more like a personal rant against academia.

Literally lost the plot

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Thankfully the majority of the narration is the great female narrator. The male one sounds like he recorded in a cupboard with his mouth so close to the mic that every S is a hiss. He also does a lilt of up and down infection, switching constantly like a bad AI. It started to make me feel quite homicidal.

Please rerecord his parts!

Story and main narrator 5 stars. Second narrator ought to find a new career.

one good narrator, one awful one

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another excellent work, twisting turning, brilliantly written. the main performer reads wonderfully. clear and engaging, until she does the voices, that is. voices and accents are not her forte and all it does is distract from the actual story. some of the "accents" are so thick it's not always easy to instant what she's saying. this would have been perfect, but for those annoying voices and accents.

Kuang is brilliant as always

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