R.F. Kuang Descends Into Darkness With Dark Academia Masterpiece

Katabasis

The tagline for this book is Dante’s Inferno meets Piranesi and is that ever a fitting description. Katabasis by R.F. Kuang is a dark academia novel that takes you on a journey through the underworld.

Through the Gates of Academia and Into Hell

Alice Law is a postgraduate student studying under the esteemed and infamous Professor Jacob Grimes. Grimes is seen as the foremost expert in analytical magic and is regarded as the greatest magician in the world and those who have the privilege of his tutelage are offered the world on a silver platter. If they can survive long enough to graduate.

Grimes is rude, manipulative, condescending and vindictive, but Alice is his star pupil and has become accustomed to dealing with Grimes’ abhorrent behavior. When a magical accident ends with Grimes dead and his soul sent to hell, Alice decides to journey to the underworld to bring him back. After all, the accident was her fault.

Alongside her fellow Grimes’ advisee and academic rival, Peter Murdoch, the pair travel to the underworld and begin their journey through the eight circles of hell to find and rescue Grimes from whatever fate lies in wait for him. Will they survive the journey, or will their souls be erased from existence?

Trauma, Glory and the Human Cost

This book puts the academia in Dark Academia. Kuang’s books are known for their high prose and the authenticity that they bring to the subject matter. Katabasis spends much of the time explaining complex mathematical, logical, philosophical and scientific theories and laws, all adding to the authenticity of the novel and the characters within.

However, the novel really shines when you peel back the surface and take a look underneath. The story, on the surface, depicts Alice and Peter as devoted students of the magical craft, but as they advance through the circles of hell, more is revealed as to the price they have paid for the knowledge they have gained.

Kuang has done a wonderful job crafting an engrossing fantasy story that shows the dark side of the pursuit of knowledge and glory. The subcontext in this novel explores themes focused around trauma, abuse, exploitation, stress, anxiety, burnout, toxic relationships and so much more.

It does a great job illustrating the role peers play in protecting someone who is suffering and helping them recognize their situation, grow and ultimately heal. Kuang examines what it truly means to be human and the human experience that is often taken for granted and cast aside in the pursuit of success and our obsession with perfection.  

These themes, alongside strong character dynamics and the author’s impressive and imaginative writing are what make this story stand out.

From Foes to Something More

At the beginning, the reader is only presented with Alice’s point of view, so of course, we see Peter from a biased perspective as a rival, a proverbial golden child, silver spoon and all. We see Alice, who has had to work to overcome everything that has been against her from the beginning and she feels she has earned her prestige, whereas Peter was granted his through his family, connections and effortless talent.

As the story progresses, that dynamic shifts and we are granted a view behind the curtain at what Peter has had to endure and while that does not lessen the perspective that shows how Alice has had to claw and fight for her position, it does bring the two closer in more ways than one.

Katabasis is another knockout novel that will resonate with fans of Kuang’s previous works, most notably, Babel. There is no denying that her unique depiction of the underworld from an academic lens is truly one of a kind.

Everything from the writing, to the characters, world building and story make this a modern classic that is sure to wow fans of the genre. It will be found on must-read lists for years to come.

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