“What an adventure! Katabasis is a tour de force – literate, witty, and wise, it thrills and delights all the way to a hugely satisfying conclusion. I enjoyed it tremendously.” - Gareth Brown, international bestselling author of The Book of Doors

"A philosophical tribute to love, Katabasis is the latest master turn by a master novelist. Under the surface of R.F. Kuang’s rigorous treatment of logic and hell is an endless reservoir of vitality and a deep thirst for life. This timeless search for meaning is for any reader struggling to find purpose in a deeply flawed world." - Vaishnavi Patel, New York Times bestselling author of Kaikeyi

“‘Katabasis’ shines with devastatingly real characters and absorbing world building.” - New York Times

"A must-read for fans of Naomi Novik, Olivie Blake, and Lev Grossman’s scholastic fantasies, with explorations of purpose, grief, and relationships that open the novel to a more universal audience." - Library Journal (starred review)

"This is a tightly constructed novel that aims a clear lens on academia, with both its faults and its virtues. The heady draw of discovery is ever-present, even if what Alice is discovering is Hell. A learned, literary manifesto on academia—and its darkness.”

“There can be no other explanation: Kuang is a wizard. Each character, each sentence, each chapter of Katabasis is like an exquisitely crafted incantation that only Kuang herself could have cast. I was ensorcelled from page one, and once I started reading it I found myself unable to think about anything else until long after I turned the final page. That’s when I realized that Kuang had me right where she wanted me all along: Completely spellbound… and loving every minute of it.” - John Joseph Adams, series editor of Best American Science Fiction and Fantasy

"Rich with allusion and illusion, Kuang crafts a witty, gory, harrowing ride that thoroughly roasts the perils and power structures of academia, while never losing sight of what it means to have a fragile, human heart."  - #1 New York Times bestselling author, Leigh Bardugo

“This is a book of ideas, and as such, Kuang’s creativity shines, her vehicle for story a prose that’s smooth as butter. Katabasis is a formidable, timeless work, destined to be a modern classic.” - Olivie Blake, New York Times bestselling author of The Atlas Six

“A balance of literary deep thinking, pop commercial fun, and outrageous audacity. Kuang uniquely and authentically writes the Academy with the right mix of love and rage.” - Rebecca Roanhorse, New York Times bestselling author

"Wickedly sharp and unexpectedly sweet, going to hell has never been this entertaining." - Shannon Chakraborty, New York Times bestselling author of The Adventures of Amina al-Sirafi

“A spellbinding and poignant story that had me riveted to the pages, R.F. Kuang’s 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.”