BOTM #2: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang

Dante’s Inferno meets Susanna Clarke’s Piranesi in this all-new dark academia fantasy from R. F. Kuang, the #1 New York Times bestselling author of Babel and Yellowface, in which two graduate students must put aside their rivalry and journey to Hell to save their professor’s soul—perhaps at the cost of their own.

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek:

The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld.

Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become one of the brightest minds in the field of Magick. She has sacrificed everything to make that a reality: her pride, her health, her love life, and most definitely her sanity. All to work with Professor Jacob Grimes at Cambridge, the greatest magician in the world.

That is, until he dies in a magical accident that could possibly be her fault.

Grimes is now in Hell, and she’s going in after him. Because his recommendation could hold her very future in his now incorporeal hands and even death is not going to stop the pursuit of her dreams….

Nor will the fact that her rival, Peter Murdoch, has come to the very same conclusion.

With nothing but the tales of Orpheus and Dante to guide them, enough chalk to draw the Pentagrams necessary for their spells, and the burning desire to make all the academic trauma mean anything, they set off across Hell to save a man they don’t even like.

But Hell is not like the storybooks say, Magick isn’t always the answer, and there’s something in Alice and Peter’s past that could forge them into the perfect allies…or lead to their doom.

Trigger and Content Warnings

• Racism, misogyny & ableism
• Emesis
• Self-injury (for blood) & mentions of self-starvation
• Chronic illness (IBS & Crohn’s)
• Needles discussed
• Animal death & experimentation

### ✨ What to Expect
A relaxed, welcoming discussion (no pressure to be a literary expert!)
Guided questions to spark conversation
Space to share favorite characters, moments, and theories
Friendly space for those who enjoy thoughtful conversation and a bit of chaos
You’re welcome to come even if you didn’t finish the book — just be aware there may be spoilers during discussion.

### 🧋 What to Bring
Yourself!
Your thoughts, hot takes, and favorite quotes
Optional: Food / drink to share at private homes, cash for food / drink at publicly hosted locations

### 📍 Location Details
Location TBD