From the SUNDAY TIMES bestselling author of BABEL and YELLOWFACE

'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, gorey, harrowing ride' LEIGH BARDUGO

Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero's descent to the underworld.

Two academic rivals from Cambridge must travel to hell to rescue the soul of their advisor. Getting there was easy. Surviving it – and each other – is another thing entirely.

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.