matthewmincher reviewed Katabasis by R.F. Kuang
Trip to Hell
2 stars
I don't think this was for me. I understand what we were trying to do. I generally love magical academia stories. I generally love historical settings with magical backgrounds or urban fantasy.
I also love stories that draw on real world myths and magic systems.
I didn't love this. It was quite slow and boring - spending too much time quoting philosophers and real world sources. Too much time labouring exposition as though Kuang had some sort of "I know abouts" per minute to achieve.
Both Alice and Peter didn't feel like particularly believable or relatable characters and the stakes often felt muddled and confused to me.
Possibly this was just a pacing issue - once it lost and frustrated me I think I was done.
I don't think this was for me. I understand what we were trying to do. I generally love magical academia stories. I generally love historical settings with magical backgrounds or urban fantasy.
I also love stories that draw on real world myths and magic systems.
I didn't love this. It was quite slow and boring - spending too much time quoting philosophers and real world sources. Too much time labouring exposition as though Kuang had some sort of "I know abouts" per minute to achieve.
Both Alice and Peter didn't feel like particularly believable or relatable characters and the stakes often felt muddled and confused to me.
Possibly this was just a pacing issue - once it lost and frustrated me I think I was done.
