Four new books to read this week

In 2023, RF Kuang's satirical novel Yellowface took book clubs by storm. Sadly, her next offering doesn't live up to expectations.

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Katabasis

By RF Kuang, hardback

Alice Law is a postgrad student at Cambridge studying analytic magick (yes, magic). When her supervisor meets a grisly death, she decides to rescue him from Hell. Unfortunately, she’s not alone in her journey and is joined by fellow postgrad and wunderkind, Peter.

When the plot gets going it's infinitely readable and imaginative, with Alice and Peter travelling through different phases of Hell while grappling with their personal relationship. But all that is bogged down by philosophical discussions that make things rather dry and stilted. 6/10

Loved One

By Aisha Muharrar, hardback