Katabasis

Plot Summary: The novel centers on Alice Law, a graduate student in analytic magick at a prestigious university. After a magical mishap that results in the death of her thesis advisor, whose soul is dispatched to Hell, Alice realizes her academic future hinges on his recommendation. She descends into the underworld—literally— to retrieve him. She must partner (albeit unwillingly) with her academic rival Peter Murdoch, who has always been favored and successful, adding layers of conflict to their mission. The story frames the academic world not as a path to enlightenment, but as a descent—a corridor of ambition, guilt, structural injustice, and existential dread. Magic is not just spell‑casting; it is research, competition, erasure, and identity crisis. Main Themes: The toll of academic ambition and how pursuit of success can become self‑destructive. Descent into the depths (both metaphoric and literal) as a journey of self‑awareness, shame, and transformation. Institutional power, rivalry, complicity, and how knowledge can be weaponized. Magick as metaphor: the ritual, the thesis, the chalk, the formula—tools of power and self‑undoing. Conclusion: Katabasis isn’t the typical fantasy adventure. It’s a bold exploration of what happens when education, research, and ambition become personal hellscapes. The novel asks us: what if the road to achievement is also a road to ruin? If you’re drawn to stories that meld academia, magic, identity, and moral downfall, this work is a compelling choice.