Fairyloot Adult #42: August 2025
No way I was going to skip the FairyLoot Adult box for August. Even before the theme was officially announced, everyone basically knew which book would be included. We’re talking about a hugely popular author, one FairyLoot clearly loves, and one with a brand-new release in August.
Since I also loved the one book I’ve already read by this author, and the synopsis of this new story immediately appealed to me, I was really looking forward to this edition.
The theme for August was See You in Hell. For anyone still in doubt about the featured book, this theme – together with the artwork on the theme card – made it more than obvious.
Of course, I’m talking about Katabasis by R.F. Kuang.
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 same conclusion.
Ever since I read Babel by R.F. Kuang, I’ve been curious to explore more of her work. And Katabasis honestly sounds like 100% my kind of book. Greek myths where heroes and heroines descend into the underworld have always been among my favourite stories.
FairyLoot once again created a fully unique cover, clearly linked to the standard one, but with striking differences. The colours are reversed: white instead of black, bronze instead of gold. And while the main figure remains the same, some details have been shifted or adjusted. For instance, the cat that appears at the bottom of the standard cover is now more central in the bookshelf on the FairyLoot cover.
Which one do I prefer? Hard to say. I mostly enjoy how they’ve played with variation here. Perhaps black fits the theme of “descending into Hell” a little better, but at the same time that’s also the cliché. So yes: a very cool FairyLoot cover!
On the reverse of the dust jacket, there’s another surprise: an alternative illustration of the two main characters, beautifully crafted by @polarts_. What struck me right away was how much the female character resembles the author herself. I’m not quite sure how I feel about that, lol. Whether that matches the description in the book is something I’ll only discover while reading.
Then came my favourite part: admiring the naked hardcover. Oh wow. Just stunning. I’m completely obsessed. This hardcover radiates pure academia, with gorgeous use of texture and gold foiling. The illustrations by @alicecaoillustration are simply perfect. She completely nailed the assignment!
And the spine of the book? Sigh. Drool, drool.
The sprayed edges complete the look with a brilliant combination of the dust jacket design and the naked hardcover.
The endpapers were also illustrated by @polarts_. And wow – the back one especially is breathtaking. It could almost have worked even better as the cover than what is currently on the reverse of the dust jacket. Once again, I couldn’t help but notice how much the female character resembles R.F. Kuang.
This edition also comes with a bound-in author letter (with digital signature) and a chapter annotated by the author. Such a fun extra!
I’m absolutely thrilled with this edition of Katabasis. No notes, no complaints – FairyLoot once again delivered what they do best. This edition feels grand, detailed, and perfectly fitting for a book of this calibre.
Katabasis is high on my TBR and seems like the perfect story to dive into once autumn arrives.
Cheers,
Charlotte
