The quest: Katabasis by R.F. Kuang. The result: We went ot hell and back! Dive into Katabasis by R.F. Kuang with our full-spoiler book club breakdown! Two rival PhD students descend into a hellish university campus to retrieve their abusive advisor’s soul—facing academic trials, betrayal, and dark revelations. Is this dark academia masterpiece a 7/10 triumph or a pacing misfire? We debate character arcs, logic paradoxes, and that wild revenge twist.

Timestamps:
00:00 – Epic Plot Summary (Full Spoilers!)
01:31 – R.F. Kuang Bio & Awards
06:04 – Descent Begins: Chapters 1-6
31:41 – Chapters 7-11: Desire, Trauma & Lethe River
44:55 – Chapters 12-18: Greed, Wrath & Betrayal
58:05 – Chapters 20-35: Peter’s Sacrifice, City of Dis & Final Showdown

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Happy holidays to you all, Adventures. Thanks for tuning in. In this episode, Slava and Jonathan (joined by Josh, our intern) discuss A Christmas Carol, a classic novella by Charles Dickens, first published in 1843 and illustrated by John Leech. The story follows Ebenezer Scrooge, a wealthy miser, as he is visited by the ghosts of Jacob Marley, Christmas Past, Present, and Yet to Come, leading to his moral redemption and transformation.

00:00 Introduction to A Christmas Carol
04:12 Dickens, Context, and Victorian England
08:45 Scrooge as Antihero
13:30 Poverty, Class, and Social Responsibility
18:40 The Ghost of Christmas Past
26:10 Memory, Trauma, and Isolation
33:45 The Ghost of Christmas Present
41:20 Ignorance and Want
47:55 The Ghost of Christmas Yet to Come
55:30 Scrooge’s Reckoning
01:01:45 Redemption and Moral Transformation
01:07:30 Why A Christmas Carol Still MattersJOIN THE GUILD
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CREDITS
Hosts: Slava and Jonathan
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Intro/Outro Music: HoliznaCC0v
Editing by: CharacterNorth6081
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In this episode of The SideQuest Book Club Podcast, Slava and Jonathan—joined by Casey, JT, and Spenser— continued to break down Wintersteel from Will Wight’s Cradle series. The guys explore character dynamics, relationships, and major themes of identity, growth, and progression fantasy. The conversation highlights foreshadowing, power dynamics, hubris, and how literacy, wealth, and opportunity shape advancement in the Cradle universe. We also examine key characters, such as Daiji and Eithan, discussing their motivations and the narrative choices that drive the story.

(00:00) Introduction to The SideQuest Book Club Podcast (feel free to skip to the next chapter, as we talk about costumes that can't be seen on screen)
(09:32) Further Exploring Wintersteel
(17:54) Character Dynamics & Relationships
(29:47) Themes of Identity & Growth
(34:28) Foreshadowing & Key Revelations
(35:22) Character Dynamics & Plot Devices
(40:44) Defining Progression Fantasy
(44:01) Character Growth & Power Dynamics
(45:44) The Role of Hubris in Fantasy
(56:57) Literacy & Character Development
(01:02:58) Wealth, Power & Opportunity
(01:14:18) Final Thoughts & Future Expectations

Our website: www.thesidequestpodcast.com

Discover Side Quest: https://linktr.ee/asidequest
Our IG Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Leave us a comment & connect with us on Instagram

⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠Our TikTok Channel⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠⁠ | Music by HoliznaCC0v