I like to lose myself in a big, chunky read at the end of the year, and so I was immediately taken with idea of Doorstoppers in December when Laura at drlauratisdall.wordpress.com first mentioned it. While I wasn’t sure how many I could squeeze in, I managed to read four doorstoppers last month. I’ll be honest, I was hoping for five, but the Christmas period was quite hectic and there just wasn’t as much time for reading as I’d hoped!
I’ve not reviewed all four of these yet, but I’ll update this post with the links to those reviews once they’re available.
Katabasis by R. F. Kuang
Katabasis, noun, Ancient Greek. The story of a hero’s descent to the underworld.
Grad student Alice Law has only ever had one goal: to become the brightest mind in the field of analytic magick.
But the only person who can make her dream come true is dead and – inconveniently – in Hell. And Alice, along with her biggest rival Peter Murdoch, is going after him.
But Hell is not as the philosophers claim, its rules are upside-down, and if she’s going to get out of there alive, she and Peter will have to work together.
That’s if they can agree on anything.
Will they triumph, or kill each other trying?
The Raven Scholar by Antonia Hodgson
She might win the throne. She might destroy an empire. Either way, it begins with murder.
After twenty-four years on the throne, it is time for Bersun the Brusque, emperor of Orrun, to bring his reign to an end. In the dizzying heat of mid-summer, seven contenders will compete to replace him.
Trained at rival monasteries, each contender is inspired by a sacred animal – Fox, Raven, Tiger, Ox, Bear, Monkey, and Hound. An eighth – the Dragon proxy – will be revealed only once the trials have begun. Eight exceptional warriors, thinkers, strategists – the best of the best.
Then one of them is murdered.
It falls to the brilliant but idiosyncratic Neema Kraa to investigate. But as she hunts for a killer, darker forces are gathering.
If Neema succeeds, she could win the throne – whether she wants it or not. But if she fails, she will sentence herself to death – and set in motion a sequence of events that could doom the empire . . .
Empire of the Dawn by Jay Kristoff
From holy cup comes holy light;
The faithful hands sets world aright.
And in the Seven Martyrs’ sight,
Mere man shall end this endless night.
Gabriel de León has lost his family, his faith, and his last hope of ending the endless night – the Holy Grail, Dior. With no desire left but vengeance, he and a band of loyal brothers journey into the war-torn heart of the Augustin Empire to claim the life of the Forever King.
Unbeknownst to the Last Silversaint, the Grail still lives – speeding towards Augustin’s besieged capital in the frail hope of ending Daysdeath forever. But deadly treachery awaits within the halls of power, and the Forever King’s legions march ever closer. Gabriel and Dior will be drawn into a final battle that will shape the very fate of the Empire, but as the sun sets for what may be the last time, there will be no-one left for them to trust.
Not even each other.
After Midnight by Daphne du Maurier
On a sharp December day, the wind changes – and the birds begin to gather.
In the twisting alleyways of Venice, a grieving couple catch a glimpse of their lost child.
A woman returns home to find no trace of her existence.
From the inimitable imagination of Daphne du Maurier, these thirteen stories pierce to the dark heart of our relationships: between men and women, humanity and nature, love and obsession, the future and the past. Uncanny, provocative and spine-crawlingly terrifying, these tales will keep you up long after midnight. Whatever you do, don’t look now…
Doorstoppers in December was a fun, pressure-free challenge, and I look forward to taking part again 🤗
Jo's Book Blog 
Amazing, Jo, well done!
Thank you, Nicki! x
Amazing work, Jo! I think you win Doorstoppers in December!