Katabasis is to come out at the end of the year and I've seen a lot of people read books in preparation to what is sure to be another masterpiece by R.F. Kuang. These books aren't a necessity to understand Katabasis but to add another layer of understanding.

I've based this list on the recommendations from @piasreadz, @jennyflipsthepages and @emmasbooktalks tiktok pages