The Way Up Is Death is a sci-fi horror novel written by Dan Hanks, and published by Angry Robot Books. A bizarre survival adventure that will explore the hopes and the lows of humanity through our group of thirteen characters that will be pulled before an ominous tower with a single word: ASCEND; a brutal journey that will keep you hooked until the last page.

A story that is kickstarted by introducing us to our thirteen characters, all from different backgrounds and with nothing in common; soon some of them will outshine over the others. There's a great effort in developing these characters: Alden, a lonely musician and teacher, consumed by grief after those lost in the pandemic, but a great person after all; Nia, a concept artist who is struggling to get a place in a male dominated industry; Earl and Rakie, a loving father and the smart and strong daughter; and in the other extreme, we have Dirk, a celebrity whose own ego and bravado easily represent the worst parts of humanity. Even those that have a brief presence, such as Kim, left me a great impression; as long as they ascend in the tower, more will be revealed about themselves.

Ascending the tower is a really effective narrative element, exposing our group to new horrors on each level, in a really intriguing way that keeps the reader wondering what will happen in the next chapter; many are reference to pop culture elements. Each level puts you in tension, making you try to guess what is the key to it, with a gripping pace that contributes to a certain amount of chaos; between the action scenes, the narration takes the opportunity to discuss current themes and even has a philosophical approach to the big questions, in a way that excellently complements the dreadful situation our characters are experiencing. All while the mystery around the tower remains until the end, bringing us towards a bittersweet ending, which fits perfectly with the whole book.

Hanks manages to balance the gravity of the situation with the action, weaving all together around the mysterious purpose of the tower; having such well-layered characters only makes more emotionally impactful the inevitable heartbreaking moments. The more we ascend in the tower, the darker and more profound the tone becomes, letting a small glimpse of hope in the end.

The Way Up Is Death is an excellent blend between science fiction and horror, a brutal adventure which will keep you hooked reading, just with the excuse of one more chapter, until you inevitably reach the end. A great book by an author that has shown the amplitude of his writing registry.