On an ordinary day, an extraordinary event occurs which irrevocably changes the lives of thirteen people. On the hills of the Peak District an ominous floating island appears with a tower placed in its centre. For a period of time the government, the conspiracy theorists and the social media influencers try to either make contact with the tower or create panic over its existence, until the tower just becomes another unsolved mystery. Thirteen people go about their lives when suddenly they feel their bodies fading away. Upon awakening they find themselves on the island, close to the entrance of the tower. A countdown begins. One word appears at the top of the tower: ascend.

The Way Up is Death by Dan Hanks is the author’s third novel and wow, what a journey it takes you on. A surreal puzzle-box that will have you saying ‘just one more chapter’ all the way through to the end.

“Was it a call, though? Or a hungered yearning? She could almost feel the tower salivating, its mouth gaping wide, drawing them in with each breath. It wanted them.”

We begin by meeting our thirteen characters, each from different backgrounds, different ages and have seemingly nothing in common. Immediately, many characters began to stand out and became those I would cheer for to succeed. Alden was a lonely musician by night and teacher by day. He was wrapped in grief and feeling lost as the effects of the pandemic had left their scars. Yet underneath he had a heart of gold, a willingness to care for others, a desire to reach out and make connections. There was Nia, a concept artist struggling to make her mark in a male dominated industry, and Earl, an endearing, loving father to his daughter, Rakie, a budding writer, who was the gem of them all. Rakie may have been the youngest but her strength, courage and intelligence spoke volumes. On the other hand we had Dirk, an American celebrity children’s author who never failed to rile everyone up in the wrong way and more often than not make my blood boil. He was all bravado and ego with no real substance, and Dirk was by far the easiest to wish the worst things the tower had to offer upon. Each of Hanks’ excellently crafted characters brought different dynamics to the novel, even those whose appearance was brief. The tower puts each of them to the test of discovering who they really are and how far they will go to survive or help the others survive. 

So what is this tower and what did the characters discover inside? That’s something I’ll leave to readers to find out, but just know this, each level within the tower held fresh new horrors. Hanks forewarns of what’s to come though, each chapter title foreshadows something significant about each level, which I found a great way of adding intrigue and suspense before the chapter had even begun. I loved the way each level was filled with puzzlement, a quest of sorts and then ended with dread, bloodshed and all out chaos. Hanks certainly kept me on my toes, his pace was relentless and I could never predict what would happen next. In between the action scenes we have moments of discussion on contemporary issues, which is something I don’t usually enjoy as I’m an escapist reader, but in this novel it works. Topics included loss and loneliness from the aftermath of the pandemic, the use of AI in any form of art (something I feel quite strongly against) and the fakeness of some types of influencers who participate in certain trends just for likes and clicks. The Way Up is Death unapologetically showcases the worst and the best of human nature and those kinds of issues shape who each person is and therefore felt fitting to explore. 

I particularly loved the philosophical discussions throughout too as the characters speculated on what the tower was there for and what their purpose inside was. This ultimately led them to considering the meaning of life, which if you’ve read The Hitchhiker’s Guide to the Galaxy, you’ll know the answer to! I found this kind of reflection upon life came as the novel began to reach its climax and the tone shifted to a poignant and profound one. There was an almost overwhelming sense of sadness, we knew that heart-breaking moments were to come, but it also paved the way for hope for the future too. 

“Maybe it was just about being born into this blip of a life and simply allowing yourself to experience the wonder of it all, while doing your best with what you had. If that was the meaning of life, he felt it a good one.”

The Way Up is Death offers readers gripping action coupled with a quest of survival. A mindfuckery that blends sci-fi, fantasy and horror together to create a heart-pounding and unexpectedly emotional story. 

ARC provided by Dan Hanks in exchange for an honest review. Thank you for the copy. All quotes used are taken from an early ARC and are subject to change upon publication.

The Way Up is Death will be released will be released 14th January 2025 but you can pre-order your copy on Bookshop.org