For Heather Morell, nightmares and hallucinations lurk around every corner, relics of schizophrenia and childhood bereavement.
Until she meets Raine and Evelyn, that is — self-proclaimed bodyguard and bad-tempered magician — and learns she’s not insane at all. The spirits and monsters she sees are all too real, the god-thing in her nightmares is teaching her how to surpass human limits, and her twin sister who supposedly never existed could still be alive, somewhere Outside, beyond the walls of reality.
Heather plunges into a world of eldritch magic and fanatic cultists, trying to stay alive, stay sane, and deal with her own blossoming attraction to dangerous women. But being ‘In The Know’ isn’t all terror and danger. Sometimes the monsters wear nice dresses and stick around for afternoon tea. Sometimes you find you have more in common with them than you think. Perhaps this is Heather’s chance to be something more than the defeated husk she’d grown up as, to find real friendship and meaning among things like herself - and perhaps, out there on the rim of the possible, to bring her twin sister back from the dead.
Katalepsis is an Ancient Greek word which means ‘comprehension’, or perhaps more accurately, ‘insight’.
Katalepsis is a serial web novel about cosmic horror and human fragility, urban fantasy and lesbian romance, set in a sleepy English university town.
The first four arcs (Volume I) are also now available as an ebook and audiobook. If you've just finished one of those and you're here to pick up where the story left off, you'll want the start of arc 5: https://www.scribblehub.com/read/74472-katalepsis/chapter/80127/
Cover art by Noctilia: https://noctilia.artstation.com/
This is a Scribblehub mirror of Katalepsis' own website, located here: https://katalepsis.net/
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.19Sep 13, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.18Sep 6, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.17Aug 30, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.16Aug 16, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.15Aug 9, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.14Aug 2, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.13Jul 19, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.12Jul 12, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.11Jul 5, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.10Jun 21, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.9Jun 14, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.8Jun 7, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.7May 24, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.6May 17, 2025
- placid island; black infinity – 2-1.5May 10, 2025
- Content Warning
All Rights Reserved- Completed
- 1632 reading
- 609 plan to read
- 112 completed
- 95 paused
- 109 dropped
Finishing Katalepsis book 1 brought me to tears. I'm finding it extremely difficult to adequately encapsulate my thoughts and emotions in a way that does justice to how meaningful it was to read, as to do so would require context that can only be found within its pages. I cried at the beauty of it; the sometimes uncomfortable, sometimes strange, beauty that pervades the narrative, interwoven masterfully across Heather's journey. It's a transformative voyage filled with turmoil and pain, but most importantly, with love. So, so, so much love, in all forms.
It also has: Stunningly complex and consistent characterization, an interesting and engaging cast of characters so lifelike that they feel genuinely real, beautifully executed cosmic horror, utterly captivating prose and writing style, and a narrative mastery that never fails to deliver on all kinds of foreshadowing, twists, and emotional katharsis. It just keeps getting better.
Katalepsis is the greatest work of fiction that I have ever read, and likely ever will, and Heather Morell is the most deeply nuanced protagonist that I have ever had the joy of following.
If the synopsis or reviews seem even remotely interesting to you, I urge you to do yourself a favor and take a step Outside with me.
You won't regret it.
Read More
I can't believe I have found such an amazing story available online. The vocabulary, writing style, character interactions, and plot are incredible. I have read some "best sellers" that were not even close to as interesting as this story. The characters don't fit specific "roles" all the time like many stories do. You can clearly feel the characters changing as the story moves on, and not always just improving like many other stories. They sometimes contradict themselves while still trying to maintain the "self" that they believe they are. It makes everyone feel so real, as humans rarely stick to their convictions and are often hypocrites to their own ideals. The story also builds a great "horror" without the constant death of characters. It is just like many of my favorite Lovecraft shorts; horror though atmosphere rather than gore. I feel like I could right a small essay on this work but that would just bore everyone so I will end it here with a "This Story is a 5 Star Story" that I would recommend to any of my horror/dark inclined friends. Thank You soooo much to the Author for sticking with this story!
Read More
This story is fantastic! The relationships between the MC, Heather, and her friends, Raine and Evelyn, is so well developed. I want more! I highly recommend reading this book. Don't skip out on it.
The first meetings that the MC, Heather, has with her new girlfriend, Raine, and new best friend, Evelyn, are pretty awkward. For example, Heather and Raine meet when Heather is bent over a toilet emptying her stomach from Cthulu sickness, and her meeting with Evelyn has Eve being very rude to Heather. However, starting from Heather's second meeting with Evelyn where Heather saves her life, Heather's relationship with Raine and Evelyn improve tremendously. Evelyn sincerely apologizes for her rude behavior, and Raine eventually makes it clear that she wants a relationship with Heather. I absolutely adore their interactions together.
Read More
Simply a 5 stars. Can't say anything more.
Plot, story, characterd, world building, drama, investigation, mind hack, and of cour yuri. Just read it.
Read More
This story can be described only as the work of art. Deep world building, deep characters, story flow not letting you go from reading every sentence and not skip smallest details. Definitely great story. ?
Read More
What if the Cthulhu mythos was not used as a reference in the middle of other fantasy systems and power ladders?
The author of this magnificent, disturbing, brilliant and offputting story could easily write a segment in the Necronomicon and I would believe that it should be there.
To the uninitiated; be prepared for a psychological mind trip the likes you most probably have never read before and only very few people can ultimate draw out.
This is an existential horror story about a young girl and her coping against the unknown Outside.
Read More
If you're looking for a nice long story about how the power of lesbian polyamory saves the day, this is it. But that is such a crass and inadequate distillation of this complex hyperdimensional narrative proof of truths too queer for authors past to comprehend without succumbing to editorial fears. Here, step by step, Hungry will show you how. And if, like us, you are not human, you'll probably see yourself between the words.
Read More
This is one of the most incredible stories I've ever read. It is so good, and absolutely gripped me from part one!
Great unfathomable beings from beyond our reality, dark magics that should not be able to be performed by human hands, and also it's *super* gay
(yes, even the horrors)
(especially the horrors)
It is an outstanding story – I wish I could do it justice in a review. The characters are all wonderful, and the prose is sublime. Hungry is a fantastic writer, and she is amazing at setting a scene and evoking the unknowable~
Five stars, ten out of ten, highly recommended. So atmospheric, so fascinating, and so fun to read!!
Read More
As of 20th July 2024 I am all caught up (Arc 24, Chapter 21) :
I read the entirety of Katalepsis in just 39 days back in April (if that isn't a glowing endorsement I don't know what is). This is without a doubt the best web serial I've ever read, across all measures: story (the tightly-written, meticulously planned arc format is a revelation; as carefully written as any excellent print-novel), writing quality & style (astonishingly good prose; sublimely vivid, beautiful, prose-porn descriptions of Outside, excellent dialogue, perfect balance of conciseness and eloquence), characters (phenomenal characterisation; richness, variety & depth) and overall care and consideration for the whole package (there's no filler here). Once the final arc has completed I shall update this review with full thoughts: for now, I'll wholeheartedly recommend this if you have any interest in eldritch horror and/or sapphic romance.
Overall, Katalepsis is an extremely solid 10/10 (and, honestly, will be an extremely tough act for any other web serial to follow) : I can't see that changing anytime in the next few months or so, when Book 1 is completed (which, at this point, is planned to be at the end of arc 24 + epilogue). If this at all sounds like your cup-of-tea, read it: you will not be disappointed.
Read More
It was very difficult to read because of the constant self-pity from the protagonist. A helpless victim, unable to do anything and waiting for people to impose their kindness. And too much drama.
But!
The approach to magic was very interesting to me, and atmospheric urban fantasy is nicely done. Perhaps I will come back later when I find enough mental fortitude to endure the excess drama and MC personality.
Read More