After a mysterious tower appears in the skies, thirteen random people are plucked from society with the command from the tower to ascend. As the strangers get to know each other, will they be able to work together to solve what the tower wants? Combining elements from video games, psychological horror, and Norse mythology (and more!) - Dan Hanks has woven a masterful tale that explores what it means to be human and also what it means to grieve. 

Throughout the story, there are three POV characters - Alden, Nia, and Dirk. Alden is a primary school teacher struggling with grief, Nia is an artist who has retreated from society, and Dirk is a famous children's author and social media influencer. I really enjoyed Alden's arc throughout the story most - while there are increasingly gruesome scenarios unfolding in the story, Alden's character development was really excellent as he begins to reckon with both the loss of his family and his dog. Nia's character also very much grew on me as the story progressed. I struggled being in Dirk's perspective as he is so loathsome he felt a bit one dimensional. In contrast to Alden, Dirk really never got better - he just gets progressively worse. 

As the characters ascend, there are different tower levels that have to be solved by the group. I really enjoyed how each level reflected each person, and did add into the element of the video game side of things. It brought in more about each character and provided additional depth that I didn't think would be possible with such a large cast of characters. 

Overall, if you're looking for a fast-paced psychological thriller with surprising emotional depth, I definitely recommend The Way Up is Death. 

Thank you so much to Angry Robot for the advanced copy.