1800s: Ren Scarborough is half British Reaper and half Japanese Shinigami. Reapers and Shinigami collect souls when a person is ready to die. Since Ren is half Japanese living in London, her British Reaper family and community doesn’t recognize her as one of their own. After two centuries of living like this, Ren decides to travel to Japan to find her true identity as a Shinigami. Her half-brother, and only true friend, Neven, travels around the world with her. When they arrive and meet the Japanese goddess of death, Ren is given a seemingly impossible mission, to hunt dangerous Yokai demons, that will finally give her the acceptance she has always craved.

This was an intense and wild story. Ren and Neven encountered many demons and creatures from Japanese folklore. Ren had learned about some of the demons in her studies of her culture, but some of them were not the same as the tales. Both the British and Japanese soul collectors had their own methods of doing their job, so Ren had to get used to a whole new system. Though Ren felt like an outsider at home in England, Neven became an outsider in Japan, since he didn’t speak the language and didn’t look like the residents. It was an interesting look at if it’s harder to be born as an outsider and never know any differently or if it is easier to choose to live in a culture as a visible outsider.

The ending of this story was intense and fast paced. It left me wondering if the next book will be about Ren, based on where the story left off. I’m really curious to see what the next book in this duology will be about.

The Keeper of Night is a great book with Japanese folklore.

Thank you Inkyard Press for providing a copy of this book in exchange for an honest review.

4.5 stars - This was an incredible debut!! Lee Baker's writing is phenomenal - the way that she captured the frightfulness of Japanese folklore and the very real horror of what it would be like to be a British Reaper was incredible. I love horror fantasy, and Lee Baker made this extremely palatable for YA audiences while keeping it super creepy and unnerving. In addition to this, our main character Ren is very morally gray (almost villainous) and I am obsessed with her. She is exactly the type of main character I love to read from and every decision she made completely unraveled her - how her story can possibly conclude in two books is beyond me but I know Lee Baker can do it just from the impressiveness of this debut novel. The entire last 100 pages of the book had me gasping out loud because I could not believe what was happening, it kept me on the edge of my seat. My one complaint was the book's love interest. While I do think he played a crucial role in the unraveling of Ren, I think their love moved far toO quickly for my liking and I wish there were just a tad more pages to really develop their love for one another and the ending would have been a tad more believable to me. But other than that, THIS WAS GREAT AND I HIGHLY RECOMMEND.

I really loved this book. It was such a fresh take on YA historical fantasy. It follows Ren, a half Japanese Shinigami, half British Reaper girl, who collects souls and delivers to them to the god of death. Being half Japanese, she is never truly accepted in Britain and decides she's had enough after an intense altercation with the other Reapers. She travels to Japan along with her brother where she is tasked by Japan's goddess of death to kill three demon-like creatures in order to be accepted as a true Shinigami. They also meet Hiro. An outsider himself and hoping to gain favour with the goddess, he acts as their guide and Ren's love interest.

In terms of plot, you've got your classical monster hunting quest, but the focus on Japanese mythology really breathed fresh life into this trope. Since Ren herself is somewhat of an outsider, the myths are introduced in a way that's very accessible to a reader with little to no knowledge of Japan. I also never realized how cool and creepy Japanese myths are.

I loved reading about Ren. She's an angry, selfish, morally grey heroine which was so refreshing to read. It seems like every YA heroine is self sacrificing and always does the right thing, which gets boring and I don't find it very relatable. Ren really wasn't afraid to take what she wanted and I was here for it. I connected so much with her whole "I'm a bad person and I don't care" attitude.

A large focus in the book was Ren's half British, half Japanese heritage, how she is not really accepted in either society, and her search for belonging. While I couldn't directly relate to her situation, it was really interesting to read about and caused me to do a lot of introspection around my own heritage.

Also the ending to this book was wild. So much went down in the last 5% of the book. I can't wait to see what happens in the next book because I have no idea where the story is going to go or what an ideal ending would be. Definitely recommend!

DNF @ 27%

The summary sounded sooo good, but I was barely engaged for the hour that I gave this and can barely remember anything that was info-dumped.

I had the chance to read an ARC of THE KEEPER OF NIGHT and I am so glad that I did. This story is dark and brutal and in some ways a bit gruesome, so if you're planning on picking it up, please go into it with that in mind. It goes to surprisingly twisted places for a YA novel. But even if that normally puts you off, I'd encourage you to approach THE KEEPER OF NIGHT with an open mind, because while there are a lot of things in this book that would normally be intense enough to stop me from reading, I loved THE KEEPER OF NIGHT.

Ren Scarborough is half-British Reaper, half-Japanese Shinigami. She begins the novel working as a Reaper in England, collecting the souls of the dying. But Ren's status as the only Shinigami-Reaper hybrid around makes her the target for a lot of bullying, harassment, and abuse, and when her life is in danger, Ren and her half-brother flee London. They go to Japan, where Ren tries to establish herself as a Shinigami but runs into resistance there too.

Ultimately, the book is about Ren discovering her place in a world that constantly defines her by what she's not.

This book incorporates a lot of really interesting mythology, but what really drew me to this book was Ren's feelings about being between two cultures. I really related to her anger, as it reminded me of what I felt when I was a teenager. Like Ren, I know how it feels to be constantly defined by what you aren't, to feel like you are the only person in the world that doesn't have a say in what you are or what you're going to be.

Ren is unapologetic, flawed, and the first person to tell you that she isn't a good person. She makes a lot of questionable decisions, and by the end of the book even I wasn't sure if Ren was a good person or starting to cross over into "villain protagonist" territory. But I understood every decision that Ren made, even the ones that I disagreed with, because I knew what she was feeling. I can't wait for the sequel!

i sometimes chafe against genre on behalf of the author, and this is a classic case. tragic that baker has to market this as young adult just because it has a female protagonist. it's just an easy to read and dynamic adult fantasy. ren is such a relatable character, truly someone who's not afraid to take up space and be flawed.

Thanks to the publisher for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review

DNF @ 51%

The concept of The Keeper of Night is great. Ren is part British reaper and part Japanese Shinigami who has never quite felt at home in England. After a series of misfortunes, Ren travels to Japan to learn more about her Shinigami background and her mother.

The mythology aspects of the novel were really interesting and I thought the mix of cultures worked really well.

My issue with the novel stems from the pacing. My attention waned a lot during my reading, and I found it hard to develop an attachment to any of the characters. Had I come across this book when I was 13 or 14, I think I would have loved it, which is why I definitely think anyone interested in the concept should check it out! I just found it read more like a book for younger readers than I was expecting based on the description.

Rating: 2/5 Though I didn’t enjoy this book as much as I was expecting to, the concept is great and I can see a lot of people loving the character of Ren!

A thank you to NetGalley, Inkyard Press, and Kylie Lee Baker for providing me with an eARC of this book. I am leaving a review voluntarily, all opinions are my own.

This book was such a cool mix of so many things. I loved the Japanese lore throughout and our MC was refreshing, I always love a good morally gray character, especially as the MC.

I loved the sibling relationship theme throughout and her wanting to take care of him, with a younger brother myself I could definitely relate.

I can't wait to see where this story goes in the next book and just LOOK AT THAT COVER!

My Review: What A Solid Debut!

The Pros: What Worked For Me

I loved the Japanese mythology that was central to this story. From Shinigami to other demons, I was enthralled!

The theme about identity resonated with me; Ren struggles throughout the story to find a place where she is accepted and I felt that deeply.

The sibling relationship was wonderfully developed. The author captures the complexities of it, without making it cheesy.

The Cons: What I Didn’t Like

I wasn’t a fan of the romance. The bond was formed too quickly for my liking and it progressed very rapidly at the very end.

I wanted more mythological immersion, with more demons being introduced!

Overall, this is a pretty solid debut with many positives. I can’t wait to read the sequel (and conclusion) to this engrossing series!

ohmygodohmygodohmygodohmygod THIS WAS SO GOOD????? Morally grey MC, villain arc, Japanese mythology, historical fiction? Check, check check, and CHECK. This book did it for me. I genuinely don't know ow to write a coherent review for this because it was just SO good. Kylie Lee Baker is a genius and I needed the preorder links for Book 2 yesterday.

"Death didn't need to find me because it was always there, in my blood and bones. I was made of Death."

The Keeper of Night is an interesting story! Ren our main character, cares for her younger brother and wants what's best for him. Her Shinigami powers are greater than those around her and makes her a threat causing her to leave. So, she leaves with her brother, saying goodbye to what she knows to find something better.

It was so wonderful to see how important her brother Neven was to her and how she always wanted the best for him. I am looking forward to book two and seeing how the rest of the story plays out. Overall, this was an intriguing story and one that has a morally gray character at its center.

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for providing me with an advance reader copy in exchange for an honest review.

I voluntarily read and reviewed an advance reader copy of this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

tw: violence, gore, matricide, death, threatened death of child

I wanted to like this more than I did. The folklore was A+ but I found myself having a hard time connecting to the inhumanity of the main character - which, I mean, she’s not human - and with the world as a whole.

I’m not sure if I’ll seek out Book 2 in this series though it ended on a compelling note, because I’m not sure it would be fair to the author for me to engage with something I’m so clearly not feeling for reasons I have trouble articulating.

This book took me outside my comfort zone. It was a bit disturbing at times and definitely a more serious read. The main character has a Japanese mother and British father. She is looked down upon by and ridiculed by society and is by all accounts virtually left as an orphan with no one but her brother, Neven, for support to aid her on a set of dangerous events that found me on the edge of my seat. Excited to read the next book in this series!

This book was really good! It’s been a while since I got my hands on a solid historical fantasy novel that didn’t either confuse or bore me so this book was a very pleasant surprise. Not only was the world-building and the lore super well done and fascinating, but the characters were also all consistent. The protagonist was morally grey but not in a way that people call downright villainous characters morally grey - no, she was actually morally grey. This book left me feeling breathless in the best way possible; my only criticism was that occasionally the setting wasn’t described enough for me to imagine the scene vividly enough. All in all, I highly recommend this!

I’m a huge fan of YA fantasy, but I think I’ve decided I’m not a huge fan of fantasy duologies. I have started to notice, at least in the duologies I have read recently, is a big issue with pacing. Most fantasy stories need time to develop and establish world-building. I find that the first book in a series of 3 or more books, spends the majority of book 1 just creating the visual for readers. While duologies tend to priorities plot over world building. The success of the initial depictions generally decides how much I will enjoy the series, so it is a pretty significant thing for me. I need to feel immersed in the world before I can appreciate the plot, characters, and ultimately the story. Instead, with these fantasy duologies, I feel rushed and book 1 and 2 feel almost like separate stories to me.
The Keeper of the Night series falls into this duology pitfall for me. While I have not read book 2 yet, I would have preferred book 1 to simply be longer rather than have another book. Baker covers quite a bit of ground in this first story, and I felt a bit rushed while reading it, simply because we are still learning about the world of Death while being in the middle of the action.
For the story itself, this is such a unique take on death lore from around the world. While our focus is mainly on Shinigami/Japanese mythological creatures and legends, Baker does a great job of tying in lore from a variety of other cultures as well. It’s such a cool concept to explore the world through ‘death’s eyes’ and to really see the differences and similarities of death lore from different cultures. Huge points for uniqueness.
Our cast of characters is also extremely unique. They are all hard to relate to especially Ren but considering none of them are human, it actually adds to the story rather than detracts. Only Ren’s brother Neven, shows any sort of humanity which makes it hard to determine exactly how the siblings feel about each other. The relationship with Hiro is also a bit hard to fully understand but once again could just be because of the lack of humanity in the characters.

For a debut and being targeted at a younger audience, I did enjoy the story. If you are looking for a fantasy that dives into folklore, specifically Japanese folklore but not limited to it, then I would pick this series up. The ‘rushed’ feeling I had while reading the story though, took away from my experience. I would have liked a bit more lead-up and world-building at the beginning of the story.

The Keeper of the Night is out now. Huge thank you to Inkyard Press for my advanced copy in exchange for my honest review. If you liked this review please let me know either by commenting below or by visiting my Instagram @speakingof_books.

4.5

This was a very interesting read and it was the perfect fantasy mixed spooky for Halloween time. This was such a complex book and I loved it a lot. The characters were really well written and the plot was super interesting. I loved Ren and Neven and I loved seeing their relationship grow and change throughout the novel. This book has such a strong female main character, Ren is such a complex character and I really felt for her so many times. Neven is such a cutie (in the way that he is young and super sweet to Ren most of the time lol) and I loved him, I'm so glad Ren had him. Hiro was an interesting character, not my fave but definitely played an important part in the book. The writing in this book was so well done and beautiful. I loved the inspiration from Japanese folklore. It was an amazing adventure novel in such a fun historical fantasy world. The plot twist/cliffhanger at the end is leaving me wanting more and I can't wait for book two!

An epic and unique dark fantasy story steeped in Japanese mythology and sprinkled with elements of horror, ‘The Keeper of Night’ by Kylie Lee Baker was freaking fantastic (and perfect for spooky season)!

Atmospheric and action-packed, the plot was strong, suspenseful, a little hair-raising, and a lot engrossing. Every single character was morally grey; there were no “good guys” here, and I loved that. I never knew who to trust, didn’t always know how to feel about a character at any given time, but I did still love them all.

No matter the nature of the relationships in this book, the status of all was “complicated.” I loved the brother-sister duo of Ren and Neven, conflicted as it was. And Hiro…from the beginning, I wasn’t sure what to think of him, and by the end…I still am not sure how to feel about him, though I do have some very strong opinions I won’t share because spoilers. Ren herself is badass, flawed—just such a gorgeously written, poignant character—and I adored her and sweet Neven the most, even when they were at their most vexing.

The world building in this book was freaking flawless. So striking and labyrinthine. And the supernatural entities—the Reapers, Shinigami, and Yōkai—were vicious and enthralling, alluring yet dangerous, like the best apex predators.

‘The Keeper of Night’ is totally “no holds barred.” Baker boldly holds nothing back in the BEST way, and it makes for an intense, immersive read. I was utterly emotionally wrung out by the end. And completely ready for Book Two, which I was thrilled to find out is happening! I can’t wait to dive into this wild universe again. If you read anything this season (or after), read this! ‘The Keeper of Night’ is absolutely one of my top reads of the entire year. I wish I could give it more than five stars!

**I was provided an eARC copy of this book by HTP Books/Inkyard Press (thank-you!). All opinions expressed are voluntary and my own.**

I really wanted to love this book. So many other people obviously do, but it just wasn't for me. But that doesn't mean that it won't be for you!

Folklore is always great, and I loved how it was incorporated into this story. I also think that Ren's struggle is something that is relatable to many people who are part of two or more cultures. Ren is not enough British Reaper to be fully included in their society, but also not enough Shinigami to be a part of their society. It was also refreshing to have a morally gray protagonist.

However, I felt like I was forcing myself to finish the book. To me, the writing was repetitive at times, and parts of the story were too predictable for my liking. I also couldn't immerse myself in the world completely.

Overall, I loved the concept of the book, but some of the execution was lacking for me.

Although I had high expectations of this novel thanks to how it was marketed, as well as how my fellow early reviewers seemed to love it, the very first chapter had me dubious about whether it would deliver. Not at all because of its writing—which was very pleasing throughout, especially in its picturesque descriptions—but because its main character, Ren Scarborough, had a personality too depths-of-despair for my liking. Since this book is presented from her perspective, I was afraid I wouldn't enjoy it to the extent that I had hoped.

I am happy to announce that I was wrong. Ren's personality did not change much throughout, but what she did manage to do was grow on me. An anti-heroine with no intention of doing things by the book, not when she had suffered so much at the hands of others, I found myself disagreeing with every single one of her actions yet greatly appreciating how in-character said actions were for her.

If I have any complaint, it's that the romance progressed too fast. Regardless, the plot was compelling and the twists entirely unexpected; I would recommend this to readers who enjoy historical fantasies with a rather dark turn.

Gorgeously creepy, with lovely prose and intricate brushes with mythology. A compelling journey from start to finish.