This was darker than I expected!

Ren is a Reaper in London, but she's also half Shinigami, a Japanese Reaper. She never knew her mother and lived with a father that didn't want her. The only good thing was her half brother, Neven. Ren was bullied by other Reapers because she was different. When a power she had got out of control, Ren knew she would be punished. She decided to run away to Japan and find her mother. Neven left with her even knowing that he would never fit in. They traveled and got away. But things did not go as planned in Japan. Ren basically has to audition to be made a Shinigami. Izanami, the Goddess of Death, gives Ren the names of three Yokoi to kill. If she does this, Ren can serve the goddess. Their guide, Hiro, helps, but he doesn't tell Ren about the last Yokoi until they get to her. Ren has to make a lot of (poor) decisions to decide what she wants in life. And that usually ends up being something that could hurt Neven, the only person who has ever loved her. They face the Yokoi, but things still don't happen the way that they should. There's a bit of a twist and then a second twist.

I enjoyed how dark and creepy this book was. I can't wait to see what happens in the second book after that ending.

I gave this book 4 stars.

Thank you to the publisher and Netgalley for my earc.

Warnings for blood, death, bullying, parental abuse (mental), and a lot of creepy demon/ghost moments.

Thank you to Netgalley for providing an egalley for review. Kylie Lee Baker's "The Keeper of the Night" has all of the elements of a fairy tale plus all of the dark elements that makes it modern and engaging. It follows the rule of three, three monsters to defeat, but instead of having the lead be male, it's the female lead that defeats the monsters...or does she? Ren is of mixed race, so she is made to feel unwelcome in both London Reaper and Japanese Shinigami society. She is constantly trying to prove her worth, which is why she undertakes these Yoki tasks, but at what cost?

I picked this up because I've always found Japanese mythology to be intriguing, and on that mythology, this novel 100% delivers. The writer has pulled from English, Irish, and Japanese mythologies to create a breathtaking fantasy world filled with magic, monsters, and ruthless gods. At the same time, the story is grounded in the pure trauma of Ren's life as a half reaper, half shinigami who fits into no world at all.

What astonishes me most about this book is the author's ability to take such a deeply flawed character and make the reader root for her. Ren is not nice. In fact, she has very few redeeming qualities at all. Her love for her loyal brother, Neven, might well be her only good quality. That said, I could not stop hoping that she would succeed--that she would get everything she wanted.

This dark tale is definitely one to look out for, and I think it's sure to be the great YA hit of October (especially since it manages to avoid the typical YA tropes and cliches).

I reeeally wanted to like this and I did enjoy draw from Japanese yokai and demons. But it just took way too long to get started despite, strangely, simply just starting. I was very confused by the opening chapters, which did very little to draw me into the characters or the setting or even the plot. It felt like I was being dropped into the middle of the story. It really didn't compel me to move on.

For me this was not a strong series launch. I had a hard time getting into the story after Ren & Neven left London. I found the opening scenes in London to be very strong. I was pulled into the story and the world-building was nicely handled in this section. I would have not minded a little bit more time with this setting, getting to know the powers and the world of the Reapers. I also think some of the journey between London and Paris could have given us a chance to see how our main characters move in the world and further develop the relationship between Ren & Neven, which even by the time we reach Japan, I did not find particularly convincing. Overall I didn't love the writing style and I found the world-building to be a bit confusing or inconsistent at times. It didn't grab me and I won't be continuing the series.

This book tore me in two. The writing style is wonderful, and I love the way that we get to know each of the characters so well through their distinct voices. The setting was incredible, and I felt like I was there, running away with Ren.

Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren has been collecting souls in the London streets for centuries. Expected to obey the harsh hierarchy of the Reapers who despise her, Ren conceals her emotions and avoids her tormentors as best she can. The only person she has to help deal with the pain is her younger half-brother Neven.

When her failure to control her Shinigami abilities drives Ren out of London, she flees to Japan to seek the acceptance she’s never gotten from her fellow Reapers. Accompanied by her brother, the only being on earth to care for her, Ren enters the Japanese underworld to serve the Goddess of Death, only to learn that here too, she must again prove herself worthy. Determined to earn the respect, Ren accepts an impossible task—find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons—and learns how far she’ll go to claim her place at Death’s side, even if it means betraying her own blood.

Overall, this book was a 5 star read, and I can’t wait until the second book comes out. Thank you so much to Netgalley and the publisher for allowing me to read this early, in exchange for an honest review.

Ren Scarborough has never fitted in with the other reapers because she is half British Reaper and half Japanese Shinigami. Ren grew up being treated as a burden and respecting the cruel hierarchy of the reapers all who despise her, well everyone except her younger half-brother. One day after a little over two centuries of tormenting she can no longer control her Shinigami powers she inherited from her mother. Now that the reapers want her dead, she is fleeing to Japan to reconnect with her mother and become a Shinigami. However, when she arrives in Japan, she must prove worthy of becoming a reaper. Ren is given an impossible task of eliminating three legendary Yokai demons by the goddess of death. The keeper of the Night has to be one of my favourite fantasies of 2021. Throughout it we see major character development on all the characters parts. One of my favourite elements is the historical fiction that was intertwined with both fantasy and Japanese folklore. I haven’t seen any books before talking about Japanese folklore and this one was amazing. It explained it really well and wasn’t confusing at all. The character’s had real lives and at times although it was a thriller it was also funny. The book lures you in like a Yokai and doesn’t leave you disappointed either. The absolutely unpredictable plot twist towards the end were done well. I can understand and fully believe that the book deserves all the hype it is receiving and once it releases it will not only become a Young Adult staple but also a bestseller. The story and ending have stayed in my head for a while and the more you dissect it and look back you realise the level and quality of the story and writing. Kylie Lee Baker truly has talent and amazing stories to tell. So for now I will be on the lookout for more information about the sequel and keeping an eye on all of Kylie Lee Bakers future stories.

A couple days after finishing, and I'm still trying to decide how I feel about the book.

A bit of a slower start (I HAVE seen slower though) combined with some fairly childish behavior from beings supposedly the personification of Death himself had me put the book back down for a day or two. I chugged through the first couple chapters, then almost out of nowhere "we" are in Japan instead of London and things start happening at a breakneck pace.

The characters are fortunately not clearly morally light or dark, as a Reaper or Shinigami and representing Death, how could they be? Ren and her brother Neven lean in opposite directions, though neither fully to one end of the spectrum, so their dichotomy is interesting to see. There is some realistic representation of the feelings of looking for somewhere to belong, especially as a bi-racial Asian woman in a Steam Age world.

Overall, I would probably give 3.5 stars but would read it again and would pick up the sequel to see where the story goes next.

I really did enjoy this read. I loved the focus on Japanase mythology and loved the world that was created. I also really loved the siblings realtionship that was at the heart of this read. This book did have some pacing issues in the start and towards the end. It felt like the pacing was a bit confusing and clunky. I also really liked the quest elements and also just the big world for these characters. The main character i sometimes struggled with, but the end made me really enjoy her. I will def be checking out book 2 in the future

**Review will be published on my blog/Instagram, October 7th*

MURDEROUS.

That’s pretty much the whole vibe of this one. Dark, twisted, and oh so murderous. And while that’s not generally my jam, this grim YA fantasy was pretty good. I cringed a lot and the mental pictures painted are a bit horror movie style, and that’s its charm!

I really enjoyed the main character Ren. Struggling with her identity as biracial and not feeling like she fits in anywhere, she goes to Japan in hopes of finding a new home there. Upon arriving with her brother are when things start to turn, ahem, deadly. She’s very much morally grey and you’ll want to follow her down to the dark side.

The lore behind all of the terrifying monsters had me keeping the lights on. The writing was vivid, and I felt myself on the journey with Ren. I adored her brother Neven and the opposite views he created. He was the necessary dichotomy to a wicked story.

Plot wise, it did drag sometimes and it took me awhile to understand all of the different things Ren was trying to accomplish and why. But I loved her journey and her ability to express and acknowledge her emotions and standing in her feelings while she worked through what life had handed her.

The ending was wild. Did not see the majority of it coming and am so dang curious how the second book rectifies it all. There is a dash of something akin to a romance, but I don’t want to say more because it would definitely be spoiler-y. It was rich in explorations of family, identity and place to be who Ren wanted to be and I can’t wait to follow her journey further.

Overall audience notes:

YA Fantasy
Language: a little
Romance: intense kisses/make-outs
Trigger/Content Warnings: ableism, racism, many blood & gore depictions, mutilation of bodies (dismemberment, etc.), death of a parent, multiple murders, exile, bullying

The premise was intriguing (I always enjoy when fantasy novels put a new spin on old stories: in this case Baker riffs on both Japanese mythology and two different cultural personifications of Death), but I found the initial pace and setup in The Keeper of Night way too slow. I liked the concept of the British Reapers, yet felt like we should have either gotten more about them (some of Ren and Neven's powers feel inconsistent as the story progresses), or much less--they're mostly forgotten once Ren is exiled and takes off for Japan.

The pace picks up once Ren and co. start hunting Yokai (some of which are decidedly creepy!), and I thought the plot twist near the end was well done. Also, Baker's treatment of Ren's dual heritage felt sadly realistic for this vaguely Victorian time period: as a biracial woman, she's ostracized in England, but once she arrives in Japan she's also viewed as a stranger there. Ren isn't a particularly likeable heroine, but I found her quest interesting enough that I didn't need her to be likeable all the time. (I did find it surprising that our supernatural, centuries-old characters often acted like teenagers, but that's probably not as much of a detriment in a YA novel.)

In short: Our heroine is dark and unlikeable, but I still felt invested in her story. Once we leave England, the story really picked up for me--I just wish that the first quarter/third of the novel was either faster-paced or more tightly-constructed, because I think the beginning might lose some readers.

the keeper of night is a rich historical young-adult fantasy of identity, family, love and belonging—all intricately interwoven through deliciously dark japanese mythology and folklore.

half british reaper and half japanese shinigami, ren scarborough navigates us through a world so lush and vibrant with such an electrifying magic system. through our main character, it was not difficult at all to get used to the world and magic and how it works. kylie lee baker does an excellent job in easing us into it in a way that seems so effortless. the pacing can be jarring but it worked for me just as well.

it's safe to say this was one of my top anticipated reads of this year—and it did not disappoint! i cannot explain how many mixed feelings i've had for this book as i read. for the first 70% or so i hated so many aspects; i was furious, frustrated and ready to rate it so much lower. all until all the dots connected in the last third of the book and it turns out i was rightly supposed to feel conflicted. so i say that is a success!


‣ world & setting — one of (if not the) best aspect in the book for me. we follow ren from london to japan and the world unfurls from there. the intricacies within the world-building that the author creates are fascinating to unravel one by one as we delve deeper into the unknown world of japan and the den where death herself resides. i'm still mesmerized by it and so excited to read more of it as the next installments of the series come.

‣ characters & dynamics — ren makes for the best fit for a main character as she is biracial and suffers through figuring out her identity and where she belongs, and so it was interesting to see how that gelled well in a magical setting. her dynamic with her brother has me feeling so conflicted... poor neven getting dragged along and being the only voice of reason throughout this whole book had me livid at times. ren feels sorry for herself and that aspect about her often toys with her morals—but i understood her by the end. however, my favorite character throughout most of the book was hiro; without spoiling, i'll just say there is so much depth to him, i loved him and he continued to surprise me till the last page!

‣ plot & stakes — this book is not for the faint of heart. aside from the gore and dark themes, it takes a surprising turn to present unconventional characterization and dynamics that makes the plot and stakes really interesting. the stakes were high, save for a tiny bit of predictability in certain parts and plot devices conveniently used... but ultimately, most issues that first appeared to me as flaws were sooner or later called out on by the book itself and proven to be intentional.

‣ writing & prose — i like! there's something about it that keeps me glued to the page. kylie lee baker is talented. i was never, never bored—so that says a lot! i loved the occasional quotes sprinkled in, they were not generic at all and delicately added at the right place and time to deliver a meaning. i can't wait for this book to be out so i can scream about some of these lines!!

‣ climax & conclusion — i could have NOT seen that climax coming. i had my doubts of course... but that?! i had my jaw on the floor. i wish i could insert my reactions to every single line as i read the infamous chapter 21. what an experience. it really tied the knot and made sense out of the confusion i was drenched in. i LOVED it.


so, really, the only reason i knocked off a star is because of the few inconsistencies i picked up on and a few conveniences and out-of-character moments that only helped move the plot along—some things were conveniently placed as plot devices, but luckily in the end it didn't take much from my overall enjoyment of the book.

if anything else will convince you to read this book, let it be this note quoted from my kindle notes as i read the ending: "oh my god i am witnessing the end of the world right in front of my eyes."


content warning: ableism, racism, sexism, blood, gore, dismemberment, decapitation, cannibalism, death of loved ones, murder and attempted murder, violence, stabbing, death from exposure to the cold, drowning, exile, bullying, mention of stillborn child, disability, death (on-page + discussed frequently), emotional neglect of a child, mentions of child abandonment, implied sexual content.

— digital arc provided by the publisher via netgalley in exchange for an honest review.

Yōkai and Reapers and Darkness…<i>oh</i> my.

<i>The Keeper of Night</i> was deliciously written. Teeming with Japanese folklore, this was much more eerie than I had expected (but in the most wonderful of ways). Unlike most young adult books, Kylie Lee Baker brought forward main characters who are morally ambivalent. The shadows that she cast in our main character, Ren Scarborough, and the questionable motives of Hiro, were chased with the light that Ren’s brother, Neven, carried. For me, this added a thick sticky, sludge of emotions as the story revealed itself to me. I liked this. The morally grey, or questionable, sections of this book added teeth that scraped at my skin, threatening to draw blood. The underlying themes that followed Baker’s morally ambivalent characters, like a creature stalking in the night, stuck with me. I reflected on them long after I closed the book.

Being of mixed culture myself, there were sections of <i>The Keeper of Night</i> that left a bitter taste in my mouth. Particularly near the beginning of the book, but I’m glad that I pushed forward. Parts of <i>The Keeper of Night</i> were written so vividly that I felt like I could see a movie reel playing in my mind, but other sections of the book were dancing on the edge of purple prose. Overall, the writing was most enjoyable.

I feel like my heart was torn out of my chest at the end. And although I know there’s a second book coming, I would also like to say that I think <i>The Keeper of Night</i> could have been a very strong standalone with a bit of finessing at the end. But since Baker tore my heart out, I’ll certainly be picking up the second book. Baker, please give me my heart back.

Thanks to NetGalley and the publisher for providing me with an eARC. This review has been written voluntarily because I think books are cool.

The Keeper of the Night by Kylie Lee Baker is a moving journey of belonging. Ren is a child of death. Though growing up in London with her father's family and being trained as a Reaper of souls, she's never fully regarded as an equal among the others. Tormented and belittled by the Reapers there, she flees everything she knows to come to Japan, hoping to both find her mother and be fully accepted among the Japanese soul shepherds, the Shinigami. Finding once again a land where everyone sees her as a foreigner, Ren navigates a list of tasks assigned to her by the Goddess of Death, accompanied only by her half-brother Neven, who refused to leave her side since her flight from London, and by Hiro, a curiously sympathetic figure who finds them in the land of the dead. As they travel across Japan, the power of Death grows ever stronger in Ren, and she begins to fear she'll be consumed before she ever finds the place she was meant to be.

This story was an exploration of identity, family, and mythology come to life. As Ren and Neven travel together, they face monsters without and within. As a reader, you're pulled into the tension between compassion versus anger, and loyalty versus independence. As brother and sister in a world where neither of them truly fit in the way they desired to, the struggle of identity -- and the resulting worth they derive from it -- brews a potent fear. Both are born as children of death, but both are at odds with their role in life. But besides these elements of the story, the author brings you into a world of mythology that many may not be familiar with. While even the tropes of "reapers" in the London context were engaging to the imagination, the figures of Japanese mythology were particularly fascinating. And the author weaves it all into a comprehensive and interconnected world where the supernatural doesn't feel so far away.

This was a thrilling book to read. Just as I was becoming confident that I could see where the story would be leading, it turned and started down a new and exciting path that would keep any reader on their toes until the end. I truly can't wait for the story to continue.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with an e-ARC in exchange for an honest review.

I really enjoyed Keeper of the Night. It follows the story of Ren the half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami. She’s been collecting souls in the London streets for centuries but after an accident where she fails to control her Shinigami abilities. She and her brother must flee to Japan to seek the acceptance she’s never gotten by her fellow Reapers by serving the Goddess of Death.

I love Ren’s character. She is resilient and driven and her feeling of never really belonging in either London or Japan really struck a chord with me. Being adopted from China and moving to the US I never felt like I was truly Chinese or American. I love how the author played with the concept of home and is home just a geographical location or a feeling of belonging. Especially as she traveled with her brother who never abandoned her.

The adventures and trials she and her brother faced were thrilling and spooky. The details about Japanese folklore and the Yōkai were frightening. The monsters definitely gave me the chills.

The book had good pacing and never stalled. I loved the “magic” system and how Reapers collected souls vs Shinigami methods. There were some slower moments but none that felt boring. I definitely loved the characters and the world building. I think this book would appeal to many readers and the representation is very validating to those who may feel stuck somewhere in between.

There is so much to love about The Keeper of Night. I immediately got lost in the lore of the world and am desperate for more. It makes me want to delve deeper into Japanese folklore and learn as much as I can.

The characters were brilliantly done and while there were times that I could not stand Ren, I felt that that was very natural, because you are always going to love someone. And they're darker traits are harder to swallow. The slow decent into morally grey to get what your heart is screaming for is a universal human trait that we all fight against and I think it was beautifully done.

Outstanding debut from Kylie Lee Baker.

My only reason for not giving it five stars is the pacing was a little wonky in the middle.

Likes:
The Keeper of Night is a fascinating take on Reapers and Japanese Mythology. Ren is half Japanese/half British, half Reaper/half Shinigami and all she wants is to belong somewhere and not be half of anything. When something happens in London, she is banished from the Reapers and basically makes her way all the way to Japan to try and be a Shinigami, something similar to Reapers. In tow is her half-brother Neven, who barely knows Japanese. Ren can get by on what’s she’s learned on her own but Japan is nothing like London. In order to become a Shinigami she has to complete a few quests, taking out powerful Yokai (spirits/demons). If Ren accomplishes her tasks then she will become a Shinigami and say goodbye to her Reaper past.

It’s been awhile since I read a book with Japanese Mythology and this one is cool because it involves Yokai! Okay yes, I did learn what yokai was from that tv show my son used to watch, Yokai Watch. Yokai in this book are scary!. But Ren isn’t one to be frightened of them (much) she was once a Reaper. I thought the Reapers were pretty cool, with their clocks to pause time, it definitely came in handy when Ren was killing Yokai.

Ren is going through a struggle – she’s done with the Reapers, who do not want her anyway. She wants to embrace her Japanese side and become a Shinigami but it’s not so easy. She’s a morally gray character, doing whatever it takes to achieve her goals but at what cost? Neven who made the choice to stay with her is getting hurt physically and emotionally in the process. But she sees it to the end even when the unexpected happens.

I thought the secondary characters did their job in keeping Ren conflicted. Neven is the sweetest brother but he loved being a Reaper – it’s his identity. It’s only half of Ren’s identity though and she is struggling with all of it. Neven is her moral compass. As for Hiro, he comes off like a good guy but with that suspicious dark gleam in his black eyes. He helps Ren by giving her intel about the Yokai and feelings grow between them but there is more to him that meets the eye.

This story is dark with death a constant theme and the Yokai are scary and creepy spirits/demons. I love that the story is action packed when it comes to taking down the Yokai.

Random Notes:
Triggers: gory scenes, violence, death, hurting a Yokai in the form of a child

The story starts off to a quick start then there is a little lull when Ren reaches Japan, which is to be expected as she gets her bearings in a country so totally different than England. Luckily they meet Hiro who helps them navigate this Underworld in Japan and help explain the Yokai to Ren and Neven.

FINAL THOUGHTS~
Why you should read it:

*unique world building of Reapers, Shinigami and the Japanese Underworld
*morally gray main character
*lots of action when Ren is fighting the Yokai

Why you might not want to read it:

*some gory scenes
*cliffhanger
*dark story

My Thoughts:

I actually enjoyed this dark story. It took me a few days to read, but I had fun with the Yokai and horror scenes (and I can’t even watch horror movies) – what is it with Japanese horror and girls with long hair covering their faces? Just the imagery alone freaks me out but the story was intriguing too. A half Japanese girl trying to find where she belongs and doing anything she can to achieve her goals made me interested in how far she would go or if she would ever pull back. The twist in the end makes me want to read the next book.

I was really excited to read The Keeper of Night because C'MON! Reapers and Shinigamis? I pick up anything Japanese-inspired and this one was no exception.
But a few pages in, I knew I was in trouble when I realised these so called 100-200 year old reapers had the maturity of 16 year old teenagers. Reminded me of so many other YA books wherein you'd have 100 year old [insert a vampire/angel/gremlin/random mythological creature/alien] in the body of a 16 year old, with the emotional maturity of a 13 year old. And so when these "REAPERS" started bullying, cutting hair and just being petty like your typical teen mean girls cutouts, my interest dropped by 60%. When I realised the main character was self-centered and the plot predictable, it dropped another 40%.
While I did love how the author brought in Japanese folklore into the story, it couldn't compensate for the characters or the plot.
This book, unfortunately, was not my cup of tea.

reading this book is like casually dipping your toe in the water and then being grabbed by the ankle and completely pulled under before you even know what’s going on. the writing is beautiful and descriptive and is able to paint such a vivid picture of the dark folklore that inspired this tale.

Initial Thoughts
I was super excited to get an e-ARC of this book on NetGalley - it was one of my most anticipated October 2021 reads!

Some Things I Liked
Japanese folklore and culture. I loved the elements of Japanese mythology used in this story and I also really loved the contrast between traditional myths and their “English counterparts”. I thought the blend between history and fantasy was so well done.
Multi-Cultural representation. I adored this element. As a person of mixed races, this theme resonated so strongly with me. I loved the challenges Ren faced because of her heritage as well as the realism of feeling like she didn’t belong. I can’t wait to continue her story and see more of how she grapples with this struggle.

One Thing I Wasn’t Crazy About
The pacing was a touch off for me. The beginning was a slow build and then we did a 180 and flipped to a new setting with all new rules and concepts. I think the scenes in London (while very enjoyable from a world building element) made the plot drag a bit. I actually put this book down for a few weeks because I found I was bored during the first 30-35%.

Series Value
I definitely want to continue this story. I love the world the author created and can’t wait to see more. I can also easily see spin off stories set in this world in addition to a direct sequel.

Final Thoughts
I’m glad I finished this book. After tackling the initial hurdle of the slow build, I found I was unable to put the story down. I can’t wait to read more from this author and read the rest of Ren’s story.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️