This read was a sequel to the Keeper of the Night, and I felt like it continued the story beautifully. The character development was great. And I thought the plotline of having to retrieve a lost mythological sword was fun and different. The story was pretty dark, but it didn't take away from the enjoyment of reading it. Definitely recommended if you enjoy mythology retellings, or morally gray characters.

Thank you to Netgalley and the publishers for giving me access to the free advanced digital copy of this book.

I loved the conclusion to this duology. I think I might have liked it even more than the first book. I loved that this story explores even more mythology and we got to meet more Japanese mythological characters.

This one is also pretty spooky / gorey so if you’re looking for something for spooky season, definitely look no further.

Lastly, I loved the romance in this one. The romance in the first book broke my heart but I was so happy to see Ren find love in this book.

⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️

I'd been waiting with baited breath for the continuation of this story, and here we are! We come back to our morally gray Ren doing her new "job" while looking for her brother without real respect from... well... anybody. It doesn't seem to bother her much that she isn't liked or respected as long as she's followed. Her priorities are finding her brother while trying to stay alive.

Simply stated, Ren is not the most likable character for me and there are points in this story where she's nearly unbearable. Her attitude was grating on my nerves to the point that I nearly DNF'd this book. That said, I'm glad I didn't. If you start to feel the same way... keep going... there is hope. I can't say much more without spoiling the story except to say that you will come to appreciate Ren and the conclusion is satisfying. I hope to read more of what this author comes out with next!

The Empress of Time is the second book in The Keeper of Night #2, which follows the story of Ren, who has become the Goddess of Death ruling Japan’s underworld. Thematically this continues to explore our main character’s struggle to find where she fits as a biracial woman, rejected on both sides. But more than that, it’s a story about complicated sibling relationships that still involve intense, protective love. Their relationship remains one of my favorite sibling relationships. It’s imperfect and imbalanced, but it works and is necessary. To see Neven come back hardened after a century in the dark was fascinating. I’m so glad they reconciled — watching him pull away from Ren was hard. Empress of Time is just as dark and atmospheric as Keeper of Night, diving more profoundly to the corners of Yomi as Ren wrestles with her ghosts. The conflict between Ren and the Reapers was captivating, especially when you see Ren use all her powers together. The way these two siblings fight with time was exciting to read. Also, that ending was entirely unexpected for me but so good!

Incredible finish to this duology. Kylie Lee Baker has done it again with creating an immensely atmospheric and dark world that will pull you in and keep you at the edge of your seat the entire time. Stunning work.

Thank you Inkyard Press for allowing me to read and review this book. All thoughts and opinions are my own.

The Empress of Time is the sequel and conclusion to The Keeper of Night duology. While I enjoyed both books, they each have a pacing flaw. Some moments were too slow and others were over too quickly. I love Ren and her character development the most. She is character I enjoyed reading about and it makes me very excited to see what is in store for the future of Kylie Lee Baker's books. While the pacing was off, the writing is very cinematic and I was hooked immediately.

4.75 stars

As a conclusion to this story, I was really satisfied. Ren continues to be a complex character, always seeking to fit in, but never truly finding what she desires. While the first book felt more of a commentary on external forces, this one felt a bit more internal. I did have moments where I nearly gnawed at the book, but (in a way) that also translates as a good thing, lol. I would definitely pick up another book by this author

The Empress of Time is the second and final book in the series that started with The Keeper of the Night. In the series we follow Ren a half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami as she struggles with power and her coping with the fact that she isn't accepted in either the British or Japanese society due to her being a mix of both. I adored the first book in the series but I struggled with this second book. It was both darker and slower paced to me. I also struggled to connect with Ren and found her character to be very unlikeable in this book.

The Empress of Time picks up where The Keeper of the Night! In this novel, Ren is the Queen of the Underworld. However, the British Reapers after for revenge. I liked learning about how Ren has changed into a queen. She has grown very mature and is a strong protagonist. I also found the pacing to be very fast-paced. The world-building was very complex. I thought the writing had very beautiful prose and interwove Japanese mythology throughout the novel. Thus, this was an excellent conclusion to an epic duology. I recommend this for fans of Shadow of the Fox, Eon, and Shadows on the Moon!

Thank you to the publisher for a review copy!

You know when an author writes a book that feels like a gift? That's this book. I love this series so much and cried through the ending.

The mythology and prose is gorgeous. Truly you have never read such a multitude of creative and lovely ways to describe darkness. But what impresses the most are the characters and their relationships.

As a woman who was raised not being allowed to be angry, who was raised under the teachings that anger is sin, I love Ren so much. Ren is angry and fierce and brave, and the consuming love that she has for her brother is heart wrenching. She's going to stick with me for a very long time.

Also, what a testament that the young adult genre is not just for children. Like please try to argue that this duology is not absolutely suitable and entertaining for adults.

And - AND! It makes me so excited that young adults get to read this story and these characters.

If you enjoy angry girls and lush mythology, or dark prose from authors like Ava Reid, you're going to love this duology as well.

An excellent follow up that flirts with darkness so well! I think teens tend to find shinigami fascinating and would highly recommend to them as a murkier read that helps them process their own selves.

Love love LOVE this series so much! The dark and morally gray aesthetic of both KOTN and this sequel was the perfect bow on top. I recommend this to anyone looking for a darker, YA fantasy

Thanks to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for this ARC!

When we last left Ren, she endured the stunning conclusion to her quest from the Goddess of Death, but it was a bit of a pyrrhic victory in that she lost her brother Neven and sought to find him. When The Empress of Time opens up, ten years have passed and Ren has become the new Goddess of Death and sovereign of the underworld with its shinigami. However, her old world has not forgotten her, as reapers from London have been targeting her and are set on coming to Japan with her old nemesis as their leader. Ren is forced to scramble to build up her skills and her forces in order to combat them. She also is given aid from the Mood God, Tsukuyomi, who also happens to be Hiro's brother.

Kylie Lee Baker includes many twists and turns in this book, as well as creating a haunting, yet beautiful view of the Japanese underworld. This book was another that I found hard to put down and so I found myself reading it during the wee hours of the morning because I just needed one...more...page!!

Overall, I found this book to be very enjoyable and recommend it to those seeking out a bit of a thrill mixed with Japanese mythology.

What an incredible sequel and a great end to the duology!

The pacing throughout the book was simply spot on. I could not stop reading it. I loved how Ren was morally grey throughout a majority of the book but always tried to do the right thing in the end. This duology as a whole is one I would recommend to anyone who is looking for a fast-paced, fantasy read that also gives you insight into another culture that may be different from your own. The different gods and goddesses were my favorite part and I would definitely be interested to see what else Kylie Lee Baker has up her sleeve!

3.5 stars
As soon as I finished The Keeper of Night I immediately logged into NetGalley to see if they had the next book in the series. I checked every day for at least a month if not longer and was so excited when I was finally approved for the book. I needed to know what would happen next.

Minor spoilers below.

The Empress of Time picks up about ten years after the events of the Keeper of Night. When you're an immortal death goddess time doesn't really matter. Not much has changed for poor Ren, she's still searching for her brother and is still barely in control of the Shinigami. In other news Ren's reaper "friends" (including her main nemesis Ivy) from the first book are back and meaner than ever. Luckily she has an ally in the moon god Tsukuyomi (who eerily resembles Ren's deceased fiancé Hiro) who seems to be Ren's voice of reason. Ren, Tsukuyomi, an assorted crew of Shinigami and Yokai demons (who may or may not be tricksters) travel around Japan meeting other gods, pissing people off (mostly Ren) and generally wreaking havoc. Ren figures out a way to deal with the Reapers and bring harmony to her death court. Baker wraps up the duology in a satisfying but ambiguous ending leaving room for other character to potentially have their own stories.

While I enjoyed this book a lot I felt like there was something lacking. The last book was fast paced and exciting from the very beginning but it took a little while for this book to get moving. I also thought Ren might have matured a little more especially since it's been ten years between the events of the last book and this book. Ren still has a teenage perspective which might appeal to some readers but can also be slightly frustrating. I also thought there were some missed opportunities with the return of Ren's brother Neven. I really thought Neven was going to be evil after spending all the time in the deep darkness. His return also felt very anti-climactic and I was waiting for something to happen. I did enjoy Ren coming into her own as a death goddess and dealing with her issues of being mixed race. I also loved meeting the other gods and learning a little more about Japanese mythology. Overall I enjoyed The Empress of Time and getting to wrap up Ren's journey and I am looking forward to other works by this author.

I was provided a free copy of this book from NetGalley.

conclusion to the duology, questions answered, the first book was a lot stronger and created a very high-stake expectation from 2nd book. I love the introduction and deep dove into Japanese culture.
this read is very different from other works in the genre and frankly gave me what I was looking for.

It's dark, it's wonderful, it is mythical and yet pretty human, it's gory, the characters are morally grey, and it is cool.
Japanese-Inspired dark fantasy with a perfectly interwoven quest.
Solid 4.3 for me.

n this riveting sequel to The Keeper of Night, a half Reaper, half Shinigami soul collector must defend her title as Japan’s Death Goddess from those who would see her—and all of Japan—destroyed.

Death is her dynasty.

Ren Scarborough is no longer the girl who was chased out of England—she is the Goddess of Death ruling Japan’s underworld. But Reapers have recently been spotted in Japan, and it’s only a matter of time before Ivy, now Britain’s Death Goddess, comes to claim her revenge.

Ren’s last hope is to appeal to the god of storms and seas, who can turn the tides to send Ivy’s ship away from Japan’s shores. But he’ll only help Ren if she finds a sword lost thousands of years ago—an impossible demand.

Together with the moon god Tsukuyomi, Ren ventures across the country in a race against time. As her journey thrusts her in the middle of scheming gods and dangerous Yokai demons, Ren will have to learn who she can truly trust—and the fate of Japan hangs in the balance.

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The second and final installment for a duology. I don't like the first book and this book happens to be the same. It's dark and twisty.
Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard Press for the ARC!

3.5 rounded up to 4 stars.

Picking up a decade after where THE KEEPER OF NIGHT left off, THE EMPRESS OF TIME starts with Ren (now the Goddess of Death), still searching for her brother Neven, while also preparing for Ivy, now Britain’s Death Goddess, who is coming to Japan to seek out her revenge against Ren.

Overall I enjoyed the plot and band of characters from THE KEEPER OF NIGHT better, but THE EMPRESS OF TIME is a satisfying conclusion to this duology that does give character development and expands upon the events that happened in the first book.

This is a good series to hand to someone who is interested in reading more about Japanese mythology without a romantic arc being the focal point of the plot. The Keeper of Night series is much more about siblings and finding a place to belong than it is about Ren falling in love (there's some of that, but romantic love does not drive the plot).

Advanced Reader’s Copy provided by NetGalley and Inkyard Press in exchange for an honest review.

The Empress of Time is the sequel to Kylie Lee Baker's phenomenal YA Fantasy novel, The Keeper of Night. I really loved that novel (my review here), which featured Ren, whose father was a British Reaper and whose mother was a Japanese Shinigami, and who fled Britain with her fully Reaper brother after harming a noble Reaper family and attempted to find the home she never had with the Shinigami of Japan. However, things don't go according to plan, and even though Ren attempts to complete the three tasks (and the Japanese Yokai she encounters along the way) the Japanese Death God Izanami sets her upon in order to be accepted into their ranks, she never really finds that acceptance...and her determination to prove herself at any cost leads her to a devastating ending. It's a truly tremendous novel, which surprises often, and deals with both Japanese mythology and themes of fitting in, of love and family, and of the feeling of being a foreigner due to being not "pure" of blood or of not being the same type of people as the locals and how wrong such treatment is.

The Empress of Time follows that book's devastating ending, and once again sets Ren on a quest through various parts of Japanese mythology, this time the myths of its Gods, and it works tremendously once more as it concludes the duology on an excellent note. Once again we see Ren struggling with her failure to gain acceptance, despite all the power she has acquired, an her struggle with loneliness and regret as her worst enemies from her past, the British Reapers, finally come after her in Japan. But this time, even as things once again surprise in ways I did not expect, we get a conclusion that satisfying finishes this duology and really hits the themes of how acceptance is something you find all around you from the family you make even if the society around you is too prejudiced to realize it should give it. It's great, is what I'm saying, without spoiling.

Note: I read the first few chapters in audiobook format, and the reader was excellent. And so while I didn't continue the novel in that format, I would recommend it to anyone seeking an audiobook.

MAJOR SPOILERS FOR BOOK 1 AFTER THE JUMP: \

----------------------------------------------Plot Summary------------------------------------

Once Ren thought it possible to have the acceptance she craved - to have a place she could be accepted by the populace as one of them, and not some half-breed (either Half-Reaper or Half-Shinigami), where she and her beloved brother Neven could live together in peace and exercise their roles reaping human soles wherever that was...and where she could possibly even find someone to love, like Hiro, the Shinigami-esque being who once spoke kindly to her, helped her, and even proposed to her. But that was before she killed Hiro for throwing Neven into the Deep Darkness, before she became the new Japanese Death Goddess by doing so after Hiro killed the original goddess Izanami, and before she realize that even as a goddess, the Japanese shinigami would still not accept her as anything but a foreign usurper. Even worse, now that she is a goddess, Ren is blocked by a barrier placed by the supreme Japanese god Izanagi from entering the Deep Darkness to search for and rescue Neven. And so, for the last ten years, Ren has committed heresy, taking human souls before their time (evil ones if she can find them) in order to grow stronger, so that she can finally breach the barrier to the Deep Darkness to rescue her brother. But the barrier still remains strong and Ren is losing hope.

And then an impossible visiter arrives, Tsukuyomi, the Japanese God of the Moon, with a message for her: British Reapers have been sighted on Japanese shores, killing some of her Shinigami. Even worse, Ren's old nemesis Ivy, the reaper girl who abused her until she fought back that one last time, has ascended to godhood herself and now commands the Reapers...and is now on her way to Japan to get her revenge on Ren. To stop her, Ren needs the assistance of other Japanese gods, but they will only help her if she once again fulfills a task for them, to obtain an artifact long lost to time. Yet Ren only has so long to search for help among the myths of Japanese Gods and Yokai before the Reapers arrive, and Ren's past childhood and current relations continue to haunt her, and make her wonder if her quest is pointless, with only more misery at the end of her current path......

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The Keeper of Night was a tremendous novel, not least because it refused to take the easy or traditional way through its posed questions and cliffhangers. Ren never did find acceptance among the Shinigami of Japan just as she never did with the Reapers, she never realized until it was too late how much she was ostracizing her brother - who himself was now ostracized as a foreigner for following Ren - and her actions resulted in her killing the man she kind of love and losing to a fate possibly worse than death that very brother, into the Deep Darkness from which she can't follow. It was a dark tremendous ending about the dangers of searching for acceptance at any cost, and it worked all the better because Ren never did turn away despite all the chances she was given from the extreme path she was being asked to follow, committing more and more dark acts until the end, when she was left seemingly with ashes.

The Empress of Time is in some ways a similar novel. Again Ren is forced on a quest to find a way to get what she seeks, the destruction of the Reaper fleet this time around, which sends her through Japanese mythology, although this time the mythology is more based upon the myths of the Gods and Goddesses rather than on the Yokai and other beings she encountered before (who mind you, are still very prominent in the setting). Again she winds up with a character whose advise and position is possibly questionable, who might be a love interest, in Tsukuyomi, and who the story hints heavily might be lying about parts of his past and could betray Ren or lead her astray....as Ren acquires several other companions (who I won't spoil) who conflict with him and his advice. And again Ren feels very much like she has to do anything to achieve her goals, even if now she's far less proud of it due to knowing what her brother might think of her. The Empress of Time does all this really well, developing Ren and the other characters in interesting ways, portraying the Japanese gods in ways that will work really well whether you know the myths the story is referencing or whether you have no clue about them at all (I'm somewhere closer to the latter, if not totally ignorant).

But like its predecessor, The Empress of Time zigs when you might expect it to zag, and the result is a novel that takes some really very different turns than its predecessor, with the characters learning from past actions and the story not turning out the same. We again have a story dealing with themes of acceptance amongst people who don't consider you to be one of them because of race or national origin, but here we find Ren figuring out how to deal with that isn't fighting constantly in a hopeless quest to impress such people, but to find love and acceptance among those you care about and who can learn to accept you; here we have a potential romance that goes far differently from how you'd expect; and here we have memories of abusive childhoods that a character learns to get past, and which leads Ren to discover the strength she never knew she had. I'm coming dangerously close to spoilers here, so I won't say more, but needless to say, this is a story that comes to an INCREDIBLY satisfying ending, which may not be as dark or unusual as the prior book, but which works just as well - that is so so well.

Just a highly recommended book - great characters, great setting and themes, and great plotting. Really loved this duology and recommend it highly, and this will again be on my Lodestar ballot for next year.