mellyqueen's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.0
Almost on the DNF list but I wanted to see what was going to happen. Not one character was likeable.
amxcolli's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
jennytrout's review against another edition
Personal thing. Wrong subject matter at the wrong time. Writing wasn't bad, book wasn't necessarily bad, I just could not read about the contents at the time.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Death
Spoiler
graphic depiction of a bad death during sleepsri_savita's review against another edition
I liked the lore and found the world-building interesting, but I think focusing more on those aspects instead of the romance would have made Ren's character feel less naive to me.
tiredbat13's review against another edition
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.5
kcoccia's review against another edition
3.0
I was very bored the first half of this book and I was convinced I would never need the second one. But things definitely took a turn and while I'm still only going to give it 3 stars I feel like I need to know what happens next. But seriously... so much shit happens the last 70 ish pages it's crazy.
toodlebean's review against another edition
2.0
I'm saddened to say I can't give The Keeper of Night a more positive review. I was immediately intrigued by the use of Japanese mythology and the historical setting. Sadly, this was was almost my first DNF in a few years.
The pacing is difficult to enjoy. I originally put this book down at 25% as I was seriously struggling. I blamed it on my mental state at the time and waited over a month before attempting again. I am in a much more focused and relaxed headspace but I found staying committed to finishing The Keeper of Night almost impossible.
The first 80% of the novel passes so rapidly there is no chance for us to immerse ourselves. The time spent with the Reapers is minimal and shown only through Ren's eyes so we have no unbiased perspectives. Her journey to and through Japan is so fast that it seems unrealistic. What occurs in the space of months takes only a few pages and it's disorienting. Fast pacing is wonderful but not at the expense of important plot points, backstory and character development.
The formatting of the eArc didn't help in terms of pacing. I thank Netgalley and Harlequin for giving me the opppourtunity to read and review this novel early however, I believe the poor formatting has prevented myself (and possibly others) from enjoying this novel more. There are absolutely no chapters. Numerous times I had to read back to understand I was reading a new chapter from a new location. Everything blending together the way it did made it very difficult find a rhythm and ultimately, made for very difficult reading.
I am sorry I can't offer more positive feedback.
The pacing is difficult to enjoy. I originally put this book down at 25% as I was seriously struggling. I blamed it on my mental state at the time and waited over a month before attempting again. I am in a much more focused and relaxed headspace but I found staying committed to finishing The Keeper of Night almost impossible.
The first 80% of the novel passes so rapidly there is no chance for us to immerse ourselves. The time spent with the Reapers is minimal and shown only through Ren's eyes so we have no unbiased perspectives. Her journey to and through Japan is so fast that it seems unrealistic. What occurs in the space of months takes only a few pages and it's disorienting. Fast pacing is wonderful but not at the expense of important plot points, backstory and character development.
The formatting of the eArc didn't help in terms of pacing. I thank Netgalley and Harlequin for giving me the opppourtunity to read and review this novel early however, I believe the poor formatting has prevented myself (and possibly others) from enjoying this novel more. There are absolutely no chapters. Numerous times I had to read back to understand I was reading a new chapter from a new location. Everything blending together the way it did made it very difficult find a rhythm and ultimately, made for very difficult reading.
I am sorry I can't offer more positive feedback.
rrickman33's review against another edition
4.0
This was such an interesting debut and I cannot wait for book 2.
While the world building and magic system left a lot to be desired (so many holes) I loved this world anyways. It’s was so beautifully described and the characters were all so morally grey. I found myself bored at parts of this book and didn’t really get fully invested until the end. Annoyed at Ren’s choices at the end but it’ll make for a good book 2!
While the world building and magic system left a lot to be desired (so many holes) I loved this world anyways. It’s was so beautifully described and the characters were all so morally grey. I found myself bored at parts of this book and didn’t really get fully invested until the end. Annoyed at Ren’s choices at the end but it’ll make for a good book 2!
lifewithmisskate's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
2.25
tiamark's review against another edition
2.0
The idea of the story is really good. However, the execution is not so great. The characters are really flat and don't have any chemistry with each other. The fight scenes are very confusing and it's hard to tell what's going on. It was just okay.