Reviews with content warning for Xenophobia - The Keeper of Night

I have a lot of feelings about Ren and the story. As someone who is mixed race, I understand Ren to a certain point. Identity is difficult to navigate as is but when there is something as big as different cultures/races to navigate as well makes it like a billion times tougher. What irritated me so much about Ren was her selfishness and how focused she was on only being one aspect of her identity. You should never disown any aspect of yourself, all sides of your identity make you you and her adamantly denying her Reaper/white side was annoying. I've been there, told I'm not enough this or that because I'm mixed, constantly seen as other regardless of where I go, but I don't deny any sides of myself. Granted I wasn't bullied to the extent she was nor was I ever disowned by a parent so of course she harbored a lot more negative feelings towards one side of her heritage. But to constantly deny and hate on it when her brother was always there for her was annoying at best. Also didn't love how adamant Ren was that Japan was better/going to be better when it is just as bad with racism and xenophobia. Didn't love that she was more willing to take racism in hopes of being accepted there. Yes it's the motherland, and we all want to be accepted in the motherland, but at what point do we find self respect and accept they don't want us there either and find a place that will?
Also didn't really like the kind of random make out session in the middle of one of the quests. Really threw me out of the whole thing for that little bit.
I did really enjoy the world though, I'm a sucker for yokai, and I hope Ren will find what she is searching for in the next book because what she is searching for deserves much better. I will still be planning on reading the sequel just for the hope that things turn out positively and some reconciliation will be there.
I also love that this was written by a mixed race author so of course I'm biased to support. Overall liked the writing and story so I hope Ren is less agitating in the sequel.

Content Warnings

maralaene's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated

4.5

I absolutely loved this world and the magic built into it. The concept of different types of soul collection and death magic across different cultures made for an amazing read. Plus I loved the idea of a mixed death-god race!

At times though, I will admit, Ren was not my favorite character. She felt naive and selfish - though she blatantly admitted this many times over.

My working theory is that whatever curse the Reapers placed on her with death was eating away at her compassion and essentially amplify the darkness. But who knows. Also - I don’t buy the love interest. Didn’t get it honestly.

But Neven - absolutely adored him. He truly loves unconditionally and I feel like that is something critical to the story that we don’t yet get to know.

And god I hope he hasn’t actually died. I’m sure the compassion he showed to the yokai will play a big role in the next book.

I can’t wait to keep reading and finish out the story.

✓ Dark Fantasy
✓ Japanese mythology
✓ Sibling bonds

Content Warnings

r1vana's review against another edition

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challenging dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.0

I was not a hero with a tragic backstory, I was just a girl nobody wanted.

This is the story of a villain?

The first twenty percent hit the mark. I was so into it. But the more I read it, the more I got disappointed.

The world building is lacking. I got really confused

While I understand that the MC is going through racism and discrimination from the people she once called her own, she seem to consequentially makes wrong decision, in Japan, and put her younger brother in danger.

In an other pov, I see how the British Reapers are “groomed” to be unknown to the “real” world. Wren's biracial identity is shown so we, readers, could see how she uses both of her parents' abilities aka becoming a much more powerful than the other Reapers aka inevitable opponent.

We get to see how melancholic Wren feels when she is lost in her identity: England? Or Japan?

I love Naven’s character. It is somewhat different to see a reaper feeling human feelings and is also soft hearted. He loves animals and is kind hearted to the dying and brings them peace and make them “believe” that there is heaven and there is a place for them…. Whereas, Wren is terrifying and should I say dark and not emphatic when it comes to collecting the souls of human/.

We also get to see where both Wren and Naven meet Hiro, a passerby and decides to help Wren to find her identity and her mother. What Wren didn’t expected is her confusing feelings for him. (Their chemistry was almost nonexistent(for a reason) and there were no progress). What saddens me is how gullible Wren was acting whenever the topic of <I> helping Hiro </I> gets into her convo with her brother.

But the ending tho, was not expecting that…

was not expecting Wren to go into her villain era and kill Hiro as well…

I am excited and hopeful for the second book.

Overall, I really enjoyed the book as a whole.

TW: death; bullying; murder; graphic violence; absent parent; racism

Content Warnings

kayladaila's review against another edition

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adventurous challenging dark sad slow-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? Yes

3.0

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jennlcollier's review against another edition

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adventurous dark sad 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

3.5

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elizajaquays's review against another edition

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adventurous dark slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Character
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? No
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

3.25

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mariahkindareads's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional tense slow-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? Yes
Loveable characters? Yes
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

Content Warnings

wai's review against another edition

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adventurous dark emotional medium-paced

Plot- or character-driven? A mix
Strong character development? It's complicated
Loveable characters? It's complicated
Diverse cast of characters? Yes
Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes

4.25

I really enjoyed this novel. My mom is half Japanese and half white and has talked about facing issues of racism/xenophobia in both America and Japan because of it, yet it's still relatively rare to see representation of that. Plus I love the mythology of this world and I want to know more - I want to know about all the different cultures versions of reapers.

I know a lot of people have mentioned not liking Ren, but personally I like that she's difficult and cold. It's interesting to see the discrepancies in what she said she was like vs her actions and reactions to things. And I've read books with male characters who were far more unlikable who we're supposed to sympathize with. But I do feel bad for Neven and think he deserves much better as well.

I'm really interested in this as a duology and am not sure where the second book would go from here. I'll definitely be picking up a copy when it comes out.

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