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A review by e_flah
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker
adventurous
dark
tense
medium-paced
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
3.0
Thank you to Inkyard Press and Netgalley for providing an ARC in exchange for an honest review. All opinions are my own.
The Keeper of the Night centers on Ren’s quest to find a place where she belongs. Growing up in London with a British Reaper father and a Japanese Shinigami mother, Ren has always felt ostracized. When she and her younger brother, Neven, flee London and head to Japan, Ren expected to finally feel like she belonged. When Ren discovers that she’s also viewed as an outsider in Japan, she goes on a quest with Neven and the outcast Shinigami, Hiro, to prove that she deserves the chance to serve the Japanese god of death, Izanami.
I think The Keeper of the Night is the first YA grimdark book I’ve read. In many ways, the tone of this book could be relentless. Over and over, I kept hoping that Ren would find a place where she would be accepted for who she is only to watch her encounter more vitriol and hatred. I found this aspect of the story the most compelling and it went a long way to make Ren a character I could relate despite some of the…interesting…choices she makes.
The world-building was a bit of an info-dump for the first few chapters but once the story found its footing, things got a lot better. I really loved how Baker’s writing immersed me in 1890s Japan and Yomi, the Japanese underworld. The Yokai were all incredibly interesting and each was truly terrifying in its own way.
The pacing and the focus on telling over showing were the two biggest reasons for my rating. The plot started out with some action and then had a long, slow portion before packing in most of the excitement into the last quarter. I would’ve loved it if the pacing had been a bit more consistent — or at least not so slow after the initial excitement. There was also a lot of telling, particularly in regards to Ren’s character development, that got frustrating at times. I tend to see this in a lot of debut novels but it’s one of my biggest pet peeves as a reader and makes it hard for me to stay immersed in the story.
Overall, The Keeper of the Night is a dark and atmospheric read. Ren’s journey to feel like she belonged was compelling and the world-building was very immersive. If you’re looking for a scary YA fantasy read, this is definitely worth checking out.
The Keeper of the Night centers on Ren’s quest to find a place where she belongs. Growing up in London with a British Reaper father and a Japanese Shinigami mother, Ren has always felt ostracized. When she and her younger brother, Neven, flee London and head to Japan, Ren expected to finally feel like she belonged. When Ren discovers that she’s also viewed as an outsider in Japan, she goes on a quest with Neven and the outcast Shinigami, Hiro, to prove that she deserves the chance to serve the Japanese god of death, Izanami.
I think The Keeper of the Night is the first YA grimdark book I’ve read. In many ways, the tone of this book could be relentless. Over and over, I kept hoping that Ren would find a place where she would be accepted for who she is only to watch her encounter more vitriol and hatred. I found this aspect of the story the most compelling and it went a long way to make Ren a character I could relate despite some of the…interesting…choices she makes.
The world-building was a bit of an info-dump for the first few chapters but once the story found its footing, things got a lot better. I really loved how Baker’s writing immersed me in 1890s Japan and Yomi, the Japanese underworld. The Yokai were all incredibly interesting and each was truly terrifying in its own way.
The pacing and the focus on telling over showing were the two biggest reasons for my rating. The plot started out with some action and then had a long, slow portion before packing in most of the excitement into the last quarter. I would’ve loved it if the pacing had been a bit more consistent — or at least not so slow after the initial excitement. There was also a lot of telling, particularly in regards to Ren’s character development, that got frustrating at times. I tend to see this in a lot of debut novels but it’s one of my biggest pet peeves as a reader and makes it hard for me to stay immersed in the story.
Overall, The Keeper of the Night is a dark and atmospheric read. Ren’s journey to feel like she belonged was compelling and the world-building was very immersive. If you’re looking for a scary YA fantasy read, this is definitely worth checking out.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Body horror, Death, and Gore
Moderate: Racism