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womanwill's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
hsteel's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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
3.5
navibo's review against another edition
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
The pace of the book is good and everything about the story was good until like the 95% mark. It’s not a bad book either, I just wouldn’t like to see where the story goes in the second one, because I low key hate the ending of this one. The character started out as a lost but semi-good person and got ruined on the process.
phoebemcneely's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.25
eponineeurydice's review against another edition
4.0
This was a really compelling read! I loved how creative it was, and the idea of Death personified. I thought the narrative/plot was really engaging! The thing keeping me from rating it 5 stars is just a personal trope that I tend to dislike, which is morally grey mcs. I know, I know... very unpopular opinion! But at times I found myself really frustrated by the main characters! I will say, I'm really excited to read the sequel because I enjoy the direction the story is going... and I really enjoy being in Ren's head and seeing her turmoil and following her on her journey. Am I happy with all the choices she made? No! But nobody's perfect, especially in books, so I think I can let that slide lol! Anyway, this was just a really cool and unique story that I quite enjoyed!
lycheeteareads's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
tense
medium-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? Yes
3.5
ravensandpages's review against another edition
3.0
I received an ARC eons ago in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Penguin Teen.
The Keeper of Night follows half Reaper, half Shinigami Ren Scarborough, a girl who has never had a place in the violent hierarchy of reapers in her "home" of London despite her best efforts to navigate its cruelty. When defending herself leads to exile and a death sentence, she leaves behind everything she knows to seek refuge in Japan, only bringing along her younger brother in her quest to become a true Shinigami and serve the Goddess of Death, who requires Ren to prove herself by slaying three demons.
Ren's narration really left me torn. There were aspects of being her head that I truly did not enjoy, but the parts I did like were enough to help me finish the book! I liked the honest expression of anger and regret portrayed in her journey, and how she pushed the person who cared for her away to keep reaching for something she only thought she wanted. I really liked how this came together in the ending. The way her struggles with her heritage weave into the narrative was well done, and I am not surprised to glance at other reviews and see so many readers it resonated with! I also enjoyed the historical aspect and the exploration of Japanese folklore.
Overall, though, I think there were too many aspects that fell flat for me. There was a bit more telling than showing for me, especially when it came to the romance between Ren and Hiro, and at the end of the day, I did not enjoy the chosen portrayal of Reapers and Shinigami. They felt far more like humans with powers than the otherworldly spirits and specters of death I would have expected them to be. I recognize this is purely a personal preference, but it became very hard for me to appreciate the book for what it was rather than what I wanted it to be, and the more I thought about the more that the worldbuilding around them felt really underdeveloped. I think just approaching it as humans with powers or servants of Gods would have served the narrative a bit better.
I will be trying Kylie Lee Baker's other work, but I don't think I'll be reading the sequel. I would still recommend you try this if you read the summary and think it might be something you'll enjoy!
The Keeper of Night follows half Reaper, half Shinigami Ren Scarborough, a girl who has never had a place in the violent hierarchy of reapers in her "home" of London despite her best efforts to navigate its cruelty. When defending herself leads to exile and a death sentence, she leaves behind everything she knows to seek refuge in Japan, only bringing along her younger brother in her quest to become a true Shinigami and serve the Goddess of Death, who requires Ren to prove herself by slaying three demons.
Ren's narration really left me torn. There were aspects of being her head that I truly did not enjoy, but the parts I did like were enough to help me finish the book! I liked the honest expression of anger and regret portrayed in her journey, and how she pushed the person who cared for her away to keep reaching for something she only thought she wanted. I really liked how this came together in the ending. The way her struggles with her heritage weave into the narrative was well done, and I am not surprised to glance at other reviews and see so many readers it resonated with! I also enjoyed the historical aspect and the exploration of Japanese folklore.
Overall, though, I think there were too many aspects that fell flat for me. There was a bit more telling than showing for me, especially when it came to the romance between Ren and Hiro, and at the end of the day, I did not enjoy the chosen portrayal of Reapers and Shinigami. They felt far more like humans with powers than the otherworldly spirits and specters of death I would have expected them to be. I recognize this is purely a personal preference, but it became very hard for me to appreciate the book for what it was rather than what I wanted it to be, and the more I thought about the more that the worldbuilding around them felt really underdeveloped. I think just approaching it as humans with powers or servants of Gods would have served the narrative a bit better.
I will be trying Kylie Lee Baker's other work, but I don't think I'll be reading the sequel. I would still recommend you try this if you read the summary and think it might be something you'll enjoy!
kelcyg's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Plot
- Strong character development? No
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.0
courtcat's review against another edition
adventurous
dark
emotional
mysterious
sad
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? No
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
4.5