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josephinefarine's review
adventurous
dark
sad
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Body horror, Death, and Gore
Minor: Emotional abuse
annegoodreads's review
adventurous
dark
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? Character
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
5.0
The dark fantasy/horror/thriller is set in 1890s Britain and Japan. But the story gives insight into worldwide folklore surrounding death and the idea of Death personified. Death is one thing every single person in this world has in common. Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren Scarborough is a tormented girl. She’s unloved by her father and stepmother. She’s bullied for being biracial. And she’s harboring her secret magical powers. She does know the amazing true love of her stepbrother Neven. For all the torment and darkness in the story, Neven is hopeful, loving, and empathetic. Ren flees Britain to go to Japan to find her mother. Neven goes with her just because he loves her. The venture to Yokohama. They meet the Goddess of Death Izanami. To try to find her purpose and place of belonging Ren must defeat the Yokai. Neven is so nice and trusting, he doesn’t stand a chance in the underworld.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore
Moderate: Abandonment, Child death, Death, Emotional abuse, Gore, Grief, Racism, Torture, and Violence
lizzisok's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
funny
sad
tense
fast-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
4.0
Content Warnings
Moderate: Death, Death of parent, Gore, Grief, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Physical abuse, and Toxic relationship
kilic's review
challenging
dark
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? It's complicated
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
Content Warnings
Graphic: Ableism, Blood, Body horror, Death, Gore, Racism, Toxic relationship, and Violence
amandalorianxo's review
adventurous
dark
emotional
sad
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
3.75
I love that this took on Japanese mythology in a manner I have never read before. As much as I like Greek myths, it’s wonderful to see and learn about other countries myths even if it’s through the lens of a fictional novel. This is definitely a mix of plot and character based with a vast amount of world building during the first 1/4 of the book. Ren and her brother come to life, whether you are reading and listening to the audiobook or simply just reading on your own. She is not your typical heroine, more of a grey spectrum but I definitely felt for her when it came to the raw feelings of not being good enough or wanted. I’m excited for the second book. I think my only concern is it felt slow but the pace picked up once the duo were safely in Japan.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Violence, Murder, Injury/Injury detail, Gore, and Blood
Moderate: Racism and Racial slurs
Minor: Grief
lynneliu's review
adventurous
dark
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
1.0
Content Warnings
Graphic: Animal death, Blood, Body horror, Bullying, Death, Gore, Hate crime, Injury/Injury detail, Murder, Racism, Toxic relationship, Violence, and Xenophobia
Moderate: Abandonment, Emotional abuse, and Fire/Fire injury
Minor: Cannibalism and Death of parent
e_flah's review against another edition
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: Gore, Body horror, and Death
Moderate: Racism
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