Reviews with content warning for Murder - 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

thenovelbookshelf's review against another edition

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious tense medium-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? No

5.0

Ren Scarborough is half British Reaper and half Japanese Shinigami, for centuries she's been reaping the souls of London.

When she loses control of her Shinigami powers while being beaten and bullied for being a 'foreigner', she decides to flee everything that she has known, accompanied by her full reaper brother.

Ren must accept an impossible task to become accepted as a Shinigami by the Japanese Goddess of Death, along the way she must find out who she is and what she wants most.

A thrilling story that takes you on Ren's journey on Earth as well as the underworld. Beautiful and strong world building sets the scene for a fast paced fantasy filled with myths and legends of death around the world.

Content Warnings

thecriticalreader's review

Go to review page

adventurous dark slow-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

2.5

I chose this book as my Book of the Month about a year ago, and it sat on my shelf for a long time. I picked it up in a recent quest to tackle my TBR.

Plot:

The plot is extremely action-packed; there are hardly any moments when the main character is not fighting off some demon or the other. At times, the constant action and the heavy exposition make the book drag along. That being said, it never felt like the author lost sight of where they eventually wanted to take the book: in other words, it never felt aimless.

Characters:

The book contains three main characters: Ren (the protagonist), Oliver, and Hiro. Everyone else is a side attraction. Ren is interesting enough, although the YA style and horror genre sometimes clash so that she vacillates between “relatable teenage girl” and “evil death goddess.” Oliver is written adequately enough so that he avoids being a complete plot device, although he definitely skirts the line at times. Out of the three main characters, Hiro feels the most contrived, but even he has his moments.

Setting:

The book takes place in the Death underworlds of London and Japan. Baker does a great job describing the environments and characters the protagonists encounter, whether they be in the “real world” or the underworld. Her imagination is vivid and she does a great job painting a picture with her words. The historical parts of the setting are fairly weak in terms of historical accuracy, but luckily, 80% or so of the book takes place in realms of magic.

Themes:

The Keeper of Night addresses themes of belonging, trauma, and morality. As someone who enjoys moral gray areas, these parts of the book are my favorite. I am a bit disappointed in how the book avoids providing solid answers or reflections on these topics, but perhaps they get explored more deeply in the sequel, which is set up as a direct continuation of the story.

Writing Style:

The writings style is adequate. My biggest frustration is with the endless cycle of exposition dump/action/exposition dump/action that bogs down most of the book. I think the book would have been better if the first part of Ren’s life was explored in one book and this book was a sequel.

Conclusion:

The Keeper of the Night is an above-average YA novel, but a below-average read for someone who reads outside of the YA genre. I would not recommend this book to anyone who dislikes horror or violence.

Content Warnings

bittennailbooks's review

Go to review page

dark emotional mysterious sad fast-paced

Plot- or character-driven? Plot
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

A passionate, dark, and lonely book that is overflowing with diaspora. 3.9/5

The Keeper of Night is a beautiful retelling of the diasporic Reaper Ren who will do almost anything to stay out of the high Reapers criticizing gaze or abusive reach. Being half British and half Japanese, Ren is consistently kicked down by other Reapers for her "half-breed" status and dreams of running away with her best friend/half-brother in tow.

A reaping night like any other, Ren finally fights back against the other Reapers who torment her, unleashing her long hidden Shinigami powers and thus sealing her fate. She now must flee to a home in Japan she's never known in hopes of finding her birth mother and hopefully, a way to control her Shinigami magic.

I finished this book in one sitting due to its fast paced writing but it sort of felt a little bit empty when I closed in on the big twist. I wish I would have been taken a bit more into the adventure to Japan or that Hiro's advances didn't feel so out left field later on. However, I would definitely continue on with the series as it stands and hats off to Baker for her raw examination of bi-racial experiences.

Content Warnings

carolined314's review against another edition

Go to review page

challenging 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

3.0

I thought the depiction of being mixed-race and rejected by both was very well done, and the writing is quite good in this. There's just such a thread of misery and self-pity throughout that I had a hard time with it. Never does anyone move towards or choose joy, connection, or happiness - and the one time I can think of that someone does, they are soundly punished. Just... a bit one-note.

Content Warnings