A review by thecriticalreader
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

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. 
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