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A review by abookandchai
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker
5.0
check out the full review on my blog!
"Why am I the only one with no say in who I am?"
Seriously, this book has no business being this addicting.
Albeit, at first I struggled to read it because of the comparatively slow pace, but when I did get invested in it I ended up loving it so much. The Keeper of Night is the dark historical Asian fantasy of my dreams! If you like morally grey characters with a dash of dark romance be sure to pick this up.
richly explored japanese folklore
The strongest and my favourite aspect of The Keeper of Night is its worldbuilding which is inspired by Japanese culture and folklore, which by the way, is gory and actually horrific?? The concept of Shinigami and what they do is honestly so creative. Asian inspired worlds and books are the ones I hold close to my heart, so this one definitely checked that box for me. I loved diving into the different stories and learning about the underworld of Japan and its creatures. It immediately drew me in with all its creepiness, violence and vivid imageries. Actually, this book should be perfect for the spooky season.
ren's character arc
Ren is such a well written main character. Her struggles as a biracial Asian girl—not fitting in either worlds (British or Japanese) and being constantly told who she is—felt so raw to read about. I could really understand her anger and her desperation to prove herself as a rightful Shinigami. I really think this book will make mixed readers feel seen.
Apart from that, I will say Ren can come of as a total bitch making questionable characters but well, what good are morally grey characters otherwise? Her character arc is one of the best I’ve read, she’s flawed and she only gets worse as she chases the darkness that’s in her core all to make a place for herself. She wants to be a Shinigami and feel accepted but to what extent will she go to achieve her feat? When you read the last couple chapters and see the consequences, it’s honestly so pleasing.
great character dynamics
The relationship between Ren and her Reaper brother, Neven, as it moves from mutual adoration to being tense is satisfying. I loved Neven’s character, his human heart despite being a reaper. I really sympathised with him—as he just wanted to support his sister but instead got dragged into the mess and for being the only sensible character throughout—so I’m really eager to see what he’s up to in the sequel.
Hiro, ah I love Hiro. I don’t want to spoil anything by talking about him but he’s so precious and I totally understood him. Though the outcome of his romance with Ren was predictable, seeing it all unfold was the real joy. Because these relationships form the stakes for the story. This trio is so fun to follow, as they have their own personal motivations but also we get the slightest glimpse of a bond between them.
Like I said earlier, once I got immersed into it, Kylie’s easy flowing writing with detailed and visual descriptions accompanied me through the book. The prose is really simple, but powerful to highlight every character and create the atmosphere filled with death. After reading it, you might say “I saw that coming” and frankly so did I, but it is an experience. As the events unfolded I was glued to the words, the chills and horror sinking into me when I realised how it would end.
TLDR; The Keeper of Night is a grimdark historical fantasy that takes you through 1800s Japan, featuring an antiheroine main character and a fast paced story. You really don’t want to miss this one!
Thank you Inkyard Press and Netgalley for the ARC!
"Why am I the only one with no say in who I am?"
Seriously, this book has no business being this addicting.
Albeit, at first I struggled to read it because of the comparatively slow pace, but when I did get invested in it I ended up loving it so much. The Keeper of Night is the dark historical Asian fantasy of my dreams! If you like morally grey characters with a dash of dark romance be sure to pick this up.
richly explored japanese folklore
The strongest and my favourite aspect of The Keeper of Night is its worldbuilding which is inspired by Japanese culture and folklore, which by the way, is gory and actually horrific?? The concept of Shinigami and what they do is honestly so creative. Asian inspired worlds and books are the ones I hold close to my heart, so this one definitely checked that box for me. I loved diving into the different stories and learning about the underworld of Japan and its creatures. It immediately drew me in with all its creepiness, violence and vivid imageries. Actually, this book should be perfect for the spooky season.
ren's character arc
Ren is such a well written main character. Her struggles as a biracial Asian girl—not fitting in either worlds (British or Japanese) and being constantly told who she is—felt so raw to read about. I could really understand her anger and her desperation to prove herself as a rightful Shinigami. I really think this book will make mixed readers feel seen.
Apart from that, I will say Ren can come of as a total bitch making questionable characters but well, what good are morally grey characters otherwise? Her character arc is one of the best I’ve read, she’s flawed and she only gets worse as she chases the darkness that’s in her core all to make a place for herself. She wants to be a Shinigami and feel accepted but to what extent will she go to achieve her feat? When you read the last couple chapters and see the consequences, it’s honestly so pleasing.
great character dynamics
The relationship between Ren and her Reaper brother, Neven, as it moves from mutual adoration to being tense is satisfying. I loved Neven’s character, his human heart despite being a reaper. I really sympathised with him—as he just wanted to support his sister but instead got dragged into the mess and for being the only sensible character throughout—so I’m really eager to see what he’s up to in the sequel.
Hiro, ah I love Hiro. I don’t want to spoil anything by talking about him but he’s so precious and I totally understood him. Though the outcome of his romance with Ren was predictable, seeing it all unfold was the real joy. Because these relationships form the stakes for the story. This trio is so fun to follow, as they have their own personal motivations but also we get the slightest glimpse of a bond between them.
Like I said earlier, once I got immersed into it, Kylie’s easy flowing writing with detailed and visual descriptions accompanied me through the book. The prose is really simple, but powerful to highlight every character and create the atmosphere filled with death. After reading it, you might say “I saw that coming” and frankly so did I, but it is an experience. As the events unfolded I was glued to the words, the chills and horror sinking into me when I realised how it would end.
TLDR; The Keeper of Night is a grimdark historical fantasy that takes you through 1800s Japan, featuring an antiheroine main character and a fast paced story. You really don’t want to miss this one!
Thank you Inkyard Press and Netgalley for the ARC!