Book Review: The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker

 

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Thank you to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for allowing me to read this ARC!

Content Warning: racism, death, violence, gore, drowning, bullying.

Ren Scarborough is tired of living under the oppressive rule of the British Reapers. Although she is half Reaper herself, she is also half Japanese Shinigami, tormented by others due to her heritage. She collects souls for Death, like all Reapers, but secretly dreams of leaving London for Japan, where she will be accepted regardless of her lineage. When an incident of cruelty leads to Ren exposing her forbidden Shinigami powers, she has no choice but to flee -- taking her beloved half-brother Neven along with her. Arriving in Japan, Ren descends into the Japanese underworld of Yomi, to serve the Goddess of Death. The Goddess, however, has other plans for her, and demands that Ren prove herself by hunting and killing three deadly Yokai. But just how far is Ren willing to go to earn the respect she has gone without her entire life?

Requesting this was a no-brainer for me. As someone who has a fascination with Japanese folklore and Shintoism, I was so happy to be given the privilege of reading this early. Initially I was a bit worried, as it took me about 20% to fully get into this, and for the first few chapters there was a shocking amount of information about the world that Ren lives in. Of course it has to be explained, but I felt that there was too much at one time, leaving me slightly confused and overwhelmed. Once Ren gets to Japan, however, the story immediately picks up, and instantly became something that I could throw myself into fully.

Don't let that slow start fool you -- this book is bursting at the seams with a fascinating, in-depth exploration of Japanese spirits, Gods, and the perpetually dark underworld of Yomi. Baker's visualization of the afterlife, with its shadows and frightening specters and spirit-village, is particularly powerful. It was not only totally unique to any other book I've ever read, but also wonderfully exciting in its execution of Ren's character. If you're after a complex, morally gray female character, look no further.

Ren is allowed her rage, her hatred of those who terrorize and underestimate her, her desire for power and her fears that she might slowly be turning into a monster worse than any she's seen before. There were times where I was irritated with her, or frustrated, but not once did I find myself unable to understand her motivations or feelings. Constantly she asks herself: Am I one or the other? Both? Neither? How does one deal with always being half, and never being seen as a whole?

The side characters who help Ren along on her journey are interesting too; her brother, Neven, is sweet, a bit of a moral compass for Ren, although I did find myself thinking that he was prone to simplifying her struggles. Hiro, who Ren slowly begins to fall for, was wonderfully mysterious but thankfully a bit more complicated than the brooding bad boy trope. To be honest, there's so much I could talk about here! It feels like I could write pages on Ren and her story, but in an effort to keep this from running too long, I'll try to quickly sum it up.

I think the ending of this book is what really makes it stand out amongst others of its genre. It doesn't shy away from darkness, nor does it make an attempt to justify or excuse everything that Ren does (in spite of the fact that she remains interesting and likable throughout). There are some imperfections here, like the pacing, but in the end it doesn't take away from a story that will leave you desperately wishing for the sequel. 

Highly recommended!