The Keeper of Night - (Keeper of Night Duology) by Kylie Lee Baker

About the Book

Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren Scarborough is no longer the girl who was chased out of England: she is the Goddess of Death ruling Japan's underworld. But her Shinigami see her as a foreigner on the throne. Her brother, Neven, is gone, lost in the deep darkness. And her fiancâe, Hiro, has been killed by her own hand. When Reapers are spotted in Japan, it is only a matter of time before Ivy, now Britains Death Goddess, comes to claim her revenge. The god of storms and seas can turn the tides to send Ivy's ship away from Japan's shores... if Ren will find a sword lost thousands of years ago. Ren's journey thrusts her into the middle of scheming gods and dangerous Yokai demons-- and the fate of Japan hangs in the balance.

Book Synopsis

"Sharp and seductive...a fantasy with teeth." --Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

A girl of two worlds, accepted by none... A half Reaper, half Shinigami soul collector seeks her destiny in this haunting and compulsively readable dark fantasy duology set in 1890s Japan.

Death is her destiny.

Half British Reaper, half Japanese Shinigami, Ren Scarborough has been collecting souls in the London streets for centuries. Expected to obey the harsh hierarchy of the Reapers who despise her, Ren conceals her emotions and avoids her tormentors as best she can.

When her failure to control her Shinigami abilities drives Ren out of London, she flees to Japan to seek the acceptance she's never gotten from her fellow Reapers. Accompanied by her younger brother, the only being on earth to care for her, Ren enters the Japanese underworld to serve the Goddess of Death...only to learn that here, too, she must prove herself worthy. Determined to earn respect, Ren accepts an impossible task--find and eliminate three dangerous Yokai demons--and learns how far she'll go to claim her place at Death's side.

Don't miss the must-read sequel coming in 2022!

Review Quotes

"Sharp and seductive...a fantasy with teeth." --Julie C. Dao, author of Forest of a Thousand Lanterns

"The Keeper of Night is an absolutely thrilling tale of one girl's search for identity and a sense of belonging. With its rich worldbuilding, high-stakes and well-drawn characters, Kylie Lee Baker has created a must-read tale." --June Hur, author of The Silence of Bones

"A triumphant debut, this thrilling fantasy tackles death, clad with a heroine unafraid to wrench a soul from the depths of a being and venture to the darkest of underworlds. A must for those in search of a place to call their own." --SLJ, starred review

"Dark, gruesome--and absolutely captivating." --Kirkus Reviews, starred review

"Baker's debut is atmospheric... A cliff-hanger ending will have readers anxiously awaiting the final title in this duology." --Booklist

"Baker's vivid prose seamlessly blends Japanese mythology with a Victorian setting... An action-filled plot ensures that this debut rarely lags, and the relationship between Ren and Neven additionally infuses the duology opener with a core of warmth." --Publishers Weekly

"With themes of belonging, identity, family, and love, The Keeper of Night is a wickedly delightful read that perfectly blends a rich historical setting with magic and mystery." --The Nerd Daily

"With thought-provoking themes, masterful plotting, and compelling characters, The Keeper of Night is an intriguing and consuming YA fantasy." --YA Books Central