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ravensandpages's reviews
573 reviews
The Keeper of Night by Kylie Lee Baker
3.0
I received an ARC eons ago in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Penguin Teen.
The Keeper of Night follows half Reaper, half Shinigami Ren Scarborough, a girl who has never had a place in the violent hierarchy of reapers in her "home" of London despite her best efforts to navigate its cruelty. When defending herself leads to exile and a death sentence, she leaves behind everything she knows to seek refuge in Japan, only bringing along her younger brother in her quest to become a true Shinigami and serve the Goddess of Death, who requires Ren to prove herself by slaying three demons.
Ren's narration really left me torn. There were aspects of being her head that I truly did not enjoy, but the parts I did like were enough to help me finish the book! I liked the honest expression of anger and regret portrayed in her journey, and how she pushed the person who cared for her away to keep reaching for something she only thought she wanted. I really liked how this came together in the ending. The way her struggles with her heritage weave into the narrative was well done, and I am not surprised to glance at other reviews and see so many readers it resonated with! I also enjoyed the historical aspect and the exploration of Japanese folklore.
Overall, though, I think there were too many aspects that fell flat for me. There was a bit more telling than showing for me, especially when it came to the romance between Ren and Hiro, and at the end of the day, I did not enjoy the chosen portrayal of Reapers and Shinigami. They felt far more like humans with powers than the otherworldly spirits and specters of death I would have expected them to be. I recognize this is purely a personal preference, but it became very hard for me to appreciate the book for what it was rather than what I wanted it to be, and the more I thought about the more that the worldbuilding around them felt really underdeveloped. I think just approaching it as humans with powers or servants of Gods would have served the narrative a bit better.
I will be trying Kylie Lee Baker's other work, but I don't think I'll be reading the sequel. I would still recommend you try this if you read the summary and think it might be something you'll enjoy!
The Keeper of Night follows half Reaper, half Shinigami Ren Scarborough, a girl who has never had a place in the violent hierarchy of reapers in her "home" of London despite her best efforts to navigate its cruelty. When defending herself leads to exile and a death sentence, she leaves behind everything she knows to seek refuge in Japan, only bringing along her younger brother in her quest to become a true Shinigami and serve the Goddess of Death, who requires Ren to prove herself by slaying three demons.
Ren's narration really left me torn. There were aspects of being her head that I truly did not enjoy, but the parts I did like were enough to help me finish the book! I liked the honest expression of anger and regret portrayed in her journey, and how she pushed the person who cared for her away to keep reaching for something she only thought she wanted. I really liked how this came together in the ending. The way her struggles with her heritage weave into the narrative was well done, and I am not surprised to glance at other reviews and see so many readers it resonated with! I also enjoyed the historical aspect and the exploration of Japanese folklore.
Overall, though, I think there were too many aspects that fell flat for me. There was a bit more telling than showing for me, especially when it came to the romance between Ren and Hiro, and at the end of the day, I did not enjoy the chosen portrayal of Reapers and Shinigami. They felt far more like humans with powers than the otherworldly spirits and specters of death I would have expected them to be. I recognize this is purely a personal preference, but it became very hard for me to appreciate the book for what it was rather than what I wanted it to be, and the more I thought about the more that the worldbuilding around them felt really underdeveloped. I think just approaching it as humans with powers or servants of Gods would have served the narrative a bit better.
I will be trying Kylie Lee Baker's other work, but I don't think I'll be reading the sequel. I would still recommend you try this if you read the summary and think it might be something you'll enjoy!
The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy by Douglas Adams
3.5
All dads are secretly whimsical in their own ways.
Beasts of Prey by Ayana Gray
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 48%.
I received an ARC eons ago in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, Penguin Teen.
I'm DNFing at 48%, unfortunately. Though I will say, I was reading via audio and enjoyed the performances. Each voice suits the narrator very well and I would recommend it!
I am really sad this book didn't turn out to be for me, but I did give it an honest try. I like Koffi and Ekon both, and I could grow to like Adiah, but her POV came so infrequently that her growth arc didn't seem to be in pace with the other two, and her perspective was sometimes jarring and frustrating to read. If I had to choose, Koffi would have been my favorite. I liked her chapters best and enjoyed seeing her growth over the part of the story I did get through!
While I wasn't able to finish this book, it does have potential, and I think it boils down to it just not being for me. It was more slow-paced than I was hoping for, and I was really hoping for the settings to feel more alive to me as places on their own rather than being characterized by the people associated with them, but I do recognize that's a personal preference. I liked the influences present and I would recommend you try if you think this sounds like something you'd enjoy! I was just getting to the point where I was just unexcited to read it, and I want to put my focus on other titles.
I'm DNFing at 48%, unfortunately. Though I will say, I was reading via audio and enjoyed the performances. Each voice suits the narrator very well and I would recommend it!
I am really sad this book didn't turn out to be for me, but I did give it an honest try. I like Koffi and Ekon both, and I could grow to like Adiah, but her POV came so infrequently that her growth arc didn't seem to be in pace with the other two, and her perspective was sometimes jarring and frustrating to read. If I had to choose, Koffi would have been my favorite. I liked her chapters best and enjoyed seeing her growth over the part of the story I did get through!
While I wasn't able to finish this book, it does have potential, and I think it boils down to it just not being for me. It was more slow-paced than I was hoping for, and I was really hoping for the settings to feel more alive to me as places on their own rather than being characterized by the people associated with them, but I do recognize that's a personal preference. I liked the influences present and I would recommend you try if you think this sounds like something you'd enjoy! I was just getting to the point where I was just unexcited to read it, and I want to put my focus on other titles.
When Among Crows by Veronica Roth
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
Did not finish book. Stopped at 39%.
I was given an ARC in exchange for an honest review. Thank you, NetGalley and Tor!
I am a bit sore I have to dnf WHEN AMONG CROWS at 39%, but only a bit, and I think that is unfortunately a sign of a few of the problems I was having while reading.
This novella has such an interesting premise that really kept me going. I loved the elements of Slavic folklore and how the narrative didn't shy away from them. I also normally enjoy magic centered around pain, but graphic nail gore is one of the few things I just can't read, which led to my very sudden DNF. I liked pretty much every other aspect of the mystical misery, though there was something missing. I wish I was more experienced or smart enough to put my finger on it, but the book didn't hook me the way I wanted it to. Dymitr is normally a character I would be obsessed with, but something about the writing didn't dive deep enough into it for me. Ala was very cool, at least.
Overall, I'll wonder what I missed out on, but I'm okay waiting for a review with spoilers or for someone I know to read this.
I am a bit sore I have to dnf WHEN AMONG CROWS at 39%, but only a bit, and I think that is unfortunately a sign of a few of the problems I was having while reading.
This novella has such an interesting premise that really kept me going. I loved the elements of Slavic folklore and how the narrative didn't shy away from them. I also normally enjoy magic centered around pain, but graphic nail gore is one of the few things I just can't read, which led to my very sudden DNF. I liked pretty much every other aspect of the mystical misery, though there was something missing. I wish I was more experienced or smart enough to put my finger on it, but the book didn't hook me the way I wanted it to. Dymitr is normally a character I would be obsessed with, but something about the writing didn't dive deep enough into it for me. Ala was very cool, at least.
Overall, I'll wonder what I missed out on, but I'm okay waiting for a review with spoilers or for someone I know to read this.
Content Warnings
Graphic: Gore