I'm not sure if Empress of Time deserves my two stars or if I'm just in a reading slump.

Empress of Time continues after a 10 year gap from the first book, Keeper of the Night. This serious does a very good job at including realistic struggles of being bi-racial and Japanese mythology, but the characters leave a lot to be desired. Ren, in book one, felt multilayered and complex, but in book two, she's just OP and angry all the time. Reading from the point of view of a character that is so self absorbed is taxing after awhile.

Not to mention the love interest (sigh. eyeroll. head massage). The amount of instalove/no real connection the main character has with these boys she falls in love with is baffling.

All the bickering and fighting the characters do amongst themselves, while possibly endearing with a well fleshed out cast, felt overly tedious and annoying as I continued through Empress of Time. There are so many elements of this series that I find interesting, but I just don't think I'm in the mood to properly enjoy it right now.

What an incredible sequel this was! Our favourite crew was back together in a new debacle filled novel. The author’s prose and skill for setting was one of the strongest aspects of the book. The Empress of Time is definitely going to be in my top 10 books of 2022 for sure, This series is so criminally underrated for a duology that is so original and thrilling from beginning to end.

I absolutely LOVED The Keeper of Night and have been waiting impatiently for this thrilling conclusion to Ren’s story. It did not disappoint!! I’m personally a huge fan of sequels because they jump right into the action and don’t need to world build as much, so the fact that this just jumps right back into the action was incredible for me.

I don’t want to spoil too much in case you haven’t read the first book (which you 100% should!!), but this story takes place 10 years later and is so cool!

We get to meet some familiar faces, including familiar faces attached to strangers?! There are tons of Yokai to meet and re-meet and they are just so cool! I love learning about other cultures and their stories, so getting to be in Japan in the late 1800s is fascinating. The lore, the mythology, the different religions- everything is so detailed and interesting to learn about!

Like the first book, Ren is questioning who she is and where she belongs as a mixed race creature of death and it was interesting to see how both the Japanese and the British treat her. Feeing not enough of either and not knowing if she even wants to be enough of either one of them… so much nuance to grapple with emotionally and spiritually.

I adore Ren as a character and I loved that she got more development throughout the story and wasn’t trapped by her anger. I liked that Neven also got to mature and wasn’t so delicate and naive in this book. They both felt more independent in wildly different ways.

This one has a tiny bit of romance, but ultimately is about familial love and belonging. The fear of betrayal and regret is really strong and sets a big tone for the whole book, which made it more mysterious and compelling.

Overall, I completely devoured this book and highly recommend the duology. It’s such a unique story with so many fascinating characters and places. It’s an amazing ya fantasy!

Many thanks to NetGalley & publisher for an e-ARC in exchange for a honest review. All comments and observations are my own

***May contain some minor spoilers if you haven't read the first book

The Empress of Time is Kylie Lee Baker's final book in The Keeper of Night duology. Set ten years following the events of The Keeper of Night we find that Ren is still trying to find her place in the world. You see, Ren basically stole the position of Death goddess in Japan and of course stealing something doesn't exactly inspire fealty. She finds herself floundering for control but I have to give her credit, she doesn't really backdown from the challenges that were constantly thrown her way and believe me, there were A LOT of challenges. She must use everything she knows to save her realm from the threats that stem from her past.

It's been almost year since I read the first book and I feared that I would forget characters or events but Kylie Lee Baker did a great job of reminding us without going into too much exposition. Like the previous book, this one had a lot of violence but it's to be expected if you are even remotely familiar with Shinigami lore; they deal with death, not sunshine and rainbows. I have to give a shoutout to Baker's writing style because she had me emotionally invested from the very beginning. I could feel Ren's frustration and in the other side of the coin I was equally frustrated with her because of some of the choices she made. And throughout all the conflicts and violence, Baker still managed to fit in a lot of emotion where one can't help but relate to these characters to some capacity.

The Empress of Time is a pretty dark book. Nothing comes easy for our FMC, not even the ending. If we consider character motivation then it didn't surprise me at all that I was left on a bittersweet note.

Many thanks to NetGalley and Inkyard Press for providing me with a free copy in exchange for an honest review.

Despite being disappointed by the first book's ending, I went into The Empress of Time with fresh expectations and excitement. Although the ending of The Keeper of Night came out of nowhere, I was impressed by Baker's vivid prose and the Japanese culture she delivers as part of the world building. This book had those features too, which kept me intrigued to read more, although there was much less plot centered around Japanese culture and more about character infighting, which made it lug.

Whereas the first book was thrilling with deep character motivations, I found The Empress of Time was difficult to get through pace-wise, and Goddess Ren is no longer the layered character I rooted for before. I disagreed with reviews that said she was unlikeable in the first book, because it was clear that there were events in her life that made her angry and sensitive to certain topics. But in this book, I found her character to suddenly be flat. Maybe it was the influence of power and the internal despair of it, but I struggled to find something to connect to throughout her journey. Her internal struggles were less convincing in this book than the last. And although she rightfully suspects one of the secondary characters, I found it disrespectful and jarring to reduce said character to their species throughout her narration.

I also found the romance subplot unnecessary because there was very little connection between Ren and the love interest--it was rather confusing trying to figure out why she liked him so much. Although Tsukuyomi was a slightly endearing oddball, I didn't think he and Ren had chemistry (whereas she and Hiro did, but we don't talk about how Hiro was done dirty in the last book). Their awkward romance was forced and not intriguing to me.

The above issues made my reading experience much slower than when I read the first book. I couldn't put down The Keeper of Night, but not even the characters were convincing enough in this book to keep me very engaged. However, the tension in the last 25% of the book was done really well, and the execution of the boss fight deserves its own star. I wish that level could've been sustained throughout the book, but unfortunately, most of the plot was spent on looking for something that wasn't even there.

The book was decent, though. If you were a fan of The Keeper of Night and want to find out what happened to Neven (the best character to be honest, and I wished he had more of a role in this book), it's still pretty entertaining, even for the Japanese legends. Most of all, it's written well! I will be watching out for Kylie Lee Baker's books in the future.

Thank you HarperCollins for allowing me to finish this duology ahead of time

The keeper of the night i listened to and as soon as i was done, i requested on Netgalley on kindle. What a freaking roller coaster of a book. Themes for the second book:
Lost Family
Quest adventures
Enemies-friends
STRONG FMC
All morally grey characters (except 1 ;) )
Its very similar timeline to the first book where in the first one she and her brother + Hiro have to go on 3 quests to give Ren a title as a Shinigami. The same thing happens here but it is with Hiro's brother, the Moon. On a quest to find a ancient lore sword the brother of the sea wants. They end up traveling all around Japan in search of it, discovering so much and finding so many interesting Yomai on the way. I don't want to spoil it but the character development and the dialogue had me almost crying at times. Poor Ren wants her family so bad and she hates herself for all that she did she thinks it's impossible to be happy anymore. The ending had me in such a tizzy! I loved the whole book i think i read it in under a week, one time for 2 hours straight. The ONLY thing i was thrown off by plot hole wise was what her dad hinted at with her upbringing and why he even was in Japan in the first place.

Definitely recommend for the badass characters and the tearful reunions.

**3.5 STARS**
Content Warning: gore, violence

Book one of this duology, The Keeper of Time, was pretty memorable for me because it had Yokai, it had betrayal and gore and I usually don’t like gore but with a story that involved Reapers and Gods, I expected nothing less. I wanted more of the reapers and Gods and I definitely got it in this conclusion.

+ I love this world of British Reapers and Japanese Gods colliding. It’s gory, dark and violent and yet in the middle of the chaos is this love story but not a romantic one – the main love story in this book is the love between Ren and her brother Neven. It made me emotional because they went through such horrible things but they love one another so much they find their way back to one another.

+ Ren is chaos. She is a Death goddess now but still trying to prove yourself to the yokai and other gods. I love how she meets other gods and yokai in Japan and we learn their stories and mythology. But she has a lot of atoning to do from what happened at the end of book one and we find out she does it in the most destructible way ever…yet there is growth for her thank goodness!

+ I’m here for the darkness and there is lots of it. The world building is so dark, and I could vividly imagine everything described in this story even if it was grotesque! I also love the action even if it is gory.

~ There is a good ending with Ren and her brother, Neven. But there is no romantic happy ending with Ren and Tsukuyomi which is fine, because I still wasn’t over Ren and Hiro and how crazy they ended. Throwing Tsukuyomi in there – I wasn’t even sure the romance was needed but then it just made me feel sad at the end for both of them.

~ This book takes place 10 years after the first book…and it’s been centuries for Neven. But I’m not sure how I feel about the story taking place after so long. Maybe it was to show how tortured Ren has been after losing Hiro and Neven! She went through something bad and we get a taste of a very blood thirsty Ren.

Tropes: antihero, morally grey characters

Spice Level:

Why you should read it:
*if you liked book one and need to know what happens next, definitely read this one
*it’s dark, gory, and filled with Yokai and Japanese gods and godesses, Japanese mythology
*the love between Ren and Neven made me emotional at the end

Why you might not want to read it:
*it starts 10 years after the first book
*Ren is so morally grey at times you question her actions but she’s imperfect, which I like about her

My Thoughts:

This is an entertaining conclusion to a great duology that included Japanese mythology and monsters. I loved all the darkness and violence surrounding the sibling love between Ren and Neven. It was always going to be about the two of them even though it kind of made me sad that Ren didn’t end up having a romantic happily ever after of her own. This one is about family and what you give you and would do for them. Ren became her worst version of herself to try and bring her brother back. It was sad, very dark and gritty at times, but I’m glad they as siblings have a happy ending. I look forward to reading more from this author!

Book: The Empress of Time
Author: Kylie Lee Baker
Rating: 3 Out of 5 Stars

I would like to thank the publisher, Inkyard Press, for providing me with an arc.

I read the first book Keeper of the Night last year and thought it was a strong first book. While it wasn’t my favourite, it did do a solid job and had an amazing set-up for the second book. I felt that with this second book we lost something. It felt more like a middle book instead of a finale. I can’t help but wonder if this would have worked better as a trilogy. I think that had we had a third book, things could have been fleshed out a little better and it could have been brought home with more of a punch.

In this one, we pick up where the first book left off. There has been a time jump, so if you are someone who is not a fan of that, just be warned. We follow Ren and her set into the role of a goddess. It is not easy for her. The other reapers are not accepting of her. She is in Japan and is only part Japanese. She is viewed as a foreigner and, therefore, has to work to earn respect. This is something that I liked. It made her accession to power feel all that much more real. I am not of fan of books whenever someone takes control and everything works out right away. I want to see them have to work. I want to see them have to struggle and truly earn what they have. I thought the author does an amazing job at this.

We see Ren time and time again have to wrestle with her demons. Again, it all comes back to the fact that she has had to work to get to this point. Her past and everything about her keep coming time and time again. She has all of this guilt hurt, which she turns into anger. There are times that she may not come across as the most likeable character. However, again, it fits the role that she has been forced to play. Had her character taken any other route, the story would not have worked.

The book is dark and has a lot of Japanese mythology. I love this. For the past couple of months, I have been reading a lot of Asian-inspired fantasies. I love the break away from the more Western style. The mixing of mythology and cultures gives us insight into Japan. We get to see how people think and how they take in events. We get to learn about the basis for their culture and experience the myths. I think that is what I enjoyed the most about this story. We get to see stories brought to life in front of our eyes. We get to see how these stories have an impact on people.

So, why three stars? If I am being honest, I did not enjoy it as much as the first book. I felt like there was something lost between the first and second books. I could not get into the story the same way I did in the first book nor could I keep myself engaged. I found myself being pulled out of the story and my mind wandering while reading.

This book comes out on October 4, 2022.

This was such a good book, and it closed off the duology nicely. We pick up ten years after the first book's cliffhanger. While the jump in time was a little jarring, the author did fill us in on what had happened in those years. However, it would have been nice to see how those ten years of loneliness affected Ren, instead of just a summary. We follow Ren, Neven, and a few other characters, new and old, on a quest, much like the first book.

The story still belonged to Ren and Neven. We get to follow along on the journey of them learning to forgive themselves, and each other. We see them overcome the hatred buried in their hearts, and how much it frees them.

Ren is truly a morally gray character. She has her own code of conduct, which she adheres to, no matter how many times she is tempted to break it. It is a very selfish sense of right and wrong, all centered around Neven and what is best for him. Many of the things she does are horrific and terrifying, but never out of character for her. We also still see the prejudice she struggles with, even as the goddess of Death. Her Shinigami still refuse to respect her, and the other gods mock her. We see her grow into her confidence in who she is and break past the narrow mindsets that everyone has when it comes to her.

This duology is great for those who love Japanese mythology, morally gray female MCs, and beautiful prose that gives you chills.

This was such a good sequel and conclusion to The Keeper of Night series! Ren is again traveling across Japan, but she is now the Goddess of Death, which I loved seeing, and is with another god. I loved Ren as the morally grey mc and she is truly the Goddess of Death. While I do wish that I could’ve seen her when she first became the goddess I did appreciate the time jump and how that helped with her character and events in this book. She’s still dark and morally grey but all for Neven and I really love their relationship and how she’s still fighting for him and trying to find him. The conflict between Ren and the Reapers was captivating especially when you see Ren use all her powers together. The way they both fight with time was really interesting to read about. Also that ending was completely unexpected for me but so good!

Overall, this was a good series and I highly recommend!

Read if you’re looking for…
•morally grey female mc
•Japanese mythology
•sibling love

This is book two in a duology, so I will try to keep the spoilers to a minimum.
Ren Scarborough was born half British Reaper and half Japanese Shinigami. Now she is the Japanese Goddess of Death. And yet she still faces the same prejudice she has faced all her life. She isn't British enough for the Reapers, Japanese enough for the Shinigami, or goddess enough for the other Japanese Gods. And with her British rival Ivy now in power and on her way to kill Ren, she must enlist the help of the other gods. On another adventure in Japan, Ren is still only truly concerned for her brother still after 10 years apart. Neven is finally back but its been more than 10 years for him in the deep dark with only the Yokai they once saved as a companion. Neven may have finally returned, but he is not the same.
Okay, a big thank you to the publisher and netgalley for the ARC in exchange for an honest review. Book two stands up to book one. The whole skipping ten years between the books, may bother some, but it didn't really impede the story. The mystery and the monsters are all still in this book as is Ren’s way of seeing the world in shades of Grey instead of just black and white. I love how Ren is only willing to do literally anything for one person, her brother. Even if that means killing millions or letting herself be killed. He is her one weakness in all the worlds, but he is also her greatest strength. I will defiantly be watching for more books from this author and hope to see Ren and the other characters again, though this duology seems to be over. But please read the authors note at the end when you finish the book. It may give some people a chill up their spine. This is defiantly a duology for those who feel out of place in their world. If you love book 1, you will enjoy book two.

I have received an ARC of this book in exchange for my honest review.

Phew. What. A. Story!!
This book is such an excellent ending to the duology. It ties up the dead ends, and at the same time, leaves plenty left to the imagination.
The story is very intriguing. The plot moves fast and smoothly. I am finding it really hard to put down this story once I've started on it. Always wanting to know what comes next. Anticipating the next turn. And worried about our main characters' life.
The relationships among the characters are just as intriguing as the main adventure. I find myself feeling for Ren and her companions. Cheering them on when they face their quests. And yelling "idiots, just talk this over with each other!" several times.
Oh and the setting of the story. The mythical god/goddesses and the Yo-kais. The description of Japan. Reading the story makes me want to go visit the country, see the old temples and cities, and read the legends. Even though the modern-day country would be quite different from the one described in the books and the legend will be quite fairy-tale like.
This two-part story has been one of the best stories I've read this year!
Content warning to the story: violence. We are talking about creatures of Death after all.

Thank you Netgalley and Inkyard for this eARC.

Ren, Goddess of Death, is searching for her brother when she stumbles upon a deeper threat. Reapers are in Japan. That can only mean one thing....a rival is coming for her. Journey through this battle with Ren and her friends(or are they?) as she fights again for what's rightfully hers. But will she meet her maker?

I loved going on this quest with Ren again. It's so much fun to be able to visualize such a fantasy world. The battles, the heartache, the love, and mystery is all so beautiful in the mind. My only complaint is that it was a bit slow at some parts, but I really loved the darkness in The Empress of Time.

Neven is my favorite in this book. I won't spoil you with the reason why...just that some people aren't able to do what he does in this book.

Read this if you love female warriors,enjoy learning about legends, and need a good escape.

I found myself equal parts frustrated and drawn to this book (series). It is such a cool fantasy concept, but Ren's character drove my crazy throughout the whole series. She has serious communication issues, and while Baker includes overcoming these problems in Ren's character arc; it doesn't make reading through them any easier. While I would actually recommend the book to people interested in fantasy, I include the major caveat that a lot of the plot issues are caused by Ren's shallow actions and inability to communicate; making this a frustrating read at times.

Thanks to NetGalley for giving me a chance at reading this ARC!

DNF at 42%.

I absolutely hate DNFing a book, especially so far in. But unfortunately, I just can’t force myself to continue on with this one.

I didn’t love the first in this duology but wanted to see where it led so I gave The Empress of Time a fair shot - but when it comes down to it, I’m simply not invested enough in the story, nor do I care enough about the characters, that I want to devote more time to it.

The writing is fine; not spectacular but adequate. The story is interesting, but not incredible. The characters….I either loathe them or simply don’t care.

I may just not be the right audience for this so I wouldn’t recommend avoiding it if you enjoyed the first one. However, neither is one I would recommend either.

This is an excellent sequel to The Keeper of Night and end of Ren's story. The book takes place 10 years after the first with Ren still searching for Neven. I was happy that he reappears early in the story. Loved Ivy being the "big bad" of this book and Ren's continued struggle to feel like she belongs.

I did not love that Tsukuyomi looked like Hiro or that he ended up being a love interest. However, I LOVED that both Ren and Tsukuyomi put their siblings above the feelings they had for each other. That decision made me ok with it overall.

Be prepared to fall even more in love with Baker's world. Still gritty, still dark, but rays of hope peel through. Your heart is going to hurt and you are going to enjoy every second of Ren's journey to become the Goddess of Death. Joined by new allies and old nemesises, you will be on the edge of your seat for the entire book.

I read Empress of Time twice, back to back because the first time wasn't enough

I was impatiently waiting for this book after reading The Keeper of Night earlier this year. It ended on a major cliffhanger and I was dying to find out what happened to Neven and Ren.

Book two of this duology starts a full 10 years after the events of book one. It was hard for me to get into for that reason. Granted, we do get a recap of what happened over the last decade, I was just hoping for a more immediate timeline.

I found myself not enjoying book two as much as the first one. It’s even darker and deadlier and spookier than book one. 😱Ren is still your morally grey lead - maybe much more darker grey this book. And Neven, sweet Neven. It’s a good conclusion, and the ending was superb! If you’ve read Keeper of Night, you’ll obviously want this one. And if you’re into morally grey dark tales, than start this duology.

The Empress of Time was just as dark and horrifying as The Keeper of Night and I absolutely loved it. I really love how dark and descriptively gory and deep this duology is. The Empress of Time was well written and I really like how the author continued the story for Ren and Neven so many years later but did it in a way where it felt like no time had passed at all. The suspense and the quests to defeat the Reapers and questioning whom to trust along the way made the book hard to put down. I also really enjoyed all the cultural references and mythology/folklore that the author involves in the book. This was an amazing read and did not disappoint!

Thank you to Inkyard Press and NetGalley for the advanced reader copy

4.5/5

Kylie Lee Baker once again delivers with the dark conclusion to the Keeper of Night duology. I love that the characters in both books are believably flawed. Just as in life, people and circumstances aren’t magically fixed or altered on a whim. The growth of the characters throughout made a story full of monsters of Japanese lore realistic, and expertly set up a plot twist that caught me off guard *twice*.

I highly recommend this duology if you like a villainous FMC, Japanese mythology, or a dark and gritty story.