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Japanese Gothic
2026
Lee can't remember exactly where he hid the body, but he can remember the blood. Hiding out at his father's centuries-old home in Japan, Lee knows something is wrong with him, and he knows it has something to do with his mother's disappearance almost a decade ago.
1877
A female samurai, Sen, stalks the borders of her home to protect her family from slaughter after the abolition of the samurai class. She's not sure how they'll ever survive, not without her father, who has returned from war with a different soul behind his eyes.
When Lee and Sen find one another through a door between their worlds, they're both looking for answers. But what they find in the creaking old house they share is beyond what either of them could imagine...
Lee can't remember exactly where he hid the body, but he can remember the blood. Hiding out at his father's centuries-old home in Japan, Lee knows something is wrong with him, and he knows it has something to do with his mother's disappearance almost a decade ago.
1877
A female samurai, Sen, stalks the borders of her home to protect her family from slaughter after the abolition of the samurai class. She's not sure how they'll ever survive, not without her father, who has returned from war with a different soul behind his eyes.
When Lee and Sen find one another through a door between their worlds, they're both looking for answers. But what they find in the creaking old house they share is beyond what either of them could imagine...
368 pages, Hardcover
First published April 14, 2026
2053 people are currently reading
83251 people want to read
About the author
Kylie Lee Baker
16 books2,586 followersKylie Lee Baker grew up in Boston and has since lived in Atlanta, Salamanca, and Seoul. Her work is informed by her heritage (Japanese, Chinese, & Irish) as well as her experiences living abroad as both a student and teacher. She has a BA in creative writing and Spanish from Emory University and is pursuing a master of library and information science degree at Simmons University. In her free time, she plays the cello, watches horror movies, and bakes too many cookies. The Keeper of Night is her debut novel.
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Displaying 1 - 30 of 1,739 reviews
Review of advance copy received from Publisher
Nothing to see here, just a creaking old house behind the sword ferns with an unexplained creepy blood stain, what could possibly go wrong.
As I sit here in stunned silence, trying to pen a review for Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker, all that comes to mind is that this story is a mind fuck in all the ways. And I usually can chit chat about books to the death (pun unintended?). And yet. I’ve been rendered speechless upon finishing.
Anyway, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be rendered speechless for this, because I think it’s best to go into Japanese Gothic relatively blind. I mean it. Don’t even read the blurb if you want to maximise your reveal enjoyment.
Just for a little aesthetic scene-set-up, this book goes beyond gothic horror.
I'm no genre classification expert, but I perceived this as a big old mash up of horror, sci-fi, cosmic horror, folklore, historical fiction/horror, family drama, a little splash of splatterpunk and lit fic. Yes.
And the vibes are sword ferns, creepy forest, infinite ocean, unreliable narrator, katanas, blood and a tinge of claustrophobia.
No context spoiler-free alternative title names, just for shits and giggles:
1. “How to NOT parent 101, no matter what century you’re living in”.
2. "To trust or not to trust turtles? A guide to Japanese folklore.”
3. “10 reasons why the patriarchy is cooked in every culture and every timeline.”
4. “Your anti-anxiety drugs can’t save you now.”
5. "Why a small dead girl haunting you is the least of your problems."
In a nutshell, I found Japanese Gothic a little slower to start than I did Bat Eater (one of my favourite books of 2025) but not to worry. Once the plot gets going, oh it gets going. The slow-build dread crescendos. And while it has a different pace and tone to the initial head-smashed-by-a-locomotive-splatter of Bat Eater, I ended up appreciating it just as much. Daresay this will fall into my top 3 horror reads of 2026, let’s see!
Highly recommend!
Thanks so much to Hodder & Stoughton & Netgalley for the ARC!
As I sit here in stunned silence, trying to pen a review for Japanese Gothic by Kylie Lee Baker, all that comes to mind is that this story is a mind fuck in all the ways. And I usually can chit chat about books to the death (pun unintended?). And yet. I’ve been rendered speechless upon finishing.
Anyway, I don’t think it’s a bad thing to be rendered speechless for this, because I think it’s best to go into Japanese Gothic relatively blind. I mean it. Don’t even read the blurb if you want to maximise your reveal enjoyment.
Just for a little aesthetic scene-set-up, this book goes beyond gothic horror.
I'm no genre classification expert, but I perceived this as a big old mash up of horror, sci-fi, cosmic horror, folklore, historical fiction/horror, family drama, a little splash of splatterpunk and lit fic. Yes.
And the vibes are sword ferns, creepy forest, infinite ocean, unreliable narrator, katanas, blood and a tinge of claustrophobia.
No context spoiler-free alternative title names, just for shits and giggles:
1. “How to NOT parent 101, no matter what century you’re living in”.
2. "To trust or not to trust turtles? A guide to Japanese folklore.”
3. “10 reasons why the patriarchy is cooked in every culture and every timeline.”
4. “Your anti-anxiety drugs can’t save you now.”
5. "Why a small dead girl haunting you is the least of your problems."
In a nutshell, I found Japanese Gothic a little slower to start than I did Bat Eater (one of my favourite books of 2025) but not to worry. Once the plot gets going, oh it gets going. The slow-build dread crescendos. And while it has a different pace and tone to the initial head-smashed-by-a-locomotive-splatter of Bat Eater, I ended up appreciating it just as much. Daresay this will fall into my top 3 horror reads of 2026, let’s see!
Highly recommend!
Thanks so much to Hodder & Stoughton & Netgalley for the ARC!
May 7, 2026
Phenomenal!!!
Japanese Gothic follows two timelines- one in present day following Lee, a college student that murdered his roommate as he flees to stay with his father in a secluded home in Japan, and as he’s haunted by the unexplained disappearance of his mother, who was just legally declared dead.
The other takes place in 1877 and follows Sen, who’s been training to be a samurai since she was young as she deals with the aftermath of the samurai rebellion where all samurai’s have been killed, all except Sen’s father, who came back a changed man.
Both timelines take place in the same home, and it’s all about how their stories intertwine. There’s plenty of creepy supernatural/haunting elements as both the past and present meld together, a lot of bloody + violent imagery, its steeped in Japanese mythology, and features one of the most unique atmospheres I’ve ever read in a horror book.
Between this and Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng, Kylie Lee Baker is writing some of the best horror today.
Definitely a new fav of the year!!
Japanese Gothic follows two timelines- one in present day following Lee, a college student that murdered his roommate as he flees to stay with his father in a secluded home in Japan, and as he’s haunted by the unexplained disappearance of his mother, who was just legally declared dead.
The other takes place in 1877 and follows Sen, who’s been training to be a samurai since she was young as she deals with the aftermath of the samurai rebellion where all samurai’s have been killed, all except Sen’s father, who came back a changed man.
Both timelines take place in the same home, and it’s all about how their stories intertwine. There’s plenty of creepy supernatural/haunting elements as both the past and present meld together, a lot of bloody + violent imagery, its steeped in Japanese mythology, and features one of the most unique atmospheres I’ve ever read in a horror book.
Between this and Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng, Kylie Lee Baker is writing some of the best horror today.
Definitely a new fav of the year!!
April 27, 2026
A mind-exploding, bone-shivering gothic nightmare wrapped in Japanese mythology, samurai legacy, and time-bending terror — this book is an exquisitely strange, intoxicating, and utterly original experience. It’s the kind of story that freezes your blood like black ice while melting your last remaining brain cells with its wild, labyrinthine twists. If you’re open to something daringly unique, unsettling, and beautifully crafted, this novel delivers a literary punch straight to the soul.
At its core, the story follows two young people separated by centuries yet bound by a single impossible door — a door that threads together their tragedies, their families, and their destinies. The same house. The same threshold. Two different eras.
The first timeline begins in October 2026. Lee Turner is spiraling after a horrifying blackout: he’s convinced he killed his college roommate James… yet he can’t remember how, why, or what he did with the body. With panic clawing at his throat and pills numbing his memories, Lee flees to Japan, where his father has just purchased an isolated house swallowed by sword ferns and wild ginger. All he can do is wait — wait for the police to call, wait for the body to surface, wait for the truth he fears will crush him.
But the house has other plans for him.
While Lee tries to navigate the suffocating tension with his father and his father’s unsettling girlfriend — who keeps whispering horrific folktales like they’re family heirlooms — something truly impossible happens. A window appears where no window has ever been. And behind it stands a young Japanese girl holding a sword, her expression sharp enough to slice through the barrier of time.
Her name is Sen.
Sen lives in 1877, in the same house, with her mother, her brother, and her samurai father — a man exiled after the fall of the samurai and hunted by imperial soldiers. Sen trains relentlessly under his harsh expectations. Honor is her currency. Obedience is survival. Earning her father’s approval means everything.
When she realizes she is a ghost from the past — and that her death is only days away — Sen accepts her fate with a warrior's discipline. But she seeks one final thing: an honorable end worthy of her father’s praise.
As their worlds collide through the doorway, Lee and Sen form a fragile, haunting connection. Lee wants her help to reach the spirit of his mother, who vanished in Cambodia and was presumed dead. If he can connect with Sen, perhaps he can connect with the one ghost who has haunted him since childhood.
But digging for truth — in any century — always comes with a price.
And sometimes the secrets waiting behind the veil are far more monstrous than the horrors already consuming their lives.
The real terror isn’t the ghosts. It’s the truth.
Overall, while a few twists are somewhat foreseeable, the atmosphere of walking through a fog-choked forest with no map is the book’s greatest strength. The slow burn works beautifully, and the integration of Japanese folklore — the legend of Urashima Tarō, the sorrowful tale of Otohime — adds a shimmering, haunting layer that binds everything together. The mythology doesn’t just enhance the story; it becomes its heartbeat.
I adored the chilling ambiance, the exploration of dysfunctional family dynamics, and the aching loneliness that drives these characters toward each other. There’s a raw fragility beneath the terror that makes this novel more than horror — it becomes a tragic meditation on identity, devotion, and the dangerous things we inherit.
It’s sensational, eerie, mind-bending, emotionally layered, and so beautifully written that you feel every whisper, every shadow, every blade. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I’m certain this will stand as one of the best fantasy horror releases of 2026.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing / Hanover Square Press for sharing this darkly enchanting gothic horror’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
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At its core, the story follows two young people separated by centuries yet bound by a single impossible door — a door that threads together their tragedies, their families, and their destinies. The same house. The same threshold. Two different eras.
The first timeline begins in October 2026. Lee Turner is spiraling after a horrifying blackout: he’s convinced he killed his college roommate James… yet he can’t remember how, why, or what he did with the body. With panic clawing at his throat and pills numbing his memories, Lee flees to Japan, where his father has just purchased an isolated house swallowed by sword ferns and wild ginger. All he can do is wait — wait for the police to call, wait for the body to surface, wait for the truth he fears will crush him.
But the house has other plans for him.
While Lee tries to navigate the suffocating tension with his father and his father’s unsettling girlfriend — who keeps whispering horrific folktales like they’re family heirlooms — something truly impossible happens. A window appears where no window has ever been. And behind it stands a young Japanese girl holding a sword, her expression sharp enough to slice through the barrier of time.
Her name is Sen.
Sen lives in 1877, in the same house, with her mother, her brother, and her samurai father — a man exiled after the fall of the samurai and hunted by imperial soldiers. Sen trains relentlessly under his harsh expectations. Honor is her currency. Obedience is survival. Earning her father’s approval means everything.
When she realizes she is a ghost from the past — and that her death is only days away — Sen accepts her fate with a warrior's discipline. But she seeks one final thing: an honorable end worthy of her father’s praise.
As their worlds collide through the doorway, Lee and Sen form a fragile, haunting connection. Lee wants her help to reach the spirit of his mother, who vanished in Cambodia and was presumed dead. If he can connect with Sen, perhaps he can connect with the one ghost who has haunted him since childhood.
But digging for truth — in any century — always comes with a price.
And sometimes the secrets waiting behind the veil are far more monstrous than the horrors already consuming their lives.
The real terror isn’t the ghosts. It’s the truth.
Overall, while a few twists are somewhat foreseeable, the atmosphere of walking through a fog-choked forest with no map is the book’s greatest strength. The slow burn works beautifully, and the integration of Japanese folklore — the legend of Urashima Tarō, the sorrowful tale of Otohime — adds a shimmering, haunting layer that binds everything together. The mythology doesn’t just enhance the story; it becomes its heartbeat.
I adored the chilling ambiance, the exploration of dysfunctional family dynamics, and the aching loneliness that drives these characters toward each other. There’s a raw fragility beneath the terror that makes this novel more than horror — it becomes a tragic meditation on identity, devotion, and the dangerous things we inherit.
It’s sensational, eerie, mind-bending, emotionally layered, and so beautifully written that you feel every whisper, every shadow, every blade. I wholeheartedly recommend it. I’m certain this will stand as one of the best fantasy horror releases of 2026.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing / Hanover Square Press for sharing this darkly enchanting gothic horror’s digital reviewer copy with me in exchange for my honest thoughts.
Follow me on medium.com to read my articles about books, movies, streaming series, astrology:
medium blog
May 5, 2026
Fantastically written and oozing with atmosphere! Truly unlike anything I’ve read recently.
December 6, 2025
I love an author with a range. But it is also kind of incomprehensible to me how Kylie Lee Baker writes stories suitable for younger readers and then the most horrific and tense horror novels ever. And when I say 'horrific', I mean it. Almost every chapter had the main characters doing terrible things or thinking the darkest thoughts possible, or it was just straight-up bloodshed and gore. There were many scenes that made me sick to my stomach, but I also didn't know if I wanted to gag or to cry. What I did know was that I needed to keep reading. It was an experience.
The story follows two main characters in different timelines that are impossibly intertwined. In present day there is Lee Turner. His father just moved to a remote house in Japan, his mother is missing, presumed dead and Lee himself just killed his roommate without really knowing why he did it or where he put the dead body. He is more or less constantly sedated and has a twisted perception of reality, but he is sure that his father's new house is strangely otherworldly. In 1877, Sen, the daughter of a samurai, lives in the very same house, and while she tries her best to become the soulless warrior that her father trains her to be, she's often struggling with his way of life. The beginning of the book really was a lot, but I was intrigued by literally everything that was mentioned. Kylie Lee Baker somehow does more character work for Lee and Sen in their respective first chapters than other authors manage in an entire book. It's definitely a character-focused story and both characters live in a horrible reality. Lee is clearly struggling with his mental health and a broken family that no one even tries to repair. And Sen is learning an honorable but bloody craft in a time where the samurai are already annihilated and the desperately needed validation of her father might as well be unreachable.
It's a time-bending ghost story, both modern and historical, and it's full of supernatural and real-life horrors. It was difficult to predict how everything would connect, because the book offers a whole variety of themes and plot elements. From lost parents and dead roommates to existential fear to an impossible doorway through time to the meaning of the ocean and turtles. There was a Japanese tale imbedded into the story and I was sure that it would play a big role in the reveals, but I ultimately didn't love the way how it was connected to Lee and Sen. The last 20% were pretty confusing to me, because characters were dying but not really and then for real, and while some things were definitely unexpected, it just wasn't super satisfying to me. This issue might be resolved upon re-read when I can look for the right hints from the start. I still only remove half a star from my rating, because the other 80% of the book were so very powerful, yet tragic in every way. Japanese Gothic kinda felt like the sad (bawling-my-eyes-out) parts in a Makoto Shinkai movie, but if it were really twisted, bloody and covered in gore. I say that because there is also an undeniable romantic quality to this book. As I said, it is an experience.
I now greedily await more horror books by Kylie Lee Baker, because both Bat Eater and Japanese Gothic were outstanding highlights that left a lasting impression on me. In the meantime I'm definitely gonna tackle her YA backlist and I know that she won't disappoint me there either.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
The story follows two main characters in different timelines that are impossibly intertwined. In present day there is Lee Turner. His father just moved to a remote house in Japan, his mother is missing, presumed dead and Lee himself just killed his roommate without really knowing why he did it or where he put the dead body. He is more or less constantly sedated and has a twisted perception of reality, but he is sure that his father's new house is strangely otherworldly. In 1877, Sen, the daughter of a samurai, lives in the very same house, and while she tries her best to become the soulless warrior that her father trains her to be, she's often struggling with his way of life. The beginning of the book really was a lot, but I was intrigued by literally everything that was mentioned. Kylie Lee Baker somehow does more character work for Lee and Sen in their respective first chapters than other authors manage in an entire book. It's definitely a character-focused story and both characters live in a horrible reality. Lee is clearly struggling with his mental health and a broken family that no one even tries to repair. And Sen is learning an honorable but bloody craft in a time where the samurai are already annihilated and the desperately needed validation of her father might as well be unreachable.
It's a time-bending ghost story, both modern and historical, and it's full of supernatural and real-life horrors. It was difficult to predict how everything would connect, because the book offers a whole variety of themes and plot elements. From lost parents and dead roommates to existential fear to an impossible doorway through time to the meaning of the ocean and turtles. There was a Japanese tale imbedded into the story and I was sure that it would play a big role in the reveals, but I ultimately didn't love the way how it was connected to Lee and Sen. The last 20% were pretty confusing to me, because characters were dying but not really and then for real, and while some things were definitely unexpected, it just wasn't super satisfying to me. This issue might be resolved upon re-read when I can look for the right hints from the start. I still only remove half a star from my rating, because the other 80% of the book were so very powerful, yet tragic in every way. Japanese Gothic kinda felt like the sad (bawling-my-eyes-out) parts in a Makoto Shinkai movie, but if it were really twisted, bloody and covered in gore. I say that because there is also an undeniable romantic quality to this book. As I said, it is an experience.
I now greedily await more horror books by Kylie Lee Baker, because both Bat Eater and Japanese Gothic were outstanding highlights that left a lasting impression on me. In the meantime I'm definitely gonna tackle her YA backlist and I know that she won't disappoint me there either.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for providing a digital arc in exchange for an honest review.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
firstly, thank you to the publisher for an arc and an alc!
tw: domestic violence
whewwww, i am completely blown away by japanese gothic, and honestly, i can’t say much in my review without spoiling the book because it took me up until the very end to fully understand the plot baker crafted. like, i thought i was actually going crazy omg!
as for the audio, the narrator is natalie naudus, and while i do think she’s a great narrator, i feel that she can be so monotonous at times.
i’m very excited to attend one of kylie lee baker’s events in a couple of weeks, and hear her thoughts on the writing process for japanese gothic!
——
very excited to dive into this read as i've recently become a big fan of baker!
also very excited to attend one of her events next month!!
tw: domestic violence
whewwww, i am completely blown away by japanese gothic, and honestly, i can’t say much in my review without spoiling the book because it took me up until the very end to fully understand the plot baker crafted. like, i thought i was actually going crazy omg!
as for the audio, the narrator is natalie naudus, and while i do think she’s a great narrator, i feel that she can be so monotonous at times.
i’m very excited to attend one of kylie lee baker’s events in a couple of weeks, and hear her thoughts on the writing process for japanese gothic!
——
very excited to dive into this read as i've recently become a big fan of baker!
also very excited to attend one of her events next month!!
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
East Asian horror > East Asian fantasy 🕷️🔪⛓️🖤🥀🩸
BAT EATER was one of my fav ARCs of all time.
This is a story told in four parts: 1) The Door, 2) The Sword, 3) The Turtle, and 4) The Beginning.
I was a tad bit worried when we started off with white boy Lee having green eyes, but it all went uphill from there. In the present, Lee is a little lost. He keeps himself drugged to function. His white father only dates Japanese women. But don't worry, these women aren't for marrying. /s
Ativan is mentioned a lot, but the generic name for this is lorazepam. [insert WHITE LOTUS meme]
Lee flees New York after thinking he murders his roommate. He doesn't remember how. He only remembers seeing a lot of blood.
In the past, Sen is the only remaining daughter in a samurai family. It's heartbreaking when you find out why. The time of the samurai is over. Her father is aimless, having no drive. Her brothers are incredibly useless and don't know how to wield swords.
Lee and Sen meet. How, you may ask? I say don’t ask questions.
Is Lee’s mom dead? Did he kill her? Did his dad kill her? Did she just run away? What happened to Lee’s roommate? What is going on in his head? What is going on irl?
What happened to Hina? And her storyline? And why she was acting so shady? Would love to see this explored in the final version.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press
BAT EATER was one of my fav ARCs of all time.
This is a story told in four parts: 1) The Door, 2) The Sword, 3) The Turtle, and 4) The Beginning.
I was a tad bit worried when we started off with white boy Lee having green eyes, but it all went uphill from there. In the present, Lee is a little lost. He keeps himself drugged to function. His white father only dates Japanese women. But don't worry, these women aren't for marrying. /s
Ativan is mentioned a lot, but the generic name for this is lorazepam. [insert WHITE LOTUS meme]
Lee flees New York after thinking he murders his roommate. He doesn't remember how. He only remembers seeing a lot of blood.
In the past, Sen is the only remaining daughter in a samurai family. It's heartbreaking when you find out why. The time of the samurai is over. Her father is aimless, having no drive. Her brothers are incredibly useless and don't know how to wield swords.
Lee and Sen meet. How, you may ask? I say don’t ask questions.
Is Lee’s mom dead? Did he kill her? Did his dad kill her? Did she just run away? What happened to Lee’s roommate? What is going on in his head? What is going on irl?
What happened to Hina? And her storyline? And why she was acting so shady? Would love to see this explored in the final version.
📱 Thank you to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press
April 14, 2026
Happy release day to this masterpiece!!!🎉🎉
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
One thing you must know about me is that 'Japanese' and 'Gothic' are two of my favourite words ever. That, and the fact that Kylie Lee Baker's adult debut 'Bat Eater' is one of my favourite horror novels ever meant that my expectations could not have been higher. 'Japanese Gothic' surpassed my expectations in every way and I have to say that for me, KLB has singlehandedly raised the bar for what horror should be.
As befits any good gothic novel, the atmosphere here was exquisitely crafted. The house behind the sword ferns, a place that seemed almost suspended in time, had the perfect claustrophobic feel and eeriness that just so blurred the line between what was real and what wasn't. What really stood out to me was Baker's ability to bring even the tiniest motion to life- every swish of the sword ferns, every sunray that struck the floorboards, every whisper of the wind gliding through the house when its sliding doors were left open. I've become very nitpicky when it comes to atmosphere and aesthetics in books (having read so many good ones before), but 'Japanese Gothic' succeeded in every way. The prose was mesmerizing and hypnotic. The tension in the narrative was palpable and it had an almost...breathless quality to it. I'm sure this will appeal to many fans of the horror genre. I don't exaggerate when I say that this is the most cinematic reading experience I've ever had. This book literally read like a film unfolding in front of my eyes; it was that immersive.
Both Lee and Sen were memorable characters in their own right. Lee's mental health struggles, isolation and almost-invisibility were well-written. Sen, on the other hand, was honed to become a human weapon, unfeeling and without a soul. Both found the one person who truly saw them in a different timeline. It's easy to butcher stories involving time travel or timelines colliding, in my opinion, but KLB pulled it off brilliantly. I also learned about a period of Japanese history that I knew absolutely nothing about, and I appreciate KLB for tackling some important themes in her book. Please don't overlook the author's note, it's definitely worth reading.
What I loved the most about both of KLB's horror novels is that they don't just offer thrills and scares, they have an emotional depth to them. I felt connected to the protagonists and my heart broke for them over and over again. Like 'Bat Eater', 'Japanese Gothic' features gore and scenes that may not be suitable for the squeamish. I wouldn't say it's gratuitous, though. As for the readers curious about how Japanese mythology comes into play in all of this, I'd recommend that they go in blind. That will make the plot twist hit harder. I will say that the way Baker incorporated a pretty famous Japanese legend into a horror novel was nothing short of genius.
You know a book is good when you feel like rereading it right after turning the last page. I think I may have missed certain clues leading to the ending that I may discover only after a reread. There's one plot point where once I realized what was happening, I actually gasped and proceeded to stare at a wall for the longest time. If you're reading this and you've finished the book, feel free to DM me; I'd love to discuss!!
Right from the first page to the last, 'Japanese Gothic' maintained a perfect pacing, was well-written and deeply atmospheric, and had a haunting ending that'll stay with me for a long time. I cannot give this anything less than a solid 5. I'd highly recommend this to fans of Japanese history and mythology, gothic horror, and Marcus Kliewer's 'We Used to Live Here'.
Pre-read:
THE Kylie Lee Baker writing a Japanese mythology inspired horror??!! 2026 just got a whole lot better.
Huge thanks to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the ARC!
🌟🌟🌟🌟🌟/5
One thing you must know about me is that 'Japanese' and 'Gothic' are two of my favourite words ever. That, and the fact that Kylie Lee Baker's adult debut 'Bat Eater' is one of my favourite horror novels ever meant that my expectations could not have been higher. 'Japanese Gothic' surpassed my expectations in every way and I have to say that for me, KLB has singlehandedly raised the bar for what horror should be.
As befits any good gothic novel, the atmosphere here was exquisitely crafted. The house behind the sword ferns, a place that seemed almost suspended in time, had the perfect claustrophobic feel and eeriness that just so blurred the line between what was real and what wasn't. What really stood out to me was Baker's ability to bring even the tiniest motion to life- every swish of the sword ferns, every sunray that struck the floorboards, every whisper of the wind gliding through the house when its sliding doors were left open. I've become very nitpicky when it comes to atmosphere and aesthetics in books (having read so many good ones before), but 'Japanese Gothic' succeeded in every way. The prose was mesmerizing and hypnotic. The tension in the narrative was palpable and it had an almost...breathless quality to it. I'm sure this will appeal to many fans of the horror genre. I don't exaggerate when I say that this is the most cinematic reading experience I've ever had. This book literally read like a film unfolding in front of my eyes; it was that immersive.
Both Lee and Sen were memorable characters in their own right. Lee's mental health struggles, isolation and almost-invisibility were well-written. Sen, on the other hand, was honed to become a human weapon, unfeeling and without a soul. Both found the one person who truly saw them in a different timeline. It's easy to butcher stories involving time travel or timelines colliding, in my opinion, but KLB pulled it off brilliantly. I also learned about a period of Japanese history that I knew absolutely nothing about, and I appreciate KLB for tackling some important themes in her book. Please don't overlook the author's note, it's definitely worth reading.
What I loved the most about both of KLB's horror novels is that they don't just offer thrills and scares, they have an emotional depth to them. I felt connected to the protagonists and my heart broke for them over and over again. Like 'Bat Eater', 'Japanese Gothic' features gore and scenes that may not be suitable for the squeamish. I wouldn't say it's gratuitous, though. As for the readers curious about how Japanese mythology comes into play in all of this, I'd recommend that they go in blind. That will make the plot twist hit harder. I will say that the way Baker incorporated a pretty famous Japanese legend into a horror novel was nothing short of genius.
You know a book is good when you feel like rereading it right after turning the last page. I think I may have missed certain clues leading to the ending that I may discover only after a reread. There's one plot point where once I realized what was happening, I actually gasped and proceeded to stare at a wall for the longest time. If you're reading this and you've finished the book, feel free to DM me; I'd love to discuss!!
Right from the first page to the last, 'Japanese Gothic' maintained a perfect pacing, was well-written and deeply atmospheric, and had a haunting ending that'll stay with me for a long time. I cannot give this anything less than a solid 5. I'd highly recommend this to fans of Japanese history and mythology, gothic horror, and Marcus Kliewer's 'We Used to Live Here'.
Pre-read:
THE Kylie Lee Baker writing a Japanese mythology inspired horror??!! 2026 just got a whole lot better.
May 6, 2026
This book gave me a headache but I kinda liked it 🌚
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pre-read:
Going in with very high expectations 👀
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pre-read:
Going in with very high expectations 👀
March 26, 2026
Wow! This gothic horror novel was haunting, mysterious and filled with twists! This book also has historical fiction, a dual timeline and Japanese mythology in it. It is unsettling, eerie, dark, emotional, tense and sad. I will admit that I did cry while reading this book. It is an emotionally heavy read. One of the timelines is in the year of 1877, while the other one is set in October of 2026. While I was reading it, the book felt very dreamlike. It was more like a fever dream, with everything that happens.
The world building and atmosphere were top notch in this book. The setting fit the story, felt realistic and has a lyrical atmosphere. The writing was clear and the flaws of the characters were the main focus. The plot was suspenseful, action packed, twisty and gripping! It comes with a satisfying conclusion and a deep meaning. This book does have some heavy trigger warnings, be sure to keep that in mind. There is no doubt that this book will be a big hit for horror lovers, when it gets released! Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars rating!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Kylie Lee Baker, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Hanover Square Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be released on April 14, 2026!
The world building and atmosphere were top notch in this book. The setting fit the story, felt realistic and has a lyrical atmosphere. The writing was clear and the flaws of the characters were the main focus. The plot was suspenseful, action packed, twisty and gripping! It comes with a satisfying conclusion and a deep meaning. This book does have some heavy trigger warnings, be sure to keep that in mind. There is no doubt that this book will be a big hit for horror lovers, when it gets released! Overall, I give this book a 5 out of 5 stars rating!
Thank you to NetGalley, author Kylie Lee Baker, Harlequin Trade Publishing and Hanover Square Press for this eARC in exchange for my honest review. All thoughts and opinions expressed are my own.
This book is set to be released on April 14, 2026!
November 27, 2025
⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️ ⭐️
Japanese Gothic is gorgeously odd, a peculiar story told with eccentric artistry. Baker weaves a fine line between dreamscapes and material fright. She writes with a deft hand, making words dance off the page with symphonic joy.
This is otherworldly in all the right ways. From time travel to fever dream delusions to explorations of loss and love, this book has it all. The setting feels magical, allowing me to envision every color-drenched scene with vividness.
I appreciate being able to read this early, and I hope I can be part of getting this out into the public oeuvre…
Japanese Gothic is gorgeously odd, a peculiar story told with eccentric artistry. Baker weaves a fine line between dreamscapes and material fright. She writes with a deft hand, making words dance off the page with symphonic joy.
This is otherworldly in all the right ways. From time travel to fever dream delusions to explorations of loss and love, this book has it all. The setting feels magical, allowing me to envision every color-drenched scene with vividness.
I appreciate being able to read this early, and I hope I can be part of getting this out into the public oeuvre…
April 14, 2026
Kylie Lee Bake never misses and her adult horror books feel like the books she was meant to write!
What the f—k. That what this book feels like.
It twists and turns and loops back around.
It lies. It hides. And it tells truths you don’t want to hear.
and when its all done, you’ll reach for the play button to start it again.
The title of this book is a perfect fit. This is a gothic novel is all the typical ways. A haunted house, an unreliable narrator, a slow-building sense of dread, ghosts, and an ending with plenty left to the unknown.
I’ll read anything Kylie Lee Baker writes at this point. She’s great at cozy fantasy adventures, genre-bending ya fantasy, and she’s a damn QUEEN at horror.
Do yourself a favor and read this book and the rest of Kylie Lee Baker’s backlist while you’re at it.
Audiobook: 5/5
Narrator: Natalie Naudus | Style: Single narrator | Length: 10 hours 19 mins
Absolute perfection. Natalie Naudus is such an immensely talented narrator. I’ll listen to anything she narrates. Pacing, pausing, inflection, and voice variation are perfect per usual with her! Highly recommend this via audio!
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
What the f—k. That what this book feels like.
It twists and turns and loops back around.
It lies. It hides. And it tells truths you don’t want to hear.
and when its all done, you’ll reach for the play button to start it again.
The title of this book is a perfect fit. This is a gothic novel is all the typical ways. A haunted house, an unreliable narrator, a slow-building sense of dread, ghosts, and an ending with plenty left to the unknown.
I’ll read anything Kylie Lee Baker writes at this point. She’s great at cozy fantasy adventures, genre-bending ya fantasy, and she’s a damn QUEEN at horror.
Do yourself a favor and read this book and the rest of Kylie Lee Baker’s backlist while you’re at it.
Audiobook: 5/5
Narrator: Natalie Naudus | Style: Single narrator | Length: 10 hours 19 mins
Absolute perfection. Natalie Naudus is such an immensely talented narrator. I’ll listen to anything she narrates. Pacing, pausing, inflection, and voice variation are perfect per usual with her! Highly recommend this via audio!
5⭐️| IG | TikTok |
Thank you to the publisher for the gifted book. All opinions are my own.
April 26, 2026
2.5 Stars
Outlier alert! I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a good fit.
Lee is on hiatus from school and decides to travel with his dad to Japan. The house has some interesting history and was once the home of a Samurai hundreds of years ago. Told between two different timelines, one in the present with Lee and the other timeline from Sen’s perspective in the late 1800s as the daughter of a Samurai. How these two intersect is quite interesting and at times rather confusing and disjointed.
I had thought about putting this down and not finishing it during part one. The history of Samurai and warrior fighting kind of makes me glaze over. Historical fiction in general is iffy with me. I was just having a hard time immersing myself in either timeline. Then there was a tad bit of mythology thrown in just to confuse me even further. Part two sucked me in a little bit, and while I felt it read a little bit more YA, at least I was somewhat intrigued. Part three at the beginning still had my attention. I’m trying to figure out how it all is going together, and then I just got super confused. I understand what happened, but I can’t say I feel super satisfied with it. The mythology unfortunately went over my head.
From a character development standpoint, Sen was my favorite. There was just so much sadness in how her father treated her and the rest of her family.
This is obviously a me thing because there are so many glowing reviews for this book. I probably should have read the blurb before pre-ordering it. I really enjoyed this author’s previous novel and will certainly be interested in any future books for sure.
Outlier alert! I really wanted to like this, but unfortunately, it wasn’t a good fit.
Lee is on hiatus from school and decides to travel with his dad to Japan. The house has some interesting history and was once the home of a Samurai hundreds of years ago. Told between two different timelines, one in the present with Lee and the other timeline from Sen’s perspective in the late 1800s as the daughter of a Samurai. How these two intersect is quite interesting and at times rather confusing and disjointed.
I had thought about putting this down and not finishing it during part one. The history of Samurai and warrior fighting kind of makes me glaze over. Historical fiction in general is iffy with me. I was just having a hard time immersing myself in either timeline. Then there was a tad bit of mythology thrown in just to confuse me even further. Part two sucked me in a little bit, and while I felt it read a little bit more YA, at least I was somewhat intrigued. Part three at the beginning still had my attention. I’m trying to figure out how it all is going together, and then I just got super confused. I understand what happened, but I can’t say I feel super satisfied with it. The mythology unfortunately went over my head.
From a character development standpoint, Sen was my favorite. There was just so much sadness in how her father treated her and the rest of her family.
This is obviously a me thing because there are so many glowing reviews for this book. I probably should have read the blurb before pre-ordering it. I really enjoyed this author’s previous novel and will certainly be interested in any future books for sure.
Read
January 7, 2026
Book Riot’s Most Anticipated Books of 2026:
It's 2026, and Lee Turner doesn't know why he killed his college roommate. What he does know is that he needs to get out of New York, and that his father's new house in Japan might make the perfect hideout. But there's something wrong with the place— the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a sword-wielding woman appears at night. Then there's Sen, who, in 1877, is also in exile. She hides from the imperial soldiers in her family's house, and, on top of everything else, there's now a young foreign man who appears outside her window.
And the gag is? "One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie." —Erica Ezeifedi
It's 2026, and Lee Turner doesn't know why he killed his college roommate. What he does know is that he needs to get out of New York, and that his father's new house in Japan might make the perfect hideout. But there's something wrong with the place— the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a sword-wielding woman appears at night. Then there's Sen, who, in 1877, is also in exile. She hides from the imperial soldiers in her family's house, and, on top of everything else, there's now a young foreign man who appears outside her window.
And the gag is? "One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie." —Erica Ezeifedi
Currently Reading
May 5, 20262026 and 1877--a supernatural door that connects worlds in a Japanese house, uncovering dark secrets and ancient horrors beneath the sword ferns. It's a historical fiction with blend of Japanese mythology and gothic fiction.
Will the story blur lines between reality and delusion?
Let get into it.
Will the story blur lines between reality and delusion?
Let get into it.
Did Not Finish
April 29, 2026Unpopular opinion incoming!
It truly and honestly hurt to call it quits half of the way through Japanese Gothic. A genre-bending mashup of gothic horror and historical fiction, while there were some definite pluses, the negatives quite simply overrode them for this new-ish fan of horror. However, let me first start with what I loved. A eerie, chilling read of dark secrets, dysfunctional families, and mysterious pasts, the dream-like feel to this one was exceptionally well done. The sinister setting, however, was the best part of all. Claustrophobic and almost otherworldly, the evocative prose was an absolute hole in one. After all, the house itself almost felt like yet another character as the story dug itself into the building’s walls.
So what exactly didn’t I love about it, then? Well, first off, this is one heck of a slow burn. Shifting back and forth between 1877 and the present, while the haunting atmosphere absolutely oozed from the pages, the action never really began. That, sadly, leads me to my second problem. Focusing heavily on samurai history and Japanese mythology, my lack of knowledge in both really hampered my love for the storyline. That being said, I have a feeling this is going to be a big, giant hit for most readers out there. Touching on identity, legacy, and family, it was lyrical, imaginative, and fresh. Just be sure to check out the trigger warning first. After all, it was also oh so very gruesome. Rating: DNF.
SYNOPSIS:
October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge—his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.
October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father’s face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window.
One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.
Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it.
Thank you Kylie Lee Baker and Hanover Square Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: April 14, 2026
Content warning (incomplete): murder, missing person, drug use, addiction, mental illness, gore, mention of: human trafficking, bullying
It truly and honestly hurt to call it quits half of the way through Japanese Gothic. A genre-bending mashup of gothic horror and historical fiction, while there were some definite pluses, the negatives quite simply overrode them for this new-ish fan of horror. However, let me first start with what I loved. A eerie, chilling read of dark secrets, dysfunctional families, and mysterious pasts, the dream-like feel to this one was exceptionally well done. The sinister setting, however, was the best part of all. Claustrophobic and almost otherworldly, the evocative prose was an absolute hole in one. After all, the house itself almost felt like yet another character as the story dug itself into the building’s walls.
So what exactly didn’t I love about it, then? Well, first off, this is one heck of a slow burn. Shifting back and forth between 1877 and the present, while the haunting atmosphere absolutely oozed from the pages, the action never really began. That, sadly, leads me to my second problem. Focusing heavily on samurai history and Japanese mythology, my lack of knowledge in both really hampered my love for the storyline. That being said, I have a feeling this is going to be a big, giant hit for most readers out there. Touching on identity, legacy, and family, it was lyrical, imaginative, and fresh. Just be sure to check out the trigger warning first. After all, it was also oh so very gruesome. Rating: DNF.
SYNOPSIS:
October, 2026: Lee Turner doesn’t remember how or why he killed his college roommate. The details are blurred and bloody. All he knows is he has to flee New York and go to the one place that might offer refuge—his father’s new home in Japan, a house hidden by sword ferns and wild ginger. But something is terribly wrong with the house: no animals will come near it, the bedroom window isn't always a window, and a woman with a sword appears in the yard when night falls.
October, 1877: Sen is a young samurai in exile, hiding from the imperial soldiers in a house behind the sword ferns. A monster came home from war wearing her father’s face, but Sen would do anything to please him, even turn her sword on her own mother. She knows the soldiers will soon slaughter her whole family when she sees a terrible omen: a young foreign man who appears outside her window.
One of these people is a ghost, and one of these stories is a lie.
Something is hiding beneath the house of sword ferns, and Lee and Sen will soon wish they never unburied it.
Thank you Kylie Lee Baker and Hanover Square Press for my complimentary copy. All opinions are my own.
PUB DATE: April 14, 2026
Content warning (incomplete): murder, missing person, drug use, addiction, mental illness, gore, mention of: human trafficking, bullying
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Happy release day! 💕💕
Even though his father was handsome, and kind, and wellspoken, everything Lee was not, inside they were exactly the same: They wanted the truth, no matter how ugly. They craved it the way wolves craved wet flesh and hot blood and pain. They needed it, even when they knew it would hurt.
I am going to say right out the gate that Baker is a very gifted writer and I found that this was such an easy and engaging reading experience. The vibes of this book were so effortlessly cool and there was moments while reading this where I was having flashbacks to how moody, eerie and utterly terrifying the Japanese horror movies of my youth were.
As is always the case with horrors, I don’t want to go too into the details of the plot, because half the joy in these sorts of books is seeing it all unfold. I thought that the way that the story intertwined the dual timelines was very clever though. Lee in 2026 with his missing murdered roommate and the trauma from the loss of his mother, and Sen in 1877, one of the last samurai, in hiding with her family while dealing with the weight of her fathers expectations.
I will put a bit of a caveat on my thoughts about this one because I potentially might have set myself up a little bit here. I had a fantastic run of thriller and horror books recently and whilst they have all be slightly different niche genres, this was the third one I had picked up in a row and I was perhaps more ready for a change of pace than I realised and was a little less ‘glued to my kindle’ than I might have been otherwise.
The ending didn’t completely land for me; some elements were a bit predictable and it got a little too fever dreamy for my preference. However, given that this was my first foray into Bakers work I am incredibly excited to see what future ideas she releases and to pick up Bat Eater which has been in my TBR for a while now.
The vibes of ‘Japanese Gothic’ were haunting, gory and very eerie, with solid writing and engaging story telling. This will easily be one of the strongest horror releases for the year and it is a title well earned.
As always, I had a blast tackling this one with Teru; one of the people I can trust to almost always be on the same page when it comes to reading weird shit 😂😂❤️.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
Consider following my instagram
Even though his father was handsome, and kind, and wellspoken, everything Lee was not, inside they were exactly the same: They wanted the truth, no matter how ugly. They craved it the way wolves craved wet flesh and hot blood and pain. They needed it, even when they knew it would hurt.
I am going to say right out the gate that Baker is a very gifted writer and I found that this was such an easy and engaging reading experience. The vibes of this book were so effortlessly cool and there was moments while reading this where I was having flashbacks to how moody, eerie and utterly terrifying the Japanese horror movies of my youth were.
As is always the case with horrors, I don’t want to go too into the details of the plot, because half the joy in these sorts of books is seeing it all unfold. I thought that the way that the story intertwined the dual timelines was very clever though. Lee in 2026 with his missing murdered roommate and the trauma from the loss of his mother, and Sen in 1877, one of the last samurai, in hiding with her family while dealing with the weight of her fathers expectations.
I will put a bit of a caveat on my thoughts about this one because I potentially might have set myself up a little bit here. I had a fantastic run of thriller and horror books recently and whilst they have all be slightly different niche genres, this was the third one I had picked up in a row and I was perhaps more ready for a change of pace than I realised and was a little less ‘glued to my kindle’ than I might have been otherwise.
The ending didn’t completely land for me; some elements were a bit predictable and it got a little too fever dreamy for my preference. However, given that this was my first foray into Bakers work I am incredibly excited to see what future ideas she releases and to pick up Bat Eater which has been in my TBR for a while now.
The vibes of ‘Japanese Gothic’ were haunting, gory and very eerie, with solid writing and engaging story telling. This will easily be one of the strongest horror releases for the year and it is a title well earned.
As always, I had a blast tackling this one with Teru; one of the people I can trust to almost always be on the same page when it comes to reading weird shit 😂😂❤️.
Thank you to NetGalley and Hodder & Stoughton for the opportunity to read and review this eARC.
Consider following my instagram
December 16, 2025
From the author of the dark and impressive “Bat Eater and Other Names For Cora Zeng” comes another novel that’s very different but even more of a banger. This book is such a creative and impactful accomplishment. It completely blew my mind apart.
You are given two storylines. One in the past, involving the daughter of a Samurai who is being trained to follow in her father’s footsteps through cold and bloody instruction. The other is in present day and concerns a college student who is convinced he’s a psychopath and a killer himself, but can’t remember why. There’s a LOT going on in each thread, and the way that Baker gradually weaves them together is masterful. The little twists are so satisfying, the details of the prose rich and vivid. There are creative parallels between the timelines that connect the two main characters and make their storylines similar.
This book is really disturbing and violent, considerably more so than “Bat Eater,” with some pages practically dripping blood. The story isn’t simply horror though, and almost has a fantastical element to it as well, going to places I was not expecting. (Without spoiling anything, do not go into this asking for your feet to remain grounded in reality.) A lot of it felt like I was heading towards an inevitable conclusion that was just going to break my heart. I cared about the two main characters, even the one who may or may not be a straight-up murderer. I could not stop reading, even with this foreboding feeling.
I could easily see this being very triggering for some people, due to its detailed exploration of psychopathy and mental illness and the violence that results (for this particular character.) There is also some pretty horrific domestic abuse. Please be aware.
This is one of the best early review books I’ve read in a while. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, given the gory violence and overall troubling subject matter, but I’m so impressed with the storytelling and the character work. It’s one that I’ll be thinking about for a while and it’s a favorite read of the year for sure! I will revisit it at some point as I believe there will be more to discover on a second read.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Substance abuse, Animal harm/death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism/Fetishism, Harm to children, Gore, Suicidal ideation
You are given two storylines. One in the past, involving the daughter of a Samurai who is being trained to follow in her father’s footsteps through cold and bloody instruction. The other is in present day and concerns a college student who is convinced he’s a psychopath and a killer himself, but can’t remember why. There’s a LOT going on in each thread, and the way that Baker gradually weaves them together is masterful. The little twists are so satisfying, the details of the prose rich and vivid. There are creative parallels between the timelines that connect the two main characters and make their storylines similar.
This book is really disturbing and violent, considerably more so than “Bat Eater,” with some pages practically dripping blood. The story isn’t simply horror though, and almost has a fantastical element to it as well, going to places I was not expecting. (Without spoiling anything, do not go into this asking for your feet to remain grounded in reality.) A lot of it felt like I was heading towards an inevitable conclusion that was just going to break my heart. I cared about the two main characters, even the one who may or may not be a straight-up murderer. I could not stop reading, even with this foreboding feeling.
I could easily see this being very triggering for some people, due to its detailed exploration of psychopathy and mental illness and the violence that results (for this particular character.) There is also some pretty horrific domestic abuse. Please be aware.
This is one of the best early review books I’ve read in a while. It’s definitely not for the faint of heart, given the gory violence and overall troubling subject matter, but I’m so impressed with the storytelling and the character work. It’s one that I’ll be thinking about for a while and it’s a favorite read of the year for sure! I will revisit it at some point as I believe there will be more to discover on a second read.
Thank you to Netgalley and to the publisher for this ARC in exchange for an honest review! All opinions are my own.
Biggest TW: Substance abuse, Animal harm/death, Domestic abuse, Misogyny, Racism/Fetishism, Harm to children, Gore, Suicidal ideation
Want to Read
August 15, 2025currently hyperventilating over everything about this
♡ Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng ★★★★★
♡ Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng ★★★★★
April 28, 2026
I always find it difficult to review books that I strictly listened to on audio, particularly books like this which have elements of surrealism in which the dream/fantasy world merges with reality. There's also a lot going on here, much of it illusory, despite the relatively slow pace.
I found the opening of Japanese Gothic, when we are just in Lee's timeline, a little spooky and even uncanny at times. Throughout the book, Lee's chapters were the more interesting to me, even though he was the less sympathetic protagonist. The constant rinse, wash, repeat of the relationship between Sen and her father got tiresome and frustrating.
There was a trope introduced fairly early on that I don't particularly like, and that ruined some of the effectiveness of the story. However, I think Kylie Lee Baker really flexed her literary muscles and produced some beautiful writing in Japanese Gothic, and the way the element of Japanese folklore tied the threads loosely together at the end, without spelling everything out (which is my personal preference), gave me a greater appreciation for the book overall. I will certainly look forward to her next book.
I found the opening of Japanese Gothic, when we are just in Lee's timeline, a little spooky and even uncanny at times. Throughout the book, Lee's chapters were the more interesting to me, even though he was the less sympathetic protagonist. The constant rinse, wash, repeat of the relationship between Sen and her father got tiresome and frustrating.
There was a trope introduced fairly early on that I don't particularly like, and that ruined some of the effectiveness of the story. However, I think Kylie Lee Baker really flexed her literary muscles and produced some beautiful writing in Japanese Gothic, and the way the element of Japanese folklore tied the threads loosely together at the end, without spelling everything out (which is my personal preference), gave me a greater appreciation for the book overall. I will certainly look forward to her next book.
Did Not Finish
April 1, 2026✨🗡️ Japanese Gothic 🗡️✨
This was painfully slow for me. I wanted to love this so much going in, but I really struggled to stay engaged. I never connected to the characters or the story, which made it hard to stay invested.
The pacing just didn’t work for me, and I found myself losing interest pretty early on.
The narration also didn’t help. It felt just as slow as the story, which made it even harder to push through.
🖤 What to Expect
• Dual timeline horror
• Haunted house
• Japanese mythology
• Samurai era
• Ghosts and possession
• Family secrets
• Psychological horror
_ _ _
📅 Pub Date: April 14, 2026
📝 Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
This was painfully slow for me. I wanted to love this so much going in, but I really struggled to stay engaged. I never connected to the characters or the story, which made it hard to stay invested.
The pacing just didn’t work for me, and I found myself losing interest pretty early on.
The narration also didn’t help. It felt just as slow as the story, which made it even harder to push through.
🖤 What to Expect
• Dual timeline horror
• Haunted house
• Japanese mythology
• Samurai era
• Ghosts and possession
• Family secrets
• Psychological horror
_ _ _
📅 Pub Date: April 14, 2026
📝 Thank you to Harlequin Audio and NetGalley for the advanced listening copy. All thoughts are my own.
January 28, 2026
Starred review in the January 2026 issue Library Journal
Interview with the author in the same issue here: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/...
Three Words That Describe This Book: two time frames, dreamlike/nightmarish, strong sense of place
Draft Review: Baker’s second adult (Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng) firmly cements her place as one of Horror’s rising stars. At the center of this novel is the house of sword ferns, hidden off the main road in a small Japanese town to where in October of 2026, Lee has fled after killing his NYU roommate. Where in October of 1877, Sen, the daughter of the last samurai, is also hiding (and training) as imperial guards seek to kill them. When Lee discovers that he and Sen can cross into each other’s world, they find that their connection across the centuries may be more than just chance. Readers will fall into Baker’s storytelling easily as Lee and Sen share their thoughts and feelings, realizing there are both missing key details about their lives, but if they work together they might be able to find the peace they are each desperately seeking. Hopefully, before it is too late*. A spectacular, thought provoking, and chilling story about how the past ties itself *to the present in ways humans cannot comprehend or explain, and that may be the most terrifying realization of all.
Verdict: Readers will savor every minute they spend at the house of sword ferns; they may even want to go back and start all over again after finishing it*. For fans of disorienting, heartbreakingly beautiful nightmares like Cassandra Khaw’s The Salt Grows Heavy T. Kingfisher’s Hollow Places and John Langan’s exceptional The Fisherman.
Okay I liked Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng-- Baker's first adult Horror novel. I liked it a lot. But I loved this. Best 2026 title I have read yet.
In interviews Baker called this her samurai horror novel when she was working on it . I get why but that is not enough to explain what to expect.
At its core this is a story tied to a specific place-- the house of sword ferns-- in Japan and two young people-- Lee in October 2026 and Sen in October 1877-- who are able to connect across time through a wall in their rooms.
what readers know about each at the start is little-- Lee has murdered his NYU roommate and flees to the remote home in Japan where his father recently relocated. Lee has a strained relationship with his dad especially since his mom disappeared when Lee was small.
Sen lives in the same remote house but almost 2 centuries earlier. Her family fled there after her Dad, was the only surviving samurai after they went to rebel again the government. He should have died (or killed himself), but somehow he made it back and hid the family because they are in mortal danger. He is still training Sen, his daughter and the child with the most promise to be a samurai.
That is all the plot I want to give you, but what I also want share a bit about how it is written. Baker allows the characters-- Lee and Sen to speak for themselves meaning we see what they see, and we can only know what they know. But both also know there are things they should know, or might know, and those are memories they can feel but cannot grasp fully.
Readers will fall into Baker's storytelling easily. Even though the setups I describe above might make you say....hey what, I need more info, he murdered his roommate?!?!?!.... just trust that she will get you where you need to go. The writing has a dreamlike, even fair tale quality-- but a dream that can also be a nightmare.
I had no problem trusting Baker to lead me where she wanted to take me-- and as a professional book reviewer, trust me, I don;t always trust the writer that easily. But she was doing it with her prose. It was awesome.
And it all wraps up perfectly. A great ending that leaves readers satisfied that they "understand" what they just read but without it all being tied up in a mechanical way. The conclusion is dreamlike and beautiful while also nightmarish and heartbreaking. Just like the entire book.
This is at its core a story about how the past is tied to the present in ways we may not understand but those of us who are looking-- can see. It is about humanity and its problems. It is about how fragile and how strong we are. And it is about the spirit/force that oversees us mortals as well. It is literal and metaphorical. Thought provoking and also emotional. Impressive.
It is a great reading experience from start to finish. Worth every minute you spend at the house of sword ferns. In fact, after finishing it, I wanted to go back and start it all over again.
This is NOT a readlaike for Mexican Gothic despite what the title will make you think. It is more like Hollow Places by Kingfisher, Linghun by Jang or Nothing But Blackened Teeth or The Salt Grows Heavy by Khaw and even The Fisherman by John Langan. Also Here-- the graphic novel by Maguire is a great readalike but not horror.
Interview with the author in the same issue here: https://www.libraryjournal.com/story/...
Three Words That Describe This Book: two time frames, dreamlike/nightmarish, strong sense of place
Draft Review: Baker’s second adult (Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng) firmly cements her place as one of Horror’s rising stars. At the center of this novel is the house of sword ferns, hidden off the main road in a small Japanese town to where in October of 2026, Lee has fled after killing his NYU roommate. Where in October of 1877, Sen, the daughter of the last samurai, is also hiding (and training) as imperial guards seek to kill them. When Lee discovers that he and Sen can cross into each other’s world, they find that their connection across the centuries may be more than just chance. Readers will fall into Baker’s storytelling easily as Lee and Sen share their thoughts and feelings, realizing there are both missing key details about their lives, but if they work together they might be able to find the peace they are each desperately seeking. Hopefully, before it is too late*. A spectacular, thought provoking, and chilling story about how the past ties itself *to the present in ways humans cannot comprehend or explain, and that may be the most terrifying realization of all.
Verdict: Readers will savor every minute they spend at the house of sword ferns; they may even want to go back and start all over again after finishing it*. For fans of disorienting, heartbreakingly beautiful nightmares like Cassandra Khaw’s The Salt Grows Heavy T. Kingfisher’s Hollow Places and John Langan’s exceptional The Fisherman.
Okay I liked Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng-- Baker's first adult Horror novel. I liked it a lot. But I loved this. Best 2026 title I have read yet.
In interviews Baker called this her samurai horror novel when she was working on it . I get why but that is not enough to explain what to expect.
At its core this is a story tied to a specific place-- the house of sword ferns-- in Japan and two young people-- Lee in October 2026 and Sen in October 1877-- who are able to connect across time through a wall in their rooms.
what readers know about each at the start is little-- Lee has murdered his NYU roommate and flees to the remote home in Japan where his father recently relocated. Lee has a strained relationship with his dad especially since his mom disappeared when Lee was small.
Sen lives in the same remote house but almost 2 centuries earlier. Her family fled there after her Dad, was the only surviving samurai after they went to rebel again the government. He should have died (or killed himself), but somehow he made it back and hid the family because they are in mortal danger. He is still training Sen, his daughter and the child with the most promise to be a samurai.
That is all the plot I want to give you, but what I also want share a bit about how it is written. Baker allows the characters-- Lee and Sen to speak for themselves meaning we see what they see, and we can only know what they know. But both also know there are things they should know, or might know, and those are memories they can feel but cannot grasp fully.
Readers will fall into Baker's storytelling easily. Even though the setups I describe above might make you say....hey what, I need more info, he murdered his roommate?!?!?!.... just trust that she will get you where you need to go. The writing has a dreamlike, even fair tale quality-- but a dream that can also be a nightmare.
I had no problem trusting Baker to lead me where she wanted to take me-- and as a professional book reviewer, trust me, I don;t always trust the writer that easily. But she was doing it with her prose. It was awesome.
And it all wraps up perfectly. A great ending that leaves readers satisfied that they "understand" what they just read but without it all being tied up in a mechanical way. The conclusion is dreamlike and beautiful while also nightmarish and heartbreaking. Just like the entire book.
This is at its core a story about how the past is tied to the present in ways we may not understand but those of us who are looking-- can see. It is about humanity and its problems. It is about how fragile and how strong we are. And it is about the spirit/force that oversees us mortals as well. It is literal and metaphorical. Thought provoking and also emotional. Impressive.
It is a great reading experience from start to finish. Worth every minute you spend at the house of sword ferns. In fact, after finishing it, I wanted to go back and start it all over again.
This is NOT a readlaike for Mexican Gothic despite what the title will make you think. It is more like Hollow Places by Kingfisher, Linghun by Jang or Nothing But Blackened Teeth or The Salt Grows Heavy by Khaw and even The Fisherman by John Langan. Also Here-- the graphic novel by Maguire is a great readalike but not horror.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
3.5/5
I requested this on NetGalley because the description sounded cool. How could I pass a gothic horror with a Japanese setting and the promise of samurai and a haunted house tucked behind sword ferns?
For the most part, the story worked. Not always, as my rating suggests, but often enough to keep me turning pages. The book is extremely readable. It moves, and even when I wasn’t fully convinced by where it was going, I still wanted to see what would happen next.
The dual timeline structure is one of its strengths. In 1877, we follow Sen, a young samurai whose family is already cracking under pressure. Her father returns from war wrong. Not in a subtle way. Sen’s chapters are easily the best part of the book. I believed her. I wanted better for her.
The modern timeline, following Lee, didn’t hit as hard for me. His guilt, his fractured memories, and the mystery around his roommate’s death are intriguing on paper. In practice, I struggled to fully connect. His development felt thinner, and sometimes more reactive than active. He’s intense, but not always in a way that deepens him. Compared to Sen, he feels less fully formed.
That said, the plot can get murky. Some of the supernatural rules remain unclear. Usually I don’t mind a bit of ambiguity, especially in gothic horror, but here it sometimes left me confused. The final stretch, in particular, goes a bit sideways.
The writing is very readable, almost compulsively so. But occasionally it tips into what I can only describe as “too emo” for my taste. Lines about blood compared to shattered glass and kerosene-type imagery pop up. Some readers will love that heightened style. For me, it sometimes pulled me out of the moment instead of deepening it. That’s subjective, though. I completely understand why others rate this higher.
I also think this is very much a "right book, right reader" situation. If you’re into Japanese history, samurai during the fall of their class, time-bending plots, and heavy gothic vibes, there’s a strong chance you’ll love this more than I did. Besides, Sen alone makes it worth reading.
In the end, I liked it. I admired parts of it. I just didn’t fully connect with all of it.
I requested this on NetGalley because the description sounded cool. How could I pass a gothic horror with a Japanese setting and the promise of samurai and a haunted house tucked behind sword ferns?
For the most part, the story worked. Not always, as my rating suggests, but often enough to keep me turning pages. The book is extremely readable. It moves, and even when I wasn’t fully convinced by where it was going, I still wanted to see what would happen next.
The dual timeline structure is one of its strengths. In 1877, we follow Sen, a young samurai whose family is already cracking under pressure. Her father returns from war wrong. Not in a subtle way. Sen’s chapters are easily the best part of the book. I believed her. I wanted better for her.
The modern timeline, following Lee, didn’t hit as hard for me. His guilt, his fractured memories, and the mystery around his roommate’s death are intriguing on paper. In practice, I struggled to fully connect. His development felt thinner, and sometimes more reactive than active. He’s intense, but not always in a way that deepens him. Compared to Sen, he feels less fully formed.
That said, the plot can get murky. Some of the supernatural rules remain unclear. Usually I don’t mind a bit of ambiguity, especially in gothic horror, but here it sometimes left me confused. The final stretch, in particular, goes a bit sideways.
The writing is very readable, almost compulsively so. But occasionally it tips into what I can only describe as “too emo” for my taste. Lines about blood compared to shattered glass and kerosene-type imagery pop up. Some readers will love that heightened style. For me, it sometimes pulled me out of the moment instead of deepening it. That’s subjective, though. I completely understand why others rate this higher.
I also think this is very much a "right book, right reader" situation. If you’re into Japanese history, samurai during the fall of their class, time-bending plots, and heavy gothic vibes, there’s a strong chance you’ll love this more than I did. Besides, Sen alone makes it worth reading.
In the end, I liked it. I admired parts of it. I just didn’t fully connect with all of it.
May 1, 2026
This is my third Kylie Lee Baker read, and she always delivers an intriguing premise. In her latest release, two characters living in the same house— Lee Turner in 2026 and Sen in 1877—can somehow see and interact with one another; they need to figure out the mysterious circumstances surrounding their lives that have caused their timelines to intersect.
It was an intriguing premise, and I can never resist a gothic tale laced with hidden samurai and ghosts. Fair warning, my review involves a lot of contrasts! It took quite a while for the story to make me sit up and pay attention. There are moments of beautiful writing, and there are also moments where I felt like I was missing the point the author was trying to make. I was impatient for Lee and Sen to just reveal all, but they were also trying to figure it all out. Japanese Gothic has more of a slow-burning approach for all the pieces to start falling together.
Both Lee and Sen have authoritative fathers, and what they both endure is sometimes hard to read. The mystery surrounding Lee's roommate and whether he did or didn't murder him was both confusing and suspenseful. Ultimately, Kylie Lee Baker may be convincing me that I like horror-esque fiction more than I let on.
On my Kylie Lee Baker scale, I liked this one for its scents of The Scarlet Alchemist, but didn't feel it made as much of a bang as Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng. Again, just my personal views, and they may be glaringly different from others. Just please check out the author and her books!
Publication Date 14/04/26
Goodreads review 24/04/26
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
It was an intriguing premise, and I can never resist a gothic tale laced with hidden samurai and ghosts. Fair warning, my review involves a lot of contrasts! It took quite a while for the story to make me sit up and pay attention. There are moments of beautiful writing, and there are also moments where I felt like I was missing the point the author was trying to make. I was impatient for Lee and Sen to just reveal all, but they were also trying to figure it all out. Japanese Gothic has more of a slow-burning approach for all the pieces to start falling together.
Both Lee and Sen have authoritative fathers, and what they both endure is sometimes hard to read. The mystery surrounding Lee's roommate and whether he did or didn't murder him was both confusing and suspenseful. Ultimately, Kylie Lee Baker may be convincing me that I like horror-esque fiction more than I let on.
On my Kylie Lee Baker scale, I liked this one for its scents of The Scarlet Alchemist, but didn't feel it made as much of a bang as Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng. Again, just my personal views, and they may be glaringly different from others. Just please check out the author and her books!
Publication Date 14/04/26
Goodreads review 24/04/26
Thanks to NetGalley and Harlequin Trade Publishing | Hanover Square Press for access to this title. All opinions expressed are my own.
April 24, 2026
4⭐️ This Gothic horror novel is mysterious, dark, and suspenseful, weaving Japanese mythology with a samurai ghost story. Told from the point of view of Lee Turner, disturbed college student suffering from trauma and mental illness after the disappearance of his mother when he was 12 and Sen, a female samurai that lived 150 years ago.
After murdering his roommate Lee flees to a remote old house to stay with his father in Japan. Lee is not well. Much of the story is inside Lee’s mind and back and forth from Cambodia when his mom disappeared to present day in Japan.
The house is haunted by Sen who lived in the house 150 years prior and appears through a portal in Lee’s closet connecting the two timelines.
This book sucked me in with the two timelines, and I really enjoyed the friendship between Lee and Sen, but it was sometimes confusing what was real and what was in Lee’s mind.
In between their chapters are those containing Japanese mythology that connects it all. The ending used this myth to wrap everything up perfectly.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
After murdering his roommate Lee flees to a remote old house to stay with his father in Japan. Lee is not well. Much of the story is inside Lee’s mind and back and forth from Cambodia when his mom disappeared to present day in Japan.
The house is haunted by Sen who lived in the house 150 years prior and appears through a portal in Lee’s closet connecting the two timelines.
This book sucked me in with the two timelines, and I really enjoyed the friendship between Lee and Sen, but it was sometimes confusing what was real and what was in Lee’s mind.
In between their chapters are those containing Japanese mythology that connects it all. The ending used this myth to wrap everything up perfectly.
Thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Press for the eARC in exchange for my honest review.
January 9, 2026
Thank you HTP for the early copy!
Baker is a masterful storyteller. Strong themes of self exploration and familial expectations. Beautifully written, expertly crafted
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThF6RyCD/
Baker is a masterful storyteller. Strong themes of self exploration and familial expectations. Beautifully written, expertly crafted
https://www.tiktok.com/t/ZThF6RyCD/
May 5, 2026
2.5
This one had plenty of hype, but it just didn’t land for me. The mythology felt dense and hard to follow, like I was missing something the whole time. Way over my head. On top of that, the pacing dragged—it moved so slowly I had to push myself to stay engaged.
Not a bad book, just not my kind of read.
This one had plenty of hype, but it just didn’t land for me. The mythology felt dense and hard to follow, like I was missing something the whole time. Way over my head. On top of that, the pacing dragged—it moved so slowly I had to push myself to stay engaged.
Not a bad book, just not my kind of read.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Okay so… this just wasn’t what I thought it was going to be.
I went in expecting creepy gothic horror vibes and instead got a kind of jumbled paranormal fever dream where things happen but I never really felt scared or even unsettled. It leaned more into mind bendy moments than actual horror, which is fine in theory, but the execution didn’t fully land.
The concept and idea seemed awesome, super unique and definitely doing its own thing. However the plot felt scattered at times and I was never fully locked in. I kept waiting for the story to click into place emotionally and it just didn’t.
My biggest issue was the characters. They felt pretty paper thin, and that made it hard to care when strange or intense things were happening. If you’re going to give me chaos and paranormal weirdness, I need either
terrifying horror or characters i’m emotionally attached to.
I didn’t really get either. I can totally see this working for the right reader, it’s original, it’s strange, and it definitely marches to the beat of its own haunted little drum. I just needed more horror or stronger character work for it to truly work for me.
I went in expecting creepy gothic horror vibes and instead got a kind of jumbled paranormal fever dream where things happen but I never really felt scared or even unsettled. It leaned more into mind bendy moments than actual horror, which is fine in theory, but the execution didn’t fully land.
The concept and idea seemed awesome, super unique and definitely doing its own thing. However the plot felt scattered at times and I was never fully locked in. I kept waiting for the story to click into place emotionally and it just didn’t.
My biggest issue was the characters. They felt pretty paper thin, and that made it hard to care when strange or intense things were happening. If you’re going to give me chaos and paranormal weirdness, I need either
terrifying horror or characters i’m emotionally attached to.
I didn’t really get either. I can totally see this working for the right reader, it’s original, it’s strange, and it definitely marches to the beat of its own haunted little drum. I just needed more horror or stronger character work for it to truly work for me.
Did Not Finish
May 7, 2026CANT TAKE ANYMORE. Been stuck on this book for two weeks!!! DNF RTC
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