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Japanese Gothic
In this lyrical, wildly inventive horror novel interwoven with Japanese mythology, two people living centuries apart discover a door between their worlds.
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.
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.
352 pages, ebook
First published April 14, 2026
About the author
Kylie Lee Baker
18 books3,405 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 6,680 reviews
November 30, 2025
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
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!
April 15, 2026
Phenomenal!!! If you’re looking for a book that fills you with a sense of impending doom where you constantly feel like something terrible is going to happen, look no further!!
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!!
May 5, 2026
Fantastically written and oozing with atmosphere! Truly unlike anything I’ve read recently.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
Normally, for Lee, all the jagged puzzle pieces of the world lay tight and flat against each other. But sometimes, Lee found anomalies—like this stain—where dark chasms opened up between what he saw and what he knew to be true.
Going into this, I was very intrigued by the stylistic differences between the UK and US covers.
Having now read it, I have to wonder: what in the day of the triffids is going on with the UK cover?
I mean, it's certainly eye-catching. But the campy classic horror it suggests is at odds with this haunting historical tale that unites one of the last samurai with a modern-day man dealing with repressed trauma.
It contains some horror tropes— a heavy dose of gore and body horror; creepy house; ghosts —but also seems to only loosely fit in the genre. Maybe because it is one of those rare books that actually feels very original, as if it is doing its own thing outside the confines of genre. I've certainly never read anything like it before.
The dual timelines split the story between that of Lee Turner in 2026 and that of Sen in 1877. Lee is dealing with a lot— the longstanding trauma of his mother's unexplained disappearance coupled with the fact that he recently killed his roommate. The problem is he can't remember why he did it or where he hid the body, all of it complicated by his reliance on a steady stream of drugs.
Lee flees to his father's home in Japan, but it soon becomes clear that something is very wrong with the new house.
Sen is living in hiding with her family and her monstrous samurai father. All of them know it's only a matter of time before the soldiers come to rid Japan of the few remaining samurai, and Sen's father forces her to follow a brutal training regimen in the hopes she will be able to defend the family if he is absent.
Then a link, a door of sorts, opens across time, bringing Lee and Sen together and forcing them to uncover secrets and face some hard truths together.
The house itself remains a powerful and eerie presence throughout, bridging the past and future. While I felt some of the drug effects and dreams/visions became a little too disorienting— making it unclear at times whether certain plot points really took place or not —there was such a strong sense of atmosphere and a truly unique story being told that I found it forgivable.
And, like all good horror, there's more being said here than first meets the eye. Both Lee's and Sen's stories are ultimately tales of children forcing themselves into boxes, putting on performances, for parents who don't deserve it, as well as being about the truly damaging effects of parental gaslighting.
This won't be my last read by Baker.
May 12, 2026
Wow. What a beautifully crafted book. The ending completely transformed my experience, saving the story in such a profound way. Until that moment, I was filled with frustration and annoyance, but that conclusion left me in a state of emotional upheaval. Tears kept flowing as I finished, and I truly believe this author has a remarkable talent for delivering powerful endings to complex stories.
The atmosphere of the book, with its gradual buildup of tension and anxiety, was incredibly effective. The detailed descriptions of the house and setting contributed profoundly to this feeling, immersing me in a world where every element made me feel increasingly trapped and uneasy.
This story revolves around two incredibly lonely souls who discover in each other a kindred spirit. They don't face issues in the typical sense, rather, they deal with similar struggles, and watching their bond develop was truly touching. For me, that bond felt like genuine friendship, a sense of family. Although others might interpret their relationship as romantic, I perceived it as something more profound.
Lee was my favorite protagonist among the two in the story. The narrative is presented in a dual point of view and timeline, and his chapters captivated me the most. He was an overwhelmingly sad and lonely boy hiding a horrifying secret, one so disturbing that he had to destroy himself to believe his own lies. His character deeply resonated with me, tugging at my heartstrings in a way few characters have.
Sen was a much more complicated character for me to connect with. Despite sharing similarities with Lee, I struggled to relate to her. From the very beginning, she struck me as unlikable. Her lines often came across as cringeworthy, making her hard to take seriously. She appeared to embody the classic cold, lost girl archetype, a protagonist shaped by her daddy issues, which drove me to near madness with frustration. However, by the end of the story, I found myself somewhat sympathizing with her. I started to see past her walls and realize she was stronger than she believed, loving her toxic family in a way I may never fully understand. And you know what? That’s okay because, for her, that love was enough.
What more can I say? Honestly, I was inclined to give this story just one star until I reached the third part of the book. That was when everything clicked for me, and I started to see the story from a new perspective, with renewed feelings.
In conclusion, I know I will have a hard time healing after that ending, as it left my emotions raw and deeply affected.
The atmosphere of the book, with its gradual buildup of tension and anxiety, was incredibly effective. The detailed descriptions of the house and setting contributed profoundly to this feeling, immersing me in a world where every element made me feel increasingly trapped and uneasy.
This story revolves around two incredibly lonely souls who discover in each other a kindred spirit. They don't face issues in the typical sense, rather, they deal with similar struggles, and watching their bond develop was truly touching. For me, that bond felt like genuine friendship, a sense of family. Although others might interpret their relationship as romantic, I perceived it as something more profound.
Lee was my favorite protagonist among the two in the story. The narrative is presented in a dual point of view and timeline, and his chapters captivated me the most. He was an overwhelmingly sad and lonely boy hiding a horrifying secret, one so disturbing that he had to destroy himself to believe his own lies. His character deeply resonated with me, tugging at my heartstrings in a way few characters have.
Sen was a much more complicated character for me to connect with. Despite sharing similarities with Lee, I struggled to relate to her. From the very beginning, she struck me as unlikable. Her lines often came across as cringeworthy, making her hard to take seriously. She appeared to embody the classic cold, lost girl archetype, a protagonist shaped by her daddy issues, which drove me to near madness with frustration. However, by the end of the story, I found myself somewhat sympathizing with her. I started to see past her walls and realize she was stronger than she believed, loving her toxic family in a way I may never fully understand. And you know what? That’s okay because, for her, that love was enough.
What more can I say? Honestly, I was inclined to give this story just one star until I reached the third part of the book. That was when everything clicked for me, and I started to see the story from a new perspective, with renewed feelings.
In conclusion, I know I will have a hard time healing after that ending, as it left my emotions raw and deeply affected.
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
My first 5-star read of 2026!!!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, okay. Japanese Gothic. Is this going to be for everyone? No, most likely not. Was it for me though? Hell yes!
I am blown away by how unique, beautiful and creative this story is. It's tragic. It's challenging and captivating. It hurt my head a little and my heart a lot.
I finished this novel close to a month ago, and have been sitting with it in my mind ever since. As it turns out, this is going to be one of those cases for me that I love a book so much, I really don't know how to review it.
There's only so many ways one can say, this is amazing.
Kylie Lee Baker is so versatile in her writing, and this is a clear example of her tremendous talent. I think maybe for Readers who have only read Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng from her, they might be surprised by this one.
For Readers who have read her earlier works, such as The Keeper of the Night, or The Scarlet Alchemist duologies, both of which I recommend, this may be less of a surprise.
Those Horror Fantasy duologies both leaned heavily into more historical settings. In The Keeper of the Night duology, we also had the incorporation of Japanese folklore and mythology explored through a Horror lens.
In Japanese Gothic, it feels like KLB is blending both her earlier works with Bat Eater, and I mean this style-wise, as we have two main characters, Lee, living in our modern world in 2026, and Sen, living in historic Japan in 1877.
After Lee flees New York under distressing circumstances, he goes to stay in his father's new home in Japan. A house with a haunting aura and history.
It's in this location that Lee's and Sen's worlds end up colliding. So there's this beautiful blend of the modern with the historical. It's a story of two times, two worlds, but how are they connected, and why?
This book is such a journey, such a ride. I was so curious about how KLB was going to work these two perspectives and I loved how it was done. The way we learn about the characters through their experiences with one another, it unfolded in such a natural way.
I definitely crept up on me. I didn't know how invested I was until the events began to escalate and become higher stakes. I loved the mystery of it as well. There's no info dumping as to what is going on here, or why, it just evolves.
The revelations at the end, the truth of what's going on with these characters and the connection, it was jaw-dropping and incredible. I was in awe of what KLB did here.
I could see this one going either way with Readers. It takes its time. It's truly a slow burn, but I loved the Horror imagery and dark content KLB included, while also making it heartfelt and thought-provoking.
I think for the Readers it hits with, it's really going to hit, and I fall into that camp. For me, this is Kylie Lee Baker's best work yet, and I've really enjoyed everything I've read from her. I just feel like the complexity of the story, the themes explored and it's construction, is all next level.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who feels like the premise sounds intriguing. I think if you go in knowing it's going to unfold in a slow, meticulous way, you'll have a better shot connecting with it. Be willing to take the time.
Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know it's early, but I can say with confidence that this will be on my Best Books of 2026 list!
⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️⭐️
Wow, okay. Japanese Gothic. Is this going to be for everyone? No, most likely not. Was it for me though? Hell yes!
I am blown away by how unique, beautiful and creative this story is. It's tragic. It's challenging and captivating. It hurt my head a little and my heart a lot.
I finished this novel close to a month ago, and have been sitting with it in my mind ever since. As it turns out, this is going to be one of those cases for me that I love a book so much, I really don't know how to review it.
There's only so many ways one can say, this is amazing.
Kylie Lee Baker is so versatile in her writing, and this is a clear example of her tremendous talent. I think maybe for Readers who have only read Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng from her, they might be surprised by this one.
For Readers who have read her earlier works, such as The Keeper of the Night, or The Scarlet Alchemist duologies, both of which I recommend, this may be less of a surprise.
Those Horror Fantasy duologies both leaned heavily into more historical settings. In The Keeper of the Night duology, we also had the incorporation of Japanese folklore and mythology explored through a Horror lens.
In Japanese Gothic, it feels like KLB is blending both her earlier works with Bat Eater, and I mean this style-wise, as we have two main characters, Lee, living in our modern world in 2026, and Sen, living in historic Japan in 1877.
After Lee flees New York under distressing circumstances, he goes to stay in his father's new home in Japan. A house with a haunting aura and history.
It's in this location that Lee's and Sen's worlds end up colliding. So there's this beautiful blend of the modern with the historical. It's a story of two times, two worlds, but how are they connected, and why?
This book is such a journey, such a ride. I was so curious about how KLB was going to work these two perspectives and I loved how it was done. The way we learn about the characters through their experiences with one another, it unfolded in such a natural way.
I definitely crept up on me. I didn't know how invested I was until the events began to escalate and become higher stakes. I loved the mystery of it as well. There's no info dumping as to what is going on here, or why, it just evolves.
The revelations at the end, the truth of what's going on with these characters and the connection, it was jaw-dropping and incredible. I was in awe of what KLB did here.
I could see this one going either way with Readers. It takes its time. It's truly a slow burn, but I loved the Horror imagery and dark content KLB included, while also making it heartfelt and thought-provoking.
I think for the Readers it hits with, it's really going to hit, and I fall into that camp. For me, this is Kylie Lee Baker's best work yet, and I've really enjoyed everything I've read from her. I just feel like the complexity of the story, the themes explored and it's construction, is all next level.
I would absolutely recommend this to anyone who feels like the premise sounds intriguing. I think if you go in knowing it's going to unfold in a slow, meticulous way, you'll have a better shot connecting with it. Be willing to take the time.
Thank you to the publisher, Hanover Square Press, for providing me with a copy to read and review. I know it's early, but I can say with confidence that this will be on my Best Books of 2026 list!
December 5, 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
I guess I'm an outlier here but I found this one to be just kind of … okay. I didn't hate it and it's certainly a unique story, but it's also long(er than it needs to be) and slow and I have as many questions post-read as I did before I started it. This is almost certainly a “right book, wrong person” sort of deal, though. If you're into Japanese culture and samurais and plots involving time travel, there's a very, very good chance that you'll enjoy this one much more than I did.
No matter how you feel about this book, however, there's no denying that it's a dark and disturbing read. There's death (both people and animals) and murder and unlikeable, morally gray characters and impressively bad parenting and a continuous feeling of impending doom. No one in this book is happy and it's pretty obvious that no one in this book is ever going to be happy. There's grief and loss and mental illness and trauma, and every single character in this book could benefit from some serious therapy (and in some cases, jail time). Trigger warnings include everything already mentioned above plus some suicide and child abuse/murder to round things out. This is not an uplifting book, to say the least.
The plot is a slow, slow burn and drags in parts, but it was still entertaining enough to keep me reading. I especially enjoyed the bits involving Lee's (dead?) college roommate. The setting is fantastic. I loved learning about the samurai and of their struggles with the Japanese government. I did not love Sen's father.
Where this book completely lost me, however, was in the last 15-ish percent. Everything goes wonky and gets confusing and feels almost deus ex machina-y. There's all of these different subplots and then one sudden big reveal ties them all together without the main characters really contributing much of anything. I guess I can't say it's a true “god from the machine” situation since there are (looking back on it, anyway) very, very subtle clues, but it just wasn't a particularly satisfying conclusion for me. And the questions … I still have so many questions about *gesticulates wildly at all of it*
Still, like I said earlier, this is probably more of a “me” thing. Lots of other readers have been raving about this book, and I can definitely see how it would appeal to individuals who are more into the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey aspects of the plot. Japanese history buffs will almost certainly love this one, too.
3.3 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is April 21, 2026.
No matter how you feel about this book, however, there's no denying that it's a dark and disturbing read. There's death (both people and animals) and murder and unlikeable, morally gray characters and impressively bad parenting and a continuous feeling of impending doom. No one in this book is happy and it's pretty obvious that no one in this book is ever going to be happy. There's grief and loss and mental illness and trauma, and every single character in this book could benefit from some serious therapy (and in some cases, jail time). Trigger warnings include everything already mentioned above plus some suicide and child abuse/murder to round things out. This is not an uplifting book, to say the least.
The plot is a slow, slow burn and drags in parts, but it was still entertaining enough to keep me reading. I especially enjoyed the bits involving Lee's (dead?) college roommate. The setting is fantastic. I loved learning about the samurai and of their struggles with the Japanese government. I did not love Sen's father.
Where this book completely lost me, however, was in the last 15-ish percent. Everything goes wonky and gets confusing and feels almost deus ex machina-y. There's all of these different subplots and then one sudden big reveal ties them all together without the main characters really contributing much of anything. I guess I can't say it's a true “god from the machine” situation since there are (looking back on it, anyway) very, very subtle clues, but it just wasn't a particularly satisfying conclusion for me. And the questions … I still have so many questions about *gesticulates wildly at all of it*
Still, like I said earlier, this is probably more of a “me” thing. Lots of other readers have been raving about this book, and I can definitely see how it would appeal to individuals who are more into the wibbly-wobbly, timey-wimey aspects of the plot. Japanese history buffs will almost certainly love this one, too.
3.3 stars, rounded down.
Many thanks to NetGalley and Hanover Square Press for providing me with an advance copy of this book to review. Its expected publication date is April 21, 2026.
April 25, 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.
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.
Read
May 8, 2026Gothic, atmospheric, and beautifully written
Japanese Gothic completely was a great immersive read. The writing is fantastic, and the story pulled me in with its gothic atmosphere, dual timelines, and time-slip elements. I’m a sucker for time travel plotlines anyway, but this one used that connection in a way that made the story feel even more haunting and immersive.
The two timelines kept me invested, and once I settled into the characters and how everything connected, I was fully in. The story has that eerie, psychological, morally unsettling feel that makes gothic fiction work so well.
Natalie Naudus’s narration fit this story so beautifully. Even with single narration, the performance felt smooth, atmospheric, and completely in line with the gothic tone. I never felt pulled out of the story.
Overall, I really loved this. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy gothic horror, dual timelines, time-slip stories, strong atmosphere, and writing that makes the unease slowly crawl under your skin.
Japanese Gothic completely was a great immersive read. The writing is fantastic, and the story pulled me in with its gothic atmosphere, dual timelines, and time-slip elements. I’m a sucker for time travel plotlines anyway, but this one used that connection in a way that made the story feel even more haunting and immersive.
The two timelines kept me invested, and once I settled into the characters and how everything connected, I was fully in. The story has that eerie, psychological, morally unsettling feel that makes gothic fiction work so well.
Natalie Naudus’s narration fit this story so beautifully. Even with single narration, the performance felt smooth, atmospheric, and completely in line with the gothic tone. I never felt pulled out of the story.
Overall, I really loved this. I’d recommend it to readers who enjoy gothic horror, dual timelines, time-slip stories, strong atmosphere, and writing that makes the unease slowly crawl under your skin.
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
Thank you to NetGalley and the publisher for the digital ARC in exchange for an honest review.
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.
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.
Review of advance copy received from NetGalley
Oh what the hell, was this book actually written for me? Why thank you, dear author, because Japanese Gothic checked almost all my boxes.
I have so much to say, yet I absolutely can not talk about this in anything more than the vaguest of terms because SPOILERS, spoilers and clues everywhere! It’s best to go in blind and let yourself get swept away.
Japanese Gothic is a perfect blend of horror and mystery, psychological and paranormal with unreliable narrators, creating a guessing game of what’s real, what’s a product of a traumatized mind, and where the supernatural elements come in. The atmosphere was impeccable, haunting and chilling, making me feel uneasy and intrigued, and the story is driven by the plot and the characters equally.
There’s an old country house in Kagoshima, Japan, sitting on a threshold of two different timelines - for Lee Turner, the year is 2026. For Iwasaki Sen, it’s currently 1877. They both occupy the same house, the same room with the same closet door opening to a cement wall - and sometimes, under the right conditions, they even visit.
Lee is a college student who just fled the country to live with his father in Japan for a while. Because you see, Lee just murdered his roommate, James, and got rid of all the evidence. There’s one big problem (apart from the obvious lol) - Lee can’t remember why or how any of that happened.
Sen, as the eldest daughter, was brought up in the ruthless samurai way by her disgraced father. By that time, the samurai had been abolished, and Sen’s family had been hiding in the old house from the imperial soldiers, hoping to one day lead another uprising. Until one day, she sees a foreigner looking out of the window in her own room...
Both Lee and Sen are morally grey, possibly unlikable characters, but... dear god I actually really liked them and found them very sympathetic. Lee especially - even in his downright disturbing moments, he managed to endear himself to me, and that just doesn’t happen often in this genre. Horror authors usually don’t bother much with characterization, but here, I actually felt the stakes of the mystery not only because I wanted to know but also because I cared.
I just love when the story runs circles around me and it genuinely feels clever. I could see some of the clues and feel their importance, I got the weird vibes at the right times, but the bigger picture was always out of reach. I adore this kind of reading experience! Especially when the paranoia sets in because at some point, EVERYONE seems weird and suspicious, and I know I can trust NO ONE 👀
Do I understand everything that went on? Absolutely not, and it’s kind of driving me crazy but in the best possible way?? I have a hunch this book will be even better on a reread.
As a heads-up, there is absolutely no romance whatsoever (thank god). And yes, I do have to admit that a queer element would have made this into THE perfect book for me, but the author’s decision to NOT make it into a love story was, in my opinion, the best one.
For full immersion, I recommend putting on some spooky Japanese instrumentals while reading! (”The Yokai Compendium - Japanese Horror Background Music” on YT is amazing - especially at night if you live alone 👻)
I can’t believe this is my first book by Kylie Lee Baker. I seriously need to rectify that! And a big thank you to Evie for motivating me to finally pick this up (sorry I kinda ran away with it, ilu please forgive me xD) ❤️
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this incredible e-ARC! Japanese Gothic is set to publish April 30th 2026 (the UK edition).
I have so much to say, yet I absolutely can not talk about this in anything more than the vaguest of terms because SPOILERS, spoilers and clues everywhere! It’s best to go in blind and let yourself get swept away.
Japanese Gothic is a perfect blend of horror and mystery, psychological and paranormal with unreliable narrators, creating a guessing game of what’s real, what’s a product of a traumatized mind, and where the supernatural elements come in. The atmosphere was impeccable, haunting and chilling, making me feel uneasy and intrigued, and the story is driven by the plot and the characters equally.
There’s an old country house in Kagoshima, Japan, sitting on a threshold of two different timelines - for Lee Turner, the year is 2026. For Iwasaki Sen, it’s currently 1877. They both occupy the same house, the same room with the same closet door opening to a cement wall - and sometimes, under the right conditions, they even visit.
Lee is a college student who just fled the country to live with his father in Japan for a while. Because you see, Lee just murdered his roommate, James, and got rid of all the evidence. There’s one big problem (apart from the obvious lol) - Lee can’t remember why or how any of that happened.
Sen, as the eldest daughter, was brought up in the ruthless samurai way by her disgraced father. By that time, the samurai had been abolished, and Sen’s family had been hiding in the old house from the imperial soldiers, hoping to one day lead another uprising. Until one day, she sees a foreigner looking out of the window in her own room...
Both Lee and Sen are morally grey, possibly unlikable characters, but... dear god I actually really liked them and found them very sympathetic. Lee especially - even in his downright disturbing moments, he managed to endear himself to me, and that just doesn’t happen often in this genre. Horror authors usually don’t bother much with characterization, but here, I actually felt the stakes of the mystery not only because I wanted to know but also because I cared.
I just love when the story runs circles around me and it genuinely feels clever. I could see some of the clues and feel their importance, I got the weird vibes at the right times, but the bigger picture was always out of reach. I adore this kind of reading experience! Especially when the paranoia sets in because at some point, EVERYONE seems weird and suspicious, and I know I can trust NO ONE 👀
Do I understand everything that went on? Absolutely not, and it’s kind of driving me crazy but in the best possible way?? I have a hunch this book will be even better on a reread.
As a heads-up, there is absolutely no romance whatsoever (thank god). And yes, I do have to admit that a queer element would have made this into THE perfect book for me, but the author’s decision to NOT make it into a love story was, in my opinion, the best one.
For full immersion, I recommend putting on some spooky Japanese instrumentals while reading! (”The Yokai Compendium - Japanese Horror Background Music” on YT is amazing - especially at night if you live alone 👻)
I can’t believe this is my first book by Kylie Lee Baker. I seriously need to rectify that! And a big thank you to Evie for motivating me to finally pick this up (sorry I kinda ran away with it, ilu please forgive me xD) ❤️
Thank you to Hodder & Stoughton and NetGalley for this incredible e-ARC! Japanese Gothic is set to publish April 30th 2026 (the UK edition).
May 5, 2026
4! That ENDING! Mind bending! I was trying to solve this like a puzzle. This was DARK. A buried truth that connects the fates!
2026 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?
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW!
2026 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?
FULL REVIEW TO FOLLOW!
October 1, 2026
⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ Read this novel with the assumption that I would hate every second of it - but surprisingly, for the most part, I loved it.
It sounds ridiculous but I've been avoiding this book for no other reason than Japanese horror creeps me out. 👻 As a kid I was terrified of both ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Grudge', and it left me with an irrational fear of Japanese children. Obviously, as an adult, I've grown out of that ridiculous fear. (Although, my girlfriend asks why I keep my trainers on when I'm relaxing at home - well, you never know when a possessed Japanese demon girl will crawl out of your TV - I'm prepared to run - survival of the fittest)
I took this book on with the belief that it was going to be yet another dull haunted house horror - but it's anything but that. The novel masterfully blends moments of gothic horror with historical fiction, folklore and fantasy - in such a way, that honestly, I've never quite read anything like it - but it definitely works.
One of the biggest selling points of this novel is the author herself, Kylie Lee Baker whose writing is almost beautifully poetic. This was my first book from the author - won't be my last
I love stories that keep me engaged - this done just that, and I'm relieved it didn't rely on cheap scare tactics. This novel works because the story is constantly engaging, rarely predictable and it's fronted by two very uniquely written characters, who although are flawed and damaged, always manage to be compelling.
The only time the novel didn't particularly work for me was towards the ending where it felt a bit muddled as it was rushing to tie the numerous subplots together - and admittedly I had to go back a few pages because I got confused (not difficult to confuse me - I struggle with a washing machine - the choice of numerous settings overwhelms my simple brain)
It is a novel that can be interpreted as a slow burn - so for readers that like their books fast paced this may not be an ideal read. But I do hope this book reaches a larger audience. It's not a typical horror story - it's genre blending with a pretty unique premise. And as mentioned - beautifully written.
Highly recommend ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
P.s - I've actually come up with an invention for sufferable guys like myself - it's a washing machine with only two buttons - on and off. That's right - no more complex settings, no confusing cycles, no more wasting hours scratching our heads trying to work out if pants are synthetic, cotton or delicate - it's going to make me rich 🤑
It sounds ridiculous but I've been avoiding this book for no other reason than Japanese horror creeps me out. 👻 As a kid I was terrified of both ‘The Ring’ and ‘The Grudge', and it left me with an irrational fear of Japanese children. Obviously, as an adult, I've grown out of that ridiculous fear. (Although, my girlfriend asks why I keep my trainers on when I'm relaxing at home - well, you never know when a possessed Japanese demon girl will crawl out of your TV - I'm prepared to run - survival of the fittest)
I took this book on with the belief that it was going to be yet another dull haunted house horror - but it's anything but that. The novel masterfully blends moments of gothic horror with historical fiction, folklore and fantasy - in such a way, that honestly, I've never quite read anything like it - but it definitely works.
One of the biggest selling points of this novel is the author herself, Kylie Lee Baker whose writing is almost beautifully poetic. This was my first book from the author - won't be my last
I love stories that keep me engaged - this done just that, and I'm relieved it didn't rely on cheap scare tactics. This novel works because the story is constantly engaging, rarely predictable and it's fronted by two very uniquely written characters, who although are flawed and damaged, always manage to be compelling.
The only time the novel didn't particularly work for me was towards the ending where it felt a bit muddled as it was rushing to tie the numerous subplots together - and admittedly I had to go back a few pages because I got confused (not difficult to confuse me - I struggle with a washing machine - the choice of numerous settings overwhelms my simple brain)
It is a novel that can be interpreted as a slow burn - so for readers that like their books fast paced this may not be an ideal read. But I do hope this book reaches a larger audience. It's not a typical horror story - it's genre blending with a pretty unique premise. And as mentioned - beautifully written.
Highly recommend ⭐ ⭐ ⭐ ⭐
P.s - I've actually come up with an invention for sufferable guys like myself - it's a washing machine with only two buttons - on and off. That's right - no more complex settings, no confusing cycles, no more wasting hours scratching our heads trying to work out if pants are synthetic, cotton or delicate - it's going to make me rich 🤑
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…
December 15, 2025
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!
June 18, 2025
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.
June 18, 2026
JAPANESE GOTHIC was not at all what I was expecting, which is why I think it's so important to try to approach every book like a clean slate, if possible. I was expecting something like Silvia Moreno-Garcia's MEXICAN GOTHIC or Asa Nonami's NOW YOU'RE ONE OF US. Instead, I got a complex work of metaphysical and psychological trippiness that reminded me a lot of Alicia Elliot's AND THEN SHE FELL.
Sen is a female samurai living with an abusive father, a shut-down mother, and her young siblings in a small house between the woods and the sea, waiting in wait for their inevitable downfall at the hands of a changing world. Lee is a young man living with his father and his new wife in Japan in a small house between the woods and the sea, after running away from a murder he committed in the States but cannot fully remember. A doorway separates their worlds but one day, they both step over the threshold, and the boundaries of time and existence fall away revealing one hideous but inescapable truth: one of them is a ghost.
The pacing and build-up for this book is laboriously slow as Baker sets the stage for her characters. It plays out very differently from her other book, BAT EATER, so don't go into JAPANESE GOTHIC expecting a reprise. The more I read, the more I appreciated the details she sank in-- not just to the characters and their trauma-filled backstories, but also the small clues she carefully placed to hint at their disintegrating perception of reality, making both characters unreliable narrators in a rapidly warping setting that may or may not be a product of a dissociative fugue.
As with AND THEN SHE FELL, a lot of questions in this non-linear mode of story-telling are never fully answered, leaving the reader with a bunch of blanks that they're meant to fill in themselves. I waited a while to mull this book over before writing down my thoughts because the experience of reading it actually reminded me a lot of my first time watching The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki. At first, I wasn't sure I liked it because it was so different from his other movies, but then I watched it again knowing the ending, and really appreciated Miyazaki's take on nonlinear realities and dimensional doors (same as this book, actually), as well as how much existence of reality is shaped by our current state of being.
JAPANESE GOTHIC feels like a book that would not just hold up to future rereads but also potentially shift reader perspective as they approach the story again with new information that neither of the characters has. I admire the skill it takes to craft a storyline like that and really can't wait to see what this author writes next, as so far, all of her books have been so different and emotionally provocative.
3.5 stars
Sen is a female samurai living with an abusive father, a shut-down mother, and her young siblings in a small house between the woods and the sea, waiting in wait for their inevitable downfall at the hands of a changing world. Lee is a young man living with his father and his new wife in Japan in a small house between the woods and the sea, after running away from a murder he committed in the States but cannot fully remember. A doorway separates their worlds but one day, they both step over the threshold, and the boundaries of time and existence fall away revealing one hideous but inescapable truth: one of them is a ghost.
The pacing and build-up for this book is laboriously slow as Baker sets the stage for her characters. It plays out very differently from her other book, BAT EATER, so don't go into JAPANESE GOTHIC expecting a reprise. The more I read, the more I appreciated the details she sank in-- not just to the characters and their trauma-filled backstories, but also the small clues she carefully placed to hint at their disintegrating perception of reality, making both characters unreliable narrators in a rapidly warping setting that may or may not be a product of a dissociative fugue.
As with AND THEN SHE FELL, a lot of questions in this non-linear mode of story-telling are never fully answered, leaving the reader with a bunch of blanks that they're meant to fill in themselves. I waited a while to mull this book over before writing down my thoughts because the experience of reading it actually reminded me a lot of my first time watching The Boy and the Heron by Hayao Miyazaki. At first, I wasn't sure I liked it because it was so different from his other movies, but then I watched it again knowing the ending, and really appreciated Miyazaki's take on nonlinear realities and dimensional doors (same as this book, actually), as well as how much existence of reality is shaped by our current state of being.
JAPANESE GOTHIC feels like a book that would not just hold up to future rereads but also potentially shift reader perspective as they approach the story again with new information that neither of the characters has. I admire the skill it takes to craft a storyline like that and really can't wait to see what this author writes next, as so far, all of her books have been so different and emotionally provocative.
3.5 stars
May 5, 2026
This book gave me a headache but I kinda liked it 🌚
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pre-read:
Going in with very high expectations 👀
_____________________________________________________
pre-read:
Going in with very high expectations 👀
July 13, 2026
2.5: I spent less time terrified by the haunted house and more time haunted by the fact I still had 200 pages left.
I wanted to love this.
Japanese folklore? Gothic horror? Haunted house? Family secrets? Yes please 🙏
So why, pray tell, did it take me approximately 17 business years to finish it?
It just felt like such a slog 😭 I was on, like, page 35 thinking, this book's already overstayed its welcome.
It wasn't really what I expected. I was expecting creepy, atmospheric gothic horror. Instead, it leans hard into surreal, mind-bendy what even is reality anymore? territory. Which is totally fine in theory. But in practice, it just didn't land for me.
I want horror that has me speed-walking upstairs after I turn the lights off. I want to glance over my shoulder because my brain's decided there's absolutely something standing behind me. I want to hear one tiny noise in the house and immediately start drafting my will.
THAT'S what I want from horror.
But, I was reading this at 2am when something crashed somewhere in the house (my cat knocking some random bit of crap onto the floor). And I didn't even blink. I just tutted at the interruption because it had distracted me from my spiral of boredom.
That's when I knew this book and I were simply not meant to be.
The plot feels so scattered that it never builds any real momentum. Every time I thought, OHHH HERE WE GO, it'd wander off on another tangent. The story's also quite repetitive. It keeps circling the same emotional beats and conversations, hinting at the same mysteries, like it's desperately trying to build tension, when really it's just standing still.
And the characters all feel like rough drafts. A little vague and a little thin. I never really connected with any of them, which made it difficult to care when increasingly bizarre things started happening.
Also. I am so over Lee.
I cannot stress enough how much this man bored me.
There are only so many chapters I can spend following a guy wandering around, popping Benadryls, and generally being a bore before I start rooting for the ghosts.
This could have been my new favourite. The folklore's fascinating and the writing's wonderful. There's a fantastic horror novel lurking somewhere in these pages. It just never fully materialised for me.
It's an interesting concept. Just... not for me.
I wanted to love this.
Japanese folklore? Gothic horror? Haunted house? Family secrets? Yes please 🙏
So why, pray tell, did it take me approximately 17 business years to finish it?
It just felt like such a slog 😭 I was on, like, page 35 thinking, this book's already overstayed its welcome.
It wasn't really what I expected. I was expecting creepy, atmospheric gothic horror. Instead, it leans hard into surreal, mind-bendy what even is reality anymore? territory. Which is totally fine in theory. But in practice, it just didn't land for me.
I want horror that has me speed-walking upstairs after I turn the lights off. I want to glance over my shoulder because my brain's decided there's absolutely something standing behind me. I want to hear one tiny noise in the house and immediately start drafting my will.
THAT'S what I want from horror.
But, I was reading this at 2am when something crashed somewhere in the house (my cat knocking some random bit of crap onto the floor). And I didn't even blink. I just tutted at the interruption because it had distracted me from my spiral of boredom.
That's when I knew this book and I were simply not meant to be.
The plot feels so scattered that it never builds any real momentum. Every time I thought, OHHH HERE WE GO, it'd wander off on another tangent. The story's also quite repetitive. It keeps circling the same emotional beats and conversations, hinting at the same mysteries, like it's desperately trying to build tension, when really it's just standing still.
And the characters all feel like rough drafts. A little vague and a little thin. I never really connected with any of them, which made it difficult to care when increasingly bizarre things started happening.
Also. I am so over Lee.
I cannot stress enough how much this man bored me.
There are only so many chapters I can spend following a guy wandering around, popping Benadryls, and generally being a bore before I start rooting for the ghosts.
This could have been my new favourite. The folklore's fascinating and the writing's wonderful. There's a fantastic horror novel lurking somewhere in these pages. It just never fully materialised for me.
It's an interesting concept. Just... not for me.
June 27, 2025
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.
May 7, 2026
My god. I can’t believe it took me SO LONG to write this DNF review.
Oh, wait, yes I can. I was in the hospital with sepsis 🙃 but I am back to complain about this book!
DNF @ 75%
This must be my fourth highly anticipated new release this year that totally missed the mark. I think I am cursed at this point. The crazy thing is I didn’t even clock that I was hating it until I was just avoiding reading it at all costs. When it’s taking ME two weeks to read a single book then something’s gotta give.
I’ll give the credit where it’s due: the book excels at the creepy imagery and nightmare fuel. In fact when I had a fever I kept recalling scenes from the book (yikes!). But the imagery and the gore and hell-logic are about as substantial as air. The plot just doesn’t MOVE. I kept waiting for the point to emerge and it just refused. Individual scenes would be interesting but add up to nothing. Yes, your father made you sleep with a dead fox for a week to become accustomed to death and unafraid. Very metal. But who cares???
I will admit I’m invested enough in the conclusion that I’m going to ask my reading bestie, Rachel, to spoil it for me. But I have no interest whatsoever in finishing it myself
Oh, wait, yes I can. I was in the hospital with sepsis 🙃 but I am back to complain about this book!
DNF @ 75%
This must be my fourth highly anticipated new release this year that totally missed the mark. I think I am cursed at this point. The crazy thing is I didn’t even clock that I was hating it until I was just avoiding reading it at all costs. When it’s taking ME two weeks to read a single book then something’s gotta give.
I’ll give the credit where it’s due: the book excels at the creepy imagery and nightmare fuel. In fact when I had a fever I kept recalling scenes from the book (yikes!). But the imagery and the gore and hell-logic are about as substantial as air. The plot just doesn’t MOVE. I kept waiting for the point to emerge and it just refused. Individual scenes would be interesting but add up to nothing. Yes, your father made you sleep with a dead fox for a week to become accustomed to death and unafraid. Very metal. But who cares???
I will admit I’m invested enough in the conclusion that I’m going to ask my reading bestie, Rachel, to spoil it for me. But I have no interest whatsoever in finishing it myself
Review of advance copy received from Netgalley
well those last 70 pgs gave me the ouchies. 🥹😭
I finished this hours ago & I'm still trying to fully wrap my head around it. the longer I sit with this, the harder it is to put my thoughts into words especially without spoiling anything...but I know one things for sure, Kylie Lee Baker's stories touch me in a way very few authors have been able to do.
Bat Eater was not just one of my top reads of 2025 but a favorite of all time & it has stuck with me ever since. when I heard about Japanese Gothic I knew I had to get my hands on it & it turned out to be a supernatural fever dream I never knew I needed.
there's a lot of different elements weaved into Japanese Gothic to the point where I was so confused for a solid chunk of the middle. I was struggling trying to figure out what was real, what was fake & where the story was even going. besties... I had QUESTIONS & for a minute there I was doubting Kylie, I kept thinking "how are all of my questions going to be answered in these last 70ish pgs" & Ms Kylie said "choke on this" & I did because she made me eat my words. I will never again doubt her.
do not be fooled by the pretty cover...Kylie Lee Baker knows how to take a powerful message & some of the most beautiful writing & create some of the creepiest most unsettling horror! Sen & Lee both made my heart hurt..while they both have very different backgrounds their stories are equally tragic. they deserved so much better.
I can't wait to get a physical copy & do a reread of this when it's released. Kylie Lee Baker, I'm begging you to keep writing horror!
4.5/5 💫 rounded up for gr & because the ending kinda hurt my black little heart 🖤 ..don't look at me 😭
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
I finished this hours ago & I'm still trying to fully wrap my head around it. the longer I sit with this, the harder it is to put my thoughts into words especially without spoiling anything...but I know one things for sure, Kylie Lee Baker's stories touch me in a way very few authors have been able to do.
Bat Eater was not just one of my top reads of 2025 but a favorite of all time & it has stuck with me ever since. when I heard about Japanese Gothic I knew I had to get my hands on it & it turned out to be a supernatural fever dream I never knew I needed.
there's a lot of different elements weaved into Japanese Gothic to the point where I was so confused for a solid chunk of the middle. I was struggling trying to figure out what was real, what was fake & where the story was even going. besties... I had QUESTIONS & for a minute there I was doubting Kylie, I kept thinking "how are all of my questions going to be answered in these last 70ish pgs" & Ms Kylie said "choke on this" & I did because she made me eat my words. I will never again doubt her.
do not be fooled by the pretty cover...Kylie Lee Baker knows how to take a powerful message & some of the most beautiful writing & create some of the creepiest most unsettling horror! Sen & Lee both made my heart hurt..while they both have very different backgrounds their stories are equally tragic. they deserved so much better.
I can't wait to get a physical copy & do a reread of this when it's released. Kylie Lee Baker, I'm begging you to keep writing horror!
4.5/5 💫 rounded up for gr & because the ending kinda hurt my black little heart 🖤 ..don't look at me 😭
Thank you to NetGalley & the publisher for this arc in exchange for an honest review
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
June 8, 2026
this book took me over a month to finish. I found it quite boring and it wasn't really a horror. It put me in a reading slump :/
July 2, 2026
This was a mind-bending, time travel, gothic, fever dream of a book. I spent a lot of the time in a state of confusion. This author's writing is so addicting, and that kept me going. And the ending...an epic reward and lightbulb moment! I read this physically with the audio in tandem, and I'm so happy I did. I understand some of the lower ratings and frustration with people not understanding, and I think audio alone would not cut it for this story. This book that would be an amazing reread, knowing what I know now that it's over. 4.25⭐
October 12, 2026
I have mixed feelings for this one.
On one hand, I liked the premise and the dark and suspenseful atmosphere. On the other, it was just that- a little bit of suspense and too much atmosphere and nothing else.
It was telling and no showing. There were too many repetitions, specially about how the characters felt or thought. Their inner thoughts bored me, to be honest.
Although there was a lot of violence, blood and slashing, I wouldn't count this book as horror. At no point during reading was I scared or even anxious. I wanted to feel the fear and tension not by being forced to, or told to, but naturally and willingly.
On one hand, I liked the premise and the dark and suspenseful atmosphere. On the other, it was just that- a little bit of suspense and too much atmosphere and nothing else.
It was telling and no showing. There were too many repetitions, specially about how the characters felt or thought. Their inner thoughts bored me, to be honest.
Although there was a lot of violence, blood and slashing, I wouldn't count this book as horror. At no point during reading was I scared or even anxious. I wanted to feel the fear and tension not by being forced to, or told to, but naturally and willingly.
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