Japanese Gothic, Kylie Lee Baker (Review by Carli Monostra)

Rating: 4.25/5 Stars

Japanese Gothic is a mind-bending tale told from the perspective of two characters living in a magical samurai house with the ability to link timelines across centuries. Sen is being ruthlessly trained by her father as the last samurai in Japan while they hide from the imperialists seeking to destroy them. The ways of a samurai guide her morals as she stops at nothing to please her demanding father. Lee, on the other hand, is seemingly ignored by his father despite being driven to madness over his mother’s disappearance when he was a child. The only way he can cope with living is through diming reality with sedatives. Both initially find refuge in the magical samurai house but soon realize their realities may be created from deception and set out to find the truth.

Each chapter is filled with descriptive gore but is skillfully written to enhance the world being created. It allows readers to understand the mental state of each character and how violence has shaped their lives. Unreliability is also a major theme throughout the story. Lee’s perspective is shaped by his drug use since he cannot remember how he murdered his college roommate, if at all. There are also plenty of instances where I wasn’t sure if a scene actually happened or if it solely existed in someone’s mind. This might seem frustrating, but it will ultimately engage readers to want to find the truth.

Japanese folklore is laced throughout the plot, but considering its importance to the overall story, I wish it would have been longer than a couple pages every few chapters. If it wasn’t for Baker’s exceptional writing and world-building, I probably would have been a bit disappointed in the ending. I feel like the author has the talent to gracefully expand on the mythology, similar to Madeline Miller’s ability with Greek retellings, to have seamlessly weaved it in a bit more.