one of the best books i've read in 2023 so far!

the empress of time is definitely better than the previous book, at least for me. it's not that i dislike the keeper of night but this book has a higher stake and character development. it has become one of my favorite sequels, alongside crooked kingdom.

what i liked is baker's talent in weaving a story that felt so real it gutted my heart and blew my mind away. i didn't think that it would be so addicting but suddenly it was 4 am and i finished almost half the book in one seating. then there are the yōkai! it was fascinating to meet and learn about the ghosts/monsters in the japanese folklore. my fav is definitely the Ryūjin~

as for the characters, they owned my heart. ren, neven, and tsukuyomi could spend an entire chapter bantering all day and i'd read it with a happy and warm heart. i would give up my life for their happiness. they deserve the whole universe!!

as much as i treasured this book, i think the plot where they're looking for susanoo's sword is rather unnecessary and draggy. but the final battle made up for it! it was awesome to the point of i didn't know whether to fangirl or cower under all the powers.

the final chapter totally broke my heart because i wasn't ready to part with any of the characters and wished i could read the book all over again. it also wrenched some tears because the story wrapped up both painfully and beautifully. all i want right now is just to curl up on my bed and let this book haunt me for days ahead.

all in all, i want more people to read the empress of time. if you're craving a dark YA fantasy with a biracial heroine and unexpected twists rooted in the japanese folklore, go read this duology!