Is this book part of a series or a standalone?

This novel is a standalone work and does not require reading any of the author's previous books to understand the plot or world.

What is the structure of the narrative?

The story utilizes a dual-timeline structure that alternates between the modern day and the Meiji era, requiring the reader to track how events in both periods influence one another.

Japanese Gothic

Reader reviews of Japanese Gothic

Myriam Akrout · 2026-05-20T16:52:15.000000Z

First things first, this doesn't qualify as horror for me, there's gore, but it's not horror! This story follows two timelines, Lee in 2026 and Send in 1877 and the daughter of probably the last samurai. Their stories intertwine, who is the ghost and who is real? What I at least read is that both their inner pain is real, their invisibility, trying to exist under the weight of secrets and expectations. While Lee is half losing his mind, Sen's is set in stone of beliefs of her legacy as a samurai. This story had me questioning where it was going several times, but I couldn't have guessed the ending to be so mind bending!! So yeah, I really loved this book!

A gothic dual-timeline novel of ghosts, hauntings and redemption

Gothic Historical Fiction

Pages: 352
Published: 2026
Language: English

In 2026, Lee Turner flees to his father’s secluded Japanese estate after a violent incident he can barely remember. Centuries earlier, a young samurai named Sen protects her family from a monstrous presence while catching glimpses of a strange man from the future. As their timelines collide, both must face the dark mythology buried beneath the house before their secrets destroy them.

Prose complexity: 7/10

Dark Atmospheric Tense

Dual Timeline Unreliable Narrator Multiple POVs

Kylie Lee Baker

Kylie Lee Baker is an American author of young adult fantasy and adult horror novels, drawing on her Japanese, Chinese, and Irish heritage. She grew up in Boston and holds a BA in creative writing and Spanish from Emory University and an MS in library and information science from Simmons University. She is the author of the Keeper of Night duology (The Keeper of Night, The Empress of Time), the Scarlet Alchemist duology (The Scarlet Alchemist, The Blood Orchid), and the adult horror novels Bat E...

Lee TurnerProtagonist

SenProtagonist

Sen's FatherAntagonist

Lee's FatherSupporting

Sen's MotherSupporting

All characters in Japanese Gothic

Frequently asked questions

Is this book part of a series or a standalone?
This novel is a standalone work and does not require reading any of the author's previous books to understand the plot or world.
What is the structure of the narrative?
The story utilizes a dual-timeline structure that alternates between the modern day and the Meiji era, requiring the reader to track how events in both periods influence one another.

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Japanese Gothic

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Japanese Gothic

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