Kylie Lee Baker, the Sunday Times bestselling author of The Keeper of Night and The Scarlet Alchemist duologies, is about to dive into even darker territory with her highly anticipated debut adult horror novel, Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng. Known for weaving complex narratives with deep emotional stakes, Baker’s new book promises to take readers on a chilling, emotional ride through grief, folklore, and the horrors that refuse to stay buried.
Raised in Boston and having lived in cities around the world, including Atlanta, Salamanca, and Seoul, Baker’s writing is deeply influenced by her diverse heritage – Japanese, Chinese, and Irish – and her experiences as both a student and teacher abroad. Her unique cultural perspective and rich storytelling style have made her a favoUrite among readers of fantasy and historical fiction.
Now, with Bat Eater, Baker is venturing into a haunting tale steeped in East Asian folklore and the horrors of unprocessed trauma. The novel follows Cora Zeng, a crime scene cleaner who, after witnessing the unthinkable—the death of her sister, pushed in front of a train by an unknown assailant—has taken on the grim profession of cleaning up the aftermath of violent deaths. The killer was never caught, and Cora’s mind is haunted by the last words she heard before her sister’s death: bat eater.
Living a life of isolation during the COVID-19 pandemic, Cora avoids both the people in her life and the dark forces that seem to linger just beyond her door. But when a string of unexplained murders targeting East Asian women in Chinatown begins to unfold, Cora is forced to confront her past. As the violence creeps ever closer, she realiSes that the truth—and the danger—are far closer than could have ever imagined.
In an exclusive interview with Scream Magazine, Kylie Lee Baker delves into the eerie inspiration behind Bat Eater, exploring how East Asian folklore plays a central role in the story and why horror is the perfect genre for addressing themes of identity, grief, and the hungry ghosts that refuse to be ignored.
Preorder here now or find Bat Eater and Other Names for Cora Zeng wherever books are sold.
WORDS: Howard Gorman
