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literarycavy's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? N/A
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
5.0
lov3eiji's review against another edition
adventurous
hopeful
inspiring
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? It's complicated
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.5
it’s cute and enjoyable !! i read this for the first time at like 13 and at the time it was the best thing i’d ever read, but being in older now it doesn’t hold up as much. it’s still good, but the writing and storytelling is not as good as i remember it being. it’s more of a simple read, but the ideas behind the story are phenomenal. the relationship also, is very sweet, but there’s no real buildup to it? i wouldn’t say that’s to any significant detriment to the story, but i understand a lot of people would find that frustrating. that being said, timekeeper will always have a special place in my heart! very easy to get through and good enough to have reread it multiple times.
ceena's review against another edition
4.0
Let me start off by saying my biggest problem with this book is Time. This book gave me the same headache that time travel usually does. How can clocks control how time works? What about the unexplored areas of the world? Do they not have time or are there clocks there randomly? So many questions...
But, if you can just roll with it, put those questions aside and ignore them, then this book is really entertaining.
I really liked Danny, even if he did some things to irk me, but he is a good person, just trying his best. He is also out, which causes some problems since it is only newly legal for people to be lgbt+ or at least in a relationship with the same-sex (I can't exactly recall which it was in the book). His bestie is cool too and I love how they made her a mechanic who is also fighting against the system (i.e. mechanic over looking for a husband).
We also get to see people dealing with grief and trauma in different ways and how it shapes the way people can see them. I think having a main character who potentially has PTSD is really important and helps give people another character to reflect themselves.
There is also Daphne who is a WOC in Victorian England. Her father is Indian during the time when GB is controlling India. I think this shows just how deep this story goes and how complex the setting is. Not because there is a woman of color, but because America has been introduced in one light, we see India in another with characters actively thinking differently about the colonization all while it isn't even part of the main story (yet? I think the sequel is in India, maybe?).
So, the setting, the world-building-- I think it was brilliant. Like I said previously, my biggest problem was still not truly understanding the clock situation. Did the Native Americans have clock towers before the British came? How else could their time have moved without the British having to build them a clock which is something they haven't done in a very long time?
I did think the book could be long-winded and I felt bad for Colton all the time :( but I will definitely be reading the second book sooner or later. Another book I will be recommending to people who like Steampunk, don't think too deeply about the concept of time, and are looking for a little adventure in their life.
But, if you can just roll with it, put those questions aside and ignore them, then this book is really entertaining.
I really liked Danny, even if he did some things to irk me, but he is a good person, just trying his best. He is also out, which causes some problems since it is only newly legal for people to be lgbt+ or at least in a relationship with the same-sex (I can't exactly recall which it was in the book). His bestie is cool too and I love how they made her a mechanic who is also fighting against the system (i.e. mechanic over looking for a husband).
We also get to see people dealing with grief and trauma in different ways and how it shapes the way people can see them. I think having a main character who potentially has PTSD is really important and helps give people another character to reflect themselves.
There is also Daphne who is a WOC in Victorian England. Her father is Indian during the time when GB is controlling India. I think this shows just how deep this story goes and how complex the setting is. Not because there is a woman of color, but because America has been introduced in one light, we see India in another with characters actively thinking differently about the colonization all while it isn't even part of the main story (yet? I think the sequel is in India, maybe?).
So, the setting, the world-building-- I think it was brilliant. Like I said previously, my biggest problem was still not truly understanding the clock situation. Did the Native Americans have clock towers before the British came? How else could their time have moved without the British having to build them a clock which is something they haven't done in a very long time?
I did think the book could be long-winded and I felt bad for Colton all the time :( but I will definitely be reading the second book sooner or later. Another book I will be recommending to people who like Steampunk, don't think too deeply about the concept of time, and are looking for a little adventure in their life.
tatumlemurs's review against another edition
4.0
This book was super awesome! As soon as I saw the concept, I knew I needed to read it. Steampunk??? Gay clock spirits? Those are things that appeal to my interests very much. This book definitely lived up to the awesome concept, in my opinion! The world was interesting, the plot took a lot of twists (and left me with tons of questions), and the couple was a great mix of tooth rotting fluff and heartbreaking angst. I also absolutely LOVED how the main character was not questioning his sexuality at all, but he still dealt with the struggles of OTHER peoples blunders. It was something that struck very close to home for me. Danny is sure he's gay, but he still feels the guilt of putting that strain on his mother and the people close to him. People constantly accidentally ask him if he's found a girlfriend, and then correct themselves. I absolutely LOVED it!
emleemay's review against another edition
2.0
Meh. I am obviously just not that interested in clocks and mechanics.
[b:Timekeeper|25760792|Timekeeper (Timekeeper, #1)|Tara Sim|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478538580s/25760792.jpg|45605689] has an ambitious premise. It's a Victorian steampunk universe where the ties between physical clock towers and actual time are inextricable - when two o'clock goes missing from Colton Tower, time itself is disrupted.
Danny Hart is a clock mechanic, a timekeeper, someone with the ability to feel and manipulate time. Suffering from anxiety and haunted by the memory of his father who was trapped in a time-Stopped city, Danny tries to fulfill his job at Colton Tower. Of course, it's not going to be simple. Danny soon finds himself falling for the spirit of the tower in a whirlwind LGBT romance.
The world is creative, for sure, but I just couldn't find interest in it. The prose is forgettable and the plot wanders aimlessly for a lot of the book, making it really hard to keep turning pages. As I said, mechanics are not really my thing. Cogs and gears do not float my boat. The manipulation and fracturing of time is interesting, and yet the book actually spent very little time on that.
What the book does focus on is a lot of protests from the general public against clock towers and clock mechanics. But the whole thing seemed like an ill-conceived plot point used to throw some drama into the mix. The protesters regularly cause trouble throughout the novel, but their reasons for protesting are... what? The "monopolization of time"? As Danny points out, the towers and mechanics are crucial to keep the world functioning. The citizens seem to be unaware of this, but the "they wouldn't understand" excuse seems like a shitty reason to keep them in the dark.
There's also very little atmosphere. This is a steampunk Victorian London FFS, how is there no atmosphere? I think perhaps its because the author opts for a generic portrait of Victorian London with the addition of clock mechanics, instead of developing details to make this world one which is truly unique and memorable. Mechanics/machines themselves are a key feature of the steampunk genre, so this in itself is not interesting and/or different enough.
Worst of all, the romance was so disappointing. LGBT steampunk romance makes for a shiny selling point, but it is marred by instalove and lack of development. There's no slow flirtation and chemistry, just instant sparks flying. Danny meets the spirit and literally five pages later they kiss. I did not have time to care about their relationship. So boring.
Also: The DEUS EX MACHINA is strong with this one. Seriously.
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[b:Timekeeper|25760792|Timekeeper (Timekeeper, #1)|Tara Sim|https://images.gr-assets.com/books/1478538580s/25760792.jpg|45605689] has an ambitious premise. It's a Victorian steampunk universe where the ties between physical clock towers and actual time are inextricable - when two o'clock goes missing from Colton Tower, time itself is disrupted.
Danny Hart is a clock mechanic, a timekeeper, someone with the ability to feel and manipulate time. Suffering from anxiety and haunted by the memory of his father who was trapped in a time-Stopped city, Danny tries to fulfill his job at Colton Tower. Of course, it's not going to be simple. Danny soon finds himself falling for the spirit of the tower in a whirlwind LGBT romance.
The world is creative, for sure, but I just couldn't find interest in it. The prose is forgettable and the plot wanders aimlessly for a lot of the book, making it really hard to keep turning pages. As I said, mechanics are not really my thing. Cogs and gears do not float my boat. The manipulation and fracturing of time is interesting, and yet the book actually spent very little time on that.
What the book does focus on is a lot of protests from the general public against clock towers and clock mechanics. But the whole thing seemed like an ill-conceived plot point used to throw some drama into the mix. The protesters regularly cause trouble throughout the novel, but their reasons for protesting are... what? The "monopolization of time"? As Danny points out, the towers and mechanics are crucial to keep the world functioning. The citizens seem to be unaware of this, but the "they wouldn't understand" excuse seems like a shitty reason to keep them in the dark.
There's also very little atmosphere. This is a steampunk Victorian London FFS, how is there no atmosphere? I think perhaps its because the author opts for a generic portrait of Victorian London with the addition of clock mechanics, instead of developing details to make this world one which is truly unique and memorable. Mechanics/machines themselves are a key feature of the steampunk genre, so this in itself is not interesting and/or different enough.
Worst of all, the romance was so disappointing. LGBT steampunk romance makes for a shiny selling point, but it is marred by instalove and lack of development. There's no slow flirtation and chemistry, just instant sparks flying. Danny meets the spirit and literally five pages later they kiss. I did not have time to care about their relationship. So boring.
Also: The DEUS EX MACHINA is strong with this one. Seriously.
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loveykei's review against another edition
adventurous
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
3.5
bluebeereads's review against another edition
4.0
Quite The Novel Idea ~ Words from the Clouds
Well then. This book is just a precious bundle of sweetness with some explosions and clocks thrown in. WHY did I not read this sooner? I don't even know. I don't understand myself sometimes. Because I'm all for adorable LGBT romances between two precious pumpkin boys that need protecting. AND THIS BOOK HAS THAT. So why?? What even is wrong with me. Needless to say I enjoyed this book a lot, even though I'm not a big fan of a) historical fiction and b) steampunk. It won me over and stole my heart. Honestly, who even needs a heart anyway?
Timekeeper is a story set in an alternative Victorian world controlled by clock towers. A damaged tower can fracture town, a destroyed one can stop it completely. It's about seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny, a prodigy in his craft. His father is trapped in a Stopped town. A town where the clock tower was destroyed and time stopped completely. When Danny comes back to work after being out of it for a while due to an accident and is assigned to the clocktower of Enstein, where the tower seems forever plagued by problems. There he meets Colton, the town's clock spirit. The two boys are drawn together but their romance is dangerous. And then other towers are being bombed and destroyed and Danny needs to find the person responsible before Colton's tower is destroyed next and he loses everything.
I am not a big fan of Historical fiction. Or steampunk for that matter. But throw in an adorable LGBT romance and I'm in, no questions asked. Though I didn't really expect much from this book going in, it completely surprised me. The writing pulled me in instantly and I connected to Danny immediately. The story kept me intrigued and I adored the world Tara has built here. I loved the idea with time and the clock towers and the magic involved in it. It's so new and refreshing to me and I loved it! Though I could tell a tiny bit that the author herself isn't British but that didn't bother me all that much. Also, I have a feeling she loves clocks. Just saying.
Though I do have to mention that I was not a fan of the Greek-ish mythology parts with Aetas... I just didn't really care and I don't think they added to the story?? I'M SORRY. I just wanted more Danny and Colton, please and thank you.
I also did not really understand why it would show us a different POV in some chapters? It would switch to a secondary character for one chapter and then go back to Danny and I just didn't know what the point was?? Was there a point even? Who knows.
But speaking of Danny and Colton... MY WHAT PRECIOUS PUMPKINS THEY ARE. Oh I adore these two lots. Danny is so gentle and kind and he has anxiety and is a clock mechanic and he has lots of sad and I just wanted to hug him so much. Colton, our darling clock spirit, was adorable and so child-like and playful and sweet and I wanted to squish him and wrap him in warm blankets. Both of them really. Their romance was SO sweet and perfectly done in my eyes. Although... I have a feeling this romance might not end well. I mean... A human and a clock spirit. THIS WON'T END IN HEARTBREAK AND TEARS, I'M SURE.
Also quick shout-out to Danny's best friend Cassie, who is a car mechanic and awesome. And friendship goals. I loved her.
I also think the ending wrapped up nicely, leaving enough open for the sequel. The finale was exciting and had me glued to the screen of my Kobo the entire time.
So all in all, Timekeeper is absolutely a book you should check out. It's unique, exciting, has a supersweet romance and also explosions. And clocks. So if you love those things, you should read this book. Because you're missing out if you don't.
Well then. This book is just a precious bundle of sweetness with some explosions and clocks thrown in. WHY did I not read this sooner? I don't even know. I don't understand myself sometimes. Because I'm all for adorable LGBT romances between two precious pumpkin boys that need protecting. AND THIS BOOK HAS THAT. So why?? What even is wrong with me. Needless to say I enjoyed this book a lot, even though I'm not a big fan of a) historical fiction and b) steampunk. It won me over and stole my heart. Honestly, who even needs a heart anyway?
Timekeeper is a story set in an alternative Victorian world controlled by clock towers. A damaged tower can fracture town, a destroyed one can stop it completely. It's about seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny, a prodigy in his craft. His father is trapped in a Stopped town. A town where the clock tower was destroyed and time stopped completely. When Danny comes back to work after being out of it for a while due to an accident and is assigned to the clocktower of Enstein, where the tower seems forever plagued by problems. There he meets Colton, the town's clock spirit. The two boys are drawn together but their romance is dangerous. And then other towers are being bombed and destroyed and Danny needs to find the person responsible before Colton's tower is destroyed next and he loses everything.
I am not a big fan of Historical fiction. Or steampunk for that matter. But throw in an adorable LGBT romance and I'm in, no questions asked. Though I didn't really expect much from this book going in, it completely surprised me. The writing pulled me in instantly and I connected to Danny immediately. The story kept me intrigued and I adored the world Tara has built here. I loved the idea with time and the clock towers and the magic involved in it. It's so new and refreshing to me and I loved it! Though I could tell a tiny bit that the author herself isn't British but that didn't bother me all that much. Also, I have a feeling she loves clocks. Just saying.
Though I do have to mention that I was not a fan of the Greek-ish mythology parts with Aetas... I just didn't really care and I don't think they added to the story?? I'M SORRY. I just wanted more Danny and Colton, please and thank you.
I also did not really understand why it would show us a different POV in some chapters? It would switch to a secondary character for one chapter and then go back to Danny and I just didn't know what the point was?? Was there a point even? Who knows.
But speaking of Danny and Colton... MY WHAT PRECIOUS PUMPKINS THEY ARE. Oh I adore these two lots. Danny is so gentle and kind and he has anxiety and is a clock mechanic and he has lots of sad and I just wanted to hug him so much. Colton, our darling clock spirit, was adorable and so child-like and playful and sweet and I wanted to squish him and wrap him in warm blankets. Both of them really. Their romance was SO sweet and perfectly done in my eyes. Although... I have a feeling this romance might not end well. I mean... A human and a clock spirit. THIS WON'T END IN HEARTBREAK AND TEARS, I'M SURE.
Also quick shout-out to Danny's best friend Cassie, who is a car mechanic and awesome. And friendship goals. I loved her.
I also think the ending wrapped up nicely, leaving enough open for the sequel. The finale was exciting and had me glued to the screen of my Kobo the entire time.
So all in all, Timekeeper is absolutely a book you should check out. It's unique, exciting, has a supersweet romance and also explosions. And clocks. So if you love those things, you should read this book. Because you're missing out if you don't.
kbecker610's review against another edition
5.0
This was an absolutely enjoyable read. This story has mythology, a lgbt main character romance, and it's all set in a steampunk society. I look forward to reading the next books in the series.