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Timekeeper
(Timekeeper #1)
by
I was in an accident. I got out. I’m safe now.
An alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, where a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.
A prodigy mechanic who can repair not only clockwork but time itself, determined to rescue his father from a Stopped town.
A series of mysterious bombings that could jeopardize all of Englan ...more
An alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, where a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.
A prodigy mechanic who can repair not only clockwork but time itself, determined to rescue his father from a Stopped town.
A series of mysterious bombings that could jeopardize all of Englan ...more
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Start your review of Timekeeper (Timekeeper, #1)
Meh. I am obviously just not that interested in clocks and mechanics.
Timekeeper 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, ...more
Timekeeper 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, ...more
Oh this was magical and adorable and I REALLY LIKED IT. Which I'm really really happy about because it's my first steampunk experience that I can flail over! Usually, someone says "steampunk!" and I say "eh" like the eloquent turtle fish I am. But this?! It kicked me in the feels AND it had fantastic characters and THINGS EXPLODED.
I'm so loving this. #ExplosionsFTW
It's set in an alternate reality England, so there is tea and scones. Nice. I cautiously admit I could tell the author wasn't Britis ...more
I'm so loving this. #ExplosionsFTW
It's set in an alternate reality England, so there is tea and scones. Nice. I cautiously admit I could tell the author wasn't Britis ...more
Sep 29, 2016
Nina ✿ Looseleaf Reviews ✿
rated it
really liked it
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
arc,
e-books,
2016-release,
netgalley,
steampunk,
lgbtqia,
romance,
debut-author,
own-voices
This book came out of nowhere and hit me over the head with its awesome!
Danny is the youngest clock mechanic in a alternative-world Victorian England where clock towers like Big Ben literally control time. Each city has its clock tower that safeguards its "time zone." If the clock tower stops working, so does time in the town, and the people in it become frozen and unable to escape - which is exactly what happened to Danny's father three years ago. He has worked so hard to become a good enough m ...more
Danny is the youngest clock mechanic in a alternative-world Victorian England where clock towers like Big Ben literally control time. Each city has its clock tower that safeguards its "time zone." If the clock tower stops working, so does time in the town, and the people in it become frozen and unable to escape - which is exactly what happened to Danny's father three years ago. He has worked so hard to become a good enough m ...more
I read an early draft of this book, and trust me—it's something you want. It has clocktowers that control time. And impish clock spirit boys. And maybe the most real teenage boy protagonist I have ever read. I absolutely can't wait until it's on shelves.
Get hype. ...more
Get hype. ...more
I'm so happy I've finally decided to read Timekeeper ! Indeed after side-eyeing this novel for the past couple of years, the glowing reviews for the sequel convinced me and I couldn't be happier they did : I really, really liked this. But let's start with what I loved the most about it, shall we ?
There comes a moment when time seems to slip faster, running long then short, shadows shrinking as the sun climbs. It's the moment, he decided, when you're no longer a child. When the concep...more
I may be biased, as I am her literary agent...but it's truly amazing. Devoured the book!
...more
May 01, 2018
✨ jamieson ✨
rated it
really liked it
Shelves:
lgbtqiap,
2018-reads,
m-m,
romance,
series,
series-to-complete,
young-adult,
historical-fiction
TIMEKEEPER is set in an alternate victorian england where clock towers & time is essentially alive and people are subject to the whims of time. Clock mechanics are hired to maintain the clocks, otherwise they can become damaged and throw off time in towns - potentially even Stop towns so that time no longer moves.
Danny is a mechanic who is sent to Enfield to repair a clock, and when he does some really weird things start happening. Clocks are getting sabotaged and Danny is unsure who to trust. ...more
Danny is a mechanic who is sent to Enfield to repair a clock, and when he does some really weird things start happening. Clocks are getting sabotaged and Danny is unsure who to trust. ...more
I'm a sucker for a good Victorian London fantasy clockpunk LGBT romance, and boy does this ever deliver. Danny Hart is the type of brooding boy YA fantasy fans love, but his pain comes from a very complex and deep place. Colton, the perfect cinnamon roll of a love interest, is...I'm not going to spoil it. The romance between the two boys is toe-curlingly wonderful, but the mythology of the world is also fascinating. Time is controlled by clock towers, and mechanics take care of the clocks. If th
...more
Jan 05, 2018
Elle (ellexamines)
marked it as on-my-shelf
·
review of another edition
Shelves:
x-tbr-lgbtq
things that happened in the hour before I bought this beautiful paperback:
→ I met my friend [now girlfriend] who I'd been following on Twitter for months and months
→ I overheard a girl telling her friend that a book had "surprise lesbians"
→ an author that I'm obsessed with recognized me and guessed my fucking blog name ...more
→ I met my friend [now girlfriend] who I'd been following on Twitter for months and months
→ I overheard a girl telling her friend that a book had "surprise lesbians"
→ an author that I'm obsessed with recognized me and guessed my fucking blog name ...more
Actual rating 3.5 stars.
I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Tara Sim, and the publisher, Sky Pony Press, for this opportunity.
Alternative historical fiction? Mythological retelling? LGBTQIA main character and prominent theme? Check, check and check!
This book is a thrilling journey into a Victorian-era world, where time is magic and the clock towers that measure it are under threat from a mysterious source. Without the steady beat of time, lif ...more
I received this in exchange for an honest review from NetGalley. Thank you to the author, Tara Sim, and the publisher, Sky Pony Press, for this opportunity.
Alternative historical fiction? Mythological retelling? LGBTQIA main character and prominent theme? Check, check and check!
This book is a thrilling journey into a Victorian-era world, where time is magic and the clock towers that measure it are under threat from a mysterious source. Without the steady beat of time, lif ...more
5 out of 10
Ревью в моем блоге/This review on my blog
Living A Thousand Lives (please use Chrome/Yandex browser or Android/IOS to see the page; otherwise, spoiler-tags I use to make my post compact may not work)
Genre: AU, fantasy, YA, queers
Stuff: clock towers and their spirits, mechanics, time itself, gays
Fail: rushed romance, weak logic
WOW: main idea, Danny's character
POV: 3rd person, male
Love-Geometry: none
Quote-Core:
"Time is the language of all things."
Maybe my expectations were too h ...more
2 STARS!!!
I’m feeling really disappointed as I’m writing this review. I was really hoping that I would love the hell out of this book. It’s LGBT, it takes place in an alternate Victorian era, and it had a sliver of a mystery thrown into it. But sadly it was B-O-R-I-N-G. I enjoyed the romance between Danny and Colton, but the story kept dragging on and on and on and nothing seemed to be picking up until about 300 pages in and that is not a good thing. I liked the story surrounding clock spirits ...more
I’m feeling really disappointed as I’m writing this review. I was really hoping that I would love the hell out of this book. It’s LGBT, it takes place in an alternate Victorian era, and it had a sliver of a mystery thrown into it. But sadly it was B-O-R-I-N-G. I enjoyed the romance between Danny and Colton, but the story kept dragging on and on and on and nothing seemed to be picking up until about 300 pages in and that is not a good thing. I liked the story surrounding clock spirits ...more
TIMEKEEPER is rich with mystery, myth, and magic, not to mention a glorious romance.
The characters carry broken hearts and broken promises as they try to solve the central mystery: who has been trying to destroy time itself? Each character is lovingly crafted, leaping off the page. And again, the pacing is masterful, with deep meaning to the piece. I adored this book! ...more
The characters carry broken hearts and broken promises as they try to solve the central mystery: who has been trying to destroy time itself? Each character is lovingly crafted, leaping off the page. And again, the pacing is masterful, with deep meaning to the piece. I adored this book! ...more
Actual Rating: 3.5/5
This concept of this book was extremely interesting! The first half definitely had me hooked. The writing in the second half seemed to get a bit more frantic and disconnected so I lost interest a bit, but overall I'd say this was a very creative and unique YA book. I'm not sure what genre I'd classify it as because it's not really fantasy and it kind of has a Victorian steampunk vibe but doesn't really fit into any genre entirely. I'm not sure if I'll keep reading this series ...more
This concept of this book was extremely interesting! The first half definitely had me hooked. The writing in the second half seemed to get a bit more frantic and disconnected so I lost interest a bit, but overall I'd say this was a very creative and unique YA book. I'm not sure what genre I'd classify it as because it's not really fantasy and it kind of has a Victorian steampunk vibe but doesn't really fit into any genre entirely. I'm not sure if I'll keep reading this series ...more
Un fantasy originale e con una storia d'amore estremamente tenera. L'atmosfera e l'ambientazione vittoriana del romanzo è affascinante ma non mi ha convinto al 100% perché la storia è un po' lenta, si concentra troppo sulla storia d'amore e mi aspettavo un po' di più dalla soluzione delle varie vicende.
Livello di inglese: intermedio. ...more
Livello di inglese: intermedio. ...more
Timekeeper was one of those books that is just so much fun and so easy to fall in love with that you don’t want to have to actually think about dissecting it for a review. I know that if I were to put on my more critical eyes and reread this story I would be able to pluck out a few things to complain about but, at this moment, I’m sitting here and beaming because I fell in love with these characters and this world too much to complain.
The characters were just so perfect. Danny, our protagonist, ...more
The characters were just so perfect. Danny, our protagonist, ...more
Timekeeper is a story about Danny, a mechanic who works on clock towers and keeps the world moving forward. Time is a real tangible thing in this world and clock towers keep the towns they reside in running on a normal timeline, damage to the clock means damage to the town and people who live near that clock tower. It's Danny's job to make sure the clock and the strands of time remain healthy. Add in clock spirits, the heart and soul of time in that tower, and you have a seriously magical story
...more
I'm on a great book roll.
OK I PROMISE I'M GONNA GET THIS REVIEW UP BEFORE THE ACTUAL RELEASE DATE ISTG*
*OK!
Imagine an alternate history where every Victorian city and town have clocktowers to regulate the flow of time. Now add a hefty dollop of adorable and heart-wrenching romance, lots of explosions, and a badass lady mechanic. THERE YOU GO. THAT'S THIS.
Danny is broody and moody and kinda prickly and Colton is a cinnamon roll ghost and I did lots of *squishy-hands* and bosom-clutching. There ...more
OK I PROMISE I'M GONNA GET THIS REVIEW UP BEFORE THE ACTUAL RELEASE DATE ISTG*
*OK!
Imagine an alternate history where every Victorian city and town have clocktowers to regulate the flow of time. Now add a hefty dollop of adorable and heart-wrenching romance, lots of explosions, and a badass lady mechanic. THERE YOU GO. THAT'S THIS.
Danny is broody and moody and kinda prickly and Colton is a cinnamon roll ghost and I did lots of *squishy-hands* and bosom-clutching. There ...more
4.5 / 5 stars.
One of the best lgbtqai+ books I've ever read. Why? Because TimeKeeper is complete .
Too often lgbtqai+ books feel like they're just scratching the surface, underlining too much the romance side and giving barely a thought about everything else | plot-wise, secondary characters-wise and worldbuilding-wise |. Tara Sim touches everyhing here: world, friendship, family problems, and weaves a great plotline that keeps you engaged from the start til the end.
Lgbtqai+ characters and people ...more
One of the best lgbtqai+ books I've ever read. Why? Because TimeKeeper is complete .
Too often lgbtqai+ books feel like they're just scratching the surface, underlining too much the romance side and giving barely a thought about everything else | plot-wise, secondary characters-wise and worldbuilding-wise |. Tara Sim touches everyhing here: world, friendship, family problems, and weaves a great plotline that keeps you engaged from the start til the end.
Lgbtqai+ characters and people ...more
Oh my god? Oh my god? Oh my god?????
I had heard about this on Twitter and loved the premise, so I was quite excited to start.
I loved Danny and Colton. Their relationship was adorable and I really enjoyed the scenes with the two of them. Cassie was also quite awesome and I hope we get to see more of her.
Hands down, the best part of this story is the world building. I love the idea of clock spirits and London is my favorite place in the world, so I was half in love with the book before I even started.
There were a couple of sectio ...more
I loved Danny and Colton. Their relationship was adorable and I really enjoyed the scenes with the two of them. Cassie was also quite awesome and I hope we get to see more of her.
Hands down, the best part of this story is the world building. I love the idea of clock spirits and London is my favorite place in the world, so I was half in love with the book before I even started.
There were a couple of sectio ...more
Seventeen year old Danny Hart is the youngest clock mechanic and he knows all too well what is at stake when he's sent to repair a clock tower that has been damaged. Danny's father has been trapped for the last three years in a town with a clock tower that was destroyed stopping the time within the town so that no one can cross in or out.
When Danny is sent to Enfield to fix the tower he finds that it seems to be forever plagued by more and more problems. What Danny finds is that the boy that he ...more
When Danny is sent to Enfield to fix the tower he finds that it seems to be forever plagued by more and more problems. What Danny finds is that the boy that he ...more
4 fabulous stars!
This was such a unique and original story-line; it was cute, charming, fabulous and refreshing. What a great way to start off my reading year! Throughout the 408 pages there wasn't a single dull moment which kept me soo engaged! The plot was fast paced and the writing style flowed really well and was very light and easy to understand. Regarding character development i am a bit unsatisfied :/ if it had more it would have def been one of those character driven books (like the TRC ...more
This was such a unique and original story-line; it was cute, charming, fabulous and refreshing. What a great way to start off my reading year! Throughout the 408 pages there wasn't a single dull moment which kept me soo engaged! The plot was fast paced and the writing style flowed really well and was very light and easy to understand. Regarding character development i am a bit unsatisfied :/ if it had more it would have def been one of those character driven books (like the TRC ...more
Unfortunately, this book and I couldn't get along. I was bored and annoyed with the story. I was indifferent to both the characters and the plot, I couldn't relate to anyone and, honestly, I didn't care about them. I'm relieved to be done with the book.
The only reason I'm not giving this book 2 star rating is because I support genre novels with lgbt+ protagonists where the story isn't focused on their sexuality. Timekeeper is steam-punk novel set in alternative Victorian England and our main bud ...more
The only reason I'm not giving this book 2 star rating is because I support genre novels with lgbt+ protagonists where the story isn't focused on their sexuality. Timekeeper is steam-punk novel set in alternative Victorian England and our main bud ...more
Holy wow. This has become one of my new favorites in historical fiction. Fantastic romance, thrilling mystery, and infinitely readable. Tara Sim has come out with Victorian clockwork-guns blazing in this marvelous 2016 debut. I loved it so much that I pre-ordered a copy! I cannot wait for it to sit permanently on my shelves. Add this TIMEKEEPER immediately! I promise you won't be disappointed.
...more
Mar 21, 2016
Max S
marked it as to-read
GAY CHARACTERS + TIME TRAVEL = THIS BOOK.
YES PLEASE.
YES PLEASE.
Nov 23, 2017
AMEERA
added it
DNF 48%
It honestly hurts to write this review because I actually liked our main character Danny and I loved his love interest Colton. However their romance wasn't enough to keep me entertained. With 414 pages this shouldn't have been Insta love. Even though I didn't mind their interactions they didn't get nearly enough page time.
This book was just so boring. I read 76% and then skimmed to the end because I just couldn't do it.
I'm sad because I hate to rate LGBTQIAP+ books lower. Especially ones with ...more
This book was just so boring. I read 76% and then skimmed to the end because I just couldn't do it.
I'm sad because I hate to rate LGBTQIAP+ books lower. Especially ones with ...more
Yet again, a good concept ruined by a mediocre execution. What a shame.
This book is set in an alternate version of Victorian London, blurbed by Victoria Schwab and is a favorite of someone whom I trust. Here we go.
This book is set in an alternate version of Victorian London, blurbed by Victoria Schwab and is a favorite of someone whom I trust. Here we go.
| topics | posts | views | last activity | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| YA LGBT Books: * April 2019 BotM - Timekeeper (poss spoilers) | 8 | 75 | Jul 12, 2020 06:01AM | |
Series to Finish ...:
Timekeeper (series) by Tara Sim
|
2 | 12 | Dec 31, 2018 02:32PM | |
| Challenge Corner: Timekeeper by Tara Sims-->Starting September 15th | 2 | 3 | Sep 15, 2018 12:14PM | |
| What's the Name o...: SOLVED. YA Sci-Fi Steampunk with some romance. main character is a clock worker who falls in love with a clock spirit. Clocks control time. [s] | 3 | 35 | Feb 05, 2018 04:21PM | |
| Lit CelebrAsian B...: Asian Lit Chat Questions for Timekeeper - What is your favourite scene? | 1 | 8 | Jan 27, 2018 06:31PM | |
| Lit CelebrAsian B...: #AsianLitChat Announcement: Join us for a Timekeeper chat on Jan 27/28! | 3 | 5 | Jan 26, 2018 03:09AM |
Readers also enjoyed
Tara Sim is a YA author found in the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she's not writing about magic, clocks, and boys, she drinks tea, wrangles cats, and sings opera.
Tara grew up in California, but braved the elements of Virginia to study English/Creative Writing at Hollins University.
Half-Indian and full geek, she eats too many samosas and awkwardly dances to Bhangra music. ...more
Tara grew up in California, but braved the elements of Virginia to study English/Creative Writing at Hollins University.
Half-Indian and full geek, she eats too many samosas and awkwardly dances to Bhangra music. ...more
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Timekeeper
(3 books)
Articles featuring this book
Mystery, magical clocks, and an LGBT steampunk romance combine in Timekeeper, Sim's much-anticipated debut. Here she describes her favorite fantasy...
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“You're everything. You're... You're chaos and order and everything between. Like sunshine kept back by clouds. Like the entire world's imploded inside you, but all I see are the stars are sewn into your skin. You're filled with soft, dark music. I hear it all the time. Your music.”
—
40 likes
“There comes a moment when time seems to slip faster, running long then short, shadows shrinking as the sun climbs. It’s the moment, he decided, when you’re no longer a child. When the concept of time and the need for more of it come together and make you powerless. Make you yearn for the longer days, the lazy days, before you knew what time passing actually meant.”
—
20 likes
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