Timekeeper by Tara Sim

Timekeeper (Timekeeper, #1)

by Tara Sim

Two o’clock was missing.

In an alternate Victorian world controlled by clock towers, a damaged clock can fracture time—and a destroyed one can stop it completely.

It’s a truth that seventeen-year-old clock mechanic Danny Hart knows all too well; his father has been trapped in a Stopped town east of London for three years. Though Danny is a prodigy who can repair not only clockwork, but the very fabric of time, his fixation with staging a rescue is quickly becoming a concern to his superiors.

And so they assign him to Enfield, a town where the tower seems to be forever plagued with problems. Danny’s new apprentice both annoys and intrigues him, and though the boy is eager to work, he maintains a secretive distance. Danny soon discovers why: he is the tower’s clock spirit, a mythical being that oversees Enfield’s time. Though the boys are drawn together by their loneliness, Danny knows falling in love with a clock spirit is forbidden, and means risking everything he’s fought to achieve.

But when a series of bombings at nearby towers threaten to Stop more cities, Danny must race to prevent Enfield from becoming the next target or he’ll not only lose his father, but the boy he loves, forever.

The stunning first novel in a new trilogy by debut author Tara Sim, Timekeeper is perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Victoria Schwab.

Sky Pony Press, with our Good Books, Racehorse and Arcade imprints, is proud to publish a broad range of books for young readers—picture books for small children, chapter books, books for middle grade readers, and novels for young adults. Our list includes bestsellers for children who love to play Minecraft; stories told with LEGO bricks; books that teach lessons about tolerance, patience, and the environment, and much more. While not every title we publish becomes a New York Times bestseller or a national bestseller, we are committed to books on subjects that are sometimes overlooked and to authors whose work might not otherwise find a home.

Reviewed by jesstheaudiobookworm on

4 of 5 stars

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4.5★ Audiobook⎮I had really high expectations for Timekeeper. I waited a couple of months before starting it and in that time I’d begun to worry that I wouldn’t enjoy it as much as everyone else seemed to have enjoyed it. This is a majorly hyped book and I usually fall on the underside of popular opinion with hyped books. However, listening to Timekeeper was one of those rare times when I feel a book is worthy of the hype.

I’m not saying it’s the greatest thing I’ve ever heard, so don’t raise your expectations to unrealistic levels. Rather, appreciate it for what it is: An extremely well-told story. It’s hard to compare Timekeeper to anything else because it’s so original.

It’s steampunk, but also not. There are elements of science fiction and fantasy, but not enough of either to pigeonhole it firmly into one category. Timekeeper lies in between a lot of mainstream ideas. It doesn’t conform to any singular thing and therein lies its beauty.

My favorite thing about Timekeeper is that Sim breaks up the narrative by periodically infusing the story with more traditional storytelling. She uses real world mythology to build the foundation for her fantasy world and conveys the information in a way similar to what Nicola Yoon used in The Sun Is Also A Star. This method of storytelling provided refreshing breaks from the plot.

Considering the whole plot of this story revolves around a fantastical concept that is entirely foreign to readers, Sim explains it all wonderfully. Timekeeper is a highly balanced story. I was able to grasp the roots of this concept quickly and easily, while adjusting my understanding of it as the plot progressed. Timekeeper was an easy listen, especially for all of its fantasy elements. I had no trouble concentrating on it during the day while attending to other tasks. My attention never wavered from it.

For a debut novel, Tara Sim has hit a home run with Timekeeper. Each character is well-developed and independently memorable. The romance is sweet in its innocence, although I still think there is room for further development. I will absolutely be listening to the sequel, Chainbreaker, when it comes out in November.

Narration review: A lot of the ease-of-listening had to do with the narration, done by Gary Furlong. He’s new to me, but he is a keeper! Furlong’s narration of Timekeeper was flawless. Seriously, I have not one complaint. I was a little ambivalent at first, worrying about acclimating to his accent, but it quickly grew on me. And it’s impressive to think that he performed the entire audiobook in a foreign accent. Apparently Furlong’s native accent is Irish, not English. Could’ve fooled me! ♣︎

➜ This audiobook was graciously gifted to me by its publisher, Forever Young Audiobooks, in exchange for a review containing my honest thoughts and opinions. Thanks, Forever Young!

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Reading updates

  • Started reading
  • 26 April, 2017: Finished reading
  • 26 April, 2017: Reviewed