I didn’t totally love this one, but I wouldn’t kick it out of bed, either. I didn’t review this book when I was initially approved because I didn’t know how NetGalley worked. However, I’ve revisited Timekeeper and am giving it a 3/5.

I realized this wasn't a book that would work for me before I downloaded it. Clearing out my backlog of Archived, Not Downloaded.

A romance that will shake the very foundations of time.

I think I'm a steampunk fan - I've read several steampunk books and enjoyed all of them, and I adored the Victorian London setting in this novel.

The whole premise of clocks controlling time tantalized me, and I connected with Danny almost immediately. I know clocks and cogs aren't for everyone, but the fact that Danny could 'feel' time and diagnose the clock's problem fascinated me. His relationship with Colton was very sweet, although a bit on the 'insta-love' side, but I chose to overlook that.

Timekeeper had been in my TBR for a while, and when the theme for one of my book clubs was an LGBT novel, I immediately thought of this one. A perfect selection, and one I'd recommend.

An utterly fantastic and exciting story! The world that Tara Sim has created for this series is fascinating and I'm so glad that there are two more books to explore it. Characters are always the highlight of my favourite books but here I loved the places they lived in and moved through just as much as I loved each of them. And each of them were wonderful individually and in their interactions with each other: the relationship between Danny and Colton is especially tender and warm, but there were so many brilliant dynamics here that I cannot wait to see more of.

Unfortunately, our reviewer could not finish the book in order to review it. We apologize for any inconvenience this may have caused. Thank you for understanding.

Such a brilliant book. Absolutely devoured it! The characters were amazing and I fell in love with pretty much all of them. The plot was fun and kept me on my toes.

A very sweet love story and a plot that always kept me guessing -- that is, when the plot wasn't being shunted aside in favor of the love story, as is so common in YA.

Because the romance is so central, it has to be good. And it is! I liked the main character a lot. Danny is fairly complex for a YA lead, and this has basically nothing to do with the fact that he just so happens to be gay. His relationships with friends and family, and his emotional reactions to various events and hardships, made sense in light of the earlier trauma he went through: his father being trapped out-of-time, and then his own time/work-related accident. This is who he is when he meets Colton, who has his own... problems. They are rather adorable together.

I liked many of the side characters, too, such as the other young timekeepers. Some were given more depth than others, and I'd have liked to see more of them all. Especially the female one, about whom a whole separate book could have been written. (Although that book might end up resembling various existing steampunky adventure tales with female leads, so author Sim would have her work cut out for her in terms of distinguishing herself from the pack.)

Speaking of steampunk, well, this book never claims to be proper steampunk. But apart from a handful of moments, there isn't much in the way of atmosphere or detail to ground this book in its quasi-Victorian setting at all. It almost seemed as if it could take place more or less any time or place before, say, the 1960s. Also, the metaphysics of time-keeping and the various supernatural elements here -- all pretty mild -- are never really delved into; things just are how they are. Again, this stuff is shunted aside. There are interludes purporting to tell old myths that are related to the story, but I didn't especially like them. They just didn't do anything for me.

I also did not understand the ever-present backdrop of anti-timekeeper protests out on the streets -- it seemed the protesters functioned purely to deflect attention from what was really going on with the clock sabotaging, but it didn't really work because their demands seemed to go against the basic metaphysics of the storyworld, however thinly explained this stuff may have been. So... they want timekeepers to stop helping time to function properly? I didn't get any of that.

I am very interested to read the next book in this series, which looks like it will go deeper into the world building and the side characters, by way of taking the action to colonial India. Which possibly also means we'll get more about that female timekeeper, who has ties there. How promising!

Absolutely fantastic! Timekeeper has everything a good book should have plus even more!
A teen/young adult fantasy story set in Victorian London based around time control (not travel but control) with a steampunk flavor. The best part is that our male main character is gay and has an adorable love interest. Everything about Tara Sim's Timekeeper is a check in the great column; but let me break some of it down for you.

Setting
With a backdrop like Victorian London it's hard not to feel like everything is gorgeous in so many ways. Add in steampunk elements, lots of clock towers, and steam powered 'autos' and you've got the beginnings of a beautiful place to visit. Even modern day London is known for its famous clock tower Big Ben. This clock tower is not only an important fixture in Sim's London (as in ours today) but Big Ben is also a bit of a character in and of himself. Plus, like all of our clock towers in this world, 'he' is essential to time moving correctly in London.

A World of Time
The lore says that time was once controlled by a god, Aetas; but at some time he left the world and time became 'controlled' by each area's clock tower. Now this is very important as the clock towers, if broken, damaged or destroyed, can change the perception of time to the areas people (ie: town, city, village, etc.). Without a functioning clock tower a town can become stopped. Suspended in time and stuck in an existence in which no one can enter or leave that area. Damaged clocks may cause time to skip around, move too fast or too slow, or just make residents feel uncomfortable. Obviously these towers are really important!
Sim has taken the concept of time and twisted it about; but without having time travel or weird physics rules involved. And you might be thinking that it sounds odd. It is a little bit odd at first, but it is also elegant and the rules of time and the clocks that Sim sets up hold up right to the last page.
In order to keep time on schedule and everyone synced up; London has a guild of clock mechanics who fix and maintain all the clock towers in England. And, of course, our main character is a member of this elite and essential group.

Characters
All the characters in Timekeeper are complex and interesting and that includes our main boy Danny. A gay, 17-year-old mechanic, with a father stuck in time and a grieving mother; life is pretty rough for Danny. Luckily he has a wonderful gal pal Cassie (an auto mechanic in her own right), a mentor and folks who are seemingly looking out for him.
Now as wonderful as Danny is, and even though we experience the entire story from his perspective, the real star of the story is Colton, Danny's romantic interest. I can't say too much about Colton without spoiling anything except that he is a perfect 'blond bloke' and at times I wished I was a gay man that could fantasize about him in the same Danny does!
This is one of the first, and only books with a leading male teen in which I thought the love story was gorgeous. It's set-up perfectly from the boys first encounter with one another, to the stories they tell each other, and the eventual strengths, weaknesses and fears they share. This relationship is poignant, bittersweet and perfect because it's imperfect. This is a romantic teen story I will be happy to visit over and over again. The icing on the cupcake is that it's a love story between two men.

Plot
There is a lot of plot happening in Timekeeper all at once, and yet it all connects. Sim does a great job of ensuring you are engaged in the plot via the characters (there is no plot for plot's sake). In all instances events that happen both affect our characters AND play a part in the overall plot. Just like a well written book should be. None of the teen genre cliches (where things are too convenient or you can't figure out why something happened) exist here. Everything is set-up to happen with a reason and with context so that no one thing feels out of place in the story.

Timekeeper Needs More Exposure!
Published by a smaller publishing house, Sky Pony Press, Tara Sim and her world need our help to make it big! This gem of a novel is not as well known due to it not being published with any of the major publishing houses. And I have to say, for me, that is maybe part of it's magic! It's always so nice to read great books from publishers that may not have the same resources to push their books to the top with money. Instead these books must reach the top audiences based on their merit.

Overall
Even if this wasn't a debut novel I would think it a wonderful read. But knowing that this is Tara Sim's debut novel makes it even more impressive in my opinion. The first in a series, Timekeeper can be read on it's own if you don't desire to carry forward. Although once you are immersed in this world I'll be surprised if you aren't dying for more of this steampunk world and it's quirky characters.
All I can say is that if you like teen novels and want to read a diverse love story you will not go wrong with Timekeeper. Add in the gothic feel of Victorian steampunk London, time gone astray, and the sorrow (and love) of a teenage boy and I'll be surprised if you can put this beauty down.
I'm dying to get the second book (which was just released this month, Jan 2018) and can't wait to read more of Tara Sim's stories. This is a book worth searching for, ordering and adding to your print collection. I know my copy will have a place of honor with Hunger Games, Graceling, Incarceron and other favourite teen fantasy/dystopian books in my library.

I was offered a review copy of this book last year but was dumb and didn't read it in time. Last week I found and bought a beautiful trade paperback copy. I'm so glad I didn't leave it behind! I only regret that it took me a year to find and read Timekeeper. I could have read this beauty and held the story in my heart for a whole year sooner! Onto my permanent print shelf it goes awaiting the day when I get to read it again.

I had an advance copy of this book that I was holding onto for a little while. I wanted to be in the right mood to read this, as I had hyped this book up to myself so much. I was terrified that it wouldn't meet the expectations that I had built up for it in my own mind. Thankfully, in this case, it did. I absolutely loved this book.

Truthfully, I had never heard of Tara Sim prior to this, but I was looking for a new book to read and stumbled upon the GoodReads description of a young clock mechanic who falls in love with a clock spirit and I was hooked. I needed this book. It was something different and wonderful.

It had all of the things that I needed in a good book - fleshed out and compelling characters, some romance (And star-crossed for bonus points), world building, mythology, steampunk, and (view spoiler). I won't bore you with a synopsis as the GoodReads blurb is a really good summary of the novel.

The ending wrapped the book up nicely, but there are definitely some things that I would love to still see happen in this world. Thankfully, this appears to be the first book in a trilogy and I am ecstatic. I am eagerly anticipating it, and I can only hope that the author doesn't leave waiting too long.

While the writing for TIMEKEEPER was amazing, it was also so, soooo sloooooow. It took just about forever for anything to remotely happen, and by the time the ball started to roll, I was tired and uninterested.

OH MY GOD THIS BOOK WAS AMAZING! The story had such an amazing premise and I adored the romance!!

I was already looking forward to this one because of the Victorian setting, but was not expecting it to be so nicely written as well. The dialogue was well paced, and the descriptions and imagery just pulled me in. I got pulled into this world and it was definitely one where reaching the end was bittersweet because I wanted more.

2/5 stars

Danny Hart lives in a version of Victorian London where clock towers control time. Danny is a clock mechanic like his father, who has been trapped in a town that has been Stopped for three years.
When Danny is assigned to the clock tower in Enfield, he meets the clock's spirit, Colton. The two are drawn to each other but Danny knows that having a relationship with a clock spirit isn't allowed.
When several clock towers are targeted by bombs, Danny is worried that Enfield will be next.
Who is behind the bombings?
Can Danny and Colton have a future?

I really wanted to like this book.
The idea of clock towers having spirits that control time was intriguing and I liked that Timekeeper was set in Victorian London. I also liked the mythology aspects - I'm a sucker for mythology.
Danny was an okay character and I felt sorry for him.
I wasn't a fan of the romance. It happened too quickly for my liking but I could see that both Danny and Colton were lonely.
The plot was alright. I didn't guess the person behind the bombings.
The pacing was a bit slow for me and I lost interest at several points.
I was disappointed that I didn't enjoy this more.

Overall this was an okay read.

I gave this book 4 stars!

“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.”

This took me 5 days to finish reading, which is unusual for me because I can often finish a book within an hour or two, or at least in one sitting. I powered through this book and I'm so glad that I did because the ending was so good. It blew me away. The last 200 or so pages definitely made up for the slow beginning and the middle chapters that dragged on a bit. I'm really happy that I ended up liking this because I was so worried that I wouldn't, especially after having to put it down multiple times in the beginning. But this novel definitely kicked up speed in the end and made the wait completely worth it. Things exploded, cute characters kissed, and amazing things ensued.

With this novel being a steampunk, it's set in an alternative version of England which I found so freaking cool. The setting was so well-written and so intriguing, and it felt completely normal to read about. I didn't have to think twice about what was going on in the setting and I think that's something that's really hard for writers to pull off, especially in steampunk and fantasy novels, so major props to Sim! Also, this story is all about clocks and time and I found that SO FASCINATING. There are also clock spirits, who are basically clock towers personified, which means that they're these tragic, innocent, and stupidly sweet characters that completely broke my heart but I am 100% okay with it. Colton is the clock spirit in this case and I loved that the clock spirits were named based off of their clock tower. I just thought that was a wonderful and clever little detail. Colton is an absolute darling and was a rightfully frustrating yet precious character. I adored him.

AND DANNY. LET'S TALK ABOUT DANNY, MY SWEET SON, BECAUSE HE DESERVES THE ENTIRE WORLD. Danny suffers from PTSD and anxiety and so much unnecessary stress. His story is tragic and I just wanted to give him a hug the entire duration of this novel. He's a whiz of a clock mechanic and is an absolute genius, and he's so humble yet determined and ambitious and lovely and doesn't think he deserves good things to happen to him, and I love him so much.

I love, love, LOVED his meeting with Colton and I loved their relationship but I also love that their (forbidden) relationship wasn't the center of this novel. There was always so much going on with Danny, with Colton, with Cassie (who is Danny's best friend), with Matthias (who's a mentor of sorts to Danny), with Leila (who's Danny's mother), etc. The side characters were incredible and I loved that they all had their own stories intertwined in with Danny's, and it was this one big, tangled mess of more messes, and it was so complex and raw and weird and confusing, but so worth the read.

I really enjoyed this novel and I'm so happy that I stuck to reading it despite my initial struggle in staying interested with the story. This novel is so unlike anything I've ever read before, and the writing is absolutely stunning. The ending was so satisfying and so heartwarming and I'm so glad that this story is going to continue. I think there are going to be two more novels in this series and I'm just beyond excited to read more about Danny and Colton and their story. Tara Sim is definitely a marvel and a talent and I definitely think that this novel is a gem in the YA fantasy/science fiction genre!

What a delightful book! The concept and world of the story were engaging, and while it took a little while to really take off, the plot kept me hooked all the way through. I also really enjoyed the romance; it was sweet and well done, and I'm totally rooting for them to live happily ever after. I'm very much looking forward to the next book in the series.

When is a clock becomes damaged, time is also damaged and when a clock is destroyed, time itself stops. Danny’s father’s last job was in a clock that was destroyed, and he is now stuck in a town where time has stopped. Danny’s obsession with saving his father has become a concern to his superiors who are reluctant to give him big jobs. So Danny ends up being assigned to Enfield, a clock tower that keeps falling apart. While in Enfield, Danny meets the clock tower’s spirit, who looks after time in Enfield and they are drawn together. However, when a series of bombing in clock towers threatens time, Danny rushes to protect those he cares about and to protect time itself.

Timekeeper is set in an alternative Victorian England that is more socially and technological advanced. Personally, I think the world building could have been done better. Due to the fact that Tara Sim created an alternative time period with cars and phones and other technological advances, it didn’t feel as though it was set in Victorian England. Ultimately, I think the setting could have been better as it wasn’t as atmospheric as I hoped it would be. I did enjoy the mythology surrounding the clock towers and their important to keeping the balance of time, and I thought that was an aspect of the world building that was done really well.

There were numerous topics that were covered and discussed in Timekeeper. Homosexuality was no longer punishable by law and Danny was openly gay, the position of women in society had changed and could also be clock mechanics, and Danny himself suffered from PTSD from a previous trauma.

I enjoyed the relationships Danny had with those around him. His relationship with his mother was an interesting one, and I loved his relationship with his best friend Cassie. His relationship with Colton, the clock spirit, was also interesting. He knew falling in love with a clock spirit was forbidden in his line of work because of the dangers it posed to time. The relationship was cute at times, as Colton was both endearing and annoying in Danny’s eyes but Colton would damage himself, and the town’s time to gain attention from Danny.

Overall, an interesting and original concept, and I enjoyed the steampunk elements. However, I felt like the setting and world building was lacking in places, but an enjoyable read.

4 stars

In this young adult fantasy steampunk novel, time is controlled by the clock towers that fables say are inhabited by clock spirits. Mechanics are strictly forbidden from becoming involved with clock spirits. Danny is a 17 year old clock mechanic whose father has been trapped in a town where the clock tower was damaged and time has been stopped for the past 3 years. Danny was also injured in a clock tower explosion. Even so, he is determined to find a way to repair the clock tower in the stopped town and release his father. When he meets a handsome young man while repairing a clock in Enfield, he finds himself in a forbidden romance.