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TIMEKEEPER

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. The stunning first novel in a new trilogy by debut author Tara Sim, Timekeeper is perfect for fans of Cassandra Clare and Victoria Schwab.
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. Tara Sim can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area in California. When she’s not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, clocks, and explosives. Timekeeper is her debut novel. Follow her on Twitter at @EachStarAWorld, and check out her website for fun Timekeeper extras.
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Published 2016-11-01 by Sky Pony Press

Comments

This LGBTQ steampunk romance sports a killer premise and admirably thorough worldbuilding, helpfully annotated in the author’s afterword. The characters - even the bad guys - are sympathetically drawn and commendably diverse in sexuality and gender.

Part mystery and part romance, this fantasy novel delves into what it means to grow up and make important decisions. With an easily relatable main character struggling to fit in, the novel has a realistic and contemplative voice. Several chapters focus on the world’s mythology, providinga secret history of the domain the characters inhabit . VERDICT A must-have richly written fantasy novel that willhave readers eagerly anticipating the next volume. For fans of Cassandra Clare’s “The Infernal Devices” or moremature works like V.E. Schwab’s “Shades of Magic” series.

The LGBTQ+ romance that forms the centerpiece of the steampunk novel is one of the best I've read this year . . . I could wax poetically about all the virtues of this novel all day long, but I'll spare you my praise. Instead, here are the top five reasons why TIMEKEEPER is the LGBTQ+ fantasy I've been waiting for . . . I read as many diverse YA fantasy novels as I can, and quite a few of those have LGBTQ+ romances in them. But TIMEKEEPER is a triumph among all of them. If you read only one such book this year, then please let it be this one.

Timekeeper’s premise is original and its world unique—largely thanks to its steampunk influence and more modern sensibilities. Sim easily balances the book’s romance with the larger mystery, allowing both Danny and Colton’s blossoming love to stand on its own, while still tying into a deeper mythology. Though the plot does drag in certain parts . . . readers will still find themselves rooting not just for his romance with Colton, but also for his quest for answers.

Sim creates a cast of complex and diverse characters, as well as a mythology to explain how the clock towers came to exist. . . It’s an enjoyable, well-realized tale, first in a planned trilogy. Read more...

TIMEKEEPER was featured in ENTERTAINMENT WEEKLY’S 13 Books to Read If You Love Doctor Who and said, “Sim's sweet relationship between a clock mechanic and the spirit of the clock tower he's meant to repair channels that of the Doctor and Idris' (a.k.a. the TARDIS) in "The Doctor's Wife."

First-time author Sim has constructed a mild combination mystery, LGBTQ romance, and supernatural tale of clock spirits and sabotage that explores how far people might go for those they love. Its strongest elements are the time-related mythology and the supernatural gay romance.

Her writing brings to mind modern masters of steampunk prose, like Gail Carriger and Cherie Priest. While the world is wildly interesting and fantastic, with broken clock towers that have left towns frozen in time, it’s the emotional impact and diverse cast of characters that make this book soar for me . . . The resulting story is an exciting and inclusive one, drawing in elements of magic, mystical spirits, swoon-filled romance, and just so much more… and I’m hungrily waiting for the second and third book in the trilogy. Read more...

An enjoyable start to a promising new trilogy.

Mystery, magical clocks, and an LGBT steampunk romance combine in Timekeeper, Sim's much-anticipated debut.

TIMEKEEPER was included in Paste Magazine’s (over 586,000 unique visitors per month) “The 10 Best New Young Adult Books in November 2016” round up: "Steampunk! Spirits! Magical clocks! My goodness, there is so much to love about this book that it’s difficult to narrow it down . . . If you love V.E. Schwabb’s fantastical novels (This Savage Song) or the lush worlds of authors like Cherri Priest (Boneshaker) or Gail Carriger (Soulless), this is the book for you."

TIMEKEEPER's premise is original and its world unique—largely thanks to its steampunk influence and more modern sensibilities. Sim easily balances the book’s romance with the larger mystery, allowing both Danny and Colton’s blossoming love to stand on its own, while still tying into a deeper mythology. Though the plot does drag in certain parts—no thanks to Danny’s emotional outbursts—readers will still find themselves rooting not just for his romance with Colton, but also for his quest for answers.