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rjdenney's review against another edition
2.0
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 and there were tiny bits of this book that I did like, I will say that. I’d also never read anything to do with steampunk before and so this was my introduction to that too and I’m now more interested in that sub-genre and will be checking it out.
I was truly hoping that the “mystery” in this would save it for me (because you all know I love my Victorian era mysteries) mysterious clock tower bombings in an alternate Victorian era? It sounded awesome as hell but in the end it fell flat and though I really wanted to, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the entire book and sadly I won’t be carrying on with the trilogy. If you’ve been wanting to check it out I’d say borrow it from the library and then decide if you want to buy a copy or not.
I was sent a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Sky Pony Press. All thoughts are my damn own. :-) - Richard
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 and there were tiny bits of this book that I did like, I will say that. I’d also never read anything to do with steampunk before and so this was my introduction to that too and I’m now more interested in that sub-genre and will be checking it out.
I was truly hoping that the “mystery” in this would save it for me (because you all know I love my Victorian era mysteries) mysterious clock tower bombings in an alternate Victorian era? It sounded awesome as hell but in the end it fell flat and though I really wanted to, I couldn’t bring myself to enjoy the entire book and sadly I won’t be carrying on with the trilogy. If you’ve been wanting to check it out I’d say borrow it from the library and then decide if you want to buy a copy or not.
I was sent a finished copy of this book in exchange for an honest review from Sky Pony Press. All thoughts are my damn own. :-) - Richard
mistressviolet's review against another edition
slow-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? Yes
3.0
A love story with diverse characters, a unique premise, and a happy ending. I enjoyed the steampunk Victorian setting, the little hints of magic, and the unusual romance. However, the pacing was a bit slow, for my taste.
Good, but not a favorite.
lpcoolgirl's review against another edition
5.0
Oh, loved reading this book, and I need to read more of this series now!
colorcrystals's review against another edition
adventurous
emotional
mysterious
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? Yes
4.5
Content Warnings
Graphic: Blood, Violence, and Death
Minor: Homophobia
drakoulis's review against another edition
5.0
An Victorian-esque world where clocks rule time.
A sweet and pure romance for the ages between an 18-year-old clock mechanic and a clock spirit.
The Timekeeper trilogy is historical fantasy at its finest!
Edit: Tara Sim herself fancasted the wonderful Joe Locke as Danny Hart, and I can't unsee this image now
A sweet and pure romance for the ages between an 18-year-old clock mechanic and a clock spirit.
The Timekeeper trilogy is historical fantasy at its finest!
Edit: Tara Sim herself fancasted the wonderful Joe Locke as Danny Hart, and I can't unsee this image now
nhdk's review against another edition
3.0
This book has a great concept. Time is embodied in an ethereal shaped person and is central to how each town lives. If time breaks, so too does the town. I found the book to be slow for the most part, although it was an easy read which made it enjoyable. That said, it was pretty predictable, nothing really surprised me and I kind of hoped it would. I loved the fact that the protagonist was LGBT, it's lovely to read something more diverse. I wasn't overly taken with any of the characters, I just didn't connect with them and failed to be invested in their journey. It was a buddy read though, and many of the group I read with enjoyed it far more than me. So I think it's personal taste.
cyhr04's review
informative
lighthearted
mysterious
tense
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? It's complicated
- Diverse cast of characters? Yes
- Flaws of characters a main focus? Yes
3.75
laura_cs's review against another edition
5.0
3rd Read 2019: This book just gets better and better every time I read it. I love it so much...
2nd Read 2018: In preparation of reading the second book in Tara Sim’s Victorian Steampunk trilogy, I re-read Timekeeper and fell in love all over again! This is a book I’ve recommend countless times since I read it last spring, and the first book I’ve read in a long time that I wanted to re-read almost immediately after finishing the last chapter.
Ms. Sim has created an amazing world with unique rules and mythos, as well as a fantastic cast of characters. This is a fantastic blending of genres and ideas all within one book: there’s obviously the sci-fi and fantasy aspects of the steampunk world mixed with magic, the underlying mystery of “who is sabotaging the clock towers and why?”, and of course romance. You’ve got characters from all different walks of life with different problems, who all come together to solve the same problem and make things right. It’s got a happy ending, though with an ominous note to lead into book 2, Chainbreaker.
Oh, and there’s explosions. Lots of stuff goes boom.
Favorite part: Colton, without a doubt. He’s equal parts innocent cinnamon roll and devious little monster.
2nd Read 2018: In preparation of reading the second book in Tara Sim’s Victorian Steampunk trilogy, I re-read Timekeeper and fell in love all over again! This is a book I’ve recommend countless times since I read it last spring, and the first book I’ve read in a long time that I wanted to re-read almost immediately after finishing the last chapter.
Ms. Sim has created an amazing world with unique rules and mythos, as well as a fantastic cast of characters. This is a fantastic blending of genres and ideas all within one book: there’s obviously the sci-fi and fantasy aspects of the steampunk world mixed with magic, the underlying mystery of “who is sabotaging the clock towers and why?”, and of course romance. You’ve got characters from all different walks of life with different problems, who all come together to solve the same problem and make things right. It’s got a happy ending, though with an ominous note to lead into book 2, Chainbreaker.
Oh, and there’s explosions. Lots of stuff goes boom.
Favorite part: Colton, without a doubt. He’s equal parts innocent cinnamon roll and devious little monster.
lunarchfey's review against another edition
3.0
3.5/5 Stars
I was delighted by the premise of this book , but a little underwhelmed by the execution. I didn’t want to stop reading at any point, and was invested enough in the characters to want to know how it ended, but felt myself really hoping for more of this or maybe not that throughout much of the book.
What I did like: the premise, as stated! A very cool idea. In a lot of ways, a very interesting execution, as well. The characters themselves (especially Colton, the love interest) were very charming. There are many worse ways to spend a few hours than introducing Colton into your life, and I did find the romantic thread of the story really held it together. There was at least one very memorable kiss, and I say this as someone who has read many, many kiss scenes.
What I could take or leave: The prose was clean but largely unremarkable. I skipped the “mythology” chapters wholesale since they dragged too much. I easily predicted more events and occurrences than I’d like to (a shame for a ‘mystery’), and found that a lot of the worldbuilding was just under-utilized and under-explored set dressing. Outside of the main two, character relationships were one-note or easily dismissed.
In the end, I have sort of an overall generally positive feeling because nothing really betrayed me or broke my heart, but also a sense of longing for the strengths of the book to hold up better. I’ll definitely read the sequel, if only because I am invested in the main pair, but I have a strong suspicion that the flaws of the first likely won’t be addressed (and will probably be compounded) by the second.
I was delighted by the premise of this book , but a little underwhelmed by the execution. I didn’t want to stop reading at any point, and was invested enough in the characters to want to know how it ended, but felt myself really hoping for more of this or maybe not that throughout much of the book.
What I did like: the premise, as stated! A very cool idea. In a lot of ways, a very interesting execution, as well. The characters themselves (especially Colton, the love interest) were very charming. There are many worse ways to spend a few hours than introducing Colton into your life, and I did find the romantic thread of the story really held it together. There was at least one very memorable kiss, and I say this as someone who has read many, many kiss scenes.
What I could take or leave: The prose was clean but largely unremarkable. I skipped the “mythology” chapters wholesale since they dragged too much. I easily predicted more events and occurrences than I’d like to (a shame for a ‘mystery’), and found that a lot of the worldbuilding was just under-utilized and under-explored set dressing. Outside of the main two, character relationships were one-note or easily dismissed.
In the end, I have sort of an overall generally positive feeling because nothing really betrayed me or broke my heart, but also a sense of longing for the strengths of the book to hold up better. I’ll definitely read the sequel, if only because I am invested in the main pair, but I have a strong suspicion that the flaws of the first likely won’t be addressed (and will probably be compounded) by the second.
elea_scout07's review against another edition
3.0
It wasn't a super action book, I just got a bit bored. It felt like a not a whole lot of interesting things happened.