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3.74 AVERAGE
3.74 AVERAGE
Honestly, this book was such a disappointment to me. I heard it pitched as queer steampunk which is so totally up my alley, and the premise behind the world was really interesting, but the execution of this novel just fell very short.
I think there were some interesting things going on in this novel, such as the examination of PTSD, fraught parental relationships, and the fact that our main character’s queerness was just a facet of him, and the story didn’t have to be centered around his queerness, it’s just who he was. I also thought the idea of clock towers literally controlling time was a fascinating one.
However, everything else about this just felt very basic and lacked depth, complexity or nuance. The character’s motivations were very plainly said on page, and not really developed past that, and as such I didn’t really care for any of them. Additionally, one specific character meant to be a “villain” type felt so unbelievable as to why someone would act that way it felt cartoonish. They all just felt very basic, and like someone created a “character sheet” where they listed a couple bullet points for each character, and never gave that anymore complexity. As such, romance is a pretty heavy focus in this, and I wanted it to be the saving grace for me, but it just felt very flat and underdeveloped (the key word for this whole book), so I ended up not really caring for it.
The plot, like everything else, lacked a sense of complexity for me and felt very one note. I think thematically the book was a little scattered, and lacked focus. It relied on some tropes that I’ve just gotten tired of, and I think when used in such a way as this, feels lazy and trite, as if they’re being used because there can’t be a more interesting way to build tension than throwing in this random aspect to the world. The same types of things kept happening, with very little consequences up until one Big Consequence, that ended up righting itself in the end anyway. As a result of this, once again, I didn’t find myself engaged, so I speed read the last 100 pages, in which a “plot twist” is thrown in that I thought demolished a character and felt very dissonant from any characterization they had previously.
Additionally the writing was not my favorite. It felt very basic, with attempts at figurative language that felt cliched at times, and other inner monologue lines that have been overused to death—such as “I won’t let [Character] get away with this”. Not absolutely terrible, just very average.
In many ways this felt to me like a mediocre fan-fiction. I don’t say this to insinuate that all fan-fiction is subpar, as I am an avid fic reader and lover, and there are some incredibly talented authors out there. However, this book fell into so many of the frequent not-so-great trappings of fan-fiction, I couldn’t help but make the comparison.
Overall this book had me very excited going in, but I was sad to see it just felt very mediocre. It wasn’t obnoxiously bad, just very underdeveloped. I think it has a lot of things going for it, but it just didn’t deliver in the end.
I think there were some interesting things going on in this novel, such as the examination of PTSD, fraught parental relationships, and the fact that our main character’s queerness was just a facet of him, and the story didn’t have to be centered around his queerness, it’s just who he was. I also thought the idea of clock towers literally controlling time was a fascinating one.
However, everything else about this just felt very basic and lacked depth, complexity or nuance. The character’s motivations were very plainly said on page, and not really developed past that, and as such I didn’t really care for any of them. Additionally, one specific character meant to be a “villain” type felt so unbelievable as to why someone would act that way it felt cartoonish. They all just felt very basic, and like someone created a “character sheet” where they listed a couple bullet points for each character, and never gave that anymore complexity. As such, romance is a pretty heavy focus in this, and I wanted it to be the saving grace for me, but it just felt very flat and underdeveloped (the key word for this whole book), so I ended up not really caring for it.
The plot, like everything else, lacked a sense of complexity for me and felt very one note. I think thematically the book was a little scattered, and lacked focus. It relied on some tropes that I’ve just gotten tired of, and I think when used in such a way as this, feels lazy and trite, as if they’re being used because there can’t be a more interesting way to build tension than throwing in this random aspect to the world. The same types of things kept happening, with very little consequences up until one Big Consequence, that ended up righting itself in the end anyway. As a result of this, once again, I didn’t find myself engaged, so I speed read the last 100 pages, in which a “plot twist” is thrown in that I thought demolished a character and felt very dissonant from any characterization they had previously.
Additionally the writing was not my favorite. It felt very basic, with attempts at figurative language that felt cliched at times, and other inner monologue lines that have been overused to death—such as “I won’t let [Character] get away with this”. Not absolutely terrible, just very average.
In many ways this felt to me like a mediocre fan-fiction. I don’t say this to insinuate that all fan-fiction is subpar, as I am an avid fic reader and lover, and there are some incredibly talented authors out there. However, this book fell into so many of the frequent not-so-great trappings of fan-fiction, I couldn’t help but make the comparison.
Overall this book had me very excited going in, but I was sad to see it just felt very mediocre. It wasn’t obnoxiously bad, just very underdeveloped. I think it has a lot of things going for it, but it just didn’t deliver in the end.
As a fantasy YA novel with queer themes and a little lore worked in, it's alright. The writing is decent but for some reason, I struggled to become invested in it and didn't really care about the characters. It didn't help that the main character is a quintessentially potteresque type - impulsive, hot-headed, do before you think - which is something I really dislike and don't resonate with at all. I'm rounding the 2.5 down to a two.
3.5/5
The world building, or the magic in the world, specifically, kind of lost me at times, but the romance was sweet and the characters fun.
Check out my full review on Forever Young Adult.
The world building, or the magic in the world, specifically, kind of lost me at times, but the romance was sweet and the characters fun.
Check out my full review on Forever Young Adult.
This book takes forever to picked up. When I say forever I mean almost towards the end. I agree with most of the comments the relationship was not healthy. And honestly the story was too boring for most of the book but it ends in a somewhat good note.
Oh boy oh boy, Timekeeper is an enjoyable read with a lush plot and great characters, but it was a teeny tiny bit predictable and the audiobooks made it also insanely cheesy and cringy and unfortunately that influenced my own level of enjoyment.
Still, a very unique read set in a steampunk London
Still, a very unique read set in a steampunk London
I’ve never read anything with this kind of premise before. Excited to find out more!
I adored this -heartwarming, some beautiful writing and a protaganist and love interest/co-lead who are unapologetically gay, a perfect YA steampunk/fantasy read for a cold winters afternoon and evening.
Actually probably more a 4.5!
Really enjoyed this! Loved the world building and the characters. The romance was cute and the mystery was intriguing. Quite a bit of action towards the end which created a sense of danger for our characters that felt real. I did figure out a lot of the mystery before it was revealed but it didn't spoil my enjoyment!
Very much looking forward to getting my hands on book 2
Really enjoyed this! Loved the world building and the characters. The romance was cute and the mystery was intriguing. Quite a bit of action towards the end which created a sense of danger for our characters that felt real. I did figure out a lot of the mystery before it was revealed but it didn't spoil my enjoyment!
Very much looking forward to getting my hands on book 2
To begin with, I will say that TimeKeeper is a book belonging to the genre Steampunk. Here, the story takes place in England in 1875, in an alternative world, where phones, cars already exist and where homosexuals are accepted (it was not really the case in our world at that time as you all know!)
In Timekeeper, we will mainly follow Danny, a “clock mechanic” or a “timekeeper”, his job is to repair the clocks of cities of England (like Big Ben for example). These clocks are extremely important in this world since they control Time. A simple problem, a scratch or anything else can cause slowness in time, or disappearance of minutes / hours. That’s why you really have to take care of these clocks, you do not want to mess with Time.
We quickly learn that Danny lost his father (also a clock mechanic) a few years ago after an accident that happened when he was repairing a clock. Time suddenly stopped in this city, and the city was isolated from the world. No one has found a way to save them yet. They are trapped at that moment.
This is the primary goal of Danny, save his father! Traumatized by his disappearance, he also cut himself off from the world, he doesn’t go out and lives only for his work. Until the day he met a young man. A cute and sweet romance will then start.
During this period, many accidents happened with different clocks around London. Danny will try to understand what is happening and who is trying to mess with Time.
Timekeeper is a very well written novel, which hooked me in the first few paragraphs! Tara Sim built an alternative Victorian world that I loved, and I can’t wait to read more.
The characters are great, the plot is intriguing, and even if the action is not crazy, I wasn’t bored at all!
More on my blog : http://www.further-west.com/timekeeper-by-tara-sim-book-review-in-english-french/
TimeKeeper c’est avant tout un univers Steampunk. Ici, l’histoire se passe en Angleterre en 1875, dans une réalité alternative de notre monde, où les téléphones, les voitures existent déjà et là où les relations homosexuelles sont plus ou moins acceptées.
Dans ce roman, on suivra principalement Danny, un “horloger” si je peux traduire ça comme ça, son travail est de réparer les horloges des villes (comme Big Ben par exemple). Ces horloges sont extrêmement importantes dans ce monde puisqu’elles contrôlent le temps (pas la météo non, mais le temps qui s’écoule). Un simple problème peut provoquer une lenteur dans le temps, ou des minutes/heures qui disparaissent. Comme vous l’avez compris, il faut vraiment prendre soin de ces horloges !
On apprend vite que Danny a perdu son père (également horloger) il y a quelques années suite à un accident lorsqu’il réparait une horloge. Le temps s’est subitement arrêté dans cette ville, et elle s’est isolée/coupée du monde. Personne n’a encore trouvé de moyen pour les sauver. Ils sont condamnés pour le moment.
C’est d’ailleurs le but premier de Danny, sauver son père ! Traumatisé par cette disparition, il s’est lui aussi coupé du monde, il ne sort plus et ne vit que pour son travail. Jusqu’au jour où il rencontre un jeune homme. Une romance M/M toute mignonne et douce va alors s’installer.
A côté de tout ça, de nombreux accidents s’enchaînent. Danny va tenter de comprendre ce qu’il se trame et qui est à l’origine de ces derniers.
Timekeeper est un roman très bien écrit, qui m’a happé dès les premiers paragraphes ! Tara Sim a construit un monde victorien alternatif que j’ai adoré, et j’ai hâte de lire la suite.
Les personnages sont attachants, l’intrigue est bien menée, pas de temps morts même si l’action n’est pas folle je ne me suis ennuyée à aucun moment !
In Timekeeper, we will mainly follow Danny, a “clock mechanic” or a “timekeeper”, his job is to repair the clocks of cities of England (like Big Ben for example). These clocks are extremely important in this world since they control Time. A simple problem, a scratch or anything else can cause slowness in time, or disappearance of minutes / hours. That’s why you really have to take care of these clocks, you do not want to mess with Time.
We quickly learn that Danny lost his father (also a clock mechanic) a few years ago after an accident that happened when he was repairing a clock. Time suddenly stopped in this city, and the city was isolated from the world. No one has found a way to save them yet. They are trapped at that moment.
This is the primary goal of Danny, save his father! Traumatized by his disappearance, he also cut himself off from the world, he doesn’t go out and lives only for his work. Until the day he met a young man. A cute and sweet romance will then start.
During this period, many accidents happened with different clocks around London. Danny will try to understand what is happening and who is trying to mess with Time.
Timekeeper is a very well written novel, which hooked me in the first few paragraphs! Tara Sim built an alternative Victorian world that I loved, and I can’t wait to read more.
The characters are great, the plot is intriguing, and even if the action is not crazy, I wasn’t bored at all!
More on my blog : http://www.further-west.com/timekeeper-by-tara-sim-book-review-in-english-french/
TimeKeeper c’est avant tout un univers Steampunk. Ici, l’histoire se passe en Angleterre en 1875, dans une réalité alternative de notre monde, où les téléphones, les voitures existent déjà et là où les relations homosexuelles sont plus ou moins acceptées.
Dans ce roman, on suivra principalement Danny, un “horloger” si je peux traduire ça comme ça, son travail est de réparer les horloges des villes (comme Big Ben par exemple). Ces horloges sont extrêmement importantes dans ce monde puisqu’elles contrôlent le temps (pas la météo non, mais le temps qui s’écoule). Un simple problème peut provoquer une lenteur dans le temps, ou des minutes/heures qui disparaissent. Comme vous l’avez compris, il faut vraiment prendre soin de ces horloges !
On apprend vite que Danny a perdu son père (également horloger) il y a quelques années suite à un accident lorsqu’il réparait une horloge. Le temps s’est subitement arrêté dans cette ville, et elle s’est isolée/coupée du monde. Personne n’a encore trouvé de moyen pour les sauver. Ils sont condamnés pour le moment.
C’est d’ailleurs le but premier de Danny, sauver son père ! Traumatisé par cette disparition, il s’est lui aussi coupé du monde, il ne sort plus et ne vit que pour son travail. Jusqu’au jour où il rencontre un jeune homme. Une romance M/M toute mignonne et douce va alors s’installer.
A côté de tout ça, de nombreux accidents s’enchaînent. Danny va tenter de comprendre ce qu’il se trame et qui est à l’origine de ces derniers.
Timekeeper est un roman très bien écrit, qui m’a happé dès les premiers paragraphes ! Tara Sim a construit un monde victorien alternatif que j’ai adoré, et j’ai hâte de lire la suite.
Les personnages sont attachants, l’intrigue est bien menée, pas de temps morts même si l’action n’est pas folle je ne me suis ennuyée à aucun moment !
This is my first fantasy book; I knew I want to read something steampunk, and so this book just made perfect sense for my start.
And I loved it! The worldbuilding is fantastic. It's compelling, fresh, and still has an air of mystery given how not everything about the time system is revealed yet. I also like the excerpt about the gods that the people worship.
The protagonist, Danny, also underwent satisfactory character development, and I like the range of well-rounded side characters to add to the flair of the story (shoutout to Daphne, Cassie, and Brandon). I also adored Danny and Colton's relationship, and I'm rooting for them until the end.
My only critique is that the plot moved so slowly. I felt like nothing much happened during the first 2/3 of the book, only mysteries building up to the climax which happened at about the 80% mark. It paid off, though, but I wish the action happened sooner. edit: I would also like to add that I predicted exactly what would happen lmao, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I still think it was executed well.
I am very excited to read the other two books in the series, as the story compelled me enough to do so. I hope the future books reveal more about the magic system and the concept of time surrounding their world, and I also hope we see more of Colton breaking out of his shell. Maybe it's just me, but I wanna see him fighting /with/ Danny next.
4.5 stars!
And I loved it! The worldbuilding is fantastic. It's compelling, fresh, and still has an air of mystery given how not everything about the time system is revealed yet. I also like the excerpt about the gods that the people worship.
The protagonist, Danny, also underwent satisfactory character development, and I like the range of well-rounded side characters to add to the flair of the story (shoutout to Daphne, Cassie, and Brandon). I also adored Danny and Colton's relationship, and I'm rooting for them until the end.
My only critique is that the plot moved so slowly. I felt like nothing much happened during the first 2/3 of the book, only mysteries building up to the climax which happened at about the 80% mark. It paid off, though, but I wish the action happened sooner. edit: I would also like to add that I predicted exactly what would happen lmao, but that doesn't mean it's bad. I still think it was executed well.
I am very excited to read the other two books in the series, as the story compelled me enough to do so. I hope the future books reveal more about the magic system and the concept of time surrounding their world, and I also hope we see more of Colton breaking out of his shell. Maybe it's just me, but I wanna see him fighting /with/ Danny next.
4.5 stars!