Audio Book Review: Timekeeper

Timekeeper

By:  Tara Sim

Publish Date:  November 8, 2016, Audiobook Release February 14, 2017

Format:  Audiobook - 8 hrs 48 mins
Narrated By:  Gary Furlong

Genre:  Fantasy, Steampunk

Series:  1st in The Timekeeper Trilogy series

Impression:  Adorable love created.

Synopsis:
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.

First Sentence:
Two o'clock was missing.

Purchase At:
Amazon  /  Barnes & Nobles

Audible

My Thoughts and Summary:
*I received this audiobook as part of my participation in a blog tour with Audiobookworm Promotions.

Danny Hart is the youngest mechanic to take care of the clock towers. He has his fears to overcome, and one tower keeps breaking and he keeps repairing. But what he learns of the tower and it's spirit takes Danny's heart to new levels. Danny grows afraid for his favorite tower as someone is planting bombs in towers and stopping time.

Gary is a new narrator for me. And I found I liked his voice from the moment he read the title. His slight accent was lovely and felt to fit the book style for me. I got a feel for different characters when they spoke, the feel that fit their stations in life. While listening, early in the book (in chapter 2) there is a moment a word is cut short and a pause, like this was done in editing. But that was the only flaw I heard, and forgot about it quickly.

I love the magic of the clock towers. They are what keeps time moving at a regulated pace. If anything happens to the clock, time is skewed. We see this happen with a few different troubles with clock towers. Time can even stop in a time zone for a clock tower. Very interesting!

Within the first 5 chapters I got a strong feel for where the story is going with Danny and the clock tower. And I liked the idea. We got the brickwork for what's to come, and I looked forward to seeing Danny experience it all.

The romance is a sweet draw that I really enjoyed. This story is the first I've read of that's two boys falling in love. The way this is written, I didn't even think twice on the idea. I believed the relationship growth and thought there were innocent moments that were touching as they happen. I loved the romance, the love that grows. It's well written and innocent.

We get a mystery as well. There are a few elements that make us curious. There is the mystery of who's bombing the towers. We know of one bomb coming into the story and see a few more happen. Then there's a town that stopped working, stopping time in that city. Then theirs the thinking of how new clock towers are made. They can make a tower but to create the connection to time is a secret unknown. We learn about the spirits as we go, something that's not really known among the citizens and not always believed.

The story here is concluded, but there is a thought and worry left for the future. I'm curious where the story will go next with Danny and what we can learn of the clock towers and their spirits.



****If you found my thoughts helpful, please click Yes at Amazon and/or Audible. Thank you!

About the Author: Tara Sim
Tara Sim is the author of Timekeeper (Sky Pony Press) and can typically be found wandering the wilds of the Bay Area, California. When she’s not chasing cats or lurking in bookstores, she writes books about magic, clocks, and explosives. Follow her on Twitter at @EachStarAWorld, and check out her website at tarasim.com.
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About the Narrator: Gary Furlong
Gary Furlong grew up in Wexford, Ireland. Throughout his life he has worn many a hat: He has worked as a teacher in Niigata, Japan; a puppeteer in Prague; an improv artist in Memphis, Tennessee; and as a singer and actor all over Ireland. He started narrating audiobooks in late 2015 and hasn't looked back.

Gary made his acting debut in the musical Godspell as a student. Since then he has pursued acting both on the amateur and professional circuits. Notable roles include Tom Collins in Bare Cheek's production of Rent in 2010.

Over the course of his five years in Japan, he was an actor, director, and audio producer. It was during this time that he discovered his interest in audiobooks and voice-over.

He now works full-time as an audiobook narrator and voice actor from his home in Ireland.
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