Timekeeper

Attempted reread late summer 2023
(started August 2nd gave up 40 pages later on September 22nd)

I imagine that if I had the energy to reread this - and didn't remember so much about it - that I'd still enjoy it just as much the second time around. But I remember too much and it's not a book that I love enough to read just for spending more time with the characters. Will possibly try rereading it again when my memory of it is less vivid, but right now it's just cluttering up my life.


Original Review

Check my blog later in March 2017 for my review.

Brief thoughts? Love the idea of clock towers. Like the wonderfully flawed characters. Want to know why the spirits all kind of look alike. (And if I can have one, too.)

This book was not at all what I expected. I definitely went into this story with certain preconceived ideas and hardly any of them were fulfilled. Pretty much the only one that was had to do with the story being a rather sweet steampunk story.

I picked this book up because I've been craving steampunk and, oddly enough, not reading much this year. I've gotta say, the steampunk, while rather light on the actually gadgets and accessories, was topnotch.

I love the idea of clock towers that kind of control time and spirits that embody the towers. (If anyone else has ever seen the anime D.Gray-Man, this story reminds me a lot of Miranda Lotto's. A lot.) The only slight complaint I have here is that I would have liked to know more.

The world is interesting and intriguing and there is so much about the clock towers and spirits that even the people living in the world don't know - so I'm hoping this gets covered in the sequels.

The characters are all interesting, though perhaps not always the most likable. And, honestly, that's what made me adore them. These are all flawed characters. They make poor decisions, or stupid ones. They're not perfect and because of that, they're interesting, relatable. And, really, the whole hero/villain quote I've got up there illustrates a good deal about this story. In this book there's not really heroes or villains, just people - and I love that.

(And I gotta note, I'm pretty sure that Danny, our main character, has PTSD. Of course it's not called that because back then they didn't have such a thing, but that's sure what he acts like to my very untrained eyes. And I love it. I think the author really took a chance and I love the outcome.)

I would have liked to see more of the story through someone other than Danny's eyes. Except for two small sections, he's the sole narrator. And while he's interesting and I do like him, I kept wanting to know more about the other people. Especially Daphne, who I think might be my favorite character.

The romance was cute - perhaps a little too cute for me at times, and maybe moved a little too fast. But I get why that was, as the romance was actually part of the plot. (Surprisingly enough. And enjoyably enough. It's not often I read a book where the romance and plot are so intertwined.)

While I liked nearly everything about the story and my biggest complaints so far are that I wanted ‘more' - there are a couple notes I need to make.

The first is that the language is on the flowery side. Some people will like that. Me? I prefer a much more straightforward writing style, so I was occasionally impatient with the descriptions.

And, I'll be honest, the book sags in the middle. The first hundred to a hundred-fifty pages were awesome and the last hundred pages were five star material in and of themselves. But that middle section just seemed to languish a little. (And made me really glad that the last hundred pages were so spectacular.)

(Originally posted on my blog: pagesofstarlight.blogspot.com)