Praise for Chainbreaker:
"You won’t be able to put this one down." —Huffington Post
"Chainbreaker is an elaborate tale of magic, gods, and the beautiful, unfortunate humans caught in an ancient titanic struggle. You’ll cheer. You’ll cry. And once you enter this world, you’ll never want to leave." —Traci Chee, New York Times bestselling author of The Reader
"Mysterious, compelling, and urgent, Chainbreaker's scintillating prose, complex and multi-dimensional characters, and quick pace will pull you in till it leaves you breathless and transformed." —Aditi Khorana, author of The Library of Fates and Mirror in the Sky
"Expands on the universe created in Timekeeper, with new mythology, character development and international intrigue that really highlights Tara's talent for world-building. Chainbreaker combines factual historical research with a believable and original magic mythology to create a world that feels wholly real. With pacing and action running like clockwork, this is a startlingly unique series with a truly golden set of diverse characters." —Lauren James, author of The Next Together
"A wonderfully diverse read with unforgettable characters you can't help but root for." —Bustle
"Riveting and complex . . . Tara Sim’s newest fascinating tale full of magic, intrigue, and clocks will hook you." —TheMarySue.com
"An imaginative and action-packed novel set against the backdrop of Indian uprisings against the British occupation." —Book Riot
"Our most anticipated sequel of the year." —Paste Magazine
" Sim continues to offer an action-packed adventure for her lovely queer couple, but Chainbreaker features a particularly vivid environment and dynamic new characters thanks to the author’s personal cultural experiences." —BookMarked
Praise for Timekeeper:
Paste Magazine Best Book 2016
Barnes & Noble Teen Blog Best Queer Fantasy 2016
"Timekeeper is an extraordinary debut, at once familiar and utterly original. Between its compelling world, its lovely prose, and its wonderful characters, the pages flew by." —Victoria Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Alive with myth, mystery, and glorious romance, Timekeeper will keep hearts pounding and pages turning til the stunning conclusion. Reader beware—there's magic in these pages." —Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from Everywhere
"Timekeeper is a triumph. . . . If you read only one such book . . . let it be this one.” —Bustle
"Timekeeper’s premise is original and its world unique." —EW.com
"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 . . . The resulting story is an exciting and inclusive one, drawing in elements of magic, mystical spirits, swoon-filled romance, and just so much more.” —BookRiot
"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. VERDICT: A must-have richly written fantasy novel that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next volume." —School Library Journal
"Sim creates a cast of complex and diverse characters, as well as a mythology to explain how the clock towers came to exist . . . an enjoyable, well-realized tale." —Publishers Weekly
“[M]ystery, 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.” —Booklist
"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." —Kirkus Reviews
"An enjoyable start to a promising new trilogy." —BookPage
Praise for Chainbreaker:
"You won’t be able to put this one down." —Huffington Post
"Chainbreaker is an elaborate tale of magic, gods, and the beautiful, unfortunate humans caught in an ancient titanic struggle. You’ll cheer. You’ll cry. And once you enter this world, you’ll never want to leave." —Traci Chee, New York Times bestselling author of The Reader
"Mysterious, compelling, and urgent, Chainbreaker's scintillating prose, complex and multi-dimensional characters, and quick pace will pull you in till it leaves you breathless and transformed." —Aditi Khorana, author of The Library of Fates and Mirror in the Sky
"Expands on the universe created in Timekeeper, with new mythology, character development and international intrigue that really highlights Tara's talent for world-building. Chainbreaker combines factual historical research with a believable and original magic mythology to create a world that feels wholly real. With pacing and action running like clockwork, this is a startlingly unique series with a truly golden set of diverse characters." —Lauren James, author of The Next Together
"A wonderfully diverse read with unforgettable characters you can't help but root for." —Bustle
"Riveting and complex . . . Tara Sim’s newest fascinating tale full of magic, intrigue, and clocks will hook you." —TheMarySue.com
"An imaginative and action-packed novel set against the backdrop of Indian uprisings against the British occupation." —Book Riot
"Our most anticipated sequel of the year." —Paste Magazine
" Sim continues to offer an action-packed adventure for her lovely queer couple, but Chainbreaker features a particularly vivid environment and dynamic new characters thanks to the author’s personal cultural experiences." —BookMarked
Praise for Timekeeper:
Paste Magazine Best Book 2016
Barnes & Noble Teen Blog Best Queer Fantasy 2016
"Timekeeper is an extraordinary debut, at once familiar and utterly original. Between its compelling world, its lovely prose, and its wonderful characters, the pages flew by." —Victoria Schwab, #1 New York Times bestselling author
"Alive with myth, mystery, and glorious romance, Timekeeper will keep hearts pounding and pages turning til the stunning conclusion. Reader beware—there's magic in these pages." —Heidi Heilig, author of The Girl from Everywhere
"Timekeeper is a triumph. . . . If you read only one such book . . . let it be this one.” —Bustle
"Timekeeper’s premise is original and its world unique." —EW.com
"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 . . . The resulting story is an exciting and inclusive one, drawing in elements of magic, mystical spirits, swoon-filled romance, and just so much more.” —BookRiot
"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. VERDICT: A must-have richly written fantasy novel that will have readers eagerly anticipating the next volume." —School Library Journal
"Sim creates a cast of complex and diverse characters, as well as a mythology to explain how the clock towers came to exist . . . an enjoyable, well-realized tale." —Publishers Weekly
“[M]ystery, 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.” —Booklist
"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." —Kirkus Reviews
"An enjoyable start to a promising new trilogy." —BookPage
2017-11-22
In 1876, someone is destroying the clock towers that control India's time. In this second volume in Sim's Timekeeper series, readers rejoin teenage clock mechanics Danny Hart and Daphne Richards as they travel to Agra to investigate a series of clock tower bombings. Daphne and Danny are given this assignment because of their recent successes thwarting similar attacks in England—although, startlingly, unlike the attacks the teens witnessed, the tower bombings in India have not actually stopped time. As the mechanics piece together what happened, Danny, a white human, grapples with his illicit relationship with Colton, the male clock spirit that controls time in the tower where Danny is the mechanic. While Danny is away, this tower is attacked, and Colton journeys to India to protect Danny. On the way, Colton learns the disturbing truth behind his origins. Sim is adept at worldbuilding, and the book's romantic scenes sizzle. However, the plot races among an overwhelming number of unresolved conflicts that leave readers unsure what to expect in the sequel. Additionally, mixed-race Daphne's character does not develop much, despite the fact that her late father had a white English father and an Indian mother and that Daphne's trip to India plunges her into speculation about her heritage and identity. The narrative contains factual inaccuracies about the Indian setting that may interrupt the suspension of disbelief among readers familiar with it. Although the story has plenty of ambition and moments of admirably lyrical prose, in the end, it does not fully realize its promising premise. (Steampunk. 14-18)
Narrator Gary Furlong’s soft voice and lightly rhythmic cadence bring out the best in this second entry in the Timekeeper trilogy, a mash-up of steampunk and speculative fiction. The story takes Danny, a master clock mechanic, to colonial India, where he is tasked with solving the mystery of why the relationship between time and clock towers works differently on the subcontinent from how it works in England. A complex interweaving of time, technology, religion, and mythology are at the heart of this alternate Victorian world, and the story contains themes of colonialism, gay relationships, and feminism. Highlights of Furlong’s performance are his respectful, matter-of-fact portrayal of Danny’s sexuality, his stereotype-free rendition of Indian English accents, and his wide range of believable characterizations. C.B.L. © AudioFile 2018, Portland, Maine