Chainbreaker (Timekeeper #2) by Tara Sim

Chainbreaker (Timekeeper, #2) by Tara Sim
Narrator: Gary Furlong
Series: Timekeeper #2
Published by Sky Pony Press
Published on 2 January 2018
Genres: Fantasy, Historical, Social Issues, Young Adult
Pages: 473
Format: Audiobook
Source: my local library
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RRP: $18.99

Clock mechanic Danny Hart knows he's being watched. But by whom, or what, remains a mystery. To make matters worse, clock towers have begun falling in India, though time hasn't Stopped yet. He'd hoped after reuniting with his father and exploring his relationship with Colton, he'd have some time to settle into his new life. Instead, he's asked to investigate the attacks.
After inspecting some of the fallen Indian towers, he realizes the British occupation may be sparking more than just attacks. And as Danny and Colton unravel more secrets about their past, they find themselves on a dark and dangerous path--one from which they may never return.

Chainbreaker is the second book in the Timekeeper trilogy by Tara Sim and as a second book, it does not suffer from middle book syndrome. I thoroughly enjoyed all aspects of this book, and I found it highly entertaining and engaging the entire way through with no sagging parts or filler.

This series is no longer just about Danny. We get Colton’s backstory (which is brutal, horrific, and absolutely tragic), we get Daphne as a main POV character, and we spend most of the book in India, where Danny and Daphne have been asked to investigate a mysterious disturbance: fallen clock towers that do not Stop time.

There was so much action in this book. Someone is after Danny, and every time you think he’s safe, there’s another disaster he has to deal with, from an airship attack to an ambush on a train. He makes strong allies from locals Mina and Akash. Although the book is set in an alternate steampunk universe where time is magic, there’s also a lot of real-world issues in the book, namely the politics of England and India from the later 1800s when India was a colony and everyone was racist.

I also really liked how the villain was handled, from having them masked and unidentifiable which added a certain amount of unease and fear of the unknown, to their reveal and the reveal of their motivations, which I really liked. Who is the real bad guy, after all? I also liked the cliffhanger ending, although I felt that Danny had shifted his priorities to become a general saviour or everyone and do-gooder, as the climax didn’t really have anything to do with clocks.

The only thing that this book was kind of missing was a bit more romance. Danny and Colton are separated for nearly the entire book. There’s a bit for Daphne, but it’s not much.

The audiobook narrator was again absolutely amazing. His use of accents and other subtle intonations showcased his talent. Normally I prefer narrators who change the pitch of their voices for characters of the opposite gender, but Gary Furlough did an amazing job of female characters without making himself sound ridiculous.

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