Quick Take
- Narration: Gary Furlong handles Danny’s anxious, searching interiority well, though his range across multiple supporting characters is more functional than distinctive.
- Themes: Colonialism and resistance, queer love under pressure, the cost of heroism
- Mood: Urgent and emotionally charged, with steampunk grandeur beneath the tension
- Verdict: A strong middle chapter for readers already invested in Tara Sim’s clock-tower world, though newcomers should start with Timekeeper first.
I picked up Chainbreaker on a Thursday afternoon when I had a long train commute ahead of me and nothing waiting at home to rush back to. I was already a book behind in the Timekeeper series and feeling a little guilty about it, which probably made me more susceptible than usual to the pull of a well-constructed fantasy world. By the time I reached my stop, I had missed it by two stations and had to backtrack. That, more than anything else, tells you how this audiobook grabbed me.
Tara Sim’s Timekeeper series operates on a premise that sounds almost absurd until you are inside it: time is regulated by clock towers, and when those towers fall, time stops. In Chainbreaker, the second installment, Danny Hart has barely had a moment to catch his breath after the events of the first book before he is dispatched to colonial India, where towers have been falling but, strangely, time has not. That anomaly sits at the heart of this entry, and Sim uses it to open up political territory that the first book only gestured at from a distance.
Our Take on Chainbreaker
What Sim does exceptionally well here is use the fantasy mechanics as a lens for something real. The British colonial presence in India is not decorative backdrop. It is structural. Danny arrives as a representative of the empire, however reluctant and oblivious, and the story does not let him off the hook for that. His companion Daphne, who is part Indian, becomes a far more complicated figure in this book, and one reviewer noted how satisfying it is to watch her blossom into a more confident young woman. That growth feels earned rather than expedient. The clock towers being attacked in India despite time not stopping is a mystery that unfolds slowly, and Sim ties it directly to the politics of occupation in ways that feel genuinely thoughtful rather than allegorical shorthand.
The relationship between Danny and Colton, the clock spirit Danny loves, continues to be the emotional spine of the series. One reviewer expressed frustration with what they called an obsessive love leading to bad decisions, and I understand that read. But I also think Sim is doing something intentional with it. Love that bends judgment is not the same as love that is romanticized uncritically, and the novel is fairly honest about the costs Danny pays for his emotional entanglement. Colton’s backstory, woven through this book, is genuinely heartbreaking in ways the first volume only hinted at.
Why Listen to Chainbreaker
Gary Furlong’s narration is consistent and committed. He brings a quieter register to Danny that suits the character’s tendency toward self-doubt and careful observation, and he manages the shift from London to India without any awkward tonal lurching. Where he is slightly less convincing is in differentiating the larger supporting cast, particularly when scenes become crowded with voices. That said, the pacing of the audiobook is well-matched to the pacing of the novel itself. Sim builds urgency gradually, and one enthusiastic reviewer noted how effectively the book builds up the feeling of urgency, which is not easy to sustain across ten-plus hours of listening. Furlong honors that architecture.
At just over ten hours, Chainbreaker sits at a comfortable length for a YA fantasy of this scope. It is not padded with filler chapters and it does not rush the finale. The India setting adds genuine visual richness to the listen, and the action sequences are paced to hold attention without becoming numbing.
What to Watch For in Chainbreaker
The middle-book problem is real here, and worth acknowledging. Several threads that Sim introduces in this volume do not resolve within it, including some of the larger political implications of what Danny discovers about the colonial administration’s role in the tower attacks. Readers expecting a clean arc will find the ending somewhat open-ended, positioned as it is to launch the final volume of the trilogy. That is not a flaw exactly, but it is a temperament test. If you read trilogy installments expecting full satisfaction on their own terms, this one will test your patience in its final stretch.
There is also a detail worth noting for listeners new to steampunk-inflected YA. The genre has its own conventions around romance, and Chainbreaker leans into several of them. The queer relationship at the center is handled with care but not without melodrama. That melodrama serves the emotional pitch of the story and will feel entirely natural to readers already at home in this mode of YA fantasy.
Who Should Listen to Chainbreaker
Listen if you finished Timekeeper and found yourself emotionally attached to Danny and Colton, if colonial history woven into fantasy mechanics sounds appealing, or if you appreciate YA that takes its political stakes seriously without becoming didactic. Skip it if you have not read the first book, as the emotional weight of this one depends entirely on what came before, or if you prefer fantasy sequels that are fully self-contained.
Frequently Asked Questions
Do I need to have read Timekeeper before listening to Chainbreaker?
Yes, without question. Chainbreaker picks up directly after the first book and assumes you are already invested in Danny and Colton’s relationship and familiar with how the clock-tower world functions. Starting here would be disorienting and would undercut the emotional impact of the India storyline.
How does the colonial India setting affect the tone of this book compared to the first?
Significantly. The first Timekeeper book is more insular and London-focused. Chainbreaker broadens the world and introduces explicit engagement with the British colonial presence in India, which gives the story a more politically charged atmosphere. It is still YA fantasy, but the thematic stakes feel larger.
Is the queer romance between Danny and Colton handled with sensitivity?
Most readers find it to be, though one reviewer noted that the relationship veers into obsessive territory at moments. On balance, Sim treats the romance seriously and centers it without apology, which is one of the series’ consistent strengths.
Does Gary Furlong’s narration carry the emotional weight of the Danny and Colton scenes?
He does a credible job, particularly with Danny’s internal voice. The more intense emotional beats between Danny and Colton are handled with care rather than melodrama, which suits the audiobook format well.
