Keepers of Time

This book by C. M. Gleason is a good blend of fantasy, adventure and time control which makes it engaging to the readers. The novel is set in world where time is not just an idea but a physically tangible entity which is managed, upheld and protected by a people called the “Time-Keepers.” Their task is to ensure that time runs smoothly, to deal with whatever disruption may exist and to deal with whoever might seek to manipulate the flow of time in order to serve their own ends.

The main concept here would be in a group of Keepers who are facing a rather uncharacteristic problem. There is some unknown diabolical force which is attempting to corrupt time and create splits and instability which may threaten the stability of the universe. The characters have their own personality and history of each and everything, they have to face a lot moral dilemma because they are in-between obeying laws they joined to serve and save the world.

Gleason does elaborate work in creating timelines and different settings, making reader imagine entirely different worlds. To learn his environment the author smoothly mixes historical events with the elements of fantastic to make people feel they travel through the epochs while keeping the feeling of the fantasy genre. It is notable that the rhythm being quite good here and providing a mixture of action sequences and more dramatic plot development episodes.

Judging from this aspect, it can be argued that one of the novel’s major assets is the author’s attempt to create an impact by playing with the time factor. Thematically, the narrative raises such philosophical issues as determinism and indeterminism as well as the morality of changing the past. These elements are philosophical, which makes the events unfold within the plotline of the novel not only as a fantastic quest.

Thus, the plot sometimes is a bit confusing – the multi-timeline and multi-subplot makes a reader confused in case he not a fan of such constructions. Still, The Keepers of Time contains so many good ideas that it is an interesting and thought-provoking book with absorbing time-travel plot and full-fledged fantastic universe.