When I reviewed the anthology Timely on Goodreads a while ago, I briefly described Katelyn Buxton’s story The Timekeeper’s Daughter as a phenomenal exploration of duty, perseverance, and ingenuity wrapped in a solid fantasy setting.
In my opinion, a good story needs to be driven by character choices and dynamics, with stakes that derive not from some external force or narrative dictation, but rather from the internal wants and needs of the core characters. The Timekeeper’s Daughter delivers on that front, with a focus on sibling relationships and the inner workings of a protagonist struggling to accept the weight of the task to which she was appointed.
It doesn’t hurt that The Timekeeper’s Daughter sets the stage with a fantastical flare that sprinkles world-building, lore, and depth into its backdrop without over-saturating itself or taking the spotlight off its deserving cast of characters. (Little known fact—I’ve always had a soft spot for human characters with wings. A pleasant surprise in this story!) Moreover, I found the story reminiscent of some of my favorite fantasy books from my teen years, especially series like Donita K. Paul’s Dragonkeeper Chronicles.
Several recent reviews and spotlights have pointed out the fact that many of the stories in Timely are, through no prior consensus on the part of the authors, united by themes of hope shining through grief or loss, and while The Timekeeper’s Daughter may not play that hand so heavily, there was a moment of vulnerability and ultimate payoff for the protagonist near the end of the story that really gave it the chef’s kiss. It isn’t something a lot of readers might have noticed that much, but I did. I won’t spoil what it was, though. You’ll have to figure that out for yourself.
