The Keyholder of Time

The Tempus Guild #1

by Charity F. Nelson

Death and Time are ancient brothers. Time is nothing without Death, and Death is nothing without Time.

Eighteen-year-old Malina Allaway swore off marriage when she became her family’s only hope for survival after her father was injured during the Clan Wars. She spends her days tending to the family farm while, during the nights, she visits those who call on her for aid in the only way she can, with a rare gift that allows her to step into another’s memories, triggered by music.

Some say it's a gift from the gods. Others claim it’s a curse. She doesn’t know what to believe.

So, when a pretentious and annoyingly beautiful man coaxes her into a dance, she doesn’t realize it was all an act to discover who she really is. The steward of the Tempus Guild appears at her door the following day to declare her ascension as the newest Keyholder, and she’s to marry the eldest son of the Blacklock clan. Immediately.

At risk of the family she fought so hard to care for become destitute upon her refusal, she’s forced to leave the Lowlands and is swept away into the distinguished territory of the Highlands. She finds more than she bargains for when death and darkness await her at every turn. She’s torn between escaping her new life and the growing desires in her heart for not just one but two mysterious men.

For fans of slow-burn romance, forced proximity, love triangles, a unique magic system, meddling gods, epic violence, and so much more!

The Keyholder of Time is the first book in the captivating and heart-pounding romantic fantasy trilogy The Tempus Guild.

311 pages, Kindle Edition

Published January 9, 2024

About the author

My mom used to take books away from me as punishment when I was a kid. That’s how much I loved to read, and even still. That love swiftly turned into a passion for writing to the point that I opted to become homeschooled sophomore year of high school so I could dedicate my time to writing and self-publishing my first book at just sixteen. BUT I’ll do you all a favor and keep that one to myself - spoiler alert: it was awful.

I live in Las Vegas, NV with my husband and three children. I have a dual AA degree in Creative Writing and Spanish from the college of Southern Nevada and am pursuing a master’s in CW from UNLV. I have a variety of work experience under my belt including former VP of a non-profit called Lighthouse Charities that primarily assists refugees relocated the United States and I’m also a former Foster Mom.

The Keyholder of Time is my debut novel. When I'm not writing, I'm mom-ing, reading, or traveling. And last but certainly not least, I'm a proud medical/trach/G-tube/Trisomy 18 mom.

Join my newsletter and follow me on all socials to stay up to date on upcoming releases!

Reviews

[Karina Serrano · Rating 5 out of 5]

Is it weird that this book gave me Hunger Games & ACOTAR vibes??!!

Because it did & I lovedddd it!!!

Charity did an amazingly good job with the world building, character development, & story plot👏🏻👏🏻

Like ACOTAR this book had me feeling everything!!
Anger, heartache, love, & anxiety (lol)
This book had soo many twists and turns I never knew wth was coming & I LOVEEEDDD IT!!!
It always had me guessing and winded up surprising me 😆

Thee FMC🫠🫠
she’s soo sassy and had me cracking up she’s also really feisty and had a lot of love for everyone!
I also felt for her and everything she went through
She honestly became one of my faves🖤

I can’t wait to read the rest of the series that cliffhanger!!

If book one was this good I have no doubt in mind that I’ll love book two as well!!

[Jasiel · Rating 2 out of 5]

This book was a bit of a slow read for me. The main character, Malina, seemed to be all over the place. One moment, she's sacrificing her future for her family and then, for the rest of the book, they are only mentioned as a dead weight. She shows no actual attachment to them except for using them as a reasoning that she is making a sacrifice. The same goes with her supposed best friend, Sam. The romance aspect of the book was also lacking for me as the characters begin with Malina hating the MMC (which is a trope that I am fine with) and then suddenly, out of the blue, displaying large amounts of affection for him before hating him again. The mood swings that she displayed were disorienting and had me going back to figure out what the heck was going on. Her treatment of Ada, the maid, was very poor considering that she was a "Lowlander" less than a month ago and had been living that way for 18 years. The redeeming quality of this book would be the world building as you gather information on the reasons why the "Keyholder of Time" is needed. However, the interaction with the group that she is supposedly leading is basically nonexistent and her powers are very "iffy", straying from her being OP to a useless character. Through all of this, the redeeming characteristics of this book made it readable and the fact that it is a series may allow many holes in the plot to be fixed.

[bookish_adventurer · Rating 4 out of 5]

Prophecy, Magic, and The Gods

This story follows Malina Allaway—18 y.o. FMC focused on survival and tending to her family in the Lowlands at great sacrifice to herself. However, she hides a gift (or curse) that she uses to help others only for fate to intervene. She’s discovered as the next Keyholder — a wielder of Grace (magic)— and is escorted to meet her betrothed in the Highlands immediately. She learns quickly of the mysterious dangers lurking around her and betrayal comes when least expected. She soon discovers who she is and what she can do.

This story is primed— of full of shock and discovery, clean romance, magic, immersive world building, and more.

Slow burn at first—worth it and easy to follow. READS AS A YOUNGER YA BOOK. Looking forward to reading the next book in the series!

Tropes: chosen one, reluctant hero
Likes: scottish themes, glossary of words provided
Shocks: who she is
Book 1

**Chosen Reader**

[Ashley · Rating 4 out of 5]

Tropes:
Slow burn
Betrothed's Brother
Forced proximity
Arranged marriage
Found family
Magic
Dark creatures
Meddling gods
Scottish themes

The Keyholder of Time is Book 1 of the Tempus Guild series. Malina, our feisty FMC, lives in the Lowlands with her father, stepmother, and 3 half sisters. To earn money for her family, Melina uses her "gift", the ability to see people's memories.

Out of the blue, men from the Tempus Guild show up claiming Malina is the lost Keyholder. They give her the ultimatum, come with them to the Guild and face her birthright, restoring balance to time OR her family will lose everything.

I definitely got Cinderella vibes at the beginning of the story but that quickly went away as the story progressed to be about Malina becoming the Keyholder.

I enjoyed this story and I think it's a great YA Fantasy for any age. Malina is relatable, I think, as someone who has been forced out of her home into a world she knows nothing about. She's not happy with it and she can be Feisty, which I liked!

Then you have a "love triangle". I really didn't consider it to be one though. Malina is arranged to be married to Loland Blacklock. But in honesty, she has eyes for his brother Derek. But in a twist, she always regrets not falling for Sam, her best friend that was left behind in the Lowlands.

The story isn't romance focused. That's just a small side piece. The beauty of this story is thr focus on Malina and her becoming the Keyholder, and the dark powers lurking at each turn!

[Michelle Bettencourt · Rating 2 out of 5]

A lot of the time reading this, I wish it had been a play and not a novel. Too much of the information was revealed “bad guy speech” style dialogue throughout the book instead of … well by the bad guy. Most of the prose was stage direction and left me with white room syndrome pretty often. The twists were chaotic and would have been more fun if the emotional impact had landed. Some characters felt all-knowing while FMC was continuously frustrated by being in the dark. Miscommunication on steroids. The world building problems were not clear—like 80% of the way through the book it’s revealed that time is unstable, but we never actually see that—seemed more like we had a monster problem on our hands?

Overall the writer has got some great chops, some good banter and a MMC to die for, but for an action packed book, it fell a little flat.

I received an ARC copy in exchange for an honest review.

[Literary Dystopia · Rating 5 out of 5]

This book was amazing! I was not expecting the last 100 pages to turn out the way it did. It was so good. I know I took almost a month to read this but I had books to read in between. Book 2 comes out later this month and I can’t wait to read it. I can’t wait to see what the future holds for our Keyholder, Malina.

[Danielle Clayton · Rating 5 out of 5]

This was my first book by Charity Nelson and it won't be my last.

Gods, Magic, Forced Proximity, love triangle (twin brothers), slow burn romance.

Malina lives the first 18 years of her life taking care of her family as soon as she's able due to her father suffering an injury. She uses her hidden magic to make some extra cash. She uses soon summoned to the isle where she realizes how important to the world she actually is as the new keyholder as well as that she is betrothed to a man she doesn't know. Malina is a fiery headstrong FMC that knows what she wants. She goes through A LOT in this book and I can't wait to see what the rest of the series brings!

This book gave me all the feels. Heartbreak, just enough romance, anxiety, butterflies. all of it.

THE CLIFFHANGER. my jaw actually dropped and immediately started reading the novella. i need the next book asap!

[Courtney Throckmorton · Rating 4 out of 5]

I just finished this and it really threw me for a loop! Which does not normally happen when I read a book. I'm pretty good at figuring out an ending before it happens. So bravo, there. It twisted right when I least expected.

It took some time for me to really get into the story, but once I did I was hooked. I pretty much read the rest of it the last two days.

The forbidden romance, the unique magic system, the intrigue, the gods, the world. 😍 I really loved it all (even as the forbidden love kinda broke my heart.)

FMC is sassy and brave and made me laugh more than once. The MMC was the perfect mixture of sassy and stoic. They compliment each other in a spitfire romance sort of way. (Think Anastasia and Dimitri)

Minimal cursing, some violence, nothing spicy.

I'm looking forward to book 2 and NEED to know what happens next!!!

[absadoodley · Rating 2 out of 5]

This is an ARC review.

Right...
So this book wasn't for me. This book didn't have to be as long as it was, and the writing all just fell flat. It had a strong start, but it kept declining the further I got into the stories.
The characters and plot were all predictable, and I didn't feel any sense of connection with anything. The writing felt rather juvenile and wasn't really up my alley.

[nini⭐️ · Rating 2 out of 5]

Dnf

It started off really well then we got to the isle, the plot became tedious and the characters monotonous with zero development. I’m sure there’s a big reveal at the end of the endless boredom this book put me through, unfortunately, I don’t care

[coffeebooksandpluvio · Rating 5 out of 5]

“But don’t ever, from this moment forward, believe that you aren’t worthy of a place like this. This place isn’t worthy of someone like you.”

Thank you to Charity F Nelson for my complimentary ARC of The Keyholder of Time in exchange for an honest review.

This book starts out a bit slower as the setting and characters are laid out, but about 100 pages in picks up and Does. Not. Stop. I finished it at 2:30 a.m. and just sat in silence for a bit taking it all in.

Malina is a stubborn, brave, independent FMC who knows her worth but simultaneously doesn’t believe she deserves much. From her braided, Katniss Everdeen-like role of caring for her family to her Cinderella/Ever After upbringing to her big, Claire Fraser heart—she’s very easy to root for.

Some reviewers have said that she feels all over the place and I respectfully disagree. She’s only 18 and she was taken from world only to be thrown into another, after years of being essentially abused by her “family” and living through constant hard times. I felt that Nelson portrayed perspectives and feelings really well and Malina handled the situation better than a typical 18-year-old would.

“I hate you,” I whispered. “I know,” he said, the sound of a smile in his voice.”

The MMC, Derek, is like a younger, slightly less sarcastic, more YA version of Casteel Da’Neer. If the narrator of the From Blood and Ash audiobooks, Stina Nielsen, were to narrate this series, it would probably feel very similar. The entire first half of the book reminded me of Hawke from that series—a strong protector who seems quiet and a bit sassy but with so much more to him than meets the eye.

What’s interesting is that there are parts of the story where it’s not super clear who Malina is crushing on—Sam, her childhood best friend, Derek, her personal guard, or Loland, her betrothed prince/Derek’s brother. But this isn’t the focal point of the story. The worldbuilding is top-notch; I really enjoyed the map and the way Scottish words, customs, food, and folklore were woven in throughout the story. The familial, financial, and political impacts of the Clan Wars are also so descriptive and embedded, like an additional character.

“I may just have to battle a god again if this is what it takes to get you to kiss me.” “You are impossible.”

There are several delicious plot twists because of the fact that we are learning truths alongside Malina. She belongs to a whole world she wasn’t aware of growing up, so it’s almost like a delayed coming of age story throughout. And the ending . . . — comes back and — is actually — but also the — means — . . . let’s just say Nelson leaves us hanging in a big way.

Finally, this book has quite a few tropes: Slow-burn romance, forced proximity, found family, gods and mortals, a magic system, high-stakes plot, chosen one, arranged marriage, and even a love triangle.

Book two can’t come soon enough! I’m hoping we get to see more romance, more magic, and more of Kirkwood (Malina’s friendship with the gentle giant was one of my favorite elements). Check out The Keyholder of Time if you’re interested in a YA tale with solid worldbuilding, strong characters, humorous banter, and Scottish vibes!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

What can I say about this book?! It was AMAZING! Let's see if I can do it justice at all.

The story is told from the point of view of 18-year-old Malina Allaway. She lives in the Lowlands simply trying to survive. After her father's terrible injury in the war, she took over the running of the farm and providing for her father, stepmother and three stepsisters. Since she still doesn't make enough for them to get by, she also uses her secret gifts to help people at night. If she gets caught, it could mean her death. The only one who knows about her gift is her best friend Sam, who also loves her very much. She has no intention to ever marry though, since she's providing for her entire family.

All of that changes on a fateful day when she attends a wedding, dances with a gorgeous mysterious stranger, and is approached by another mysterious stranger. The next day, mysterious stranger number two shows up to her house, and informs her that she is actually the Keyholder for the Tempus Guild and has been betrothed to someone for years. Her family will also receive a generous amount if she goes, and if she doesn't it might be the end for them all.

Mysterious stranger one helps escort her to the Highlands, to settle into her new life, meet her betrothed, learn more about her gift, and meet the family that she didn't know she had.

The rest of the story is full of slow-burn romance building, twists and turns you will not see coming, and a cast of amazing characters. This book well exceeded my expectations. The worldbuilding, the unique magic system, everything was just so well executed. The whole story kept my attention, and even through the worldbuilding and explanations, I never felt it slow or get too repetitive. Then the ending just blew me away. My heart felt like it was on a roller coaster those last few chapters I swear.

I cannot wait for the next book! This is an author that I'm so ridiculously excited to see more from and expect to just get better and better!

I received this eARC from the author for an honest review.

[Micca B aka gigglybookgeek · Rating 5 out of 5]

I really enjoyed this book by Charity Nelson. The Keyholder of Time is the first book in The Tempus Guild Series, and the ending will leave you wishing for book 2 to be out (The Broken Threads of Fate will be available 7/31/2024)! This is a YA Fantasy that really is for fans of most of the YA fantasy books that were made into movies. If you liked those, you will love this one.

The FMC is Malina, and she is full of spunk, sass, a bit grumpy, and a whole lot of “I’ll tell you exactly what I think and feel!” She lost her mother at a young age, and lived with her father in the Lowlands, along with her stepmother and stepsisters. She has to hide the fact that she is supposed to be the newest keyholder, and that makes her a target of the Royal Guard because The Grand Chief would want his hands on all of that power. She has a lot to overcome and face, and we only get started here in book 1. As an 18 year old, so much is thrown at her, but she faces it head on as she leaves her childhood land to find out who she is to become.

Enter our MMC Derek. However, a love triangle with his twin brother could prove to be a challenge. There is also some chemistry with her bestie and secret-keeper, Sam (who is just the best). It is definitely a slow burn romance with no spice. The banter between Malina and all of them is just the best. Sarcasm is my love language, and boy can she dish it out.

As you know from my reviews, I love it when an author can be descriptive in a way that pulls you into the story and makes you feel like you know the characters. Charity definitely accomplishes this. She also will have your emotions all over the place throughout the book, and I image the entire series.

My favorite quote that won’t spoil anything (I’m not even saying who said it) was “I hate you,” I whispered. “I know,” he said, the sound of a smile in his voice. 😏

The prequel novella A Scythe’s Vow is available now.

Tropes:
⚡️ Magic
⚡️ Forced Proximity
⚡️ gods
⚡️ Found Family
⚡️ Love Triangle
⚡️ Adventure
⚡️ Chosen One
⚡️ Arranged Marriage

[Jessica Palmer · Rating 4 out of 5]

18-year-old Malina has a gift or a curse depending on how you look at it that she can access with just a touch. It is how she supports her family, but no one can know. The Grand Chief would love to get his greedy hands on someone like her. So when she is caught off guard by a pretentious and annoyingly beautiful man asking her to dance, she doesn’t realize it was all an act to discover who she is. At risk of losing the family she has fought so hard to protect, she is thrown into a new world as the newest keyholder. Her journey is simple (not), unite with the guild. Marry and obtain the mantle. Find the key.

ACOTAR, Harry Potter, & Twilight, meet The Tempus Guild series. If you love slow burn & closed door romance, then this book is for you and it makes for a great YA novel for that reason too. There are so many great tropes like forced proximity, love triangle (between two twin brothers might I add 😉), and sworn-off marriage. This is a very feisty FMC which could be a bit much at times, but that may be part of the YA angle and it did add to the witty banter. I loved the side characters which I think is a true testament to a great author. I especially loved her friendship with Enna. I love when girls can accept and support eachother without jealousy or competitiveness. Then, Kirkwood is just such a sweetheart. Now, you may think you know who the villian is, but there is so much going on below the surface that will blow your mind. That suspense building kept me coming back and I finished the book in just two days. I am sooo excited for The Broken Threads of Fate on 7.31.24 because that cliff-hanger at the end just about killed me lol. Now onto the prequel, The Scythe’s Vow.

[Michaella · Rating 4 out of 5]

This is a great romantacy book. There is no spice level I can give. I actually enjoyed this book and I am excited for book 2 to be released because I need to know what happens next. If you love morally grey men then this is for you because the main MMC is something else. This book kept me on my toes because I never knew what will happen next. I need answers haha 🖤🖤.

Tropes-
🗝️Forced Proximity
🗝️Witty Banter
🗝️Found Family
🗝️Unique Magic System
🗝️Meddling Gods
🗝️Slow Burn & Closed Door Romance
🗝️Bonds
🗝️Fiesty FMC
🗝️Epic Adventure
🗝️Funny MMC
🗝️Love Triangle


MALINA ALLAWAY— She is a farm girl who is going everything to help her family stay a float. She lost her mother very young but she will do anything to help her father. She has a secret that people in the town doesn’t know she has and she must keep secret for safety. Later she learns she is royalty in a sense and she starts her journey of being “The Keyholder”


DEREK LOLAND— He is the “Captain” of the army. He holds the grace and he is very masterious. He knows what his purpose is and he knows he has to protect her. He brother but the drama is intense. He always wants to keep his word and do his duty to protect the Guild.


He was smitten with her and yet he can’t have her. She was drawn to him and didn’t know why nor did she know that it wasn’t just appreciation for his looks. He is funny and the banter they have is amazing. He calls her “Little Viper”.

You will never see what happens in this book coming and until you read it then you will only have to guess🖤

“Mors tua, vita mea” (Your death,my life)

[Cameron Charping · Rating 5 out of 5]

Oh, how do I begin. 5000 ⭐️s This was SO good. I couldn’t devour it because so much happens that I had to take my time and really digest. By no means hard to follow just meaty in the best way. The emotional pull at the end in so many ways!!!

Malina is just a girl trying to take care of her mostly ungrateful family. If she didn’t tend to the farm, who would. Certainly not her stepsisters. Her pa was injured in the Clan Wars and can’t manage much. So it’s up to her and her gift. Memories are a precious thing, and Malina can see them all. But it’s illegal in the Lowlands to use such abilities. She must be careful. But when the Tempest Guild steward finds her, she is suddenly given an ultimatum. Come and be the Keyholder she is meant to be along with all the duties and expectations. Or, have her family more destitute than they already are. She is forced to go to the Highlands where she will be faced with truths she doesn’t want to believe and responsibilities she never wanted. Are the gods truly real and meddling in the lives of humans? Which handsome man will be trustworthy? Who else is hiding secrets and why are they keeping Malina in the dark? What is killing so many?

Seriously could just give everything away. This doesn’t begin to scratch the surface of what is in store if you read it. Which you absolutely should. Thanks so much to @charityfnelson for allowing me to be on your launch time for The Broken Threads of Fate coming July 31st.

[Abby · Rating 4 out of 5]

I received an advance review copy for free, and I am leaving this review voluntarily.

Ms. Charity Nelson did a wonderful job with this book! I went and bought myself this first book of hers and the prequel prior to even realizing that I had signed up for her ARC team. We follow our FMC, Malina. She’s quite the character! If I had to describe her, I would definitely say Katniss from The Hunger Games. She’s definitely giving off Katniss vibes to me. She’s stubborn, but strong-minded, and strong-willed at the same time. There was so much going on in this story, that I didn’t find myself bored at any point. I enjoyed the world building in this story. It was very well written and it truly helped with the development of the characters. The love triangle that played throughout really had you trying to figure out who was going to end up with who but there really was a reason for everything. I enjoyed the forced proximity and slow burn romance in this story. If you enjoy tropes like magical elements/powers, new adventures, slow-burn romances, gods, humans, creatures, forced proximity, love triangle, and of course a badass FMC you will for sure enjoy this book. The ending/cliffhanger to this book was not what I was expecting at all. I can’t even explain how that ending made me feel! I am looking forward to the next installation. I do have the prequel and that is what you should read next after The Keyholder’s Time. I’m so excited and truly, you’ve got a new fan!

[Marianne Tidwell · Rating 5 out of 5]

Review of The Keyholder of Time by Charity F. Nelson

“Death and Time are ancient brothers. Time is nothing without Death, and Death is nothing without Time.”

Tropes include:
Chosen one/ Reluctant hero
Unique magic system
Meddling gods
Witty banter
Forced proximity
Feisty FMC
Slow burn/closed door
Epic adventure
Funny MMC
Love triangle

I came across this author and series recently and she was kind enough to send me this book in preparation for an ARC of the next book in #thetempusguild series. Let me just say, THANK YOU @charityfnelson !!! This is definitely in my top reads of the year! You all don’t know what you’re missing. If I were you I would immediately pick up this book and then go ahead and preorder book two, #thebrokenthreadsoffate which comes out July 31st. You’re going to need it after that cliffhanger!

This story is full of witty banter, feisty characters, meddling gods, sacrifice, and a slow burn love triangle. Our FMC, Malina must sacrifice to save her family and their livelihood after being told she must leave her home and her family behind because she’s the Keyholder and must marry a man she’s never met. I really enjoyed immersing myself into this unique world with its unique magic system. This was a five star read for me! Now I’ll just be (not so) patiently waiting for book two.

[Kyrsten · Rating 4 out of 5]

4.5 ⭐️

“But don’t ever, from this moment forward, believe that you aren’t worthy of a place like this. This place isn’t worthy of someone like you.”

Ok let me start off by saying Charity can do no wrong. Her writing is absolutely amazing. I seriously cannot wait to read more of her books. The storytelling..perfect. The emotions I felt while reading this book…perfect. The characters…perfect. THAT ENDING…perfect.

Malina is our very spunky FMC. This book follows her epic journey on becoming the newest keyholder. During this journey Malina faces ..well a lot. She’s forced to marry, she has to make difficult choices, loses people she loves, and yes falls in love.

This book gave me ALLL the feels. I loved pretty much everything about it. The romance in this book was perfect. There was just enough romance to keep you turning the pages and wanting more. The cliffhanger..I was not prepared for. I NEED the next book.

Sam. That is it.

The attention to detail was incredible. I felt like I knew all the characters. Typically authors focus on 3/4 characters- but Charity really focused on all of them.

The one thing that kinda annoyed me was how many times Malina’s mouth “popped open”. I don’t know why but that bugged me😂

-sassy spunky FMC
-Gods & Magic
-Sam 🫶🏼
-slow-burn romance
-witty MMC
-ALLL the emotions
-forced proximity
-love triangle (twin brothers😉)

[Sofia · Rating 4 out of 5]

“I was afraid to even touch anything in case it might break. Or perhaps I would smash every plate in the room. One never knew with me.” Charity’s writing style was super descriptive and made everything seem so real. A lot of her descriptions made me think of other novels as well. Throughout this novel I felt similar moments from novels such as Cinderella, A Court Of Thorns and Roses, Percy Jackson and Harry Potter. This novel was a rollercoaster of emotions with so many twists and turns throughout the story line. There was never a dull moment in this novel and i did not want to put it down. I absolutely adored Malina as a main character she is so sassy and does not take anything from anyone. She gave me a lot of the same feels as Feyre from ACOTAR as they are both super independent and sassy and fiery and someone that the other characters tend to look down as not a threat until they really see what she is made of. I think the one thing I would have loved to see from this novel was a map. Most fantasy novels include a map of the world to help with visualizing the story. I would have loved to see where the guild was located in comparison to the Chiefs house as well as Malina’s home town. The ending of this novel had me so shook with the massive cliff hanger that was dumped on us. Overall I really loved this novel and I need to know what’s going to happen next. I can not wait to start reading book 2 in the Tempus Guild. I would definitely recommend this book to anyone who loves fantasy or romantasy novels.

[Katelynn | booksareadoorway · Rating 5 out of 5]

“If this stranger wanted a bride, I would give him one, and oh, how I would make him pay.”

This story has it all: a feisty FMC, witty banter, magic, meddling gods, a love triangle involving twin brothers, secrets, lovable side characters, and a cliffhanger that is making me impatient for book 2. 4 1/2 stars!

Malina always had to be strong; she lost her mother at a young age and has been hiding a magical secret that makes her a target of the Royal Guard. She is fierce, feisty, and not afraid to speak her mind; I loved every second of it. Derek stole my heart as soon as he was introduced with his good looks, humor, and protective streak. Loland is handsome, powerful, and harboring a dark secret. The romance was closed door and slow burning, but really pulls you in without distracting the reader from the story.

The world building, plot, and characters were all gorgeously developed. The author gives you just enough information to fully immerse you in the story without overwhelming you.

This book made me feel all of the emotions. I was not emotionally prepared for that cliffhanger. If I were you, I’d read this book and go ahead & preorder book two so you get it as soon as it’s released. You’re going to want it right away.

[NeedMoreBookSpace · Rating 4 out of 5]

The Keyholder of Time is a no spice, high fantasy read. Our FMC has kept her special ability hidden from her family all of her young life. When she touches someone, she can see into their memories. She sneaks out at night to peddle her wares to rich clientele in order to help keep her family farm afloat.

But one day a mysterious man comes to the farm and drops a bombshell. She is the Keyholder, wielder of immeasurable power and betrothed at birth…and her father knew all along but told her nothing. Now she must leave the farm and journey to the Tempus Guild, her late mother's ancestral home and training grounds for other weilders like her.

Soon she learns of many secrets and dangers posed to destroy her and the country she calls home. And what's worse, she’s taken a fancy to the quarrelsome captain of the guard….who is not her betrothed.

The premise of this book is interesting. The Keyholder must stop the Harbinger to keep the balance of time. And I liked the most of the characters. The FMC is a sassy 18 year old who acts like it. Sometimes she's confident and thinks before she acts, and sometimes she just pops off and behaves irrationally. She doesn't want to marry, but is willing to do so to protect those around her.

[_aimsreads_ · Rating 5 out of 5]

By the time i finished this it was well past midnight so i think you can gather the fact i really enjoyed this book, purely because i normally don’t sacrifice sleep to read and would rather do it in the morning. At first i was hesitant, but the blurb and book cover enticed me, i felt as if i couldn’t pass up the opportunity to read this and i’m glad i didn’t. I was scared this book would take me a while to get through, but i read it in two sittings. In actuality, this book was such an easy read and i admire that. It never dragged on, or even got boring. I have fallen in love with the characters, and the author has written so nicely that i couldn’t help but react to the storylines of both the plot and characters. Never once has the idea that this book was too predictable or boring slipped into my mind. The whole thing is very creative and i am honestly impressed. It’s not a difficult decision to rate this highly. I will absolutely be reading more.

[aubsbookshelf · Rating 5 out of 5]

“But don’t ever, from this moment forward, believe that you aren’t worthy of a place like this. This place isn’t worthy of someone like you.”

Thank you Charity F. Nelson for this absolutely amazing ARC!! Word can’t even describe how much I really enjoyed this book. It sucked me in until 3am to finish. The character development was amazing and the plot!? Wow. I NEED book two.

The Keyholder of Time is the kind of book that will have you on the edge of your chair. It starts out a little slow, but that’s ok it gave plenty of time for world building and learning about characters. If you like unique magic system, found family, gods, forced proximity, or slow burn romance this book is for you. I highly recommend giving it a chance!

Two more of my favorite quotes I have to include

- “You torment me,” he whispered
- “I hate you,” I whispered.  “I know,” he said, the sound of a smile in his voice.

[Desiree · Rating 5 out of 5]

This helped get me through my ACOTAR hangover. I am so thrilled with this book and am beyond excited for the second installment of the trilogy! What a cliffhanger! This story pulls you in all the right ways; from heartache and anger to love, joy, and fear. You feel for Malina and everything that she goes through. Its a clean, catchy fantasy that puts you right in the world.

The story building is really great but I do wish the world itself and magic was explained and gone deeper into just a little bit more. Perhaps there are plans for that in the next book! The story is definitely far from over. My only other note is there were just a few minor grammatical errors that could be corrected. I genuinely loved reading this though! What an honor to be a part of the ARC readers for such a great story.

[Morgan · Rating 4 out of 5]

3.75/5

"'You are faced with two choices: allow this world to shape you, or shape yourself into the person you want to become. Destiny and Fate only have control over so much. The rest is up to us.'"

This book was a promising start to a new series, with an interesting world and lore and complex characters.

The story starts off slow, which is why it couldn't be a 4 star rating for me. But at about the 50% mark things start kicking off and after that I was invested. The action after that point is tense and exciting, and the revelations surprising. I liked the non-traditional resolution of the love triangle, something I was hesitant about in the first half. The fantasy politics were intriguing, and I really enjoyed all the plot twists, including the cliff hanger.

Overall, this is a good start to a new YA fantasy romance, and I'm hopeful that the next books will be even better. I'm excited to see where the story goes.

Thank you to the author for the copy of the book. All opinions are my own.

[Danielle Comeaux · Rating 5 out of 5]

From the start, this book caught my attention, wanting to read more and more of it. The FMC is strong willed and mysterious, only learning a bit about her in the beginning much like how the people of her world don’t know who she is. I enjoyed learning about the magic that some of the characters possess. There were multiple moments of the story that had me gasp, grasping my curiosity. Despite it having 453 pages, it was a quick read for me because I was engaged the whole time. Not a lot of books do this for me, so this is a great note! The ending of the novel had me crying & in shock and I can’t wait to read the second book to find out more about Malina’s fate. This book is full of adventure, self-journey, plot twists, frightful creatures, and more!!

[Amanda · Rating 5 out of 5]

⏳ Time, Death, Magic, and the gods. ⏳

Malina is an 18 year old from the Lowlands in Dubria. As her family’s only hope for survival, Malina secretly uses her “gift” to make extra money. One night, she is taken away by the steward of the Tempus Guild. Malina makes a deal in order to save her family. She quickly realizes she is in for more than what she bargained for when she is faced with death and darkness all around her.

This romantic fantasy has ACOTAR vibes, an interesting magic system, forbidden romance, and forced proximity.
I could see some of the twists throughout the book coming, but the ones at the end absolutely blindsided me.

It took me a few days to write this review because I couldn’t quite get the words out to show just how much I LOVED this book. I don’t even know if this review can do it justice! Just, wow. 5 stars.

I already know that Book 2, The Broken Threads of Fate, is going to be even better. I CANNOT wait for it to drop!!!

[Jess · Rating 5 out of 5]

(ARC REVIEW)

So glad I stumbled upon this book! The characters were fantastic, the magic world was amazing, and the frustratingly wonderful doomed romance nearly did me in. As soon and you figure out the answer to something, a new question cowes up and the story just keeps you guessing. The plot had lots of twists and turns, and kept me hooked until the last sentence. THE LAST SENTENCE. I didn’t want it to end! It definitely has some Percy Jackson vibes. I have been reeeeling over the ending for days. My poor husband has had to listen to me rant and analyze the cliffhanger so much that I’m pretty sure he is ready to push me off the cliff. 🫣😂 So excited for the next book!

[Tea_with_a_book · Rating 4 out of 5]

So this book took me much longer get to read than normal. I will say that this is not wholly the novels fault as it is also many life’s circumstances that got in the way.

That being said, the books first half kept losing my interest. It was not badly written at all. The plot just kept losing me and I wasn’t finding myself loving the FMC. Might be a me thing. Then tonight, I picked it back up again. And it SUCKED ME IN! Second half of the book I didn’t put down until I reached the end. I was so pleasantly surprised by this that I can’t wait to read the next one! The plot revved up and I found myself enjoying the FMC and characters more. I look forward to reading what happens next!