"The Keeper’s Calling" by Kelly Nelson book review

I’ll admit I was a bit apprehensive when I learned that The Keeper’s Calling dealt with time travel. That’s tricky. It reminds me of the question, “What would happen if I went back and shot my grandfather?”

However, I’d heard good things about the book, so I kept an open mind and dove in.

At its very heart, it’s the story of seventeen-year-old Chase Harper. Like many young men his age, Chase meets a pretty girl (Ellie) who is different from all the other ones he had met before. There’s only one slight problem. He’s from 2011. She is from 1863. I’ve heard of May-December romances before, but this is a bit extreme.

Since there is time travel involved, Ellie and Chase are about the same age when they meet. Factor in Chase already has a girlfriend, and things get a bit sticky. So, what is the rest of the story about? I don’t want to spoil anything, so I’ll share what’s on the back of the book:

“Chase Harper’s to-do list for senior year never included “fall in love” and “fight for your life,” but things rarely go as planned. Tarnished gold and resembling a pocket watch, the counter he finds in a cave during the summer of 2011 will forever change the course of his life, leading him to the beautiful Ellie Williams and unlocking a power beyond his wildest imagination.

In 1863, Ellie Williams completes school in Boston and returns to the Utah Territory only to discover that her grandfather and his counter, a treasured family heirloom, are missing. When Ellie is abducted and told she must produce the counter or die, an unexpected rescuer comes to her aid.”

There were many aspects of this book I thoroughly enjoyed. It’s a character driven action / adventure / fantasy book. The action and adventure elements in the book play a supporting role to the characters. I actually cared when something happened to the characters.

I found the overall plot to be quite unique and unexpected. I kept wanting to categorize the book like, “Oh, it’s like such-and such” but I kept getting surprised.

Another thing I enjoyed was the insight on how a seventeen-year-old young man thinks. It brought back a lot of memories what I was that age … uh, a few years ago. Even more remarkable was that the book was written by a female, Kelly Nelson. I’m not saying that females can’t write good male characters, but I was impressed on how dead-on Nelson was.

Who would enjoy this? Who wouldn’t? It’s a clean read—but that doesn’t mean it’s boring.

And the best part? This is book one in a series. While it has a satisfying conclusion, it leaves the door wide open for all sorts of shenanigans to happen in the future … or past … or, well, you get my point.

You can buy the book by clicking on this link.