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I pictured a man standing by a river watching the ripples flow by as he contemplated life. He became the main character of my story a Father Time figure, or a Keeper of Time. I incorporated my favorite places in the wilds of Idaho and people I know or have known. It all brought shape and color to the pages. The story and characters started to evolve on their own as pages went by. Eventually, Springs was brought to life.
Reviewed by A. L. Peevey for Readers' Favorite
The Raven and the Keepers of Time: Springs, Book One by Shane Vlcek is the coming-of-age story of sixteen-year-old Marcus Collins. He comes from a long line of often famous people, some of whom have been known as witches. He becomes the Keeper of Time after the death of his father and inherits the responsibility of a clock that keeps the world’s time and a compass that controls the seasons. As he tries to live the typical life of a teenager, he finds himself fighting to maintain control of both the clock and the compass against a family determined to bend time to their own evil purposes. Will he find allies among his family and friends in the epic battle to keep the world in balance?
The Raven and the Keepers of Time is an incredibly detailed book with some surprises and fine writing. The author gives us a visually striking word picture of Idaho in the opening pages of the book. He makes us wish we could go and see it for ourselves. This writing is some of the best I've seen in a while with some realistic characters rooted in life as well as fantastical doings. The main narrative itself is an intricately woven story told from Marcus’s point of view and peopled with varied characters who are brought convincingly to life in a landscape that is our everyday world with the addition of fantastical elements. The importance of family, friends, and love is emphasized. As we finish reading this finely detailed story, we realize it is part of a series, so we will be looking forward to seeing more of Marcus and his companions in Book Two.
