Clock Link: A Story of Magic and Murder

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

April 1st. For eight minutes, a section of downtown Portland and everyone in it comes to a complete and absolute standstill. During that time a bank is robbed... and a young girl is murdered.Three high school students, a shut in, a man involved in organized crime, and an amateur mage. The events of "the day the world stopped" start a chain reaction that will change the destinies of these six people, and the city, forever.

Information

Status: Completed
Year: 2016
Author: mataaitai

Royal Road Stats

Rating: 4.5/ 5.0
Followers: 191
Views: 159,649

Chapters(63 total)

Reviews

No reviews yet. Be the first to share your thoughts!

Community Reviews(8)

~Ember~Royal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
This is one of those series that gets you to look at the world in a new light.
Style: every chapter brings a change in POV. While at first this might seem a bit daunting, as anyone who has watched game of thrones can tell you how confusing things can get, the author of Clock Link sticks to only a few main characters. The interesting part is that while most of these characters aren't directly involved with each other, the impact of one their actions can still be seen through the other main characters eyes (as if they're all "linked").
Story: Not much that I can say here without spoiling things. As the situation surrounding each character is different, you have different types of storylines following them. The one main storyline that ties them all together is a murder mystery, however once again the feel of the story differs slightly between characters. Plus compared to most fictions on RRL, it's original, and thus bound to have a good story.
Grammer: Vivid and descriptive when it needs to be, comedic when not. No major grammatical errors other than the occasional typo here and there, however even those become almost nonexistent after DarkClaymore gets there hands on a chapter.
Characters: as each major character is treated as the main character of their own little story, they're all fleshed out and well defined. Hell, even the side characters are fleshed out to the point that THEY think they're the main character.
Tl;dr: tis good. Tis very good.
hokolomopoRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
Clock link is easily one of the best novel on RoyalRoad in my opinion. It is really well written and the story is captivating. The start is a bit slow because we have to discover all the different characters, but the pace picks up fast after 10-15 chapters.
This novel should get more attention, and i don't understant how it is not more popular.
jinkakuRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
I've read up to Chapter 25 and am reviewing this fiction as a review swap.
Clock Link is narrated from a third person limited perspective, however it’s told from multiple POV’s of the many characters. There are six main characters from which you can experience Portland’s magical murder mystery as it unfolds. In terms of execution it’s done very well and stays consistent throughout the story.
The first six chapters are dedicated to introducing the main characters, their personalities and focuses on the ”time stop” in Portland, where a bank is robbed and a young girl is murdered. This event becomes a catalyst that disrupts the balance within the city and everyone becomes involved whether they want to or not. Following chapters change to seemingly random character perspectives and happen in different timelines, but fear not! The author writes in key events or clues so you’re able to clearly understand whose POV it is and when everything is happening. (Also helps that the date is included in the chapter titles.)
As for the story itself, it’s really fun to read! The story tends to focus more on the characters (, which I’ll explain later in this review,) and how they react to the events. If you’re wondering what the story is about, I think the synopsis is more than enough information you need. I don’t think I need to add any spoilers to this review.
Grammar:
As I’m looking back through, I can’t really find any glaring grammatical mistakes so I probably would have to read through this again and jot down the specific points when I see them. But I do think I saw a few errors but they didn’t bother me that much. When I get a chance, I’ll re-read and try to note them here.
Anyways I wouldn’t be too worried about it. The author clearly has taken a lot of time to proof and edit their work.
Characters:
I could drone on about each and every character but I think it’ll probably spoil a lot and there are dozens of them. The most important thing you need to know about them is that th
DarkClaymoreRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
At first glance, Clock Link may daunt you as a "heavy, complex mystery novel". This false impression discouraged me from picking up the fic for the longest time. One day, I decided to try the first chapter anyway...
Don't repeat my mistake! Read the first chapter and all your doubts will be blown away!
A unique take on you favorite tropes.
A shut-in dragged into a murder investigation, a girl transforming into a demon, a newbie mage with unique potential. These are all popular and well-loved hooks, each capable to establish a whole novel in its own right. But, in Clock Link, all these "special" protagonists find themselves entangled within Portland, the weird city where the abnormal is becoming daily.
The "Durarara x Fate/Zero" sort of fic that you never knew you wanted.
"Clock Link" is the primary social media in the setting, widely popular across Portland and used to fuel the plot. Thanks to this social network and other factors, Portland is brewing up into a battlefield between many mysterious parties, on the background of magic, justice and selfish desires.
Portland is a home to many unsual folks.
As you follow six protagonists, you can unravel the mysteries of Portland from various angles. Inevitably, the plot progresses slower than it would with a single POV and the author perfectly understands this downside. He makes sure that each scene is tied to the main focus and pushes the plot forward.
Sharp, witty and seamless writing.
The narrative is a beautiful blend between the casual style of Light Novels and the professional style of published books; it's both sophisticated and easy to read. Grammar is pretty much flawless, and the rare mistakes were simply missed during proofreads.
Infrequent releases.
Despite the author's efforts, the fic doesn't seem to stick with tightly scheduled releases at the moment. This is understandbale when compared to many other RRL fics, as an entangled mystery requires careful and patient crafting. Give us moar Clock Link, Mataa!
A
WhoCaresRoyal Road
★★★★★ 5.0
WC's Mutual Reviews~
Overall: 5/5 Where do I begin? Do I begin with the wonderfully woven threads that come together at just the right moments? Do I begin with the amazingly constructed characters who interact with each other in believable and realistic ways? Or maybe the world that blends sci-fi and fantasy together in a way that is nothing short of astounding? This is definitely one of the best works on this site, or indeed, on the internet. Read this if you are willing to taste a real story pushing the boundaries of what stories on the internet are supposed to be like.
Style: 4.5/5 Admittedly, it starts off weak and takes a while to get going. The multiple perspectives are done well but the characters take a while to step into their own voices so the transitions can get a little jarring at first. However, once the plot begins moving and the pieces start falling into place, this multiple perspective approach becomes massively satisfying. I simply cannot overstate this enough: YOU HAVE TO READ THIS THROUGH TO THE END. Please do not try to judge this story without powering through the beginning.
Story: 5/5 I never give perfect scores in reviews but the plot in this work is too complex and too well crafted for me to give it anything else. The mystery is compelling and the problems draw you in powerfully and grip you hard.
Grammar: 4.5/5 Being very nitpicky here but you could use a PR to brush up a few typos. Nothing major and definitely better than nearly every other story here. A few minor recurring errors but again, I'm being incredibly picky here.
Character: 5/5 Authentic. Distinct. Relatable. That's all I need to say but I'll say a few more things anyways. These characters are flawed yet likeable. There are no absolutely evil characters nor any absolutely good ones. The characters are REAL and have REAL emotions. They interact in believable ways and there is very little suspension of disbelief involved as far as the characters' personalities are concerned.
Conclu
kleptomaticRoyal Road
★★★★★ 4.5
I'll preface this review with one thing: So far, the story told seems intriguing and there's so many mysteries to be solved.
However, I (personally) find the style of the book hard to read. There's so many different perspectives and I have trouble differentiating the characters. This is despite their distinctive names and individual plots.
Honestly, this is probably a me problem, but if you have trouble keeping track of the plot of a story then this might be a bit difficult for you to follow.
Other than that, great story so far and I can't wait to see where it leads!
Edit: Ok, so you've heard of Chekov's Gun? Well this is Chekov's Firing Squad. I'd keep reading even if you have some trouble following it.
EdmangoRoyal Road
★★★★ 4.0
Solid writing, solid story, solid characters. It's got a good mystery that has you guessing for a bit, you think one character is one thing and it offers an exciting twist at a few key moments to keep it fresh.
The story's short so you won't be invested for too long (some 59ish chapters)
The biggest complaint I have is that the perspective shifts every chapter, but the timeline remains consistent. Honestly I can't think of a good way the story would be told other than the way it is. Picking one perspective and telling the whole story before switching? probably not. Telling a certain perspective and leaving a cliffhanger for x chapters before coming back? probably more infuriating then the constant cliffs in this story.
And for all my complaints, after the first cycle or two I actually ended up enjoying the perspective shifts and the story it told. Give it a read if you want a novel murder mystery.
FoxTrotRoyal Road
★★★★ 3.5
Your link to " The Order of Phantasmal Architects" is actually a "self link" to ur own novel. Change it if u get time.
Now onto mini - review - the story is a bit fresh take on different POV novel. Good but a bit early to comment on other aspects since only 2 days have passed in novel. Lets hope its a good one.