Polyrhythm Time -- A Bard's Tail

Self-Published

Community Rating

Description

Have you ever met someone who loves what they do so much that they'll skip sleep, food, love and safety to pursue it? What happens if that kind of person encounters a different dimension, yet holds on to their love of music, and specifically of rock drumming.When the world ended at the end of 2057, Kevin Snackenbridge slept through it. He'd been drumming all night. tl;dr-- System eats world -- Monsters and magic ---- LitRpg -- Practice, not levels and stats ---- MC Bard -- support class -- low power ---- MC chooses music over survival skills --tl;dr Kevin trips into the Internal Strength Dimension where Thaumaturgy is king. With the help of a talking plant and several vicious monkeys he learns that the rule is "Change or die." Kevin changes, but remains firmly a drummer/Bard in this high fantasy setting. This is Kevin's adventure, and that of the friends he meets. Kevin has the soul of a real musician. He loves music, specifically rhythm and drumming, and would give his left nut if it would help him drum better. He's a rock drummer, and his language is that of a rock drummer: slanged, duded, and frequently laced with profanity. He focuses on music, and makes decisions that even the author doesn't approve of. However, that means all his decisions are Kevin's decisions, not those of a system-optimizing power-gamer. There's points (All of Arc 2) where he wanders aimlessly. Goals seem foreign to him at points. What would you do if you were a musician, and the world fell apart and you no longer had an audience or band-mates.  You'd be kinda lost.  Kevin is.  Arc 2 is a lot of Kevin not knowing what to do, going with the flow, and not being articulate enough to know that he doesn't know what to do. 1. Chapters start short near 500 words, and grow to 12-1500 by ch.100 2. Chapters daily

Information

Status
Ongoing
Year
2020
Author
Aretae

Tags

FANTASYADVENTUREMAGICSCI-FISTRONG LEADGAMELITMALE LEADPORTAL FANTASY / ISEKAILOW FANTASYHIGH FANTASY

Chapters(111 total)

Reviews

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

Community Reviews(10)

  • ragaRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0

    Definitely one of the more interesting stories I've read on RRL.  The author does a great job portraying a musically-obsessed drummer in a new, magical world.  Worldbuilding, mechanics, etc. all work well.  But really, I came and stayed for the strange yet somehow incredibly endearing protagonist.  Strongly recommended.

  • Commander KaneRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0

    I really like the style. The author is slow-paced, but I like it. The MC isn't some badass by the third chapter and it's nice to see that the author is taking the time to explain things, even if it's a bit telly.Grammar is the best I've seen on this site, not unlike work from NoDragon and few other others. There are a few problems here and there, mostly due to punctuation, but it'sgood.As I said, the story is great. World ends, we're in a different dimension,drums.Characters! The MC is a Kevin, that you must know. Now, as I myself write a Kevin, I approve the direction the author has taken this MC. Very drum-focused, probably has a little ADHD.Then there's Alec. Alec's kinda condescending, but not in a way you'd get annoyed by him, unless you're one of the people who think every side character in the story should worship the MC. You...you'd have some problems, then.All in all, five out of five stories, lots of updates so far, I like where this is going.

  • OwlishRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0

    The stories on RR I like the most are ones with a hook that draws me in. It can be worldbuilding [The Scorched Earth], writing style, an appealing character, or something else.This story's hook is the character, a professional musician whose practice habits and abilities translate somewhat usefully across worlds. This may not be everyone's cup of tea, but worth checking out. Slow start, give it several chapters.

  • ender69Royal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0

    Very good story my man, and Kevin is a very real, and engaging, character. Interesting and new to me variant on as system and a build within that system. Smooth progression, balancing a believable path towards the OP-ness we want a lovable character to have with some solid challenge that prevents it from getting Gary Stu. Little bit of plot armor, but no more than I expect of an epic MC. He works, sweats and bleeds for it. This is officially on my main follow list where I eagerly await each new chapter. It lives, for me, alongside Metaworld Chronicles, He Who Fights With Monsters, Delve, Wake of the Ravager, Defiance of the Fall and the like.  Please keep them coming sir.  I don't know if Kevin is monkey or tripitaka or some of both, but I can't wait to look over his shoulder as he continues on his journey.

  • BullerRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0

    Drumming is life-somebody who drumsThis here is something of a original pice of work. I don't think I've actually readanythingclose to this before. Has there ever been another MC drummer on the site? Maybe. But I haven't heard of them.Kevin has good taste btw. Felt the need to say that. Might focus a bit much on the drums tho. Might just be noticing that detail /s.5/5. Great stuff here.

  • Emerald OKeefeRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0

    This is one of a minority of stories where I didn't notice the grammar and spelling mistakes. I know there were a few but after 66 chapters I can honestly say I could count them on two hands.i LOVE all the puns. I may not have gotten all the musical references but I got all the othe puns.This is a happy story for the most part. Even happy stories have to have some sad or there is no conflict to resolve.

  • Lawrence YanRoyal Road
    ★★★★★ 5.0

    Extraodinary! Drumming and meditation, what a great combination.I really think you have something going here, not only for the novelty of the main character in this story, but also because of the on-point grammar and great narrative flow you've constructed so far.It's a very polished piece already as it is, and I think you probably could even directly publish this into a book once you've finished. I can tell that the author has some form of writing background for sure.

  • DrAltRoyal Road
    ★★★★ 4.0

    So take everything you know about litrpg progression, and instead of the usual save-the-world MC, shove in a hyper-focused drummer named Kevin.   He wants to improve at drumming, and the litrpg mechanics make drumming powerful.This story will teach you things about drumming like other progression crafting fics teach about blacksmithing or leatherworking.   This story revolves around Kevin's drumming, as the typical progression apocalypse throws issues his way when he wants to play music.   Excellent style, and someday, I hope it rocks on, out of hiatus.

  • librarysmilesRoyal Road
    ★★★★ 4.0

    Kevin is a drummer.There are three stages to this story:1) Dude, where's my drums?The first thing Kevin worries about in the apocalypse is whether he can drum. (Yes, he can.)2) Dude, where's my band?Kevin tries to find a group of musicians with which to jam. (None of them were as good as the pre-apocalypse group.)3) Dude, where's my greater purpose?Kevin tries to be something that he's not: a leader and saviour. He strains his brain to help others and can't seem to shake off his failures, unlike in the beginning when he realized he probably wasn't going to see his original band ever again.This story is funniest and best when there's a lighthearted feeling of: "Dude, this problem can be solved by drumming!" (Even bacon attacks!)Also, dude, Kevin has a problem with names and it rocks!

  • JadensynRoyal Road
    ★★★★ 4.0

    I honestly dont know what to make of this, i mean, its sort of a litrpg, sure, its a transmigration story, it has all the usual themes, its written....well enough.....but its about a drummer....and not even in the "oh, ive been yeeted to another world better get my shit together" type of person i mean a real, honest to god drummer with the personality to match it, bordering on autism. I believe these creatures are referred to as a "kevin".i dont know how or why the author has managed to create such a detailed example of one of lifes lowest specimens, and i garuntee the author is not a drummer, because they wrote a book and are clearly literate, but the premise of the character is so rediculous its genuinely worth the read, if for nothing more than a sideshow attraction.Seriously though, its well written, fairly amusing and got that little spark of something that keeps you coming back to check in on it. it is absolutely slow paced, but things are starting to pick up, and id love to see how far this trope can go in the standard transmigration story.Keep it up, you are definitely doing....something? i think?Jade