The Rithmatist

Brandon Sanderson never ceases to amaze me with his hypotheses of possibilities as to what is acceptable as a basis for "magic or mysterious happenings" with The Rithmatist he has come up with a whole new concept of enemies and ways to defeat them.
Well Done Brandon.

Suitable for adults and young adults alike, give it a read(or try the sample); and you won't be disappointed!
My only regret is that the next books in the series arn't written yet- but thankfully there's a massive body of Sanderson's work to read in the meantime!

Once again, Brandon Sanderson delivers. This feels like the first book of a series, and the way it has been set up, I'm excited to see what he creates. Wonderful read from start to finish and should be a great book for children as well.

Enjoyed this book a lot. All the elements of a good fantasy - good guys, protagonists, morals and responsibilities and a new take on defence - the chalk stick! Really looking forward to the next instalment!

It's a good history, but also it's a very interesting world.
The Rithmatism is a very especific kind of magic, that could be seen as a frivolity, except because it's the only defense against the invasion of the chalkings.

This book was well written and did not disappoint. Sanderson is an excellent world-builder. Although this book seems to be part of a series, Sanderson does not leave you hanging. I look forward to more.

I am a Brandon Sanderson super-fan. I read everything this man writes. So if you find yourself in the same boat, skip the reviews and just buy it. Support the man. However if you haven't had a chance to sample some of his work, then continue reading.

The Rithmatist is as described: a young-adult novel. Brandon already favors a very safe, or "PG" writing style in his other books, but here it's even more pronounced. He even includes writing assignments at the end of the novel to be used in a class setting (Nice touch, imo). Having being used to his bleak dystopian world building, reading his YA work can sometimes almost be death by fluffy teddy bear. Because he steers clear from the usual "rape and pillage" type themes championed by some of his fantasy peers (Brent Weeks, Mark Lawrence) in his adult books, it only makes sense that when Brandon writes YA that the end product be something anyone could pickup and read. With that said, here's a quick list of pros and cons:

Warning: Spoilers below.

Pros:
Brandon is at it again with his intricate, well thought out magic system. Readers quickly gain a sense for how the Rithmatist's magic functions within the world. With the addition of his illustrations, it becomes easy to play the battles out in your mind.

He breaks the fantasy trope of the main character being an all-powerful magic prodigy. This breathes new life into an otherwise uninspiring, overused plot line (student attending a university for magic).

Furthermore, above all else, the main character is likeable. The reader wants to see him succeed. This desire nudges the reader along, encouraging them to continue reading.

The ending is nicely wrapped up with a battle that leaves you feeling good in the way only Brandon knows how.

Cons:
Even though Brandon's MAGIC system is well thought out, it doesn't stop there from being plot holes regarding the magic system in respect to the WORLD it's set in. An example: Rithmatists battle wild chalklings on the front lines in 'Nebrask'. Here, in addition to Rithmatists, non-magical soldiers assist in the fight by dumping buckets of acid on these 2D monsters, erasing them instantly. Well then. Why the need for the sidewalk scribbles? Fire hose acid gun? Emergency sprinkler systems fixed with acid? Brandon tells us that the acid is not particularly harmful to humans, just strong enough to erase the chalk. Additionally, he builds a world depicting a people advanced enough to put moving gears into their CURRENCY, let alone their modes of transportation. So.. you're telling me that a society capable of crafting mechanical steampunk mounts can't fashion an emergency sprinkler system fueled with chalkling destroying acid? Even more simply, we are told that Rithmatists in Nebrask are there maintaining a giant chalk circle, or line of warding, to keep the wild chalklings at bay. Why not dig a moat of acid instead? When the reader has a myriad of these kinds of questions and the author offers no answers, you're leaving it up to the reader to suspend disbelief. This might be ok with the younger readers, but if you've read any of Brandon's work before you'll undoubtedly be a little disappointed.

The main character Joel is a likeable kid. However, the path the story sends him down is at times an incredibly tedious one. We are told of his desire to become a Rithmatists many, many times. He spends almost the entire book groaning over his short comings. The reader is lead to believe that he will, at some point later on, gain his Rithmatic powers. Spoiler: 3/4 of the way through the book when we find out this isn't going to happen, it's quite the let down. You spend the entire novel waiting for the pay off (Joel gaining Rithmatic powers), and instead are rewarded with a mini payoff instead (The melee). It appears that Brandon has intentions of continuing this series further, so I'll withhold my judgment, but if it weren't for the 3-4 pages at the end wonderfully depicting the student Melee battle and Joel's drawing superiority, I would have left this at a 2 star review. It's very difficult to make the main character non-magical in a fantasy book based on magic and keep the reader interested. We want to see that magic performed in first person. Instead, we're left to view it through Joel's eyes, while quite proficient in Rithmatics, still doesn't understand as much as a student at the university. And because this book is kept to one point of view (as the norm is in YA), we get locked out from a lot of cool things that could have been done.
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In sum, I would say if you're into Brandon's work; buy the book. If you're looking for something easy for your child to enjoy; buy the book. If you're a fantasy veteran who's scrounging for things to read like myself.. maybe skip this one.

Wow. Brandon strikes again and doesn't disappoint. I can't get over how he's able to think up so many creative alter realities and make them so intelligent with such great character development. The only disappointment is having to wait for the next book!

Dueling with colors, ingested metals, ancient blades and bridges; reading anything by Brandon Sanderson is just plain fun. His imagination wraps you in visions of places familiar yet strange, or places born in fantasy but made as real as the world on the other side of your windows. YA fiction by Sanderson is just as exciting as his writing for a more mature audience. In fact I don't think there are any barriers to enjoying a Sanderson tale.

At first I was a little disappointed with the slow pace and seemingly single minded simplicity of the story line. The twists in the last chapters, though not as clever as some of Sanderson's work, certainly made for a good read.

Great read.

Not normally a YA fan, but couldn't ignore a new series from Brandon Sanderson.

Here Sanderson creates another great world, with an intriguing magic system.

This man is a fantasy writing machine!

Brandon Sanderson writes outside of the traditional magic wielder/warrior box. He blew my mind with the Alloy magic in that book series and now he creates another magical universe using math. Awesome! Since he rescued the Robert Jordan, The Wheel of Time, series, I have been an avid fan. This book has some great twist, some laugh out loud moments and great character development. Enjoy this author.

Sanderson brilliantly took mathematics and made it into a supernatural world of excellent entertainment! The concept of Rhythmatics will be found interesting to all readers, alongside the book's epic storytelling and fascinating characters. Great read!!!

Like most of Sanderson's books this was a great read. I could really get immersed in the book. It was a great book...until the end. I felt that the book ends very suddenly.
*Not giving away any spoilers*
There is a minor climax towards the last couple of chapters. With there being a couple chapters after this climax with no falling action or resolution the book just kind of ends. It felt like he started his next thought, but never felt the need to finish it.

When I finished the book I felt lost in that world. There was no ending, just I no longer got to see what was happening. This coupled with the fact that Sanderson's books take as long as Jordan's (but not as long as Martin) for them to come out it feels like the book will never truly have it's ending. Which is a shame; it deserved a good ending. Hell, I'd be happy with a novelette giving the resolution and falling actions that were left out of the book.

So, in conclusion, the book is great. The ending falls flat. Don't expect a follow up for this book for 6+ years.

While the story took a little while to engage me, it soon became more than just interesting, it became exciting. Anderson's world became very real and the characters became people I cared about. I'll look forward to the next episode.

Sanderson does it again. Characters which one can relate, on top of a unique set of magic rules coupled with enough of the familiar to allow the reader to understand and follow the story dynamics immediately. Can't wait for the serious to continue.

What a pleasant surprise to stumble upon this book. A simple tale with some fun characters, a new world which produces a light-hearted read. Brandon Sanderson even has some fun with traditional genre stereo-types ...

Sanderson has a great imagination and the writing ability to take advantage of it. I read everything that I can find written by him. This story is no exception although written for a younger audience.

This book was impossible to put down. Once again, Mr. Sanderson has created a world that so completely drags the reader away from their own. It was an amazing read, and I will be waiting on pins and needles for the next one!

Even though this is a young adult novel, it was a good read. Quick, entertaining, and set in Sanderson's typical well-constructed worlds and imaginative magic systems. Recommend to older and younger alike.

I was intrigued by the publisher presentation on this book at World Con. However, either the publisher rep didn't read the book or decided that an untruthful intriguing pitch was better than the truth. The book is well written and the story continues to move along. I look forward to book two, but won't rush out to buy it.

This is a fairly competent novel by Sanderson, but I think it's probably the weakest one he has written in years.

But for younger teens, this will probably be a good read. I don't think I'll ever read this again, however.

Darnit Brandon Sanderson. I can't get a good nights sleep with you constantly churning out gold! This is another amazing book by Brandon Sanderson, wonderful characters, cool story, and very well written. I just can't wait for the next one in 2015!

As much as I love Sanderson's creative mind, this book was interminable. I read it with my ten year old son, and I thought he would graduate before the character in the book did.

Nothing happens! The main character just stays on campus the entire book studying.

As good as Sanderson is at bringing alive ideas that sound silly on paper (e.g., eating metal to get magical abilities), the idea of chalk coming to life still seems silly at the end of the book.

Also, the reader never really gets a sense of the context where these living chalk drawings would be relevant. You only see the school that trains these people. He may explore it in another book, but I will not be reading it. This one was way too much of a slog for me to ever revisit this world.

This book seemed to be written for young adults, but unlike most for that age group was complex, sophisticated, and full of unexpected twists. I recommend this book for both YA and adult audiences. The roles played by the young heroes were realistic. While pivotal to the unrolling mystery they acted within the bounds of their age and station. My only complaint is that the next book has not been published.

Not Sanderson's best, but extremely entertaining. It has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, but falls short of Words of Radiance's charm, grace, and richness of plot. I enjoyed the simplicity and straightforward narrative. Recommend reading if you have time.

The only problem I found with this book was that around the first half of the novel it was a bit slow in plot terms. The last third was extremely fun and is exactly what I would expect of a fantasy novel targeted towards a younger audience, fast paced, fun, etc.

A charming tale written by Brandon Sanderson, this book exemplifies his tendancy to well realized magic systems though it focuses less on the setting then most.

The tale follows a lot of a hero's journey but features some small twists and is a fun read throughout.

Long and boring, it picks up only toward the end with a semi-satisfying ending and the promise of a sequel, which I won't bother to read. This was the very last of Brandon Sanderson's books I hadn't yet read, I immensely enjoyed all of them except for this.

Plot (taken from the book description)
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More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity's only defense against the Wild Chalklings--merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing--kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery--one that will change Rithmatics--and their world--forever.

What I Liked
~~~~~~~~~~~~

Oh, boy. Where to begin?

1) Characters. I really liked the characters. I felt the characters of non-Rithmatist Joel and Rithmatists Melody and Professor Fitch were fantastic. They came to life for me, all having their own distinct personalities. I liked the absent-minded manner that Fitch mentored Joel and I liked the type of relationship that Joel and Melody have. They are complete opposites of each other and I thought Sanderson played with that brilliantly.

2) Setting. Most of this takes place at a school, so this does have a bit of a Harry Potter feel to it. In fact, I think you can draw a lot of similarities, almost like if Harry Potter went to Hogwarts with an interest in magic, but could not perform magic himself. There are more, but I think to delve into that would introduce too many spoilers. For some reason, this really added a level of resonance that made me feel comfortable reading this book.

3) World building. The world building is fantastic! This seems to be our world, with even some familiar historical figures, like Leonardo Da Vinci. However, the landscape is slightly different with America being broken up into a number of islands and such. The United States are named slightly different because of this, for instance he makes reference to a East Carolina and Nebrask, which I imagine is the island of Nebraska.

Because this has the magic system of Rithmatics, which seemed to be introduced in this world about 600 year prior, technology took off in a different direction. There are no engines like we have today, but a huge focus on gear-driven machinery. On the American cover of the book you can see a horse with a bunch of gears sticking out of it, this is how they get around in this version of our world. What fascinated me the most was a train that they took, which was spring-loaded and also seemed to fly over land and over water. It was subtle in the background, but I thought that scene alone really brought this world to life.

A big, though minor to this story, change was the naming and customs of the countries. Apparently, the Aztecs thrived and a common European staple appears to be what we would consider Asian foods. Again, subtle, but added to the history of this world.

4) The Magic System. Brandon Sanderson has been known to come up with amazing magic systems. When I heard he was doing a chalk-drawing book I imagined some kid drawing a dinosaur and suddenly having a new pet. Well, it doesn't happen quite that way. This magic system has certain limitations and capabilities, as every good magic system should. I'll cover how I struggled with the magic system a bit, but in the long run I totally fell in love with it. Reading this book, there appears to be a lot of things yet to be discovered, and I look forward to see what Sanderson does with it in future books.

5) The artwork. This is a book on chalk drawings, so of course this book has a lot of artwork inside of it. There is a form of dueling that is performed with the chalk drawings, which is central to the entire plot, and Ben McSweeney draws several instances of how the chalk drawings work. Also, there are drawings here and there throughout the rest of the text, fleshing out the chalk drawings that Sanderson had depicted in the story.

I loved it.

It really helped me make sense of the chalk-drawing magic system and allowed me to visualize a lot of what was going on in the story. I'm sure there will be an audiobook version of this, but I would suggest picking up the actual book instead for the artwork alone.

And when I say artwork, I don't mean that there are pictures of what happens in the story. All of the artwork--with the possible exception of one picture--is what is drawn with chalk by the Rithmatists. So they aren't high-quality, really. Just informative.

6) The ending. I thought this had a satisfying ending. Sanderson is great at adding twists to the end of his stories, and I didn't see this one coming at all. I loved it. Also, it has one of the best denouements I've ever read. This is a first of a series, so it does leave you wanting more. No cliffhanger, thank goodness, but this is a great setup to a series that I'm sure is only going to get better.

I could not put this book down the last 100 pages, which left me reading until way past my bedtime. I paid for it with sleepiness the next day at work, but it was WORTH IT!

7) Religion. I was fairly surprised what impact Rithmatics plays in religion. I thought Sanderson worked in the topic of religion in this imaginary world quite well. I'm sure future books will delve more into this, but I thought this book did a great job of introcuing the religion and its role over Rithmatists.

What I Didn't Like
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1) Length. Only 370 pages? I thought this was a Sanderson novel!! Well, this is one of his shorter works, but it was long enough to tell the story he wanted to. I wouldn't have complained if this were longer and more of the magic system was fleshed out. I guess we'll get that in future books.

2) The Secret Societies. This seems to be a world where Rithmatists are supposed to keep secrets to themselves, and they even have a secret section of the library. So, there is a lot of mystery, but I just didn't buy it. It seems that if a character befriended the right person who was willing to talk they could find out all they wanted to about Rithmatists. Also, you can check out the books in the secret section, which means borrowing the books from Rithmatic friends isn't difficult. Well, for me, it seemed that anybody could figure out anything they wanted if they were willing to spend a little initiative trying to figure it out.

3) The learning curve. For some reason, I struggled understanding how Rithmatic dueling worked. I had an easier time understanding Allomancy in Sanderson's Mistborn series. I stopped reading about a third of the way through and tried to see if I was missing a frame of reference or something. Best I can tell, this is a very unique magic system, so I just continued with the book.

I'm not sure where I felt comfortable with the magic system, but in time it finally did click. This might just be me and a personal hangup. But if you are reading this and having problems grasping the magic system, hang in there. It seems to come together well enough.

Conclusion
~~~~~~~~~~

I loved this book and can't wait for more to be written. It isn't perfect, but what book is? So, I'm giving it a 4 1/2 out of 5 stars (round it up to 5). Like I mentioned, this is the ARC (Advanced Reader Copy) and I noticed a few mistakes throughout. When this book is released I'm looking forward to picking up another copy and reading it again... with the typos fixed, keeping an eye on the twist, and with a better understanding of Rithmatics throughout the book.

If you love urban fantasies with unique magic systems, this is right up your ally! If you, like me, love Brandon Sanderson, then I don't think you'll be disappointed in this book.

Let me start by saying two things: One, I have never read anything by Brandon Sanderson before. (I know...*gasp*!) Two, I normally cringe when I find out writers established in the adult fiction market decide to jump on the YA bandwagon.

That said, I could not pass up this ARC when I found out I could get it, and I'm sosososososo glad I took it!

There were so many things I loved about this book. The originality of the concept, although I actually loved that something about the practice of Rithmatics reminded just the *tiniest* bit of "sympathy" in Patrick Rothfuss' "The Name of the Wind." The steampunk-y feel, which reminded me a bit of Scott Westerfeld's "Leviathan." The drawings--normally drawings distract me, but I felt they added a lot to this story. The tightness of the writing--yet the pace wasn't breakneck by any stretch. There was actually time to get to know the characters and the back story, and both were very rich. A lot of time was spent explaining Rithmatics and the alternate history, but not too much and it was woven in really well.

I will say that the book is labeled as YA but I'd place it closer to MG. The main character is 16, but it's got a younger voice. However, with the type of book that it is--that alternate history, steampunk-like world--it works. It's still very complex and I think it's a book that will appeal to younger kids (say advanced ten or eleven) and older kids and adults.

And judging by the ending, I'd say there will be a sequel, which I will DEFINITELY be reading.

The Rithmatist
by Brandon Sanderson
Tor Teen 2013
$17.99; 378 pages
ISBN 9780765320322

Ever since a friend recommended Mistborn three years ago, I have been in love with Brandon Sanderson's work. Sanderson's shtick is coming up with really interesting systems of "magic", that are probably really just a kind of technology in a different reality. Unlike ritual magic, which is what you should actually worry about your kids getting into, Sanderson's systems mostly involve the manipulation of physical things in order to unlock a hidden source of power.

For Rithmatists, their power lies in chalk drawings. I didn't get the joke until I was about 2/3rds of the way through the book, but Rithmatics is a pun on the 3 Rs. Rithmatists are a kind of very, very applied mathematician[geometrician?], with the most powerful being the ones who can draw as close to geometrical perfection as possible. For our protagonist, that should have worked out well, since he can draw better than anyone, but he was not gifted with the ability to make chalk drawings come to life, so he spends his time dreaming of a different life, and scheming to learn more about the secretive Rithmatists at his school.

As is typical for Sanderson, you get the backstory in dribs and drabs throughout, with lots of tantalizing hints that will not really get fleshed out until later volumes are written. This world is an alternative Earth, with a United States composed of 50 islands instead of 50 states, and a fun spring-based technology. Rithmatists are an elite within the United Islands, required to spend 10 years fighting the wild chalklings in Nebrask in recompense for their education, and then pensioned for life. However, the threat the chalkings pose has become remote to most, so the privileges and secrecy of the Rithmatists rankle ordinary citizens. I look forward to how this plays out.

This is a boarding-school story, and written for young adults in the best juvenile tradition. Thus we have a young man with great potential who is a bit lost in life, a romantic interest, and an adventure story. Fun to read, and highly recommended.

Wow. Oh, wow. This book was sooo good. I loved every part of it--except for the "to-be-continued" ending. Can we get a release date for The Aztlanian please?

I devoured this book. It has been a long while since I've read a book that fast, and it felt good. I loved the entire plot, the amazing world-building, the fantastic characters....I could go on and on. This book is definitely worthy of its five star rating.

The plot was thrilling. As an artist, the idea of chalk drawings coming to life was very intriguing, and it was exciting to see how Sanderson spun out the mystery. He did an excellent job of weaving in unexpected twists and turns to keep the mystery going until the very end. My only complaint would be that the mystery was wrapped up very quickly in the end, leaving me wondering if that really was the solution, or if there was something more in store. And it ended with "To be continued," and some unresolved loose ends. Not cool--how am I supposed to survive until the sequel comes out?

The world-building was phenomenal. It was completely unlike any other setting I've ever read. It was based on the premise of "what if America was actually an archipelago of islands?" It also had some other twists in history, but I'll let you discover them for yourself. Part alternate history, part fantasy, it had a familiar feel to it while still being original. It even had touches of steampunk--er, springpunk? And the magic of the Rithmatists? It was awesome. I loved how it was based on logical principles and geometric properties. I can't wait to read more about it in the next book. One note: the Monarchical Church in the book seems Christian in nature at first, and is classified with other Christian denominations. However, from the little tidbits that were in the book, it seems more of a religion glorifying science, along with some ritualistic aspects that could become dark very quickly. I would be wary letting younger children read this book on their own--if they do, at least discuss with them the religious views the characters hold to, and how that differs from Christianity to avoid confusion and misunderstanding.

The characters were great. Quite well-developed and life-like. My personal favorite was Melody--I loved her spunky, melodramatic personality, and all the hilarious comments she added. When I first started the book, it was a little hard to figure out whose POV it was from, but it became clearer within the first few pages. By the way, I kept wanting to call Joel "Joe" instead. Not sure why--I just thought it fit him better.

Wrap-up: This was a really fun, exciting read. It's a blend of magical realism, alternate reality, and steampunk. I highly recommend it. Just a warning though: the explanation behind the origin of Rithmatist powers was hinted at, and it points to a rather dark theory. Some of the religious aspects, a fight scene toward the end, and the actual villain were very creepy and disturbing. Not for the weak of stomach.

Rating: 5 stars

Recommended: 14 and up.

Content guide (may contain minor spoilers):
Language: 1/10 ("dusts,"and "dusting," were common ejaculations.)
Sexual Content: 1/10 (mentions of dress showing quite a bit of leg, a girl being pretty, etc)
Violence: 7/10 (most of the attacks are off page, though the end fight scene is very creepy. the wild chalklings eat off the skin and eyes of victims. one "historical" account of a chalkling attack is pretty disturbing.)

For more reviews, see gabriellenblog.wordpress.com and fullofbooks.com

Review originally posted:[...]
Plot

The plot itself was pretty awesome. I mean I never thought that something as boring as chalk could actually be interesting and be used as a weapon. I loved how the story flowed and how just when you thought you had everything figured out, Sanderson whips around and starts leading you down another path.

That said though, I did find certain parts to be quite draggy. For example, I didn't like the heavy quoting from the Rithmatist history textbooks. That was very boring. I also didn't appreciate the illustrations as much as I wanted to. I felt the they were unnecessary and that they added no value to the book. I mean okay, it can be argued that the drawings gave the reader a picture of what the lines looked like but I have an imagination thank you very much.

Characters

I'm only going to talk about 3 characters here even though I desperately desperately want to talk about more of them but SPOILERS. So I shall resist the temptation.

Joel

Joel was a lot of fun. I really had fun reading about him and about his strong desire to be a Rithmatist and to be something more then he was. But what I found most noble about his character was the fact that he remained true to who he was. It was very easy to give him Rithmatist powers midway through the book and then have him save the day but I loved how he remained true to himself and proved every YA book ever wrong by saying that no. You don't actually need superpowers to save the world. You can be the 'sidekick' and still be the hero. I loved that.

Melody

I don't really know what to say about Melody except that I thought she was a great supporting character and I loved her friendship with Joel. I thought the two of them had excellent chemistry. Also, she had unicorn chalklings. I mean seriously. How could that get any better?

Professor Fitch

I loved Fitch. He was such a gentle old man and he was just that kind of teacher that everyone wants to have. The guy who truly cares about imparting knowledge and not just about his pay check. I loved that old guy and I was rooting for him from day 1. Plus, the guy was a little snippy at his students and then couldn't sleep and had to trawl the whole school in the middle of the night looking for them just to apologise. I mean how cute is that??

Overall I loved this book. I thought it was very well done and a nice break from all the repetitive YA novels that are published. I enjoyed the characters who were all so well written and just nice people. I mean nowadays, its so hard to find a book where you actually like the characters. I feel like there's always something about a character that makes you go, 'Ugh. Really?'. But with this book, yes there were the villains, but generally everyone was just excellent.

The book lost that final star from me mainly because it was draggy at some points but the easy flow and addictive way Sanderson has of telling the story completely made up for it.

All I can say is that Sanderson has swept me off my feet and I can't wait to get to the Mistborn trilogy.

I’ve slowly but surely been making my way through Brandon Sanderson’s entire published works and next up on my list was THE RITHMATIST! For some reason for the longest time, I thought this book was Middle Grade but it’s actually Young Adult, though I see some great potential crossover for those two age ranges, along with the ever-present crossover to Adult since Sanderson’s books are always so clever and well-put together. THE RITHMATIST reads a little younger than Sanderson’s Reckoners trilogy (which is also YA) and actually really reminded me of Harry Potter! It was just something about the characters, the structure of the book, and possibly the presence at school that reminded me of Harry Potter and all of the mischief he manages to get into, not to mention the distrust of a teacher and some other secret happenings that really reminded me of Hogwarts in the best way. It is definitely the youngest-feeling book I’ve read from Sanderson (since I haven’t read the Alcatraz series yet) and that is quite notable but I wasn’t put off by it at all since that’s really what I was expecting!

I loved the characters in this book. Joel is the main character in THE RITHMATIST and I love his thirst for knowledge, especially when it comes to the Rithmatists. Not being a Rithmatist himself, he has to try to find information in secret since non-Rithmatists are not allowed to learn all of the theory, strategy, and history, but that is Joel’s true passion. As usual, Sanderson creates an excellent core group of characters who are all a little bit misfits. Joel, the wannabe Rithmatist; Melody, the Rithmatist who couldn’t care less; and Professor Fitch, the pleasant yet out-dated professor make up the main part of this group and it’s so special to watch all of these personalities and strengths balance each other. They work so well together because their relationships are so mutually beneficial… and of course there’s some great banter in their with some clashing personalities that kept me delighted and maintained a lighter tone!

It’s always so interesting to see what kind of magic system Brandon Sanderson chooses for his books. In this case, it’s the power to bring chalk to life as an offensive and defensive course of action. Rithmatists have the power to draw chalk lines or figures and give them basic direction and of course, the way chalk lines are drawn and connected have a very systematic way of behaving. I’m always so impressed with how much thought and effort goes into creating a magic system and I really enjoyed how unique this one was! I’m not sure I loved the concept — I suppose bringing inanimate objects to life is hit or miss for me — so I wasn’t totally crazy about it, but the structure and rules really brought the ideas together and made it a somewhat realistic (albeit, fantastical) concept to follow and understand.

The geography and history were also incredibly interesting, as always! Sanderson chose to mix fantasy and history, creating a time period that felt a little steampunk but had an alternate history incorporating the origin of Rithmatists and how they shaped the world. The course of events changes history completely and even changes geography, breaking up what we know as North America into the United Isles, consisting of a broken apart continent of many islands with various Rithmatist schools throughout the country. There are also some real historical figures who make appearances and in the alt-history concept, affect the world in similar or entirely different ways. It’s quite fascinating and I really enjoyed what Sanderson did with the book! I always find it fun to see “what if”s and see an alternate geography based on a different history.

THE RITHMATIST was just plain fun and I loved its lighter tone. I really enjoy the deep Sanderson novels but this one felt like it was quite a bit lighter and did have a sort of Harry Potter feel — which is to say that it reads potentially younger but is still enjoyable for an audience of all ages. The ending left me just waiting for more and there is confirmation of another book but we might still be waiting a few years for it according to the most recent Sanderson news! Such is the life of a Sanderson fan. (And this is what I get for bingeing all of his works.)

AUDIOBOOK IMPRESSIONS

Source: Purchased from Audible
Narrator: Michael Kramer
Performance: Excellent overall! One of my favorite narrators

I listened to the book on audio which was fantastic since Michael Kramer, who narrates the entire Mistborn series, also narrates THE RITHMATIST. It’s the first YA book I’ve heard him narrate (actually, the first book besides the Mistborn books) and I think he handled the younger voices really well! Sometimes the younger male and younger female voices weren’t as distinct as his adult voices but he’s just such an enjoyable narrator! I was lacking a few things with the audio, simply because there are diagrams within the book showing different chalk defenses and moves that obviously I couldn’t see since I was listening. They’re all described but obviously you miss a little bit in that sort of experience!

This might well be the best YA fantasy novel I've read since Harry Potter and the Order of the Phoenix. Sanderson has created an entirely novel magic system, Rithmatism, and dropped it, fully formed, into an alternate reality United States where North America is an enormous archipelago joined by steampunk technology enabled by rithmatics. The rest of the world is similarly different.

Our hero, Joel, is not a rithmatist, but dreams of being one. He's joined by lackluster rithmatic student Melody when they aid brilliant but disgraced rithmatist Professor Fitch in solving a series of student disappearances at the school where they all reside.

The novel's formal theology, somewhat reminiscent of Philip Pullman's Magisterium, is probably the only thing that inhibits the accessibility of The Rithmatist. It is, surely by design, initially opaque to the reader and doesn't become much clearer by the final page.

It's a sinister, and sometimes violent magical mystery that reinforces Brandon Sanderson's reputation as one of the best and prolific fantasy authors working today.

This being a Sanderson novel, it's surely going to be volume 1 in a sweeping series that I will eagerly await.

Everyone in our family is a diehard Sanderson fan, so all his books have a place in our home library (mostly signed hardcover copies as we live in Salt Lake City and he always stops by the airport bookstore to sign books!). When my husband brought home The Rithmatist, the cover and illustrations immediately captivated me. I just had to read it! Did not disappoint--the story is just as intriguing. The ending will leave you searching for the next book, but there isn't one...YET? Sanderson explained that this book was a digression while he was working on a different project, just before he was asked to finish The Wheel of Time. It sat, unrevised, for 6 years before finally getting published. As it is an "off-the-cuff" story (Sanderson's words), he knew it would not be a high priority project, leaving many years before he could satisfy fans with a sequel. It was never intended as a standalone story, but we still have to keep waiting. I know people who won't start reading a series until all the books have been released. If that is you, The Rithmatist might make you bonkers. For the rest of us, dive in and enjoy a great story!

WHAT IS IT ABOUT?

“The Rithmatist” by Brandon Sanderson is a young adult fantasy/alternate history novel set at the beginning of the 20th century. Joel, a teenage boy whose mom works as a cleaning lady at the prestigious Armedius Academy, desires to be a Rithmatist and have the power to animate his chalk drawings in order to protect humanity from the terrifying two-dimensional creatures known as the wild chalklings. The fact that Joel has not been chosen to become a Rithmatist does not prevent him from knowing ins and outs of Rithmatic theory. When Rithmatist students start disappearing under distressing circumstances, Joel’s knowledge comes in handy as he is assigned to help Professor Fitch to solve the mystery.

THUMBS UP:

1) Impressive world building.
In “The Rithmatist,” Sanderson creates a wildly imaginative yet very convincing world with its own history, politics and a wonderfully detailed magic system. Although at first I was wary of the premise that a Rithmatist’s life might depend on his ability to draw, Sanderson does a great job elaborating this idea and making Rithmatics, an ingenious mix of geometry, strategy and art, into a unique and surprisingly complex system that totally makes sense.

2) Helpful illustrations.
Every chapter begins with a one-page annotated diagram explaining different aspects of Rithmatics (fundamental rules, different types of lines and various defense strategies). Not only these illustrations bring authenticity to the story as they look like actual pages from a Rithmatic textbook, but they also are extremely useful in understanding intricacies of Rithmatics and keeping track of different types of Rithmatic defenses mentioned throughout the book. Since these illustrations are a crucial part of the book, I would not recommend the audio version of “The Rithmatist.”

3) Engaging read.
“The Rithmatist” is a fast-paced, action-packed and well-written mystery with quite a few twists and very likable main characters that are perfect in their imperfection. I love the fact that, despite all the gloomy events, the tone is upbeat. By the way, I cannot but mention this book’s resemblance to the Harry Potter books; however, such resemblance does NOT diminish the originality of “The Rithmatist” in any way.

COULD BE BETTER:

1) Plot.
Although I like the story a lot, certain revelations seem poorly timed or a bit unnatural. For example, it bugs me that the author keeps in secret the meaning of the new Rithmatic lines for SO LONG, despite the fact that the answer is kind of… obvious. On the other hand, some plot twists, such as the identity of the Scribbler, are so unexpected and random, that they seem kind of forced. However, there is quite a number of unexpected yet very satisfying plot twists as well.

VERDICT: 4 out of 5

The most impressive feature of Brandon Sanderson’s “The Rithmatist” is a wildly imaginative and elaborate magic system that, thanks to annotated diagrams throughout the book, actually makes sense. Although certain plot twists could be improved, I nevertheless enjoyed this fast-paced and action-packed mystery and look forward to reading the sequel.

Brandon Sanderson is an author that Mel and Aria have shoved in my face for months. I trust their opinions so I knew Brandon Sanderson had to be great so my expectations were semi high. I wasn’t entirely sure I would even like this book to be completely honest. But now that I have finished it, let me just say Brandon Sanderson, I bow down, you are the man.

I had so many predictions when it came to The Rithmatist. I was predicting this or thinking the stories was heading in this direction and you know what happened to those prediction? NOTHING . None of it happened. Brandon Sanderson did a complete 360 on me and none of what I thought was going to happen, happened. I loved how unpredictable and how uncliche the story was. It was definitely unique.

When it comes to world building once again I have to bow down, Brandon Sanderson you are the king. The world building is absolutely amazing. It was well thought out and executed perfectly. The book even includes a map on the end pages to give you an understanding of the world that Sanderson has created. It helps you visualize the world especially if you aren’t familiar with the U.S.

The world building was so amazing because it includes it’s own history, religion, rules and education. Sanderson includes information on the background of the United Isles, which is a bit of American history with a twist. I loved how he included information without too much dumping. Everything was well placed and enriched the story completely.

The pacing of the story for me was great. It was constantly on the edge of my seat wondering what was going on. If I believed in biting my nails off if I would’ve bitten them off completely. I began by listening to the Rithmatist then quickly abandoning the audiobook because I NEED TO READ THIS MASTERPIECE FOR MYSELF.

The plot is so unique and grabbed my attention after a chapter or two. I mean how can a piece of CHALK cause so much chaos. Who would’ve thought Chalklings would do such thing!? It was definitely unique and developed from beginning to end. You know I am a huge romance junkie and you know what? This story has no romance and I still read it. THAT'S HOW GOOD IT IS. I loved the main characters, Joel, Melody and Mr. Fitch. Each one was well developed even the secondary characters were developed.

If you haven’t noticed already, I loved this book. It was the first time I stopped reading a book halfway threw and bought more books by Brandon Sanderson. I am so excited to see what other wonderful things Sanderson has to offer. So expect more Sanderson on my blog and if you haven’t read one of his books GO! GO! GO NOW!

I really enjoyed this book! I have only discovered Brandon Sanderson in the last year or two, and he has fast become a favorite! This one seems like it was written for teenagers, but I really enjoyed it. It was so fun to read, and catch the subtle naming things, it is so creative and interesting. The characters were well developed, very engaging, and the main character was very likable. The diagrams throughout the book are very cool and really help the reader SEE what is being talked about in the book. I've been getting better at PUTTING BOOKS DOWN when it is time for bed, but this one was really hard to do that with. I would look up and it was already well past when I should have put it down, I just couldn't wait to find out what was going to happen next. There were some predictable things in it, but there were also a lot of surprises, and I never even suspected who the culprit was, which is unusual for me, I typically at least have some inkling about who it is, and here I didn't. The ending was wonderful, surprising, and left the door WIDE OPEN for another one, which I hope will come along before too long. All in all a very good read.

I read Mistborn and liked it. This one, though nothing like Mistborn, is still great. In fact, it's one of the better YA novels out there.

Sure, the plot here is A LOT like Harry Potter. School for a type of magic and all that stuff.

But there's math! Lots of math! In fact, I would say that magic in this book is all based on math. "Rithmatics" is "discovered" as a type of geometry. It's as magic were real and was based on mathematics. That part of the book makes the entire novel worth reading for any YA reader.

But much of the novel seems derivative. I was upset by the character "types" that seem so much like those in Harry Potter. There's the is-he-a-bad-guy-or-not Snape character, slightly dolty but respected and kind other professor, and the headmaster/principal who seems to know everything but doesn't.

The other thing I didn't like was the fact that not much about the world is actually explained. It takes place around 1920, but America is actually a series of islands or something like that. I don't quite know what to make of the world because the book doesn't much about it. That was a letdown because Sanderson was so good at world-building in Mistborn.

Also, we listened to the audio book on a car ride, so we couldn't see any of the drawings. The captions were read aloud, but we had to imagine the drawings. It wasn't a big deal, but it made it a little weird.

Bottom line: I found the book compulsively readable, especially the last 100 pages. The characters are likeable, there are no sexual situations, the language is clean (rarities even in the YA universe) and the violence is relatively mild, albeit exciting. Even religion is dealt with in a sensitive and non-dismissive fashion (also a rarity these days). I will definitely buy the sequel.

Sanderson constructs a fascinating "What-If" world where the United States is an archipelago of islands (perhaps we will understand why in a later book), steampunk technology is the norm and a small group of people can make chalk drawings come to life through the practice of "rithmatics." Although the steampunk element could have been more prominent, it helps the book avoid the trappings of conventional "students at a magical school" fare.

The illustrations are fascinating and indispensible to the book. Without them, it is impossible to picture how Sanderson could have referenced "nine-point circles" and "bind-points" without a handy set of diagrams incorporated into the text. Rithmatics is an inherently visual form of magic, and it is difficult even for Sanderson to depict it with words alone.

Which leads me to the main bone I have to pick: the credibility of the concept of rithmatics itself, which is unfortunately central to the book. I found myself periodically asking whether I actually was willing to suspend disbelief and buy into such an concept as a reader. While that may sound petty, the idea of carrying chalk around that can be used to draw glyphs and magic geometry only on hard surfaces was harder for me to accept than, say, Harry Potter conjuring a patronus or Sauron binding his power into a single ring. Ultimately, I was won over, but it was a bit of stretch for me up to the end. I think it took actually "seeing" the magic in use during a climactic battle before I could say "Ahh, now I understand how this could work." In fact, Sanderson pushed several narrative threads into a surprisingly strong and revealing ending that could have been suggested earlier in the book--but I assume his reasons for that will manifest in later installments.

Ultimately, a tip of the hat to Sanderson for a delightful weekend read. I am sure he has written more profound stuff, but I liked this book a great deal.

Having read his closing of the Wheel of Time series, I was eager to get to know Sanderson on his own turf, and The Rithmatist was a good first choice. The magic system of rithmatics is intriguing, with the chapter openings often describing diagrams of different defenses or outlining a tidbit of rithmatic theory that ends up coming into play during that chapter or later ones. This was an excellent bit of extra understanding that prevented infodumps and keeps the reader from being lost in the rithmatic practices. That was masterfully done.

I’ll admit that, this having a mystery to it, I started guessing who I thought “done it”. I don’t normally do this, but sometimes I just can’t help being struck with a theory about how things will pan out. I ended up suspecting three people. One was merely on principle, one because I really thought he was the culprit, and the third because I was second-guessing my confidence in that second guess. Sanderson ended up completely flipping the mystery on its head for me, and while the very back of my head was shouting, “I knew it! I knew it!” I was pleased that I’d been duped. He’s avoided cliches with this mystery, but doesn’t rub it in if the reader was wrong.

The Rithmatist was an utter joy to experience. The depth of the magic system and how it ties in to religion and the history of this alternate America are well-thought-out and permeate the world. It makes sense. This is one of those novels where the protagonist may not always get what he wants, and neither does the reader… but both can be okay with that.

Draw a circle on the ground around you and suddenly you're protected. Draw squiggles and they come to life, arrowing at your opponent. Draw figures, and they come to life and follow your commands. And they can be very powerful indeed.

If you are a Rithmatist, you possess great power and even greater responsibility. You can bring chalk drawings to life, limited only by your skill and speed and inventiveness, but you'll also be joining a desperate war, protecting humanity from wild and merciless Chalklings.

Joel has a natural eye for spatial relationships but being a Rithmatist is something you are or you're not, and Joel is definitely not. He's studying at Armedius Academy on New Britannia in the United Isles, one of the few places where Rithmatists are trained, but only because his parents worked there. His chalk drawings are just chalk, and that's all they'll ever be.

That doesn't stop him from learning all he can about it, though, ignoring his own classes to sneak into the ones he's not supposed to be in and volunteering to assist recently disgraced Professor Fitch. Fitch is teaching remedial classes to Melody, a young and aggravating Rithmatist who may have talent but can't draw at all.

Meanwhile someone or something is killing young Rithmatists in gruesome ways, and even someone as powerless as Joel might be a target...

Brandon Anderson is known for his world-building and his thoroughly-thought-out magical systems, and this new steampunkish YA fantasy series brings both out in force. Armedius Academy is in Jamestown in an alternate U.S., where the states are archipelagos with names like Georgiabama, Maineford, Nebrask, etc. and the dominant empire is the Korean JoSeun. We learn about Rithmatism as Joel and Melody do, and we even see diagrams (Joel's notes?) of different attacks and defensive designs in the book, drawn by Ben McSweeney.

Sanderson nails the teenage voices nicely, and while there will be inevitable comparisons to Harry Potter -- young outcast boy in magic school, class divisions between those who can do magic and those who can't, fighting against grownups -- "The Rithmatist" is very much its own world with spring-driven horses, a rich history and the ongoing threat of war. The other characters aren't quite as fleshed out as the three main ones, but everyone has his or her own motivations and secrets.

Why was the new, aggressive professor Nalizar so set on dueling Professor Fitch? What are the strange markings found at the murder scenes that even Rithmatist scholars can't identify? What was the secret that Joel's father sought all the way up to his death?

More than anything else "The Rithmatist" is a murder mystery, fantastic trappings aside, and the straight-forward story builds to a satisfying (if somewhat abrupt) ending that leads naturally into future sequels.

Brandon Sanderson is a great fantasy writer. His characters are complex and believable; ones you truly root for. Joel and Melody are a great team. Along with Professor Finch, they solve interwoven mysteries and battle unknown foes.

I loved the magical system Sanderson created which marries geometry with magical forces. However, this makes the illustrations explaining the shapes a crucial detail in understanding the Rithmatic world. On a Kindle Paperwhite, you can't zoom in to read these illustrations. While I highly recommend this book, read it either as a real book or on a screen that allows you to zoom in on illustrations.

One of the things that makes Brandon Sanderson a truly brilliant fantasy write is his ability to come up with unique, original magical systems.

And he churns out another one in his young-adult debut: a geometric magical system based on lines and circles, with two-dimensional chalk creatures summoned by "The Rithmatist." The first half is rather slow, but the story blossoms when it focuses on the missing Rithmatic students -- think a combination of alternate history, fantasy and murder mystery.

Despite being only a poor chalkmaker's son, Joel is able to attend the prestigious Armedius Academy -- but he spends most of his time thinking about Rithmatic duels, history and strategy. He knows that he will never be a Rithmatist, but he still yearns to study it. When an arrogant new professor turns the Rithmatics department upside-down, he gets the chance to be an assistant to the kindly Rithmatics-historian Professor Finch.

But around the same time, students start vanishing from Armedius. Not only are the vanished students all Rithmatists, but the only clue left behind is a chalk marking that no one has seen before.

Then the son of a knight-senator is brutally killed by chalklings controlled by "the Scribbler." Suddenly Armedius is the center of political and social strife, and the police are brought in to protect the students who remain. Joel and his oddball friend Melody are quickly enmeshed in the investigation, but even Joel's encyclopedic knowledge of Rithmatics might not be enough to catch the Scribbler.

"The Rithmatist" is set it a pretty memorable world -- it's an alternate version of Earth where JoSeun (aka Korea) conquered Europe, South America is ruled by an Aztec empire, and the USA is a vast archipelago of fifty ISLANDS. Also, Leonardo Da Vinci is a steampunk saint (not kidding), and Rithmatics is not just a magical system, but a part of religion as well.

The first several chapters are rather slow, though -- Sanderson spends too much time on Joel's obsessions and schoolwork. Not interesting. It feels like he had started the story before fully outlining his plot, world and magic system. But everything seems to click into place once Joel gets involved in the mystery -- suddenly we have a murder investigation tangled up in political machinations, as well as some mysterious magical goings-on (wild chalklings, mysterious signs, etc).

Sanderson is a pretty good writer of mysteries, and he knows how to work in plot twist after plot twist. So he deftly weaves together a twisty whodunnit, picking up seemingly unimportant details and weaving them into the greater whole. His writing is strong and smooth, with lots of humor, mostly from Melody (unicorns!), and the occasional moment of sheer horror, such as Joel being attacked by wild chalklings and finding himself unable to scream.

And without revealing too much, Sanderson seems to change his mind in the last chapter. It seems like it's going to be a standalone book.... but he throws in some final twists, and opens the door to sequels. In fact, he pretty much guarantees them.

Joel comes across as whiny at times, but he's overall a likable hero -- he's strong-willed, smart and obsessed with Rithmatics, and he has to use these qualities to hold his own among the Rithmatists. He's also got a pretty solid supporting cast, especially Melody -- a humorously eccentric rich girl who is Joel's opposite in every way, and so she complements him nicely. There's also the cruel Nalizar, Joel's hardworking mom, and the pleasantly paternal Professor Fitch.

"The Rithmatist" has a rather weak beginning, but the brilliant mystery that blossoms later on makes this book well worth reading -- and leaves you hungry for more adventures in the United Isles of America. On to Nebrask!

To spend a day in the mind of Brandon Sanderson would be a truly awesome adventure. It’s good that he’s such a hard-working writer and brings out multiple books a year, so readers get to enjoy his complex and fascinating story ideas. He does it again in The Rithmatist, creating a unique world, with an incredible magic system, some compelling characters, and a story that quickly becomes a favorite.

This is not the United States you are familiar with; this is a different world. There is the United Isles, consisting of a massive collection of many islands, each named with their own peoples and ways; some names are familiar like Texas, Wyoming and Montana; others are enticingly alien, such as the Californian Archipelago, Crockett, Georgiabama, Canadia, and New France. On a number of these islands are Rithmatic Academies, where Rithmatists train and are taught to become skilled warriors to join the battle, and defend against The Tower on the island of Nebrask. Our story takes place on the island of New Britannia, at the Armedius Academy.

More than anything in his life, Joel would like to be a Rithmatist, but during his inception ceremony, things didn’t go right and he wasn’t given the Rithmatic power. Rithmatists are those who have the power to give life to chalk shapes, and chalk drawings known as chalkings. A Rithmatist’s first line of defense against enemy chalkings is a perfect circle drawn around them which the chalkings will attack, but the more perfect the circle is, the stronger defense the Rithmatist has. If a portion of the circle isn’t perfectly curved, it is a weakness that the chalkings soon tear through it. There are many circles of defense that can be drawn to aid and protect a Rithmatist, named after their creator.

As for chalkings, they can be just about anything the Rithmatist can conceive of: a spearman, a tiger, a unicorn, a monster; the more detailed and complex the chalking is, the stronger it will be. They answer to simple commands, usually movement, a direction, and to attack. And when a Rithmatist is in a duel, which is an important part of training at the academies, it becomes a complicated trial of choosing the right defense that will protect the Rithmatist, but also give him or her a strong offense with chalkings.

The first chalkings began many millennia ago, it is thought from cave drawings, but then there were the wild chalkings, of unknown creation, that attack, harm and kill anyone, be they Rithmatist or ordinary human. The United Isles was a scary place back then, but now these wild chalkings have been kept secured within The Tower, but it’s necessary to have a formidable army of Rithmatists to keep up the defenses to hold these chalkings back. This is the most important role of the Rithmatist.

But getting back to Joel, he isn’t a Rithmatist. He spends his days at the academy, doing his regular classes at a mediocre level and wanting to learn as much about the world of Rithmatists as he possibly can. His father was a chalkmaker who had supposedly discovered a new form of defense, but this information was lost when he died, and whenever Joel asks his mother about it, she ignores him and continues her job of janitor at the academy.

The problem is that students have started disappearing, important Rithmatists from rich families, and nobody knows who is doing it and whether they’re even still alive. A single professor is chosen to solve this mystery, working with the police, and Joel is helping as he’s the professor’s assistant for the summer. This is his chance to learn more about Rithmatics and to hopefully help these kidnapped students.

The Rithmatist is one of those great stories that just sucks you in and never lets go. Together with the unique topography and fascinating magic system in a quasi-steampunk world using steam and other unusual forms to make everything run smoothly. It is a believe world, one in which the reader may be happy to live in, but also fear that distant island of Nebrask where The Tower stands, as the many wild chalkings attack and claw at the weakening defenses, looking to break through and kill everyone.

Originally written on June 12, 2013 ©Alex C. Telander.

For more reviews, check out the BookBanter site: [...]

The Rithmatist (2013) is the first Fantasy novel in this series. It is set is a world where North America is broken into an archipelago of more than sixty islands. The federal government of this archipelago is the United Isles.

Most of these islands were not populated when European explorers discovered them. Most of the populace of the isles had been driven south to the Aztec Empire by chalklings, two dimensional creatures. Now such wild chalklings are seldom found outside of Nebrask Island.

The wild chalklings are confined to Nebrask by armies of soldiers and Rithmatists. The soldiers use mild acids to dissolve the chalklings. The Rithmatist, however, fight the chalklings with chalk animated drawings that can destroy both chalklings and humans.

Rithmatists are trained at one of the eight Rithmatist schools. Armedius Academy is one of these schools. Naturally, it also takes other students besides Rithmatists.

In this novel, Joel Saxon is the son of Trent Saxon, a chalkmaker working for Armedius. His father had died eight years before. Joel has been admitted to Armedius without tuition as the son of a deceased employee. His mother still works for the school at night as a cleaning lady.

Fitch is a Professor of Rithmatics at Armedius. He specializes in defensive chalking.

Melody Munns is a Rithmatist student at Armedius. She is very depressed by her inability to draw proper circles.

Andrew Nalizar is a new Tutor at Armedius. He has recently returned from Nebrask.

York is the Principal of Armedius. He had been a friend of Joel's father and is still a friend of the family.

Florence and Exton are clerks in the Armedius campus office. Joel works with them as a messenger.

Lily Whiting was a Rithmatist student at Armedius. She had disappeared recently in what appeared to be an attack by wild chalklings.

Harding is a Federal Inspector. He is investigating the Whiting case.

In this story, Lily flees from wild chalklings. She has screamed, but no one seems to hear her cries. She desperately starts drawing a defensive chalking. A man burst through the door and chalklings flood the room.

Harding comes to Armedius on the Whiting case. He talks to York about having a professor look into it. York chooses Fitch to research the case.

Later, Joel is explaining the 1888 Crew-Choi duel to a friend. His friend thinks the duel is boring and goes off to invite others to visit his home. Joel is not invited.

Joel walks over to the campus office and starts delivering messages. After carrying three messages, he takes a private message to Fitch's classroom. There he witnesses a challenge by Nalizar, Fitch loses and Nalizar takes over his class and tenure.

Joel still wants to be tutored by Fitch. After the duel, he walks with the professor to Fitch's office. He carries two of Fitch's books. When they part, Joel still has the books.

Joel returns to the campus office. Florence is telling Exton about the conversation Nalizar had with York. When Exton asks about the outcome of the duel, Joel informs them that Fitch had lost. Joel says that he is worried about Fitch, but Exton explains that York will probably give him a few students to tutor.

Then Joel has to rush off to his next class. He only has one final exam to take. He decides to fail the exam so he can be tutored by Fitch. So he turns in a completely worthless final.

Joel is called to the Principal's office once again for failing a course. York almost expels him from the school. Joel is desperate enough to tell the truth. Then York says that he will allow Joel to become a research assistant if he passes the final.

Joel runs back to the classroom and retakes the final. He runs out of time on the last item and only partially answers the question. Yet his professor gives him a passing grade.

This tale brings Joel to work as Fitch's research assistant. He compiles lists of students who died or disappeared. Melody is being tutored by Fitch and has to trace circles all morning, but she is slowly improving.

Fitch and Joel investigate the missing students. The next installment in this sequence has not yet been announced on the store.

Highly recommended for Sanderson fans and for anyone else who enjoys tales of different magics, covert investigations, and a touch of romance. Read and enjoy!

-Arthur W. Jordin

This is a mixed review - my husband gives it 5 stars, I gave it 3 stars.

The book is solidly written - I've not read any other Sanderson books but obviously this was done by a sure hand. The magic system was inventive and original - as was the dystopian type of alternative history world. But for me, the book fell short in characterization. Similar to the problem I had with a recent Homer Hickman novel (Crater), we have a teen male protagonist, the father figures in his life, absentee mothers, and women that are either distant/ineffectual or vapidly whiney. There's just nothing in between - and while guys may find this just fine, it really is a put off for women/girls when their gender is represented so poorly. My 10 year old read it with me and immediately asked me why the female characters were so stupid.

I also felt that the book took a LONG time to get started. The first 3/4 was the main character, Joel, wandering around and wishing he had the power to be a rithmatist (and listening to his more fortunate red headed friend complain about not being mathematically inclined (a girl bad at math - cliche much?). Finally, at the end of the book, it gets very exciting and the ending took me by surprise. That was the saving grace for me.

The book's characters owed a lot to Harry Potter. There is Harry, Dumbledore, Snape, and a lobotomized Hermione. But again, I'm told you read Sanderson for the intricate magic systems, not the characterizations. I hope the next one is better - and that the female characters can actually be allowed to be intelligent and multifaceted.

I had never read Brandon Sanderson before I picked up The Rithmatist for CYBILS award consideration. I had heard of him as the author appointed to complete Robert Jordan's epic Wheel of Time saga (by the by, i got to the sixth book in that series in college, looked up, and realized two weeks had flown by/my grades had slipped. put it down and never picked it up again...), and as such an almost constant presence on Tor.com (go there if you haven't yet!). I do love a beautifully crafted magical system and superior world-building, so it makes all sorts of sense that I'd fall in love with The Rithmatist and its chalklings. Which I did. Smart, unique fantasies don't grow on trees!

The world of The Rithmatist is one where flat, 2-dimensional chalk drawings come to life and act on people and things. Only a specific set of people have the power to draw these magical chalk lines, though - Rithmatists. Joel is the son of a chalkmaker, and he always wanted to be a Rithmatist. He even has the mind and skills for it. But he wasn't chosen. He lives at Armedius, the best school in the American Isles, but he's so obsessed with Rithmatics that he's failing classes and headed nowhere fast. Then Rithmatics students start disappearing, with suspected Wild Chalkling involvement. Joel will have to use every ounce of his cleverness and ingenuity to help solve the mystery (and save the day, of course).

As mentioned above, the strongest part of this book, by far, is the Rithmatic magic/science system. It's a combination of geometry, chalk art, and religious experience, and no one is sure exactly how or why it works - or if they do, they're not telling. Joel is thirsty for knowledge, and it is through his inquisitiveness and academic bent (and location at a school for Rithmatists) that the reader learns about the world. Lest you think that it's all dry theory, there are exciting duels. Duels with serious consequences for the combatants, as is only fitting for Rithmatists, who each have to complete a 10-year tour of duty in Nebrask (where Wild Chalklings threaten all of North American civilization). It's part logic, part keeping-cool-in-combat, part talent, and all of it is exhilarating reading.

Sanderson's world-building is also fascinating. He's constructed an alternate world where the Americas are a collection of islands, only recently populated, and before that mysteriously (sinisterly?) empty. The culture seems to be a mash-up of Asian, European and Egyptian influences, though the characters themselves aren't particularly diverse.

Aside from Rithmatics-mad Joel, the main characters are Melody, a very mediocre student Rithmatist, and the professors and president of Armedius. Sanderson's writing is strong on world-building, plot and magic, but the characters get shorter shrift. It's a murder mystery at a boarding school, with magic. For most of the book, that was enough. There were expected twists, and a few unexpected ones, and Joel learned a lesson or two. However, the majority of characters remained static, and their dialogue felt stilted at times. Not weak, but not emotion-packed (which the target audience may have come to expect? or not), either. It was not something that made a difference in MY reading experience, but I noticed it, and other readers (less impressed by the shiny new magic!) may as well.

In all, The Rithmatist introduced an exceptional magical system, a smart hero, a nation rife with political tension, and a long-running war. I can't wait to see what happens next!

Recommended for: fans of school-set fantasies and marvelous world-building, those who enjoy(ed) geometry, and anyone interested in a great story with unique dangers and clever, courageous protagonists.

I was very excited to borrow an ARC of The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson from Krys at Bibliopunkk. I am a freaking huge Brandon Sanderson fan, so the opportunity to read his first YA novel was not one to pass up ;-). Like all Sanderson novels, The Rithmatist has a new and intriguing magic system, plot twists on top of plot twists, and characters you can't help but adore. It also takes place in an alternate history where North America is actually an archipelago and so the United States is less united and more a bunch of island states that grudgingly cooperate! The Rithmatist is definitely a YA novel, though, with a magic school and teenage protagonists. While there isn't a series indicator on the Goodreads page yet, I'm very much hoping Sanderson decides to write a sequel, because I can't wait to go back to the world of chalk battles and mysteries. Though I have to admit that I'm still not sure which Rithmatist the title is referring to specifically....
I originally read an ARC borrowed from my friend. However, Tor also sent me a final copy for review, thank you!!! The Rithmatist will be published May 14th 2013, go get your copies tomorrow!

Strengths:
First thing is first: chalk magic :D. Certain people get the power to instill their chalk drawings with physical abilities like making an invisible wall above a line of chalk or attacking said walls. The best though are the little doodles that come to life to defend you or attack your opponent :D. There are dragons!!
I loved all of the characters for their own unique quirks. Melody is both girly with her unicorn drawings, insecure in her abilities and freaking hilarious in her declarations of "Everything is a tragedy!" Joel is a character many younger readers will relate to in that he is talented and bright when it comes to the subject he loves (Rithmatics) but is struggling in the rest of his classes because he just isn't interested. Finally, Professor Fitch is a wonderful portrayal of the absent-minded professor, though he has his own strength when it comes to believing in all of his students, no matter their abilities. Seriously, I just want to hug all of these characters!
Brandon Sanderson always has awesome plot twists, and so I expected no less. The Rithmatist surprised me, however, with plot twists on top of plot twists with it all making sense in the end. I loved it! You will not be able to guess how this one ends, even when you only have 20 pages left ;-).
The alternate history was not emphasized much, but it was quite interesting as a backdrop to the magic and mystery. I am excited to learn more about how their world is different but similar to ours.
The ARC of the The Rithmatist that I read had delightful drawings that I'm sure with persist to the final copy. There are drawings at the beginning of every chapter to teach you about Rithmatic lines and strategies and then there are little doodles throughout the chapters of the chalkings (chalk creatures) that are being drawn in the accompanying text. They are awesome :D.
While the end of The Rithmatist left me content with what we had learned, it also is already building-up for an amazing sequel. I really hope that the sequel doesn't take too long *puppy dog eyes*.
The ARC I originally read didn't have a map, however the final copy does and it's preeeeetty! It also helps a ton with understanding the alternative geography ;-).

Weaknesses:
The first 2/3 of The Rithmatist felt closer to MG that YA honestly. There was a strange dissonance in my head of Sanderson's style that I'm used to in his adult books and the feel of a YA on the young side of the spectrum.
Hopefully this will be fixed in the final version, but there were a fair number of sentences that were quite repetitive, telling me information I had already learned a half page ago.
There is a church in The Rithmatist that apparently split from Christianity when Rithmatics was discovered but still is kind of Christian I think. There was some weirdness when it came to referring to the other world religions.... It just didn't seem to be handled well.

Summary:
I am thrilled that Sanderson has decided to break into the YA genre and I think Harry Potter fans will love The Rithmatist. It has the same magic school with a mystery feel to it and it was just so much fun. The magic system seems simple at first, but we soon start to suspect there is much more potential than has been discovered so far. Sanderson has laid the ground work for an excellent series with The Rithmatist and I really hope he decides to build upon it soon, I must know all the answers!

This book was recommended to me and, at first, I was a little wary of reading it having heard through the bookish grapevine some very uncomplimentary things about the Author. However, trusting the judgement of a young man who said I would enjoy it I took the plunge, and I am so glad I did; this Authors first foray into the YA arena is very good. It is also the first, in what promises to be a very good series.

From the main protagonist to the lowliest mention, the reader is given enough of their flaws and strengths to be able to build a relationship with each of them, and have them caring about the outcome of the plot. The main protagonist is very well written, and comes through as a caring and sensitive soul, as much as he may try to hide it behind bluff and bravado; he is also highly intelligent he manages to use his weaknesses as motivation and, like most highly intelligent people I know, brushes off his strengths as being no big deal. Character development in this novel is very well handled in that insights into all the players are gradually inserted into the book as the reader progresses. This works very well in this situation as the reader knows there will be a follow on novel, and these are only the foundations the Author is laying for both himself and the reader, in the development of the characters.

There is magic everywhere in this book, but not the usual mundane stuff of witches, wizards and mages; this magic is something entirely new and totally engrossing. As the roots of the magical elements are based in mathematics, the Author takes time to give in-depth explanations, and also provide diagrams at the beginning of each chapter to tie everything together in a good high fantasy ride full of mystery and adventure. To compare it to any other novel revolving around magic in this genre would be to do it a great disservice and harm, this is a book that stands on its own merits and needs no comparisons to other works to make it a truly good read. The ending to the novel is neatly tied off, but leaves enough room to give the reader a glance into what is coming next.

I would highly recommend this book to those looking for a high fantasy/adventure novel that is sprinkled with mystery and intrigue. Given the Steampunk aspects of this novel, those that enjoy this genre would most likely find this to be a good read; the novel is also simple enough for middle-grade readers to enjoy even though it is primarily aimed at the YA audience.

Originally reviewed on: [...]

Genre: steampunk/mystery/fantasy

Review:

I picked up this book soley based on the cover (I know, I know--"don't judge a book by its cover".) It seemed like a steampunk themed novel based on the cover. In reality, while there were some steampunk genre traits found in The Rithmatist, it was far less than I expected. Nevertheless, I still really enjoyed--no, loved--the book. This novel reads much like a fantasy book. It was not later until I found out Brandon Sanderson is a well known fantasy author.

At first, I was a bit confused about how the world worked in The Rithmatist. Some of the countries mentioned were familiar and others I have never heard of. Some of the concepts found in the book were also hard to grasp at first, but later on I got to understand. Filled with beautiful illustrations to help explain the workings of chalking in The Rithmatist, I felt as if I knew how the world Sanderson created inside and out.

Like I haven't made it obvious already, the world building in The Rithmatist ​is phenomenal. The details are specific but not overwhelming. The concepts of chalklings (I'll get to that in a sec) are unique and well planned. I felt as if the author carefully crafted the world so that he knows it inside out. For example, a mechanical crab is described to trim the school's lawn. It is described much like a mechanical robot with feelers that prevent it from cutting things that is not grass. It's this type of details that really submerge me into this world.

Alright, next up is the chalking and chalklings. In this fantastical world, Rithmatists--people with the ability to bring chalk drawing to life--protect citizens from wild chalklings. Chalklings are basically two dimensional creatures that are "alive". Wild chalklings are dangerous and can harm people. Rithmatists can draw their own chalklings to keep the wild ones under control. Student Rithmatists can create their own chalklings, but their chalklings can't cause actual harm; only graduated Rithmatists learn the secret to make their chalklings potentially dangerous.

In this world, only 1 in 1000 people are chosen by the Master to become a Rithmatist at a ceremony called the inception. Joel attends a prestigious private school that offers some of the best Rithmatist schooling in the world. In addition to teaching Rithmatists, the school also serves the sons and daughters of wealthy, important and influential people. Joel isn't a Rithmatist (though he wants to be one more than anything) and his parents aren't rich or powerful. The only reason why he could attend the school was because his father--a chalkmaker--worked for the school but died. His mother remained on the campus as a cleaning lady. As a result, Joel received free tuition.

Life isn't easy for Joel. Although he is extremely skilled at drawing and understanding Rithmatist concepts, he doesn't have the ability to actually bring his chalk drawings to life. Also, all of the students more or less ignore Joel. When Rithmatist students start to disappear mysteriously (evidence suggests that these students are dead), Joel jumps onto the chance to help Professor Fitch solve this mystery.

​Alright, enough said about the plot. All I can say is that the mystery aspect of the novel had me guessing with every clue popping up. Nevertheless, I could have foreseen the murderer. ****Spoiler alert*** Okay, remember how I said Joel didn't get chosen to become a Rithmatist? About 3/4 into the book, he is given a second chance to complete the inception because his first one wasn't done correctly. I was so positive that Joel would become a Rithmatist a second time because he had so much talent and he wanted to be one sooooo badly. I was CRUSHED that Joel still wasn't chosen. I literally reread that chapter to make sure I had read it right....Poor Joel...

Final thoughts: excellent book if you like steampunk and fantasy books. Even better if you love exploring books with creative worlds.

Likes:
*good mystery
*incredible world building
*lovable characters

Dislikes:
*some of the Rithmatist concepts were hard to grasp at first

If an author came to me and said: "I have a great idea for a magic system. These guys called Rithmatists draw in chalk on the ground, and their chalk drawings have power. They can draw chalklings, which can be given instructions. Some chalklings can actually injure people, especially the wild chalklings. Those guys are dangerous!" I would tell this author: "Have you lost your mind? Chalk bad guys? Ooooh scary. I'm shaking in my boots here. Oh wait, I'm actually not. And I'm also not wearing boots--cause it's summer."

And I would be wrong.

Joel, the main character, has always wished he were a Rithmatist, although he knows he can't be. He's studied Rithmatic lines and knows more about them than many Rithmatists. So when a few Rithmatists are kidnapped, Joel inserts himself into the investigation and proves helpful.

The kidnapping mystery, though interesting, wasn't even the best part of the book. And I don't believe there was enough information given to the reader (at least not for this reader) to figure out what was going on before everything was revealed toward the end. I would have preferred to have a chance at guessing the ending. But that's fine; I still loved the book. The ending did a good job of tying up all the threads in the story, and introducing a new thread to be explored in a sequel.

Throughout the book, without overwhelming the reader, Sanderson presents Rithmatic principles that help us understand his magic system in better detail. the book includes renderings of some Rithmatic defenses, as well as chalklings drawn by some of the Rithmatist characters. While I imagine some people might flip right past the renderings (which I don't think would make the book any less enjoyable), I examined each one. Sanderson put so much thought and detail into this magic system that I couldn't help being dragged along for the ride.

Even before reading this book, I was a fan of Sanderson's. Now I'm just awed.

I actually bought this book because Regan from PeruseProject loved it and I wanted to give it a go. Also I found out that Brandon Sanderson was going to an event near me and I figured I should read one of his books before I meet him lol. I found The Rithmatist to be incredibly imaginative and a pleasant read. I liked that there were drawings to go along with the descriptions, but sometimes they were a bit confusing to me. I really liked the story but some areas were a bit slow, but the ending did pick up and was action packed. I'm looking forward to a second novel.
I really loved Joel's character, he was so determined. I just really want to find out the mystery behind him not becoming a Rithmatist. Melody was another character that I really enjoyed, she was a bit hot/ cold but also showed potential once prompted. Plus I want to know how professor jerk face is involved in everything and what the end goal is going to be.
I would recommend this novel to readers looking for something outside the box and that is filled with imagination. I am really excited to read the next in the series, which Brandon Sanderson said won't be coming out for awhile.

I'm beginning to wonder if Brandon Sanderson is cloning himself. Really, it's just making the rest of us look bad, all the work he's managing to put out there. I find myself hoping he's a really bad father or something, until I realize that's sort of taking it out on his children. So maybe I'll go with his lawn is a scraggly weed-filled mess and he dresses poorly. Anyway, another month, another Sanderson book . . .

If one did a mash up of Harold and the Purple Crayon, The Wizard of Earthsea, and Harry Potter, and set it in an alternate semi-steampunk world where the Americas are a giant archipelago called the United Isles (a few of the islands: New Britannia, Pitt, Texas, Santa Fe, Crockett), you'd approximate The Rithmatist storyline.

In this world, the center island, Nebrask, is home to wild chalkings, deadly two-dimensional creatures that are barely being contained to Nebrask by a large, constant force of Rithmatists. Using chalk, Rithmatists can create lines of force (known as lines of "vigor"), lines of shielding (known as lines of forbidding), and circles of protection, and can fight off/kill wild chalkings. They can also create minor chalklings themselves and give them a semblance of life and some basic commands (they remain two-dimensional however). They learn this skill at eight Rithmatist academies and then spend 10 years on the front in Nebrask, learning how to create more powerful and deadly chalklings that first year.

Joel is the son of a cleaning lady at Armedius Academy, where his father worked as a chalkmaker until his death eight years ago in an accident. He missed his chance at being a Rithmatist, which is what he has always wanted, and now he's set himself on becoming a scholar of the art. But when Rithmatist students at the academy begin disappearing, seemingly carried off by chalklings, Joel gets caught up in the search for the killer, working with a Rithmatist student named Melody assigned to remedial instruction and a Rithmatist professor named Professor Fitch. Might his father's lifelong obsession, only now coming to light, have something to do with the disappearances? Is this a new front in the war against the wild chalklings? Or something new?

In typical Sanderson fashion, The Rithmatist is a fast-moving, lively and mostly compelling story with interesting, likable characters, entertaining dialogue, and an intriguing new magic system. There are a few areas that could have been stronger, but though they detracted a bit from the experience, I found myself whipping through nearly-400 page novel in a single sitting, happy at the end that my wife volunteered to go pick up our son so I wouldn't have to put it down at a climactic point.

As mentioned, the main characters are likable and engaging, if a bit familiar. Professor Fitch is a pretty typical absent-minded, good-hearted teacher/mentor. Melody a typical pretty-in-a-not-usual way feisty girl. I'd argue she is given too little to do and comes across strangely weak at times despite her spunky personality. The side characters, such as Joel's mother, the academy principal, some office workers, and others are handled well, given a sense of individuality despite not being given a lot of page time. And a police inspector who comes in part way is another strong character.

The magic system is intriguing and I like that it is relatively limited. The book's chapters each open with a simple drawing which does a nice job of explaining the system further. There is also a lot of mystery to it, which makes it all the more intriguing. On the other hand, some of the secrecy seemed a bit contrived and Joel's lack of knowledge concerning his father's work didn't make much sense to me at all.

The worldbuilding doesn't dominate the book, but it is a subtle part of the background throughout, seen in transportation, types of food, references to politics and the like. As with the magic system, there was enough to let you get a sense of it but it also left you wanting more.

I'm a fan of Sanderson, but I've never found his prose particularly memorable and that holds true for The rithmatist as well. But while it never garners a lot of style points, it does move along quickly and snappily and that's as equally true here.

The Rithmatist is a captivating, winning story with likable characters, an interesting and original magic system, an ending that opens up rather than closes down. It was enjoyable for this adult, though definitely a YA, and I'm sure young readers will find it even more so.

Have I read anything this cool since Harry Potter for the age 10 and up crowd? Wait, let me think... um... I got nothing. Sanderson is brilliant. So brilliant that I'd like to propose that he get someone to design a computer game where we draw with our own stylus-chalk and have our own duels. It could be similar to Scribblenauts. On steroids. Do a fan a solid and get on that, would ya Brandon? I have chalklings to conjure!

Chalk. Yes, you heard me. Scary chalk. That is the brilliance Sanderson has conjured. If it weren't for Smartboards and dry-erase markers, kids would be cringing in their classrooms every time a 'fed-up' teacher headed for the chalkboard after reading this novel.

Was it a dare or something, Brandon? A creative drink at the Taco Mac and a friend says, "A great author could make anything fascinating. Like... chalk." (One side of Brandon's mouth kicks up. Dare accepted.)

And won.

Chalk of all things. Well played, Mr. Sanderson. Well played.

I'm risking sounding like a broken record here but Brandon Sanderson's books are fantastic! All of them. I have yet to read the Wheel of Time series that he finished for the late Robert Jordan (I plan to now that it's done), but I've read almost everything else that he's written, and I'd say with one exception (all hail King), there's not another author alive whose books I look forward to reading more than Sanderson's.

The Rithmatist was written for a younger audience (12+), but adults will enjoy it just as much. It's about Joel, the son of a humble chalkmaker, who desperately wishes he had been selected to be a Rithmatist when he was younger. Joel is a student at Armedius Academy, where he struggles to concentrate in classes such a math and history, while on the other side of campus, those who had been chosen to become Rithmatists attend classes where they learn how to use its magical system where they are able to give temporary life to two-dimensional shapes and figures called Chalklings. They learn to draw intricate and mathematically precise defensive systems on the ground around them to protect themselves from their opponents' attacking Chalklings, all in training for the time when they're called upon to defend The United Isles from the Wild Chalklings.

Even though Joel wasn't chosen to be one himself, he has spent all his life learning as much about Rithmatism as he can. He can draw its defense systems as well as anyone, he just can't give life to any of the things he draws. But when the young Rithmatists at Armedius begin to disappear, leaving behind evidence of strange Chalkling attacks and trails of blood, Joel finally gets the chance to put his knowledge to use--assisting in the investigation.

It's truly a great book. Sanderson's exceptional world-building skills are once again on display as he creates a world that resembles our own, but with a highly-intelligent and fascinating system of magic within it. The story is extremely fun and it's a great beginning to yet another series by Sanderson that I'm excited to read.

My first introduction to Brandon Sanderson's work was Warbreaker (Sci Fi Essential Books). I was enthralled with the way in which he turned the spoken word and color into a well-thought-out system of magic and spirituality. Creating worlds out of whole cloth may be considered an essential skill for fantasy writers but very few have done it as well as Sanderson did in this novel.

I moved on to Elantris (though Elantris came first) and discovered that Warbreaker was not a fluke. The world of Elantris was complex, well thought out, compelling, sometimes harsh and definitely magical.

I then tackled the Mistborn trilogy (Mistborn Trilogy Boxed Set (Mistborn, The Hero of Ages, & The Well of Ascension)). Three times in a row! I went on to read additional books and short stories by this very talented author and have not once been disappointed. I wish that he had met Robert Jordan a few years earlier, but what can you do...

Rithmatist, unlike Sanderson's previous works, is set in a world that is recognizable as our own though with some interesting tweaks. America is an archipelago, the Aztecs were the ones on ships discovering a new culture by sailing East, China conquered Europe a couple of centuries back, and magic is very much alive. In the Rithmatist magic takes the form of power channeled through geometric lines by those lucky enough to be Chosen. The Chosen study in special schools to develop their gifts, starting at the age of 8. When they reach 17, it is off to a final year of learning to make war using their talents before being sent to the front lines. You see there is dark magic in America, which was a continent largely abandoned by humans before Europeans started settling there. Its native population fled or was killed by a menace that is not well understood, even centuries later.

As with all fantasy stories you need a hero who has to face down adversity. As this book is set in a school, you can also expect the elements of isolation, adult arrogance, some bullying, a close group of friends that seem oddly paired, the discovery of new skills, etc. A cute girl who may or may not be the love interest in later books is also required.

Am I saying that the book is formulaic? No. The genre has been fairly thoroughly explored though so you will be able to pick out elements that seem familar.

In fact the method of magic here is similar in some ways to Elantris. In Rithmatist, magic is expressed through a few geometric lines which channel power. With only 4 types of lines, you would think that there isn't much you can do. In fact, it is the combination of lines that make things interesting, and the skill with which they are conceived and executed that separates experts from novices. Other reviews have described the magic rules in depth so I won't rehash them.

I will point out that this book is certainly suitable for a younger audience. Violence and danger is mostly magical in nature and occurs mostly in remote places described after the fact rather than in the moment. There are strong male and female characters, and Sanderson takes the time to explore class and the differences in life between the working poor and rich. Parents can feel comfortable purchasing the Rithmatist for their children. That being said, I too enjoyed the book and I am certainly no spring chicken.

If you are new to Sanderson's books, buy this one, and then go back and start reading his other books - you will not be disappointed.

Brandon Sanderson is an amazingly prolific writer, and I'm not sure how he does it all, or keeps his worlds straight in his head. This is his latest offering in the young adult market, a new series set in an alternate reality America where the country is a group of islands rather than one continent.

Joel is a poor boy with the luck to be attending the best school available--it's a chance he should be thankful for. But Joel wants desperately what he can't have--to be a Rithmatist, to be one of the magical soldiers that can command the power of chalk and bring it to life. When Rithmatic students begin to go missing Joel is going to need all his expertise and quick wits to help solve this mystery.

What Brandon Sanderson does best: Worldbuilding. He creates complex, fully imagined worlds with full histories and realities built in. He creates magical systems that are varied and interesting and intricate, not relying on the standard magical cliches to explain magic in his world. Character, too is his strong point, Sanderson creates accessible and likable characters that have many sides to them. They're entertaining and worth investing time in. I enjoyed reading about these characters--Melody was a lot of fun because she really came across as teenage girl without ever falling into the "boys, romance, fashion" painful cliches. Joel too, is interesting, although slightly less believable in his brilliance--and that that brilliance has remained untapped until now. He's got a little bit too much of a "chosen one" feel for my tastes.

I will admit plotwise that I prefer Sanderson's more epic fantasy stories for adults. The detail rich systems of magic are going to make this a challenge for teen readers more used to having their stories delivered easily to them--Sanderson likes to make his readers think and consider--but sometimes he may give them too much to chew on for what essentially may be a simple plot point. I didn't quite buy the finale to this story, but will happily read the next book in the series when it comes out.

Happy Reading! ^_^ Shanshad

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson is the first book in a new YA gearpunk trilogy which is all about drawing the best chalk monsters and using them to battle against other chalk monsters that have either been drawn by other people or that have come into being naturally. I really enjoyed this book, as I do with every Sanderson book, but I don't think this book will have the same universal appeal to fantasy readers as the rest of his bibliography.

The reason for this, surprisingly, is the magic system. Every Sanderson magic system is full of depth and complexity, and it often cited as the reason why we love his books so much, but when it comes to Rithmatism, Sanderson goes to great lengths to make sure we understand the smallest and most intricate parts. In every other Sanderson novel the detail can effectively be hidden or exposed by an expert when required. In the Rithmatist, we get a crash course in Rithmatic geometry, and its so openly complex that there are diagrams at the end of each chapter to try and illustrate exactly what is going on. It's not hard to follow, but it feels like you have to be concentrating the entire time you are reading, as if you are doing school work or homework, and I expect this would be troublesome to those who read for relaxation.

That said, the rest of the book is fantastic and highly enjoyable. Joel and Melody are great characters. The alternate Earth and alternate U.S. was well put together, and the overall plot from start to finish was definitely engaging for me. I can't wait for the next one.

I got a copy of this book through the the store Vine program to review. Thanks to the store Vine and Tor Teen for allowing me the chance to review this book. I am a huge fan of Sanderson and have read most of the books he has written and really enjoyed them. I was very excited to see a middle grade fantasy being released by him. This book starts out very slow and was kind of a drag in the beginning, however the last third was excellent and absolutely fascinating. The second book in this series is scheduled for a 2015 release.

Joel is a chalkmaker's son attending Armedius Academy, he gets to go to school there as a favor to his parents. What Joel really wants though is to be a Rithmatist. The Rithmatist's are the only ones who can fight the Wild Chalklings. When Rithmatist students start disappearing in the night leaving only trails of blood, Joel and his friend Melody are drawn into the investigation. Joel ends up helping one of the Rithmatist professors do research in a desperate effort to solve the case before more students disappear.

This book starts out very slow and takes a ton of time explaining the complicated magic system. If you stick with it though it does get very good in the second half of the book. The book has a bit of a Harry Potter feel to it but all fighting/magic is dependent on geometry; hence the Rithamatists that practice this type of magic.

As with many of Sanderson's book this book has a very well thought out, detailed, and complex magic system. In fact maybe it was a little bit too complex. The magic system is explained in detail and there are detailed diagrams throughout the book to aid in this explanation. All of the explanation is very important so that when the book does finally get to the some excellent fighting scenes, you can actually understand what's going on.

Unfortunately all of this magic system explanation really makes the beginning drag on, I had a very very hard time paying attention and staying focused on the story because it took so long for the plot to get going.

Joel is a decent character, very down to earth and a bit selfish at times. I didn't engage with him all that well, but then I am not really the target audience for this. He was interesting to read about and likable enough. Melody is very quirky, she sounds very awkward throughout the book and is very offbeat. I also had trouble engaging with her initially, but as the story continued she started to grow on me.

The mystery and plot is well done. Beware though this is just the beginning of a much larger story. As the book continues it gets very very good. The pieces of the mystery start to come together and we finally get to see this awesome and complex magic system in action. The wonderfully paced and action filled ending to this book made it worth suffering through the first half of this book. By the end of this first book I was completely engaged in this world and really wanted to know what would happen next.

Overall this is probably the weakest Sanderson book I have read so far, but I really really love all of his other books...so even if this is the weakest one he's written it is still a good book. The pacing is just very slow in the beginning and the characters were a bit hard to engage with. I did really enjoy the magic system and the world though. The end of the book made up for the poor beginning, and by the time I got to the end I was dying to read more about this world. I would recommend this to fans of MG/YA fantasy, it starts slow but I bet this is going to be an excellent series.

The amazingly prolific Brandon Sanderson has struck gold once again and this time with a Young Adult story that easily transcends the "YA" trope and is simply a great read for any age. I'm convinced that somehow Sanderson has been cloned for how else could he write so many books in so little time. I for one am not complaining though; he's on my very short list of "instant read" authors.

Once again, Sanderson, not content to use typical or traditional magic systems such as you might find in Lord of the Rings or some D&D universe novel, has created an imaginative new system whereby a "rithmatist" can draw two-dimensional animated chalk figures ("chalklings") that can do his/her bidding. Students of rithmancy study the craft, duel each other for experience and bragging rights but ultimately are preparing for actual combat against the wild chalklings. I won't rehash the plot here as that has been done well elsewhere.

We readers are introduced slowly to this chalk magic and at the beginning of the novel it seems pretty simple and straight forward. But soon we realize there is a lot more to it, both offense and defense. At the beginning of each chapter, there is a one page diagram introducing a new concept and/or tactic such that we get to know this system well by the end of the book and realize just how amazingly well-thought out and complex it is.

But even the most well-developed magical system isn't enough to make a novel a good read. For that you need engaging characters, a great plot, and an overall style that makes for a great page-turning reading experience. And Sanderson does not let us down here either. Unlike some similar novels I've read, we are not beat over the head with the alternate history and Steampunk aspects of the novel. They are interesting aspects to be sure but they melded so well with the story that they seemed perfectly natural. There is also a strong mystery element to the novel as more and more student rithmatistsis are going missing. Just when I thought the story was falling into a predictable outcome Sanderson surprised me, turning everything on its head. The two main characters, Joel, and Melody, both students at the Armedius Academy, endeared themselves to me early on and the supporting cast did not disappoint either.

All, in all, another very impressive novel from the fertile imagination of Brandon Sanderson. This book does have a conclusion but is clearly the beginning of a series as we don't really even touch the larger world outside the Academy and the very serious threat of the wild chalklings. I can't wait for the next installment and, knowing Sanderson's track record, I'm sure I won't have to wait very long...

This is apparently the tenth of Sanderson's books that I've read, and I think it's one of the best. It's YA, so not as deep as some of the others, but still very satisfying. I knew just from the premise that I wanted to read it: Joel attends a fancy boarding school for magic-users and the offspring of the elite, but not because he's anyone special himself; his mother is the cleaning lady, and he gets free tuition. He's surrounded by Rithmatists, who have the ability to make certain geometric chalk drawings come to life, but has no Rithmatic ability himself despite his fascination with the field and talent at regular geometry. I've always enjoyed boarding school stories, and this was no exception.

One of Sanderson's strengths is his development of interesting new magic systems, and Rithmatics lived up to my expectations there. The system is both refreshingly unique and carefully thought-out. It's also explained very thoroughly to the reader, via diagrams at the beginning of every chapter, which made the details in the story easy to follow.

What I've often found to be Sanderson's biggest weakness is his writing, particularly when it comes to dialogue that sounds jarringly modern in his fantasy settings. I was very happy to find that that wasn't an issue here at all. I think it helped that this world was more modern to begin with: it's an alternate early-twentieth-century steampunk-y setting, and the language feels pretty thoroughly modern throughout, so none of it seemed incongruous. It was easy to get absorbed in this new world.

I was also pleasantly surprised that certain plot points weren't resolved as I'd expected; I had worried that the book would be too predictable, but that wasn't actually the case. And the actual resolution was even better than I had predicted. I was satisfied with the way everything wrapped up, and I think that this book works well as a standalone, but there are also some loose threads that leave room for a sequel. I'd certainly be happy to read more about these characters and this world, and I'm looking forward to reading more of Sanderson's YA work in general.

Don't get me wrong. There IS action and excitement in this book. It's just not the focus. Most of this book is about the steam-punk world that Sanderson has created, and the scholarly fascination with its magic system. If you have read Elantris or one of Sanderson's other early books will may see the similarity in style. It isn't bad, it has simply involved and improved in books that Sanderson has written since then. This book was an early Sanderson work that he completed, cleaned-up, polished, and finished. As such, I expect the next book will be vastly improved because Sandereson himself has vastly improved over a short period of time.

That said, if you like a book series where you can get into the nitty-gritty of what makes the world and magic tick, this will be right up your alley. As seen through the eyes of a student, you get to peer into a an incredibly intricate and academic world centering around people who have the power to control creatures made of chalk, and fight them off and shield themselves with lines and circles.

If you like math, academics, school-age stories, intricate magic systems, steampunk, or liked, say, Full Metal Alchemist, you may find this book very intriguing indeed. If you are just a general sci-fi/fantasy fan you may want to start with one of Sanderson's masterworks, such as Mistborn or The Way of Kings.

I shall continue to read this series as it progresses, because it can only get better from here.

Before reviewing I should mention that I am a big fan of Mr. Sanderson so my review may be somewhat biased.

That being said, I avoided this book for a long time simply because it was labeled as young adult and I am, well I am grown in age if not heart. Too often have I found books written for children or even those aimed at teenagers to be overly simplistic or lacking in philosophical depths even going so far as to be intellectually insulting.

When I finally did read this book I was immediately sorry I didn't read it ages ago and wished I had been a little more open to things not specifically aimed at adults. While there may be very little violence and no sex or anything at all that might be inappropriate for kids the story is smart, really really smart. All the characters are likable and have a fair amount of depth to them but for me the background and world history was something I wanted more of. The pacing is exceptional as everything flew by at breakneck speed. If you have read anything by this author before you know the unique magic systems is where he really shines and this is no exception, little bit of artistry with a lot of geometry makes this fun without getting too complicated.

I almost wanted to bump the rating down to 4 stars for the ending that feels a bit rushed and leaves a huge opening for another book but I will let the overall quality keep this a 5 star book for both children and adults.

The problem (as I see it) with young adult fiction is that it is often just a collection of tropes. That's the problem for an adult, anyway, perhaps to young readers all of this stuff is new. Mr Sanderson doesn't try too hard to dodge the trope trap and so we have
- A young and inexperienced Harry Potter-like main character who somehow gets wrapped up in major, world-changing events
- A Dumbledore sort of older wiser character who looks out for our hero (you might say this is spread between two characters)
- A Snape-type character who the main character is convinced is a bad guy, and the reader will be convinced is a red herring.
- A Hermione type character (though in this case our hero is the nerd, and Hermione has the talent but lacks the knowledge)
- A Hogwarts-like boarding school setting - with a twist though, the school is perhaps 2/3rds muggles.
- There is even a sort of Quidditch equivalent.

And, as in nearly all YA fiction, you will have two characters who slowly develop feelings for each other, suddenly notice the other is attractive, etc.

All of this is really just the background against which Sanderson paints his story. And while it is all (in my very humble opinion) mostly trite teenage tripe, the overarching story is actually really good. Rithmatism is interesting and well-realized, and the characters are compelling, as is the danger that faces their world. There are a number of surprising plot twists and double twists. It all ends with an abrupt fight, Harry Potter-style, and when the chalk dust settles we are left with many unresolved plotlines to keep us anxiously waiting for the next book.

In summary, it's a good story, well told, if you can manage to avoid tripping over a million YA tropes.

The Rithmatist is a pretty good book, but it doesn't live up to Mistborn or Way of Kings.
It starts kind of slow, with characters who seem kind of cookie-cutter (though that improves as it goes on) and a lot of exposition before the plot really takes off. The alternate-history "gearpunk" world is cute, but it lacks narrative weight. Sanderson clearly put a lot of thought into the magic system and enjoyed developing it, but as a result he spends a lot of time on the technical aspects of it that don't really contribute much to the story. He really should just write a computer game version of it to get that out of his system. (And yeah, it would be a fun game. I would play that.) It's less original than Allomancy or BioChromatics, very constrained in terms of its applications, and two-dimensional figuratively as well as literally.
Unusually for Sanderson, the book falls into cliche several times. His murder-mystery plot reads like a cross between Harry Potter and Law and Order: SVU. When he thinks it through, he can write some fantastic twists that really make you feel like you're in the hands of a master. This time he phoned it in.
Once you get through the first third, it's a page turner. The interplay between Rithmatists and the rest of the culture is interesting, and the academy setting isn't bad. The strongest points, I think, are the personal backstories, and there's more room to develop those.
Overall, though, I was left wondering whether the sequel is really worth writing. I'd prefer if he spends the time on a series he takes seriously.

I loved EVERYTHING about this book! My only complaint was that since I picked this up in the bargain book section I assumed that there were following books already out. I mean this was published in 2013! AND THERE AREN'T!
I understand, you're a very busy author, and have a lot to do. But. But. WHY???!!!
I loved that the U.S. was torn apart and had become a state of islands. That there were distinct classes again. That there was MAGIC involving CHALK. I mean come on, how unique is this idea? This was so refreshing, so new, just so lovely I ate this book whole. Not literally, but, you know...
And what's even better is I didn't see the ending coming. It was really fantastic. At least what I thought was the end. But then there was more. And it was super creepy but REALLY intriguing but still really really creepy. And left me just eeking until I could get my hands on the next book.
Which there ISN'T YET. Please hurry, this series is now on my favorites/must by when out list.

Joel is an incredibly bright boy who wants nothing but to be a Rithmatist. Unfortunately, he wasn't chosen. So he spends his time learning as much as he can about Rithmatists and its history - to the neglect of his actual school work. His new friend Melody is a Rithmatist, but lacks the some of the basic skills and would rather spend her time doing something else. She's a spunky, clever girl who pushes Joel to do and be more. They are a fun pair.

Unsurprisingly, Sanderson's world-building with this young adult debut is exceptional and inspired. If readers are into games, geometry and strategy, each chapter introduces Rithmatist drawings paired with guidelines and strategy - adding a creative and realistic element to this new world. Rithmatists draw lines with chalk that can create barriers of defense or creatures that attack.

This unique fantasy fused with steampunk is a must-read for teens and adults alike. Full of mystery, suspense, intrigue - The Rithmatists is impossible to put down and refreshingly unpredictable. I'm not sure what I enjoyed more - the vivid characters, the clever story, or the rich fantasy world. Together these make for a solid and impressive novel that I wholeheartedly recommend.

Review previously posted at SciFiChick.

I've read all of Sanderson's adult novels, but this is my first YA story from him I've read. My son, a co-worker and myself all love Sanderson's other writings, so I had high expectations.

As usual we are presented with a unique form of magic. Each of his books are unique and this wasn't any different.

His creating of an alternate earth is referred to, but not critical to the story. At the same time, he "re-draws" (pun intended) our own planet, continents and governments and sets it up for all kinds of possibilities.

I was certain a change of events were going to happen about 2/3rds of the way through the story, but was a bit surprised how it all turned out. Nice surprises with the plot twists.

We are pretty much in the thoughts of the main character throughout. At some points as a reader I wanted to be in Melody's thoughts to know what she is thinking too. But it works as it keeps more mystery to everything.

OVERALL: Not as suspenseful as The Emperor's Soul, but still a decent mystery story. Overall I was lost with the magic system, unlike in his other books. I was a bit bummed when the last line of the book says, "To Be Continued". As with his other stories I want more now! Pick it up...enjoy the read.

Every time I read a book by Brandon Sanderson I am shocked by how much I loved it. Every book I've read by Sanderson is filled with memorable characters, shocking twists and surprises, and plenty of action and intrigue.

Suffice it to say The Rithmatist has not broken this streak.

The Rithmatist starts off from the very first pages with shockingly high levels of action, and keeps this pace going to the last page. Readers of all ages will be gripped by the suspense, mystery, and action that The Rithmatist provides.

That said, while the action will keep readers gripping the edges of their seats, it's the unique magic and the characters themselves that will keep readers wanting more long after the last page is finished. Joel and Melody provide an amazing combination that readers (if they're anything like me) will want to know more about, as each of these characters are engaging, charismatic, and likable.

All in all, if you can't tell from my previous praise I loved this book. The Rithmatist is fun, exciting, and perfect for readers of all ages and genders. My recommendation... go buy a copy for yourself right now.

http://whatchamacallitreviews.blogspot.com/2013/05/the-rithmatist-by-brandon-sanderson.html

This is a story about a young person who craves to be a rithmatist but missed his chance. He eavesdrops in the school he attends by a scholarship as the dependent of an employee, trying to learn as much as possible. It's a good story about having a dream and striving for it with lots of interesting paranormal things going on - like chalk figures that can be drawn and brought to life by arithmatists.

I have always found Sanderson masterful at creating worlds with new religions and novel magic. In Warbreaker and the Mistborn trilogy, this talent yeilded books with a truly immersive reading experience for me. The Rithmatist is yet more proof of that mastery.

This new world has a flavor of the real world and a touch of steampunk, but in typical Sanderson fashion, it doesn't fit neatly into any category. The magic and religion of this new world center around chosen individuals - Rithmatists - that can make chalk drawings that are animated and have physical ability. In this reality, chalk drawings have the capability to do both good and harm - depending on who is wielding the chalk.

Now, I realize that chalk drawings may not immediately strike fear into the hearts of many, but Sanderson pulls it off. The real suspense comes from the concept that they are being made and controlled by someone or something ancient and evil. And that evil has broken through boundaries and is now in the world of everyday life.

The Rithmatist is young adult fiction that I would have loved to have read as a young adult. However, I also enjoyed it as a not so young adult. The story is original and fun and the plot twists keep up to the very end.

Brandon Sanderson has recently become one of my favorite authors. I've read just about all his books (except for some of the seemingly endless Wheel of Time series, which I don't blame him for because he didn't start that mess). I've really enjoyed all that I've read.

That said, this is probably my least favorite of his books so far. The imagination and world-building is, as always, excellent. The characters, too, are detailed and interesting. The book does sort of drag in parts, though. So instead of giving this five stars, as I would just about all of Mr. Sanderson's other books, this one gets four. Still a good book, worth reading, just not as impressive as the others.

Brandon Sanderson has delivered great writing, for kids and adults, in short form or epic length, for years. Compared to his usual high quality work this book is poor. The premise, of living chalk figures, some wild and some drawn/controlled by warriors is brilliant. The steam-punk world braided with religious themes is interesting. So, why not a five star review? The mystery/who-done-it plot plods uphill and ultimately is predictable. Sanderson is building sympathy for the lead character by pointing out over and over how life has dealt the lead character a poor hand but there comes a point when the reader will say enough already get on with the action. When the action finally kicks in the writing is superb. So, the ending of the book pulled my rating from a three start to four star review.

While ultimately this is a good book, I fear that the average young reader will get board before they get the action. If you have enjoyed the rest of his fiction for kids then this is not a bad buy. A young reader who has not read Sanderson will be better off reading Alcatraz versus the Evil Librarians.

If Brandon Sanderson can keep up with all the series he's started, we have a lot to look forward to -- beginning with "The Rithmatist" (Tor, $17.99, 368 pages).

Be warned, however, that "The Rithmatist" is cast as a young adult series, and features teens as the lead characters. This is a departure for Sanderson, though not necessarily unwelcome, but another departure is the slow pace. As usual, Sanderson has crafted a detailed magical system on an alternate earth (the United States is a collection of islands rather than a continent), but it takes a while for all the parts to engage.

There are also a few holes in the plot (the villain seems curiously uninterested in getting rid of his enemies at book's end), but given Sanderson's past work, I expect all will be explained moving forward. And speaking of moving forward, I also hope the series will pick up the pace now that the groundwork has been laid - and young adult category or no, Sanderson fans will find plenty to like in "The Rithmatist."

Talky but entertaining kidnap-mystery, set in an alt-u where the U.S. is a confederated cluster of island nations. Magical geometrists battle monster chalk-drawings and their evil masters -- it sounds silly, but Sanderson commits to it and he doesn't mock his own premise. The characters do a lot of walking-to-and-fro, here there and everywhere, with a lot of dialogue for the first 70% of the story; and then, at the end, all chaos breaks loose, ending with two more mysteries and "To Be Continued." I joked to my wife that Sanderson really likes his characters to shrug. A lot. .Harold and his purple crayon should have endorsed it.

I'm a big fan of Brandon Sanderson's books, so I was already expecting a lot here. The magic system was intricate and had me wanting to go grab some chalk and scribble rithmatic lines. The alternate America was offbeat but just familiar enough to flow smoothly in the simpler lines of this story as compared to Sanderson's adult fantasy novels. Joel and Melody were real teenagers and had great snappy chemistry, and the mystery behind it all was deceptively complex.

I was a little hesitant, though, as the story at first seemed somewhat familiar, a bit of a mishmash of Chamber of Secrets and Prisoner of Azkaban. I was prepared to like this book for what it was, a fun ride, and that was that. And then not far from the end all the stakes shot up and everything I thought I knew was turned on its head. I was reminded in one heck of an ending not just why I love Brandon Sanderson's work, but why I love reading books, period. Home run, Mr. Sanderson. I can't wait to read the next one!

Brandon Sanderson imagines a world where chalk drawings can come to life. Joel is fascinated by the science of The Rithmiatist (hard from Tor) even though he failed the inception ceremony that only picks one out of thousand. He has a free scholarship to the Armedius Academy which trains children of rich families as well as Rithmatists. He frequently skips his classes to listen into to the Rithmatist ones. Then someone starts kidnaping Rithmatist students and Joel manages to get to work with Professor Flint who is helping with the investigation as well as giving remedial training to Melody who has problems drawing defensive forms but is a wizard at creating chalklings. The tale is absorbing, fun and created in an interesting world that will stretch the mind of teenagers enjoying it. This might make it on an award list. Review published in the Philadelphia Weekly Press

I picked this book up on a whim because I liked the cover and had heard that Sanderson was a great writer. At first, I thought I had surely picked up the second in the series because Sanderson throws you right in the deep end with little explanation. But gradually you start to piece together the world and it becomes so enthralling that I didn't want to stop listening.

I will point out that listening to the audio version made it difficult to picture the chalk drawings. There are several points that the drawings are described along with the defense/offensive maneuver, but it's hard to picture.

I received an Advanced reading copy of Rithmatist from Tor Teen Publisher in exchange for an honest review.
Brandon Sanderson never disappointed me! Yet again he managed to create a beautiful book,with an (again) unique magic system,with very likable and believable characters you can easily connect. The story sucks you inn from the very start.It is about a boy that is different then others,not quite accepted,struggling to tag along because of his lack of magic but anyway a student at a magic academy.
I recommend it for all the Harry Potter lovers out there,for all the teens that yearned for something new and exciting and last but not least,for us adults who still have the kid inside:)
Here is the synopsis from Goodreads:
As the son of a lowly chalk maker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing -- kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery -- one that will change Rithmatics -- and their world -- forever.

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Rating: 3.5 stars
Premise: Joel Saxon wants, more than anything else, to be a Rithmatist, but he missed the opportunity to gain that mysterious power. He spends every free hour he can spare from classes in normal subjects to dream of fighting duels with chalk. When he becomes a summer research assistant to a Rithmatics professor, he finds himself helping in a murder investigation without the power to defend himself.
Warnings: fantasy violence that's horrifying but not gory
Recommendation: If you're looking for a lighter dose of Sanderson and don't mind the younger tone, give this one a try-- I whipped through it in the course of a long afternoon. This volume establishes a good magic system and springboards into what promises to be a fun series, though I wouldn't recommend springing for it in hardback unless you know middle-schoolers who need a good gateway to his work for adult readers.

What keeps this one engaging:

The Rithmatist opens on Joel Saxon eagerly describing one of the past great Rithmatic duels, one fought with chalk circles, rapidly-sketched chalking creatures, and focused force of well. He himself doesn't have the power to make his drawing come to life and create an actual effect on the outside world. His lifelong dream has been to be gain that magic, but he missed the inception ceremony when he was eight and has spent the rest of his life being obsessed, to the point where he can sketch and understand the shapes better than many of the actual students. That focus has given him all the hallmarks of being a prodigy, and his math teacher is astounded at the precision of his drawing, but his knowledge is forced to remain purely theoretical. He's particularly frustrated when he ends up helping Professor Fitch, an elderly and easily flustered Rithmatics professor, with research for the summer. Fitch is unusually generous about letting Joel ask questions, given how careful Rithmatists are to keep the heart of their magic and subculture a secret from the uninitiated, but he's also providing remedial tutoring to Melody, one of the worst Rithmatic students in the school.

Melody, despite her early issues, ends up having some interesting development later in the story because she's skilled at the one aspect of Rithmatics that Joel doesn't really understand-- drawing chalklings. Rithmatists can use a Line of Making to create creatures that can wear away at another person's chalk lines, and their strength and purpose is determined by the detail, cohesion, and aesthetics that the artist has used. This is complicated by the fact that speed is necessary to win any duel, so spending too much time on a single line or chalking means that the contest will end quickly. The cover flap's claim that strategy games fans may want to bring Rithmatics to life in the real world is a stretch, but it's easy to see how Joel and others who can't use magic would be fascinated enough to follow the tactics involved. Chalk forensics add richness from a different angle, showing how Rithmatic experts can trace out the magical course of an attack based on which lines had to have done what-- it's a slower dissection, but each piece of the investigation allows the wild chalking attacks to be recreated in detail without resorting to over-dramatic flashbacks. It hits a sweet spot between dry guesses and the all-too-common urban fantasy trend of using magic to literally see what happened without having to resort to closer examination. All of it blends to help these chalk drawings feel like a real threat rather than just a cute idea.

The larger world of the United Isles is engaging too-- there's a map in the front and book of the book illustrating North America as a chain of large islands instead of a contiguous landmass, allowing each pseudo-state to be more culturally isolated. Sanderson plays this one with a light touch, mentioning that the JoSeun Empire (which seems to be a China-led Asia) conquered Europe just when many settlers were looking for a new place to establish themselves. Other hints, like that gold dollars have gears in them to prove their authenticity and that chalklings may be frightened of gears because they denote time, serve to flesh out both the magic and the world without getting bogged down in minutiae. This provides a reasonable reason for the normal gear-heavy steampunk aesthetic, which here extends beyond railroads and industry into the heart of the chapels, and it promises to to be explained more fully in the sequels. This setting clicks home all the better with details about tension against the Rithmatists receiving special status or people even believing that the wild chalklings are an exaggerated threat-- people are people, regardless of the landscape they inhabit.

The last few scenes pull the book together and show what Sanderson can really do-- the murderer stands revealed in a reversal of Joel's expectations, but matters fall out to reveal that the easy conclusion, or even the first few layers of them, are concealing something much darker and more compelling. While Joel is still dealing with that, the long-anticipated Melee happens and we get to see the way students map out their strategies on the spur of the moment against opponents they can understand. It seems difficult to picture chalked-out geometric shapes as exciting for most of the book, Joel's delighted chattering about the advantages of different strategies to the contrary, but the scene really comes to life when speed and rapid-fire strategy come to the fore. If the rest of the series shapes up to be like this, maybe moving away from the school setting, it'll move from fun into downright impressive.

The red pen:

Joel is supposed to be fifteen or sixteen, but the issues he faces and the way he reacts to them are framed in a way that makes him seem more firmly in middle school, somewhere around twelve. This target audience isn't necessarily a downside, but it's a jolt to see him described as an older teenager when his emotional age isn't there. He doesn't face bullying because the elite students ignore him, but he's not invited to spend the summer with them and faces daily reminders that he's only a student at Armedius because his father was a valued employee. Although he longs to study Rithmatics, it comes as a complete revelation to him that some colleges offer it as a course of study to non-Rithmatists....if he hadn't already ruined his chances of getting in anywhere by squandering this great academic opportunity and failing at least one class a year simply because he can't be bothered to do his assignments. It's one thing to have a character be careless enough to allow the fun things to overtake the necessary ones, but holes like this in Joel's thinking make it hard to believe that he knows what common sense is, let alone possesses any. He's smart enough to be an asset in a murder investigation and think out basic angles that the adults around him don't, but he has no grasp of the future beyond the next few hours or days.

He undeniably has his moments early on, like when he resolves to fail his best exam to get closer to his goals, and it's great to see Principal York tell him that it makes sense "if you think like a teenage boy." Once he's involved in the investigation, quite a bit of it smooths out, though the way his big moment of ethical struggle is being snide and condescending to Melody and being told that he needs to decide what type of man to be really doesn't help with the impression that this book is pitching to a much younger age group. (The overenthusiastic research projects and discussion questions included as bonus features at the end really put the seal on this one.) Joel wants lots of things, from magic to secret knowledge to the money to pull his mother out of debt, but he doesn't face temptations that would cause him to waver, and that's an unfortunate missed opportunity. Some books can pull off the hero's conquering of the self as the central and necessary struggle, but Joel's big problem is carelessness, and that's not enough here-- he could easily be cruel or bitter about his opportunities as he watches people squander the gifts he'd give anything to possess, but he doesn't (to borrow a phrase from Diane Duane) seem to get much darker than the spiritual equivalent of sitting in the shade.

Melody's early characterization is scattered at best and a lazy collection of gender stereotypes at worst. She's not good at match or the involved geometry of lines and circles, which is fair enough, and is instead good at drawing animals like unicorns (which Joel at first sees as a frivolous waste of time). This is in part a way for her to avoid thinking about the fact that she's bad at sketching defenses and will still have to serve her ten years on the front lines against the wild chalkings of Nebrask to keep them contained, and it works in places, but in others it just...doesn't. There aredearly hints that she's able to focus on the shortest path to a goal while Joel is busy showing off, but this promising thread is dropped after only a scene or two. She has a dreamy paranoia that makes her come across as a high-strung Luna Lovegood, seeing conspiracies and stalking everywhere despite firm and rational evidence that it's simply not happening. It makes her later moments of using her perceived wild emotions or flightiness as a useful tool seem more like incidents from the life of a completely different person than logical character growth, particularly when the narrative breaks into the tiresome trope of "she's pretty when she's not yelling at me" to unsubtly establish Melody as the love interest whenever they're both past emotional puberty. Joel has some growth to do before he can carry a whole series, but the necessary changes in Melody are closer to a brain transplant.

The adults are a mixed bag, ranging from the excellent Principal York and Professor Fitch to sillier or more one-dimensional figures. Where Professor Fitch gets the struggle of wondering if his teaching methods are so academic that he's hurt his students' chances of survival on the front lines, most other teachers and parents fade into the background. Joel's mother is a particular disappointment, working long hours as a cleaning lady only to appear on the page long enough to lecture Joel about his grades, warn him to be careful, or drop useful hints about his dead father, who was researching Rithmatic secrets. The rest blur a bit, either catching a small handful of speaking roles or behaving in such a way that it's hard to tell whether they're almost caricatures of themselves because it plays to the writing style here or because they're hiding something. None of the adults on his side seem to have the either the power or the force of personality to deal with Joel beyond "I'm disappointed in you for this," even when he's almost giddy over having new murder scenes clues to examine or determined to make other people's personal tragedies about his own struggle or theory, and that leaves him with less in the way to structure to oppose and overcome in future volumes.

On the whole, The Rithmatist shines in creating an engaging alternate version of America, complete with odd magic and steampunk flourishes. The characterization is a little young and not what it could be, but there are enough hints at the mysteries of a larger world to make the eventual rest of the series worth investigating.

For ongoing recommendations about similar books, check out this post at Red Pen Reviews.

"The Rithmatist" begins a new series following a youth on an alternate Earth where magic stems from two-dimensional chalk drawings. Joel Saxon unfortunately cannot bring chalkings to life however his desire to learn as much as possible about the fascinating practice helps ease his loss. The plot contains a small amount of political maneuvering, a fair share of mystery, and considerable action assisted by well-drawn illustrations. As usual, the author presents a strong storyline with a detailed magic system targeting a younger audience.

There are two non-related chapters at the back of the book, a research and activities and a discussions section, both aimed at having the reader consider and discuss the events in the novel.

I recommend the novel to any fan either of the author or the fantasy genre.

Thank you.

Sanderson is the greatest as always.
Although the book was stated as children's book, it doesn't make Sanderson's work less interesting. He didn't play too easy on writing at all. Surely, it's not that complicated as the others such as Mistborn Trilogy.

A lot of action scenes and delightful characters along with the conflicts and complexities in them. If I judged it on genre standard, it's not children book but easy read young adult with attached the morality. However, judging by Sanderson's, it's bloody children certainly.

I like Joel's character especially. He was bright but raw and convinced. And I pretty love how the author created Melody. She's bloody annoying but delight the story's tone. They deal with how smart but coward Fitch was. They're kind of underdog character which is always. However, Nalizar was somehow too similar to Snape, so it's a bit awkward reading for me.

The illustration inside was sooooo amazing, though I can't remember any of that defense and ward lines.

A mistake in this book was just I didn't happen to know it is the sequels series until the last page. I'm freaking shock, I dearsay.

I am a Brandon Sanderson fan, I think Steelheart is a great book. I think the Rithmatist is a good book but I think Steelheart may be better. If your kid loves Geometry then this is a great book for them.
The idea of chalklings is very original. Wish there was a little more back story on that, because it was a little confusing.
Liked that there were little steam punk ideas in there.
Some parts dragged a little, and so it made the ending feel a little rushed and thrown together.
But liked the characters, they were all fleshed out nicely. Especially the professors.
Will be waiting for the next installment!

This book was REALLY good -- the best children's fiction I've read since the Harry Potter series (and I read a LOT of children's fiction). Sanderson has created a very complex, unique world in which magic takes the form of art and geometry against a steam punk, vaguely Edwardian background. The characters were fully fleshed out and believable, the plot twists unpredictable, and the climactic ending took us totally by surprise. My 13-year-old son was fascinated by the various geometric defenses of the fictitious science of Rithmatics, and we're both looking forward to the sequel. It's getting more and more difficult to find books that are engaging for my sons as they get older, without inappropriate drugs/sex/alcohol that make it awkward to read with Mom. Highly recommended read!

When you open the pages of The Rithmatist, you enter the brilliant, creative, and imaginative world of Brandon Sanderson. This was my very first Brandon Sanderson book but it will not be my last. This was a very well thought out book. The details were astonishing. The drawings were amazing. The story was fantastic. I will not go into a description of the book because I don't want to give away spoilers. This is not the type of book that I would normally pick up, I am so happy that I won this. If someone told me that I would be this impressed with a book about chalk and drawings, I would not have believed it. Since I mentioned the drawings, it is important to note not to overlook them or pass by them as you read as they are examples of defenses used in the book. I highly recommend this book!

Disclaimer: This review will include the basic premise of the story, told in my own way; so if you object to spoilers as much as I do, you should probably skip this review. However, if you're not that kind of person, feel free to read on. The review actually contains no spoilers beyond the basic premise.

The Rithmatist is a young adult fantasy novel written by the master of fiction himself, Brandon Sanderson. It takes place in an alternate, steampunk version of our world. It's not an alternate future; it's an alternate world entirely.

As is traditional for a novel penned by Sanderson, The Rithmatist has a unique magic system that is so utterly unlike anything else, that once you actually understand it, you're shocked by its brilliance. I could try to explain Rithmatics to you, but it's not so easy to explain. Sanderson explains how it works throughout the entirety of the novel, for you can't just learn it all at once. It takes time to understand, but it's brilliant.

In the United Isles of America, those who can use Rithmatics--they're called Rithmatists--are of much higher social class than others. That's because they are the isles' main hope of staying safe. Rithmatics involve creating things using chalk, including defenses and possible weapons. In the isle of Nebrask, there's a tower from which swarm thousands of wild chalkings--savage creatures made purely from chalk but easily capable of killing people in terrible ways. The Rithmatists are the main force keeping the chalkings inside Nebrask and not letting them get into the other fifty-nine isles, fully populated with people.

In the isle of New Britannia, Joel Saxon is a student at Armedius Academy, where they train both Rithmatists and upperclass people who don't have the power of Rithmatics. He himself is not a Rithmatist, nor an upperclassman, but rather the son of a now-dead employee of the academy. All his life he's been fascinated by Rithmatics and has always wished that he could use them, but he lost that chance long ago.

Not everyone becomes Rithmatists. In fact, only a very few amount of people do, always chosen at age 8. Every child must go through the inception ceremony when they're young, which will completely determine their future. If they go through the ceremony and nothing changes, they go on with their lives. If they suddenly discover they can use Rithmatics, they get ridiculous privileges, get education at a special school (such as Armedius), serve in Nebrask for ten years, and then get a pension for the rest of their lives.

As a summer elective before his final year at Armedius, Joel finds himself working with the Rithmatist Professor Finch (a non-Rithmatist working with a Rithmatist is almost unheard of) on a secret project involving the disappearances of a couple Rithmatist students off-campus. Thus begins the fascinating and brilliant story of The Rithmatist.

Now, by this time I know Brandon Sanderson. I know he's going to have amazing, likable characters; I know he's going to have a brilliant magic system that will blow my mind once I properly understand it; I know that he's going to have plot twists that will make Ted Dekker look like the writer of children's books. That last fact is a trademark of Sanderson. If you think you know where the story is going, something's going to change that you will never see coming. That will happen numerous times with every book you read that he has penned.

If there's somebody who knows how to craft a story better than anyone else, it's Brandon Sanderson. He'll always leave hints to things along the way that you'll never pick up on when you first read a story. Things that will later blow your mind. As always, Sanderson has created a brilliant world with a fascinating and unique magic system that nobody could ever think of. When you spend seven years developing a book, it's going to be amazing.

I highly recommend that you pick up this book in print format, rather than digital. Each chapter begins with a diagram, often depicting something to help the reader to continue to understand Rithmatics, or something of the sort. With a print version of the book, it's easy to flip back to the beginning of any chapter at any time you want to refresh your memory, and I found myself doing that all the time. In addition, it's always easier to check the map anytime you like (which, by the way, is a really cool map).

So what, you ask, is the verdict? Well, The Rithmatist is a brilliant and well-crafted story by one of the greatest storytellers in history. The characters aren't just lovable, they're awesome. In addition, the novel talks place in a fascinating world with a unique magic system that nobody but Sanderson could even think up. I fell in love with the world, and I'm devastated by the fact that the sequel isn't estimated to hit shelves until 2015.

I can safely say I recommend this book. I can safely say you should go buy this book the very first chance you get. Thank you very much.

In his book, The Rithmatist, Brandon Sanderson depicts a 16 year-old Joel who is ready to take on the world. In the prestigious school Armedius Academy, Joel finds himself outnumbered by the people very he wants to become – the Rithmatists. While most would people become bitter toward the students, Joel only finds excitement on the campus.
The Rithmatist is technically in the genre of steam-punk, young adult, and epic fantasy. Because the genres young adult and epic fantasy are together, we seem to think this book might be best suited for ages 14-19. However, that is not the case. Though this book may contain a sketch at the beginning of most, if not all, chapters, The Rithmatist definitely a book all ages can enjoy and not feel the need to read with a child’s mindset.
Just in case you don’t know what the genres mentioned above entail, the definitions are as follows:

Steam-punk: a specific type of alternate history in which characters in Victorian England have access to 20th century technology.

Young Adult: speculative fiction aimed at a teenage audience, often featuring a hero the same age or slightly older than the reader.

Epic Fantasy: tales with an emphasis on the fate of an entire race or nation, often featuring a young “nobody” hero battling an ultimate evil.

I thoroughly enjoyed the time I spent as a couch potato/lying on the ground/ in my bed totally engrossed in The Rithmatist. I thought all aspects of the book were great, however I absolutely love the sketches that help keep you “in the know” during some conversations in the book. My second reason for recommending The Rithmatist would have to be the over-all writing style. As seen by Brandon in most of his other books, he uses the same unique tactics to keep you fully involved in his book, which is an amazing thing!
~Myriad~

Some of Sanderson's post-Mistborn (original trilogy) have been more young-adult fiction, and this one feels like it belongs in that camp. Especially the first half. But as the mystery unfolds into investigation, it quickly becomes engrossing and enjoyable with the usual "build to climax" you expect from Sanderson.

Delightful! I haven't read Sanderson before, but The Rithmatist has neatly hooked me. Without giving any spoilers, here are just a few of my favorite points:

1. Character development. The protagonist has a long journey ahead of him, but the maturity he gains in the course of this book is wonderful.

2. Creativity in world-building. LOVE it. Easily grasped, logical, and delightful from its steampunk technology to its truly interesting "magic" system.

3. I love professor Fitch. To unholy levels. Can't say more or you'll be le spoiled.

There's much more to say, but let me end with this: it's a quick read, fun, and the illustrations make the whole thing even more delightful. Pick it up! You won't regret it.

If you were like me, and you were just wondering through the bargain section of the book store looking for something to satisfy your fantasy itch for the next couple of days and you saw something with big red letters that read "Brandon Sanderson", you wouldn't think twice about picking it up! That is exactly what I did when I saw "The Rithmatist" and I'm so glad I did!

Sanderson weaves together his first Young Adult novel. At the risk of sounding redundant compared with other reviews, this has Sanderson's finger prints all over it. The intricate and satisfying magic system based around chalk and chalk drawings, the mystery of why this magic exists, the motive of seemingly evil chalk beings. All of this is what kept me turning the pages. Through magic of his own, Sanderson made chalk drawings both scary and interesting.

The main character, Joel, I must admit is one of my favorite out of all of Sanderson's characters. Which we all know is saying a lot. Joel is the kind of character that always seems to be out of reach of what he truly wants, but does not come off as the "woe is me" character type. This is a key element for me to root for a character. And let me tell you, I was rooting for Joel with every page.

The rest of the cast was more or less passable for me. While Sanderson did throw in some creativity with character design (such as the old wise mentor is actually a rather flawed character) the rest, was for the most part, rather mundane. In many ways, they almost seemed to just be plot tools to further the story along.

But at the end of the day, this was a wonderful book that I would highly recommend to any fans of Sanderson, young adult fantasy, or chalk.

1) Rating: 4 out of 5 stars

2) Genre: YA Fantasy

3) Synopsis: Chalklings are two dimensional creatures and the wild ones can kill. Rithmatist are the worlds line of defense to stop these wild creatures. When Rithmatist in training start disappearing it takes a nonRithmatist to save the day.

4) Feelings: The one thing I love about Brandon Sanderson is the creativity of his magic. This book doesn't let me down. In fact this book has such complexities that it needed an illustrator.

5) Final recommendation: Good story and great magic. You can't go wrong with Brandon. Pick it up and read it.

Ryan James Burt
Husband, Father, and Writer
http://ryanjamesburt.wordpress.com/

The Rithmatist is the third book I’ve read by Brandon Sanderson (I’m on a bit of a Sanderson binge right now). While different from most of his other works, The Rithmatist is still a fun and worthwhile read.

The Rithmatist takes place on a fictional version of the United States, known as the United Isles. The setting is one I’ve never seen before knows as Clockpunk, similar to Steampunk except that everything is powered by springs and clockwork gears. Joel is the son of a dead chalkmaker who wants nothing more than to be a Rithmatist- someone who has the power to bring chalk drawings to life. Attending school at one of the academies that trains Rithmatists, Joel suddenly finds himself in the middle of a murder mystery when Rithmatist students begin vanishing. With the help of a timid Rithmatist professor and Rithmatist student, Joel must solve the mystery before another child gets kidnapped- or worse.

The first thing you’ll notice when reading The Rithmatist is that it was written for a younger audience than Sanderson usually caters to. Young adult readers, fans of Harry Potter or Percy Jackson, will likely find this book to be written in a style that they can connect with better than, say, Elantris or Mistborn. The worldbuilding is not as prevalent as in his more mature stories, but that’s not necessarily a bad thing. You still get a decent idea of what the United Isles are like, with their spring- and clockwork machines and Old America style of clothing. Also interesting is that the story is not set up as an epic quest, but as a murder mystery.

The focus, like most other young adult stories, is on the characters, which are a bit of a mixed bag. Joel is the fairly unremarkable protagonist. He is the story’s obligatory normal guy who wants to be something special. His attributes, like having an uncanny understanding of Rithmatics, are interesting, but he himself is pretty forgettable. He never says anything memorable or reacts to problems in any way that is unexpected. His mentor, Professor Fitch, was a more memorable character. He’s a great teacher when in a controlled environment, but when confronted he loses his nerve. Much of the story involves him learning to grow a backbone. Melody is the final main character, and she’s a bit hit or miss. Her knack for overdramatics can make her both endearing or annoying, depending on what part of the book it is. I, personally, found her far more tolerable when she manages to calm down and act normal.

As the title would suggest, Rithmatics make up the main part of the story. At its core, it involves two people (known as Rithmatists) drawing lines with chalk to attack each other. However, Sanderson has added in a surprising amount of depth to it. The pages of the book include several drawing of various defenses one can set up, and the theories for drawing chalklings and how they work. The action can get hectic, but Sanderson manages to clearly depict it with minimal confusion. If there were to ever be a real life version of this game made, I suspect it would hold up as strong as other games like Yu-Gi-Oh or Magic: The Gathering.

While other Sanderson books are known for their impressive plot twists, The Rithmatist is fairly straightforward. Yes, there is a plot twist, but it wasn’t nearly as surprising as the ones I found in Warbreaker and Mistborn. This isn’t a complaint, as the story is still told very well, but I found that it was worth noting all the same.

In the end, The Rithmatist was a very enjoyable read. I’ll definitely be picking up the sequel when it comes out. I didn’t enjoy it quite as much as I did Mistborn and Warbreaker, but that’s a case of personal preference. Those who want a rich, fast paced fantasy story that’s different than anything else on the market need look no further than The Rithmatist. Those expecting a quest style story set in a world that could rival Tolkien’s creation may be disappointed, but might still find a story they’ll enjoy.

My thoughts after reading this were "meh." Admittedly, this is a young adults' novel, not a book for older readers so it doesn't have the same depth as other Sanderson novels. Still, there's almost an appalling lack of detail that takes away from what otherwise might have been a rich book. While the characters are well-developed, Sanderson never really gives you the motivations behind the nemesis's actions, a flaw that diminishes the general plot. You also never learn why the main problem was so limited geographically. I don't know if Sanderson plans on providing answers to these questions in subsequent books, but to me, it was frustrating to have so little context. Honestly, not his best work.

This is one of those books that is aimed at the Y/A crowd but can be enjoyed by all ages. As always Bradon Sanderson has delivered a diverse world, a unique magic system and some twists you didn't see coming.
There are times where the main characters can be a bit annoying, but once the plot starts to pick up they develop into an enjoyable crowd to root for. I got this book with the intention of having some light reading during my lunch break but ended up finishing it in a few hours because I couldn't put it down.

This one is flat out weird. It's still got all of Sanderson's trademark style, it's just a really strange concept for a story. I can't picture people drawing complex shapes as quickly as his characters do.

That said, it was still a great book right up until the very end, which I wasn't happy about. Only one twist in the story surprised me (I love being surprised), but all the rest I had seen coming a mile away. Sanderson is usually much better than that. Still, Sanderson at his worst is better than 99% of authors at their best, so I will be reading the sequel.

I will confess that at times I felt concerned that the resolution would be disappointing. It had elements of the student accusing authority figure that appear in Harry Potter and i wondered how it would end that would be interesting.

Most importantly I wanted it to have a satisfying ending. I loath botched endings. It is easy enough to offer up ending which is completely unique but largely fails to be satisfying. This did a great job of having an ending that was both satisfying but that simultaneously offered its own interesting facets.

I greatly enjoyed this book, I wouldn't give it to a kid under 12-14 due to some of the death scenes. I found myself not wanting to put it down. I enjoyed the idea of their version of dueling. Certain things reminded me of the Harry Potter books. However, Harry Potters story is so epic it is likely that many a tale; for years to come; will ring familiar. That said I recommend this book and hope there are more to come. I will re-read this book in the years to come and I know I will enjoy it just as much as I did the time through.

I was initially questioning Sanderson's sanity when I realized that he was describing a world based in 2 dimensions. However, that was quickly displaced by my continued faith in an unbelievable world builder. Riveting, informative, given enough readers and subsequent books, the ability to step up and take the throne that J.K Rowling has with the Harry Potter world and young adults. The only booie, that I have to state is, what a cliff-hanger. I want more...soon. But as a faithful, I mean Mistborn, Way of Kings, SteelHeart, Legion; essentially all of your worlds as they are all amazing, keep them coming.

I'm 42 years old and I read across a wide field of fictional genre, and I have to admit this author has yet to disappoint. I wish growing up that I had this caliber of author to depend on. All of the books, I read were essentially an extended cliff notes version of Tolkien.

in conclusion, WOW

Brandon Sanderson is a Master of his craft and this book is Masterful.

Brandon's books all follow a pattern. He creates a world with very unique (yet organized) properties and at the beginning of the book he outlines a creative magic system. The magic system seems fairly complete, but after exploring the full potential of the existing system, he begins to add new, previously undiscovered magical properties to mix things up a bit. He combines these new properties with the old ones into newer, more powerful magical implications.

It is his formula, but it is always engaging and always fantastic.

Brandon is also a big fan of implementing mystery and "who-done-its" into his books. This is no exception. His twists and turns are masterfully done. He sets you up to assume you know "who did it" and then twists it at the last minute for the surprise.

He ties everything together with wonderful characters. Every person in this book is relatable and exciting in their own quirky ways.

I loved everything about this book.

I also think Brandon was playing a tower defense game when he came up with the concept for this book.

This book has all the hallmarks of a Brandon Sanderson adult fantasy novel: a distinctive magic system which is systematically constructed but only imperfectly known, an outsider protagonist who may or may not be specially magically gifted, and a series of plot twists through the climax that successively change the reader's perception of who the villain is. Sanderson's existing fans should love this. The Harry Potter-ish setup of the poor boy with the special heritage at the magical academy, one suspects, will only bring him new fans in the YA market.

I am yet to read something by Sanderson that I don't love. The Rithmatist is no exception. Although written for a young adult audience, the Rithmatist is a sophisticated weaving of fantasy and mystery.

It is much lighter than Sanderson's adult works, but still has all the elements that make his novels so great. The characters have depth and real personality, the world building is masterfully done, and the plot is complex enough to keep you thinking. Adults and young adults alike should not hesitate to read this novel. As an adult, I loved it and can't wait until he writes more in this world. As a parent, I wouldn't hesitate to give it to my teen to read. It is clean, the violence is mostly second hand (no worse than a good Nancy Drew novel), and the characters are people you would let your kids hang out with.

I had read an excerpt of this book before it came out and was very intrigued. It seemed like a new and interesting idea.
Now I've read the book and I am delighted. It is really fun with well developed characters and a fascinating plot.
The combination of the firm geometry of the Rithmatists' work with the creativity of the chalklings they draw is a wonderful mix of right brain and left brain.
And the real power is shown to be the balanced combination of the two.
Well done, Brandon Sanderson! I eagerly look forward to more.

I love Brandon Sanderson and everything I've read that he has written, so of course when I grabbed this over the weekend I dropped everything and read it in one day.

I enjoyed the illustrations by Ben McSweeney and found that they enhanced the already very interesting magic system that Sanderson has created and really brought it to life. I will spare you with a plot description as you can read that above but if you are looking for an enjoyable and quick read in between all of that epic fantasy this summer definitely check this out. Also with Sanderson set to release Steelheart (the first in another YA trilogy) this fall as well as the second book in The Stormlight Archive, Words of Radiance, I suggest you pick this up soon lest you get behind in all the amazing Sanderson coming to us in 2013! I don't really know how he does it but I am definitely not complaining as everything he is churning out is way above par!

This novel is very good, possibly the best of Brandon Sanderson's novels. I only hope that, if you are younger than 14 year old and you are going to read his other novels, choose them carefully b/c it is geared toward older audience.

His fantasy world, like all of his novels, is very original and clever. The difference between this novel to his other novels is the storyline of this novel develops much faster. Without analyzing this novel too much, I think this is his best work yet, even though he has many other successful novels.

I am a big Brandon Sanderson fan. I've read all of his novels except one(Emperor's soul?). He is, I am guessing, the hottest fantasy writer right now. BUT, This novel will push him into another level, possibly making him into the next JK Rowling...

I really enjoyed this book! I bought it on sale at a whim, and was pleasantly surprised. The magic system is really fun, well explained, and if I was about a decade younger I'd probably have a blast grabbing my sidewalk chalk and pretending to be a rithmatist. I loved the main characters, and the world itself is fascinating -- I'd love to know more about how everything ended up the way it is. Can't wait for the sequel!

I have the full Mistborn series, as well as a few other books by Brandon Sanderson. Until I read The Rithmatist, however, I didn't realize that he had a YA line of books. Surprise!! What I liked most was the unique magic and unique world. I've always been a fan of steampunk, so The Rithmatist, set in a world of "gearpunk"--full of spring and clock works, including the money-system!--just fit right in with my current likes. The characters are well written, the story intriguing, and with just the right touch of teen-angst amid the mystery and magic. I can't wait until book 2 comes out!!

I'm always amazed at the unique world-building Brandon Sanderson does. Every world he creates has such a strange "magic" system that I never even would have considered. I mean, chalk drawings? Yes. It works. It's crazy, but true. I don't know how he does it, but he always comes up with unique worlds.

I really liked this book. I loved Melody. I loved their budding friendship. There are still some unanswered questions at the end of the novel, so I'll try to patiently wait for the next one.

Sanderson has done his typical world building for this book. Set on an alternative Earth, it has enough links to our world to be familiar with enough differences to be interesting.

I call it "lite" because it is obvious that he holds back a lot of information and will reveal much more in future books. Some may be irritated that he doesn't explain everything all at once. But this book is obviously the first of a series (how many does he have running simultaneously now? At least four by my count), and I'm confident that he will reveal much more as time goes on. Patience is required; not all of the questions will be answered by the end of volume one.

While I would argue that the Percy Jackson series is a derivative Harry Potter, the Rithmatist is not. There is no secret society within a normal world and, unlike Potter, Joel is a depressingly normal kid. Additionally, Melody is a loser just as Joel is. Complaining about Melody not being better misses the point. These are NOT the top kids, they're the dregs. And IMO their real failing is that both of them are BORED--not that they're stupid. Neither has the life they want, actually each wants what the other has.

All in all the book has enough twists and turns to keep you interested, the magic system is consistent and provides the energy which drives the story forward, and there is no deus ex machina at the end which makes too many books which involve magic disappointing.

I look forward to the second installment.

Unique, fun, and interesting, this book is captivating for anyone young or old.
The prologue got me invested in this book right away, and Sanderson's compelling characters, well-crafted world and captivating plot kept me reading. I was planning on giving this book a solid 4 stars for most of the book, because although it was great, nothing in particular blew me away in a 5 star way. Until around the last 100 pages. I was on the edge of my seat and could not for the life of me put the book down until I finished it. I obviously won't say how it ended, but the remarkable conclusion left me in love with this book and eagerly awaiting the sequel.

Well, I shouldn't actually be surprised, as I've liked all of his books. The idea of chalk drawings as villains sounded too childlike even for me, and yet, it was really enjoyable and didn't seem childish at all. If you like his books, I recommend it - yet another interesting world and interesting magic. I'm sure it would be great for adolescents too, but I liked it fine as an adult. I'm hoping he continues it as it clearly has room for more books.

This was my first experience with a Brandon Sanderson novel. Our family listened to the Audible version on a trip last month and it was very engaging and exciting to listen to. Brandon has created a very unique world with a magical system that is most creative. Chalk drawings are brought to life by Rithmatists. The book sort of reminds me of Harry Potter style dueling between Rithmatists, and strong intrigue. The narrator did a particularly great job by having unique voices for the different characters. I highly recommend the book.

I've read several novels by Brandon Sanderson (Mistborn trilogy, Warmaker, Alloy of Law, Elantris), so when I saw he had written a YA novel I picked up a copy for my daughter (who is 11, likes fantasy and science fiction, and is generally reading stuff ahead of her grade level when she can). I read the book, as well, and I thought it was pretty standard Sanderson fare (strong world building, interesting magic system, likeable protagonist, somewhat twisty plot), but of course cleaned up and simplified a bit compared to his material that is aimed at adults. Having said that, Sanderson's adult stuff is pretty clean already, so this is just super squeaky clean (but not really complaining about that, since I mostly got it for an 11-year-old).

BTW, my daughter liked it very much.

An absolutely fabulous book that just gets better as the book goes along! Perfect for ages 12-15, this story keeps your interest, has interesting and sometimes entertaining characters, and leaves you wanting more. I only hope there is a sequel coming soon! Highly recommended for fans of the Bartimaeus Trilogy and Harry Potter.

The Rithmatist is a great Young Adult Fantasy book. I'm not one to usually read fantasy books, but this one really grabbed me and sucked me into their world. The book is set during an older time setting (1880's-1900's) and in the American Isles (each state is an island). In the book there is a special group of people called the Rithmatists. These people are able to make their chalk drawings come to life and duel with them. During the span of the book, graduated Rithmatists are fighting the wild chalklings at the Tower in Nebrask. But some get out... This causes Joel, the main character/non-Rithmatist, to become the hero and save the American Isles with the help of his professor and his Rithmatist friend, Melody.

This book is aimed more towards junior high and high school students but i would recommend it to anyone. Once you pick it up you just can't put it down!

This was definitely a different type of read from the fantasy I normally associat with Sanderson, but I loved the gear punk setting and the relatable characters. The whole time I was reading, I kept thinking to myself, I want to play this on oculus or some free platform. This would lend itself perfectly to that kind of adaptation. The ending left a bit to be desired, but I’m hoping for sequels to clear up the loose ends.

I bought this to read with my daughter. I can't recommend it enough. She really enjoyed it even though the book has a slow start. By the time I had finished reading the first couple of chapters to her she was drawing with chalk outside pretending to be a Rithmatist. My daughter is 8 years old and she probably could have read it herself but you can't beat family time by reading a book together at night.

Now Brandon Sanderson is one of my favorite authors, so when I saw he wrote a YA novel I thought "Hey, it's Brandon, it'll be okay." I was wrong. It was not okay, it was awesome. I like his adult stuff better (I am an adult after all), but I think this is better than 80% of the YA stuff out there. It is a real page turner with a lot of twists. I would recommend it for anyone eight and up. Basically, as long as it's not above your reading level, you'll probably like it.
For the parents out there, this is a great book for kids if they don't like violence. There are a few mentions of blood drops at the kidnapping sites and it is mentioned that four people died, but nothing disturbing is shown.

This book was great. I loved the magic of using chalk drawings that come to life. I also enjoyed the alternate history setting; seeing a historical America with magic schools and clockwork machines used everyday was fun. I also liked the characters and cared about what happened to them. I rooted for them in each chapter to solve the mystery and win their battles.

I couldn't really put it down, even though its aimed at a somewhat younger audience. It's engrossing, and entertaining, and makes you think a little about the differences in the gear punk+magic world vs. ours, most explicitly about the location names, but in its history as well.

As always with Brandon Sanderson, he builds an excellent system of magic that has interesting internal consistencies. It's also adorably illustrated, and the in-text illustrations are critical to understanding the storyline.

With all that, my only hesitation is that the best target group for this will be in the same age, and maybe slightly younger, than its protagonist, around 16. For most anybody else, the novel will fly by as a much simpler read than many of his other novels.

Nonetheless I'm very much looking forward to the next book, as some things are left...unsettled.

I seriously loved this book. I could not believed I had it on my counter for at least 6 months. I am so disappointed that it's over because I have to wait for book 2. The action, the characters and plot will leave you with withdrawal when it's over.

Two facts to disclose:
1) I gave Brandon Sanderson's book, "The Way of Kings," a 2-star review here on the store
2) My brother is Brandon Sanderson's literary agent.

Intelligent readers will now realize that my review is honest. If I don't like a book, I'll tell you that.

This book was terrific. Brandon has crafted an exciting, lively tale of magic set in an America comprised of Island States where wild chalk creatures of unknown origin have caused society no shortage of strife and struggle. The people doing the battling are called Rithmatists. Like Harry Potter had to learn magic at Hogwarts and Percy Jackson had to learn about his powers at Camp Half-Blood, kids learn how to become Rithmatists at a special school in this book, and 95% of the action in this book takes place at the school. The magic system is terrific, and should appeal to anyone who likes to draw. The illustrations accompanying the text add greatly to the story, and the pacing is lively. There are lots of battles, secrets, and a solid mystery to unravel. The book is a lot of fun!

It's appropriate for kids from grades 4 and up. The main characters are 16, but they act more like the elementary school students I teach than like my own high-school aged kids.

I love everything Brandon Sanderson writes. He has the ability to create a world where the normal objects and elements of our world are thrown into bright relief -- taking on special meanings. Rithmatist is no exception. If you love fantasy, you must read this book. If you don't like fantasy, read Mistborn by the same author. It might just get you hooked.

OK, so I am a huge Sanderson fan...this story once again has a very creative and well-worked out magical "system". I love it.

This is first of a new series, though it is a pretty good stand-alone story too. (Brandon, I really hope this doesn't interrupt your work on Stormlight!)

I found it a little lighter in tone and subject than Mistborn or Stormlight. I am very protective of my kids and what they are exposed to, but I would be fine with pre-teens reading it (and I think they would enjoy the school setting and teen-aged protagonist).

But a great read. Make SURE you can see the pictures, they are very enriching to the story (showed up fine on my Kindle, so should be OK).

Not a Sanderson fan, but really enjoyed this book. It wasn't scary to me, but might be frightening to the age group...author does a good job making chalk drawings as scary as they can get. Very good plot twists and left me wanting to read the next one. Keep going Sanderson

The amazingly inventive magic system Mr. Sanderson created here absolutely sucked me into this book. The charming illustrations and geometric charts brought this magic to life even more. Throw in a cool revisionist history (and geography!) of the U.S., and I couldn't put it down. I was actually substituting for a high school librarian when I found this book on a new release shelf, and reading it filled of all my downtime moments. Can't wait for a sequel!

Read it the first night I had it!

I am partial to Sanderson's works, even his children/YA works like Alcatraz vs. the Evil Librarians so it wasn't a hard sell for me to get this book.

I had already read some of the chapters in it's earlier incarnation prior to being reworked & finished and have been waiting on this book for years actually.

It is a great magic system, like many that he creates. There are some plot points that scream their eventual purpose (within this novel at least) to me, but others that are a great twist.

Overall a fun, well written book by Brandon Sanderson that I look forward to sharing with my kids someday!

Overview:
Unlike the other reviewer, I HAVE read Brandon Sanderson books before. I've actually read virtually everything that is commercially available by him. But, like her, I was also wary of Mr. Sanderson's adventurous decision to play in the YA sandbox. But I was not disappointed. I must say, though, that I spent the whole book wondering why a magical system based on GEOMETRY was called (A)RITHMATICS. Nevertheless, a wonderful book, in all senses of the word.

A. Plot
In a land of magic,few are chosen to become Rithmatists. These few (1 in 1000), have the ability to form lines of force on the ground using everyday chalk. These lines, with the right modifications, can be used to charge spring-bearing devices, for personal duels, for personal protection, or even to cause harm. At Armedius, a Rithmetic school (the system of chalk-lines and their magical effects are called Rithmatics), students learn the mechanisms and traits of these magical systems, including lines of defense, lines of attack, and lines that create animated, two-dimensional creatures called "chalklings", apparently non-sentient beings that can attack and defend each other, and, in some cases, attack and even kill humans.

Joel, the story's protagonist, is not a Rithmatist. But his every fiber screams out to be one. Born the son of the school's chalk-maker, Joel has spent his entire life studying Rithmatics from a distance, since only a few teachers allow non-Rithmatist students anywhere near their Rithmatist cohort. Joel, seeking some surreptitious way of studying Rithmatics, almost accidentally, he manages to stumble into the center of a mystery at Armedius, as Rithmatic students are disappearing from their dormitory. During the course of the book, he becomes integral to the solution of the mystery.

Surprisingly, there are several plot arcs that are taking place here, (i.e., who is doing it? Why? Will Joel find a way to study Rithmatics? Will he become a Rithmatist? What kind of interaction will Joel and Melody form? What about the feud between Nalizar and Fitch?), but almost all of them get resolved in the course of ~380 pages. Naturally, this being Brandon Sanderson, there is a clear plan for a second (and I would guess, third) book, involving further exploration and characterization of the magic of Rithmatics. That said, this book can definitely stand alone, should you be looking for that kind of thing.

B. Characters
The characters (like the plot) are what make this YA. Which is not to say that they're incomplete characters, or poorly drawn characters. Rather, it is to say that, like many younger people, they are complete, just not completely balanced.

For example, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. The son of the school's chalkmaker, and given free admission to the school as a consequence of his father's death, Joel's express desire is that which so many of his classmates treat so cavalierly. That wish colors all of his actions and his daily worldview. It both forms his greatest strengths as a character (i.e., it gives drive to his determination, his will, and his focus) and it permeates his perspective to such a degree that it also causes some of his greatest weaknesses (i.e., he can be obsessive, inconsiderate, and even selfish). But Joel is also a smart kid. He's observant, if somewhat flighty at times. As I said, he's a complete, just not completely balanced, character.

His counterpart, of sorts, is Melody, considered to be the school's least gifted Rithmatist. From a family of Rithmatists, Melody has grown up being (or at least considering herself to be) a disappointment to her family. As such, she projects a feeling of ambivalence regarding Rithmatics, possibly as a defense mechanism due to her own feelings of incompetence. Despite that, one feels that she holds something of a secret about some of the more mysterious aspects of chalkling behavior, and may be a key to solving the mysteries of Rithmatics.

The characters who are young are obviously imbalanced (in a characterization sense). The older characters, such as the teachers Nalizar and Fitch and Inspector Harding, are also surprisingly unbalanced. In every respect, I anticipate that this is intentional, as Brandon Sanderson doesn't really make characters that feel this way in any of his adult series. Despite this, I would still say that the book is enjoyable to adults.

C. Setting
Come on. It's Brandon Sanderson! Of course it's set in an alternate world that is richly imagined, deeply detailed, and inevitably compelling! What else would you expect?

The alternate world in this case involves an Earth-like planet, although North America (and the rest of the world) have had quite a divergent history from about the period of the Middle Ages on. For example, electricity doesn't appear to have been discovered. Instead, massive springs are used to power most technological developments. For example, North America is not the United States. Instead, it's a largely divisive confederacy of island states (including Nebrask, Georgabama, etc.) that are separated by swaths of water.

The thing about Brandon Sanderson's worlds, part of what makes him such a spectacular fantasy author, is that they WORK. They're not window-dressing. They're integral to the plot and to the politics. And in being so, they elevate his ingenuity as an author.

D. Themes
Fear of the unknown.

There is almost a mild sense of xenophobia (all of the United Isles (the confederacy of Isle States making up the alternate United States of America) seems to characterize all interactions between people of different origins. The chalklings and their foreign nature also inspire some wariness regarding things that are novel or unknown (after all, the original wild chalklings KILLED people, a fact known to most of the people in the book, although the audience doesn't learn this until some way into the story).

Disappointment

For different reasons, Joel and Melody feel like disappointments to their families. This seems like a pretty universal feeling amongst the young, so I am not really surprised. That said, both fight against it in their own ways, which is nice to see in young adult literature.

Hope

Both Joel and Melody hope for better things, both for themselves and for the United Isles. To see that optimism, even in kids that think that they're disappointments, is rewarding.

E. Point of View
The book is told with a limited omniscience, third-person point of view in Joel's voice. It works solidly, since Joel knows a fair amount about Rithmatics, and can give us a good understanding of the magical system, provided that we don't demand to be spoonfed every single answer from the very first moment (and shame on those of you who do cry out for such instantaneous gratification!).

F. Aesthetics
I always include this section, but rarely are there drawings! The drawings themselves are generally workmanlike, and serve their purpose admirably. They're INTENTIONALLY child-like, which is part of what gives this book a youngish-YA feel.

The linguistic aesthetics are also really good, though. The descriptions are solid, and never do they feel like they drag the story down. I would have preferred a slightly older feel, but I completely understand what Brandon Sanderson was going for, and I think that this was pretty good. More advanced vocabulary also would have helped.

Conclusion:
Part fantasy, part coming-of-age, part mystery, Brandon Sanderson writes one heck of a story. Although this is labeled YA, I'd suggest that it is more for kids from 10-15, really, than the 12-18 that the YA label is ostensibly intended to serve. No matter the age range, I'd recommend this to anyone who enjoys fantasy from the age of about 10 and up, depending upon their emotional maturity. (I've already recommended it to several people, and I finished it yesterday.)

Like many readers, I think that there will be books to follow. My only problem with that is that I am already waiting for Stormlight Archive books. Now I've got to wait for these as well!

Tangentially, I will note that, in a strange way, this book felt like a more complete, more balanced, and less polemical version of "The Golden Compass" by Philip Pullman. Partly, I guess, this is because the characters use "Dusts!" as a statement of exasperation (due to the omnipresent chalk dust from the Rithmatists). (Dust was also an important component of that book.) Naturally enough, many reviewers (all of whom I would suggest are lacking critical insight) will say, "It's Harry Potter with chalk." But, that's because they apparently hadn't ever heard of a school for magic until J.K. Rowling came along.

Grade: A

Harkius

Im a constant reader and i absolutely love every sing one of Brandon Sanderson's books. Im sad that he hasnt continued on with this book series yet... i loved the main character and the idea of Rithmatists and Chalklings!! So far with Brandon i have not been disappointed! Actually i now just look up Brandon for new books whenever im in the mood for something new! haha i would highly recommend reading any or all of his novels!.

Really enjoyed the unique concept, Reads well as a stand alone book with decent closure at the end... But I am still disappointed that the next book in the series is 2 moor years away. Sanderson has too many projects going at the same time, and as he is the only fantasy writer I really like write now I find myself waiting for three of his sequels all at the same time.

I'm not much of a fantasy reader, but this was terrific. The author has created a very intricate world of magic that takes some effort to read and understand. He's also thrown some very unique curveballs into the story that have left me excited to read the next book in the installment.

This is a Young Adult oriented outing has all of Sanderson's trademarked elements, compelling and unique magic systems, good plotting, nice characterizations, and wholesome earnestness. The illustrations, by Ben McSweeney, completely integrated throughout the text serve both the story and the interesting pseudo-euclidian magic system. The school setting is pleasant enough, with some interesting social tensions. It was a very quick read as well, while I hesitated giving it a fifth star, I really could not justify to myself slighting the book in that way.

Brandon Sanderson never ceases to deliver, and this is another great story with a lovely twist. Though I found the idea of chalklings a bit silly, the story didn't suffer from it (and keep in mind the audience is not a man in his mid-thirties, but I still enjoyed it).

Although not the target audience for this book, I'm considerably older, I really enjoyed it. As always Sanderson develops characters that you can empathise with and maintains an interesting plot with a few twists to keep you guessing. I'm looking forward to the second installment!

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson is a fantasy book geared toward mainly young adults. Sometimes, we as readers really have to ask ourselves just how the heck does an author come up with such creative ideas? Here with Mr. Sanderson, this guy is nothing short of brilliant. When someone says to let your imagination run wild, he literally takes that to a whole different level. The ideas for his books, especially the different type of magic systems he creates for each, are very creative and never a bore. I really think this author can't write a bad book even if he tried too. If he did though, I would sadly have to say that The Rithmatist would be as close as possible to it. This is one of the more dull books I've read from this author and I've read the majority of what he has to offer. While the idea of a Rithmatist's power is pretty unique and fun to read about, the story here is just below average and has the pace of a snail to boot. Those are never two good combinations. Nonetheless, I've still managed to finish it. Like any good author, they can somehow turn a slow and boring story into a page turner. Go figure.

In The Rithmatist, we follow in the footsteps of young Joel in Armedius Academy. In a world where all the spotlight are on young kids that gets chosen to be a Rithmatist, Joel is anything but that. What he does have is the pure passion for learning Rithmatics. While Joel is able to draw lines and circles with a chalk, he doesn't have the power to make them actually come alive like true Rithmatists. By being in the right place at the right time, events slowly unfold and Joel soon finds himself under the tutelage of a professor Fitch. From there, Joel is tasked with helping to solve the mysterious kidnappings of Rithmatist students. At its heart, The Rithmatist just feels like a lazy mystery novel.

There are many problems I have with this book. For one, the author did a horrible job of describing Joel to its readers. Throughout my reading, I had such a hard time picturing young Joel in my mind because I had no idea how he should look like. I have no idea of what his skin color is, his nationality, hair color, eye color, height or even what he wears. I was waiting for the author to make some references throughout the book to slowly give us more hints on the main protagonist but I got none of that. However, we are constantly reminded that young Melody has red and curly hair along with the mentioning of what color skirt she is wearing.

Secondly, during the beginning of each chapter, the author gives us a picture of sample defenses that can be drawn up in Rithmatics. This gives us the readers a lot more insight and knowledge into how Rithmatics work based on perceived rules of the system. However, throughout a majority of the book, the characters rarely used any actual Rithmatics. This occurs because while Joel is actually very knowledgeable in Rithmatics, he isn't actually a Rithmatist. Melody on the other hand, while she is a Rithmatist, is hardly one of the brightest students in Armedius Academy. In the beginning, I thought it was great being able to see and read of the advantages and disadvantages of each defense circle but after about halfway, I stopped caring. I just knew nothing was going to happen in the next chapter to warrant me studying that Rithmatic defense circle.

The saving grace of this book is obviously not the characters themselves but the actual magic system the author creates. It has a lot of potential yet we hardly got a chance to see it in action save for tiny bits in the end. Rather than getting into the magic system, the author has the characters running around the school campus on various errands and performing mundane tasks. The actual conclusion to the mystery itself here in The Rithmatist is also very unsatisfying. I'm not sure if my negativity towards this book has to do with the intended audience or not but I'm positive that many veteran fantasy readers will come away disappointed after reading this book.

As a personal note to the author, can you please, please, please just focus all your attention on the Stormlight Archive instead and release the second book?!

I REALLY liked this book. I was surprised how well written it was.

The world is engaging and curious. The Main character is believable

The Magic system is inventive and cool.

Highly recommend this book.

Only downside is there is only one so far.

I love Brandon Sanderson, but with each new book, I am convinced that he can't do it again....yet, he does...over and over. The rhythmatist has his classic duo of fantastic protagonist and interesting magic system. Check this out... Well worth your time.

Billed as a story for teens, I found myself "page turning" at the not-so-young age of 43. Brandon repeatedly, unfailingly develops rich worlds in his various books, each with a unique "magic" containing rules and intriguing limitations and this title is no exception.

This book made me pull an all-nighter just to finish. The plot twists keep you riveted and the drawings throughout the book give a clearer image of whats going on. Still, it would have been nice if there was a map of the world. There were also parts that felt unnecessary like making it 20th century steam punk but not really.Also the ending which I won't spoil created a weird cliffhanger that you don't really know how to take. Overall a great read that you should definitely pick up if you have a spare day.

Such an original story line. I loved how you wanted to keep reading to find out more of what was happening. It was like reading a well thought-out mystery novel packaged with a fantasy story line. Definitely worth reading.

I really love Sanderson's Alcatraz vs The Evil Librarians so I thought I might like this book. I didn't, not really. And it's a bit difficult to pin point why. The concept of an alternate earth where people have the ability to create magical drawings was an interesting one, but one that didn't quite flesh out. I spent a great deal of the book confused. Perhaps it needed more of a back story? As for the diagrams of the chalklings, I found them to be more of a distraction and they really didn't help my confusion at all. I never connected in any way with the characters. Yes, I'm a reader that needs to be moved by the characters. I don't have to like them, but I have to be interested in their story.

It's possible that this is simply a story that wasn't meant for me. I think I will just stick with the Alcatraz books.

An excellent story for middle grades. When my sons are older i think they will really enjoy it. As an adult i thought it was a little simplistic ( i was expecting a high school level book) but the story was enjoyable enough that i will read the next one when it comes out.

It was an enjoyable read.
I loved the ending.
There were a couple of cheesy things in the books.
The last handful of chapters definitely made up for them.
I would have loved one more chapter.

Very enjoyable book. I've never been a big YA fan, but I found myself staying up very late to finish this one. There is some Leave It to Beaver style eye rolling dialogue, but then, that's typical of YA so I can't fault the book or Brandon.

Sanderson creates a completely new world and way of life. Immersed immediately at the outset, one has little frame of reference. Yet somehow the story works. Sanderson builds his characters smoothly. The reader becomes invested quickly and as the story develops the reader becomes more deeply invested. One wants to learn more about the characters and their world.

This is an amazing book just when you think our know what's going to happen it doesn't and something even more startling happens which just makes you want to find out more.
It's a great book for all ages and I can't think of any reason someone wouldn't like if. Really.

I went into this book expecting it to be ridiculous, but I was quickly enthralled. This is a beautiful piece of work and my family cannot wait for book two. Speaking of which, how long will we have to wait??

I liked this. The characters were really well done: they were fairly familiar types -- the misfit in the elite academy, only there because his parents were employees; the rebellious rich girl; the bookish awkward professor; the flashy-but-obnoxious sneering professor -- but they were also individuals that had good development and were easy to relate to. The story is pretty dang good, with nice hints of a larger world and a longer series, but it's nicely wrapped up as an individual piece, too; I particularly liked that the main mystery was resolved, and then there was a chapter after that with another resolution to an issue I hadn't even spent much time considering, because I was wrapped up in the mystery -- but I liked that final chapter a lot. It's the sort of thing where, had it not been there, you might have wanted more, but with it, I felt well-satisfied.

No, if I had a problem with this, it was the chalklings. The blurbs and summary made much of the new magic system that Sanderson created, and he does seem to have a flair for that -- but honestly, I didn't think much of this one. It just seems so disconnected from the real world, so artificial and academic; sort of the ultimate ivory tower sort of magic, useful only within the halls of academia. But it isn't played like that in the book: the magicians -- the ones who can draw in chalk and make it magic -- are the rock stars and the respected guardians of the world. Keeping it safe from wild chalk drawings. Two-dimensional wild chalk drawings. I didn't like it. It detracted from what was otherwise a good story, which I would have enjoyed more if it had been a more standard, familiar system of magic, rather than this new system that didn't work for me. So, kudos for the originality, but it didn't make the book better, for me.

The Rithmatist was a very fun, engaging YA novel. I loved the characters, the creative new world, and the magic system. Although the setting was a huge imitation of Harry Potter (ie a school for magically gifted students), there are enough unique twists that make it not feel like a total ripoff.

Another good one from Sanderson. I can't wait for the sequel(s) to this one!

As a Geometry teacher and YA reader, this book was excellent. Very good story, with just the right amount left to the imagination, without the feeling of an incomplete story at the end. Can't wait for the next book.

Great book and really engrossing. But I feel it's important to know that it ends on a "To be continued..." for a sequel that hasn't come out yet. That part disappointed me enough to knock it one star.