Review : The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
Pages : 378
Genre : YA, Fantasy
Series : The Rithmatist, book 1
My Rating : 4.5/5
From the back of the book :
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.
My Thoughts :
As always when reading a favorite author, I went into The Rithmatist with a bit of trepidation; would I discover a new fantastic world or be sourly disappointed? With such an original premise and Sanderson’s talent for complex worldbuilding, I was hoping for some magical reading candy – but I did not expect to find so many things to love! There were three things that really stood out for me in The Rithmatist, and would have me recommend it:
One : Adventure, not romance! How incredibly refreshing is that? I have a hard time thinking of many fantasy/paranormal YA novels that don’t include romance as a main ingredient. Here, Sanderson focuses on the friendship between Joel and Melody, and other than Joel observing that Melody can be sort of pretty, there’s really no hint of some romantic interest between the two. Maybe it will come, but for now, being witness to their new friendship was heartwarming and entertaining, and it felt natural rather than forced.
Two : A unique magic system (and consequently, a unique worldbuilding). It was so fun to imagine all these Rithmastists drawing their Warding lines and Chalkings and such! The magic Sanderson created is strongly visual, which is also helped by the illustrated instructions preceding every chapter. It was exciting and scary at times, and rich in history, too. There is much more to discover in the books to come for sure, yet I felt very satisfied with what we have already learned.
Three : Thumbs up to Brandon Sanderson for not dumbing down his story for YA readers! I’m always a little wary of writers who suddenly start writing for teens after a lifetime of adult novels, but Sanderson clearly knew what he was doing here. The plot is intricate and intriguing, the worldbuilding complex, but the characters really are teenagers acting and thinking like teenagers. Joel does a lot of growing up already in this first book, and Melody is opening her eyes to the world, too. Was it as good as Mistborn? Ha, I wouldn’t say, but then that’s different categories, isn’t it? I can’t really compare an epic adult saga to a YA novel, but I will say that as far as YA novels go, this one was excellent.
All in all, you can tell that I had a great time with The Rithmatist! And you know what it reminded me of? Harry Potter. It is not something I say lightly, being the Harry Potter fan that I am; but something about this boy going on an adventure with his friends, facing a strange magical world, really reminded me of when I first discovered Hogwarts all those years ago! It’s also a book that, by its focus on adventure, magic and friendship, could both be enjoyed by young girls and boys. It’s unfortunate that the sequel isn’t out already (especially considering how it ends!), but I have no doubt this is a book I’ll be rereading. Can’t wait to see what happens next!
The Rithmatist wasn’t part of my original R.I.P. challenge reading list, but I suddenly felt inspired to read it, and it turned out to be a great pick for the occasion! With its creepy chalk creatures, its unique magic and an adventure that surprises you constantly, it was a perfect read for the longer evenings fall brings.
The fact that the book was decorated with illustrations of those creepy Chalklings only made the story more immersive. If you haven’t read it already, the time has come!
I admit, I wasn’t as enthused about this book as you. I liked it, but I felt like it was far more middle-grade than YA (Joel acted more like he was 12 rather than 16 to me), and I wanted MORE in the world-building. I loved the concept of Rithmatics, but I wanted MORE and hope to get more in the sequels. I loved Melody, though. Joel got a bit annoying in the beginning, with his obsessiveness, but Melody was a blast. 😀 Loved her. All in all, I thought it was a solid book, but not one of my favorites by Sanderson.
My boys, on the other hand, loved it. We just finished reading it out loud yesterday. Laurence, in particular, loved it. He’s 9 but reads a bit older than himself, and it was the perfect pacing and level for him.
One note: Brandon Sanderson has been writing children’s novels for quite awhile. I haven’t read his Alcatraz series, but my kids have read and loved them all. So he’s not QUITE new to the age group, though of course he’s writing older in the Rithmatist than he does for Alcatraz. 🙂
This book wasn’t on my radar at all, but you make it sound very tempting! Will keep this in mind for HP fans in my family. Great to hear the writer doesn’t talk down to his readers. Sounds perfect for fall!