Book Review: The Rithmatist

First of All: You knew it was coming.  As huge a Brandon Sanderson fan as I am, it was only a matter of time before another one of his books showed up here.  I heard of this book from my awesome Grandma, who gave it such a stunning recommendation that I had to read it immediately, and honestly, I couldn't put it down.  Such was my fascination with this book that I was up until 3 A.M. on a school night, gripped by this stunning tale.  I'm probably giving away some of my review here, but the sheer amount of awesome in this book is going to bleed out onto the entirety of this post, so just go with it. Also, this book has some pretty heavy steampunk in it, and if you don't know what that means, then check out my description over on this other post here.

Second of All: The book!
Set in an alternate version of Earth, The Rithmatist takes place on the United Isles, which is basically the USA, except that it's made up of a bunch of islands in the shape of states that are all chilling where we know America to be in our world.  Other countries seem pretty much the same geographically, but have different names in some cases (i.e. Mexico is now the Azteca Empire or something).

In this alternate world, technology has evolved along the lines of clockwork, making everything run with gears and cogs.  Surprisingly, this technology has advanced enough to where functioning, semi-thinking robotic creatures are working all by clockwork. Fascinating stuff.  The biggest difference, however, is that much of society revolves around a magic-like power called Rithmancy, which enables certain individuals to manipulate energy with a very mathematical system of drawing chalk lines on the ground.  Based in geometry, this system uses several different kinds of lines: Lines of Warding, which create a protective circle around the Rithmatist; Lines of Forbiddance, which create tangible force fields; Lines of Vigor, used to attack other Rithmatists at a distance, and Lines of Making, which are used to create two-dimensional creatures named Chalklings, used to defend or attack.

The story follows Joel, a sixteen-year old boy whose passion for Rithmancy has led him to study everything he can get his hands on, despite the fact that he is unable to perform it himself.  After witnessing a Rithmatic duel where an upstart new professor claims the tenure of an aging Rithmatic scholar, Joel is embroiled in a startling series of events as more and more Rithmatists begin disappearing without a trace.

Third of All: The Review!
I'm going to say this once and for all: Brandon Sanderson is the King Midas of contemporary fantasy.  Everything he touches turns to gold.  This story was full to bursting with dynamic, powerful characters, intrigue, real-feeling society and politics, social tensions, and witty, clever dialogue.  As with all of his stories, Sanderson invents new and incredibly creative ways of doing "magic" that feel completely real.  The system of Rithmancy portrayed in the book follows its own rules amazingly, and is based on legitimate mathematical concepts which give it even more of a tangible effect.

The story is endearing, powerful, terrifying, and yet still incredible.  Plot twists and heart-stopping encounters punctuate the real-world struggles of a poor family and struggling scholars, mixing it with a supernatural detective story whose clues--scattered through the entire book--aren't recognized until the intense climax at the end.

The only thing I can see which might be a downside to this book is the spooky nature of the disappearances and the antagonist.  There was some pretty creepy stuff that happened toward the end, which didn't bother me as it worked well with the story's buildup.  For those who can't stand that kind of thing, however, it might be a bit of a problem.

Overall, this book was stunning and fantastic, with a fantastic story that keeps running until the very last page.  I give it a Six out of Six Nerd Stars.

Video Game Review: Dishonored

First of All:  I heard about this game from two of my good friends: the aforementioned awesome friend who exceeds me in all things Nerdism, and another equally awesome friend who is a Guru in all things video games, both of whom gave it such a stunning recommendation that I figured I'd give a try.  And recently, the Steam game-hosting program had one of their infamous bank-breaking sales, and Dishonored showed up, so I bought it for a whopping 75% off.

As a preface, I'd like to give a crash course in another obscure genre named Steampunk for those of you who don't know about it.  Some people are really into it, and that's totally cool, but it's not quite my thing.  The basic premise of Steampunk is an alternate universe where British Victorian society had continued on indefinitely, with a Queen as the ruling matriarch and lesser Lords, Barons, Counts, etc. as the upper class, and lower-class citizens living in a very Dickensian style.  In these alternate worlds, technology revolves around steam-powered engines and clockwork, though sometimes basic electricity plays a part as well.  It has a very distinctive look, which has very old-time British clothing styles, which are embellished with goggles and all kinds of copper piping and valves, and lots of seemingly superfluous lenses and dials everywhere.  Here's a picture to give you an idea:

(All credit to the dude in the picture, though I don't know his name)

Second of All: The game!
Dishonored is set in an alternate version of England called Dunwall, where there's currently a Bubonic-like plague carried by rats in the city.  The Empress has entrusted her bodyguard (called the Lord Protector) named Corvo, who the player controls, with a mission to travel to other countries to see if they have found a cure.  As the game starts, Corvo is returning unsuccessfully home by boat.  As he meets with his love, the Empress, and her daughter Emily (who may or may not be Corvo's daughter), they are attacked by teleporting assassins, who murder the Empress and kidnap her daughter.  They teleport away without a trace, leaving Corvo alone with the corspe of the Empress as the guards barge in.  Corvo is arrested and thrown into prison for six months, during which time the former advisers take power in the city.  Corvo is sprung from prison by a group of people loyal to the royal family line, who want Corvo to help them find Emily and restore her to the throne.

Not long after this, Corvo is visited in dream by a shadowy entity known as the Outsider, who gives him a mystical glyph on the back of his left hand, enabling him to use otherworldly powers.  The Outsider's motives remain shady, and he simply gives the explanation that it will be "interesting" to watch Corvo's actions in the days to come.  Armed with blade, gun, crossbow, and mystic powers, Corvo sets out to right the wrongs inflicted by the usurpers and find Emily.

Third of All:  The review!!
This was a fantastic first-person stealth action game, with a lot of original gameplay factors and ways to play.  The powers and gadgets available to the player are varied and versatile, letting the player choose in every aspect of the game.  They can steer Corvo into the midst of the enemy, guns blazing and swords hacking, leaving nobody alive; or the player can use any of the hugely varied terrain to sneak in and out without anybody ever knowing he was there.  The events in the game will play out differently as well, as the more chaos that the player causes will have adverse affects on the state of things as a whole. The ending of the game is entirely dependent on the player, too, which was a factor I immensely enjoyed.  Playing through with minimal enemy casualties resolves in a very positive and uplifting turn of events, whereas a high body count turns the ending much darker.  I approved of this game mechanic, as it forces the player to see the consequences of their actions.

As a purely superficial note, I rejoiced most over one thing: ledge-climbing!  Finally a game where you don't actually have to leap above a surface to reach it!  If it's eye-level or lower, then Corvo will actually pull himself up onto the surface.  I was a happy camper.

The stealth and combat systems are very well polished, and the player is free to either barrel through the story, or explore and enjoy the handful of sidequests and hidden items which give the world a very real depth.  Books are littered around the game, giving the player greater insight into the history and workings of this well-crafted world.

There are some aspects of the game that I didn't like, however.  Firstly, I didn't realize that it had a M (mature) rating until halfway through the game, so I didn't see some of the content coming.  There is a lot of blood and death, some inflicted by the player, but the a lot being a byproduct of the plague that is ravaging Dunwall.  There are some mature themes, such as corrupt politicians and their moral wanderings, some strong language, and sexual themes and references--though no actual scenes of sexual acts are shown.  More conservative players might want to stay away from this game if you have a more sensitive temperament.

Overall, I loved the story and gameplay of this game, but was a bit turned off by some of the content.  I give it a Four and a Half out of Six Nerd Stars.