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.