Background
Published in 2013, The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson is a young adult fantasy novel set in an alternate United States called the United Isles. In this world, a unique branch of magic called Rithmatics allows trained individuals to bring chalk drawings to life for both defense and combat. Joel, the “chalk-maker’s son”, is fascinated by Rithmatics but was never chosen to receive its powers. Instead, he studies the art obsessively, hoping to understand its secrets. When students at Armedius Academy begin disappearing under mysterious circumstances, Joel teams up with a struggling Rithmatist student, Melody, and Professor Fitch to investigate. As they uncover dark secrets about the nature of Rithmatics and the dangerous creatures called Chalklings, Joel finds himself at the center of a conflict that could change his world forever.
My Thoughts
This was a fun read and a new take on Sanderson’s “investiture” in the drawing of 2-dimensional images that come alive to protect or fight. Also, a fun take on what would happen if this power was given to the British government a few hundred years back. There were a lot of quasi-world references like stir fried spaghetti, St. Michelangelo, and so on.
The door was left wide for more books to be written, but there don’t seem to be any coming. Unlike the other standalone Sanderson novels, this one didn’t have anything to cross over into the greater Cosmere, or perhaps I just missed it.
Recommendation
Still a fun read.