Order “The Rithmatist” HERE
Read An Excerpt HERE
The Rithmatist (published May 14, 2013 via Tor Teen) is a new YA
fantasy with a steampunk flavor by Brandon
Sanderson, and it's utterly engrossing. Because it's
a Sanderson book, I feel like it
almost doesn't even bear mentioning any more that there's an inventive new
magic system with well-defined rules. There are also drawings and diagrams
between each chapter, presumably our protagonist Joel's notes to himself. While
reading them in-depth isn't necessary to understand the plot, they definitely
added to the mood of the book.
Although Sanderson's magic system has clear
rules, he doesn't let those limit the story, and he stretches and breaks them
when necessary. I appreciated that intuitive and clinically scientific
approaches to the magic were both completely valid.
The premise of The Rithmatist felt in a lot of ways
like a reaction to his Alcatraz
series, where one character knows everything about magic use but can't do
anything about the fact that she was born unable to use it. This book plays
with the same idea—wanting something so badly and putting in all the effort in
the world and yet still lacking the talent—but takes it in a different
direction. I can't wait to see how he explores this.
Sanderson nailed the tone of how teenagers think
and behave. Our protagonist Joel is
absolutely brilliant—so brilliant, in fact, that he has difficulty doing the
work and has nearly flunked out more than once. Joel's approach to school, and life, really rang true, and he's a
different kind of protagonist than I'm used to reading. Within the school
setting, there were also some interesting thoughts on bullying, talent, class
interactions, and the purpose and value of education. The school administrator
was actually one of my favorite characters.
I have to say
that I never really had a clear sense of the setting. The story mentions a place called “Georgiabama”
(really), and there's a lot of states that are similar to our world yet not
quite exact (“Maineford,” “Nebrask,” etc.), almost like an exercise in creating
place names. There's also apparently a giant Korean empire, which is cool, but
I really would have liked a) a map and b) a little more historical background
on how our characters' world came to be. I did like a lot of the intercultural
elements, like Joel's observations
on “authentic” Italian food or the normality of eating a ham and kimchi
sandwich. We get a lot of clues about the world through what Joel eats and reads.
The ending felt
kind of abrupt, but I actually liked it; the story stopped in exactly the right
place. There's no denouement, really; it pretty much ends with an action scene.
I appreciated that the story about the legendary duel from the very beginning came
full circle at the end. Brandon
Sanderson wrapped up the plot of The
Rithmatist, but still left plenty for a second book to deal with. I can't
find anything conclusive about a sequel, but I am hopeful.
NOTE: The Hardcover edition features a map which will be helpful to all readers.
12:00 AM | 
Posted by
Robert |
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2 comments:
I thought the ending was sharp too and would have liked a smoother landing. Still, I thoroughly enjoyed "The Rithmatist" and appreciate the insight into the teenage mind.
There's a map on Brandon Sanderson's website... http://brandonsanderson.com/books/the-rithmatist/the-rithmatist/rithmatist-maps-and-illustrations/