Review: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

THE RITHMATIST BY BRANDON SANDERSON
Publisher: Tor UK
Format: Audible Audio
Series: Rithmatist #1
Pages: 353
Date Finished: 10.07.15
Rating: 4/5
Summary: More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.

As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students learn 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.

I am so in love with the concept and the world of this book. Sanderson said before that it's about a boy who doesn't get to go to magic school because he has powers, but because his parents work there. The Rithmatist is everything I love about a Sanderson novel--it takes tropes and turns them on their head, all whilst pairing them with a magic system that's so unique I'm convinced Sanderson is some kind of wizard. Crackpot theories sometimes end up true, guys.

The Rithmatist follows Joel, a kid who goes to the same school as Rithmatists, people who can make chalk drawings com to life so they can duel and combat Wild Chalklings--creatures made of chalk that can kill people. Joel goes to this school not because he has the same power as these Rithmatists, but because the head teacher feels like he owes it to Joel's late father, a chalk maker. First things first, I love that this book isn't about a chosen one or someone with power. The Rithmatists are the Harry Potters of the world, whilst regular Joe's like you and me are just like Joel. Whilst it's nice to follow a narrative about someone with a shitload of power, it's so damn refreshing to have a hero I can genuinely relate to.

“We're all freaks sometimes, Melody," he replied. "You're just... well, better at it than most.”

Talking about characters, can we give a shoutout to Melody? I absolutely love her. She managed to complain a lot without being annoying, and all the while be the heart of the book. Whilst Melody is a Rithmatist, she's also one who isn't very good and I love that she wasn't made into Hermione (not that I don't love Hermione because she's one of my favourite characters of all time) just because she's the girl friend in magic school.

“I'm like that," she said. "Wild mood swings. It makes me more interesting.”

This review is basically turning into a love letter to Brandon Sanderson (I'd honestly read the guy's shopping lists), but The Rithmatist manages to be a book about magic school yet not feel like it has anything to do with Harry Potter. I remember reading The Iron Trial by Cassandra Clare and Holly Black last year, thinking that even though it was turning tropes on their heads it just felt like the same thing I'd read again and again (a trio of characters, the girl being the genius, etc...).

If you've read anything by Sanderson before, or even if you've heard of him, you'll probably know that he's famous for his unique magic systems. Unique is a word that gets thrown about a lot, but in Sanderson's case he deserves it. With each world he creates I'm shocked how he manages to come up with it, and the world of the Rithmatists is no different.

I get that you may initially think that it sounds stupid (magic chalk??), but it's logical and strangely scientific. I was completely on board, as well as a little amazed (and horrified that these kids basically have to learn how to draw circles perfectly. That sounds like hell).

“That was terribly thoughtless of you. What good is having friends if they don’t put you in mortal peril every once in a while?”

This book took me ages to get through, only because I listened to the audiobook whilst I was running (okay, I ran that one time and it was horrible) or cleaning. I did enjoy the narration, however I think that it would have been better to read in traditional form because the book had diagrams, and it's not the same listening to the narrator describe what they depict. The reason it got four stars because of five was because whilst I really enjoyed this book, I didn't love it enough to listen straight through.

I also want to talk about the mystery. From the outset I knew that Sanderson is a cheeky little bugger, and that whoever the killer was wouldn't be who you'd expect. I don't want to spoil it, but I was dead set on the murderer being one particular character, and had a very slight inkling about another. My inkling was right, though if I'm honest I didn't trust anyone and there were a host of people I could've blamed. Damn you Sanderson--I was so convinced that it would be this one character. So damn convinced.

“It's going to be painful." 

"It's a fun tradition." 

"So was witch-burning," Melody said. "Unless you were the witch.”

Brandon Sanderson is religious himself, and there was an element of religion in The Rithmatist. I remember Sanderson saying once in one of his writing lectures that he hates it when someone writes a character with the same viewpoint that he does, but makes the character really stupid. It was wonderful that despite the slight religious themes, it wasn't forceful.

I was brought up Christian but identify as an atheist, and despite Sanderson's own beliefs this book didn't make me feel stupid/wrong at all. Actually, there was one scene where Joel debated over whether he believes or not and I thought it was a really nice addition. I really respect an author that manages to represent beliefs that go against his just as well as his own. He's not telling you what to believe, not one bit. I'm of the belief that an author has every right to express their religious beliefs in a book and that doesn't bother me at all, but it was nice not to feel alienated because I disagree. Don't get me wrong, this was such a minute part of the story, but I thought it was worth a mention.

“I don't know what to say," Joel said. "I figure that if you are there, you'll be angry if I claim to believe when I don't. The truth is, I'm not sure I don't believe, either. You might be there. I hope you are, I guess.”

On the whole, The Rithmatist was a solid read filled with a wonderful cast of characters (I particularly loved Florence as one of the minor characters), a richly imaginative world and a concept which I loved. I didn't love the book on the whole, but I liked it enough to give it four stars and I would definitely recommend it.