Tuesday, March 11, 2014

‘The Rithmatist’ by Brandon Sanderson

Book cover: The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
The Rithmatist (Tom Doherty Associates, 2013) marks the Young Adult debut of fantasy author Brandon Sanderson. (Readers may know Sanderson as the author chosen to complete Robert Jordan’s Wheel of Time.)

In the United Isles, a group of bodies that in outline resemble our North American continent, “Rithmatists” can construct drawings out of chalk that have offensive and defensive properties. Their science — and religion — is Rithmatics.

Circles and lines can form protective barriers, while other lines and “chalklings,” two-dimensional figures, can go on the offensive.

A Rithmatist’s chalklings can only affect another Rithmatist’s creations but on the island of Nebrask, Rithmatists hold wild chalklings at bay. These creatures can attack and kill human beings.

As the story opens, a young Rithmatist has disappeared and is feared to be dead. The girl was a student at Armedius Academy on the isle of New Britannia. Rithmatic lines of unknown meaning are found at the scene.

The evidence points to wild chalkling attacks, but how could they have breached Rithmatic defenses on Nebrask?

Joel, a young student who is fascinated by Rithmatics, finds himself embroiled in the mystery: who is behind the growing number of disappearances and what do the chalk markings mean?

The Rithmatist offers an intriguing story in a well-realized “alternate” world. Check it out in physical format through Jackson County libraries, or listen to it as an audio file from Overdrive/Library2Go.

Cross-posted to the Facebook page of Jackson County Library Services

No comments:

Post a Comment

Robust debate and even unusual opinions are encouraged, but please stay on-topic and be respectful. Comments are subject to review for personal attacks or insults, discriminatory statements, hyperlinks not directly related to the discussion and commercial spam.