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leona's review
adventurous
dark
funny
hopeful
lighthearted
mysterious
medium-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? It's complicated
4.0
The Rithmatist was another solid book by Sanderson that I really quite enjoyed. I initially thought the magic system, based on chalk lines and drawings, was so bizarre that it could never feasibly work or hold my attention. Yet, as I have come to expect with Sanderson, he just executes his ideas so well. The chalk duels and 'fight' scenes were excellently well done, had high stakes and were genuinely exciting. The ending scene with Joel and Melody dueling at the melee, was pretty touching and I loved seeing the pay-off from everything that the characters had learned throughout the book.
The general plot was interesting, although I did guess the thing that was causing the disappearances. But wow. That plot twist right at the end. Nalizar. Wow. Just wow. I can see why so many people have been waiting years for a sequel. That made me so much more invested. I also appreciated Sanderson including an insomniac in his story, as I am sure many people can strongly relate to Joel's struggle.
Joel and Melody were decent characters, although I agree with other reviewers that they really didn't feel like 16 year olds. They acted and talked like preteens, which made it kind of hard to believe that they could outthink / actually make any tangible difference to the investigation. There was also the scene where Joel shows his mastery and skill in geometry in front of his teacher, and I feel like this wasn't really touched on again. Obviously it helps Joel in Rithmatic drawing, but how did Joel get so good? I also felt the plot was a bit slow at times and I struggled to get used to the weird merging of actual / shortened real place names (Nebrask, Texas, etc.) with the strange history. I may have liked to see Sanderson touch on the gender dynamics of this society slightly more as well.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this story. It is definitely on par with Sanderson's other work, despite it being targeted towards a younger audience - a charming little story.
The general plot was interesting, although I did guess the thing that was causing the disappearances.
Joel and Melody were decent characters, although I agree with other reviewers that they really didn't feel like 16 year olds. They acted and talked like preteens, which made it kind of hard to believe that they could outthink / actually make any tangible difference to the investigation. There was also the scene where Joel shows his mastery and skill in geometry in front of his teacher, and I feel like this wasn't really touched on again. Obviously it helps Joel in Rithmatic drawing, but how did Joel get so good? I also felt the plot was a bit slow at times and I struggled to get used to the weird merging of actual / shortened real place names (Nebrask, Texas, etc.) with the strange history. I may have liked to see Sanderson touch on the gender dynamics of this society slightly more as well.
Overall, I would definitely recommend this story. It is definitely on par with Sanderson's other work, despite it being targeted towards a younger audience - a charming little story.
Content Warnings
Minor: Blood, Body horror, Classism, Death of parent, Kidnapping, and Murder
handful_of_frogs's review against another edition
adventurous
funny
mysterious
fast-paced
- Plot- or character-driven? A mix
- Strong character development? Yes
- Loveable characters? Yes
- Diverse cast of characters? No
- Flaws of characters a main focus? No
4.0
Content Warnings
Minor: Body horror, Blood, Murder, Violence, Death, Death of parent, and Injury/Injury detail
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