The Rithmatist / Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist

by Brandon Sanderson

fantasy, subadult, steampunk

copyright 2013

read in June 2017

rated 8/10: really quite good

I thoroughly enjoyed this book! Then I read it again -- and enjoyed it again! As the author says in an afterword, it's "fun" :-)

There's a bit of a "Harry Potter" feel to it: boy who doesn't fit in at magic school, smart girl who fits in even less, supportive teacher and headmaster and possibly-evil teacher. The students are aged at Harry-book-six but the plot is more book-two level...

Enough of that! There's a Potter feeling but this book is its own creation.

The book is complex yet shallow... the complexity is in the magic. It's a form of magic that I have not met before. I'd say a "new" form but that's just, "as far as *I* know" :-)  The story itself has detail and development -- it's an enjoyable story -- with no great challenges for the reader.

btw: The complexity of the magic was one reason for my second reading. The author has put a lot of effort into the logic of the magic. My second reading helped me to understand -- and appreciate -- that logic.

And my category of "steampunk"... The author claims "gearpunk". I can see where he's coming from but has he just invented the term?! I'll stay with the term that I believe that I understand :-)

The book includes a few positive life lessons. The hero does a bit of growing up, of learning maturity and consideration. These lessons are given to the hero -- so that they are read by the reader. Not to worry, there is no moralistic intrusion on the reading pleasure. Just a couple of conversations where we learn, along with the hero.

The characters are all very likeable. Even the chief villain is not truly evil... In fact, I'm wondering if a future book will have the chief villain gaining understanding and joining the goodies...

And yes, there is clearly a series in the making. This book is an excellent book, all by itself. And when I finish reading -- completely satisfied that the story is complete -- I still hope that another book will follow.

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Dr Nick Lethbridge / Consulting Dexitroboper
Agamedes Consulting / Problems? Solved.
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"There's always one more imbecile than you counted on." … per Ginger Meggs