The Rithmatist

Enter a new unique world created by Sanderson, where chalk drawings, called chalklings, come to life when a Rithmatist draws them. Seems innocent enough until you realize those same chalk drawings can strip a person of their skin. Add to that lines rithmatists can draw that shoot across the ground to hit opponents and any defenses they may have set up. And, in the background we have a mysterious island where wild chalklings can be found. An island where rithmatists fight daily to keep them contained. This book lays the ground rules of a new series, taking place at an academy where rithmatists and normal students attend. You're shown the politics between those who are rithmatists and those who are not. In this case the rithmatists are of a higher class and secretive with their abilities. Sanderson also provides pictures of each type of defense a rithmatist can draw in order to protect them from chalkings and attacks from other rithmatists. I appreciated the drawings, as descriptions alone would have lost me. And then we have Joel, a non-rithmatist who can draw every defense form almost perfectly, but they bear no power. He wants nothing more than to be an actual rithmatist, but has to settle for sneaking around to lectures about it. When he begs for a summer elective to study under a Rithmatist, he finds himself as a research assistant to Professor Fitch and right in the middle of a series of rithmatist kidnappings. I love how the main character isn't a rithmatist, so we see him have to go the extra length in creative problem solving. I also found Joel entertaining because of his ambition. Even when hope seems irrelevant, he pushes on to find new solutions. This book does leave a lot of questions to be answered, ecspecially in regards to what is going on with the island of wild chalklings, but I'm sure more will be revealed as the next story unfolds. Can't wait!