The Rithmatist By Brandon Sanderson
Joel is a high-school student who, despite his poverty, attends the exclusive Armedius Academy. He has access to some of the best teachers in the United Isles. Yet he squanders the opportunity to excel at most academic subjects because more than anything, he wants to become a Rithmatist.
Rithmatists are chosen by the Master (or God) at age 8. They can create chalk drawings that are more than just lines on the pavement: the drawings have power and life. Using defensive techniques that they study at school, Rithmatists must learn to defend against chalklings drawn by others. The chalklings are creatures that eat away at Rithmatic defenses and can ultimately kill. When students reach their last year of high school they go to apprentice in Nebrask, where an ongoing war against wild chalklings has been raging for years.
Regular students and Rithmatic students have always kept their distance. But things change at Armedius when a Rithmatic student disappears. When two more go missing, the campus goes into lockdown mode.
Inspector Harding, who is sent to locate the missing students, recruits Professor Fitch as the man to help him understand the Rithmatic aspects of these apparent crimes. Strange new lines have been discovered at the scenes and these could be the key to solving the mystery.
As Fitch’s assistant, Joel becomes involved. Joel understands Rithmatic theory more than most, but he is not a Rithmatist. Melody, however, is a remedial Rithmatic student and may be able to help Joel. As Joel and Melody become acquainted, their skills begin to meld together, taking Rithmatics to another level. But can they really help solve a series of major crimes?
The Rithmatist is a fast-paced and suspenseful novel with an element of fantasy. The very idea of the Rithmatic drawings and the theory behind them is fascinating – unlike any other fantasy novel I have ever read. Joel is an immediately likeable character and readers will be rooting for his success. I couldn’t put it down!