Popular Post Two McMillion Posted February 8, 2014 Popular Post Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 Sanderson's non-Cosmere works seem to get short shrift among his fans sometimes. It's not hard to see why. Sanderson has constructed this vast, teeming world of secrets and magic, shards and chasing Hoid around the galaxy, and I love it as much as any other fan. Yet for all that, I think I can say this truthfully: The Rithmatist is my favorite Brandon Sanderson book. Favorite? Sure. The Way of Kings is vast and sprawling, a remarkable achievement that I've no doubt is destined to be placed alongside Lord of the Rings and Wheel of Time as classics of fantasy. And it is a wonderful book- make no mistake. But it's just the start of the Stormlight Archive, just the beginning of bigger and better things. It's not like The Rithmatist. Mistborn brings us to world that turns fantasy tropes on their head, gives us the best magic system fantasy's seen in years, and brings ever-increasing stakes to resolution with three twist endings. But it's not like The Rithmatist. Alcatraz is pure humor and a delightful romp, a model I've studied for my own writing. But it's not like The Rithmatist. Why do I like The Rithmatist? There are lots of reasons, of course. I love the setting- steampunk, alternate history, and humankind holding out against an advancing evil. The magic, where chalk and drawings come to life in a fantastical RTS. The expectations turned on their heads- Hardin, you double subverted trope, you. But most of all, I think I like The Rithmatist because of Joel. You see, Joel is a fairly normal kid. He's a smart kid, the kind I like to read about. But he's not magical. In this he differs from most of Sanderson's other protagonists: he has no superhuman powers of his own, and is forced to rely on his wits to save the day. Which he does. Multiple times. Do you know how refreshing it is to see that in fantasy? To see a hero survive by his wits and not his powers? I love that. It's fundamentally the story of an underdog, and of course we love underdogs. But Joel also wants to be a Rithmatist. He wants it more than almost anything. I think most geeks can relate to this- don't we all want to run with Sazed on the walls, to fly with Vin on dropped coins? Isn't that why we read fantasy? But Joel's desire is especially personal to me. You see, I spent most of my early life almost obsessed with the idea of gain superpowers by some means. Magic, mutation, invention, it didn't matter- I just wanted SOMETHING. You might not have guessed it to look at me, but my nine, ten, eleven year old mind was always plotting some way to become something more than human. Puberty seemed like the best way, I thought. That was when the X-men always got there powers. Puberty came and went as expected, and no powers were forthcoming from it. Would you believe that through my teenage years, in some part of me, that desire never died down? It's true. Even as it become less and less likely, that desire never quite vanished. It's really not dead today. All you have to do to is give me a book where someone has an interesting power, and I'll spend hours contemplating life with that power. Days. Thinking about how I'd use it, what I'd fix with it. Normal? I doubt it. But that's me. I think Joel would understand that part of me. I think he'd understand what it means to have some part of you that wants to be something more, some part of you that won't rest until it has had its taste of power. Joel knows about that; he feels it every day. But Joel never lets his sense of desire hinder him. He doesn't let what he can't have wear him down. And more than that, he's not ashamed to let that part of him be. He studies Rithmatics. He loves Rithmatics, even though he knows he'll never have them. Why? Because that's who he wants to be. He's not defined by what others say he has to be, not limited by the strict dreams that everyone else wants to impose on him. No; Joel is his own man, at his core. I sympathize with Joel's frustrations, too. All these people around him, all these people with the gift of Rithmatics, and they never seem to love it, only seem to waste it- that's a feeling I've felt many times. We're given so much, and at times we do so little with it. Sometimes I want to scream; I think Joel would scream with me. And then sometime we're given the chance to get what we've always dreamed of- as Joel was, when he went into the booth in church- and we don't get it. Sometimes we fail. Sometimes our dreams crash and burn and leave us without any pieces to pick up. Life is that way sometimes. Joel would understand. But it's the ending that seals the deal for me. The moment in the tournament where Joel and Melody step into the ring, when their diverse skills come together into a single, sweet note of triumph, where everything that Joel loved becomes the key to his victory in a way he couldn't possibly have expected- that's the real kicker. It's the moment when Joel realizes that he's not a Rithmatist, that maybe he'll never be one- but yet, it's still all right. Because I think that's the real message of The Rithmatist. It's the idea that even if you never have everything you want, you can still have everything you need. It's the triumph of sheer normality in world that seems set against it. It's the victory of the underdog that we all long to see even if it's not the way we expected to see it. It is, in other words, a victory of the finest kind- a victory of the small man, a victory of the normal man. That's what I had to learn growing up. You're never going to be Vin. You're never going to be Sazed. You're a normal human being, and you're going to be a normal human being all your life. And that's okay. There are still triumphs, there are still victories, there are still wonders and gifts for you, too. You're a human being, and that's all it takes. My name is Mike, and I am a normal person, the kind it seems like the world has it out for sometimes. My name is Mike, and I am facing the challenges of life without powers or magic to get me through them. My name is Mike, and as far I'm concerned, it's going to be enough. 61 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
11thorderknight Posted February 8, 2014 Report Share Posted February 8, 2014 I don't know about "favorite", I think comparing Rithmatist to Stormlight Archive is like comparing a painting to a song; two art forms that are so different that no comparison, aside from personal preference, can be made. That said, I think Brandon's shorter novels and short stories are outstanding, and don't get nearly the praise they deserve. Although I love Way of Kings as a great example of the epic saga genre, the works of Brandon's that most impressed me with his skill as a writer were Legion, and Defending Elysium (short story available on his website). The latter, especially, packs so much style, thought, and philosophy into such a small piece that it's incredible. In general, I think the short story/novella form is very under-appreciated. They don't sell copies by themselves, so they're always either published in a magazine by an author just starting out, or diluted in an anthology collection. But when they're done right, they can develop amazing characters, tell a great story, and do it without having to invest in the massive world-building that a lot of big novels get bogged down by. For example, a long time ago I read the Thomas Covenant chronicles by Stephen Donaldson, and although they're considered a classic of fantasy, I wasn't that impressed. But I stumbled across a short strory/novella by Donaldson called "Daughter of Regals" and it to this day remains one of my favorite fantasy pieces ever. 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dayman Posted April 1, 2015 Report Share Posted April 1, 2015 I liked the book, but I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a book called "Sanderson does Harry Potter." Can't say it was my favorite for reasons explained by that comment...but it was good. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Unhinged Posted April 4, 2015 Report Share Posted April 4, 2015 I liked the book, but I couldn't help but feel like I was reading a book called "Sanderson does Harry Potter." Can't say it was my favorite for reasons explained by that comment...but it was good. Hmmm Now I loved the Rithmatist because it felt so much like Harry potter Especialy Nalizar being almost a carbon copy of Snape It made the twist ending so much more satisfying when Nalizar turns out to have been behind it all along, that was just so beautifully done. I never suspected it, because Nalizar was so obvious throughout the entire book that I kept thinking to myself there's no way it's him, Brandon wouldn't give us such an obvious villain and then after he's completely above suspicion he reveals that he's been hiding in plain site 4 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Plaeggs Posted December 18, 2015 Report Share Posted December 18, 2015 Dude, two mcmillion, keep lovin' it. Stay real, this is freaking touching. (As the vernacular goes) 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Your3rdShadow Posted March 22, 2016 Report Share Posted March 22, 2016 Beatifically laid out McMillion. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KnightRadiant Posted May 17, 2016 Report Share Posted May 17, 2016 That totally puts it into perspective. Thanks dude I love The Rithmatist. It was how I found out about Brandon Sanderson and the Cosmere. You could say that without The Rithmatist, I wouldn't be typing this right now. Your words were beautiful, and I totally agree with them. Joel is a relatable, fun, and believable character, and your description gave him new meaning for me. We dream of the supernatural. Sometimes we hope for it too. And it is invigorating--refreshing even--to read a fantasy novel like The Rithmatist, where the character is just like us. Thanks for making my day McMillion. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Renoux Posted August 2, 2016 Report Share Posted August 2, 2016 (edited) Thank you! I have said before that the Rithmastist is one of my favorites, and I just got a blank stare, like "Huh? What do you mean of course the Stormlight Archive is the best, and what was the Rithmastist about anyway?" On April 3, 2015 at 11:51 PM, Unhinged said: Especialy Nalizar being almost a carbon copy of Snape. That quote about Nalizar being "A man who no one liked, but who people thought had a good heart". I thought, "Oh, that's Snape, except he's actually bad!" The whole charecter and everything is just like Snape. Edited August 2, 2016 by Renoux 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
CarolaDavar Posted August 18, 2016 Report Share Posted August 18, 2016 You know, this actually gave me a whole knew look at life. I do the same thing as you, but not with super powers, with more natural abilities. Something like really good art skills, or finally knowing how to write the rest of the tenth chapter in my story. Thankfully for me I can probably get that with practice, where Joel will probably never. But in that sense, I still sympathize with Joel, and with you. Thank you for writing this, it made my day. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ram433 Posted December 21, 2016 Report Share Posted December 21, 2016 you TRAGICALLY left out the best part of the whole book! 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
A Budgie Posted December 23, 2016 Report Share Posted December 23, 2016 Now this has really gotten me thinking about this book. This was my own first Brandon Sanderson book: after reading it, I realized that the author that had written this had also written Mistborn, which I had heard about from a friend. I have this book to thank for being here. The book is great for reasons already outlined, plus one that hasn't really been mentioned yet: the magic system. If you look at the magic systems from other books, they sound like they're going to be very amazing and clever and visually awesome to watch in a lot of cases. Mistborn? People flying through the sky, able to shoot coins, grow insanely strong...check. Stormlight archive? People glow, can fly around, create illusions, transform things...check. But The Rithmatist uses a magic system that, to put it bluntly, is fighting by drawing chalk on the ground. And yet, this magic system that could be (and probably has been) sneered at for having such an odd basis is amazing in this book. I honestly think this book is underappreciated. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Lord Bookwyrm Posted May 11, 2017 Report Share Posted May 11, 2017 Ok, you're probably gonna look stupid and everyone's gonna laugh at you. Deep breath and The Rithmatist actually sounds a lot like my life. I like reading books but my parents won't let me. I also want to write books, and I can make really good plots, but when it comes to actually writing the story, it's actually cr*p. Joel likes rithmatics, but since he isn't a rithmatist, he can't study it, nor can his lines come to life. In the end, Joel draws lines and Melody, who can't draw lines, traces them and they come to life. They fill in each other's weak points. I, in the future, will probably help someone write a book, who is rubbish at making plots but makes amazing stories. Am I Joel, but in real life? Now everyone thinks you're weird. Thanks, me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
iamstick Posted May 14, 2017 Report Share Posted May 14, 2017 Mike TwoMcmillion, I just recently read this and loved it. Thank you so much for summarizing why being human has its own dignity and can be its own superpower. Not only does the Rithmatist have Magic Turtle Graphics (and who cannot love like that), it really is the Anti-Hogwarts. However those Rithmatists are chosen, most have little skill or interest in fundamental geometry, the basis of their magic system. Classes are long, tedious, and boring taught by teachers whose primary qualification is not love of the subject or ability to teach but desire for the status and position that tenure provides. There's 10 years of indentured servitude once students graduate. Their society knows about them and their magic but doesn't trust them and resents them. There's no "boy who survived" hero and magic fart candy. The Rithmatist offers an unusually gritty magic world despite details that sparkle in the background: the applied magic of chalking-driven steampunk engines and a wonderful North American continent made up of islands and Sweet and Sour Lo Mein as Italian cuisine. The hero is a muggle with a gift of mathematical ability and (this is the really best bit), he has to work really hard to master his subject. I loved when he looked self-critically at his early attempts at the 9-point defense and was able to critically analyze it, to see how he's improved since then. He's constantly reading and studying and improving his knowledge and understanding, even as the class system keeps him walled off from that enticing library just a few steps away from his normal life. I loved the uncomplaining efforts of his mom, who with her husband, had a dream, took a gamble, lost, and accepted the consequences of making adult choices with adult risks. That is so unbelievably rare in fiction. Yes, his father's work and efforts paid off but only after eight years of both sadness and her self sacrifice. I love how Joel is bad at being a hero. He's reckless, he can be a bully, and he often picks the worst approach counter to his best interests. And I love how the professor and the head of school both call him out on this, using the maturity and wisdom they've earned with age to teach him to be a better person. How many SF/Fantasy books can you think of where people actually talk through their problems, apologize, try to make amends, and work towards becoming better people? Joel's relationship with Melody is perfect because she too has a lot of growing up to do and plenty of sharp edges and frustration inherent to her character. Rithmatist is my favorite Sanderson novel to date. And it's the heart and growth that makes it that way for me. 2 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Koldun Posted May 14, 2017 Report Share Posted May 14, 2017 I too love Rithmatist. Be it the steampunk-sequel alternate history setting, the simple but very well made magic system, or the fact that I simply adore the relationship between Joel and Melody (Which I really hope comes to bloom in the next book), there's simply something, comforting about those books. So yeah, I like it. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Micboydoodle Posted August 26, 2017 Report Share Posted August 26, 2017 I loved the book as well, though I am hoping that Joel does end up becoming a Rithmatist. I also really loved the Reckoners series and I love how that all ended, but I feel like not only would we as an audience but Joel as a protagonist would be jipped if either Joel did not become a Rithmatist or he became one at the very end of the series and we never got to see him grow and develop as a Rithmatist. Personally I'm hoping for Joel to become the Rithmatist version of whatever Nalzahar is, possibly bonding a more powerful or more important shadow blaze. And here is hoping we get at least a few more books in the series. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Taliax Posted September 1, 2017 Report Share Posted September 1, 2017 I just finished this book, and I thought it was pretty dang awesome. Thanks TwoMcMillion for the super awesome description of why it's awesome. Having read Steelheart before this, I see a lot of similarities between Joel and David. I like them both a lot and I don't think I'd try to put one over the other right now, especially since David's had 3 books and Joel has only had 1. But anyway, I really loved the ending and how Joel is able to do so much more than he realizes with his ability, even though he's not a Rhithmatist. This book honestly has one of the most triumphant endings of any I've read. Also, I'm having to do a huge amount of math before my Calculus class starts, so I really appreciate this book giving me a little bit more appreciation for the subject. 1 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flying_shadow Posted September 10, 2017 Report Share Posted September 10, 2017 I love the book because the characters are so well-written. I can effortlessly imagine sitting next to Joel in math class as he aces a test he didn't study for. During the scene where he sits in on Fitch's class, I could feel the boredom of the other students. All of the teachers felt very real to me, I was reading the scenes and I was there, in class, wishing I was outside. I can emphasize with Melody very well - I go to a prep school admittance to which is exclusively merit-based, but whatever intelligence I possessed at the age of 12 has vanished and left me in unending extra-help sessions. Sometimes I feel like I don't deserve this kind of education, but I'm here so I might as well limp to the finish line. People often hear about me and think I'm super-smart and always study, but in reality my notebooks are filled with doodles. Also, the day-to-day life of the school also seems so real to me. Admin freaking out because the parents are freaking out, paperwork, students scurrying down the halls. 0 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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