The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson

The Rithmatist by Brandon Sanderson
My rating: 5 of 5 stars

Brandon Sanderson is a master ninja wizard sensei whose writing ability is both a gift and a natural wonder. After Mistborn and the Reckoners, two very distinct settings and magic settings, I guess a third setting and magic system should be a surprise. Each one is different, and yet carry his mark. Natural ties into religion. The real-world complexity of the magic system that makes it believable, even though there is nothing like it in the real world.

My only criticism of this book (and it is still a 5 star read) is the concept of chalklings. They are made to sound so terrible and dangerous, but they are 2-d images. There should be a myriad of ways to fight them and beat them, as exemplified by the buckets of water/acid. Why not just go to Nebrask with fire hoses and soak the place and take the chalk away from whoever is stuck there creating the problem? But the rest of the book was good enough, and the characters great enough (somehow I haven't mentioned them??), that I will trust Sanderson to close that gap in the subsequent books. So go read it, then join me in the activity I hate above all others: waiting for the series to be finished...