He has done it again !!!

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Handlungsort the book is the Armedius Academy, an expensive elite school for better-off "normal" people and Rithmatisten (rithmatists). Rithmatisten are magically gifted people the specific skills with their chalk drawings "bring to life" can. The Rithmatik (rithmatics) is primarily a Duellierkunst. Qualified close during a duel in a circle of chalk that is to be not possible broken by the drawings of the other Rithmatisten. One even tried to penetrate the course of the other next to the defense of one's own circle. There are numerous variations strengthen such defense circles yet. Symmetry and precision play an important role for the defense strength. So-called Chalklings (translatable as "Kreidlinge" but I did not particularly like) to break emitted by the Rithmatisten around the circles. Chalklings are small chalk drawings of certain figures, popular include knights or dragons. It should be noted that the chalk drawings, at no time losing their two-dimensionality.

However, what is at first sounds like a nice gimmick or even a sport deadly serious. Because in the middle of the country (in Nebraska) is a tower of wild Chalklings emits that are capable of doing and also not be afraid to kill people. The 8 Rithmatik academies of the country form for this reason the Rithmatisten made to send them to the front lines in the fight against wild Chalklings. For this reason, Rithmatisten also have a special status in society.

Joel comes from rather humble circumstances and may only study at the Academy Armedius because the director was good friends with his father and has adopted him after his accidental death the tuition fees. Joel's mother works as a cleaning woman in night shifts at the Academy. Although Joel himself is not Rithmatist, the whole fascinated him greatly, his knowledge and his precision when drawing are very pronounced. Unfortunately, it is directly allowed to vote him as a non-Rithmatist not to courses and only Professor Filch does not feel disturbed in his lectures by Joel. Unlike Joel is Melody. She's a little melodramatic (* g *) Rithmatistin, feels the whole matter, however, very bored and is therefore also rather poor in drawing the defense circles, which is why they have to take remedial courses at Filch in the summer. Filch is a bit quirky Rithmatik professor who loses at the beginning of the book his academic rank and reputation through a duel with the dodgy Nalizar. As happened forcible abductions of Rithmatik students suddenly on the campus of Armedius Academy, Professor Filch is drawn despite his recent discrediting to rate. Joel must support Filch during the summer as a research assistant in his investigations.

Interestingly, the story takes place in a sort of "parallel world" of the earth. Front in the book a map of the "United Isles" is displayed. These are quasi various states, cities and mountain ranges of today's North America, all of which are separated from each other in an island shape. The story further includes technologically Steampunk or Gearpunk elements.

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The magic system is, like we do not know otherwise from Sanderson, sometimes brilliant elaborated again to the smallest detail. When I read the short description of the book, I found the revival of Kreidekrakeleien not spectacular, but Sanderson really knows his stories to life. I do not know exactly how to describe it, but he also finds exactly the right amount of Informationsportionierung. The magic system initially does not sound overly complex, but over time they developed themselves a comprehensive understanding of the various nuances. First, the basics are introduced and with each chapter you dive a bit more into the theory of Rithmatik without being slain at one point it.

Before each chapter provides rithmatische drawing is depicted. During the chapters are occasionally mentioned herein Chalklings mapped directly to the sides. I do not know if that also is so in the Ebook version (or if that is possible at all) because I ordered the book in hardcover paper size and have not yet arrived in the ebook world. For me, these drawings have immensely contributed to the understanding of the magic system, as you could imagine just figuratively.

In age in the book is addressed to young people / young adults. I enjoyed reading a lot of fun. Although the book now no overly ingenious plot twists contained (such as in the Mistborn series of Sanderson, btw.) I found the act not directly predictable. The magic system has inspired me again and I caught myself while reading even when tracing some defense circles on paper, unfortunately disappointing with precision. ;)

Another point of me at Sanderson is always noticed that he developed incredibly diverse and interesting characters who also bring a more than once to make you smile. Books that can make me laugh and / or cry, always get anyway a big plus (though the latter was not the case with this book).

It's true, Sanderson wrote better, but what he has shaken here again so loosely between his other epic fantasy large works out of his sleeve, exceeding entertainment moderately much of the available literature genre.