The Rithamatist

The Rithmatist’s magic system has been likened to a real-time strategy game, if it incorporated chalk, and it was a life or death situation. Rithmastists use their magic to give life to glyphs, imbuing creatures with energy to fight against swarms of chalklings. Before they fight, however, they must decide on theirdefense. This takes the form of a circle, with Lines of Forbiddance crossing it, to which users can attach other glyphs. More lines make for aharder defense to break, but they’re called lines of Forbiddance for a reason. Once one is drawn, you can’t cross it, leading to a strategic choice between offense and defense depending on the situation. From there, Rithmatists can draw creatures to attack their opponents. They can rush out many of them, hoping to quickly overwhelm an opponent’sdefense, or go for a more conservative, logical approach. This leads to epic duels between multiple players and means the speed and accuracy at which the magician can draw is vital. As a result, Rithmatists must begifted in drawing and logic as well as forward thinking. Very few have what it takes, and the protagonist, Joel, is particularly gifted. Through him Sanderson, manages to weave one of his most complex and multi-talented systems yet, while still spinning an absorbing YA story.