The Rithmatists stay to themselves most of the time, except during spectacular displays of dueling, such as the yearly Melees. They’re sort of like Hogwarts, only these schools teach ordinary students as well. A Christian sect called the Monarchist Church is known for practicing a rite called inception, in which some devotees – say, one in 1,000 – develops a kind of magical ability called Rithmatics, which allows them to draw chalk lines and figures that come to life and move about in two dimensions.Įight schools throughout the country teach Rithmatics to children age eight and older. America is, or at least was until recently, a monarchy. Europe has been conquered by the Korean empire. Even the dollar coins have clockwork in them. The Rithmatist takes place in a worldscape that its author calls “gearpunk.” In an alternate-reality America where there’s an archipelago instead of a continent, the United Isles of America in the year 1908 has carriages, lamps, and even trains powered not by electricity or steam but by wind-up springs. Wikipedia quotes exactly one review of it which is not only unflattering, it’s downright untrue. If you are a Harry Potter fan, drop everything right now and read this book.
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