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The Rithmatist
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Series: The Rithmatist, Book 1
- Length: 10 hrs and 23 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Categories: Teen & Young Adult, Science Fiction & Fantasy
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Dawnshard
- Stormlight Archive
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
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When a ghost ship is discovered, its crew presumed dead after trying to reach the storm-shrouded island Akina, Navani Kholin must send an expedition to make sure the island hasn't fallen into enemy hands. Knights Radiant who fly too near find their Stormlight suddenly drained, so the voyage must be by sea. Shipowner Rysn Ftori lost the use of her legs but gained the companionship of Chiri-Chiri, a Stormlight-ingesting winged larkin, a species once thought extinct. Now Rysn's pet is ill, and any hope for Chiri-Chiri’s recovery can be found only at the ancestral home of the larkin.
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continued brilliance
- By alexander dolan on 17-08-2022
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Calamity
- A Reckoners Novel
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
They told David it was impossible - that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet Steelheart - invincible, immortal, unconquerable - is dead. And he died by David's hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.
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10/10
- By Lane Hardwick on 31-03-2019
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Firefight
- A Reckoners Novel, Book 2
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
They told David it was impossible - that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart - invincible, immortal, unconquerable - is dead. And he died by David's hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realise he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though.
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better than the first with more promising to come
- By Ginjarjar on 09-03-2022
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Lux
- A Texas Reckoners Novel
- By: Brandon Sanderson, Steven Michael Bohls
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
When the great red star Calamity appeared in the sky, some believed the end had come. They were right. Calamity created the Epics: humans with incredible powers they didn't deserve. They could have saved mankind. They could have lifted us into harmony and prosperity. Instead they burned. They slaughtered. They conquered. And then they ruled. Jax has learned all of this the hard way. Orphaned at an early age, he's spent most of his childhood training to be a Reckoner - determined to find the Epics' weaknesses, unlock their secrets, and protect those of us who are still left.
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the reckoners are back baby.
- By Ginjarjar on 25-04-2022
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Steelheart
- Reckoners, Book 1
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners.
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Great book, give it some time to build up
- By gucky on 26-01-2021
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Mitosis
- A Reckoners Novella
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Macleod Andrews
- Length: 1 hr and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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From Brandon Sanderson - the number-one New York Times best-selling author of Words of Radiance, co-author of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and creator of the internationally best-selling Mistborn Trilogy - comes Mitosis, a short story set in the action-packed world of "Steelheart: the Reckoners" series. Epics still plague Newcago, but David and the Reckoners have vowed to fight back. Catch all the action before Firefight, the exciting sequel to Steelheart, comes to audio.
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Good Isaiah
- By . on 15-02-2022
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Dawnshard
- Stormlight Archive
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Kate Reading, Michael Kramer
- Length: 7 hrs and 5 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
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Performance
-
Story
When a ghost ship is discovered, its crew presumed dead after trying to reach the storm-shrouded island Akina, Navani Kholin must send an expedition to make sure the island hasn't fallen into enemy hands. Knights Radiant who fly too near find their Stormlight suddenly drained, so the voyage must be by sea. Shipowner Rysn Ftori lost the use of her legs but gained the companionship of Chiri-Chiri, a Stormlight-ingesting winged larkin, a species once thought extinct. Now Rysn's pet is ill, and any hope for Chiri-Chiri’s recovery can be found only at the ancestral home of the larkin.
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continued brilliance
- By alexander dolan on 17-08-2022
-
Calamity
- A Reckoners Novel
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 12 hrs and 11 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They told David it was impossible - that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet Steelheart - invincible, immortal, unconquerable - is dead. And he died by David's hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead it only made David realize he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs.
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10/10
- By Lane Hardwick on 31-03-2019
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Firefight
- A Reckoners Novel, Book 2
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 11 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
-
Overall
-
Performance
-
Story
They told David it was impossible - that even the Reckoners had never killed a High Epic. Yet, Steelheart - invincible, immortal, unconquerable - is dead. And he died by David's hand. Eliminating Steelheart was supposed to make life more simple. Instead, it only made David realise he has questions. Big ones. And there's no one in Newcago who can give him the answers he needs. Babylon Restored, the old borough of Manhattan, has possibilities, though.
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better than the first with more promising to come
- By Ginjarjar on 09-03-2022
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Lux
- A Texas Reckoners Novel
- By: Brandon Sanderson, Steven Michael Bohls
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 13 hrs and 54 mins
- Original Recording
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Overall
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Performance
-
Story
When the great red star Calamity appeared in the sky, some believed the end had come. They were right. Calamity created the Epics: humans with incredible powers they didn't deserve. They could have saved mankind. They could have lifted us into harmony and prosperity. Instead they burned. They slaughtered. They conquered. And then they ruled. Jax has learned all of this the hard way. Orphaned at an early age, he's spent most of his childhood training to be a Reckoner - determined to find the Epics' weaknesses, unlock their secrets, and protect those of us who are still left.
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the reckoners are back baby.
- By Ginjarjar on 25-04-2022
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Steelheart
- Reckoners, Book 1
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: MacLeod Andrews
- Length: 12 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
Ten years ago, Calamity came. It was a burst in the sky that gave ordinary men and women extraordinary powers. The awed public started calling them Epics. But Epics are no friend of man. With incredible gifts came the desire to rule. And to rule man you must crush his wills. Nobody fights the Epics...nobody but the Reckoners.
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Great book, give it some time to build up
- By gucky on 26-01-2021
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Mitosis
- A Reckoners Novella
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Macleod Andrews
- Length: 1 hr and 3 mins
- Unabridged
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Overall
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Performance
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Story
From Brandon Sanderson - the number-one New York Times best-selling author of Words of Radiance, co-author of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series and creator of the internationally best-selling Mistborn Trilogy - comes Mitosis, a short story set in the action-packed world of "Steelheart: the Reckoners" series. Epics still plague Newcago, but David and the Reckoners have vowed to fight back. Catch all the action before Firefight, the exciting sequel to Steelheart, comes to audio.
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Good Isaiah
- By . on 15-02-2022
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Cytonic
- The Third Skyward Novel
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
- Length: 14 hrs and 28 mins
- Unabridged
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Spensa's life as a Defiant Defense Force pilot has been far from ordinary. She proved herself one of the best starfighters in the human enclave of Detritus and she saved her people from extermination at the hands of the Krell - the enigmatic alien species that has been holding them captive for decades. What's more, she travelled light-years from home as a spy to infiltrate the Superiority, where she learned of the galaxy beyond her small, desolate planet home. Now, the Superiority - the governing galactic alliance bent on dominating all human life - has started a galaxy-wide war.
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Disappointing after a great novellas
- By Anonymous User on 08-12-2021
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Legion: The Many Lives of Stephen Leeds
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Oliver Wyman
- Length: 10 hrs and 12 mins
- Unabridged
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Stephen Leeds is schizophrenic (...probably...) and he's in demand. But not for his own skills - his clients want to tap in to the imaginary experts that populate his mind - and it's getting a bit crowded in there. One of his many 'aspects' is a trained soldier, another a psychological expert; a third is a librarian, and all of them want to help him solve problems, making him an exceptionally versatile intelligence agent. If you need a stolen corpse retrieved or a missing inventor found, Stephen Leeds is the man - or, rather, the team - for the job.
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Fascinating Isaiah
- By Anonymous User on 10-02-2022
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Elantris
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Jack Garrett
- Length: 28 hrs and 42 mins
- Unabridged
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Elantris was built on magic, and it thrived. But then the magic began to fade, and Elantris began to rot. Now its shattered citizens face domination by a powerful Imperium. Can a young Princess unite the people of Elantris and lead a rebellion against the imperial zealots? Brandon Sanderson's debut fantasy showed his skill as a storyteller and an imaginer of baroque magical systems to be fully developed from the start.
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Woeful narrator.
- By Jenifer on 04-12-2017
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Warbreaker
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Alyssa Bresnahan
- Length: 24 hrs and 56 mins
- Unabridged
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Warbreaker is the story of two sisters who happen to be princesses, the God King one of them has to marry, the lesser god who doesn't like his job, and the immortal who's still trying to undo the mistakes he made hundreds of years ago. Their world is one in which those who die in glory return as gods to live confined to a pantheon in Hallandren's capital city and where a power known as BioChromatic magic is based on an essence known as breath that can be collected only one unit at a time from individual people.
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Excellent reader, excellent story
- By Claire on 11-06-2018
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Arcanum Unbounded
- The Cosmere Collection
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer, Kate Reading
- Length: 21 hrs and 51 mins
- Unabridged
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Welcome to New York Times and Sunday Times best seller Brandon Sanderson's first collection of short fiction. These wonderful works, originally published individually, have been collected for the first time and convey the true expanse of the Cosmere.
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Good collection
- By Matthew on 23-03-2017
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Evershore
- Skyward Flight, Book 3
- By: Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson
- Narrated by: Suzy Jackson
- Length: 6 hrs and 54 mins
- Unabridged
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With the government of Detritus in disarray because of Superiority treachery, and with Spensa still away on her mission in the Nowhere, Jorgen must work together with the alien Alanik to pick up the pieces. They intercept a strange transmission from the planet Evershore and its Kitsen inhabitants, who say they have some of Jorgen's people and want to return them - but can the Kitsen be trusted? And can Jorgen learn to master his increasingly erratic cytonic powers before they spiral out of control and destroy all hope of forming an alliance against the Superiority?
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Enthralling Isaiah
- By . on 01-02-2022
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Starsight
- Skyward, Book 2
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
- Length: 14 hrs and 20 mins
- Unabridged
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All her life, Spensa has dreamed of becoming a pilot. Of proving she's a hero like her father. She made it to the sky, but the truths she learned about her father were crushing. The rumours of his cowardice are true - he deserted his flight during battle against the Krell. Worse, though, he turned against his team and attacked them. Spensa is sure there's more to the story. And she's sure that whatever happened to her father in his starship could happen to her. When she made it outside the protective shell of her planet, she heard the stars - and it was terrifying.
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Better than the first one
- By Toni on 15-12-2019
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ReDawn
- Skyward Flight, Book 2
- By: Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson
- Narrated by: Suzy Jackson
- Length: 6 hrs and 57 mins
- Unabridged
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That is the warning that Alanik of the planet ReDawn told the human pilot Spensa after Alanik's ship crash-landed on Detritus. While accepting an invitation to meet with her people's enemy, the Galactic Superiority, Alanik heard Spensa's cry for help across the vastness of space and she used her cytonic powers to hyperjump her ship to the source of that cry. What she found there was a shock - a whole planet of free humans fighting against the Superiority. Could they be the allies her people desperately needed?
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A middle novella in a trilogy
- By Vamsi Deepak on 28-10-2021
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Skyward
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Sophie Aldred
- Length: 15 hrs and 14 mins
- Unabridged
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Defeated, crushed, and driven almost to extinction, the remnants of the human race is trapped on a planet that is constantly attacked by mysterious alien starfighters. Spensa, a teenage girl living among them, longs to be a pilot. When she discovers the wreckage of an ancient ship, she realizes this dream might be possible - assuming she can repair the ship, navigate flight school, and (perhaps most importantly) persuade the strange machine to help her. Because this ship, uniquely, appears to have a soul.
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He’s done it AGAIN!
- By Oliver on 16-11-2018
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Sunreach
- Skyward Flight, Book 1
- By: Brandon Sanderson, Janci Patterson
- Narrated by: Suzy Jackson
- Length: 5 hrs and 21 mins
- Unabridged
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When a planet-destroying Delver suddenly appears in the sky of Detritus and vanishes just as suddenly, FM knows that the last free human society got lucky. Her Skyward Flight companion Spensa figured out how to draw this Delver away, but it won't be so easy next time. The forces of the Galactic Superiority will be back - and if the Defiant Defense Force can't figure out a way to escape the planet, humanity's destruction is only a matter of time.
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Awesome! Great addition to the skyward series.
- By Jaimes on 22-10-2021
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The Emperor's Soul
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Angela Lin
- Length: 4 hrs and 30 mins
- Unabridged
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From the bestselling author of the Mistborn Trilogy and co-author of the final three books of Robert Jordan's Wheel of Time series comes the tale of a heretic thief who is the only hope for the survival of an empire.
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superb read
- By shelley-anne kim on 07-07-2022
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Secret History
- Mistborn
- By: Brandon Sanderson
- Narrated by: Michael Kramer
- Length: 5 hrs and 29 mins
- Unabridged
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Mistborn: Secret History is a companion story to the original Mistborn trilogy. As such, it contains huge spoilers for the books Mistborn (The Final Empire), The Well of Ascension and The Hero of Ages. It also contains very minor spoilers for the book The Bands of Mourning. Mistborn: Secret History builds upon the characterisation, events and worldbuilding of the original trilogy. Listening to it without that background will be a confusing process at best.
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Yes, Brandon, it was a little disjointed...
- By Ngaire on 26-10-2021
Publisher's Summary
From number-one New York Times best-selling author Brandon Sanderson: his debut novel for the young adult audience.
More than anything, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. Rithmatists are humanity’s only defense against the Wild Chalklings - merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake. Having nearly overrun the territory of Nebrask, the Wild Chalklings now threaten all of the American Isles.
As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, Joel can only watch as Rithmatist students study the magical art that he would do anything to practice. Then students start disappearing; kidnapped from their rooms at night, leaving trails of blood. Assigned to help the professor who is investigating the crimes, Joel and his friend Melody find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery - one that will change Rithmatics, and their world, forever.
Best-selling author Brandon Sanderson brings his unique brand of epic storytelling to the teen audience with an engrossing tale of danger and suspense. With his trademark skills in world-building, Sanderson has created a magic system that is so inventive and detailed that listeners who appreciate games of strategy and tactics just may want to bring Rithmatics to life in our world.
Brandon Sanderson was born in Nebraska in 1975. Since his first novel, the acclaimed Elantris, Sanderson has written the Mistborn series, the stand-alone novel Warbreaker and has become a New York Times best-selling author, hailed as the natural successor to Robert Jordan. Indeed, Sanderson was chosen by the Jordan estate to complete the Wheel of Time sequence following Jordan's death.
Critic Reviews
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Average Customer RatingsReviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.
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- Murray Robinson
- 04-09-2018
This is young adult fiction. Not adult fiction
entertaining like all of Sanderson's books but has immature themes, character and story suitable for teens. not really good enough for adult readers
1 person found this helpful
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- mitchell
- 14-05-2015
original and masterful
amazingly narrated and written, original concept while still being able to be related to. loved it and avidly awaiting sequels
1 person found this helpful
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- Ian Boreham
- 08-08-2022
Great book that needs a sequel :-)
Interesting alternative history, and a different take on Hogwarts: what if the poor student let into the academy couldn't actually do magic?
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- Susu
- 26-02-2022
Loved this
Really engaging story, interesting world, great characters that you immediately feel for. Fabulous narration, too.
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- Anonymous User
- 06-12-2021
Different but excellent Isaiah
This is quite different to the other books Brandon Sanderson has written. However, it is just as good as any other book he has written. I can’t wait until he finally writes the second book.
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- michael
- 13-03-2021
Another Hit
Yet another incredible story from the mind of Brandon Sanderson, told superbly by Michael Kramer!
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- Tex
- 14-10-2020
Another Must Read
I am constantly amazed by Brandon Sanderson's work I have yet to be disappointed in any way by any of his books and this fascinating book is no exception, despite being aimed at young adults it is a great read by any standard and I encourage anyone that enjoys fantasy to listen to it, I was worried about the demographic this series is aimed at and the length of the title but was promptly sucked in to the story as surely as if I were listing to "The way of Kings" or any other of Brandon's amazing works, once more the only problem is that there isn't more, though I didn't feel like the smaller size of this book made it less fullfilling at all, it is still packed with world building in a way that leaves me wanting to know more every time.
why are you still reading just listen to the book and thank me later.
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- Julian
- 16-02-2020
A YA novel worth your time
Wether you are a young adult or just an adult who enjoys YA, this book is ideal. Sanderson doesn't need cheap sexuality and clichés to connect with the reader. Straight up good, stories, original plots and characters who feel real and are complex. A fantastic adaptation of his work in the Stormlight Archive suitable for a younger audience without losing any value.
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- Diana
- 25-06-2019
Good for a young adult audience
I read this desperate for a fix of Sanderson fiction. This novel deals with topics and emotions pertinent to a younger audience and some generalizations to characters and personality. Magic techniques are always interesting. I searched online for the accompanying pdf of diagrams that helped explain everything.
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- Cody
- 20-07-2018
Brilliant!
Immensely enjoyed this story I loved this even though it isn't a part of the Cosmere. It was intense and mysterious and I was once again blown away by Michael Kramers' story telling capabilities. Get this book!
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- Chris
- 05-04-2017
Pretty damn cool
I love Sandersons books, pretty much every one. I wasn't sure if getting into a Young Adult one like this was a good idea, but it didn't disappoint!
Like all of Sandersons works, this had a completely new and well thought out world and magic system, interesting characters and epic twists that get you stuck!
It's not the best Sanderson book after works like the way of kings and mistborn, but it's definitely worth a listen!
1 person found this helpful
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- Toby Walker
- 30-10-2019
Fun, very fun.
This was the cure to my book hang over from Ninth House, I really liked all of it. I've Sanderson so much <3
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- Alexander Ynema
- 05-02-2015
Not sure about this one.
This book is a little odd story wise. Chalk drawing fighting I'm not sure what to make of it. Well written and a good story but a bit of a stretch concept wise.
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- Daniel
- 04-08-2014
A good story for Teens
What did you love best about The Rithmatist?
I enjoyed the new style of magic he created. Its detailed and realistic with a great twist waiting in the series.
How would you have changed the story to make it more enjoyable?
I wouldn't - its perfectly aimed at the YA audience with enough creativity to be interesting and action to be engaging.
What about Michael Kramer’s performance did you like?
His ability to create tension is quite brilliant
Was this a book you wanted to listen to all in one sitting?
I think so as its quite short. I was left feeling like it could be a good series for easy listening.
Any additional comments?
I enjoyed it as a gap-filler whilst I wait for a more serious fantasy to hit the shelves.
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- Jason V.
- 26-01-2014
2D Chalk Monsters - not remotely scary!
I disliked this book for three main reasons.
1. The chalk monsters are 2D and not easy to envisage as malicious or dangerous.
2. Every chapter started with notes that accompany a diagram that we could not see as this was an audio version. It was a mixture of confusing and annoying.
3. The characters were very shallow and the ending was terrible.
The narrator did a passable job with the text he had and this made the book slightly easier to endure. I would not reccomend this as an interesting read.
1 person found this helpful
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- Sumit G.
- 04-08-2013
Good book!
Brandon Sanderson comes to young adult fiction finally.
Firstly, the magic. To an extent the magic in this one is similar to some of the Japnese manga cartoons where people battle using "playing cards".
Characters are interesting and very reminiscent of the mistborn series with particular characteristics defining people. Michael Kramer's narration also gives you the same feeling - but do note the sameness is in style not in the background or storyline. So, overall it's good.
Story is interesting, and covers an alternate dystopian world. But, it's interesting nonetheless. Some of the world weaving felt a bit strained and hence I've rated it as 4 stars rather than 5. I think the background could have been built up more particularly, the underlying politics and government structure/beliefs.
Overeall, it's a good book and I recommend it with the hope that the background storyline becomes more fleshed out in a sequel.
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- Robyn
- 09-08-2013
light entertainment - with Sanderson magic
Still not 100% convinced that chalk drawings are serious foe........but hey, who cares....it was still good fun, and worth spending an audible credit on. If you enjoy Sanderson's story-telling, and in need of some fun, light relief, then you won't be disappointed.
One thing Sanderson is never: predictable. Yes, it's not quite as strong as Stormlight, or the last WoT books, but still worthy of a listen. It has some humour, and, typically, a good solid twist near the end that leaves you wanting more. I'll be watching out for the sequel....
Thank you Mr Sanderson for keeping my commute tolerable.
20 people found this helpful
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- El
- 13-06-2013
If it wasn't for you meddling kids....
Not as good as other Brandon books, but that may be that this is a y a book.
I had trouble imagining chalk drawings being a threat to anyone's life, and it sort of played out as a not so good, full metal alchemist, crossed with a Pokemon competition. And a war against chalk monsters. I guess they must live somewhere without rain.
Anyway as the story goes on it gets to a "if it wasnt for you meddling kids" moment but then ends before you realize it.
I suppose it's my fault listing to a y.a book but you have to try these things.
I look forward to Brandon returning to his adult books. And would still recommend and younger listeners to give it a try.
All his other books I gave a 5 but this is a 3 for me
13 people found this helpful
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- David
- 14-06-2020
Good, but no sign of a sequel to complete the stor
3 stars because this sequel has been abandoned by the author. No point in buying it as the story is incomplete
4 people found this helpful
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- Jules
- 08-11-2013
Fantastic!
Would you listen to The Rithmatist again? Why?
Yes, because the story was so complex, filled with twists and turns, that I'd want to listen again to pick up areas that I missed first time round.
What other book might you compare The Rithmatist to, and why?
Ender's Game. The central heroes have a similar feel. They are both underdogs, but ones that are liked by other characters in the stories. You can't help but love them.
What does Michael Kramer bring to the story that you wouldn’t experience if you had only read the book?
Michael Kramer's voice is becoming quite a familiar one for me, as I've listened through the majority of the Wheel of Time books with him, and listened to the Mistborn series. I like his skills at characterisation, and lose myself in the audible telling almost as much as if I were reading the book myself.
Was there a moment in the book that particularly moved you?
The battle moments in the book were very exciting, and the details made them very easy to imagine.
Any additional comments?
I'm now looking forward to listening to another Brandon Sanderson novel. He's pure genius!
9 people found this helpful
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- crazybob
- 23-10-2016
Chalk This Up As A Success
I'd already read the ebook and thoroughly enjoyed it. When I saw this on offer I had to buy it.
The pace of the storey is spot on and the characters are mainly likeable, with the exception of one of the professors (but he's meant to be a target of your dislike).
Brandon Sanderson's range of magic systems is superb and this book contains a unique one. Well thought out and believable.
Overall a well recommended listen.
3 people found this helpful
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- Christopher
- 21-06-2013
Good start to a new YA series
Brandon Sanderson does it again – yet another unique, in-depth magic system that left me wanting more. This time Brandon Sanderson tries his hands at young adult but is equally enjoyable for adults. Not my favourite from him, but I will definitely be listening to the sequels when they are available.
Story – 3.5/5
Wow – how many unique, easy to understand yet complex magic systems can one man come up with (apparently he has many more as well according to an interview). I get the impression that he develops the magic system, and then the story around it, but I could be wrong. If you like magic systems, then this book is definitely up your street.
This book reminded me a lot of Harry Potter actually. It is set in a school for magic users (or Rithmatists), weird things are happening around the school that a couple of students are helping to investigate, you still get your typical teenage issues that they like to moan about (teachers, what’s fair etc). In that respect you are not getting anything new. I would say though that the magic system is far superior. The limitations, rules and drawbacks are explained well enough in advance so that a powerful move cannot be overpowered later by an even more powerful one when the author decides he want to add something in a later book.
Performance – 4.5/5
Michael Kramer is probably my favourite narrator out there. Before I listened to anything of his, I was worried that his Southern USA accent would grate on me. It only takes about 10-15 minutes to get used to though and now I can enjoy some of the best fantasy novels on offer by a great voice actor and narrator.
There was one downfall of listening to this in audiobook form, there are clearly Rithmatic diagrams at the start of each chapter in the physical book that they attempt to explain on the audiobook. It didn’t detract from the overall story as you got a general gist, but I think seeing gives a more in depth understanding of the magic system. I got around this by looking up the diagrams on the internet when I wasn’t listening – I would recommend you do the same.
Overall – 4/5
Definitely suitable for adults – I am a 27 yr old man.
Apologies for the star ratings not matching the written review, I am forced to round halves on Audible.
11 people found this helpful
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- Rosie
- 29-05-2013
Brilliant
Loving Brandon Sanderson for sometime now, I was happy to see a new book out by him and haven't been let down. Although this book is very light reading compared to some of his other books, it is fabulous in its complex detail.
Definately a YA Novel in context. But one of those classics that i don't think you need to be a certain age to enjoy it, thankfully...
I have greatly enjoyed the last 2days of listening and now am a bit at a loss for what to do and keep feeling the need to draw circles in chalk... Shame we have carpet to...
I will definately be listening to it again...
The only downside is that i think the book must be illustarted at the begining of each chapter and although it is described and detailed very well I want to see the lines...
I hope you get the same enjoyment as I have from this book.
10 people found this helpful
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- Sphelx
- 01-03-2016
Another excellent outing with Sanderson & Kramer
Once again Brandon Sanderson shows off his fantastic imagination for creative and original magic systems, their complexity of use/execution and exciting play out. While Michael Kramer once again provides top notch 10/10 narration and dedicated effort in his voice acting.
3 people found this helpful
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- miss
- 21-09-2015
Fascinating
A good arithmetic twist this book will probably rank along with Harry Potter and the Left Hand of God. Could not put it down.
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- GhostMuppet
- 04-06-2014
Sanderson finds another hit formula
Brandon Sanderson is becoming one of my favourite writers at present. This is the first book in a series for young adults, but that shouldn't put you off. This was a light read before I stated Sanderson's Words of Radiance - which i am expecting to be a fairly heavy read.
The magic system used within this book is genius - Chalk drawings. It was nice to have details of the magic system described a little after every chapter. This allowed the reader to get up to speed with the magic system without a massive info dump at the beginning.
The story follows Joel, a student at a Rithmatist school. Even though he is not a Rithmatist himself, he is assigned to a professor to look into a number of recent incidents. Of course, no YA novel is complete unless it has a quirky opposite sex person, and this was filled in by Melody.
Together they work through a number of missions for their professor, sometimes getting into trouble while others finding the convenient clues that adults failed to notice. This is exactly what i would expect from this type of book.
I listened to the audiobook version and Michael Kramer did another sterling job. The only complaint is Michael's voices are very similar to his other audio records.
I will most certainly be on the lookout for the next book in this series.
4 people found this helpful
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