Ben McSweeney

More than anything in the world, Joel wants to be a Rithmatist. Chosen by the Master in a mysterious inception ceremony, Rithmatists have the extraordinary power to infuse life into two-dimensional figures known as Chalklings. They are humanity's only defense against the Wild Chalklings, merciless creatures that leave mangled corpses in their wake and now threaten to overrun all of the American Isles. But Joel is not a Rithmatist. As the son of a lowly chalkmaker at Armedius Academy, he can only watch from the sidelines as the chosen students study the magical art he would do anything to practice. His life changes when Rithmatist students suddenly start disappearing from their rooms in the dead of night, leaving only trails of blood behind. Assigned to help the professor investigating the gruesome crimes, Joel finally gets a chance to prove his worth. Alongside his quirky friend Melody, Joel dives deep into the academy's darkest secrets. Together, they find themselves on the trail of an unexpected discovery that will change the rules of Rithmatics, and the fate of their entire world, forever.