I was excited to read Rebel Genius by Michael Dante DiMartino for obvious reasons, but I just couldn't get past the writing style and ultimately did not finish this book. Thanks so much for the opportunity to read it!

My review that appeared in the October 15, 2016, edition of BOOKLIST MAGAZINE (American Library Association):

Giacomo is a 12-year-old orphan who lives in the sewers of Renaissance-inspired Virenzia. His prized possession is a sketchbook, though drawing is risky as the Supreme Creator, or dictator, has outlawed art. When his personal Genius—a birdlike creature that enhances artistic abilities—finds him, he is dangerously marked as an artist. Shortly thereafter, a trio of other artistic children find him and take him to a safe house where they are allowed to flourish. There they are taught sacred geometry and how to use their creative energies as weapons. When an evil artist begins hunting for the three Sacred Tools of the Creator, with the intent of destroying the empire, Giacomo is called upon to lead his new compatriots on a quest to stop him. This debut novel, by the cocreator of the animated series Avatar: The Last Airbender, is the first in a planned fantasy series. While some of the combined magic and geometry falls flat, there is action and adventure galore, including narrow escapes, surprising twists, and stunning turns.

Rebel Genius is fast paced from the start, very action packed and full of adventure! It had a very unique concept as compared to other fantasy novels and I loved the use of art and illustrations to help guide you through the story. It also has a wonderful cast of characters and it focuses a lot of friendship. If you're looking for a fantasy book without much romance, this is the book for you!

Rebel Genius is fast paced from the start, very action packed and full of adventure! It had a very unique concept as compared to other fantasy novels and I loved the use of art and illustrations to help guide you through the story. It also has a wonderful cast of characters and it focuses a lot of friendship. If you're looking for a fantasy book without much romance, this is the book for you!

This is a book that requires your full attention to detail. It is a fascinating world that the author has created, loosely based in the Italian Renaissance period. It is a world where math and science help create the art that then creates the magic. The artists in this story have geniuses which are like their muse in bird form. Geniuses come to their chosen person when they are very young, infants even, and help them channel their art and their magic. This is a fascinating idea, as is the idea that the mathematical concepts of sacred geometry can help to create and control magic.

The main narrator of the story is an orphan boy named Giacomo. His parents were both artists and had geniuses but he did not. At the start of the story he gets into a bit of trouble and in a blinding flash a genius shows up to help him. He then meets up with three other children with geniuses. All of the characters are well written and are interesting. I enjoyed reading about all of them and found myself rooting for them during their adventures. Melina is very smart as well as artistic and she is the one who figures out many of the clues they find on their journey. Aaminah is a very sweet girl who has a big heart, she is able to heal wounds with her music and her genius. Savino was a bit of a braggart and obnoxious at times, but he is brave and loyal to the others if not to Giacomo. There is one other boy who figures into the story, Enzio, he is the son of the nobleman who is protecting the children. He is not a very nice young man, but as we get to know him and his reasons why he is the way he is, you at least understand him. He does change by the end of the story as well.

The other narrator of the story is Zanobius, who was created and controlled by Ugalino. I don’t want to say too much about Zanobius because it would spoil some of the story, but he was an interesting character. Ugalino is the evil magician in this story, and it is through Zanobius that we learn what he is up to. Zanobius is an unusual character, that eventually wins you over.

As I mentioned before the plot and premise of the story is very interesting. I found myself caught up in the sacred geometry and how it related to art and to the magic of this world. I did find that these explanations slowed down the pace of the story a bit though. I very much enjoyed the drawings in the book of both the sacred geometry as it was explained and Giacomo’s drawings of the people he meets and the places he goes to. More books need to have illustrations in them, they really help to enhance the story.

This is a story that needs to be read when you have the time to devote to it. I only really got into the story when I had a few free hours that I was able to devote to reading it. This is a solid middle grade novel that is for the older tween and young teens. There are perhaps some older teens and young adults that would be drawn into the story as well. It is a series, with three books planned. The second book in the series comes out in January 2018. It will be interesting to see where Giacomo and his friends go next on their adventure.

When I was poking around and saw this book was written by co-creator of the animated shows Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra, I clicked it immediately, not even realizing it was a YA book meant for kids 8-12 years old. But much like those shows, this book can absolutely be enjoyed by adults.

They story centers around Giacomo, a young orphan who lives in a world where artists have entities much like familiars called a Genius which can not only inspire them but turn their art into magic. A tyrant named Nerezza has hunted down all the artists she could find and appointed herself Supreme Creator. After an accident, Giacomo finds himself with his own Genius and is discovered by other children who have been hiding from Nerezza's threat. They embark on a journey to find these artifacts called The Creators Tools what may help them overthrow Nerezza and bring art back to the ruined nation.

I love how there are sketches in the book and the way they are included, it's implied Giacomo is the one drawing them. It added extra charm to an already fascinating story. It's also worth noting that even though this story is labeled YA, it doesn't shy away from some pretty dark stuff. There's a real sense of danger and urgency to the mission and you do wonder if all the characters will make it or even succeed at all. But towards the end after the big twist, it got into some predictable plot points but hey, I'm a voracious consumer of fiction so it's not a major drawback to the story overall. I'm just much more likely to catch tropes, however, I can see it surprising a kid who's reading this.

You can absolutely feel the creative energy and love from the Avatar series in this book. The concept of art manifesting as physical magic is compelling, the adventure is tense and action-packed, and the characters are unique and fun. I am super curious to find out what happens next in what could very well be a rollercoaster of a series. 4.5 out of 5.