Rebel Genius

August 15, 2016
In an adventurous children’s book debut, DiMartino, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender, draws inspiration from Renaissance Italy for an epic tale of art and magic, first in a planned series, in which talented children seek to keep a legendary artifact from falling into the wrong hands. In the Zizzolan Empire, the tyrannical Supreme Creator has outlawed music and art; those who can play music or draw have been driven underground or killed. Twelve-year-old Giacomo is an artist living on the streets after the death of his parents. After a “Genius,” a birdlike creature, links with him, it allows him to manifest his work in strange new ways and brings him into contact with a secret group of rebel artists who train him in the ways of sacred geometry. When they set out to find the long-lost Compass, an item with the power to change the world, they must battle all manner of terrifying threats. While the story draws on a number of well-worn fantasy tropes, DiMartino keeps it fresh with a richly imagined setting, a fast-paced story line, and numerous deftly sketched illustrations. Ages 8–12.

Giacomo is a 12-year-old orphan on the run from the orphanage he would rather die than go back to. The white lad lives underground in a sewer and survives on what scraps of food he can steal. In his society, art of any kind is powerful and also illegal. All artists are in possession of Geniuses: birdlike creatures that manifest an artist's creative spirit. Any artist caught with a Genius faces severe punishment. When his own Genius suddenly appears one night, Giacomo now has an extra problem to deal with. To his surprise, he is discovered by a group of young artists who tell him of a safe space for their kind where they can learn to channel their creative energies using sacred geometry. But then, while training, Giacomo learns of a murderous artist who plans to go after the three Sacred Tools--objects that have the power to demolish the world. Giacomo must now, putting his life in danger again, join the mission to stop the artist. DiMartino creates a Renaissance Italy-inspired world and ties history and magic together within it. The artwork that accompanies the story--black-and-white drawings that emulate Giacomo's--adds an extra dimension to its themes of artistry and creativity. Inspired worldbuilding and nonstop action should hook readers, and they may find themselves spurred to try their own hands at creating. (Fantasy. 10-14) COPYRIGHT(1) Kirkus Reviews, ALL RIGHTS RESERVED.

August 1, 2016

Gr 5-7-The cocreator of the award-winning television series Avatar: The Last Airbender has written his first book for children, and the result is an interesting, if overly long, blend of Renaissance art, sacred geometry, magic, and a hero origin story. Playing with the Renaissance theory that a genius is an actual being who guides talented people in their art, DiMartino introduces readers to Giacomo, an orphan in a world where art has been outlawed. All geniuses were captured by the tyrannical government, but Giacomo, who has been living in the sewers, finds himself in possession of a genius shortly after the narrative begins. His new companion leads him to join a secret group of students learning to use their artistic powers to fight against oppression. The students represent a range of diverse features and skin colors. A highlight of the Avatar series was its detailed setting, and Giacomo's lush and intricate world does not disappoint. The plot hits some familiar notes and does more telling than showing, but readers will be drawn into this highly stylized world. VERDICT Though this series opener is not perfect, the author's famous past works should lead to high interest in most public and school libraries. Give this one to fans of Lisa McMann's The Unwanteds.-Elisabeth Gattullo Marrocolla, Darien Library, CT

Copyright 2016 School Library Journal, LLC Used with permission.

cerulian - What is a genius? You may think it is a very smart person, but a genius really is a muse or something that inspires someone. Michael Dante DiMartino must have a genius of his own because the world he creates in Rebel Genius is one of startling and amazing contrast to our own; a world where art is magic, but Supreme Creator Nerezza wants no one else to have the ability to create art except her, so she strips all artists of their geniuses and the artists become lost souls. Geniuses come in the form of our winged bird friends each with a magical jeweled crown and strong loyalty to their artists. The rebel artist Ugalino, who also wants the sacred tools, has stripped his genius of its magical crown jewel and wields it in a staff, so he can use its power. Not only does he have a magical staff, he has also created what the Zizzolian Empire sees as an abomination: The Tulpa. Ugalino’s tulpa has the strength of four men with four arms, four legs, and pale white skin and hair. He is under complete control of what Ugalino tells him… or is he? Giacomo is 12 years old when he first receives his genius, Mico, which is unusual because most artists receive their geniuses at a young age. Alone in the sewer, he is discovered by Aaminah, Savino, and Milena, each an artist with their own unique geniuses. Together, they form an unbreakable friendship, work with renowned artist Pietro Nasari, and journey to find the sacred tools that the Supreme Creator and Ugalino so desperately want. There is healing and death, action and peace, and unbelievable surprises along the way. Giacomo develops his power to tap into the wellspring, a place only unlocked by artists in pure concentration that enables them to create even living art. This is a must read for anyone who wants to find out if Giacomo and his friends can overcome the evil Ugalino and his Tulpa, defeat Supreme Creator Nerezza, and learn about sacred geometry and how things can be more than they seem.

October 15, 2016
Grades 5-8 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 Geniusa birdlike creature that enhances artistic abilitiesfinds 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.(Reprinted with permission of Booklist, copyright 2016, American Library Association.)