Rebel Genius (Rebel Geniuses)

Rebel Genius (Rebel Geniuses)

By Michael Dante DiMartino

14 ratings 7 reviews 27 followers
Interest LevelReading LevelReading A-ZATOSWord Count
Grades 4 - 8Grade 6n/a5.381775

A new fantasy-adventure series from the co-creator of the hit animated shows Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra!

In twelve-year-old Giacomo's Renaissance-inspired world, art is powerful, dangerous, and outlawed. A few artists possess Geniuses, birdlike creatures that are the living embodiment of an artist's creative spirit. Those caught with one face a punishment akin to death, so when Giacomo discovers he has a Genius, he knows he's in serious trouble.

Luckily, he finds safety in a secret studio where young artists and their Geniuses train in sacred geometry to channel their creative energies as weapons. But when a murderous artist goes after the three Sacred Tools--objects that would allow him to destroy the world and everyone in his path―Giacomo and his friends must risk their lives to stop him.

“DiMartino masterfully weaves a thrilling action-adventure epic into an imaginative and terrifying world.” ―Bryan Konietzko, co-creator of Avatar: The Last Airbender and The Legend of Korra

Rebel Genius is a natural extension of Michael Dante DiMartino's work on Avatar: The Last Airbender: charming young heroes, magical creatures, an innovative magic system, and mysteries galore. There is so much to love about this book!” ―Gene Yang, National Ambassador for Young People's Literature and author of American Born Chinese

“DiMartino delivers a magical take on the power of art. With a cast that will charm you and an innovative new world to get lost in, Rebel Genius is a gift for fantasy lovers and a treasure for anyone who has ever tried to pick up a brush or a pen and make something new. A lively, thrilling spin on the struggle to create.”―Leigh Bardugo, author of the Grisha trilogy and the Six of Crows series

Rebel Genius contains all of Mike DiMartino's hallmarks: an exquisite world dripping with magic and color, a cast of incredible, diverse characters, and artwork that will take your breath away. Get ready to fall in love.” ―Marie Lu, author of the Legend trilogy and the Young Elites trilogy

"Rebel Genius is a mind-blowing new series, a passionate blend of adventure, mystery, and puzzle-solving that has no end to its imagination." ―Soman Chainani, author of The School for Good and Evil trilogy

Publisher: Square Fish
ISBN-13: 9781250129741
ISBN-10: 1250129745
Published on 1/2/2018
Binding: Paperback
Number of pages: 400

Book Reviews (7)

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that looks so good well i love dragons so i would love to read it cause i looks so good i wanna find out what it's about. aaahhhhh.

A book from the co-creator of Avatar and Korra? I want to read this.

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.

12 year old Giacomo lives in a Renaissance-inspired world where art is feared and has been outlawed. Giacomo has been living on his own for several years after escaping the orphanage. He spends his days hiding in the sewers and evading Nerezza guards, the evil ruler of Virenzia. The only thing he actually does for fun is to draw in his sketchbooks. Then one day a Genius shows up-his Genius. This is extremely rare, as a Genius (which is a birdlike creature that represents an artist's creative spirit and essence) is supposed to come when you are a baby. Not to mention all the Geniuses are supposed to be extinct. He is even more surprised when three other kids show up to find him, also with a Genius each. They tell him about a secret studio where they are trained to use their energies as weapons. Giacomo thinks he has finally found a safe place. But an evil artist is looking for something, the three Sacred Tools. With them he could destroy the world. So Giacomo along with others must set off with their Geniuses to stop him. There were so many details about this world that I wouldn't know where to begin. I love how as the book goes on you learn little pieces that fit the whole puzzle together. I also loved the suspense and mystery, there was also a lot of action. There were very few, if any, dull moments in the book. Every scene had a purpose. There were some intense parts in this book. Part of the story is told by a man-made creature who has four arms, and his whole purpose is to follow the bidding of his master, which is usually to threaten or even kill somebody. Another aspect of the story revolves around the Lost Souls, which are the artists who are dead. Because of some of those parts I would recommend this book to middle grade and up, not elementary. I rate this book 4 out of 5 stars.

Rebel Genius was a unique and enchanting, beautifully-woven story filled with art. It's packed with adventure and talent, and I couldn't stop myself from reading all the way to the final page. The characters were well-designed, but I got the feeling that we were really only focusing mainly on two characters and their perspectives, Giamoco and Zanobius; and I wasn't able to connect and sympathize with the other characters. Although an amazing book, the plot drags through some parts of the book, and dialogue is dragged on too long. But overall, the plot moves mostly smoothly, and DiMartino produces a spell-binding tale bursting with magic for all the artists out there.

this book is AMAZING! I loved the way they showed not told and the imagination is extraordinary!