“There’s nothing I’d like more,” Zanobius said.
Acknowledgments
I had always heard authors caution that writing your second book is much harder than the first. Warrior Genius gave me firsthand proof that those warnings were true. I appreciate everyone who helped me find my way through the murky writing process.
To my editor, Connie Hsu, thanks for being extremely patient as I muddled through this book and for guiding its development with your insightful comments and suggestions.
Jill Yeomans provided additional editing and helped me get Warrior Genius across the finish line. Thanks, Jill! Also thanks to my copy editor, Tracy Koontz.
Thanks to the wonderful people at Roaring Brook and Macmillan: Jon Yaged, Simon Boughton, Morgan Dubin, Ashley Woodfolk, Nancy Elgin, and designer Andrew Arnold. It has been a pleasure working with all of you on this series.
To Nicolas Delort, who illustrated another gorgeous book cover.
Kurt Mattila and Bryan Konietzko read a draft of the novel and gave me invaluable ideas on how to improve it, along with some much-needed moral support. Thanks, fellas!
And I appreciate all the booksellers, librarians, and readers who have championed Rebel Genius and this series.
Also thanks to Leon Gladstone, Rich Green, and Ernest Johns.
As always, lots of love and gratitude to my wife, Shoshana, for her steadfast support, especially during the dark days when it didn’t seem like I would ever finish.
During the writing of Warrior Genius, my wife and I also welcomed our amazing twins into this world. Hawk and Opal, you are my little geniuses who inspire me every day. I love you both!
And lastly, thank you for reading! If you want to learn more about the inspiration and writing process behind Warrior Genius, please visit michaeldantedimartino.com. There, you can also sign up for my mailing list so you’ll be the first to know about all my upcoming projects, including the final book in the Rebel Geniuses series!
Also by MICHAEL DANTE DIMARTINO
Rebel Genius
Praise for
REBEL GENIUS,
the first book in the Rebel Geniuses trilogy
“Action and adventure galore, including narrow escapes, surprising twists, and stunning turns.” —Booklist
“DiMartino keeps it fresh with a richly imagined setting, a fast-paced story line, and numerous deftly sketched illustrations.” —Publishers Weekly
“Giacomo’s lush and intricate world does not disappoint … Give this one to fans of Lisa McMann’s The Unwanteds.” —School Library Journal
“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
“Charming young heroes, magical creatures, an innovative magic system, and mysteries galore. There is so much to love about this book!” —GENE LUEN 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
About the Author
Michael Dante DiMartino is a graduate of the Rhode Island School of Design and the co–creator of the award–winning animated Nickelodeon series Avatar: The Last Airbender and its sequel, The Legend of Korra. He lives in Los Angeles with his wife. The Rebel Genius series is his debut prose work. You can sign up for email updates here.
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CONTENTS
Title Page
Copyright Notice
Dedication
Epigraph
1 The Council of Ten
2 Refuge
3 A Strange Host
4 Garrulous’s Journals
5 Law of Contagion
6 Savino’s Sculpture
7 The Tetrad
8 The Collection
9 Setback
10 Universal Solids
11 Broken Apart
12 Seed of Rebellion
13 Milena’s Discovery
14 Escape
15 The Holdout
16 Samraat Ajeet
17 The Legend of Vrama
18 Wonders Within
19 The Sfumato Forest
20 The Warriors of Rachana
21 The Pirates of Paolini
22 Lament for the Lost
23 A Feast Among Gods
24 Journey to the Caldera
25 Prisoners
26 The Preta
27 Return
28 The Foundry
29 In Times Gone By
30 Change of Plans
31 First Strike
32 Tulpa’s Terror
33 Pietro’s Plea
34 Rebel Soldier
35 The Ghiberti Gems
36 Flight of the Geniuses
37 Unbound
38 Elegy
Acknowledgments
Also by Michael Dante DiMartino
Praise for Rebel Genius
About the Author
Copyright
Copyright © 2018 by Michael Dante DiMartino
Published by Roaring Brook Press
Roaring Brook Press is a division of Holtzbrinck Publishing Holdings Limited Partnership
175 Fifth Avenue, New York, NY 10010
mackids.com
All rights reserved
Library of Congress Control Number: 2017944680
Our eBooks may be purchased in bulk for promotional, educational, or business use. Please contact the Macmillan Corporate and Premium Sales Department at (800) 221-7945 ext. 5442 or by e-mail at MacmillanSpecialMarkets@macmillan.com.
eISBN 9781626729360
First hardcover edition, 2018
eBook edition, January 2018