Discover #1 New York Times-bestselling Patrick Rothfuss’ epic fantasy series, The Kingkiller Chronicle. “I just love the world of Patrick Rothfuss.” —Lin-Manuel Miranda • “He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.” —George R. R. Martin • “Rothfuss has real talent.” —Terry Brooks OVER 1 MILLION COPIES SOLD! DAY ONE: THE NAME OF THE WIND My name is Kvothe. I have stolen princesses back from sleeping … WIND
My name is Kvothe.
I have stolen princesses back from sleeping barrow kings. I burned down the town of Trebon. I have spent the night with Felurian and left with both my sanity and my life. I was expelled from the University at a younger age than most people are allowed in. I tread paths by moonlight that others fear to speak of during day. I have talked to Gods, loved women, and written songs that make the minstrels weep.
You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale unequaled in fantasy literature—the story of a hero told in his own voice. It is a tale of sorrow, a tale of survival, a tale of one man’s search for meaning in his universe, and how that search, and the indomitable will that drove it, gave birth to a legend.
Praise for The Kingkiller Chronicle:
“The best epic fantasy I read last year…. He’s bloody good, this Rothfuss guy.”
—George R. R. Martin, New York Times-bestselling author of A Song of Ice and Fire
“Rothfuss has real talent, and his tale of Kvothe is deep and intricate and wondrous.”
—Terry Brooks, New York Times-bestselling author of Shannara
“It is a rare and great pleasure to find a fantasist writing…with true music in the words.”
—Ursula K. Le Guin, award-winning author of Earthsea
“The characters are real and the magic is true.”
—Robin Hobb, New York Times-bestselling author of Assassin’s Apprentice
“Masterful…. There is a beauty to Pat’s writing that defies description.”
—Brandon Sanderson, New York Times-bestselling author of Mistborn
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This is the story of Kvothe, who also has many other names, as told by the man himself. He is a wizard, but he’s something else too. He is powerful and defiant and “the stuff of legends”. This story beckons to a time when stories were told as song or poems, like the Iliad, but it goes far beyond that.
The Name of the Wind is one of those stories that I think people will either love or hate for two reasons. 1, the story of a wizard in this day and age can’t escape a comparison to Harry Potter. You either like the differences or not. 2, this is not a typical high fantasy tale of a wizard. Kvothe is a multifaceted character that doesn’t fit neatly into any specific category and readers will either appreciate that or not.
This story is crammed full of themes and elements that trigger excitement and emotion in my heart and mind, and I’m not just talking books. There are orphans, criminals, outcasts, demons, common folk, royalty, drug dealers, fairies, actors and there’s ageism, racism, classism, religion, and magic and more.
Having this story be told from Kvothe’s point of view is also atypical. He goes out of his way sometimes to downplay or up play certain parts of his tale, but he can only fool half the people half the time. He tells his tale with such realism that you forgive the times when he goes off on an exaggerated tangent. Reading the part where Kvothe tries to describe the beauty of woman speaks volumes to perception versus reality, and the notion of telling people what they want to hear versus telling them what you want them to hear.
Now that I’ve gone and thoroughly confused you, let me say this. I love this book and will be glad to read the next installment. While this is probably not a good bedtime story, it should be suitable for most teens, but this is definitely a story any adult with an interest in fantasy and or adventure will appreciate.
This was such a wonderful story, an epic beginning really. I just wish he would finish the series…
The author needs to finish the series.
Very interesting and intricate. I like the interweaving of the past and present.
One of the best I have EVER read.
I’m a big fan of books with a lot of pages and this book gave me that. It was a world well built with a story that captured my attention. I’ve read the second and continue looking for the third!
As a avid fantasy reader I loved this book. The approach was new and the plot was excellent.
This is the book my books want to be when they grow up! I have so much love for The Name of the Wind-
which makes this review difficult to write. Do you know what happens when you see nothing but the highest praise for a book, and then you buy it with the highest expectations? It falls flat. You’re disappointed.
I don’t want this to happen here, but I worry I’ll gush and do nothing but gush. I hope that, should you chose to buy it and read it yourselves, you’ll share my love for it and enjoy it just as much as I did. I don’t want to over-hype it for you, so I’ll be careful to keep this simple.
It’s a story within a story. Kvothe tells the story of his life in beautiful, honest detail, and I’d be one happy kitten if I did nothing but listen to him talk for the rest of my life. Having a day job and other responsibilities meant that I couldn’t read this book and do nothing but read this book, as much as I wanted to.
Kvothe’s voice is a very honest one. Him telling his own story is personal, and it feels more like he’s telling it to me rather me reading about it. His voice has got magic, and he’s got a way with words due to his childhood as a trouper. He knows how to string a few words together for maximum effect, and it reflects in the writing. When you give someone a background like that you really need to nail the character’s voice, and Rothfuss has done that.
The night he played at the Eolian to earn his pipes was stunning and beautifully written, and had me holding my breath when things went wrong – and then again when he somehow recovered. It was tense, and I applaud Rothfuss for making someone playing an instrument exciting.
I love Master Elodin, who’s somewhat mad as you will see.
If there’s one thing I didn’t expect when I started this book it’s that my Irish accent would come along so nicely – you’ll see why should you choose to read it. It was a bit difficult at first, but if you let it happen it gets difficult after a while to drop the accent.
I love his relationship with Denna, and the way they dance around each other. They have this special bond which is very true and very real, and Rothfuss has done a beautiful job showing it.
With just over 660 pages, I was intimidated by its size. People told me that it’s a fast read despite its length, but I didn’t really believe it. When I started reading I thought I’d appreciate something shorter afterwards, but to be honest The Name of the Wind could have had a thousand pages, and I wouldn’t have minded. By the time I was around two thirds through I knew that it wasn’t long enough and that I wanted more, so instead of reading something shorter next I ordered the sequel – which, as it happens, has just under a thousand pages. So I guess I got my wish ^-^
LOVED this book and the sequel. Anxiously awaiting the third and final book, along with millions of other readers!!
Simply amazing
I was very into the series then got tired of waiting for the next book. Now, I’ll have to start all over again,
Enjoyable, a good read
This book has a fantastic world building and a man’s detailed life-story all wrapped up with intrigues and magic. A chronicler journeys a long way to get hold of an infamous legend called Kvothe. He needs to know, in person, if the stories about Kvothe are true or just exaggerations grown from mouth to mouth. When the chronicler finally meets Kvothe he secures the story of his life on the condition that Kvothe gets three days to tell it – no more, no less. They agree and that is where the story begins. This is a saga about Kvothe’s life and how he survives the trickiest of situations with only a few lashes on his back and stitches to his skin. The story goes into great detail about the young man’s hardship, his young adult days at the University and how he grows into a man. I did find the details in this story to be highly intricate and well rounded, yet it lacked purpose. This story didn’t have an agenda but was simply a retelling of Kvothe’s life and hence felt a bit confusing as to what angle you were supposed to focus on when reading the story. This book would probably have been one of my all time favourites if the plot would have had a good twist and a moral message.
Great, but the series remain unfinished. Rather frustrating.
This book was recommended by a friend because it is about a young boy studying to learn magic, also a similar topic in RAVENHEART. I found his portrayal of the young hero exciting and full of surprises, danger and many excellently portrayed characters. The land where the story occurs is full and vivid. A fun read. I am on the second in the series now, and enjoying it fully.
I really enjoyed it. Disappointed that the third novel in the series has never materialized.
One of the best books in my 1000+ collection. A world that is more alive than our own with an equal amount of joy and tragedy that will have you wanting to reach through the pages and directly affect the characters. What our world would be if there were magic here and a monarchy instead of crooked politicians. .
This is dangerous stuff. Do not start reading this unless you have time to devote to it. Once you start, you will be transported…
The usually passive praise: gripping, a real page-turner, or even worse “unputdownable”, all apply. Or I can say it this way:
If you start reading this you will burn dinner, forget to shower, and will probably be late for work. It lives up to the hype.
I love everything about this book, this series, and this world. Patrick does an amazing job of building truly unique characters with complicated relationships and lives. It never drags and always keeps you on your toes. I want to know more about Kvothe, and I’m waiting with baited breath for the next in the series! It’s such a rich world, and I just love Patrick’s voice and how he writes. Highly recommended!
Fell in love with this from the start. The character development is fantastic and I can’t wait for the final book to come, if it ever does. I recommend to anyone even slightly interested in fantasy!