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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Will he ever finish the next book?
The only negative I have for the first two books in this series is the excruciating wait for the third book.
I must say that I am thoroughly enamored with this impressive debut novel. While there was little in the way of magical beasts or ferocious monsters, the few that wander into the story are handled deftly and in very unexpected and interesting ways. There is music to the language, and music plays an important role in the story, as does science and reasoning. It is a tale of struggle and survival, of friendship and love. Riveting story telling with some finely wrought characters at the center of it all. I highly recommend it.
Really great story telling and good writing. If you like the Harry Potter series, but want something more oriented to adults, you will probably like this series. I zipped through the first and second volumes in the trilogy and just hope the author comes out with the third book soon!
Must read, great story teller. Wish the 3rd book would get here.
This is a tension-filled, gripping epic story. Read it.
They say that reality divided by expectation equals happiness. The higher the expectation, the more likely the disappointment (I always think of The Phantom Menace when I think of this quote, as a diehard Star Wars fan who waited more than a decade for the follow-up, then was crushingly disappointed). My point is: I received recommendations for years for The Name of the Wind. Everywhere I turned, the hype was huge. So my expectation was as tall as a tower by the time I finally cracked the cover.
I admit that, at first, I rolled my eyes at the “a group of people meet in a medieval bar” mechanism that is so overdone in fantasy, but I read on and soon discovered the brilliant gift that Rothfuss has given to fantasy readers. The Name of the Wind begins slowly, but that’s only because the author takes the time paint an elaborate world stroke by gentle stroke. Just like in the beloved and short-lived TV series Firefly—where the ship Serenity was a character in her own right—in Rothfuss’ The Name of the Wind, the fantasy world itself is a dynamic character, developing side-by-side with the narrator Kvothe.
Another piece of genius is Rothfuss’s handling of tension. He makes me want to find out what happens next. Kvothe is a cocky, brilliant kid who has a wonderful childhood to start, then runs afoul of every tragedy and bad break a person can have. His arrogance and overflowing talent give spice to his tale, and his heart-breaking challenges keep me glued to the page. We’re not barraged with the typical “an orc leapt over the wall and slashed with his sword” kind of tension we see all too often. No, Kvothe’s adventures are unique and personal. We don’t just care because “there’s danger!”, we care because Kvothe cares, and deeply. It’s masterful.
If you love fantasy, read this book. Give it some time in the beginning, and you won’t be disappointed.
The name Patrick Rothfuss meant little to me. The Name of the Wind, even less. I mean, I knew he was a popular and accomplished author, but I had no connection to him or his works. The truth is that at first and even second glance, there was nothing that I found particularly interesting about him or his Kingkiller Chronicles. I do not say that slanderously, he simply had not piqued my interest. I mean, of course I had followed him on twitter, but that was for other far more nefarious purposes— (insert evil laughter here)—to be discussed in a future blog post.
My brother Marcus, who is an avid fantasy reader, told me that he had just discovered this amazing new author named Patrick Roth-something-or-other, and that I really needed to check him out. I told him I knew the name, but hadn’t gotten around to his stuff yet, and truthfully I was in no rush. A week or two passed and my brother was telling me how he had finished Roth-somebody’s second book in the series, and that I really needed to check him out. I looked at my long list of books to read and I added his name, but to the bottom of course.
A few more weeks had passed and then I stumbled upon a really cool interview between Christopher Paolini and Patrick Rothfuss. It instantly changed whatever perception I had of Patrick and his writing. I can’t explain how or why. I honestly don’t know what perception I even had to begin with. I just know that when I saw a little bit of his personality in the video, it resonated with me. The tiny bit he mentioned about writing interested me. I still didn’t know anything about Kvothe or The Name of the Wind, but for some unexplained reason, I actually wanted to.
I shared the interview with my brother, who also happens to be a Paolini fan as well, and he responded by sending me a second interview of Mr. Rothfuss. I was only supposed to watch about a 3 minute section of the interview, because my brother thought it could pertain to my own writing. I watched the next forty or so minutes. I was sold. I didn’t agree with all of Rothfuss’s views on life or even writing, but I was intrigued about him and more importantly, the way that he wrote.
Now you may say, wait a minute, I thought you haven’t read any of his work? That is correct, but the way he explained his craft in the videos, made the writer in me curious as heck. The truth is, I generally don’t care for coming of age stories. However, when I looked at the book itself and saw the gushing endorsements from talents like Ursula Le Guin, I figured it was worth a shot. I told myself that even if I didn’t like it, I would read it, as a form of continued education, and I’m glad I did.
Now I will not sugarcoat anything or blow smoke about The Name of the Wind. It is a marvelous book, but it took me quite a while to warm up to it. Despite the fact the the words flow smoothly, with a polish that matches the wooden countertop of the Waystone Inn, it took me quite a while to really get into the story. I really loved the way that Rothfuss decided to use Kvothe himself to retell his whole lifestory, but I didn’t love reading about an 11 year old boy. Yes he was exceptionally bright and curious, but I wasn’t that intrigued. I also didn’t care for the scenes in which a young Kvothe observed his parents romantic moments. They were not lewd or overdone, but they were mentioned more than once and they felt a bit awkward so I was eager to brush past them.
I also had a tiny issue with the Kvothe’s superior intellect early on. I get it, he is a child prodigy, but it just seemed that he was able to learn too much, too fast. It did not completely shatter my suspension of disbelief, but I did raise my eyebrows early on a few times. In hindsight, I do realize the necessity of it, but it seemed a bit much early on. Then out of nowhere, the book takes a tragic turn, and ultimately Kvothe ends up living in the city of Tarbean.
The story still hadn’t captured my heart or imagination yet, but there was something that Rothfuss pulled off along the way that did capture my attention as a writer. He began to paint portraits, without painting anything at all. Instead of giving you every detail, he sets the stage for the readers then he lets them fill in the blanks. He is an implicit writer. It may sound strange, but he is masterful at doing it. So much so, that unless you are looking for it, you have no idea that he is even doing it. I think the first time I stumbled upon it was when Kvothe was walking through the forest while in a state of shock. The passage was simple and said something to the effect of, “… And he taught me how to walk silently by turning my feet.” In reality, I have no idea what those foot steps were supposed to look like, but it didn’t stop that line from creating a visual image in my mind. Some writers would have labored on for a paragraph trying to describe this ninja-like manuever, but Rothfuss nails it with a one liner, that most people probably never actually noticed. It was a gem. I cannot express in simple words how wonderfully Patrick does this.
In a world full of fast-paced, edge of your seat, gasping for air stories, it’s wonderfully refreshing to find something like The Name of the Wind. This book is not a screaming roller coaster ride. It’s a pleasant morning walk on a warm Sunday. You won’t feel your stomach clench, palms sweating as you turn the pages feverishly. You won’t yell out loud in surprise or throw the book across the room after a frustrating plot twist. Instead, you’ll move along the story calmly enjoying every minute of it as if you were in a fifteen course degustation.
If you haven’t realized by now, I am in awe of this book. It’s not that I’m not a fan of fast-paced stories. I am. Very much so. In fact, that’s the kind of stories I prefer to write. But this book is just special. The prose is somehow simple and lyrical at the same time. The characters feel about as real as any I’ve ever read. The dialog is impressively witty without ever feeling artificial. The world building is thick with imaginative detail and feels so lived in it’s almost palpable, and yet, there aren’t any convoluted Fantasy concepts. And don’t even get me started on the Magic system. Even calling it a “system” feels like a grossly simplistic inaccuracy. The whole thing is such a beautiful metaphor for the power of language, communication, and storytelling I could weep.
And then there’s the relationship between Kvothe and Denna. Above, I said you won’t feel your stomach clench while you read this book, but that’s actually not true. You will. Kvothe and Denna’s story is so intense and well told I find myself obsessing about it during my waking hours as if I was just as in love as they are. It’s… as I said, I’m in awe of this book.
I can’t promise you you’ll enjoy this book as much as I did. I can’t even promise you’ll enjoy it at all. That’s part of what makes anything special, it’s not for everyone. This isn’t vanilla, chocolate, or strawberry. This is an exotic flavor some will go insane about while others will rather pass. Give it a try. You might find that, just like myself, you have a new favorite author.
A full, glittering five stars.
The best book I’ve ever read! Hands down.
Too bad the promise of this book remains unfulfilled. Without a concluding book to this series, this remains one of the worst tragedies in today’s Literature.
The most Mary Sue of Mary Sues, our protagonist is the smartest, best looking, most amazing person in the whole universe.
This was recommended to me by friends, and I couldn’t get through it. When the proud protagonist’s only flaw is that he just isn’t aware how awesome he is, I get bored.
I am waiting for the third book. Very good read.
I was not impressed with this book.Over hyped,in my opinion.
eagerly awaiting vol. 3
It grabs you and keeps you in.
This is one of those books that make you laugh, smile, cry, be passionate, want more and kill yourself went it end up. I think is the only book that I started to recommend before I end it.
The best fantasy series I have started. Still waiting for more.
My absolute favorite book! Very, very well written! Meets all requirements of a good story.
I realize, knowing full well my own unknown status, that anyone finding me and reading my reviews and recommendations, would definitely have heard of and probably already read, The Name of the Wind.
But…
In case the stars have aligned so perfectly that I am the one to introduce you to this book. Then I’d be honored to tell you to hurry up and finish the very thing you’re reading now (take your time to enjoy it though) and pick up this book. Buy it. Hardcover. Because it deserves that place on your bookshelf.
The writing. The story. The world and the characters. Are delicious. And oh…. the dialogue. My friends…make that tall, hot cup of tea, place it on the warming plate beside your favorite reading chair. Turn out the lights and ignite that fire because you’re going to want to sink deep into this one. You will be satisfied. You will be crushed. You will be entertained and you will be grateful you read this one!
Enjoy my friends.
Tyler
Plot – The plot multilayered and complex. There is a primary story, which takes place in the past, and a secondary story, which takes place in the present. After finishing the second book you begin to get the sense that the “secondary” story, or present, is going to become the primary story. I can’t wait until that happens because it’s going to be exciting. Although it’s a fun read, it’s long and at times. I found myself getting a little bored with how slow some parts developed. The lengthy plot does develop the characters well, but I’d prefer it to be more streamlined.
Characters – Kvothe is one of the most well developed interesting characters I’ve ever read about. He’s ingeniously clever, a quick study, and amazingly talented. I can’t think of anyone else I’d rather be like. Denna, also known as many other names, is the main love interest. She is musically talented, willful, spontaneous, wily and a wanderer. She makes a great character that many females might admire. Bast is Kvothe’s student and assistant in the present storyline. He’s involved enough in the novels for the reader to learn his personality and to discover that he has an agenda. It seems like he cares greatly for Kvothe and admires his past deeds, but he has a plan of his own.
Romance – Romance is a major theme in the novel. It doesn’t take up a huge percentage of it, but it is paramount to the story. At times, I liked how the romance was developing and at other times, I was less interested in it. I’m hoping that the romance in the third novel sparks my interest again, but I’m worried that things will be tragic.
Creativity –The “Magic” system in this series is both original and clever. The system is comprised of two unique types of power that are based on similar principles— in short, dominance over matter and energy. Like in most fantasy novels, some characters are more powerful than others. The main character, Kvothe has an aptitude for magic, like he does for many other things. The novels are also rich with detailed history, interesting fairy-tales, and well-written songs.
Writing Style –the writing style is strong. It’s not flowery, but it describes scenes well and moves the plot along excellently. The dialogue is stellar. Kvothe shows that he’s clever with his words countless times. I never felt bogged down with the writing.
Overall – I strongly recommend the novel for anyone who likes fantasy with an amazing primary character. Also, if you are a musician or an actor it will probably be even more interesting. As a former traveling musician, Kvothe is an amazing lute player and is excellent at acting. I wish the romance worked better for me, but some people might like it more. The storyline is amazing, and I have a feeling that the third novel is going to be great as well. I’m excited for its release and can’t wait to learn what happens to Kvothe.