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 DAY TWO: THE WISE MAN’S FEAR “There are three things all wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and … wise men fear: the sea in storm, a night with no moon, and the anger of a gentle man.”
My name is Kvothe. You may have heard of me.
So begins a tale told from his own point of view—a story unequaled in fantasy literature. Now in The Wise Man’s Fear, Day Two of The Kingkiller Chronicle, Kvothe takes his first steps on the path of the hero and learns how difficult life can be when a man becomes a legend in his own time.
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
more
First two books amazingly exciting and pulls you into the story. But he has never completed the last volume which has made me and many of my friends
pretty angry. So, the story is amazing but such a let down not knowing the end of the adventure.
Great, fast-paced story-telling. A very worthy sequel.
A great epic fantasy continues.
This tale and the telling of it are remarkable. Rothfuss is a phenomenal writer. The book is fun and compelling, contains intricate storytelling, gripping plot, and a sense of humor. As in Book 1, Kvothe relates his past to a scribe. A good portion of Book 2 takes place outside the University, which gives you a view of the rest of the world, even though I mostly enjoyed the parts of the story when he was at the school. Like any good fantasy, not everything goes the way you expect, and there are plenty of hints dropped about what might come.
I look forward to the next book in the series. If you love fantasy, you will love this series.
Now to the not-so-good stuff. While I adored The Name of the Wind, this book didn’t live up to the first. The plot was interesting, and the characters well-developed with excellent writing… everything you want in a good story. But nothing of major importance happened in Book 2. The story seemed to drift aimlessly in many places, and I became frustrated with the love relationship between Kvothe and Denna. The time Kvothe spent with the fae Felurian seemed to go on forever. And we learn little more about the Chandrian than we learned in the first book.
Overall, A Wise Man’s Fear was better than most fantasy books I’ve read. Read it. I’m sure you will agree.
1st book of great series
This is a genuinely intriguing and undeniably entertaining page-turner. Luckily the King Killer Chronicle has lots of pages to turn because so much story is being told in this multilayered masterpiece. The series has all the hallmarks of a legitimate fantasy classic. Not trying to compare it to anything just yet. However, if the rest of the story is presented in a manner consistent with what has been done so far, the completed work will simply find its way onto the list of all-time fantasy classics of its own accord.
Magical
One if the best novels ever in its fantasy genre. Still waiting on the much anticipated third (and final?) installment of this trilogy Intriguing storyline, characters you believe in and care about. And entertaining to actually read. Love the way language is used
Love most of his books.
Where do I even start? This book was a fantastic continuation to The Name of the Wind! Did I think part-way through that it was too long? Yes. Did I think that Rothfuss should, perhaps, have split this into two books? Yes – and I still do. Did I get to the last ten pages wanting more and not ready to finish? Gawd, yes! You’d think after 994 pages I’d be happy to be done and move on – and half-way through I thought that I was, too – but once I was in the last few chapters I knew that I wasn’t ready to be done with this. If that’s not the sign of a brilliant book, I don’t know what is.
I was intimidated by its size. Even though I wished (desperately) for more at the end I do think that it might have been better off as two books – and then they would still have been too long for some people. I’ve read several reviews saying that it doesn’t read as smoothly, and that it suffers from Middle Book Syndrome, but it is 994 pages long. I’m not convinced that any book that size can be read quickly, or feel like a fast read. You will be in for a long journey, but a very worthwhile one.
Having said that, it just didn’t feel right giving this four stars out of five. It deserves all five, and then some!
I loved all those new places Kvothe went to. I love a book with strong world-building, and this world has everything.
Just like in the first book, I loved Elodin, and I loved all the roundabout ways in which he tried to teach his rather unwilling class – that’s right, Elodin teaches in this one! Are you ever in for a treat! 😀
I love, love the time Kvothe spent in the Fae. It really showed off the magic in the book and the knack Rothfuss has for making me believe anything. The entire book has magic, but the Fae oozes it and it was fascinating to read about it.
Kvothe also spent a fair amount of time in Ademre. His time there as well as with Tempi has made me miss karate a lot. I enjoyed his time there a lot, but somebody *please* explain to me where the Adem think babies come from? I need answers!
This is a book that has stayed with me since I finished it two weeks ago, and which preoccupied my mind while I was still reading it. I’m still thinking about the world and its characters. It has taught me a lot and made me want to create the most magical of places. What more could you possibly want from a book?
Because Kvothe spent so much time at the university in the first book, I missed it in this one and it felt like a homecoming when he returned.
I enjoyed this a lot, and can’t wait for the final book to come out. I am a bit worried about how long it will be, because there seem to be a lot of unresolved things waiting to be addressed, but if this book has taught me anything is that he can write as much as he wants, and I’ll read it.
Again, I loved this series, but got tired of waiting for the final chapter.
I totally regret buying this book I felt tricked by it I will not read it or anything else by this author zero stars no recommendatio
His writing is amazingly superb and I wish I could hire him to write my papers. I have learned a lot from this book and I hope to become a writer one day. Because reading this showed me that books are more than a story they are other worldly they are the window to the past a different present and an amazing future.
Okay, wow. I gave 4 stars to the first installment of the Kingkiller chronicles, not because the story was flawed or the writing was bad. Far from it. It was a gripping tale. I gave it 4 stars because it had all the makings of another never-ending fantasy story that I’d have to wait twenty years to finish.
The Wise Man’s Fear compounds that feeling. I swear this epic is going to be twelve volumes long before it’s done, and with a book coming out every five years… Well, you do the math. But by all the gods dark and light, it’s worth it! (damn it!)
The Wise Man’s Fear gets 5 stars from me. ‘sigh’ So either I’m a sucker, or Rothfuss is just that good. I’m so invested in Kvothe’s development now. His early adventures and romantic interludes are like a never-ending plate of chocolate chip cookies for this sugar-fiend. Somehow, I just don’t care how long it takes to get there… I’ve got cookies!
This volume highlights Kvothe’s departure from the university as he “chases the wind”, which is the world’s euphamism for a young person going on a journey of self-discovery. Kvothe meets high nobles. He chases down bandits. He dallies with faeries. He learns the way of the warrior. Every single misadventure is utterly gripping, and the world deepens page by page. I witnessed the building of a hero, brick by brick, and while my action-oriented mind wanted Rothfuss to GET TO THE POINT—bring on the world-destroying nasties, already!—, Kvothe’s tension-filled remembrance held me in thrall. I actually stopped reading five pages from the end through sheer petulance that it was GOING to end; I just wanted to stay in the world so badly. I wanted to find out what happens to Kvothe next.
This series is a slow movement toward a distant (so very distant) crescendo, and Rothfuss continues to build it with a thousand little symphonies that keep my head tilted forward, waiting for the big moment. With seductive storytelling, he whispers that the wait will be worth the reward.
And I believe him. For now.
Excellent sequel to Name of the Wind. It left me wanting sequels!
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.
Makes fun of certain fantasy conventions while also celebrating the genre. Really enjoyed this one.
World building on a par with Robert Jordan and Terry Goodkind. A pure pleasure to read.
Even better than the first book!
brilliant writing
Book 2 in the series takes one happily further down the path of the story being ‘written down’. Book 2 makes the current time in the book a bit more interesting and makes you wonder about the 2 side characters. They are fleshed out some but still have a whole lot of mystery left to be explained for in Book 3. I will say I think I understand why the fae story was gone into in much detail but in my personal opinion it got old and really ‘out there’. Original view on the weaving of the coat – cool!…but it was all a strange side adventure that I thought belonged in another book all its own. I still am not liking the main character but I SO want to know how it all comes together!!! GOOD, GOOD read but the bizarre twist into the fairy land (200 pages or more!) left me not giving the last star. I’m not happy to give it only a ‘good’…must be a story in there to chronicle….?