10 Rated Books Book Reviews

Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss

Title: The Name of the Wind – The Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One

Author: Patrick Rothfuss

Genre: Fantasy

Publisher: DAW
Publishing Date: First edition, 2007.
Paperback: 672 pages

Stand Alone or series: book one the Kingkiller Chronicle’ trilogy.

Summary: 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.

Why did I read the book: I bought the book months ago because of the awesome reviews it got online. It has been gathering dust in my giant TBR shelf for ages until I recently read The Painted Man by Peter V.Brett, also because of awesome reviews and found it was a good, solid book but not an awe-inspiring one. I then decided to read The Name of the Wind to see how it would compare. And boy, talk about awe-inspiring.

Review:

A man walks into an inn – let’s call it the Waystone Inn – and he sees its owner behind the bar – let’s call him Kote . Kote is a quiet man who keeps to himself, full of lines on his face and scars in his body; He looks old but he is not yet thirty. He is a man who has seen things, known things, far too many to count. A man who has longings which he does not listen and regrets that consume him. His hair is red – but not the flame red that once was. His eyes are of a dull green – not the bright green –grass they used to be. He is a man with a Past. He is our hero.

A man walks into the Waystone Inn disrupting the conversation its (few) regulars are having, claiming that he has been attacked by a giant spider. He was able to kill the animal and its carcass is brought forward – what could this be? Is it a demon? Surprisingly, the unassuming Kote voices that it is a scrael and helps them getting rid of it properly. He also knows that scraelings come in bands and he, alone and quietly prepares for another battle. Kote makes his way into the forest and proceeds to exterminate the scraelings.

A man – let’s call him Chronicler – walks into this scene and finds the one he has been looking for: the mythical hero known as Kvothe. A man who has stolen princesses , burnt towns, attended The University at an early age, talked to Gods, loved women, written amazing songs, killed an angel – and disappeared from public life suddenly. Chronicler, who is a History keeper, wants to document Kvothe’s (pronounced QUOTHE) life and separate the truth from the lies and exaggerations that surround his story. Kvothe is initially against the idea but upon persuasive arguments decides to tell his own story: the way it happened. He offers Chronicler the opportunity of a lifetime – the man whose very best stories about him are the ones HE told is about to tell all – in three days( hence the name of the novel: the Kingkiller Chronicle, Day One).

As they sit down , the narrative shifts from third person to first person (and back again to third whenever the need for a break arises : nature call, meal breaks, demon attack , etc) as Kvothe tells his adventures starting from his childhood as a member of a loving, amazing travelling troupe when he learnt to love music, acting (both define who he is and come in handy several times in his life) and above all about magic when an Arcanist joins the group and teaches him about Sympathy. Until tragedy strikes and alone, he must make his way into the world. This first day follows the story of Kvothe in his early years until he joins The University at the early age of 14 as he seeks Knowledge. But not any Knowledge – Kvothe is fuelled by his need to know everything and anything about the mysterious evil Chandrian (“when the hearthfire turns to blue, what to do? What to do? Run outside. Run and hide”) and learn the….name of the wind. (And if he learns the seven words to make a woman love you in the process, all the better right? )

And this is only but a small glimpse into the world of The Name of the Wind. I LOVE this book with every cell of my being.

The story itself is tremendously interesting. There are mysteries within mysteries, stories within stories, all relating to the Chandrian and to Kvothe’s parents. (I will say no more on the subject. )

The details of the world building with its places (there is even a map ) , peoples, languages, currencies and the magic that in here is called Sympathy and its practitioners, arcanists and all the sympathies and bindings and how they work are EXPLAINED in minutiae. There is History, Chemistry, Religion, Myth , Music and Poetry. And of course, the cryptic power of the namers – those few who can call the name of things.

The characters are amazing. None more than Kvothe – an extremely clever and cunning young boy who gets away from many scuffles with his intelligence and quick thinking and who at the same time is naïve and prone to suffer for his emotional vulnerability. I absolutely ADORE him and I cried and I laughed many times over his story. I loved that Patrick Rothfuss gave him a happy childhood with loving parents who loved him AND each other (and their love was also a very sensual one). I find myself grateful for a Fantasy author who chooses to make love the mark of a hero’s past instead of hate. It is all the more poignant when a hero is grief-stricken with the loss of something GOOD. Isn’t the absence of love as hurtful as the presence of hate? Kvothe’s University friends are good enough to make me want to read about them and of course there is Bast – his student who at the present follows his master as he wastes his life at the Waystone Inn and who worries and waits for something, anything to help his master to be over this god-forsaken, apparently self-inflicted misery. At the end of Day One, there is still no clue as to how the child that was Kvothe became the man that is Kote.

Then finally there is the cherry in the cake: the writing. Patrick Rothfuss’ prose is absurdly stunning, the type that makes me cry at its sheer beauty. To illustrate my point, I present you with a quote from a story within the story. Part of the tale of Lanre (a warrior) and his beloved Lyra (who was a namer and could call the name of things and command them). Lanre falls into battle and dies. Lyra is devastated. This is what follows:

“In the midst of silence Lyra stood by Lanre’s body and spoke his name. Her voice was a commandment. Her voice was steel and stone. Her voice told him to live again. But Lanre lay motionless and dead.

In the midst of fear Lyra knelt by Lanre’s body and breathed his name. Her voice was a beckoning. Her voice was love and longing. Her voice called him to live again. But Lanre lay cold and dead.

In the midst of despair Lyra fell across Lanre’s body and wept his name. Her voice was a whisper. Her voice was echo and emptiness. Her voice begged him to live again. But Lanre lay breathless and dead.”

So there you have it: good writing of an amazing hero’s journey and an in-depth world building. There is only one thing missing here and as Kvothe says himself: no story is a good story if there isn’t romance. And it’s here as well folks, in the figure of a young girl called Denna, Dianne or any other alias she can think of. I will be cryptic again and shut up so you can find and follow Denna along with Kvothe.

Is the book perfect? Of course not – although it’s close enough. Some may think that Kvothe is too perfect a character, the male equivalent of a Mary Sue. One could argue that The University resembles Hogwarts and that the Ambrose-Kvothe animosity is reminiscent of the Harry-Draco one (but hey every hero needs his nemesis) . You can even say that Kvothe’s struggles to get money to be able to remain at the University are repeated too frequently. Even though the critical part of me is willing to acknowledge all of the above, I can honestly say that I did not care one IOTA about these: they are only but tiny droplets in the vast ocean of awesomeness that is this book.

If I had any talent for poetry I would write an Ode. If I could compose songs, I would make one for the lute and call it “The name of the Wind knocked my socks off”. But I don’t. As it stands, the ONLY thing I can do to convey how much I love this book, is to write this review, hoping against hope that it will be enough, and say that whenever Patrick Rothfuss takes Kvothe next, I will follow, blindly and willingly.

And I will finish by saying the following: I don’t want to run into any rushed declarations but The Name of the Wind may well be the best book I read since The Book Smugglers’ inception.

Notable Quotes/ Parts:

I read this one-page prologue that opens the book and I knew I was in for a treat:

Prologue

A Silence of Three Parts

It was night again. The Waystone Inn lay in silence, and it was a silence of three parts.

The most obvious part was a hollow, echoing quiet, made by things that were lacking. If there had been a wind it would have sighed through the trees, set the inn’s sign creaking on its hooks, and brushed the silence down the road like trailing autumns leaves. If there had been a crowd, even a handful of men inside the inn, they would have filled the silence with conversation and laughter, the clatter and clamour one expects from a drinking house during the dark hours of night. If there had been music….but no, of course there was no music. In fact there were none of these things, and so the silence remained.

Inside the Waystone a pair of men huddled at one corner of the bar. They drank with quiet determination, avoiding serious discussions of troubling news. In doing this they added a small, sullen silence to the larger, hollow one. It made an alloy of sorts, a counterpoint.

The third silence was not an easy thing to notice. If you listened for an hour, you might begin to feel it in the wooden floor underfoot and in the rough, splintering barrels behind the bar. It was in the weight of the black stone hearth that held the heat of a long-dead fire. It was in the slow back and forth of a white linen cloth rubbing along the grain of the bar. And it was in the hands of the man who stood there, polishing a stretch of mahogany that already gleamed in the lamplight.

The man had true-red hair, red as flame. His eyes were dark and distant, and he moved with the subtle certainty that comes from knowing many things.

The Waystone was his, just as the third silence was his. This was appropriate as it was the greatest silence of the three, wrapping the others inside itself. It was deep and wide as autumn’s ending. It was heavy as a great river-smooth stone. It was the patient, cut-flower sound of a man who is waiting to die.

Additional Thoughts:

The Name of the Wind was published back in 2007 and has won many prizes and keen followers. The second book Day Two: The Wise Man’s Fear was first set to be published in 2008…except, it wasn’t.

It is already May 2009 and the book has no release date as of yet. It seems that this has been the cause for an internet brouhaha where angered fans have been pestering the author to finish the book already or else and I find myself wondering what the hell are people thinking when they assume a writer can just you know, come up with amazing stories like this easily. Writing to me, is art, and no artist, as far as I understand can write under pressure. I mean, I can certainly sympathise with the tension of the wait and I would love to read The Wise Man’s Fear sooner rather than later. I do however, prefer to read the best book Patrick Rothfuss can come up with and if that can only happen if we give the man the time he needs, I believe I should oblige and sit quietly.

Patrick Rothfuss wrote a blog post concerning the release of book 2 where he unleashes his frustration: he explores how he is not a writing machine, how his life changed from being an unknown aspiring writer to a success practically overnight and how that is stressful even if of course, also a good thing. How he feels tired and frustrated at the hate mail he receives and I feel for the guy.

Although part of me thinks that this avid anticipation can also be hurtful to the book’s chances: I mean, can you imagine the expectation people will have? Look at me: if the next book is only 0.000001% better than The Name of the Wind , I will have to officially enter a petition to Thea for a revision of our grading system but how can there be something better than a 10 rated book? If the book is 0.000001% worse than The Name of the Wind, I am afraid I will be disappointed and that’s the truth, the whole truth and nothing but the truth.

I wonder if the Internet and blogging is partly to blame for higher expectations with regards to books. The more blogs talk about one book and the more blogs we read, the more it seems we become part of a group that want it all and NOW. Maybe the closer we get to authors (by reading their website and their own blog), the worse it is?

But is this fair to authors? What about readers – is the wait fair to them? What do you think?

Verdict: simply one of the books I have EVER read.

Rating: a solid, perfect 10 which just set the bar higher for everything I read henceforth

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36 Comments

  • Peta
    May 4, 2009 at 1:00 am

    I have a “rule” not to buy books in a series unless it’s finished. But… This review makes me want to order a copy At Once. Decisions, decisions!

  • edifanob
    May 4, 2009 at 4:40 am

    KUDOS! Ana.
    That’s a review written with lifeblood. Last year I read two books with “Wind” in their title – The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothfuss and The Shadow of the Wind by Carlos Ruiz Zafon. Both books are extraordinary.

    And if you aren’t convinced to read The Name of the Wind after this gorgeous and awesome review by Any – then you should stay away from fantasy.

    Peta, just skip your “rule” in this case. You will have no regrets about it.

    Ana, I really appreciate your additional thoughts. It’s a shame what some of these so called “fans” did with Patrick Rothfuss. Of course you get disappointed when a book is postponed. But in the end the result is what counts.

    I don’t think that you can blame Internet and blogging for higher expectations.
    For me this is just another kind of public.
    The contact between author, reviewer and reader is getting closer and more international.
    Try to remember the time before Internet.

  • Marg
    May 4, 2009 at 5:04 am

    I have this book on my TBR list, but I have ummed and ahhed as to whether to make an effort to pick it up and read it!

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  • KMont
    May 4, 2009 at 6:51 am

    This was a wonderful review and a highly anticipated one ever since that Brett book you reviewed.

    You make this book sound effortlessly easy to pick up, and if I can ever get my TBR pile not to hate me anymore I will definitely do so.

    You do raise some really good questions about the fact that the second book isn’t out yet, and the resulting internet reaction. We’ve seen that kind of…crap, yes, crap with lots of other authors before. A simple question asking if there’s any new info on so and so’s next book can bring on a shit storm of WTF that has the original questioner spewing their own unbelievable WTFage in turn.

    I can’t for the life of me imagine loving a book SO much that that admiration would turn into some kind of vicious anti-fan mail to said author. Sure, I can understand the frustration of wanting that next book SO much, but it never, ever warrants me or anyone trashing an author in an email to them. Why don’t those people try writing their book and see how far they get in the process before they understand.

    And there are authors who can simply ignore that kind of criticism and there are those that can’t. It’s a sad shame that Rothfuss is in the latter category. I hope he can look past what is really very empty hate mail and find his way. It’s a tough road sometimes.

    Really, no author is a writing machine. Machines can’t put out the books we truly love.

  • Meljean
    May 4, 2009 at 7:34 am

    I always want everyone to go into my books expecting crap, so that hopefully they are surprised. (Much better than disappointment — and if they DO think it’s crap, w00t! Everyone’s right and happy.)

    Do you know, it’s not as if I don’t already have so many freaking books to read, and then you have to go and write a review like this. You people (I use that term loosely when I refer to reviewers) ARE KILLING ME!!!

  • Leslie
    May 4, 2009 at 9:32 am

    Wonderful review Ana. I’ve got this one in my TBR pile and now I’m wondering if I should hold off until there’s a release date for the next book.

  • alana
    May 4, 2009 at 11:20 am

    Anyone waiting to read this book is just plain crazy. This book is by far one of the best I’ve ever read. To wait is completely silly and I wish I could re-read the book for the first time in each person’s place. (Is my immense love for this book being conveyed clearly enough? Cause I can keep going.)

    I completely agree that it’s wrong to pressure an author into releasing a book before they’re ready, but I think George R.R. Martin may have ruined the patience of many readers.

  • Tiah
    May 4, 2009 at 12:08 pm

    Wonderful review, I am excited to get this book. I agree that the writing is beautiful, the quote you provided almost made me cry!

    I can’t believe he is getting hate mail! If a book isn’t ready, it isn’t ready. I would much rather wait for a wonderful book than have a crap one that was hurried. I hope this doesn’t take away his desire for writing, that would be a shame.

  • Gerd Duerner
    May 4, 2009 at 2:35 pm

    fans have been pestering the author to finish the book already or else

    Ooookay … or else what?
    What do those people think they could do to get that book out of an author if he (or she) hasn’t completed it yet?
    Or do they happen to think that authors might have finished books in their shelves they simply refuse to have published out of, well, spite? 😆

  • Angie
    May 4, 2009 at 2:44 pm

    Wow. Quite a recommendation, Ana! I love it. The best book you’ve read since the Smugglers came to be?? “I want to go to there.”

  • Doug Knipe [SciFiGuy]
    May 4, 2009 at 5:23 pm

    I couldn’t agree more with your review. I loved this book so much I gave away copies at Christmas to anyone on my list that reads, even if it wasn’t normally fantasy. I heard nothing back but praise. The next book will certainly be worth the wait.

  • Bookwormom
    May 4, 2009 at 8:24 pm

    I just bought this a couple of weeks ago & it’s near the top of the mini TBR on my bedside table. I’m sorry to hear about the author’s delays & I sympathize with what he says in the blog post mentioned. But I have to say I agree with Ana’s comment above in that a lot of readers have gotten very impatient because of other authors in this field. If the drag between titles is too long some readers may not pick up the next one.

  • Kerry D.
    May 4, 2009 at 8:49 pm

    I feel like such a philistine saying this, but I couldn’t get into this book. I heard such good things about it and I wanted to love it so much, but I tried to read it twice and both times I just bogged down. I still don’t know why and I’m sorry I missed out on the experience it gave so many people, but that’s how it turned out for me.

    As for people bugging the author, I think it’s terrible. I follow Pat Rothfuss’ blog and he seems like such a nice guy whose whole world has been turned upside down by his success. I wish him all the best and I hope you all love The Wise Man’s Fear as much when you get it.

  • motionless
    May 4, 2009 at 9:31 pm

    Book Review: The Name of the Wind by Patrick Rothf……

    Bookmarked your post over at Blog Bookmarker.com!…

  • Bridget Locke
    May 4, 2009 at 11:07 pm

    Wow, Ana, I’m impressed. I might have to go look it up.

    I can recommend two authors of fantasy who impressed me. The biggest & best is Elizabeth Haydon. Her series about Rhapsody (and the rest of the characters) is one of the most lyrical series I’ve ever read. Reading her books is like listening to music.

    The other is Sara Douglass and her Wayfarer Redemption series. Another gorgeous series, but also EXTREMELY depressing…until the end. 😀

    I’m a big fan of well-written, mind-boggling fantasy. That can never hurt. 🙂

  • Taja
    May 5, 2009 at 12:22 am

    Thank you for your wonderful review, Ana.

    I have this book in my TBR pile for around six months now – I really should get to it! I love well-written fantasy.

  • Ana
    May 5, 2009 at 1:44 am

    Peta – You know, book 1 ends in a way that makes if easier (at least I thihk so) to wait for book 2, there is no real cliffhanger just the promise of more adventures to come. So, if this is what worries you, then rest assured reading book 1 now wouldn’t be too bad. However if you prefer to wait for all 3 books to come out so that you can avoid disappointment in case the other 2 are not as good….then, I can totally understand. 😀

    edifanobNo – Thank you! You know, I LOVED the Shadow of the Wind as well and it is in my top 5 all time favourite and I thought The Name of the Wind was equally as good.

    Marg – do it now. Come on, you know you want to. 😈

  • Ana
    May 5, 2009 at 1:53 am

    Kmont –

    Why don’t those people try writing their book and see how far they get in the process before they understand.

    EXACTLY. Maybe the people that do so are occasional readers that found the author online but have no idea about writing process etc? Maybe it is easier for us – I mean, us, bloggers and regular blog readers – because we stand “closer” to the writing process by having contact with authors and generally being more knowledgeable about publishing etc?

    Although, really, I would think that knowing that most people don’t work well under pressure and that art if not by demand, would be common sense.

    Meljean – we are happy to tempt you. 😈

    Leslie – If you already have it….I would say read it. :mrgreen:

    Alana – I heard about the George RR Martin brouhaha as well – people have been waiting a LONG time for his next book right?

    Tiah – This worries me too.

  • Ana
    May 5, 2009 at 2:01 am

    Gerd – Yes, it is ludicrious isn’t it? But then again, the power of the Internets is a great one. What if one of the lunatics decide to start a boycot campaing online and you know how these viral things go. Next thing you know, people will stop buying his books. 😯 It could happen….no?

    Angie – 😀 Yes, go there.

    Doug – once again we agree! *highfive* That’s a nice thing what you did – spreading the love. I did that with The Shadow of the Wind.

    Bookworm – Part of me thinks, that well, it’s their loss if people forget about the book and don’t buy the second one because of delays etc. Part of me thinks, that it’s a shame and that will hurt author’s sales. But then again, a clever publisher, one they know when the book is coming out, will know how to restart the fire right?

    Kerry D – he does seem like a genuine nice guy doesn’t he? as for not getting into the book – what a shame. But it happens to all of us, a lot of books that got a lot of hype, I was never able to get into.

    Bridget Locke – Writing down your recs. 😀

    Taja – thanks. Let me know what you think when you read it.

    Actually this goes to everyone who decides to read this book – I would love to hear your reaction.

  • Dark Wolf
    May 5, 2009 at 7:28 am

    Very nice review 🙂
    I absolutely loved this novel and I am looking forward for the rest of the series.

  • Kris
    May 5, 2009 at 2:34 pm

    I read the first paragraph of your review, Ana, and then skipped straight to the end. You had me from the first. LOL. This looks like a fabulous book.

    I must say that I find it really disturbing that so-called fans of the book have been attacking the author because the second in the series has yet to be released as was originally planned. Do they think they can make him write faster by putting pressure on him?? Very odd indeed.

    I don’t think the internet and blogging is necessarily the blame for higher expectations. I think it more likely that both have allowed easier access to authors and have provided a more public forum for people to express their views, which we can see in this instance has degenerated to something similar to cyber bullying. Not nice.

  • Christine
    May 5, 2009 at 7:47 pm

    Wow. What a stellar recommendation from you and many other readers. Looks like this is going on my wish list.

  • alana
    May 5, 2009 at 8:51 pm

    Yeah, like 7 or 8 years.

    Not only is that a long freggin time on its own, but he had written a note to readers at the end of book 4 (A Feast For Crows) explaining that the next book should be out in the next year. (That was 2001 or 2002.) Plus, he had to break up the fourth installment into two books due to the immense size of the story he wanted to tell. (Instead of telling half of every character’s story he decided to tell the whole story of only half the characters.) So a lot of people feel cheated.

  • Maria
    May 8, 2009 at 3:22 pm

    I’m going to have to read this. I’ve read many a review that touted it…and yours just pushed it over the edge. I wonder if my library has it…!

  • Meljean
    May 23, 2009 at 2:16 am

    I got waylaid by the Terminator review *silent sob* but I just want to say that it’s a little past 2 am, I’m halfway through this book, and I’m not going to bed yet. And I’m pretty sure it’s all the fault of this review.

    Damn good stuff.

  • Ana
    May 23, 2009 at 2:22 am

    OH, Meljean it warms my heart so to hear you are enjoying it. You are right, it is damn good stuff.

    and I JUST got another copy of the book in the post this morning, a SIGNED copy (he was in London this week!)for me saying: To Ana, good luck with your book babies. (Because I said that I wanted to have babies with the book lol)

    I could not be more in love with this man. seriously. :mrgreen:

  • CupofDice
    July 3, 2009 at 2:47 pm

    Great review. Agree 100%.

    “It is already May 2009 and the book has no release date as of yet. It seems that this has been the cause for an internet brouhaha where angered fans have been pestering the author to finish the book already or else and I find myself wondering what the hell are people thinking when they assume a writer can just you know, come up with amazing stories like this easily. Writing to me, is art, and no artist, as far as I understand can write under pressure. I mean, I can certainly sympathise with the tension of the wait and I would love to read The Wise Man’s Fear sooner rather than later. I do however, prefer to read the best book Patrick Rothfuss can come up with and if that can only happen if we give the man the time he needs, I believe I should oblige and sit quietly.”

    You can say that easily since the book will be released either this year or GOD FORBID next year. Say that if you were one of those poor people (LIKE ME) who picked up this book years ago and heard the fact that the whole trilogy WAS DONE! Still, I am in no rush, so I can wait.

  • Anonymous
    September 15, 2010 at 2:30 am

    :mrgreen:

  • Dan R.
    December 30, 2010 at 11:59 pm

    I have just read this book on the recommendation of my local bookseller only because she assured me that the second in the series is forthcoming this March (’11).
    I don’t like to wait around George R.R. Martin.

    Anyhoo I must say that I agree.
    Perfect Ten.
    Keep ’em comin’ Pat, and take yer sweet time as I’m sure three will be worth the wait.

  • Tom
    March 17, 2011 at 11:27 am

    I bought this book on my Kindle and immediately read nine chapters. I will finish it – I promise – but I would love to know when it gets interesting. I agree with an earlier commenter who indicated he got bogged down early on. For all the hype this book has received, I guess I expected it to really grab me. So far, it hasn’t. I hope it does so, and soon.

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  • Brendan
    September 5, 2011 at 11:17 am

    Reading this book is like any other. If you read a few chapters and it doesn’t grab you…. put it down and move on. I found this book great. It really is a truely great very well thought out story. Its fiction is believable, and workable, and its characters are rich and well written and expressed. I loved this story, as it doesn;t rush you to the climax, its just ment to be the real story of a man;s life, and a person’s life is not a calculated thing, that is aimed at impressing. It just is what it is. I would actually like to slap Kvothe in the head occassionally when he bimbles about with Denna…. I mean this is a kid who helped a Near King woo Lady Lackless….. and he can;t even bring himself to do anything remotely the same for himself. I hate it….. but its part of the bigger story and you have to take the good with the bad. If it was me, I would have already let her know how I felt…. I would love to shake Kvothe! Its maddening! But its the story. Love it or leave it. I tried reading the Wheel of time. Got to book 5 and tried and tried and tried reading it for about 6 months. I just could not get past it, try as I might. I should have left it alone and did something else, anything else. What is great about this book is how its written so much as what it says and where the story goes. Its class. The Author wrote this book and knew just what he was doing. Its quite obvious the genre of book he himself would read, and it shows through in this excellent story. I would really like to shake his hand. BUT…. now as I wait for book three I am not sure how to feel. How can it all be wrapped up in one book? I just don;t see how it can be done and get it all in there, Finish it proper. I think it will be a great book, as it all seems to be swimming around in the same pool just waiting to come together. Bring on Book 3 Patrick!! I’m not one to rush a good thing, I am on to other books in the mean time, but it will be nice to see what happens…. agree with what happens or not, you know its going to be what it is, just a great story. I feel in my water that it will be a tragic end, but maybe I am wrong, I hope I am. Would you rather just work in Kilvin’s shop gathering a small wealth? Or go out there grab the girl… and make her yours??? We shall see!

  • joana
    December 28, 2011 at 2:46 am

    i agree 200% to this review. its the best i have ever read of fantasy..the opening of the prologue was so perfectly written it was licking a chocolate fountain!
    this is the reason i never got around to going thru the first chapter of Game of Thrones given that it’s #1 of the top25 fantasy books..how can I after reading the “wise man’s fear” which more than lived up to my expectations? Of course Patrick Rothfuss has a lot to live up to..give a guy a break I say. For a great book like this..i am willing to wait no matter how agitated. If I can wait for the final Inheritance book by C.Paolini which was a long, heavy, dragging and such a headache to go thru…I can do anything for the KingKiller Chronicle. I LOVE this book on a shameless level!

  • Saniyah Wellman
    April 17, 2012 at 2:03 pm

    Fantastic article. Really Great.

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