Waiting for the page to turn | The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1)

An excellent read, I cannot wait for the next book to come out. | The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1) | Patrick Rothfuss

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	• The Name of the Wind (Kingkiller Chronicles, Day 1) Patrick Rothfuss DAW, 2008 - 736 pages average customer review:based on 667 reviews view larger image
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highly recommended

Far more entertaining than it should be, but entertaining it is.

This lengthy fantasy novel introduces the story of Kvothe, a gypsy boy turned orphaned street urchin turned student and prodigy in magic. Actually, he's a prodigy in everything else he attempts as well: language, music, and the list goes on. He also possesses few if any moral flaws (besides arrogance, but the author doesn't seem to recognize that one). Sure, he makes mistakes, but they're of the impulsive-youth variety, easily forgivable.

Mary Sue? Let me count the ways. Not only is Kvothe omni-skilled and morally justified, he's also the victim of childhood tragedy, of desperate poverty, of snubs at the University. He's driven to avenge his family, who were killed by the Chandrian (uber-demons who may or may not exist according to his world's society--of course, we know they do). He's witty, all the time. He sings breathtaking baritone. And, best of all, he's a redhead.

However, the wish-fulfillment nature of the hero isn't the worst part of this book. That honor falls to the prose itself. The dialogue isn't bad, but it sometimes comes across awfully, thanks to profusions of adverbs and direct address. The narrative style can be artful, but it can also be melodramatic and author-indulgent. One gets the definite feeling that Mr. Rothfuss is impressed with his own diction.

Why on earth, then, do I award four stars? (Three-and-a-half is more accurate.) Because I can't wait for THE WISE MAN'S FEAR to hit bookstores. I'm intrigued by the principles of "sympathy" (magic), the lore of the Chandrian, the sense that the second book will be less setup and more payoff. I don't frequent the fantasy genre; were I jaded to its conventions, perhaps this story would have held less appeal for me. Not to say I don't recognize the conventions of "magic school" and the like (hey, I'm a resident of Planet Earth, I know about Harry Potter), and Rothfuss's characterization leans on quite a few types (wise old teacher; waif/free spirit love interest; entitled rich kid antagonist; devoted sidekick/servant). And yes, the frame narrative is old as Chaucer; but it's used brilliantly here to give us glimpses of Kvothe, to show him simultaneously young and "old," to contrast who he was and who he is.

Speaking of the protagonist, here's the ultimate reason for the four stars. Kvothe, Extraordinaire In Everything, is the most enjoyable Mary Sue I've ever read. I'm curious how he'll evolve from the student of Book One's chronicle, to the warrior we know he'll become, to the broken innkeeper in the "now" of the frame narrative, telling his own story. I care about what's in store for him; whatever it is, I want him to heal from it. When his story is told, when Chronicler sets down his pen and the scraelings descend at the end of Day Three (surely that's the plan?), I want this arrogant, ridiculously flawless guy to win the day.

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Waiting for the page to turn

Not the real page turning adventure I'd hoped for, but a very enjoyable book I kept coming back to in-between the page turners I usually read. Hopefully the next book will let Kvothe break out of his shell and take on a real quest. Looking forward to the next installment.

An excellent read, I cannot wait for the next book to come out.

Kvothe is the main character and we find him running a small inn located in a village. He was using the name Kote. There is trouble with a spiderlike creature that the locals believe to be a demon. They destroyed the creature and bury it. Later we find Kvothe out in the dark by himself. He lures five more creatures out and destroys them, not telling the locals. We don't know who this innkeeper is. From there a man called the Chronicler arrives and wants to know Kvothe's story.
The story then jumps back to when Kvothe was a boy and is told in first person by Kvothe himself. It takes us through a happy boyhood with a traveling troupe and disaster. We learn of Kvothe's experience with some beings called The Chandrian, and he becomes obsessed with them. He takes us through his teen years and leaves us wondering if he is going to make it through the University or if his feud with a noble's son, Ambrose, will ruin him.
The book ends back in the inn and leaving the reader enthralled and wanting more. The descriptions are vivid, letting the reader smell the wood and dust of the inn, the smoke from the fire, feel tension between rivals, and cheer for the love of a young man who does not know the first thing about courting a lady. The Name of the Wind is at the top of my list of favorite books. It is a great read and I recommend it to anyone who enjoys the fantasy genre.

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Great Read

First I am a woman, second I am 40. Two counts against me for this genre. Fantasy, by its nature, is active reading. Meaning you have to read all the words and commit to the story and the unknown. I am a lazy reader for most of selections for this meaning, its due to recreational and easy escapes. This book took reading the first few chapters a couple times to retrain me but after that I dug right in and was in it for every unknown word or place.

I am looking forward to the rest of the story but know that it is on the authors time. If you get a moment read his blog. Hysterical! What a great guy!

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Next big thing

Rothfuss is the next big thing in the fantasy world. This is a fantastic book. It starts a little slow though, even for me; the beginning is not as polished as say, GRRM would be. Which is why I docked it a star. But after that there are great twist and turns, none of which feel forced. You get to know and very much like the main character, Kvothe. An excellent 1st novel. I hear that Rothfuss says he's learned a lot about writing since publishing this, has honed his skills even more, and book #2 should be even better. As a first novel, this is killer. Heck, apart from GRRM, and maybe 1 or two others, this book is probably the best fantasy out there, period. Get in on Rothfuss now during these early years and you can say "I told you so" for life. Buy, buy, buy.

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